Economy, geography force many Poland businesses to close

BY RICK ROUAN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

POLAND — When Brides by Demetrios in Boardman closed, Jacqueline Stout was devastated.

The store was where some say is the heart of Valley retailing — a third of a mile from the Shops at Boardman Park.

But after the shop where Stout had worked more than five years closed earlier this year, she opened her own bridal shop in Poland in an area that is a gateway to one of the Valley’s most affluent suburbs.

But for every jewelry store and bank in the heart of Poland, a storefront sits empty.

The reasons some buildings sit empty are twofold: the economy has forced businesses to close, and the plazas are simply too far from the Boardman traffic along U.S. Route 224.

“You’re looking at where the true regional retail is: Southern Park Mall, Shops at Boardman Park. That’s where most retailers want to be,” said Steve Platz, a Realtor. “The farther you get away from the Shops at Boardman Park, there’s a little less demand for retail or restaurants.”

Poland has what Platz called “neighborhood retail,” small businesses that feed on the residential township, and features more service industry businesses such as doctor’s offices.

“Elderly patients don’t want to be on that 224 corridor,” Platz said.

The area is better suited for convenience businesses such as banks, dry cleaners and drug stores, said John Scotford Jr., leasing manager for McBarScot Company.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.