Retail Promise on Unsteady Ground
City View Center opened in August 2006, two years after crews began clearing and leveling a landfill in Garfield Heights, Ohio. The project came from developer John McGill, who aimed to turn a buried trash site into a 500,000-square-foot retail center.
Anchors like Walmart, Giant Eagle, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Bed Bath & Beyond set up first. Jo-Ann Fabrics, OfficeMax, A.J. Wright, and PetSmart filled in soon after.
Circuit City and RadioShack moved in, followed by Applebee’s, Fatburger, Ruby Tuesday, Qdoba, and Steak ‘n Shake around the plaza. FirstMerit Bank also opened a branch on-site…