Petitti Garden Centers' Strongsville, Ohio, location. Updated Sept. 25, 2013
The Stow Planning Commission approved Petitti Garden Centers conditional zoning certificate and site plan for a proposed store in a Stow shopping plaza at its meeting Sept. 24. The plans now go to Stow City Council members, who will review the plans at their meeting Oct. 10. If approved, the projected opening date would be March 2014 for Petittis 10th store in Ohio.
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Posted Sept. 23, 2013
Petitti Garden Centers may have a tenth location in Ohio by March 2014.
AJ Petitti, vice president of the more than 40-year-old company and son of founder and president Angelo Petitti, is meeting with the Stow Planning Commission Sept. 24. The Petittis will first seek approval for a conditional zoning certificate and site plan to permit construction of the proposed store at a shopping plaza. If the planning commission gives Petitti Garden Centers the green light, the request will then be sent to the Stow City Council to review at its meeting Oct. 10.
The property was once occupied by an Apples grocery store, which was demolished in 2007, according to the planning commission’s Sept. 24 agenda. The proposal indicates that if approved, Petitti’s would occupy 7,200 square feet of three existing retail units located on the western end of the Stow Towne Plaza and construct a 17,280 square foot greenhouse in the area adjacent to the western end of the plaza. In addition, the Petittis are applying to use 41,400 square feet for plant and product display and storage to the west of the greenhouse.
Petitti said there weren’t specific plans for expansion, but the owner of the plaza, Jeffrey Soclof, approached them, and it seemed like a good opportunity.
“We’re at a point now where as we see opportunities that fit our operation, we’ll act on those,” Petitti said. “In terms of a set growth plan right now, I’m pretty happy with the size operation we have.”
Petitti estimates that annual sales will be slightly more than $46 million this year.
Stow Mayor Sara Drew said the addition of a Petitti store would make the shopping plaza “more inviting" and a “destination shopping center.”
“There hasn’t been a big anchor store to draw people into that area for a long time,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a nice complement to the other stores there.”
If the planning commission approves, council can approve the plan within one reading if they agree to suspend the rules that require three readings, Drew said. Petitti said if all goes well, they plan to start construction in the fall with a projected opening date of March 2014.
“I truly would be surprised if it’s not approved during the first reading,” Drew said, adding that council is looking forward to having the Stow Towne Center, located on 1604 Norton Road, rejuvenated.
“We’re very pleased that they’ve chosen Stow as a site for expansion. Petitti’s is a really well-known and respected business in Northeast Ohio,” Drew says. “It speaks highly of the city that they chose us.”
Look for updates on this article soon.
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