MEDINA, Ohio — The blue lights at Kmart stores have long flickered out in Ohio after the last of the remaining Kmart stores in the state closed down a few years ago.
In Medina, a Kmart on North Court Street has been a vacant for 11 years and some believe it has become an eyesore.
But Meijer has a plan to breathe new life into the shopping center by tearing down the existing building and constructing a 160-thousand-square-foot Meijer store along with a new parking lot.
"We need to get rid of this mess here. It would be nice to have something occupying that space again," said Connie Campbell of Medina.
Meijer has opened several stores in Northeast Ohio in recent years, including one in Brunswick.
"It's a huge deal for us, very glad they chose Medina and we're excited to see the redevelopment," said Andrew Dutton, the city's community development director.
Dutton believes Meijer would bring needed foot traffic to other retails shops in the center, including Clothing Warehouse, Marshall's and Shoe Carnival while providing an economic boost to Medina overall.
"There should be a fair amount of jobs. We don't have numbers from Meijer, but of course, it'll be a boost to our economy and our tax base," Dutton said.
Meijer's site plan will go before Medina's Planning Commission on June 8. Dutton expects the plan to receive approval. If so, the wrecking ball could hit the giant structure by the fall with a potential opening in 2024.
"I've been a Medina resident for over 10 years. I've certainly known it's been here and that was one of the priorities of the mayor's administration and my department was to get something happening here to redevelop the site," Dutton said.
About two miles down the road is Medina's Historic Square known for its quaint shops, leaving some to wonder if another big box store in town will hurt smaller businesses, a consideration not lost on Medina County resident Kathy Buhovecky.
"It sure isn't good for little business, the competition," Buhovecky said.
There's also the question of major grocery/retail oversaturation with Marc's in the same complex and Walmart, Target, Giant Eagle and Buehler's nearby.
"There is the one piece of pie. There's only so many dollars going into retail, so there may be some effects. It might also bring new people who didn't come in here before," Dutton said.
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