Developer team purchases Avon Lake Towne Center shopping plaza

The development team of DeHoff Development Company and Lemmon Development have joined together again to purchase the Avon Lake Towne Center shopping plaza, according to a news release.

The shopping plaza, owned by Kopf Properties, became available for sale in the beginning of 2024, the release said.

Saddled with a long-term lease with the former Tops Grocery store, the shopping center’s anchor space of 59,000 square feet sat vacant for 17 years, according to the release.

That lease restriction was lifted in April 2023 and now the anchor space is available.

“It was always Herman R. “Bucky” Kopf’s vision to redevelop the Avon Lake Town Center Shopping Plaza, but unfortunately, he passed away and was unable to complete it,” said Barry Edelstein, executive vice president of Kopf Properties, in the release. “After his passing, the search began to find another developer to continue the process, and we feel that we found the best one in the area.

“The DeHoff/Lemmon team will own and manage the plaza. Picking them gives both Kopf and the city of Avon Lake the comfort that the job will be done with excellence.”

Apart from the vacant anchor space, the shopping plaza is fully occupied, and the DeHoff/Lemmon team has started to meet with existing tenants to continue a good working relationship making the transition of ownership and management as easy and seamless as possible, the release said.

“Our first order of business is to get acquainted with the current tenants, do a refresh of the building façade and parking lot, and of course to find a tenant to lease the vacant anchor space,” said Dan DeHoff, president of DeHoff Development Company, in the release.

DeHoff and Lemmon have worked on the transaction the better part of 2024, meeting with city officials, working through due diligence and looking for possible anchor tenants, the release said.

The reception from the city has been positive and the strong growth in the area is encouraging, according to the release.

Public/private collaboration with the city administration, mayor and city council members is key in these types of redevelopment transactions and success is rarely reached without it, according to the release.

“We have had the chance to meet the DeHoff/Lemmon team and talk to them about projects they’ve done throughout Ohio,” said Ted Esborn, director of Community Development for Avon Lake, in the release. “In communities like Green and Jackson Township, DeHoff Development has worked with local governments to achieve vibrant placemaking, creating the kind of space that our planning efforts envision for our center of town.

“They are dedicated to supporting our existing businesses while seeking out new tenants that will serve our residents. We look forward to working with DeHoff in the years to come, and we are excited about the economic development possibilities.”