Stow makes U-turn on grocery plan

  • 2014-11-26
Stow's planning commission had a change of mind and approved a plan to allow a Meijer's grocery to take the space it had previously approved for residential use.

The commission made the decision at a meeting November 11. In addition to approving the grocery's request, it has also approved a gas station/convenience store combination for the Stow Kent Plaza.

Rob Kurtz, who is the city's planning director, said the conditional zoning approved by the commission would be likely to be on the agenda at the next city council meeting.

Chris Jones, a representative for Meijer, told the planning commission the chain will invest $20m in the new store, and that the development would create as many as 270 jobs. There was no timescale given for construction.

The new store would comprise a square footage of just under 193,000 square feet; more than twice the size of a Target on Kent Road but smaller than a Menards proposed for Cuyahoga Falls. According to Jones, the new Meijer will include a garden center, a grocery, and a drive-through pharmacy among other departments.

As the store gets close to opening, its managers could work with a banner printing company to create a huge display for over the door. They could also commission smaller Banners to place throughout the store, identifying the departments and welcoming new customers.
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