City Awaits Beachwood Place Expansion Plan

Beachwood officials heard a statement earlier this month that they hope will not be repeated in the future.

Jim Heller of Cleveland-based ka architects said that the city had already missed out on four retailers "you would have loved to have had here" at a work session regarding an expansion plan for Beachwood Place Mall.

Beachwood Economic Development Director Jim Doutt said he was disappointed to hear that, but the city still awaits an expansion plan from the mall's parent company, General Growth Properties in Chicago. Heller encouraged the city to make zoning modifications for a 5.6-acre section of Richmond Road now owned by GGP, though the company had no plan to present.

"There's nothing that's been proposed, that's the bottom line," Doutt said.

Neither side has commented on which retailers were interested in Beachwood Place's extra space, but Heller said people should expect to see those stores open soon in nearby East side suburbs. Doutt said it's best to leave those companies' decision in the past, but he hopes Beachwood is not in a similar situation in the future. 

"Economic development's a very, very competitive business, and communities are always going to want to win that," Doutt said. "If, indeed, you've lost, you go on to the next chapter.

"Just turn the page and make sure you in position to take advantage of the next opportunity."

The Jan. 31 Planning & Zoning Commission is the mall's next chance to present an expansion plan, but the meeting's agenda shows no items related to the expansion.