City authorities, Citadel Mall owners, and business owners meet to address security concerns
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - After a longstanding history of violence and shootings at the Citadel Mall, Colorado Springs City Leadership, the Colorado Springs Police Department, business owners inside of the mall, and Namdar Realty Group, who owns the mall, met to address the safety issues.
The Colorado Springs Chief of Police said they had sent out a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design team on Monday, and the team is working through a report to evaluate the security concerns on the property.
"That might look like making sure that our lighting is correct and is appropriate for a parking lot, making sure that we have technology working to our advantage," Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said.
Vasquez also talked about engineering camera systems in the mall so that the police could "dip in" during emergencies to get a better view of what was happening inside the mall.
A representative of Namdar Real Estate Group promised more visits in the coming months, after being here for over a week, to work with the community towards solutions.
"I plan to continue to be part of the conversation and to have my presence here to be that bridge in between the site, the community, and to the corporate office to make sure that the things that need to get done to make sure we're moving in a positive direction are happening, and that they're happening in the timeline that they need to.," said Kevin Chadrijan with Namdar Real Estate.
However, when asked about the budget allotted towards the improvements or deadlines for the security improvements to be made, there weren't many clear answers. Chadrijan spoke about a "Phased approach" to upgrading security concerns. When asked about the budget going towards the improvements, he did not have a specific answer.
"There's no specific number there. It's really focused on what's going to take care of the issue," Chadrijan said.
Councilmember Nancy Henjum also spoke at the event, saying the mall originally drew her attention after the December 24th shooting. She also said that Namdar being on board helped propel the conversation forward.
"I think we were missing Namdar. I'll just say it," Henjum said. I think we were and we now have Namdar. The point is there have been things that have been happening up to this point."
Henjum also said she had talked to taxpayers in the area who loved the mall and felt safe there.
The City of Colorado Springs Economic Development Officer, Jessie Kimber, said the problem became hers when Fort Carson blacklisted the mall, barring any members from going there.
"As soon as we understood the gravity of the decision out of Fort Carson, we immediately partnered with the City council and with our community and our private sector to ensure that we were moving in the right direction to welcome those families back to the Citadel Mall, to provide a place that is safe, that is vibrant, that brings an economic vitality back to the region," Kimber said.
