One of the nation’s first “suburban downtowns” continues to grow and its new retail tenants include Vera Bradley, Garage and Océanne.
Nearly a quarter-century ago, Cleveland-based real estate executive Bob Stark was on business in New York City. Walking down Fifth Avenue one day, he stopped and gazed at all the street-level, high-end shops at the bases of luxury apartment buildings and had an idea: Why couldn’t he replicate that model in a growing, high-income suburb outside of Cleveland.
Thus was born Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio, a haute-retail-based, honest-to-goodness downtown with a downtown street plan lined with upmarket retail and food and beverage brands topped by apartments and surrounded by recreational areas, green spaces, parks and even single-family homes.
Crocker Park laid down the game plan for hundreds of such developments going up across America in the 21st Century, and Stark Enterprises continues to update its retail line-up. Joining the Crocker Park tenant list this year are Color Me Mine, Garage, Océanne, State & Liberty, Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noddle, Tradehome Shoes and Vera Bradley. Moving to larger spaces at the centre are Arhaus and Lucky Shoes.
