Redevelopment of the Har Mar Mall in Roseville stepped forward this week when an agreement was signed to replace a portion of the former theaters with a Staples office products superstore, and D'Amico & Sons got the green light to build a new restaurant.

The Roseville City Council approved an amendment to the Har Mar land use plan this week so that the former Firestone auto service center can be torn down and rebuilt as a D'Amico -- as early as this summer.

The council also approved the demolition of the former Ground Round restaurant building at the shopping complex, clearing the way for a more upscale sit-down restaurant, developers said.

The changes are the latest steps in the redevelopment of the Har Mar Mall, which came under new ownership a ye.ar ago this month. The goal is to revitalize the 40-year-old mall, which more than 40,000 cars drive by each day, said Jamie Swanson, regional operations director for Emmes Realty Services, which manages the property.

"It's been a good week for us," Swanson said. "We got approval to redevelop the out lots -- the former Firestone and Ground Round buildings. And getting a signed agreement with Staples is a big deal."

Roseville officials also are pleased with progress on one of the city's signature shopping districts. The mall is a big part of Roseville's business history -- pre-dating even Rosedale -- and it has name recognition across the Twin Cities, they said.

"We are excited to have the mall updated," said Mayor Craig Klausing. "It's an important retail development in Roseville, and we like to see those businesses remain competitive."

But it's also important for the people living in the neighborhood adjacent to Har Mar, Klausing said, because deteriorating commercial districts can often lead to deteriorating residential areas. In fact, development plans include adding landscaping and screening to help shelter the buildings from their residential neighbors, he said.

The Har Mar Mall was built in 1961 and named after its original owners -- Harold and Marie Slawik. It was one of the first enclosed shopping malls in the Twin Cities.

It's undergone several changes of ownership, the most recent being its purchase last February by Gateway Washington Inc., based in New York.

Signing a contract with Staples this week was a major step forward, Swanson said. The office product superstore will occupy about 20,000 square feet of the former theater space, said Swanson.

The theaters closed in December 2006, and Har Mar still is seeking tenants for the remaining vacant theaters.

Meanwhile, demolition should start this week on the former Firestone auto center, which is about 6,600 square feet, Swanson said. D'Amico will occupy about half of the building constructed on the site.

The other half of the building probably will be divided into two smaller units to accommodate a coffee shop, retail or service business, he said.

The former home to the Ground Round restaurant still does not have an occupant.

"Each of these buildings had been in play since the early 1960s, their time had come and gone," Swanson said. "We want to bring new life to some of the more tired areas of the mall."

Jean Hopfensperger • 651-298-1553