AUSTINTOWN Boom won't spark retail explosion, officials say

A mall would be needed to attract retailers like those in Boardman, local officials and developers say.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- We aren't going to become the new Boardman.
That's what some Austintown officials and developers have said when asked about the township's recent retail development boom.
During the last few weeks, the township has become the home of a new car wash and McDonald's restaurant. In addition, a new Dunkin' Donuts, Eat'N Park restaurant, and library are under construction, and township zoning officials are considering plans for a new Fairfield Inn and Wendy's restaurant.
Zoning officials also are preparing to issue permits for a Walgreen's pharmacy that will be part of retail development at Mahoning Avenue and state Route 46. The development will include the pharmacy, another store, and a 65,000-square-foot plaza.
To some township residents, the retail development boom may make it seem as if Austintown is on the road to becoming another Boardman. Michael Kurilla Jr., township zoning inspector, said he doesn't think that road exists, however.
"I don't think you'll ever see a comparison to what Boardman did in terms of their pattern of retail development," he said. "I don't think it will happen anywhere again in Mahoning County."
No mall: Kurilla said he feels the development in Boardman occurred as a response to the amount of traffic along U.S. Route 224. In addition, both Kurilla and developer Mike Camacci said they feel that Austintown cannot attract the same businesses as Boardman without a mall.
"The reason that there is a Boardman, the reason that there is a Niles is because there are regional malls in those areas. Not just regional malls, but super-regional malls," Camacci said. He described a super-regional mall as a mall that covers more than 1 million square feet of space and includes four anchor stores.
Southern Park Mall in Boardman and Eastwood Mall in Niles are super-regional malls, Camacci said. Some retail businesses will only build new stores around those malls so they can attract business from the mall shoppers, he said.
Camacci added that some Boardman retailers won't build new stores in Austintown out of fear that a new store could draw customers away from their current location.
"That's the reason that Austintown hasn't had the more significant number of larger players that you find out in the mall areas," he said.
Plaza: Camacci's company, Landmark Commercial Real Estate Services of Youngstown, is constructing the plaza at Route 46 and Mahoning Avenue. The first phase of demolition has been completed on the project, he said.
Construction on Walgreens could begin next month. Work on the rest of the plaza may begin next year, Camacci said.
He added that Landmark has talked with retailers about opening a "family-oriented restaurant with a bar" and an anchor store in the plaza. Camacci wouldn't give further details about possible plaza tenants, however.
Camacci also said he feels retailers are attracted to Austintown by its large population and access to the freeway system. The 2000 Census shows that 38,001 people live in Austintown, making it the county's second-largest township.
Boardman is the county's largest township with a population of 42,518.
Kurilla noted that Austintown has led the county in new housing starts during each of the last eight years.
Shopper-friendly: Martin Solomon, the president of B & amp; I Management Co., added that retailers understand that people find Austintown conducive to shopping. B & amp; I operates Austintown Plaza.
Wide streets and lack of traffic jams make it easy to drive from store to store in the township, Solomon said.
Yet Solomon also stressed that he doesn't believe retailers will make Austintown into the next Boardman. Solomon said he doesn't think a mall would be built in Austintown to attract the retailers in Boardman.
"The two malls are more than sufficient," he said. "It's really not in the cards to have a third mall."
Township Trustee Richard Edwards also said he doesn't think Austintown is the next Boardman. He added, however, that he wants business development to continue in the township.
hill@vindy.com