The city 's long-awaited redevelopment of Villager Mall -- intended to be an economic catalyst for Madison 's South Side -- is close to getting under way, but neighborhood residents are questioning the latest plans for the project.

"I think people do feel a certain sense of disappointment, " said Julie Yearling, one of more than 70 residents who attended a community meeting Monday at the South Park Street site where many had hoped to see a new restaurant and grocery store.

But with many pieces of the plan still in flux, Yearling said, "it 's really hard to know for sure what 's happening. " And with about $9 million in taxpayer money earmarked for the project, she said, "We should have some degree of certainty. "

The first of three potential redevelopment phases, expected to begin this year, calls for a major renovation of the central core, or atrium, of the mall and reconstruction of its exterior to include retail storefronts.

It also calls for construction of a new building on the front of the mall property at Buick Street, which would house a public library, headquarters for the Urban League of Greater Madison and a Planned Parenthood facility. A coffee shop also is being proposed for the new building.

But several residents said it would be a mistake to put the library, currently in the mall, in a detached building near the street, citing noise and safety issues for children. Residents also expressed concern that the 10,000 square feet allocated for the new library is too small.

Rochelle Lopez, who 's lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, said she believes a lot of teenagers won 't go to the Planned Parenthood facility because the location would not seem private.

Jim Bower of the Bower Group, which has been working with the city 's Community Development Authority on the project, said plans call for the Urban League to develop the new building, in which library space would likely be purchased.

Urban League President and CEO Scott Gray said negotiations with the city are still taking place. "This is option number one for us, " Gray said.

The Urban League has raised about 75 percent of a $5 million capital-campaign goal, with $3.3 million earmarked for construction of a new building that would include a workforce training center and computer lab to boost children 's skills, as well as offer financial literacy programs and business development opportunities, he said.

Phase II, envisioned for 2009, includes construction of a new health-care building, with Access Community Health Care and Wingra Clinic the two likely tenants and potential developers, Bower said. That would require coming up with a solution for the lack of sufficient on-site parking, he said.

Expanded educational programs by Madison Area Technical College, UW-Madison and Edgewood College, which already have a significant presence in the mall, could prepare neighborhood residents for jobs in health care, Bower said, adding, "It 's the fastest-growing part of the economy. "

Phase III, projected for 2010, would include construction of a smaller commercial building, such as a bank or a restaurant, if parking issues are resolved, Bower said.

The city has committed $2.7 million for the library, $3.7 million for atrium improvements and $2.5 million for acquisition and demolition of two gas stations adjacent to the site, Bower said. Another $160,000 has been allocated for an IT training center for city employees in the mall and $150,000 for the Urban League 's economic development center.