As Church Demolition Ends, CVS Construction Begins

Just as on Detroit Avenue wrapped up, the construction of the that will go in its place got under way. 

In two weeks, the foundation will be poured. A couple of weeks after that, the walls will start going up.

“The goal is to have the shell complete by the times the snow falls,” said Sean McDermott, the development manager for , which is heading up the development. “So that we can work indoors during inclement weather.”

When the weather breaks in the spring, crews will finish pouring concrete and landscaping. 

The store is expected to open its doors by the end of May 2012. 

“Right now, I see no reason why we wouldn’t hit that goal,” McDermott said.

Last week, crews finished the demolition of the church and school, which have had a presence on Detroit Avenue for 107 years. 

The property — from 15501 to 15523 Detroit Avenue — will extend from Lakeland to Arthur avenues. The buildings adjacent to the church, one of which houses , will also be demolished — but not right away.

“It’s painful to see this church come down,” McDermott said. “For the parishioners and the former pupils, this is utterly painful. But, in eight to nine months, the hard work and the details that we paid attention to will come through and hopefully translate into a well-received project.”

Plans call for the 14,000-square-foot, red brick structure to be built near the street (catering to the city’s walkability); a parking lot that’s in the rear of the building; and large windows facing Detroit Avenue.

“You can’t blame people when they say ‘oh, they’re building a box,’” he said. “It is a box, but it’s a very nice box.”

The plans also include a pedestrian walkway on the southern edge of the property, allowing Lakeland Avenue residents to cut through to get to the .

McDermott said the building “plays off the streetcar-era construction,” and will fit in nicely with the city’s architectural style.

“It’s going to look awesome,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to the city and to LakewoodAlive for creating the design guidelines. If you want to build in Lakewood, there are a set of rules. It really takes out a lot of the guesswork.”

City officials have said it’s been difficult to find a reuse for the 107-year-old Lutheran Church, which has sat vacant for the past several years.

 “I am happy that this new commercial investment represents about a $4 million investment at that prominent corner at the western end of our downtown,” said Dru Siley, the city’s director of planning and development. “It is always sad to see a building go, but it had been vacant for a number of years and there really was no likelihood of it being repurposed.

“It becoming a productive and active property again is important to the long-term success of our community.”