County Planning is working with the City of North Olmsted to create a mixed-use zoning overlay for the Great Northern Mall area to encourage its redevelopment as a more dense, walkable, transit-supportive community hub for jobs, entertainment, and residential living.
Changes in shopping and development preferences have made enclosed mall sites, such as Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted, terrific opportunities for redevelopment as walkable, mixed-use urbanism. Great Northern Mall is in an attractive location with access to downtown Cleveland and Hopkins International Airport. The site is also easily adaptable for the incorporation of new residential uses which can act as an anchor, adapting the standard retail model to fit modern living and shopping habits.
The goal of the overlay district is to align development of the mall area with the various city strategies that have been developed through the City’s recent planning efforts. This includes the 2023 Lorain Road Corridor Study, the 2024 Urban Design Concept, and the ongoing Master Plan update. This Zoning Overlay District will help reimagine the Great Northern Mall area as an exciting hub where housing, employment, shopping, and public spaces are anticipated to come together.
Overlay District vs Base Zoning
A base zoning district determines the types of uses permitted and the minimum development and dimensional requirements of lots and buildings. An overlay district includes a set of alternate zoning regulations that are applied to a property within the overlay that can be used in place of the requirements of the base zoning district. Overlay districts are often implemented to encourage specific types of desired development. In the case of Great Northern Mall, the overlay district would allow for denser mixed use development to support a more walkable, vibrant retail, office, and residential district that is not currently possible under the existing zoning regulations.
Contact Us
Please contact us if you have any questions about the overlay district.
Micah Stryker, AICP
Senior Planner
ms******@cu************.us