BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Geauga Lake may now become a destination for some — just not for its roller coasters.
A 159,000-square-foot Meijer is set to open at the former site of the amusement park on May 6.
Geauga Lake closed for good back in 2007, with Wildwater Kingdom closing in 2016. Since then, the property has mostly been an eyesore for the community and has become a popular spot for vandalism and trespassing.
Inside the Meijer, store director Drew Manning highlighted how they're honoring the former tenant.
"This is our mural here, memorializing the old Geauga Lake," Manning said. "We want to be great neighbors and invest in our communities. The history of this site really mattered to our customers, so we asked how can we be great neighbors. Hopefully help the customers remember what is still here."
Kenston Local Schools Superintendent Bruce Willingham was one of the first to take a peek inside the new grocery chain.
He reminisced about taking his oldest daughter, now 31, to the amusement park using season passes.
"I think it will be huge," Willingham said. "It’ll provide some jobs for people in the area. We’ve got some kids that can work second shift. It just revitalizes the whole area."
Across the street, Dale Kramer of BMW Motorcycles of Cleveland has watched the park's closure and subsequent redevelopment from a front-row seat.
"Our slogan when we first opened up was 'The best ride at Geauga Lake was across the street,'" Kramer chuckled. "Once they closed down, we changed to 'the only ride at Geauga Lake is across the street."
Kramer told News 5 he looks forward to Meijer becoming a landmark for the area, in a similar (yet different) way Geauga Lake was.
"It’s really good to see after all this time since 2007/2008 that the land is finally being developed and put to good use," Kramer said. "It’s good for us and good for the community."
Beyond the Meijer, township leaders say a new traffic light along Aurora Road could be operational in just days. Preparation work is also underway for a 55-and-up community featuring around 70 condominium-style units on the lake.
What's going on at the old SeaWorld? Didn't Aurora buy that?
They did — and the city is clearing and leveling land for a multi-phased park project while preserving relics from the former SeaWorld.
Mayor Anne Womer Benjamin told News 5 she hopes to open kayaking access to the spring-fed lake (and offer rentals!) later this summer or early this fall. That, on top of renovating the iconic gatehouse and adding a parking area, makes up the first phase of a project to transform the area into a destination park.
Beyond this initial phase, conceptual renderings released earlier this year show plans for a beach, trails, and the reuse of the iconic wave pool — minus the waves.
Over the past several years, the city of Aurora has been acquiring property totaling around 47 acres.
"We expect to have a beautiful grassy area right along the lake for picnics, fun, frisbees and general enjoyment and that’s about 15 acres of development of this former park land," Aurora Mayor Anne Womer Benjamin explained to News 5 during a groundbreaking back in October.
Watch that story here:
Check out this News 5 chopper video from 1980 over Geauga Lake and SeaWorld:
What else is in the works?
Neighboring the near-complete apartment complex is another development that could get underway in the near future.
Bainbridge Township Trustee Jeff Markley confirmed to News 5 that 20th Century Construction is continuing site prep work.
As News 5 has previously reported, plans call for 77 single-level condominium-style units to be built and sold as part of an "active adult community."
The 55-and-up community would span nearly 23 acres, with prices for sale starting in the mid-500,000s. It's not clear when that project could break ground.
What about Menards?
Menards, the big-box home improvement chain, bought property at Geauga Lake in 2020. A spokesperson told News 5 this week there are still no immediate plans to report on the construction of a store there.
To celebrate Meijer's grand opening, the first 200 customers through the door when it opens at 6 a.m. are set to receive a Meijer Gift Card. Other festivities are planned at the store, and you can learn more about them by clicking here.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
