Mix of Thriving Retailers Not Good Enough for Town Mayor

The State Road Shopping Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, is just like any other strip mall in America.  Lined with ubiquitous shopping choices such as Radio Shack, Firestone, Fashion Bug and even a bowling alley,[1] the Center has recently fallen victim to an arrogant mayor who thinks he could make better use of the space.

Located in the suburb just outside Akron, the State Road Shopping Center may be considered “old”[2] by some on the City Council but is still thriving for the business owners who maintain their livelihoods there.

Filled with small shops for needs for everything from electronics to clothing to car repairs, parents could run their errands while the kids blew a few hours at the Northgate Lanes.[3]

But not anymore.  Over the past few months, seriously threatened by Mayor Don Robart to sell or face condemnation for someone else’s private gain, some of the businesses simply became too afraid of losing value on their properties and have sold to the City.[4]

What does Mayor Robart want with the thriving strip mall?  He thinks it doesn’t look good enough for his vision of the City, and he’s not afraid to say so.

“I consider it to be virtually nothing and certainly not in keeping with my desire for that area and my vision for that area,” he said, just one month ago.[5]

His vision includes a grandiose version of retail:  an upscale grocery store, a movie theater and apartments[6] —which would undoubtedly increase the tax base, a motive typical of tax-hungry city officials.

Mayor Robart unabashedly claims that a higher level of retail will somehow better the area:  “The buying power in that area is extraordinarily good—if you put in the right mix.”[7]

Many of the tenants have held on to their hopes that they will get to save their properties. They’ve even been proactive in their approach, making their own improvements to the façade of the Shopping Center and making definitive plans for upgrades.[8]  But these plans are simply not good enough for Mayor Robart—nor are they for the City Council.

To get his way, the mayor has pushed his agenda one step farther.  Mayor Robart proposed a “general” definition of “blight” so that he may move forward with condemnation proceedings against the shopping center.[9]  Using bogus “blight” is a common tactic used when greedy city officials can see no other way in pushing their development agendas forward.

In the case of the State Road Shopping Center, the supposed “blight,” according to the mayor’s definition, is stipulated by the center’s vacancy rate.[10]  Never mind the fact that the mayor had already pushed most of the stores out himself under his very own threats.  “Blight” was originally meant to describe properties that posed serious threats to public safety or health—not low vacancy rates.  This change has led to overwhelming abuse in Ohio and around the country.

Hope certainly remains, but despite the many efforts of the remaining tenants, time is running short.

The State Road Shopping Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, epitomizes the eminent domain fight all across America.  A row of small retail stores that do nothing but serve their own community have fallen victim to greedy city officials.  It’s a lesson for everyone, because, after Kelo, any home or small business could be next.