Cleveland, OH
Avon
By Rebecca Turman
Mitchell’s Ice Cream will soon be opening up a new location in the Marketplace at Avon shopping center, formerly known as Heritage Square, located on Detroit Road across the street from Avon Heritage North Elementary School.
Gary Ogrocki, of Dimit Architects, represented Mitchell’s Ice Cream at the June 15 Planning Commission meeting. The Planning Commission approved the site improvement plans for the 3,284-square-foot building and a patio area, along with a special use permit for the outdoor patio.
Ogrocki said Mitchell’s planned to submit its application for a building permit soon after Monday.
At the June 20 City Council meeting, council members approved the special use permit for Mitchell’s outdoor patio.
“(Mitchell’s is) a nice, local business based here in Northeast Ohio,” Councilman Dennis McBride said at the meeting.
Mitchell’s was started by Cleveland brothers Pete and Mike Mitchell in 1999.
According to Pete Mitchell, the goal is to have the Avon location open for business by November. Approximately 30 people will be hired to work there.
“We are very excited to be opening in Avon,” Mitchell wrote in an e-mail last week. “It is a wonderful family community, and many of our customers at our Westlake, Rocky River and Huntington Beach shops live in or close to Avon.”
Mitchell’s also has locations in Beachwood and Solon. The ice cream is sold at Heinen’s, Zagara’s Marketplace, Lake Road Market and Rego’s Fresh Markets, according to its website, mitchellshomemade.com.
In Avon Commons, Levin Furniture was scheduled to open last Friday in the former Linens-N-Things store space.
Goodman Real Estate Services Group also recently leased a 7,500-square-foot space in Avon Commons to discount retailer Five Below.
According to Randy Goodman, principal managing member of Goodman Real Estate Services Group, the space will be carved out of the current Old Navy location.
“It was a combination of two factors,” Goodman said. “Old Navy has changed the size of their stores. They have downsized most of their stores.”
The Avon Commons Old Navy will be downsized as well.
“That made way for Five Below,” Goodman said, adding the retailer wanted to be in the center of Avon Commons.
Five Below markets its products to teens and pre-teens, with everything in the store having a price tag from $1 to $5.
The chain was created in 2002 in Wayne, Pa., and today there are more than 140 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
“We do have plans on opening up that this year, a late fall opening,” Five Below Director of Marketing Operations Liz Romaine said of the Avon location. “We really can’t commit to a date right now.”
Romaine said 35 people will be hired to work at Five Below.
Asked why the retailer chose to open a store in Avon, Romaine said, “Last year we actually opened our first stores in the Cleveland market. The Avon store is really part of our expansion plan into the Cleveland market.”
“It’s a really great area, a great community,” she added. “We try to go into centers with big box anchors. We look for communities with value-minded families.”
Goodman Real Estate Services Group also leases space in the City Centre of Avon retail complex.
“It’s been a good market for us in Avon,” Goodman said last week.
According to Goodman, several more businesses will soon open in the shopping center, including Jimmy John’s, which will be located next door to Mattress Matters.
Pat’s Cleaners and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt will also be moving into City Centre of Avon.
“Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is a frozen yogurt franchise that offers self-serve frozen yogurt with a large selection of yogurt flavors and toppings,” a June 28 press release from Goodman Real Estate said. “Since its start in 2007, Menchie’s has grown to over 60 locations in U.S. and Canada.”
Menchie’s will be located next to Chipotle.
Contact Rebecca Turman at rturman@2presspapers.com
Tags: Avon
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