The 74-acre project will include apartments, retail, restaurants, office space, walking trails and what developers described as “a thoughtfully curated mix of daily needs and destination uses.”

Residents summarized the concept differently.

“So basically we won’t have to drive to Oakbridge for everything?” asked longtime resident Allison Price.

Officials confirmed that was the general idea.

Economic Development Director Evan Carlisle said the project represents an important step in Cedar Point’s growth.

“For years, we’ve heard residents say they want more dining, more shopping and more places to gather,” Carlisle said. “This project directly responds to that demand.”

Most of that demand has previously been expressed through credit card transactions in Oakbridge.

City staff estimate Cedar Point households currently spend millions of dollars each year outside the community on restaurants, apparel, entertainment and specialty retail.

“It’s a leakage issue,” Carlisle said.

Residents refer to it as “Saturday.”

The new development is expected to include several national retailers, a grocery component, coffee shops, casual dining and entertainment uses.

Officials would not confirm specific tenants.

That has not stopped residents from guessing.

Within hours of the announcement, local Facebook groups had confidently identified Trader Joe’s, Target, Costco, Cheesecake Factory, Whole Foods, HomeGoods, REI and “something like Topgolf” as likely tenants.

None have been announced.

One parcel is currently labeled “Future Retail.”

Residents have already decided it is Target.

“We have no idea where that came from,” Carlisle said.

The project’s developer, Summit Creek Partners, said the goal is to create a walkable destination where residents can live, shop, eat and spend time without leaving the community.

“That’s really what people are looking for,” said Development Vice President Lauren Hayes.

Hayes said the project will be designed around public spaces, pedestrian connections and a mix of uses that keep the area active throughout the day.

City Council member Greg Nolan called the project transformative.

“We’ve reached the point where people should be able to get dinner without making a regional trip out of it,” Nolan said.

Currently, Cedar Point has several restaurants, though residents say special occasions still tend to involve leaving town.

“We have places to eat,” said resident Megan Turner. “We just also know every restaurant in Oakbridge by exit number.”

City leaders say population growth has finally created the market conditions necessary to attract more amenities.

Over the past decade, Cedar Point has added thousands of residents and several new neighborhoods.

Retail development has followed more slowly.

“We’ve spent years telling retailers we have the rooftops,” Carlisle said. “Apparently we now have enough rooftops.”

Residents are particularly enthusiastic about the possibility of additional sit-down restaurants.

During a recent community survey, dining ranked among the most requested amenities.

So did entertainment.

So did shopping.

So did almost everything currently available in Oakbridge.

“There was a pattern,” Carlisle acknowledged.

Local officials believe the new development could also improve quality of life and help with talent attraction.

Employers have occasionally reported that prospective workers like Cedar Point’s schools, housing and location but ask about restaurants, shopping and entertainment.

“We’re tired of answering that question with, ‘It’s really close by,’” Nolan said.

The project is also expected to help Cedar Point capture more local spending.

City leaders say every dinner, shopping trip or entertainment purchase kept inside the community strengthens the local tax base.

“It makes a difference when residents spend those dollars here,” Carlisle said.

Several residents agreed.

“We’re ready to support local,” Price said. “Especially if local gets a good sushi place.”

Construction is expected to begin next year, with the first phase opening approximately 18 months later.

That timeline has already created some impatience.

Residents who have waited years for additional amenities reportedly consider another 18 months unreasonable.

“I’m happy it’s coming,” Turner said. “But I still have to drive to Oakbridge tonight.”

At press time, city officials were preparing for a public meeting on the development after residents demanded confirmation that the unidentified 42,000-square-foot retail building was, in fact, the Target they had already decided it would be.