Lakewood Common, the Mixed-Use Town Square to Replace 'The Pit,' Breaks Ground

After nearly a decade of beguiling pedestrians and achieving cult status on and off social media, Lakewood’s Pit is no more.

In other words, the six acres of grassy nothingness between Belle and Marlowe roads in what would otherwise be the suburb’s flourishing town center.

On Thursday, the city announced that developers will be breaking ground on the site, construction that puts an end to the longstanding debate between residents and city officials about what, if anything, should sit on that gaping block instead of grass. (Town square? Condos? A mall?)

The answer: Lakewood Common, a block of retail, parking, 293 apartments and a community-space plaza off Detroit Avenue.

All being a great whoosh of relief for CASTO Communities, the leading developer on the project since preliminary designs first surfaced in 2019. Lakewood Mayor Meghan George also championed CASTO’s vision for The Pit—which tallies roughly $119 million as of late—as one that will bring the city more residents.

“This development will welcome new residents, add economic vitality, and provide wonderful new public space in the heart of Lakewood,” George wrote in a statement to NEOtrans.

“I am thankful to all who were involved in making this day happen,” she said, “from the development team at CASTO to our city staff and City Council, as well as the many residents whose input helped us establish the community vision for the future of this site.”

The Pit, as it stood last year. About 300 apartments will go up here and open for leasing in early 2028, the develop said. Credit: Mark Oprea

Such community vision, outside City Council meetings and Lakewood’s own blog on the site’s evolution, existed in a kind of grassroots tabs-keeping that kept momentum mostly on a Facebook page entitled “Save The Pit.”

Other than a catalog of memes, the page was a soundboard for a range of brainstorming, frustration at city politics, and skepticism surrounding what seemed like a leviathan to actually fund. “Anyone really believe this will ever be developed?” one resident commented. “Imagine owning a condo in a grocery store parking lot,” said another.

Pandemic-era inflation and rising interest rates didn’t help. And neither did grocery stores and insurance companies backing out as lessees. (Hence: more parking.) But regardless, the city accepted CASTO’s designs last summer—Lakewood’s greatest grass lot would become its newest apartment complex of scale.

An outcome about which not everyone in the city is gushing.

“I think it’s a real bummer for the city,” Jason Bilak, who once helped run the Pit’s Facebook page and lives with his wife and child off Marlowe, told Scene in a text. “I don’t like the plan at all.”

But what about the “resort-style pool” atop the apartments? The one-beds with quartz countertops? An appropriate community plaza for Lakewood’s annual Christmas tree!

“Too modern. Cookie cutter. Looks like it should be in Tremont or Avon Lake,” Bilak said. “I’ll take The Pit any day. My son will miss saying hi to the geese.”