Avon Lake Towne Center - Avon Lake, Ohio

[jason83080]

This once-thriving retail mecca is now largely abandoned. Ever since Tops pulled out of the market back in whenever-it-was, that large grocery store space has been sitting vacant. The added loss of Quizno's and Blockbuster Video (in addition to losing Donato's in one of the front outparcels) hasn't helped to make the area any more attractive for new businesses.

I know that Walmart is trying new things, but so is Giant Eagle. I'm surprised no 'discount' grocer has sought to pick up the Tops space to open a store there. (Moreover, I'm surprised that NOBODY has sought that space out. Dollar Tree? Big Lots? ANYONE?) In a strategic state of mind, I'd seek out a retailer to occupy the grocery store. Giant Eagle's "Valu King" sub-brand, while it wouldn't fit the 'upscale' theme that the ALTC was originally designed with, would draw people into the plaza. As such, this would get them to shop at OTHER stores while they're there. Is there another sub place besides Subway or Mr. Hero that could fill an old Quizno's? Put one of those there, or seek out Baskin-Robbins and open an ice cream shop in that space. As for the old Blockbuster, how about a second go-around at having a Hallmark store in the plaza? Maybe a corner parcel will draw more people in than the old one (hidden next to Tops). If not that, how about an FYE? We don't have any of those around, and the space used to be a video store, so it would easily work. I think there's still another space left in the front next to Tops, so why not put a cell phone store there? AT&T and Verizon already have an established multi-location presence in the area, but there's only one Sprint store. Why not one of those? As for the old Donato's, one other location's been turned into a bank already, so why not something similar here?

One thing's for sure: We don't need any more coffee shops or Chipotle locations. Nearby Learwood Square had an Arabica that closed, and a smaller "bean" coffeehouse that closed in that same spot shortly thereafter, and the other Arabica by the college was forced out of their space by the plaza owners.