Strongsville retail business activity continues...

Here is a positive article from Debbie Palmer of The Strongsville Patch.

Retail Still Active in Strongsville

Here's a wrap-up of some of the latest business news

• By Debbie Palmer / The Strongsville Patch

Two Strongsville businesses are planning ribbon-cutting ceremonies and a new tenant is looking at the vacant Borders store.


Here's a look at some of the recent business activity in Strongsville:


• Samurai Sushi Bar and Hibachi Steakhouse, which opened a few months ago in the Plaza at SouthPark, will have its official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Dec. 6.


• The Cute Little Cake Shop will have its grand opening celebation at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. The gourmet cake ball and cake pop store will move into Strongsville Towne Centre near Plato's Closet.


• A company is looking at the vacant Borders spot, but Economic Development Director Brent Painter said no deal has been signed.


• There has been some interest in the former Bounce City site, but no takers yet, Painter said.


• Dynamic Fitness has gotten city approval to open a gym in the former Ethan Allen store outside Westfield SouthPark.


• Negotiations continue for a tenant next to La-Z-Boy Furniture at the Plaza at SouthPark. In May, a company applied for a liquor permit there. The name of the restaurant was not revealed, but officials said the applicant was Hospitality Restaurants of Cleveland, which operates Delmonico's Steakhouse in Independence, Salmon Dave's in Rocky River, The Cabin Club in Westlake, Blue Point Grill in downtown Cleveland and Rosewood Grill in Hudson, as well as the Thirsty Parrot nightclub in downtown Cleveland. 


• The big news, of course, is that Giant Eagle plans to build a 92,000-square-foot store on Pearl Road, on the site of Strongsville Golf. Those plans depend on voters approving a rezoning in March.

Related Topics: Borders, Bounce City, Samurai, Westfield SouthPark Mall, brent painter, cute little cake shop, and dynamic fitness

Giant Eagle looking to move South Park Store.

Giant Eagle Seeks to Build on Strongsville Golf Property, Close SouthPark Store

• By Debbie Palmer / The Strongsville Patch 
• November 22, 2011 

   

Giant Eagle wants to build a 92,600-square-foot supermarket at the Strongsville Golf property on Pearl Road and close its existing store next to Westfield SouthPark.

Company officials said there isn't room to expand the existing store on Royalton Road.

Instead, the Pittsburgh-based grocery chain wants to clear 13.5 acres that are now occupied by Strongsville Golf, Honey Hut Ice Cream and a residence and construct a "signature store" that would be about 25,000 square feet larger than the current one.

There would also be a Get Go gas station on the site.
Attorney Nick Catanzarite, who represents Giant Eagle in its project here, said the company is also in negotiations to buy a vacant 6-acre parcel just south of Strongsville Golf.

"The (Pearl) road widening created an opportunity for this project to happen," Catanzarite said.

The plan was formally revealed at Monday night's City Council meeting during a public hearing on a proposal to rezone the Strongsville Golf property.

The project can't move forward, though, without going to the ballot for a rezoning. Part of the property is zoned residential, and Strongsville's charter requires that any zoning change from residential to business be approved by voters -- both citywide and in the ward where the property lies.

City Council on Monday passed legislation to place the rezoning issue on the March ballot.
If approved at the polls, the company has set forth an ambitious timetable, hoping to start construction in the early summer and finish next winter.

Officials said the expansion would create about 100 new jobs.

"I think it's exciting," Strongsville Economic Development Director Brent Painter said. "Any time a company is looking at investing millions of dollars in our community and creating 100 jobs, it's a good thing."
Painter said he does not expect Strongsville Golf to relocate, but said he is working with Honey Hut to find a new location in the city.

Officials said it is too early to speculate about what would fill the vacated Giant Eagle store at Westfield SouthPark, but Painter said "that end of town is very appealing" to large retailers.

"Sometimes a vacancy can be an opportunity in a community," he said.

Phil Bishop of Echo Real Estate, the development arm of Giant Eagle, said the site would have the potential for one or two out-parcels in addition to Get Go. He said the only access to the property would be from Pearl Road, and said the company would ask that a traffic signal be installed.

He also promised a larger-than-required buffer around the property to protect adjacent residents.
The new store would feature a heath-beauty-and-wellness section with an in-store dietitian, said Pat Avolio, director of real estate development for Giant Eagle.

It would also have a hot foods bar, a much larger salad bar, a 35-40-seat WiFi cafe, expanded meat and seafood selections, a gourmet cheese area, drive-through pharmacy and about 5,000 organic and natural project the existing store doesn't have room for.

Painter said he believes the new Giant Eagle "could be a kick-start for the redevelopment of Pearl Road."

Final Election Results: WKYC.com

 

ELECTION RESULTS

 CUYAHOGA STRONGSVILLE COUNCIL W3

Last Updated: Nov-09-2011 02:26 AM Eastern Standard Time

Precincts Reporting: 100%

Jim Carbone  

57%

2427

Larry Frawley  

43%

1798

Strongsville Council Gets Shake Up: Cleveland.com

Strongsville City Council gets Election Day shakeup with Schonhut, Carbone victories

Updated: Wednesday, November 09, 2011, 12:39 AM

By Eric Sandy, Sun News 

View full sizeMatthew Schonhut

STRONGSVILLE City Council races brought several surprises on Election Day.

Matthew Schonhut defeated longtime incumbent Ray Haseley for 2nd Ward representation by a vote of 2,238 (55 percent) to 1,795 (45 percent).

Schonhut’s message throughout his campaign was based on providing “a lot of change – a lot of good change.

“I look forward to working with (the rest of City Council) now,” Schonhut said.

As the numbers came in Nov. 8 and Schonhut looked toward the future, he also paused to look back on his time spent serving as the student liaison the board of education. It was an experience that served him well, he said.

View full sizeJim Carbone

In Ward 3, following councilman Mark Roth’s decision not to run, Jim Carbone defeated Larry Frawley by a vote of 2,427 (57 percent) to 1,795 (43 percent).

“This is something that I’ve always had my eyes on,” Carbone said. He added that, when he was in sixth grade, he told then-Mayor Walter Ehrnfelt that he would one day represent the city.

“The people want change,” Carbone said.

Frawley spent months campaigning on messages revolving around economic development and communication. “I would not have done anything differently,” Frawley said of his efforts.

View full sizeJ. Scott Maloney

In the city’s 4th Ward, incumbent J. Scott Maloney will retain his role after defeating Patricia Pell at the polls by a vote of 1,824 (53 percent) to 1,632 (47 percent). Maloney was unanimously appointed to City Council in January 2011.

“I’m blessed that the people had the faith and confidence that I’m the right person,” Maloney said, adding that he will continue to maintain his goal of “ultimately doing a good job of serving (the residents’) interests.”

Jim in The Post November 9, 2011

Carbone, Maloney and Schonhut win council seats Longtime Councilman Ray Haseley ousted in Ward 2

 By TERRY BRLAS Strongsville Post editor

Updated:11/9/2011

There will be a new look to Strongsville City Council when it meets for the first time in 2012.

Voters decided races in wards 2, 3 and 4 on Nov. 8. J. Scott Maloney, who was appointed earlier this year, defeated Patricia Pell for the ward 4 seat by a 53-47 percent margin in the closest of the council races. Maloney earned 1,824 votes, while Pell gained the favor of 1,632 voters.

The largest margin of city came in ward 3 where Jim Carbone earned 2,428 votes to Larry Frawley's 1,799 votes for a 57-43 percent margin of victory.

The surprise of the night may have been newcomer Matthew Schonhut's win over l4-year councilman Ray Haseley. The youthful landscape company owner earned 2,240 votes to Haseley's 1,796 for a 55-45 percent margin of victory.

Maloney gave credit to Pell for a well-run race.

"My challenger has a solid background with a lot of credentials," he said. "She certainly gave me a run for my money and made me work very hard. It's actually great that the community has more than one truly qualified candidate. At the end of the day I am pleased that voters felt I was the best candidate to lead the community forward."

Carbone is looking to get back to time with his family that he lost campaigning. Then it's time to learn what the first time councilman needs to know as he prepares to serve the community as ward 3 councilman, a seat that is being vacated by longtime Councilman Mark Roth, who chose not to run for reelection.

"I'm a newbie here with big shoes to fill," he said. "I want to sit back and learn so I can make informed decisions. I'm my own person and I bring a different element. I'm excited for the city and I'm excited to move forward."

Schonhut and Haseley have a lot of mutual respect for one another. The incumbent was hoping for another four years and was counting on voters to lean on his experience.

"We never went negative," Haseley said. "We are faced with a big shortfall next year. We need experience on city council. This is not the time for on the job training. Evidently I didn't make that known like I should have."

Schonhut, on the other hand, brought a youthful enthusiasm to his campaign that apparently resonated with voters.

"We were the only race where there was never any negative campaigning against each other," he said. "Whenever I run into Ray we have a laugh and get along with each other. That's a good thing and I hope that relationship continues. I'm sure I'll be turning to him for advice because he's been doing this for a long time."

Jim Carbone

The job of any public servant starts with listening to the voice of the people. I’ve heard from many of you about your concerns and ideas to strengthen Ward 3, and I’ve based my platform on your input.

ISSUE 1:  Upholding high standards for property maintenance not just for homeowners but also for businesses, restaurants and companies in Ward 3.

ISSUE 2: Taking the lead on the beautification, redevelopment and rezoning of businesses along Pearl and Prospect Roads. 

ISSUE 3: Increasing the minimum lot size required by the City of Strongsville to encourage larger homes, which will increase all homeowners’ property values and preserve residential land in Strongsville. With limited land available in Strongsville, larger lot sizes can stem the growth of traffic on our roadways and the strain on our sewer system.

ISSUE 4: Creating a program called S.T.O.P. -- Safe Traffic-Oriented Policing.  S.T.O.P. would put extra police on traffic enforcement and patrol and would be self-funded through citations issued. S.T.O.P. officers would primarily patrol I-71 North and South, but would also be available to answer calls and assist residents with neighborhood traffic complaints. A more visible police force would help in deterring crime in our community. Any additional funds collected through the S.T.O.P. Program would be allocated to:

• New equipment purchases for the police department

• The Shade Tree Committee for beautification projects

• Road improvements throughout the city

• College scholarships for Strongsville High School graduates

• New equipment purchases for the Strongsville Recreation Center

• Support of programs and services for seniors at the Senior Center

ISSUE 5: Creating an optional “Are You Okay?” program for the senior citizens of Strongsville. Seniors would receive an automated phone call daily, which they can simply pick up and hang up to indicate they are okay. If the senior does not pick up the phone, the police dispatcher immediately calls the resident. If they still do not pick up the phone, a patrol car would be dispatched to the house. A lock box at the senior’s home would allow police to enter the home to check on them. This is a program being used with great success in North Olmsted.

ISSUE 6: Seeking solutions to reduce traffic on Pearl Road. Long-time residents and new visitors agree, the traffic on Pearl Road is problematic. One potential solution is eliminating driveways in and out of retail strips. Having several entrances in and out of a strip does not allow traffic to flow freely. Reducing the number of driveways from three or four to one or two per strip while connecting the strips would allow motorists to travel from one to the other without having to exit to Pearl Road. Such an approach could also help boost business at these connected strips.