Skyline Chili

it might as well be a five guys at that point, Rick Uldricks

Brain Damage - Pink Floyd

Considering when it was a gas station, and every time I drove by at least 7 out of 8 pumps were occupied, and considering that the new Get-Go has 16 pumps and every time I drive by it seems that 14 out of 16 pumps are occupied I'd wager that a gas station at that location would do rather well.

How about a new supermarket! Lakewood used to have at least 4 supermarkets on the East End of town. We now have 2 = Giant Ego and loser Sapell's. Why can't this city get a decent modern supermarket that is clean, has fresh produce, affordable/competitive pricing, and, heaven forbid, a nice customer friendly staff! How about a Dave's or a Heinan's or a Kroger - anything but nasty Giant Ego and mainly for alcoholics Sapell's!

Maybe Ralph will buy it back.
For those who don't remember: Ralph owns Detroit Lakewood Automotive down the street and also owned this station when it was a Sunoco until he sold it to GetGo.

It would be nice to have some green space, maybe a bus "pulloff" like the one on the other end of Detroit. That area is full of seniors that would likely appreciate the place to sit since they all live in apartments. Lakewood is booming wonderfully, but we don't want to be so over crowded with businesses that we cannot find grass, shade and trees.

I would love to have a Skyline Chili in Lakewood but I think they would be better off in the space that Five Guys used to be in. As for the GetGo lot, that property is so small that putting a business there would be out of place. I like Michele's idea of a sitting park with some nice grass and trees.

These questions of what should go here are always fun. Let's remember though that a private party, Ralph Miller, owns the parcel. Building green space into a new plan can be accomplished and has been with many of the recent projects. However, it's unlikely that an owner would sit on an undeveloped plot of land (unless his last name is Rockefeller). What seems practical in my opinion is to bookend this interesection with another property like Ross DDS. The parcel would have room for parking and landscaping. The unknown is who is looking to build and needs approx 2000 sq ft in a standalone building? Somewhat of a rare find in Lakewood and could be a great opportunity.

Another unknown is the economic impact of the buried gas tanks. This may limit the owner's options. Also whether Giant Eagle/GetGo had some kind of "no-compete" in its lease.

While the link between Skyline Chili and gas is undeniable, it is very unlikely that anyone will build something related to food service on the site of a former gas station. It is unlikely that anything will be built on the site of any former gas station given the environmental concerns and audits that need to take place. Financing for anything on the site of a former gas station is a long shot. I like the idea of the green space or bus stop for all of the seniors in the neighborhood.

The tax valuation for the property is over one-quarter million dollars so the market value would be even higher. To justify that kind of resale, ya gotta think "commercial." It's already zoned for a gas station and it always seemed busy regardless of the brand of gas being sold. Green space....for $300,000+?? Plus the cost of removing the storage tanks, which would be no small cost. A great idea but not a pragmatic solution! Food outlet? Really? It would have to be convenience food...like Quiznos or pizza or a hot dog outlet....oh those folks already tried and are gone. Maybe a Starbucks? I see another gas station in our future....with coffee and carry out food. Guessing Get-Go can't stop this site from being used as a gas station....restraint of trade.

Another gas station is the only thing that can practically go there.

Really John...you're gonna low-ball a bid to the multi-billion deep pocket Giant Eagle Corp with its own wholly owned bank? Yah, good luck with that! Hope you are ready for a humbling lesson on valuation. You do know that the new County Government has reappraised all the properties and adjusted valuations. Those adjusted values more accurately reflect current market value and current market conditions than anytime in the last three decades.

Thinking about it: didn't they replace the Shell (and a good mechanic!) at Warren-Madison with Sherwin-Williams pretty quickly?

Hey Lakewood Matt....you don't have a Giant Eagle credit card to charge groceries. Oops...it's a World Financial Bank CC...so you are correct...they don't own it. I think...I'll check with my friends at the Fed. The Huntington Bank branches in their stores are not owned by them...just a great business arrangement and a customer convenience.