Fifth Church of Christ Scientist Credit: NEIGHBORS IN ACTION

The Shoppes on Clifton plan was released today by Neighbors in Action. It includes the typical sea of asphalt and several proposed retail spots.

  • The Shoppes on Clifton plan was released today by Neighbors in Action. It includes the typical sea of asphalt and several proposed retail spots.

The decrepit plaza at the corner of West 117th Street and Clifton Boulevard was demolished last fall, paving the way for …”some” sort of development. More recent news, however, provides several details and puts the renowned Fifth Church of Christ Scientist in the cross-hairs of Carnegie Companies’ planning.

The development company’s plans were publicly released today by way of Neighbors in Action, a citizen group trying hard to work with all involved stakeholders for the best possible future.

The group’s leader, Jeon Francis, says anything resembling “best possible” is still far off.

He and the group have attempted to work with Councilman Jay Westbrook, who represents the neighborhood, to no avail. Short-term requests were denied. There is, however, the promise of new leadership by way of revised ward lines to consider. How that affects the development remains to be seen. (A vote is expected tomorrow.)

What the current Shoppes on Clifton plans reveal is an expanse of parking, several proposed retail slots and utterly no Fifth Church of Christ Scientist. Demolition of the city-owned church is a hot topic for conversation as these plans move ahead. Westbrook has said recently that some sort of public meeting may be scheduled for sometime in April, though no details are available yet. Sources have a Giant Eagle Express homing in on the church’s site. No commercial names accompany the development plans, however.

Additional working meetings are expected in the coming weeks, wherein developers will continue to flesh out this approach.

Fifth Church of Christ Scientist

  • NEIGHBORS IN ACTION
  • Fifth Church of Christ Scientist

This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2013.

Eric Sandy is an award-winning Cleveland-based journalist. For a while, he was the managing editor of Scene. He now contributes jam band features every now and then.

18 replies on “Shoppes on Clifton Plan Comes to Light”

  1. thats a load of crap…Fix the building…
    OR get it on the National Register of Historic Places…
    Then it CAN’T be dozed….
    Giant Eagle…
    Christ there’s the new one just down W117…

  3. A National Register designation does not stop demolition; however, a local landmark designation enables a building to undergo review for a certificate of appropriateness. Unfortunately, unless buildings have owners with money willing to restore them… they are often approved for demolition.

  4. Hmmm…Thanks for the clarification Jessica….
    I do believe the city of Cleveland should be able to do SOMETHING….
    Westbrook appears to be uninspired however….

  8. So we’ll substitute junk for quality, expedience for permanence. I am SO used to this in Cleveland, and yes, Lakewood too. I used to lose sleep over it, but in a weak market, our past will be sacrificed for junk. I “suppose” we have no other choices. Sadly. I applaud anyone who works hard to save a landmark, and take on the risk. Gospel Press? Capitol Theatre? St. James?

  9. Sorry but the Church is way beyond repair.

    What is really BS about this plan is obvious. Giant Eagle is going to do anything they can to prevent any other grocer from moving in this prime location. So they’re basically going to just throw a Get Go without the gas pumps at the location and probably line the pockets of Politicians to get there way.

    This is such a prime location and the City should be recruiting the likes of once rumored Heinen’s, which promotes itself as a Cleveland Company but with no Cleveland locations, or a Trader Joes, Earth Fare Etc.

    In addition to the Giant Eagle Express there are even rumors of a Dollar Store??

  10. you can be a Cleveland company without having a location in the actual city of Cleveland. suburbs count

  11. Heinen’s, Earth Fare, Trader Joes, I like those ideas. Or perhaps an Acme, since the only one in the County is in Parma.

  12. “The Shoppes on Clifton”? Developer fail. Cut the crap and call it what it really is: “Ye Olde Strippe Mall.”

  13. I will NOT shop there…
    And bad mouth it every time I can…
    The Shops on Clifton???
    The Dollar Store on Clifton…
    The Get Go on Clifton…
    The dropped ball…
    On Clifton….

  14. living four feet from this location… I’d rather anything go there than the dead cat factory it currently is…

  16. The strip mall they want to put there will be an eyesore….
    And ghetto…But I guess your okay with that…

  17. Are we still goofing around with this? They won’t do crap with this for the next few years, they have plenty of time for screwing around

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