Officials respond to Noah’s closing

Event venue shuttered by bankruptcy

With the closing of a Mentor party center — leaving many livid customers in the lurch — city officials are trying to look to the future.

The Noah’s Event Venue chain recently was forced to close its locations by a Utah bankruptcy judge, according to reports. The site on Norton Parkway in Newell Creek was affected.

“Obviously, it is a sad day when a business that has been the center of so many joyful celebrations and productive meetings ceases operations nationally, and

affects employees and customers locally,” Mentor Economic Development Director Kevin Malecek said. “Given the development opportunities that will occur around the Noah’s property, with the construction of the new Cleveland Clinic facility, we look forward to working with new partners on how we can ensure that building continues to be of great use.”

Last February, Cleveland Clinic’s CEO announced that a hospital is planned on its 47-acre property along Route 615 and Interstate 90 at the southeast corner of the Newell Creek development.

“It opens up a very nice opportunity for what we have in mind,” said Councilman at-Large Scott J. Marn of the Noah’s closure. He didn’t elaborate.

In addition, plans are proceeding for the first of three buildings in a proposed new medical office complex nearby in Newell Creek.

The city Planning Commission in March approved the final site plan for a 40,000-square-foot

building at 8140 Norton Parkway.

Various event venue representatives were offering their services on Noah’s Facebook page, where customers were lamenting their loss.

“Spent thousands of dollars and the wedding is in 3 months and invitations are already made and they filed (bankruptcy) and didn’t even let me know now. (I don’t know) if I’ll have enough money (to) replan a wedding in 3 months! Hope (to) get my money back,” said one post.

At its height, Noah’s Utah-based operating company had 42 event centers across the country, but expensive leases drove it into bankruptcy last May, according to wkyc.com.

“The company hired a restructuring officer and he had a solid plan for reducing costs,” said Salt Lake City attorney Kenneth Cannon in the article. “Traditionally, this time of year is some of the highest revenues when people are booking weddings, but the closings led to bad publicity and a really, really bad January instead.”

Cannon said there could be as many as 7,500 people stiffed by Noah’s, the article said.