Borders Site for Lease Again; Earth Fare Still Interested

A change of ownership at the Borders Plaza has led to a renewed leasing effort for the former bookstore -- and Earth Fare, the grocery store that announced last year it was moving in, is still interrested.

Harvey Kay of Kay Brokerage & Consulting said he is "still in negotiations with Earth Fare" for the former Borders site.

But it's not the only store looking at the plaza.

"There are three national companies that are interested," Kay said.

He said he could not name the other retailers negotiating for the site.

Earth Fare announced last August it had signed a lease to take over the 27,000-square-foot anchor store formerly occupied by Borders.

But a few weeks later, U.S. Bank filed a foreclosure action in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court against the owner of the shopping center.

The foreclosure appeared to impact the deal with the North Carolina-based Earth Fare, which calls itself a healthy supermarket.

The company did not submit any renovation plans, and Earth Fare officials have not returned calls and e-mails from Strongsville Patch or from Strongsville officials.

Borders went out of business in 2011. The Strongsville store closed in September of that year.

Economic Development Director Brent Painter said the year-long vacancy has more to do with the owner's legal problems than with finding a tenant.

"I think the issue was more wth the ownership of the building," Painter said. "There's always been interest in the site."

Earth Fare operates 28 stores in eight states -- including Fairview Park and Fairlawn -- and offers natural foods like local and organic fruits and vegetables. The store also has a full-service meat, poultry and fish department.

It does not carry any items containing high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial colors and sweeteners, or synthetic growth hormones in meat and milk.

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