A plaza that once housed Gander Mountain will be remodeled at Portage Street and Frank Avenue NW.
JACKSON DeVille Developments has started the process of rebuilding the plaza that once housed Gander Mountain to make way for a new retailer.
At Home, based in Plano, Texas, plans to be open next year. DeVille has a June 30 deadline to turn the building over to the retailer, which will need about 90 days to finish preparing the business.
Gander Mountain closed late in 2017 after the bankrupt retail chain was sold. Camping World Holdings bought the Gander Mountain brand, while a liquidation company bought the merchandise.
Since then other businesses in the plaza have closed or moved. Wildlife Garden closed last month, while Original Mattress Factory relocated to 4554 Belden Village St. NW. The Harrison Paint Store will be moving early next year to a DeVille property at 5156 Whipple Ave. NW, said Robert Brown, operations director for DeVille Developments.
Pet Supplies Plus, an original tenant in the plaza, will remain but move to a 7,500-square-foot addition on the west end of the plaza. Salon Lofts will remain in its space on the plaza’s east end.
Plans are to demolish a 25,000-square-foot section at the center of the plaza and replace it with 59,000 square feet of space that will have a higher ceiling and extend farther back on the lot. Brown said the new space will be combined with the former Gander Mountain space to create a 90,000-square-foot store.
At Home describes itself as a home decor superstore. The retailer carries a wide variety of indoor and outdoor home furnishings, including furniture, dishes and silverware, bedding, rugs, artwork and decorations.
The Jackson Township store will be At Home’s third Northeast Ohio location. It has stores in Elyria and Niles, along with two in Columbus and three in the Pittsburgh area. The retailer’s website lists more than 170 stores around the United States.
Aultman nets award
Aultman Health Foundation reached the Gold Level in the Workplace Health Achievement Index compiled by the American Heart Association.
The index evaluates the quality and comprehensiveness of a workplace health program. It calculates an average heart health score for employees of participating companies that submit aggregate health data. Companies can measure the effectiveness of their workplace health programs and the overall heart health of employees.
More than 1,000 organizations participated, with three-quarters receiving either Gold, Silver or Bronze level recognition. Organizations receive benchmark reports that help them identify potential areas for improvement.
Three in a row
Consumers National Bank, based in Minerva, once again received the Top Community Bank Lender award from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s district office in Cleveland.
The award measures a lender’s performance closing SBA loans designed to help small businesses. Fiscal 2018 marked the third consecutive year Consumers National Bank ranked first among the 28 community banks in northern Ohio counties served by the Cleveland SBA office.
The award “reflects our continued commitment to our mission of providing the small business community with local access to capital,” Ralph Lober, president and chief executive officer at Consumers, said in a press release.
Gil Goldberg, district director in the SBA’s Cleveland office, praised Consumers’ staff for their work with SBA loan programs that support new and growing businesses. “This award recognizes Consumers’ sustained efforts of providing credit to small businesses in urban and rural markets,” he said in the release.
Global entry event
Akron-Canton Airport once again will have enrollment for the Global Entry program offered by the Transportation Security Administration.
The airport will serve as a temporary Global Entry enrollment center the week of Feb. 18, but the deadline to register is Dec. 31. Frequent travelers are invited to enroll in the program, which allows expedited clearance through TSA at select airports — including seven Akron-Canton destinations — around the country.
Pre-approval is needed to participate in the Global Entry enrollment center at Akron-Canton. Travelers must create a trusted traveler program account through the U.S. Customers & Border Protection website. Cost to apply is $100.
Applicants will need to use a code — 7H741Y228 — at the enrollment center site.
For more information about the programs, visit https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/video-gallery/2015/01/howexpedite-your-entry.
Vehicle sales on pace
Northeast Ohio car dealers are maintaining a steady pace with sales as the year comes to a close, according to the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association.
Through the end of November, dealers in the 21 Northeast Ohio counties sold 231,919 new vehicles, a slight drop from the 233,121 sold in the same period in 2017.
November sales helped close the gap, with dealers moving 19,818 vehicles compared with 19,775 sold last year. The sales of cars and sedans actually increased in November, while truck and sports utility vehicle sales slipped. Meanwhile, used vehicle sales have increased 3.64 percent.
Louis A. Vitantonio, GCADA president, said he is encouraged that 2018 sales remain on pace with last year, and hopeful year-end sales and incentives will help dealers to a strong finish.
Reach Edd at 330-580-8484 or [email protected]
On Twitter: @epritchardREP
