NILES Walgreen finds site for its latest Valley store

A Ponderosa, closed earlier this year, and a donut shop formerly occupied the site.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- A Walgreen drugstore is planned for the corner of U.S. 422 and North Road.
The Greystone Group, a real estate developer in Pepper Pike, Ohio, has filed documents with the city's building and zoning department, requesting to erect a Walgreen's sign that exceeds the city's size limits. Peter Marchese, city building and zoning inspector, said the company hasn't filed any applications for building permits at the site.
Patrick McCuen of Greystone said the company is ironing out the details of the project. He expects to submit applications for the required permits within two to three months and construction to start in the fall.
Site: The 14,500-square-foot store will be built on the site formerly occupied by Ponderosa Steak House and the Donut Connection. Ponderosa, which operated since the 1970s, closed earlier this year, and the donut shop closed previously.
"There are good traffic counts there. It's in the retail corridor of Niles, and there's good access with the traffic light there," McCuen said. "Those are the things we usually look for."
The sale of the property hasn't been finalized and McCuen wouldn't divulge the price. He said it's too early to know how many employees will work at the store.
Fourth: The Niles site would be the fourth Walgreen store in the Mahoning Valley. There are stores at U.S. 224 and Market Street in Boardman and on Tod Avenue in downtown Warren. A store also is planned at Belmont Avenue and Gypsy Lane in Youngstown.
Walgreen Co., which is based in Deerfield, Ill., has been growing rapidly and now has more than 3,100 stores.