"Our customers have told us that they want more convenient access to affordable groceries, and we think a new store at Oakwood Commons can be a part of the solution for local families," said Walmart spokesman Daniel Morales.
View full sizeA Walmart Supercenter like this one in Springfield, Ill., offering full groceries in addition to clothing, toys and housewares, may be headed to South Euclid. A marketing brochure for the broker said a 180,000-square-foot Walmart will anchor the Oakwood Commons shopping center opening next summer.SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio - Residents are dismayed by the possibility that a Walmart Supercenter may be moving into the former Oakwood golf course.
"Walmart Supercenter will destroy local business and cannibalize from our local grocers, who pay a living wage, unlike Walmart," said Fran Mentch of Cleveland Heights.
"In an area like ours, with declining population and income, new retail only survives by taking from existing stores."
According to a two-page marketing brochure put out by Goodman Real Estate Services Group LLC, the broker for the site, Oakwood Commons will be a "320,000-square-foot power center. . . anchored by a 180,000-square-foot Walmart."
The brochure has since been taken down from Goodman's website, but the Citizens for Oakwood group posted a copy on its Facebook page, "Help Save 144 Acres of Green Space in South Euclid-Cleveland Heights."
Michael Brennan of University Heights also objects to green space being cleared to build more retail. "There is already an abundance of retail space in the Cleveland Heights-South Euclid-University Heights area," including more soon-to-be-vacant space at nearby University Square," he said.
Walmart spokesman Daniel Morales confirmed that a Supercenter is in the works.
"Our customers have told us that they want more convenient access to affordable groceries, and we think a new store at Oakwood Commons can be a part of the solution for local families," he said. "We hope to have more details to share soon."
Mitchell Schneider, president of First Interstate Properties Ltd., which owns and is developing the property, said via email that the deal with Walmart is still not finalized.
"What I can confirm to you is that we are in fact still in negotiation with Walmart (and others) and if and when we have a final, formal agreement, I will definitely provide you with an announcement."
Mentch said the new Walmart means the company will close the one at Severance Town Center in Cleveland Heights less than a mile away.
Howard Thompson, economic development director for the City of Cleveland Heights, said that Pine Tree Management Co., which manages Severance Town Center, "has worked very, very hard to try to get Walmart to continue operations at Severance," and that the last he knew, the company had not said it was leaving.
"It makes my stomach turn to think that after this whole rejuvenation of collaboration and communities working together, that we're going to have one big box store move five blocks away to another community," he said.
Walmart, already the world's largest grocer in addition to being the largest retailer, operates 128 supercenters in Ohio and employs 51,900.
Morales said the new store could create about 85 new jobs in addition to those moving from another Walmart, but declined to provide specifics.
The Cleveland Heights Walmart, less than a mile away, is the closest one to Oakwood Commons.
Both Dave's Supermarkets and Giant Eagle declined to comment on another Walmart Supercenter moving nearby.
Keith Benjamin, director of community services for the City of South Euclid, said that South Euclid voters last November approved rezoning the property to allow big-box stores and that 21 acres will be turned into a park for residents.
He said that according to First Interstate Properties, the project will create 700 jobs and generate about $1.7 million in tax revenue for the city and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.
If built at 180,000 square feet, the South Euclid store would be slightly smaller than the 217,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter at Steelyard Commons, also developed by First Interstate Properties.
Garry Kanter, a South Euclid property owner, fumed: "You can't tell me this monstrosity, eliminating 144 acres of green space, is going to maintain the quality of life and not destroy property values."