Meijer to Move Forward with Howland Store

NILES, Ohio – Meijer Stores Ltd., which opened its first Mahoning Valley store in May, will move forward on a long-discussed store at the Eastwood Mall Complex.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer, which operates more than 250 supercenter and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin, will build a 159,935-square-foot supercenter at Howland Commons on the site of the former Kmart Super Center. Cafaro Co. confirmed the project in a news release this morning issued following a Business Journal story.

“We do have a contract for that site but have not finalized details,” Frank Guglielmi, Meijer’s senior director of corporate communications, confirmed in an emailed statement. “That’s the extend of our comment,” he added.

The privately owned and family-operated company has operated since 1934. Its offerings include fresh produce and meat departments, pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics.

“Meijer is a great retailer with a huge and diverse selection of products, and it adds that extra element of more convenience and more selection to anyone who visits the Eastwood Mall Complex ” Joe Bell, director of corporate communications for the Cafaro Co., said. The retailer carries a “huge selection” of not just groceries but housewares, sporting goods and clothing.

The Meijer will be built on the site of the former Kmart Super Center at Howland Commons.

The Howland Meijer will be the first at a Cafaro-owned property, he added.

Speculation about a possible Meijer store at the mall complex has persisted for years. In August 2018, a Meijer spokesman said the company had acquired the Super Kmart building but a representative of the Cafaro Co. said nothing had been finalized at that time.

Demolition at the site will get under way soon, according to the release.

To accommodate the store — which will be larger than the approximately 150,000-square-foot Super Kmart building — and a 15,000-square-foot garden center, the adjacent building that formerly housed Grace Fellowship Church also will be taken down, Bell said. Construction of a new building will take 12 to 14 months, with an expected opening in 2023.

Permits needed for the project to move forward have been approved by Howland Township, where the plaza is located.

In addition to the store, Meijer will construct a 3,376-square-foot convenience store and fueling station on the east side of the plaza’s parking lot.

When it opens, the Howland Meijer will be the second of three stores that the chain has opened in or announced for the Valley. In addition to the Boardman store that opened last month and the Howland location, Meijer purchased land on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown about five years ago.

Pictured at top: The Meijer store in Boardman opened in May

Both the new and familiar coming to Spotsylvania Towne Centre

The choices for visitors to Spotsylvania Towne Centre are expanding, with names both new and familiar.  After a brief hiatus, Bravo! Cucina Italiana and Logan’s Roadhouse will soon be satisfying hungry customers, along with a new restaurant, 1809 Cafe.   To satisfy the hunger for creativity, Happy Piano is offering musical education.

Bravo! Cucina Italiana anticipates it will reopen its doors later this year in its familiar 9,698 square foot location in The Village at Towne Centre.  The restaurant built a loyal clientele of those who love its fresh, made-from-scratch dishes from Italian-inspired chefs.  From pastas and brick oven pizzas to perfectly charred grilled entrees, it’s an experience that prompts guests to say “Bravo!”.  The first Bravo! Cucina Italiana opened in Columbus, Ohio in 1992.  It has grown to include 27 restaurants in 14 states.

Logan’s Roadhouse is another familiar name.  The 7,952 square foot restaurant, located near HomeGoods, is now undergoing renovation and will reopen in September.  Logan’s is known for its laid-back atmosphere where hungry diners enjoy mesquite-grilled steaks, burgers and seafood.  The menu also features soups, salads, sandwiches and endless baskets of the restaurant’s famous yeast rolls.  Founded in Lexington, Kentucky in 1991, there are now 219 Logan’s Roadhouse locations in 23 states.

1809 Café will be a new addition to the culinary lineup.  The 7,822 square foot restaurant will open in late June in The Village at Towne Centre, near White House|Black Market. 1809 Café promises to be a hot new addition to local nightlife, with great food, an expansive bar, live entertainment, gaming machines and private meeting rooms.

Have you ever wanted to play an instrument or to introduce one to your children?  Happy Piano is just the place. This instructional studio will be located in 2,742 square feet of space, near Books-A-Million, in The Village.  It began welcoming students on June 14.  Happy Piano custom-tailors musical education for people of all ages.  The owners, sisters Jenni and Liesel Bognar, offer instruction in a variety of instruments.  They delight in teaching children with autism, Down Syndrome and other special needs.

Spotsylvania Towne Centre has been serving the people of northern Virginia since 1980.  It is located at the junction of Interstate 95 and Route 3, near Fredericksburg.  The 1.7 million square foot complex offers more than 120 department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues.  For more information, log onto www.spotsylvaniatownecentre.com.  Spotsylvania Towne Centre is owned and managed as part of the Cafaro family of companies, based in Niles, Ohio.  One of the nation’s largest privately held shopping center developers, the Cafaro organization has developed and managed more than 30 million square feet of commercial real estate in 14 states.  For more information, visit online at www.cafarocompany.com.