The questions have been pouring in since last week’s announcement that .
It’s still really early in the process, but I was able to exchange emails with Denise Blank, the property manager at , and talk to to get some questions answered. There has been no additional information available from Marc's yet.
Some of the following questions were inspired by comments from readers, and some were questions on my mind.
Will the new store have a pharmacy? What about a diner?
No to both, Blank said.
Hruby also said that the store will not have a liquor license when it opens, so it will just sell wine and beer.
Where is the extra space coming from?
Blank said the new Marc’s store will be about 46,000 square feet. That includes the current location, along with the current spots for , , and . Wine N Spirits is leaving with Giant Eagle, Le Nails will move into a vacant space next to , and Great Clips will move into the .
What happened to the idea of a Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc.?
There are about 10 grocery chains that the city tried to bring to Brecksville, Hruby said—the other stores just weren’t interested. Many wanted a bigger space or a larger market to sell to.
What will the store look like?
Hruby said Marc’s knows that not everyone in Brecksville would be happy about the announcement. He was told that the store would be an upscale type of Marc’s with top-line products like the ones in and .
Neither Hruby nor Blank knew if the new Marc’s would accept credit or debit cards.
The bottom line? Hruby said he hopes that people continue buying local and supporting Brecksville businesses when Marc’s opens.
“Give it a chance,” he said.
If your question hasn't been answered yet, leave it in the comments.
2) Heinen's wanted the current Giant Eagle space and adjoining spaces(s) that Marc's will now occupied but was denied expansion opportunities. Why weren't the voters allowed an opportunity to decide if Marc's is allowed? The Mayor has been very open about Marc's coming here until now not looking too happy about possibility. When you think about it, it does not make logical business sense to have 2 grocery stores across from each other in our small city. Eventually, one will cancel the other out. But it comes down to tax revenue (taxes the employees pay and taxes the business pays) When Heinen's came in, Giant Eagle took a big hit. Of course, Giant Eagle was always wearing a different colored lipstick than what Marc's will be wearing. It all comes down to how personal the business owner feels about their store. Marc's really doesn't care what we say or how we feel. They know people will come in. They have zero concept of how to move shoppers through their store. They only know how to buy in bulk and place it out in bulk. And they know they will hurt other businesses. A pig is still a pig regardless what color lipstick or dress you put on it.
Don't forget, those same smiling friendly employees that walk you down the isle to find something from Giant Eagle just might be the same ones at Marc's. Oh wait, I forgot, they don't know how to do that!
I've been shopping at Marc's for years because they offer what I need at good prices. I have always found the staff to be helpful and friendly.
There was a time when there were 2 grocery stores in that same shopping center - Pick-N-Pay and Country Counter. And the population of Brecksville was much smaller then. Lots of cities do well with competition, and so will this city. It gives shoppers a choice, and they don't have to travel out of the city to get to a Marc's now - unless they are too embarrassed to be seen in one.
"Why weren't the voters allowed an opportunity"? Because some just-as-clueless resident like yourself didn't go through the legal hoops to get the initiative on the ballot. And what a great move that would be. Not to mention a great message you're sending to potential businesses. That moron residents with the mentality like yourself would vote to NOT allow you to come in. Plus, would YOU pony up the money for the election. Joe needs to go 'see' about a clue.
Lets put a Target, Home Depot, IHOP, Staples and Mustard Seed. And, if not that direction- lets try to get a developer to put in a "senior campus". Facilities for all levels - independent living, dependent care, skilled nursing. We have nothing like this close by.
Let's build a Aldi's too. I moved to Brecksville to get out of the cement world and rat race. Sooner or later we will have a R T A bus stop in Barr rd!!! We can add more stop lights like Strongsville, and increase the police department because of more robberies and shop lifting.