TOLEDO (WTOL) - Anyone whose driven down Secor Road lately has probably noticed a number of vacant spaces.
With the closing of Sears, Elder Beerman and more, people now want to know what’s next for the area?
While the big talker right now is a Whole Foods 365 coming to Secor in 2019, plans for spaces like the former Elder Beerman and Sears buildings across the street are up in the air.
“This is still a very viable area and if you ask any retail developer or real estate agent they'd tell you that,” said Toledo City Council Tom Waniewski.
Waniewski also says just because big box stores like Sears and Elder Beerman didn't make it, the smaller businesses are keeping the area going.
“If you have five toes on a foot and you cut off the big toe, you're going to have trouble walking. But you still have those other four little toes,” said Waniewski.
Waniewski also also says finding someone to take over large retail spaces, like Elder Beerman, isn't as easy as people think, either, which is why it's taking so long to fill.
“In it's heyday, the owner here was getting big money on the leases,” said Waniewski. “But we're in that new phase of retail where everybody is buying online so these big stores they don't quite match what the retail flavor of the day is.”
Saif Dali, owner of Zaza Wood-Fire Pizza, had a few ideas on how to fill some of the spaces, one of which was forgetting the idea of filling it with a retailer.
“Maybe a luxury apartment for retirement people because on Executive Parkway we already have some housing for retired people,” said Dali.
“My vision is to get tenants in as soon as possible,” said Waniewski. “I know that's what the owner would like to do. Because then that employs people which pays the income taxes which runs the city. Property taxes are then paid because there's high value on this so it's a domino effect that will help everybody the sooner a tenant can get into this.”
Another idea Waniewski had was the possibility of filling these spaces with schools instead of retail spaces. He says it’d take some creative zoning but would be worth looking into for the long run.