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The Shops at South Market would stand at the northeast corner of West 130th Street and Boston Road in North Royalton. On Wednesday night, the North Royalton Planning Commission approved a conceptual plan for the development.

(Baumann Enterprises Inc./Wolf Maison Architecture + Design)

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio - A proposed 16-acre retail-office "lifestyle center" - called Shops at South Market - would include restaurants and two national chains.

The development, at the northeast corner of West 130th Street and Boston Road, would consist of six buildings measuring a total of 80,000 square feet, split evenly between retail and office.

Most of the "stone-looking" buildings would feature older-style architecture. The development would include ornamental lights, decorative paving and a storm-water retention pond.

"We want to make it a vibrant environment for dining and retail," said David Maison, architect with Wolf Maison Architecture + Design, a Cleveland firm working on the project.

On Wednesday night, the North Royalton Planning Commission unanimously approved the conceptual site plan. That means the development will likely undergo changes before it is submitted for final city approval.

The city administration supports the plan. See the plan application below.

"The architecture is better than what current retail offerings are in North Royalton," said Tom Jordan, the city's community development director.

Tenant search

William Baumann, right, addressed the North Royalton Planning Commission Wednesday while architect David Maison looked on (Bob Sandrick/Northeast Ohio Media Group).

Baumann Enterprises Inc. - a Garfield Heights demolition, recycling and environmental services firm - proposed Shops at South Market. Baumann is working with both Wolf Maison and a relatively new company called Rust Belt Development.

The main portion of Shops at South Market would consist of one three-story building, two two-story buildings and one one-story building, with stores and restaurants on the ground floors and offices above.

The unnamed national chains would occupy two stand-alone outbuildings along West 130th. Baumann would reserve land on the site possible single-family homes, which would be part of a future phase not included in the conceptual plan approved Wednesday.

Sam Messina, of Rust Belt Development, said no tenants have been signed yet. He said he and Baumann hope to partner with a national retail brokerage firm to recruit tenants.

Mixing uses

Developers showed building materials that would be used on The Shops at South Market to the planning commission (Bob Sandrick/Northeast Ohio Media Group).

Jordan said the city has been working with William Baumann, president of Baumann Enterprises, for several years on a possible mixed-use center at West 130th and Boston.

The intersection's other three corners - in Strongsville, Brunswick and Hinckley - have all been built out.

"Meanwhile, our side has not been developed," Jordan said.

One problem has been that more than one property owner - including Baumann - have controlled the vacant North Royalton corner. Baumann recently resolved that issue by buying the other parcels, Jordan said.

A second problem involves how to connect sewers to the development. Jordan did not address that issue Wednesday night.

Jordan said residents, during the city's recent master-plan-revision process, asked for a mixed-use development, like the one Baumann has proposed.

Flooding concerns

Developers of the proposed Shops at South Market showed these plans to city officials and residents Wednesday night (Bob Sandrick/Northeast Ohio Media Group).

Two residents living near the proposed lifestyle center said they worried about how the new construction would affect their properties.

Jeannie Grimes, of Boston Road, said the area has a history of flooding. The development would involve removing trees that soak up storm water, she said.

"I just want to make sure you are aware and plan for it so you don't damage our homes," Grimes told Baumann and the commission.

Erika Toth, of Bennett Road, said she wasn't sure how close the development would stand to her home. She wanted clarification on what the development would look like.

Maison said he and Baumann would work with city engineers to make sure that storm water is controlled.

Dan Collins, of the North Royalton Engineering Department, said the city has strict rules that prohibit storm water from flowing off one property and onto another.

"Rest assured, we have your back," Collins told Grimes.

Collins added that the city would require a traffic study - which would take into account all project phases, including future homes - before approving the final plan.