Gas station, convenience store planned for Alliance’s Meijer
4 min read
ALLIANCE – Plans for the city’s new Meijer store feature a gas station and convenience store, outdoor garden center and a drive-up pharmacy.
Documents released by the City of Alliance show that Fairmount Properties, the Cleveland-based developer leading the Carnation City Mall redevelopment project, submitted requests to the city’s Planning Commission for conditional use for packaged liquor sales and outdoor sales and display at 2500 W. State St.
The developer also requested 370-foot and 200-foot variances for the convenience store and a 99-foot variance for the gas station, which will need to be approved by the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
The superstore will be nearly 160,000 square feet, according to a conceptual site plan. Meijer will sell alcohol in the main facility and convenience store, pending approval from the city.
More:What’s next for Carnation City Mall amid decline of traditional shopping centers?
More:State of business: Alliance looks ahead to mall redevelopment, industrial growth in 2022
Other notable features of the conceptual plan include nearly 550 parking spaces and a designated area for online shoppers to pick up goods. Three new retail buildings appear on the west side of Meijer, but it is not clear what retailers will occupy them.
Meijer’s gas station will be one of several on State Street. Others include GetGo, Sheetz and Marathon.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based superstore chain is expected to serve as a key anchor of the mall redevelopment project. Meijer will take up 20 of the 45 acres being redeveloped.
City Director of Planning and Economic Development Joe Mazzola previously told The Alliance Review that the “preliminary” plan was for Fairmount Properties to get the land ready for Meijer to take over by the end of the 2022. From there, he estimated the superstore would take another year to open.
Meijer operates approximately 250 stores in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana. The superstore sells an assortment of goods, such as food, household products, electronics and clothing.
Fairmount Properties is expected to develop the remaining 25 acres of the mall property. The developer has completed several mixed-use projects in Hudson, Cleveland and Kent.
Fairmount’s website states that it approaches mixed-use development projects in suburban areas with the goals “to enhance the voice of the existing community and create a sustainable hub.” This process includes bringing in national and regional tenants that fit the needs of the area.
City Director of Public Safety and Service Mike Dreger said Fairmount will eventually submit a formal site plan that depicts what the Meijer facility will look like.
The Carnation City Mall redevelopment is a highly anticipated project for the city of Alliance. The retail center, which opened its doors in 1983, has fallen on hard times in recent years as many tenants have vacated the facility.
The Board of Zoning Appeals will review Fairmount’s variance requests on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the second floor conference room of the City Administration Building at 504 E. Main St.
The Planning Commission will review the conditional use requests on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 4:30 p.m. at the Alliance Area Senior Center at 602 W. Vine St. The start of this meeting will begin with public hearings on the requests.
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or [email protected], or on Twitter at @paigembenn.
A look at the plans
The City of Alliance on Wednesday released documents showing the plans for a Meijer retail store on the site of Carnation City Mall. Fairmount Properties has requested action from the city’s Planning and Zoning departments, and the map of the proposed retail area was prepared over the top of the existing mall property. Those viewing the map can see where certain aspects of the new development will be when compared to the existing mall. The Meijer store will be located well off State Street, while the retailer’s fuel station and its own separate retail operation will be along the property line, east of the McDonald’s restaurant. Here are some specific information found in the map:
STORE
Entrances – The store will have Meijer’s standard two-entrance setup, with one for customers entering the grocery side of the building, and one for the other parts of the retail operation, which generally includes a personal care department, clothing departments, bedding and bath departments, and areas such as pet care and entertainment.
Large parking area – The parking lot will have 536 spaces. Included will be an area with electric vehicle charging stations. Parking spots marked as “quick trip” parking will be located between the two entrances. A separate, eight-spot lot on the western side of the building will be set up for curbside pickup.
Bike rack – A bike rack will be located at the eastern front of the building.
Pharmacy – A drive-up pharmacy window with a canopy is planned on the eastern side of the building.
Garden Center – A large garden center sales area will be located along the eastern side of the building, south of the pharmacy window.
NEARBY RETAIL
Fairmount Properties’ proposal for the mall space includes retail buildings to the west of the new Meijer store. Four individual buildings appear to be connected, with Dunham’s Sports appearing to remain in its existing facility. Three buildings will surround Duham’s, with a 24,000-square-foot site to the west, and 25,000- and 17,500-square-foot sites to the east of the sporting goods store. These retail stores will have a separate parking lot marked with 310 spaces.
https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/02/02/gas-station-convenience-store-planned-alliances-meijer/9304388002/
