This aerial view of the new Westgate, as seen from Center Ridge Road looking south, shows a Target store just to the south and west of the existing Kohl’s Department Store. (Drawing by The Richard E. Jacobs Group)

Westgate plans revealed
Target, home improvement store to anchor new shopping center
By Kevin Kelley
Fairview Park
Published Sept. 17, 2005

Target and a large home improvement store apparently will be the two largest anchor stores in the new Westgate Shopping Center, according to documents recently filed with the Fairview Park Planning Commission by The Richard E. Jacobs Group.

The documents were submitted in advance of a Sept. 21 Planning Commission meeting to take place at City Hall at 7 p.m.

Bill Fullington, spokesman for the Jacobs Group, would not confirm any information indicated by the planning documents.

"At this point, we're not prepared to announce any tenants at Westgate," Fullington said. He indicated more information would be forthcoming at the Sept. 21 meeting.

Fullington also said it's not unusual for developers to include prototype names for stores when preparing plans.

The layout of the new Westgate shopping Center, shown in this map submitted by the developers to the Fairview Park Planning Commission, includes a large home improvement store at the location where Westgate Cinema now stands. (Drawing by The Richard E. Jacobs Group)

The southern-most section of the shopping center, which appears to include Target, is scheduled to open first in October 2006, according to the planning documents. Another retail strip along West 210th Street is also scheduled to open that month,

Presumably, the Target store currently open on Center Ridge Road in Rocky River will close if the company opens a store at Westgate. Target officials did not return West Life's calls seeking comment. Rocky River Mayor William Knoble told West Life the Center Ridge property owner told him Target has 17 years left on its lease for the site.

According to the documents, demolition of the north Dillard's store should be completed this month, while its southern counterpart will be torn down by Dec. 15. Demolition of the mall stores will begin Jan. 31 and will be completed by April 15.

Fullington told West Life the Jacobs Group has not yet determined when the mall would be closed; he said his best guess was that it would remain open through the end of the year.

AMC Westgate Mall Theaters, previously thought not to be part of the redevelopment, will be torn down starting in January to make way for a large home improvement store, according to the planning documents. For several months, talk in the community has been that a Lowes store would be part of the new retail center.

Karen Cobb, a spokesperson for Lowes, said it was company policy not to confirm new store locations until a deal has been finalized. However, she said the company was in the midst of its largest expansion in its 60-year history and was opening around 150 new stores this year and next.

Knoble said Jacobs Group officials have told city officials a Lowes will move to the Westgate site.

The home improvement store, as it is referred to in the documents, is the largest store in the new complex and is scheduled to open in April 2007. With Target and a home improvement store taking up the two biggest anchor store slots, that leaves no room for a Wal-Mart, a tenant which a number of local residents had expressed opposition to.

The entire redevelopment of Westgate should be finished by July 15, 2007.

Applebee's Restaurant will be relocated just slightly north of its present location and is scheduled to reopen in March 2006. The planning documents also revealed an as yet unnamed bank slated for a spot on Center Ridge Road in between the new Applebee's and LongHorn's Steakhouse, which will remain at its present location.

The entire shopping center will have 3,146 parking spaces, according to the documents submitted to City Hall.

This document showing design plans for a Target store in Fairview Park was submitted to the city's Planning Commission along with other documents related to the redevelopment of Westgate.