Town Center at Firestone Farms preserves legacy of Valley industrialist
COLUMBIANA
The new Town Center at Firestone Farms is not just another retail and office complex; it’s a community gathering place being developed in the spirit of entrepreneur Harvey Firestone.
The focal point of this expanding, 1930s-themed, family-oriented development on the northeast corner of state Routes 7 and 14 is a clock tower with a fountain beneath it and a stage behind it for concerts, festivals and seasonal events.
Besides chiming the time, the clock plays the national anthem at 9 a.m. daily and can be set to play seasonal music.
Visitors can play tick-tack-toe with hula hoops and chess and checkers with giant plastic pieces on sidewalk grids.
“It’s Harvey Firestone’s birthplace and his farm. He’s one of the greatest businessmen in the history of our country,” said Tom Mackall, president of East Fairfield Coal Co. and developer of the new complex, explaining his motive for building the development and preserving Firestone’s historic legacy on the site.
The first building, a new 36,000-square-foot structure that opened in January with the Moondance women’s clothing boutique as its first occupant, is nearly full.
Other tenants there include Orange Leaf frozen yogurt; Stone Fruit Coffee Co.; Prudential financial advisers; Finer Things Boutique; Madison Corner gift shop; Wink eyewear; Dr. Julie Mackall, optometrist; and Salem Regional Medical Center.
Dr. Mackall is the developer’s daughter-in-law.
“It’s a beautiful plaza,” said Hunter Dorman, operations director for Stone Fruit. “It’s going to bring in a lot of really good traffic for us, especially with all the different events that they plan on hosting, and all of the great other people that they have in the shops.”
This is the first of three buildings planned for the site around the clock tower, the developer said.
Another building will be designed for retail and office use and may contain upstairs apartments, the developer said.
Tom Mackall envisions yet another building with retail, office, apartment and restaurant space, with one of the restaurants overlooking the stage.
Across state Route 14, construction is underway for a 24.5-acre retail and hotel complex on the southeast side of the intersection.
Site drawings show a main plaza with 53,000-, 40,000- and 20,000-square-foot spaces and a hotel.
The developer envisions the 53,000-square-foot space as a grocery store, the 40,000-square-foot space possibly as a hardware store, and four out parcels as fast-casual dining establishments.
Mackall said he plans to preserve two barns on that site, which were part of the farm of Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.
Mackall said his developments, being built “mostly speculatively” at this intersection, are being supported by revenues from seven oil and gas wells on the property.
The wells provide a revenue stream for the capital investment and enable him to take the risks associated with it, he explained.
“Our whole plans are flexible because you can’t predict what the market’s going to need,” the developer said.
Mackall added he neither sought, nor received, any tax abatements or other economic development incentives for the project, which he expects will be completed within 10 years.
“This is Columbiana’s version of Easton in Columbus,” the developer said, referring to a retail development site there.
“He’s definitely a visionary, and we’re just privileged to have him as part of our community,” said Ginny Perkins, president of the Columbiana Area Chamber of Commerce.
The new developments join the Links at Firestone Farms golf course; a residential development; medical, dental and physical therapy offices; and a truck stop, gasoline station and farm market at or near the intersection.
With a daily average of 31,940 vehicles passing through it, the state Routes 7 and 14 intersection will undergo a $2.3 million upgrade next year, including addition of four left-turn lanes and a right-turn lane along Route 14 west of the intersection.
Mackall said a prospective grocery store tenant told him it wouldn’t consider locating there until the intersection is upgraded.