The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
New shops in Concord
Changes coming to Crile Crossing area of township
Concord Township is starting to see the economic potential of the Crile Crossing project come into bloom.
“Starbucks (7639 Crile Road) opened on March 3 and they’ve been doing extremely well,” said Lance Osborne, president and CEO of Osborne Capital Group in Mentor.
“We also have Burgers 2 Beer, Expert Nails, Great Clips and Pizza Roto in our (August) plans. Burgers 2 Beer will be the fifth in Northeast Ohio.
“Subway and Pet Valu are already leased and we’re working on a deal with a yoga studio. Tenets will open in 2018.”
Concord Township Trustee Chris Galloway said the development has gained the attention of business people.
“They’re killing it, and business will surely increase once (ODOT) highway signage is in place, especially, now for Starbucks. We’ve received a lot of word that several other businesses, existing businesses, are interested in developing locations here also.
They’re making inquiries up and down the corridor. I’ve played matchmaker, but I’m not at liberty to reveal all details.
“But Starbucks is an industry leader,” he said. “They are very selective as to where they go — we approached them six years ago. We paid attention to the analytics. Other businesses pay attention to their successful model because everyone follows them. They open the eyes of other
people, so we put a lot of focus on this because that’s what people want.”
That’s not the only thing Concord Township residents want.
In 12 years serving as a trustee, Galloway heard requests for two things more than anything else: a drug store and Starbucks, both of which weren’t without incessant challenges.
“From our standpoint, we’re pleased to locate and bring in quality projects,”
he said. “Concord Township doesn’t have a drug store, so we’re happy that (Discount) Drug Mart, on the southern end of the Crile (Road), has all their approvals and is proceeding with construction.
Ground was broken a few weeks ago and we’re trying to be open by Christmas, though completion may push into early next year.”
Similar to the pursuit of landing a Starbucks, the township worked on bringing a drug store to Concord for seven years, and the constant stream of dismissals left Galloway baffled.
“We approached and talked to all of them,” he said, scoffing.
“Rite Aid (Corp.), CVS (Pharmacy), Walgreens, all their brokers and regional people. We were told, ‘Concord doesn’t fit our model.’ I told them their model is fatally flawed. Their model doesn’t include the biggest township in Northeast Ohio? Doesn’t include high-income, highly-educated people that all have insurance? Their model doesn’t include a township with two major medical facilities?
“Drugs are their driving force, the bulk of their business, but we don’t fit the model? But they’re trying to build a third CVS in Painesville? They kept telling us no. It was an arduous process.”
Galloway believes Concord Township residents don’t want the community identified as another “Mentor,” adding many feel a drive into the city is the sole option available to them for drug store needs.
“And neither do we want to be Mentor,” he said, speaking of the trustees and other township governing bodies.
“But some residents want services of convenience, certain quality services. That’s the balance we seek and Drug Mart will deliver that. We don’t have the zoning and the commercial area size to become Mentor. We’re not Mentor, we had to go out and sell ourselves.
“Think of the average citizen having to drive down Mentor Avenue on a Saturday. It’s a miserable experience. They don’t want all the commercial gridlock. Nobody (in Concord Township) wants to go to Mentor — they go because they have to.”