The new owner of the Pony Village mall introduced himself to the local business community Monday, describing plans to remake the facility and respond to community needs. At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Paul Rudder said his ultimate goal is to fill the mall with stores that cater to all the needs of residents.

“We want to upgrade the mall to keep people in this community who currently go up to Eugene to do their shopping,” he said. “If we do our job, they will have a lot less reason to drive two hours (up there).”

Priority number one is to attract a bookstore to the mall, a kind of venue that once graced the facility at 1611 Virginia Ave., but has recently been lacking. Rudder said he is in discussions with some bookstore chains, but would leave open the option of bringing in a local business. So far, the California-native has attracted two new tenants since taking over the mall in December: Sweets Bouquet, a candy store, and The Handbag Company.

As the mall pursues other businesses to fill empty storefronts, Rudder plans to create an entirely different image for the mall as a whole.

“We can't make Pony Village bigger, but we think we can make it look a whole lot better,” he said.

Within the next two weeks, Rudder will sit down with an architect to consider improvements to the exterior and interior of the 360,000-square-foot shopping complex. One objective will be to redesign the facade of the Sterling Savings Bank storefront, a project Rudder would like to have underway this summer.

On the inside, Rudder said he would like to provide customers Wi-Fi service as well as seating areas and a generally cozy atmosphere. He also wants to have more dining options, so people think of going to the mall after work, not just on the weekends or when they need a new shirt.

“We want it to be a place to come and relax,” he said. “We want to replicate the village feel.”

To that end, Kathleen Rudder, Paul's wife and co-owner of the mall, said the plan is to hold a charity event at least once a month. Gatherings would invoke a sense of the street fair, with artistic acts and holiday-themed give-aways.

She also said efforts would be made to improve the mall experience for children and teenagers, with new rides installed in the day care center and, eventually, the installation of an arcade.