Four Seasons 100% Leased; CEO Credits 'Win-Win' Policy

Jeremy Malensky, CEO of Dutchman Realty, says that he likes to see businesses succeed.

"We try to make it a win for everyone," he told Patch in a recent interview.

That attitude makes a difference. Just four months after his investment group purchased Four Seasons Plaza in O'Fallon, every available storefront is taken. 

The two newest, Mario's Pizza and Mike's Grill and Tap, will open soon.

The plaza, which was built in 1996, had only four tenants when Dutchman took over in November 2012. 

"The day we closed on it, we started construction on the facelift and all the clean-up, spent over half a million bringing it back to life, and now we've leased it 100 percent," Malensky said.

Malensky gave his team at Dutchman credit for the plaza's success. "We think through our tenants to make sure they work well with the surrounding businesses," he said. "We don't want anyone to fail."

Malensky said that his company looks at a prospective tenant's business plans and takes the time to understand the business and their goals. Sometimes, he finances their build-outs. 

"We do everything we can to put you in business," he said.

The Dutchman team owns and manages another retail space in O'Fallon, the refurbished roller skating rink just south of I-70, along with office buildings and retail spaces in St. Charles and Lake Saint Louis. 

The City of O'Fallon is awesome to work with," Malensky said, praising the city's "Open in the O" program. 

"It can be very overwhelming for a new business," he said.

Malensky was born and raised in St. Charles County. He is a five-year military veteran who now lives in O'Fallon. His mother, Dee Bax, founded Dutchman Realty 25 years ago.