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

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

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 , 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."