The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Plaza work begins
New electric lines, windows coming in property restoration
The owner of the Westgate Plaza on the west side said he hopes to make it shine for shoppers once again.
Workers have removed the canopy that covered the front sidewalk of the Westgate Plaza, 2530 W. 21st St. in Lorain, at the intersection of state routes 58 and 611.
It is part of the planned renovation of the shopping complex, now about 66,000 square feet in size, said Yaser Etayem.
His company, Mercy JLA LLC, purchased the shopping center in March for $300,000.
“We’re just trying to clean it up, make sure everything’s safe,” Etayem said. “We go wall-by-wall, ceiling-by-ceiling, to make sure everything is 100 percent (safe).
“We’re going to be using just the walls, other than that, everything will be changed, all the glass, all the windows, all the interiors. Everything is going to be brand new in that building.
“The only thing we’re keeping is just the body of the buildings, the construction from outside.”
Since the purchase, All American Trucking and Excavating applied for a demolition permit through the city’s Department of Building, Housing and Planning, sources indicated.
The permit was issued March 19, according to records from the building, housing and planning department.
The company took out the fire-damaged center section of the building.
The shopping center was about 98,000 square feet in size, and now is down to about 66,000 square feet, Etayem said.
Lorain architect Gary Fischer is working on plans for the interiors.
The project is a challenging one, but it could be possible to seal the storefronts, even if temporarily, in time for winter work inside, Fischer said.
During demolition earlier this year, part of the adjacent building was damaged.
It remained open until repairs were completed later in the summer.
There were several factors that affected reconstruction so far, Etayem said.
When he bought the shopping center, Etayem said he was based in Miami, Fla., and unfamiliar with the local contractors, architects and city and state regulations for the site.
He was planning his move to Ohio, but also dealing with family members who had COVID-19 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, materials have been scarce or expensive, and deliveries interrupted due to the pandemic.
Etayem said he relocated to Ohio at the end of June and plans to travel to Florida as needed for family and business issues there.
In the plaza parking lot, contractors working on resurfacing Route 58, which also is Leavitt Road, used the blacktop to store trucks for that job.
The heavy equipment damaged the pavement there, Etayem said, and he hopes to work out compensation for that.
One contractor estimated it would take $300,000 for resurfacing the eastern section of the parking lot, Etayem said.
The railroad tracks behind the plaza slope downward, which washes water and stone onto the property during storms.
Area residents also use the tracks for dumping refuse, so a barrier wall between the shopping center and the railroad tracks would help, Etayem said.
As for the city regulations, Etayem praised the plans to help downtown merchants with storefront renovation and said he would inquire about financing for businesses in other areas of town.
“The city, they are really doing a good job, and I appreciate everything they’re doing to tell us the right way to do it,” he said. “And we’re doing it the right way to make sure everybody’s happy.”
On Sept. 23, the fatherson team of Chris Long and Dalton Long were using a telehandler lift and scraper to remove material from the facade facing Route 611, which also is West 21st Street.
They said they were expecting a delivery of roof trusses to shore up the western section of the building, where part of the roof was damaged due to the collapse of the wall during demolition earlier this year.
“It’s going to be looking good here soon, hopefully,” Chris Long said. “It’s going to look like a brand new building when they’re done; that’s the plan.”