Find out the story behind Petitti Garden Centers' newest Ohio location

Video by Alexander Garrett/GIE Media

Cleveland-based Petitti Garden Centers opened its 10th retail location this spring.

President AJ Petitti, son of founder Angelo Petitti, says he’s been hoping to open a store in Bath Township, Ohio, for two decades. The process to purchase the building started in May 2023, and after a lengthy rezoning process, construction began in March 2024, with the former office building transforming into a light-filled 30,000-square-foot garden center.

Two greenhouses for Petitti’s live plant material are also on the property, which happens to be right next door to a Lowe’s.

The process was more expensive and complicated than when the company built three garden centers in 2018.

Petitti is speaking at the 2025 Garden Center Conference & Expo, where he'll share what evolved in the building process, why the location was right despite a big box being next door, and what other owners should consider when expanding.

Click here to register for the conference to attend Petitti's session on lessons learned from this complex build.

Learn more about the process below, courtesy of Petitti Garden Centers:

Petitti Garden Centers marked the grand opening of the 140,000-square-foot Bath Township location on April 10.

The new store in Bath Township represents a multimillion-dollar investment in a 6-acre property with a complex office building that previously housed a construction company, a law firm and a weight loss center, but sat largely vacant in recent years.

Demolition and conversion of the building’s interior began in May 2024, and exterior improvements followed in August. The essence of the building’s architecture was preserved throughout the redevelopment, evidenced by the unique beam-and-post designs and dramatic pitches along the roof line. The interior space was renovated to open sightlines and maximize the natural light, supplied by a series of original skylights.

The location includes 33,000 square feet of indoor shopping, including houseplants, home décor, patio furniture, boutique apparel, children’s gifts, backyard birding and lawn & garden supplies.

An additional 90,000 square feet of outdoor shopping has been developed via two brand-new, retractable-roof greenhouses. The property also includes more than an acre of green space and more than 180 parking spaces.

Ninety-eight percent of plants sold at Petitti’s are locally grown. Annuals, perennials and houseplants are cultivated at the Petitti family’s 35-acre greenhouse growing facility, Casa Verde, in Columbia Station. Hardy trees and shrubs are grown at Petitti Family of Farms’ 4,000-acre outdoor nursery in Lake County.

The first Petitti Garden Center opened in 1971 in Oakwood Village.