I know it would probably not work, but it would be great to put in something for kids to do...a roller rink, rock climbing.....a place to gather with friends....something to promote activity. I think we have enough shopping in the area, but a farmers market would be good.

a shopping destination...like ikea or tj maxx (i hate driving to north olmsted for tj maxx) or a healthy/quality supermarket like whole foods

In another article someone mentioned Chucky Cheese which I think would be perfect. The closest one is on North Olmsted, and there is no "substitute" in Avon like there is with grocery stores or clothing stores. I think this would actually bring people into Avon Lake.

Whatever is done hopefully there's enough research done to support it long term. Love a couple of the ideas already-Ikea, farmers market, maybe a "super" Chucky-Cheese ( the one in North Olmsted is 13 miles from the one in Parma, this would be about 12 miles from North Olmsted--might work) with indoor putt putt & driving range. Maybe an indoor paint ball/lazer tag business, but again, research research research. The only thing in my view is that it has to be something different or unique enough that you can't get in Avon that would be worth the drive, and would also entice others to want to set up shop next door.

I'd like to see another coal fired power plant.

But really. Laser tag, or some activity like Sharon said.

We have Trader Joes and Heinens within a ten minute drive. I don't feel we need another grocery store. I would vote for a low cost/no frills exercise facility - fees less than the Avon Y, 5 Seasons, and EMH. Put in an indoor walking/running track, a few baseketball hoops, some eclipticals and treadmills ... Make it available to teens as well as adults.

I previously heard a suggestion in town of a "restaurant row." Do we have enough restaurants in Avon Lake or would a centralized eating area work? And Joe's comment on the the coal fired plant...pretty funny.

Anything but the empty shopping center it is.

no company in their right mind would open a store in Avon Lake...If Avon Lake was on 90, then they would but no chance..The only viable solution for there is a competing grocery store so Giant Eagle is forced to sell food at reasonable rates again and actually gives us 20 cents for every 50 dollars spent on fuel perks like it is in Columbus because they actually have viable competitors there in Columbus..We get 10 cents for every 50 dollars we spend in Cleveland because there is no viable competition in Cleveland against Giant Eagle...Heinens cannot compete with Giant Eagle folks! You are pipe dreaming if you think they can or ever will!

I agree that we need a competing grocery store. Giant Eagle raises prices at ridiculous rates -- who ever imagined they could sell basic staples when they are raising at rates of 33-50% at a time? But we have no other option in town. Tops was a great place to shop. and I still miss them.

the post office needs to b moved over in that strip, not necessarily in tops old building, but in the center of town so people actually know where it is! a Dollar Store or an Aldis would be nice to have closer too!

I think the very best thing to do is to convince apples to go in there. I drive to Sheffield Lake apples because it's almost exactly half of what I pay for groceries at GE. I don't think there is a person in Avon Lake that hasn't been pissed about how much it costs to shop in there. You don't need a discount card and let me tell you that if you do the math, the fuel perks are not worth it at GE!

Affordable recreation facility or competing grocery store.

There definitely needs to be something. It's embarrassing that it's emty and that it continues to be empty...build a 'shopping' center without any shopping? Stupid. And if I were the residents that live behind there, I'd want a refund. Growing up, there were at least 2 grocery stores in town. The population has doubled and now we only have one? So for convenience, we are stuck with Giant Eagle or travel to another location for food. Restaurants would not be the answer either. Not many can afford the over-priced facility...not even iron chef Michael Simon could stay. The leaders of Avon Lake need to rally to find something, because it is embarrassing. Have management lower the leasing rates and make it attractive for anyone to come in. Why isn't our city officials concerned? Instead of raising our trash prices, maybe they should try to get some revenue into the city...just a thought

The Topps building would be the ideal place for the Post Office. The current Avon Lake post office is simply DEPLORABLE. It is too small, antiquated and in a terrible location. The post office should be in a CENTRAL location of the city. Sorry, Mr. Kos. I know you don't want to see the post office move from your ward; but lets do what is best for the city. The US Postal Service pays rent for the current terrible facility. Why not pay rent for a much better facility that might draw more business.

Whole Foods Market, Earth Fare or similar alternative grocery option.

Wegmans! An amazing supermarket that would draw people in from outside of Avon Lake. And a Chick-fil-a in the old Donato's building would be a great way to bring in more shoppers. Once we get people here, other stores and restaurants would follow. That said, I hope that AL is NEVER the overcrowded, concrete, commercial place that is Avon. I love the charm of this city.

Acme, Meijers or how about a swimming pool or ice rink? We need an indoor facility for the HS swim team, hockey team, skaters and for a reasonable fee residents could enjoy it as well. I am sure some tax breaks could be issued from council and yes anything is better than an empty building.

A grocery store to compete with GE would be great.

How about a Buehler's? I love their stores :) I like the idea of a rec center though too. I'm wondering if the rent is simply too high...6 years empty?? Shouldn't someone be accountable for that?

Whole Foods or similar. No reason why Giant Eagle should have a monopoly. Giant Eagle's produce sucks so a Farmer's Market would be nice too. I hate having to drive to other suburbs to pick up produce.

A grocery store makes sense but ANYTHING would be better than empty to help those poor struggling businesses in that strip! It would help all the nearby businesses.

And it disgusts me that none of our councilpeople give a damn about getting that place leased. Most of all the mayor. More concerned about raising trash fees, taxes and killing deer. Sad. Bring some business to our town! Make it attractive for them to come and to STAY!

Suggestions from our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakePatch ...friend us!): Bass or Cabelas or indoor lacrosse. How about indoor soccer fields (cheap to maintain)?

Oh oh a deer slaughterhouse?

We are destined to become Bay Village - nothing to support our taxes, so tax the hell out of the residents. And with losing the power plant, guess what will happen? Another friggin' tax levy for our schools. I for one am sick of paying these damn levies. Ridiculous!

Laurie, I believe another school levy might be possible within the next year or two. Jason: Deer slaughterhouse...more funny. There's a lot of support for an indoor rec facility of some sort. Makes sense if it's year-round.

Our first problem is Mr Kopf doesn't care because Tops is still paying rent. I'm sure once that goes away he'll be a little more motivated! I like the idea of a rec facility. I can't believe people don't complain about the Avon Y being $20 more per month then any of the others! Even the new one they built in Lakewood is around $52 a month for family memberships. I also like the idea of another store but we have two Heinens and a Trader Joes really close. Chuck E Cheese or Laser Tag type facility sounds good too! And Chick-fil-A in the old Donatos is a great idea! I actually sent an e-mail to Your's Truly (a mainly east side restaurant) about the location. Hopefully something will happen soon! Lori I hope you send all of this to the mayor.

Avon Lake can't support two grocery stores (esp with all the ones in nearby Avon - CostCo, Marcs, Heinens, etc) which is why Tops closed in the first place so I'd stay away from that. We already have too many gym's in the area (and there's already one in that strip so they probably can't put another in). I'd go with a rec complex geared towards teens and families. As others have said I would put in a roller rink, rock climbing wall, skateboard ramps, arcade, and snack area. There's not enough to do (esp for teens and families) in our town. This could also draw in people from Bay Village, Avon and Sheffield which might help to draw additional stores and restaurants into the neighboring empty spaces. I've heard Kopf has some leases in the works, so maybe something new will go in later this year, we can hope!

As long as Bucky Kopf is collecting the rent you are all spinning your wheels!

Amen Terry. but it is fun to dream

Lori, maybe you can find out how long Topps' lease is with Kopf, cuz Kopf has no motivation to let anything else come in there if he's still getting the same rent, no utilities to pay, no up-keep or maintenance needed. These are all great ideas (except a post office!.. a city twice our size wouldn't need half that much space and wouldn't draw traffic/revenue from outside of Avon Lake) that need research, so why not start with knowing what the terms are of the present contract. It'd be nice to see if Koph has any comments or has even been approached. They own Avon Lake practically, it would be interesting to know if he has any feeling of responsibility to the betterment of the community vs. his wallet...I can hear the snickering already.

Whatever goes in that space would have to draw enough people to support more businesses re-opening in the adjacent vacant store fronts. When I talked to the owner of Quiznos, he told me the reason all of the businesses in that plaza were failing was the closing of Topps.

Another grocery store such as Buehlers would work, but I would prefer to see a Meijer's. Whole foods won't work because a Whole foods is being opened in Rocky River, and Whole Foods has restrictions on how many stores they will open in certain markets. With 1 in Beachwood, and 1 in Rocky River..we would not be able to get 1 in Avon Lake.

A place like Fitworks would also be a pretty good idea, all the surrounding gyms are either overpriced (EMH, 5 seasons), or just not very good (Urban Active).

Please no Chucky Cheeses or kids nonsense...I don't like children and everybody and their loud,smelly kids can go populate the already overcrowded North Olmsted.

My vote is Buehler's - top notch all-inclusive supermarket with competitive pricing. A book store such as Barnes & Noble (even though I liked Borders better) could also be added.

oh....a sporting goods store might also work. With all the kids in Avon/Avon Lake/Shef Lk involved in youth sports (recreational and school supported) and running to Westlake every time they need something! Not another fitness place - they are popping up on every street corner these days!

You know Laurie, I used to think the same thing, why should I pay for school levies when I pay for my kids to go to private schools, but then, I've witnessed first hand at what happens to neighborhoods that don't-- which is one reason why I moved here. Sometimes you need to trust-but verify--that schools do the best they can and are spending the money wisely, especially since tax revenues are already down for them from what they budgeted so they already had to make sacrifices. If I can make a simple suggestion Laurie: MOVE. You seem so bitter toward Avon Lake throughout all your posts, why are you here? AL Schools are ranked as high as the highest "top" school system in the country, that helps draw people to this area ( it did me), helps with property values --even taking into account what's been happening with the real estate market across the entire country. Like it or not, a new stadium is a draw for those looking for a new place to call home, and also helps draw playoffs that brings revenue to the area not to mention the civic pride as well as being safer. A new bus depot removes major safety issues, created more parking for our growing school and increases the life of buses by almost 5 years ( $75k a bus x 20 buses x 5 years-do the math). There's not a lot a mayor or council can do when the lease is owned by Kopf and he's still getting rent checks from Topps. :Not to be harsh, but If there's a better city, move there.

I vote for the concept of an indoor sports complex similar to the Force Indoor Sports complex in River. I've been driving my kids back and forth to that place, along with many others from our neighborhood for years. Chuck E. Cheese?? Are you kidding me? Who in their right mind would want anything to do with that place with kids beyond 6 years old? Go check out the clientele in North Olmsted and re-think that one. Dave N Busters is close enough, go there. One family would get one use per year anyway. You could utilize a sports complex every day all year long. Indoor soccer/lax/football (I'm sure the HS would appreciate it), all-purpose field, batting cages, tennis courts, racquetball, pool, weights, cardio...you know the drill. This is a sports town too.

It's all fine and dandy, but the simpletons in AL gov't are happy with tax revenue from Kopf, Kopf is happy collecting rent and the small businesses in the plaza are bankrupt. Some private equity group needs to come in and make this happen. It's not going to be free to the residents though, and the residents would vote it down in a heart beat as a public deal. Why? anyone ever been to Westlake Rec? River? How about Fairview? How does Fairview have the rec center they have? They struggle passing levies. It's beautiful. Look how long it took to replace the pool? No chance here. I love AL, but commercially, it's a disaster. It's got great schools, it's safe, beautiful landscape, Lake Erie, nice neighborhoods, people, kids, etc. Boy, that does sound allot like Bay. Strap in folks, get your check books out, we're next!! Top's closed on a corporate level. Had nothing to do with AL, for the record. Replacing it does though. I Heart AL!!!

What about a Krogers? I think that would be a great fit.

daves supermarket,constantinos,mustard seed,something local! cabelas outfitter,fin feather fur outfitters. ikea

I would like to see something like Menard's...We so miss Ace Hardware when we're working on a project. It's great having Home Depot and Lowe's for big stuff...but when you're doing a quick repair or just need a few screws, Ace was truely the place!!! Something that has a little of everything. But I would like to see another grocery store. I use GE for pantry/frozen/dairy, but if we're getting fish or meat and produce, I hit Heinen's...quality is superior!!!

Grocery stores? Why? So we can take enough business from Giant Eagle to further hurt the other businesses in the Lear Rd complex?

Chuck-E-Cheese? Are you people serious? How did Goodtimes do? We have plenty of things in this town for families- parks, dog park, the lake. We need less things like Chuck-E-Cheese in this world!

This city needs more business and should be doing all it can to lure businesses to the city, a la Westlake and American Greetings. Sure it's difficult, but I highly doubt that after almost a decade of restaurants and small businesses failing all over town that the solution to Tops is to put in a restaurant or another cookie cutter place. Think outside the box?

Or maybe, just maybe, the place is hopeless and won't ever get a reliable tenant that can serve the city. This is entirely possible and should be considered.

I found something online that they still have about 15 or so years on the lease from Tops.

Great suggestions from everyone. We'll be featuring a different storefront next week. Smaller, retail. Get your thinking caps on.

VIP Management has no clue what to do with this site. Please- sell it to a real estate developer who knows what they're doing. Retail in Avon Lake is a crap shoot at best. Look at the Drug Mart shopping area- vacant stores that look like heck. Learwood Square has vacancies as well. Avon is kicking our collective keesters with Avon Commons and the shops near Marcs. They are on a busy road near the highway.

Please look at repurposing Town Center shopping into something we all can enjoy like a community center.

Oh, yeah- I forgot about tha God-forsaken collection of retail on Lake Road near Moore Road. And the scattering of stores near Aqua Marine and Lear Road. Let's level the Drug Mart and Lake Road retail buildings and invite any truly viable business to relocate at Learwood Square or Town Center. Bucky Kopf's grandchildren will still be collecting from Tops before anything is done.

Nature's Bin would be a great addition to this area. Based in Lakewood, this store features natural and health foods that appeal to a wide variety of people. The store is run by employees with special needs and the store serves as their training ground to empower them to move on to other challenges. They are a non-profit organization and would serve our community as a great retail outlet and an even better place to help out a special group of our population.

I really like the Chic-fil-A idea at Donatos. I can't believe that this is still empty, Marc's wanted to go in there 4 years ago and Kopf wasn't working with them. I have been told by very credible people that Giant Eagle may be paying into Tops lease as well. That is a good deal Bucky has collecting a check every month for an empty building and lot. Whole Foods, Buehler's or Wegmans would be excellent. The recreation center/fitness facility is also a very worthy idea and I have seen that done in other closed groceries.

First off perhaps if the rent was lower then it would be more inviting. I think an ALDI's would be fantastic. This should be high on Mayor Zilka's to do list!

After reading all these posts it's positive but people don't have a clue. First of all Kopf Builders was tied up for a over a year with wetlands that a certain group in A.L. tied him up with in the courts. In the meantime, all the stores that were suppose to go in their hightailed it to Avon Commons. The person or persons who can put something in the Tops place will be a "Hero" in A.L. VIP Mgmt. has tried to get Buelers, Marcs, Whole Foods, Fligners, etc. and countless other stores in this
plaza. You need a draw, I have a buddy who owns two stands at Westside Market
I pitched the idea of having a Towne Center Westside Market at the A.L. Towne Center. It would be perfect, plenty of parking. Turn the old Tops into an open market with an eatery in the middle with all the stands setup in the building plus outside. People would come from miles around just like they do to go to Jamies Flea Market & the Westside Market. Build it and they will come, I see alot of people going to Towne Center to buy their fresh produce, fish & meats. Theirs your draw businesses would be lined up to get in on the action. It definitely fits everybody's niche and purpose in A.L. Keep the Faith!

One thing I find myself going to other towns for is a restaurant with a good salad bar. We have none. Not even in Avon that I'm aware? It doesnt have to be a whole "buffet" where you get people hog-tied for cheap, but a Ruby Tuesday's maybe? I also like the idea of just bulldozing it and putting in another housing development. Not like another Ventanas...but more like the upper-middle type homes already in the area. And my gosh dont put anymore condos in! We are running out of land to build on, so why have it sitting there as just wasted space? If we need more local business, I believe there is still room to improve both Drug Mart and Learwood Square plazas. Dont start a third half-used shopping center.