RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Belle Oaks at Richmond mixed-use development being planned for the Richmond Town Square mall site had recently been described as a $90 million project. That has changed in a big way.

Developers DealPoint Merrill of Woodland Hills, Calif., have more recently posted on their Facebook page that what had been listed as a 23.5-acre project to include 362 apartments is growing to a projected $195 million, 65-acre development on the mall property that will include a total of about 700 dwellings and retail.

The project’s first phase, scheduled for completion in winter 2021, is to include 655,000 square feet of mixed-use construction of six new luxury apartment buildings -- two of which would also be home to retail use -- on the northern end of the mall.

Construction would begin soon after the expected January demolition of the former Sears building at the Richmond Road mall.

In all, 362 apartment units will be part of the project’s first phase, as well as a park, pool, parking garage and more.

The DealPoint Merrill Facebook post listed on Oct. 21 a second phase, planned for a 2022 opening, “that will consist of approximately 625,000 square feet, to include 347 multi-family units, Regal Cinemas and other national retailers.”

When reached by phone in California, a DealPoint Merrill spokesman who did not wish to be named stated that construction of the second phase would likely involve the purchase of the mall from its current owner, Mike Kohan’s Kohan Retail Investment Group of Great Neck, N.Y. Kohan bought the mall for $7.25 million in late 2016.

“I don’t think it’s any secret that the mall is failing; it’s struggling to stay in business,” the spokesman said. “There’s a lack of foot traffic.”

DealPoint Merrill envisions a “neighborhood” of apartments, complete with a number of nearby amenities. The plan, over the two phases, is to create a neighborhood with onsite amenities such as a grocery store, dental or medical offices, a drug store, car care and restaurants so that Belle Oaks residents don’t have to drive several places to get what they want or need.

A hotel, mentioned in the earliest plan, is still a possibility and would allow for those visiting friends or families in apartments to stay nearby.

Speaking about the development, the spokesman said, “The fixtures, amenities and design layout are all designed at a high level.” With much work to be done, the current plan, including the amenities, are still in the concept stage, he said.

As the design is being planned, developers are imagining what amenities could be built as part of the project and what amenities are already near enough to the site and won’t have to be added. An example could be that Dave’s Supermarket, located across Wilson Mills Road from the mall site, would mean that a new grocery store would not have to be built.

The spokesman said that DealPoint Merrill is looking at every detail to make sure the luxury apartments are well served. He said the rising costs of materials, including wood and steel, have also caused the cost of the development to increase.

“What is really exciting to me,” he said, “is the lighting we’re planning. We’re working with the guy who lights up buildings in downtown Cleveland at night with colored lights. At night, downtown Cleveland looks like a jewel box. That’s what we want for this development.”

Richmond Heights Economic Development Director Brian Gleisser said that, so far, he has only seen a schematic design of the second phase. He said that DealPoint Merrill would likely keep the Regal Cinema, in addition to the former Macy’s building, which DealPoint bought in early 2018 and has already converted into a CubeSmart self-storage facility.

“They could keep Planet Fitness, either in its current building, or they may build a new one,” Gleisser said.

The DealPoint Merrill spokesman said it was too early to discuss what parts of the mall may or may not be demolished.

Councilman Jeremy Kumin said that the second phase, in addition to apartments, could include about 30 townhouses, which would be for sale. Kumin said that while the city asked for and received an 80 percent/20 percent ratio of apartments to retail for the first phase, the second phase would include a greater percentage of retail, perhaps 30 percent, than phase one.

Speaking about the development process, he said that Richmond Heights’ leaders are “smart and have been great to work with.”

A Belle Oaks at Richmond website has all the details of the first phase, including leasing information.

The city and its residents will learn more about the Belle Oaks project when DealPoint Merrill CEO David Frank appears and answers questions at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 29) at the next city Community Conversations event to be held at the Kiwanis Lodge at Richmond Heights Community Park, 26789 Highland Road.

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