The Stow-Kent Plaza may still be empty, but the list of ideas for anchor stores at the location are overflowing on Patch.
Many of the store fronts have been vacant for years in that plaza.
Mayor Sara Drew said the owner of the property isn't interested in making any updates until an anchor store moves into one of the empty spots.
Right now, in that plaza, some of the space is occupied. Some of the current tenants there are a , Subway and — which is the top producing Macy’s per square foot in Ohio, the mayor said.
Drew said it's "understandable" that the the owner wants an anchor tenant to commit before making improvements.
Until then ... "It continues to be an eye sore in the meantime," said Drew.
The mayor said she and her administration are always trying to find tenants for that plaza. There are also tax incentives offered by the city and fees that could be waved for potential tenants.
"We are not sitting back and waiting for developers to do all the work. We are always trying to encourage companies to move in," .
So, in February, Stow Patch asked readers to . The response was overwhelming and.
Now, take our poll and vote for the suggestion you think is best!
Here's an idea: tear the majority of the dump down! You can start with the entire wing that used to house Stambaugh's and Aldi before they moved, and then work your way up to Big Lots! It's dated (looks like it hasn't been updated--including paint--since it was built several decades ago), it's too large, and some storefronts probably have other cost-prohibitive/other issues (given that many of those storefronts have been vacant for well-over a decade). There's absolutely nothing attractive about the current structure for any business to move in there (if it was, there wouldn't be so many vacancies). Since Macy's IS an 'anchor', you can now redevelop that space--off of Macy's--as a smaller center. Maybe even a 'town centre'-like feel. But, that makes too much sense for this obvious deadbeat shopping center owner.