By Jerry Masek
“It’s exciting to know that a national retailer is coming to West Park,” Ward 17 Councilman Charles Slife says. “Since I took office, the first question every resident asks me is — ‘What’s going to happen to the Kmart site?'”
Today, Crain’s Cleveland Business and The West Park Times are releasing details of the project. Printed copies of Crain’s will be on newsstands Monday.
The name of the retailer has not yet been released.
Kmart, at 14901 Lorain Ave,, was a major player in West Park from 1982 until January 2018. That’s when Sears Holdings Corp, closed 45 stores, including 5 in Ohio. The store here had 89,000 square feet of selling space. The store’s closing left a gap in West Park. The Kamm’s Corners Development Corp. (KCDC) and then-Councilman Marty Keane immediately began talks to bring a tenant to that site. Those talks continued last year with the West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development, and Slife, who replaced Keane on City Council.
Project details
Crain’s talked with an attorney representing TLM Realty, owners of the site. He said TLM proposes:
- Divide the vacant Kmart building’s 106,000 square feet among as many as three retail outlets.
- Add retail uses in new buildings in the vast parking lot.
- Demolish part of a largely empty building on the east side of the parking lot.
- Demolish the Marquard Building. It contains first-floor retail space and apartments on Lorain Avenue.
- Those moves would allow more space for free-standing retail buildings on the property.
Two public meetings set
Residents will have two opportunities to learn about the project. At 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 7, the Far West Design Review Committee will hear four presentations, including one by Michael Oestreich of TLM Realty, The Committee is a neighborhood arm of City Planning Commission, which will hear the presentation later. The official agenda says the project will include “renovation and new additional buildings.” The project is still in the “conceptual” phase. Slife said that although the Committee meeting is open to the public, there will be little or no interaction with residents. That interaction will come a week later, in a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. April 14. Residents are encouraged to attend that meeting and bring their questions and comments.
Background
The Kmart site was formerly known as Herrington Farm. Before Kmart could build there, residents of a trailer park had to be evicted.
Read Crain’s story, subscription needed www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/west-cleveland-shopping-center-redo-talks-loom
Register for April 7 meeting planning.clevelandohio.gov
Register for April 14 meeting http://westparkkamms.org/