Politics & Government

Abandoned Ganley Dealership Eyed for New Drug Mart

Value World eyed as tenant to take over the pharmacy's space at 11900 Detroit Avenue.

is looking to expand its presence in the city.

The company — with its — has plans to move its eastern Lakewood location to the abandoned Ganley auto dealership at the corner of Cohassett and Detroit avenues.

Value World, a thrift store at W. 107th Street and Lorain Avenue in Cleveland, is considering a move into Drug Mart’s vacated location, according to officials.

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The former auto dealership's showroom building would be demolished — along with an apartment building and vacant house at the rear of the property — to make way for a 24,000-square-foot Drug Mart, according to plans submitted to the city on Tuesday.

Plans call for a red brick structure, 92 parking spaces, a drive-thru, and green space that includes space for a bio-retention swale.

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“That will take care of a significant piece of real estate that leaves only the ,” said Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers.

But before ground is broken, there are a couple of hurdles ahead of the drug store chain.

The first is a proposal for a conditional use permit for a zoning change and a lot consolidation at the former Ganley site. The city’s planning commission will consider those motions on June 7. 

And the following week, on June 14, the city’s architectural board of review will examine the company’s design plans. 

Dru Siley, the city’s director of planning and development, said the drawings submitted Tuesday still need some refining.

“The initial building design is a good first pass, but it will need a lot of work before it can be approved,” he said. “This will have to look like a Lakewood building and not like a typical Drug Mart.”

Officials from could not be reached for this story, but Siley said that the store is looking to compete as a grocery store — not as much as a pharmacy.

“The east end of Lakewood is, without a doubt, underserved for grocery store options,” he said.

This isn’t the only proposed development on the Ganley-owned property.

Earlier this year, on the adjacent property across Grace Avenue.

Although a tenant for the current Drug Mart hasn’t been confirmed, Siley said that Value World “has been a part of that discussion.”

“I am encouraged to see interest in reusing the former Ganley dealership site,” he said. “The quality of the design is going to be as important here as it was for , because Grace and Cohassett are two of our most historic residential streets.”

Siley said that early feedback has been positive from neighbors, who no longer want an abandoned building at the location.

The city — which has distributed fliers to residents throughout the neighborhood — is hosting a forum to address questions and concerns with the public at at 6 p.m. tonight.


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