RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — It’s been nearly a year since crews started the demolition of Richmond Town Square Mall to make way for the Belle Oaks Marketplace, a new 69.2-acre development of apartments and retail spaces.
The city of Richmond Heights tells 3News construction is on schedule and people can expect to see more buildings go up in the coming months.
In the last year, Richmond Heights Director of Economic and Community Development Chelsey Kovar says construction crews have cleared the site and demolished the mall.
Before the year is over, Kovar says the old Sears building will come down, so progress can start on two buildings made up of over a hundred residential apartment units.
Additionally, the city says the new Meijer grocery store and Firestone Auto Mechanic will open in the first half of 2025.
“This is a $300 million dollar redevelopment of the former mall site,” said Kovar. “The mall was delinquent in almost a million dollars in taxes. So, the fact that the taxes were recouped, the city didn’t end up losing any money on that, and we found a developer to come in with a vision to reimagine this whole site. It’s really a dream come true.”
The developer in charge of the project is Deal Point Merrill. According to their project timeline, the first building of apartments will be open in August 2025, and the entire project is set to be complete by April 2027.
Kovar says the development group has been intentional in incorporating community feedback and adapting the plans to meet the requests and wishes of those who live in Richmond Heights.
Once finished, the Belle Oaks Marketplace will house 791 luxury apartments in addition to restaurants and retail stores, and right now pre-leasing is available for those who want to secure a spot.
Kovar believes this is not only something the community wants, but something that will create a boom for the area.