SHEFFIELD LAKE — About 50 residents got their first look at the proposed Sheffield Lake Town Center on Tuesday night.

The city’s proposed redesign of what is now Shoreway Shopping Center would include space for a new city hall, post office, medical office, retail, 36 townhomes and the existing Apples grocery store, all between Lake Breeze and Sheffield roads.

During the first of two meetings held this week in which the public had an opportunity to provide their thoughts on what the city has so far come up with, Mayor John Piskura said the redevelopment is a chance to create a mixed-use town center that would bring the community closer together.

Piskura said the center would also be a draw to surrounding communities, specifically, his research showed, for about 50,000 people from eastern Lorain, western Avon Lake and Sheffield who would likely frequent the center.

The city has also been in talks with a medical provider that currently operates in Lorain County to open a 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot doctor’s office in the center, Piskura said. He would not name the medical provider, saying talks are still in an early stage.

“What this is all about is bringing people into the district,” Piskura said.

What it is not going to be is another Avon, he said. The center’s restaurants and retail would cater to those 50,000 people only because having a giant shopping district is not what the city is trying to accomplish.

“I don’t think we want to turn into another Avon,” Piskura said.

Resident Norma Crnko said she was happy to hear that.

“I think we’re moving in the right direction,” she said. “I like the idea of making it into a little city, but small, with that homey feel.”

Piskura said the purpose of holding the meetings was to get input from residents on the direction the city’s redesign was going, but several residents complained that not enough people attended Tuesday night to offer any constructive opinions.

Ann Marie Woltman said she was disappointed that more residents did not attend, especially since taxpayers are stakeholders in the redevelopment.

The city used taxpayer money to purchase the shopping center after its owners had allowed it to fall into disrepair.
“This needs to be advertised more,” Woltman said. “They need to let more people know about this before the next meeting.”

Residents are again invited to discuss the proposed redevelopment 7 p.m. Thursday in the Forestlawn Elementary School gymnasium, 3975 Forestlawn Ave.

Contact Adam Wright at 329-7129 or awright@chroniclet.com.

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