New version of Toledo Talk

Perrysburg 'lifestyle center' opens next week - This is what Toledo's Marina District project dreams of having. "It is the Town Center at Levis Commons, set on 35 acres along State Rte. 25 next to its interchange with I-475/U.S. 23 in Perrysburg. The development is the area's first "lifestyle center," a concept industry experts define as an open-air center that mixes specialty stores, restaurants, and entertainment with the look of an old downtown street scene that encourages browsing."

"But the $55 million center, to open Oct. 26, is more than a collection of retailers - 27 at the latest count, 18 of which are new to the area. The center also is to have a 12-screen Showcase Cinemas complex. The center is targeting adult shoppers, particularly women. It will have little to offer teenage shoppers."

"Rather than a mega-retailing center, it was to be a development where people could shop, work, and live. The overall project, a $250 million development to be on 200 acres, is to have stores, housing, and offices."

"Work has begun on an adjoining community of 332 apartments and townhouse units, and plans call for an additional 120 loft condominiums and 140 houses to the south and southwest of the initial shops."

"A proposed million-square-foot mall a few miles away in Maumee struggled to gain local approvals and since has refashioned itself as a lifestyle center."

"The Shops at Fallen Timbers, developed by General Growth Properties Inc. of Chicago, has yet to begin construction but has announced that it has letters of intent or signed leases from PF Chang's China Bistro, Barnes & Noble bookstore, an Irish pub, and an unnamed gourmet grocer."
posted by jr to business at 11:34 A.M. EST     (6 Comments)

Comments ...

"The development is the area's first "lifestyle center," a concept industry experts define as an open-air center that mixes specialty stores, restaurants, and entertainment with the look of an old downtown street scene that encourages browsing." I don't think so! What the hell is WESTGATE? Chopped liver? Westgate has many specialty stores, restaraunts, cinema, etc. The Perrysburg center is not a "new" concept for this area. I hope it's succesful, but billing it as a first is not really accurate.
posted by Chaz at 08:58 P.M. EST on Mon Oct 18, 2004     #

"What the hell is WESTGATE?"

Indeed. Westgate was the first thing I thought of too. Westgate is probably my favorite "mall" area to shop at. Thackeray's Books, Bassett's Health Foods, Barry Bagels, Stone Computer, Radio Shack, and The Vineyard are some of the places I visit.

In my opinion, the most interesting store in Westgate is the Port Royal Tobacconist - Fly Fishing Outfitter, which sells fly fishing gear and also has a walk-in cigar humidor. And yes, you can smoke your cigars in the store. And if you haven't eaten at The Vineyard, you're missing something.

Here's a list of the stores at Westgate.

Maybe these "lifestyle centers" are for the people who built new homes in the soybean and corn fields over the past 10 years. They now need a "downtown."
posted by jr at 01:23 P.M. EST on Tue Oct 19, 2004     #

HA! I too have wondered where all those people with new homes out in farmland country will go for "community shopping."

Good one jr!
posted by Chaz at 08:37 P.M. EST on Tue Oct 19, 2004     #

"A lot of excitment brewing for a Grand Opening Tuesday in Perrysrburg. Shop-a-holics can hardly wait. Gymboree, Starbucks, Johnny Rockets. Tuesday morning people will storm Perrysburg's Levis Commons for shopping, dining, offices and even homes. Developers say the project is a community in itself."

"But as the doors of Levis Commons opens, the future of Southwyck Mall remains unclear. A numbers of stores have or are planning to pull out of the South Toledo mall. Southwyck will be hit hard when anchor store Dillards moves to Maumee in 2006."

"Earlier this year Toledo Mayor, Jack Ford, unveiled potential plans to renovate [Southwyck]."

Seems Toledo unveils a lot of plans, but nothing gets going. Last winter, the sports arena/marina district plan. Last fall, the Arts Commission's plan for making Toledo a city for the arts.

The sound of crickets chirping, that's the plan for Southwyck.
posted by jr at 08:07 P.M. EST on Mon Oct 25, 2004     #

"The prospects for Perrysburg are exciting. But the heart of a region is its largest city, and the heart of the largest city is its downtown. Imagine what retailers could do with an actual urban center like Toledo with its unique architecture and old-fashioned downtown atmosphere."

Sure, but you would first have to imagine a new city government capable of making that happen. Maybe the reason the P-burg project happened is because it's not in Toledo and it's not in Lucas County. Location, location, location.
posted by jr at 12:51 A.M. EST on Sun Oct 31, 2004     #

I walked around the new P-burg "lifestyle center" one evening a couple weeks ago. It's an interesting setup. The stores appeared to be mostly expensive clothing stores for women.

"Cheers can be heard now from this area's newest shopping center at Levis Commons in Perrysburg. At the same time, desperation describes what's happening just a few miles down the road [at Southwyck]."

"The empty chairs at the south Toledo mall made it very apparent things are not going so well. "A lot of stores are gone," said McGranahan. "Business has dropped a lot." "

"Meanwhile, just a few miles down in Perrysburg, Levis Commons celebrated the opening of a new large movie theater."

" "It's not good for the old malls," said Senior President of Operations for National Amusements which owns the new movie theater at the Commons. "But that's the nature of the way business works today, so naturally we want to be where the action is and create part of that action." "

Also down the road ...

"Earthmovers are moving the earth on the site of the Fallen Timbers Mall, just off Rt. 24 and Stitt road, near Rt. 23. The Fallen Timbers shopping area is to open in November of next year."
posted by jr at 10:12 A.M. EST on Thu Nov 11, 2004     #

<< Older Finkbeiner supports Issue 4    |    Kaptur, Kaczala debate on Wednesday Newer >>

This is an old topic and is no longer allowing comments.