Even though some of its aisles at the Buckeye neighborhood Giant Eagle store are already empty, some people are looking for ways to persuade the Pittsburgh-based grocer to keep that store open.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Giant Eagle Inc.'s plans to close its supermarket at Buckeye Plaza on Feb. 4 have rattled the largely residential neighborhood that surrounds and shops at that store. Even though some of its aisles are already empty, some people are trying to persuade the Pittsburgh-based grocer to keep that east side Cleveland store open.
Dozens of residents packed the Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corp. meeting on Thursday fuming about the prospect of losing the community's largest grocery store in two weeks. Sixty-eight of them signed a petition begging Giant Eagle CEO Laura Karet not to close that store.
"When they first moved here [in 2007], they told me that they were going to stay for eternity. They told me that," said Cleveland City Councilman Kenneth L. Johnson, whose Ward 4 includes the Buckeye and Shaker Square neighborhoods.
"When they said they were leaving, they gave us 10 days' notice that we needed to find another pharmacy, another bank, and another store," he said. The announcement was made "in the middle of the night" and "blind-sided" everyone.
"Truth be told, they knew last year that they were closing this store, but they didn't tell [Cleveland] Mayor Jackson, and they didn't tell me," Johnson added.
Johnson said Giant Eagle representatives told him that the Buckeye store loses more than $1 million a year, and that theft is a major problem at that location. "Have I seen their books? Can I verify that? No."
Giant Eagle's director of corporate communications Dan Donovan said via email that "We are in ongoing communication with the City as well as with representatives from the local communities. Out of respect for all involved, we are unable to share specific detail from these conversations."
Giant Eagle announced on Jan. 3 that it had made "the difficult but necessary decision" to close the Giant Eagle stores at 11501 Buckeye Road and GetGo convenience store and gas station at 2780 E. 116th St. on Feb. 4.
The Buckeye store anchors the Buckeye Plaza shopping center, built in 1991. Giant Eagle moved into the 55,000-square-foot space after Tops Market left in 2006, but some residents said the store needed a facelift.
Giant Eagle is also closing its store at 13820 Lorain Ave. in Cleveland on March 4. Both stores' Giant Eagle pharmacies closed on Jan. 14.
"We thank our customers for their years of patronage at these locations, and invite them to visit us at our other Cleveland supermarkets including our West 117th Street and Edgecliff Avenue Giant Eagle stores," spokesman Dan Donovan said on Jan. 3. "Northeast Ohio, and Cleveland specifically, are important communities for Giant Eagle, and we remain committed to supporting customers throughout the region for years to come."
Giant Eagle said it was looking for jobs for the 120 employees working at those three stores.
John Hopkins, executive director of the Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corp., said that after Giant Eagle's lease ended last year, the company signed a three-year extension that was supposed to keep the Buckeye store open through 2019.
He said the Toronto-based owner of Buckeye Plaza is "willing to make concessions, and willing to reduce the rent to make the equation work for their bottom line."
"But we have to give them ammunition to negotiate with Giant Eagle," he said. "They need to know, 'Why are more people not shopping there?'"
Dan Donovan said that although the company is still talking to the City of Cleveland, "at this time there are no plans to postpone our planned store closures."
"As a private company, we are unable to confirm specific details regarding lease arrangements. We can confirm that we are working with the respective landlords, and are willing to consider any potential alternate tenant," he said. "We do not own either property."
Since Giant Eagle opened in 2007, Dave's Market has moved in to Shaker Square, and both Dollar Tree and Dollar General have opened stores less than a quarter-mile away on East 116th Street within the past two years. That is in addition to the Family Dollar store right in Buckeye Plaza.
Hopkins knows Buckeye residents who also shop at suburban Giant Eagle stores in Beachwood, at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst, and in Solon. "Why are people going 10 to 15 minutes out of their way to shop at suburban Giant Eagles?" he asked. "I think it's the shopping experience. It's the selection of produce, the meats, the customer service."
Meanwhile, the one-page petition asks "Don't Close the Buckeye Neighborhood Giant Eagle."
"This grocery store plays a crucial role in the vibrancy of our community," the petition says. "The store is an anchor for the Buckeye Plaza, which is an integral part of the Buckeye commercial corridor between South Moreland Boulevard and MLK Jr. Drive. It is a necessity in the neighborhood.
"At the core of our community resides working class families who live here because of affordability, convenient transportation, and the many amenities offered locally. Giant Eagle is one of those key amenities," it continues.
"We cannot tolerate your vacant grocery store in the heart of our retail district. The Buckeye neighborhood has been on the upswing in the past few years, with millions of dollars invested by MetroHealth Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, St. Luke's Manor, Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland Municipal School District and new housing developments in the area. The disinvestment of a large grocery store would reverse the recent progress we fought so hard to achieve."
The letter says residents rely on the store's bakery, butchers and fresh produce, as well as the in-store bank and pharmacy. "The closing of the pharmacy hurts residents... especially seniors and others who require routine medicine. Many seniors who have decided to stay in their homes as they age rely on the convenience of having the Giant Eagle pharmacy, an affordable pharmacy, right in the neighborhood."
Hopkins said copies of the petition are available at his office at 11802 Buckeye Road, and that he is hoping to get more signatures before sending it to Giant Eagle's headquarters in Pittsburgh.
Giant Eagle said: "Continuity of care is of the utmost importance to us and our partner, CVS, who has agreed to provide ongoing care to the affected Pharmacy customers at its nearby stores located at 13027 Lorain Ave. and 13215 Shaker Square in Cleveland."
West Park residents protest the closing of their Giant Eagle grocery store.