Shopping center at old steel site thrives

CLEVELAND (AP) — The developer of a shopping center built at the site of a former steel plant is out to prove that big-box retail stores can thrive in urban neighborhoods, not just the suburbs.

Steelyard Commons, a $125 million redevelopment project, opened last February with a Home Depot store on a piece of industrial property west of downtown once considered almost useless. Target was the next major retailer, followed by a Wal-Mart Supercenter and others.

Traffic at Steelyard Commons since the opening of Wal-Mart in October has averaged 350,000 to 400,000 cars per month, said Mitchell Schneider, president of First Interstate Properties, which developed the site.

By contrast, it took three years for another of the company’s retail centers in suburban Lyndhurst to reach that number, Schneider said.

While the early returns seem good, the project isn’t finished. Nearly 20 prime acres at Steelyard Commons await development, and other challenges remain.

Plenty of shoppers still aren’t sure how to reach Steelyard Commons, located at the intersection of Interstate 71 and the Jennings Freeway on land once occupied by an abandoned steel finishing mill.

Others hesitate to visit because of safety concerns, despite police reports showing most crimes to date have involved theft of construction-related property, such as tools and copper wire, or shoplifting by employees.