Fairlawn Town Centre facelift addresses needed storefront updates

A significant portion of Fairlawn Town Centre is getting a facelift.

Following approval by the city planning commission last year, property owner Phillips Edison & Company is refacing the entire front of the plaza structure that has Giant Eagle on its west side and Lucky Shoes on its east side, said Bill Arnold, Fairlawn's commissioner of zoning, housing and residential building.

The developer is also touching up the facade of one of the plaza buildings to the east, which houses Cost Cutters and Nail Art.

Phillips Edison management could not be reached for comment.

Arnold said the original siding from about a half century ago, when the property was under different ownership, was constructed with a thin brick that had started falling apart in areas.

"And for whatever reason, I think there was some water getting in behind it, and the bond on that was failing," he said.

The new siding on the buildings will largely be exterior insulation finishing system, but there will also be some new brick and repainting of existing brick, along with other additions such as LED lights and planters, according to renderings that Arnold provided.

Arnold said Phillips Edison's plan approved by the planning commission last year did not include new or expanding businesses.

Businesses on Town Centre's west side, such as Target and Panera Bread, aren't part of this project, he said.

The renderings do not show any planned construction at the building between Nail Art and West Market Street where America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses operates.

Some of the parking lots at Town Centre near the corner of the Giant Eagle are fenced off. It's a staging area for construction equipment, Arnold said.

"And I would imagine as they move equipment on down that main drive there, they're going to have to redirect traffic accordingly," he said.

Some portions of sidewalk in Town Centre are also blocked off for construction.

Construction will continue throughout the summer and possibly into the fall, Arnold said.

Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @pwilliamsOH.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Fairlawn Town Centre facelift addresses needed storefront updates