City Receives Proposal to Develop Abandoned Spitzer Property

City officials were in their request for proposals to develop the vacant car dealership property on Detroit Avenue.

Instead, there was only one.

The proposal — submitted by Garfield Heights-based NRP Group — is for a three-story, 40-unit senior housing development on the parcel west of Parkwood Avenue.

The Spitzer Auto Group owns both parcels — totally 1.6  acres — but the development plans do not include the land east of Parkwood Avenue. The properties are on the market for $1.7 million.

Originally, there were three submissions following the April 4 request for proposals, but two dropped out just before the May 11 deadline.

Earlier this year, city officials identified three areas of need in Lakewood: new commercial properties with spaces that are 3,000 square feet or larger; new single level attached residential targeting the retirement-age market; and a new senior or assisted living facilities.

The Spitzer proposal, called Parkwood Pointe, would meet at least some of those needs.

Each of the 40 units would have 862 square feet of living space. The plans also boast a facility with a computer room, exercise room, a 3,000-square-feet community room and a hair dressing studio. 

The auto repair shop at the corner of Bunts Road and Detroit Avenue is not part of the property, so the plans have the proposed facility just feet away from that structure.

It’s unclear whether Spitzer is willing to sell half of the property. City officials will now forward the request along to the auto group.

And wait for a response.

“We were open to all kinds of proposals, but we were hoping to receive more,” said Dru Siley, the city’s assistant director of planning and development. “The best part was that we had the opportunity to talk to all kinds of developers — and now we’re on their radar.”