11-tenant strip center under consideration in Perrysburg

This rendering shows a proposed 24,700-square-foot strip center.

The Perrysburg Municipal Planning Commission tonight will review plans for a commercial development with space for 11 tenants at Eckel Junction Road and Dixie Highway.

Rudolph/Libbe Properties Inc. has proposed a 24,700-square-foot strip center anchored by a 10,000-square-foot market. The developer also is seeking approval to build a free-standing Tim Hortons restaurant on the site.

Both proposals have been submitted under the name Shoppes at Dixie Junction.

The drive-through restaurant is the only tenant named, said Rick Thielen, Perrysburg's planning, zoning, and economic development administrator.

The strip center would include space for retail stores and restaurants. The size of its anchor store is appropriate for a specialty grocer, such as a Whole Foods Market, but would be too small for a Kroger or a Wal-Mart, he said.

Mr. Thielen has recommended approval for the project.

In a report to commission members, he called the design of the proposed strip center "attractive," with varying roof lines, architectural details, and high-quality building materials which includes a mix of brick, cast stone, and split-face block.

"It's not just a box," he said. "It meets or exceeds all the design standards for Perrysburg."

Vetter Design Group of Toledo is the architect.

With convenient access to I-475 and State Rt. 25, developers hope the Shoppes will serve not only the surrounding community but travelers as well as, said Kenneth Hicks, Jr., vice president of retail development for Rudolph/Libbe Properties.

The company has an option to buy 12 acres at the southwest corner of the intersection, behind the BP gas station.

"What we're trying to do is really create a neighborhood location with access to the freeway customer," he said.

As recommended by a traffic study, the developer will add left and right turn lanes on Eckel Junction. That improvement, and others the developer has agreed to, are expected to improve traffic flow, Mr. Thielen said.

The proposal being reviewed tonight represents the first phase of a six-part development plan Rudolph/Libbe is pursuing for the property, Mr. Hicks said.

The cost for the total project is expected to be about $10 million, and the company hopes to break ground on the first phase in the spring, Mr. Hicks said.

Contact Angie Schmitt at:

aschmitt@theblade.com

or 419-724-6104.