Demolition of Abandoned Grocery Store to Begin
The former Giant Eagle store at the corner of Bunts Road and Detroit Avenue will be torn down to make way for a new GetGo gas station.
Photos
The demolition permits have been submitted and approved. The bulldozers are standing by.
The demolition of the former Giant Eagle grocery store at the corner of Bunts Road and Detroit Avenue is set to begin.
The abandoned structure — a grocery store that’s gone by a few names in its history — is gutted and cleared out.
Demolition is expected to begin next week.
Earlier this year, the plans were approved for a new GetGo, across the street from the grocery store chain's current location.
Giant Eagle sold its property across the street at 14013 Detroit Avenue to Urban Active in 2007. However, plans at the site to build a workout facility never came to fruition.
The building has been vacant since 2007, when Giant Eagle finished its move across the street to 14100 Detroit Avenue.
“Preliminary discussions” also included talk about a major overhaul to the existing store at the corner of Bunts Road and Detroit Avenue. However, Giant Eagle representatives told city officials earlier this year that those plans are on hold until at least 2013.
The GetGo station — unlike the company’s typical gas station — will offer some grocery items, prepared foods, a patio and a Wi-Fi café.
The site will also feature bio-retention landscaping, helping to alleviate the city’s storm water management issues, a move lauded by city officials.
The existing GetGo property at the intersection of Manor Park and Detroit avenues is expected to be sold.
Joe Hildebrandt
8:44 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
I am all for development in lakewood but I cant stop thinking that a gas station is going in such a huge lot... feels a little overkill.
Alicia
11:27 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Will Giant Eagle be taking care of shoveling the snow off the sidewalk for the new property in winter? They can't seem to shovel the snow off the sidewalk for their current properties.
tania
1:32 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
I hope they put a arrow light at the corner W140th and Detroit Avenue... it is going to be a busy intersection now!
ian king
4:35 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
How about cleaning up the Giant Eagle grocery store itself? I find it disgraceful that the only large grocery store in Lakewood is such an unkept mess: dirty aisles, dirty shelves, poor lighting, a produce area that is usually in disarray, just the whole ambience of the store is not inviting when compared to Heinan's just a couple miles up the road - a whole different world of how to treat the customer. And prices are not that much different considering the respect Heinan's actually has for its customers and its physical building vs. the disregard for customers I usually find when I (rarely) shop at Giant Eagle from both the disinterested and rude staff to the generally rundown appearance of the grocery store. Compared to Giant Eagles in the suburbs like Westlake and Crocker Park, Lakewood's is really a dump!
031sophie
12:30 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
I totally agree with you. I have left numerous comments and complaints on their website / customer help line (whatever) and never heard boo! This store is indeed disgusting and to have the SAME dump across the street (why would it be an different?) is troublesome at best. PS: their prices are also way to high. I have basically stopped going there unless i really have to. My husband gave up on G. E. at least 4 years ago. This Giant Eagle is a total disgrace.
Hol
6:10 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Ian have you been to Nature's Bin on Sloane? It's very nice, clean, and helps the community when you shop with a local, nonprofit, business rather than a huge chain. It's less expensive than Heinens too!
ian king
6:20 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Hi Hol - YES! I lived in the West for many years before relocating to NE Ohio, and Nature's Bin is just amazing and holds its own against any of the great West Coast Natural Food Stores. In fact, I think the bakery at Nature's Bin is the best I have ever seen/tasted in any natural grocery store. I have been trying to get the chefs at Nature's Bin to offer cooking classes in vegetarian/vegan/bakery areas. Lets hope with their expansion into the McDonald's space, they will offer some cooking/baking classes. I think it would be a great fundraiser for them also.
Although I think the produce section in Heinens is still the best around for selection/quality/price. And of course, the Heinens are a local Ohio family also.
I usually support both Heinens and Nature's Bin, with a bit of Trader Joe in the mix.
And try to avoid Giant Ego whenever I can!
Alicia
6:43 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
GE has plenty of customers and will do fine. I am basing this on the constant long lines, although that could be due to their refusal to staff an adequate amount of cashiers while keeping multiple self-checkouts open.
My question is why they are not held accountable to the same standards to which other business owners in the city are held. Most visible and potentially dangerous is the snow/ice on the sidewalks in winter, but others have mentioned the debris in their lot.
I have chosen to do my shopping elsewhere after being disappointed again and again in the service, and being turned off by the sulfur smell near the outside corner of the building toward Detroit that never seems to go away.
ian king
11:35 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
Hi Alicia, totally agree with your comments on GE. They have plenty of customers because there is no where else to shop in Lakewood, unless you drive/bus it to Heinen's in Rocky River or all the way down to the GE at I-90. There used to be several options for grocery shopping in Lakewood less than 8 years ago - now we have one and GE knows that and could care less about cleanliness, quality of food, and customer service. We all need to keep calling their corporate offices and demand they put some money that they take out of our pockets back into this dump of a store. If they don't, please shop somewhere else. I think the only thing that makes Giant Ego/Eagle respond is a loss in profit.
Colin McEwen
10:37 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
I should also add — for Rick Uldricks, because he always asks and I always forget to answer — there won't be a car wash.
Renee
10:59 am on Monday, September 3, 2012
I absolutely despise Giant Eagle. I have stopped shopping there completely. I won't even buy their gas! I don't care how cheap it is. I prefer supporting the small businesses. It would be nice if others would do the same. Send GE a message. I buy my meat at TJ Butcher's Block now. I have always shopped at Nature's Bin and Costco. Sometime's Trader Joe's and Heinens. And, I shop at Moon's for pop and beer because they are a family owned business. There are options other than GE. I would love it if Nature's Bin or some other small business would take up the corner lot GE is now selling. Most neighbors do not want Get Go and our Ward Councilman Sean Juris and Dru Siley could care less what the neighbors of this place want. They support it and they want it -- puts money in their pockets it would seem. I am just sick about the whole thing and there is nothing anyone can do about it except bring a $30,000 lawsuit that no one has the money for and the City knows it. People who have lived here their entire lives are taking steps to move out because of this kind of situation. New people move in and it is not always of the preferable sort. It is just sickening. As if Lakewood doesn't have enough gas stations.