Posted January 31, 200520 yr It's been talked about for years, but it looks like Westgate Mall in Rocky River/Fairview Park might finally be razed... http://www.westlifenews.com/2005/01-26/westgate.html Mayor William F. Knoble has informed the Richard E. Jacobs Group that he is opposed to a proposed plan to demolish Westgate Mall. The Jacobs Group met with Knoble and Economic Director Kory Koran Jan. 5 to discuss the fate of the mall. Knoble said they were told that the Jacobs Group intended to demolish the mall, except for Kohl's Department store. The project would include three large box stores and an "Avon Commons type" of outdoor retail space. Officially, the Jacobs Group would not comment on any proposed project. Spokesman William Fullington said, "The Jacobs Group has been working a long time on redeveloping Westgate Mall in a way that the residents of Rocky River, Fairview Park and the surrounding area would benefit (from)." Knoble said the proposed plan would reduce the square footage of the mall from the current 700,000 square feet to approximately 500,000 square feet and that the mall would be torn down in 2006 and rebuilt and reopened in 2007...
January 31, 200520 yr This was my first enclosed mall, the most convenient to my aunt's Westside Cleveland neighborhood. It is delicious irony that these malls that pushed the decline of Downtown (Higbee's, May CO, and Halle's in my memory) are threatened by places farther out. If this subject interests you, you might enjoy www.deadmalls.com. Ohio is well represented ...
May 11, 200520 yr Just an update I found from the 4/25/05 Crain's Cleveland: Forces join to remake Westgate By STAN BULLARD Transwestern Investment Co., a big, Chicago-based real estate investment company, and New Plan Excel Realty Trust, a publicly traded developer in New York that already owns retail properties in Northeast Ohio, are combining forces as they pursue a plan to remake vacancy-plagued Westgate Mall in Fairview Park. Stephen Quazzo, Transwestern's CEO, told Crain's Cleveland Business last Friday his company finds its investments on an "opportunity- driven" basis, which is why it has bought a stake in Westgate, which is Transwestern's first investment in Northeast Ohio... http://crainscleveland.com/article.cms?articleId=39111
May 25, 200520 yr Question. Any word on development at TowerCity. It amazes me that those (*#$%*@ can redevelop Westgate, but not mention TowerCity. Screw Westgate - no offense to any people that patronize that former "mall", but lets get the ball rolling at what should be Ohio's "crown jewel" of shopping!!
May 25, 200520 yr Yeah, that's peculiar and disappointing. I'm sure Forest City has people on the ground there in Vegas, what with all of their megaprojects across the country. Maybe they just didn't get covered in this article. Or maybe they're just dropping the ball in a big way! Glad to hear about all the other people representing at the conference... Though, I'm still wondering why no one is talking about retailing University Circle.
May 25, 200520 yr Once again Westgate takes attention away from downtown shopping. It did the same thing 50 years ago when it first opened. :( I'm kind of disappointed with what they're planning to do there. I was hoping for something mixed-use, but the developers instead are opting to turn it into yet another glorified stripmall. It only serves to saturate the already soggy retail market. I mean, there are already three other big-box stripmalls within the immediate area.
May 25, 200520 yr I hate HATE HATE this development in Strongsville!! We had a vote in the city about rezoning the land for this use and the issue was defeated. Now the new mayor is going behind closed doors and is making deals with Visconsi :evil: :evil: :evil: I can't wait til I can escape that city :-(
May 25, 200520 yr ^That dev in Strongsville is the none by Murphys motel, correct? If so, that area does need a facelift.
May 25, 200520 yr ^ I don't think Visconsi is doing that one. If that's the dvelopment they're talking about I'm completely fine with that and have made myself look foolish :| Visconsi is and has been trying to get the land right by the I-71 South exit at Royalton. This is the development I'm opposed to because it's one the few wooded areas left in the city and traffic is already horrible on Royalton. Perciak campaigned on the idea of reducing traffic and has done nothing but increase it. Oh how I love suburban sprawl :evil:
May 25, 200520 yr Yeah, that's peculiar and disappointing. I'm sure Forest City has people on the ground there in Vegas, what with all of their megaprojects across the country. Maybe they just didn't get covered in this article. Or maybe they're just dropping the ball in a big way! Glad to hear about all the other people representing at the conference... Though, I'm still wondering why no one is talking about retailing University Circle. Retail, restaurant and hotels would bring back that area and make it an instant international destination. But I'm sure someone will say "another hotel in Cleveland isn't necessary". But there definately needs to be some foot traffic around 101, 105, 107, etc. from carneige thru to Wade Park to compliment the new/renovated housing and influx of residents
May 25, 200520 yr How did we get from Westgate to University Circle? And, don't tell me "by bus"! KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 25, 200520 yr Well, KJP, you're the one who posted the article! I was just commenting on what is, to me, a glaring blank spot in the courtship of retailers to the Cleveland area. If UCI and CWRU really are planning to make the area a fully mixed-use, world class cultural/university area, they need retail! Ford/Euclid is the premier spot for this and I know it's kind of at a standstill, but not long ago, they were thinking big about it... That's how I got to University Circle.
May 25, 200520 yr Ah. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 25, 200520 yr I do agree that it'd be nice to see a project with some more mixed uses. Not necessarily a lifestyle center, but something with a focus on housing and limited retail. Kind of along the lines of what Englewood, CO did to redevelop the former Cinderella City Mall (with a name like that you wonder why it tanked) property into a mixed-use project with access to Denver's light-rail system. Here is the link: http://www.dep.state.pa.us/hosting/phoenixawards/Presentations/present_02/Cases/case_02.8.htm It just seems that with all of the retail space on the Center Ridge corridor, there would need to be some more residents infused to provide a stable customer base. Between Rockport, Westwood and The Plaza with the Giant Eagle across from Westwood (the name escapes me) it makes me wonder which one(s) will end up needing to be redeveloped as a result of this project luring shoppers and tenants away from these older plazas.
May 26, 200520 yr That's a terrific transit-oriented redevelopment in Denver! I wasn't aware of it before. Thanks for sharing that. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 26, 200520 yr I really don't care about the Westgate development. Suburb vs. Suburb. I wish that we could get some sort of update on University Circle. Can't we all bake brownies or something and take them over to those Hessler street hippies in order to placate them? That project needs to go forward. I really think that Case needs a national hotel. With all the speakers, researchers, moms and dads that come to visit that school, there is a definite demand for a hotel. It would also provide further support for local restaurants. Also, now that I've moved back to Cleveland, I need a place for my in-laws to stay. I know that my mother-in-law will take one look at the 271 corridor and fall in love with its suburban familiarity (She's from Nashville--vinyl siding/cul-de-sac capital of the free world). Anyways, I just rented an apartment for the pregnant mrs. and myself that Overlooks Little Italy (on Overlook St. in CH). I am pretty excited as I have a good view of the downtown skyline and all of UC and Midtown. I will start posting some pics once I move in next month.
May 26, 200520 yr nice! congrats Wimwar! can't wait to see it... I'll bring the granola if you bake the brownies (don't forget the soy milk) and we can get those hippies on our team! Given, I wouldn't mind living on Hessler as it is, but don't you think their quality of life would be a little better with some shops around the corner? Maybe a book store or a grocer? I know the concern is with building height and sun blockage...so why can't UCI/CWRU or whoever it is compromise and build uniform height along the entire property, rather than staggering it as I'm assuming the plan was to be. And what of the property across Euclid?
May 27, 200520 yr They're so covered with trees that I didn't think they got any sun on Hessler. That is, by the way, one of my favorite streets anywhere. But I still want Euclid/Ford to happen.
September 16, 200519 yr There was also an article on this in this week's Sun, but here's a link from WestLife... http://www.westlifenews.com/2005/09-14/westgatedocs.html Blah. Not remarkable at all, even for a suburban development. Looks more like Avon Commons than anything. The site should just be re-zoned into residential, and the development dollars be put into a parcel somewhere in or near downtown.
September 16, 200519 yr So basically Center Ridge Road will continue to be the cleaner junior version of North Olmsted's clusterf#ck along Lorain Rd. Woo.hoo. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
September 16, 200519 yr Its interesting that Target is moving down the street. That will sure leave a nice-sized cavity at the Rockport shopping strip.
September 16, 200519 yr Don't post an article from Worstlife, the alleged competition for the Sun Herald! Eep. Sorry about that. It was the only place I could find that had images of what's planned. Its interesting that Target is moving down the street. That will sure leave a nice-sized cavity at the Rockport shopping strip. Rid Westgate of vacancies and create them elsewhere. How very effective. :roll:
September 16, 200519 yr Yes! Create another surburban strip mall! That's EXACTLY what this area needs, more big boxes! :-P
September 17, 200519 yr I'm continually amazed at what lenders will fund, when there's a glut of retail in most communities already. And since the metro area isn't growing in population, ANY new development is virtually guaranteed of creating a vacancy somewhere else. Oh well. Here's what the new Westgate will probably look like.... KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 17, 200519 yr Looking over the plan again, I just realized that visitors at neighboring Bohlken Park (to the right, or "south", of the plan) will have the back of the Target and its loading docks as a vista. I know there's going to be a row of trees planted, but trees take a long time to grow and fill out. Plus, anybody walking into or out of the park entrance will have to dodge any trucks that might be pulling into the loading dock that's about ten or so feet away. It speaks volumes of how the auto-centric retail market looks at pedestrians.
September 18, 200519 yr The entrance to Bohlken Park shown on the plan is an emergency entrance/exit for safety forces, as required under the city fire code (as it is with most cities). The public main entrance to Bohlken Park will remain off West 210th Street, just south of Westgate. But, you're correct that the Target and the two adjacent stores will be much closer to Bohlken compared to the way things were before. As I stated in my Sun article, a large parking lot separates Bohlken from the nearest structures at Westgate Mall. In the new plan, only a driveway will separate them. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 20, 200619 yr From the 1/19/06 Sun Herald: Westgate update includes Lowe's Thursday, January 19, 2006 By MEREDYTH McKENZIE The transformation of the old Westgate Mall into an open air shopping center began slowly, with more construction and changes expected in the next few months. Update on what already has been done at Westgate in terms of construction. The old Higbee's Home Store, which sat in Rocky River's portion of the mall, was also recently demolished. Work expected to begin soon includes the demolition of the movie theater to make way for a Lowe's in Rocky River's portion of the development. Rocky River has received drawings on the 117,347-square foot Lowe's and will begin sending it through its various boards and commissions, starting with Planning Commission this month. Plans will then go the Design and Review Board, Board of Zoning and Appeals and then back to Planning for final approval. .. http://www.cleveland.com/sun/sunherald/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1137692432149230.xml&coll=3
January 21, 200619 yr Did you notice the first sentence of the second paragraph? That was where I supposed to add an update on Westgate's construction... I was told to add a quote from the mayor of Fairview Park about the project, and I saw an instruction from Meredyth farther down in the article as where it should go. I never saw the second instruction at the top. Thus, I am to blame for that sentence that makes no sense... 30 lashes with a wet noodle for me "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 21, 200619 yr You could have not mentioned it and no one would have ever known. You, sir, are an honest man! :D
January 21, 200619 yr I come here for confessional. But I just thought it was a funny background story. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 15, 200619 yr From the 2/14/06 PD: Rocky River feels pain of face lift at Westgate Tuesday, February 14, 2006 Joseph L. Wagner Plain Dealer Reporter Rocky River - The city apparently has suffered its first casualty to Fairview Park in the redevelopment of the Westgate Shopping Center. The Target store in Rocky River's Rockport Shopping Center is to relocate about a half-mile west to the site of the former Westgate mall, where it is eligible for a seven-year, 100 percent tax abatement being offered by Fairview Park, Rocky River Mayor William Knoble said. Target and Lowe's will be the prime anchors with an upscale grocery store and other restaurants still to be determined, Knoble said. Work is under way, with openings expected in 2007... http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1139909800214190.xml&coll=2
February 15, 200619 yr The reason why Mayor Patton in FP couldn't be reached is because she's pissed at the PD for continuing to write articles like this. FP has been giving its school tax money to RR since 1928 and FP is supposed to feel sorry for them when they have a chance to abate it to help redevelop an aging retail complex? And RR doesn't have endure that sour taste of giving up tax base for nearly 80 years, just seven (the length of the abatement). "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 11, 200619 yr From the 3/9/06 Sun Herald: Planning for Westgate Thursday, March 09, 2006 By Meredyth McKenzie While demolition continues and construction begins at the new Westgate in Fairview Park, Planning Commissions in both Fairview Park and Rocky River are reviewing plans for the new open-air shopping center. Rocky River's Planning Commission recently granted preliminary approval to the plan, subject to final approval from the Architectural Review Board and Board of Zoning and Building Appeals. Lowe's and another store, totaling 117,347 square feet, will sit on Rocky River's portion of the center. Planning members were impressed by changes representatives from the Richard E. Jacobs Group made between an initial meeting in January and this second meeting, but still were concerned about a large sign on the Linden Road side of the building... http://www.cleveland.com/sun/sunherald/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1141926481134200.xml&coll=3
March 21, 200619 yr well, it's not the most inspired design, but geez, it's got to be better than the "I Love the 70s" Westgate Mall.
January 25, 200718 yr Has anyone got any updates on this project? KJP? You seem to be the Man In The Know ... There's definitely construction underway and a number of steel skeletons are up, while there's been some earthmoving done for the roadway. But does anyone know what stores are going in? For a large project like this, it's really being kept low-key ... but that also eliminates any buzz that normally a project like this would generate.
January 25, 200718 yr ^low key or maybe its that no one really cares. Target is moving down the street and will be an anchor tenant. Retail-wise, Steelyard is grabbing all the attention lately.
January 25, 200718 yr *Ahem* (though the last time I was by there it seemed like mounds of dirt). http://www.westgateohio.com/ And check this PDF if you want an overview of this auto-centric tripe: http://www.westgateohio.com/pdfs/Westgate_lease_full.pdf clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
January 25, 200718 yr Has anyone got any updates on this project? KJP? You seem to be the Man In The Know ... There's definitely construction underway and a number of steel skeletons are up, while there's been some earthmoving done for the roadway. But does anyone know what stores are going in? For a large project like this, it's really being kept low-key ... but that also eliminates any buzz that normally a project like this would generate. Sun was to have an article updating the Westgate project in last week's paper, but it got held for next week since we're starting a new paper for the west suburbs. I'll hold off until that article is published. Nothing really earth-shattering. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 25, 200718 yr That is such an odd layout. It's as if they started to build a "Main Street" lifestyle center, but made the street way too wide and then gave up altogether and randomly place buildings around the rest. What a mess.
February 2, 200718 yr oh, it could be so very worse ... it's not a huge chunk of land, so they're at least trying to do something with it. Far worse, far FAR FAR worse is "The Market Place at Four Corners" (which already you know is going to be bad by the ultra-lame name they've given it) in Bainbridge Ohio. HUGE piece of land, it's just a big strip mall around the perimeter with a massive parking lot ... bigger than they'll EVER need ... in the middle. And because the shopping center's not finished yet, there's vast empty spaces between the stores, which are in clusters. Not only do you need a car to get there, but once there, you need a car just to go from shop to shop, because it is not set up at all for pedestrian traffic (I haven't seen anything this bad since that monstrosity at Avon Commons, which is completely designed for cars and cars only). It's right across the street from Geauga Lake, and I think the shopping center parking lot is bigger than the amusement park parking lot! It's just horrible. After seeing that, Westgate is going to be a brilliant design. Here, if you want to see horrid shopping mall designs: http://www.mcgillpropertygroup.com/ohio5.htm By the way, a blurb in the Sun papers mentioned that Target is due to open in July 2007 at Westgate, and other stores will open in fall, probably November and December. No telling what those other stores are, besides Lowe's.
February 2, 200718 yr Westgate is going to be a brilliant design. http://www.mcgillpropertygroup.com/ohio5.htm Do you work for the developer or do you just love suburbs in general? ;)
February 2, 200718 yr born and raised in a suburb ... outer-ring to boot. And I live in an inner-ring suburb currently and probably into the far future. And while I'm not fond of the bland outer-ring suburb (and my growing up there is enough background to qualify me), I'd rather have a faux-disneyworld Legacy Village-Lifestyle Center type of thing than a horrific block of shops like that in Bainbridge. Yes, they all suck, but having a massive parking lot that is far too big for the needs of the stores is just wrong on so many levels. Why pave over so much? Why make it impossible to walk from one store to another? I think Cracker Park is annoying on some levels, but I do like the fact that you go there, you park, and you spend the rest of your time walking. In short, it's a place designed on a human scale ... unlike Bainbridge, which is solely designed for the car. Drive up, shop, drive to another store, shop, drive to another store. I actually had to go to this shopping center, and I was greatly offended by the design, because it was no design. It represented no thinking, no creativity, no effort. It was just a naked attempt to wring as much money as possible out of a nice piece of land with clear malice aforethought. And frankly, I also knew the old Westgate Mall. It sucked. I'm not saying the new one will be an improvement, but it's way better than the horror show down in Bainbridge. And like it or not, the lifestyle center is here to stay. Malls are dying. Even "nice" malls are having problems because a lot of the big national chain stores are pulling out to have their own separate stores in lifestyle centers ... and people are flocking to the lifestyle centers, because they're the newest rage, even though it's silly in a climate like ours. So instead of rending our clothes in fury over lifestyle centers, I say we recognize that they're going to be around for a while (especially since none of us have any power whatsoever, other than the ability to complain on an online forum), and praise those that use an intelligent design, where they really made an effort to be pedestrian-friendly and be an asset to a community, and rip on those horrible ones that show no creativity or sensitivity at all.
February 2, 200718 yr Honestly, its hard to see your point. I clicked on the image. That is a massive amount of parking.
March 13, 200718 yr the Cleveland Plain Dealer finally had a story listing some of the retailers coming. Not much that's terribly special so far; the Original Pancake House has really good food, but the Woodmere one has absolutely inept service: Ulta Cosmetics, Justice coming to Westgate Posted by Janet H. Cho March 12, 2007 12:04PM Cleveland's first Ulta Cosmetics and Justice, a fashion store for "tweens," are among the new tenants coming to Westgate shopping center on the border of Rocky River and Fairview Park... Among other confirmed tenants: Marshall's, Petco, Molly Branigan's, Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, Robeks Fruit Smoothies and Healthy Eats, Mark Pi's Chinese Restaurant, Precision LensCrafters, Great Clips, Aspen Dental, Kay Jewelers, Verizon Wireless, Alltell and Famous Footwear.
March 13, 200718 yr Pretty mundane list of tenants (standard corporate group you find everywhere) but never expected much from this development in the first place, so whatever. I eat at the Original in Woodmere at least twice a month and rarely have had any problem with the service.
March 13, 200718 yr man thats alot of parking....would'nt a garage have helped...also to free up more land to build...the site plan looks horid!!!
March 13, 200718 yr This site plan reminds of a song by the great Tiffany: "Could have been so beautiful, could have been so right"
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