The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Aldi a maybe for former YMCA
Would be about 12K square feet of usable retail space
A rezoning application has been initiated by Greg Sommers to have an Aldi grocery store located on the former YMCA property on Euclid Avenue in Willoughby.
“Aldi is excited to locate in the city of Willoughby,” said
Sommers, of Sommers Real Estate Group. “The previous YMCA building is not being used anymore. It used to average 1,600 people a day using the facility with a fair amount of traffic.”
The footprint for Aldi to be located at 37100 Euclid Ave., will be about 12,000 square feet of usable retail space, Sommers said.
“We also feel that it’s right in the heart of the retail corridor, and it’s an appropriate and consistent use with its current location. We think it’ll be an ideal location for them and the community.” — Greg Sommers, Sommers Real Estate Group
“They generate significantly less traffic than most grocery operations,” Sommers said. “We also feel that it’s right in the heart of the retail corridor, and it’s an appropriate and consistent use with its current location. We think it’ll be an ideal location for them and the community.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” echoed city resident Tom Ott. “I think that building can only serve a number of uses and I think to have (an Aldi) there would be a good use.”
Concerns of traffic and fire and police response time were mentioned, Sommers said, as well as noise and light pollution.
“You have a building there that’s of significant size and in the past, there was a lot more people and traffic,” Sommers said. “We’re bringing in an appropriate use that’s going to generate less traffic considering its use for the specialty grocery user.
“We are right by the fire and police station,” he added. “There is signalization at the intersection. We don’t feel that’s going to be an issue.”
Sommers said Aldi uses straight down, LED, energy efficient lights that don’t create pollution off site. The store also only averages two deliveries a day.
To decrease light pollution, deflectors are added and other things depending on where light is spilling over the property line, said Adam Pychewicz, architect and engineer from MS Consultants working on the project.
Pychewicz also addressed concerns about heavy traffic with the high school and other schools in the area.
“I will say that the trip generation of an average Aldi is fairly low in comparison with most grocery stores,” Pychewicz said.” You’re going to get the most increase of foot traffic on the weekends where the schools would be out, so you’re not gong to necessarily have a huge conflict there during
normal school hours.”
“This is not a larger scale grocer with dozens and dozens of deliveries all day and all night long,” Sommers echoed. “They’re only doing deliveries during business hours.”
Another point that was mentioned was aesthetics, Sommers said.
“I know this is only the rezoning portion, but Aldi is very cognizant of making their locations look nice,” Sommers said. “They have all intents and purposes to make this a very attractive location, architecturally and they know they need to work with the city to work through the process on the site plan and development.”
The totem poles located on site are expected to be moved to the Lake County Historical Society in Painesville, said Carolyn Tippie, chief financial officer of the Lake County YMCA.
“Greg and I will make sure that’s handled in transition,” Tippie said. “We support the project and for the things that Greg has mentioned. It breaks our hearts that we have an idle property on Euclid Avenue in Willoughby. It needs to find a good use, and get traffic and tax dollars into the community. We would welcome that.”