Re: your Feb. 28 article, “Shopping center in Oxnard is sold for $13 million":
I thank The Star for reporting information on the sale of Carriage Square in Oxnard. The city and new landlord should both be well aware of the important location of this property before demolishing and developing the old site. The owners should be cognizant of opportunities to help beautify the city, as well as turn a profit. Neighbors from other nearby cities will also be interested in an attractive and unique shopping center within minutes of the Oxnard off-ramp.
Because of convenient access from the improved Highway 101, Carriage Square could become an attractive, dynamic shopping center or a unique mall for Ventura and Camarillo as well as Oxnard. Santa Barbara was once an old, unattractive dump until it was redeveloped many decades ago. Look at the business generated along State Street today because of good architectural planning.
A good marketing plan for Carriage Square might draw in profitable high-end national stores — perhaps selling furniture or clothing — a medical clinic or medical-dental offices, university and private school branches for adult evening and continuing education programs, unique restaurants, ice cream shops, coffee shops, Internet cafes, a bookstore and maybe even an IMAX theater like the one in San Diego to replace the old movie theater.
Oxnard has an attractive Amtrak station, a nice new movie theater downtown, an attractive library and some other unique features. Recent housing developments and new schools have expanded the city. Why not take advantage of this growth and ask City Hall to work with developers for something better than a site for another used car lot, swap meet or "Mall-Mart?"
— Tom Novinson, Ventura
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