TJ Maxx, other retailers are planned in Vernon Township

Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·3 min read

Feb. 16—VERNON TOWNSHIP — A new retail development at Meadville Medical Center's Vernon Place property will add a TJ Maxx department store and possibly two other retail shops.

Meadville Medical Center (MMC) officials announced Wednesday they had reached a formal agreement with Cocca Development Ltd. of Youngstown, Ohio, to purchase about 4.3 acres of land from the hospital.

The proposed development is on the northeastern edge of the site along routes 6, 19 and 322, also known as Conneaut Lake Road. The total property the hospital owns is about 19 acres and once was home to the Meadville Mall.

Meadville Medical Center purchased the property in 2009. In 2014 it began development of its 87,000-square-foot Vernon Place medical offices and services complex, which was completed in 2016. The last retailer on the property, Kmart, closed in July 2017.

The hospital and Cocca Development are expected to close the real estate sale within the next 60 days, Brian MacMurray, MMC's vice president of ancillary services, said Wednesday.

Anthony Cocca Jr., vice president with Cocca Developments, said an approximately 46,500-square-foot shopping plaza is planned with TJ Maxx as the lead tenant. It will occupy about 22,500 square feet.

Cocca Development is in discussion with other retailers for spaces of 16,000 square feet and 8,000 square feet, but there have not been other commitments as of yet.

"Our goal is to have it done with TJ Maxx open in the fourth quarter of 2023," Cocca told The Meadville Tribune. "We are excited to become a part of the community."

Wednesday's announcement was the result of a collaborative effort between the hospital system, the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County, and Cocca Development, according to Philip Pandolph, MMC's chief executive officer.

"Maintaining and improving access to quality healthcare services, developing commerce, job creation and adding retail opportunities in our region is what we have always envisioned at Vernon Place," he said in a statement. "It's an exciting time for Vernon Place as we anticipate being able to announce additional retail and medical development on the site in the near future."

Infrastructure on the property, funded primarily through state grants via the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), has enabled the hospital to have infrastructure work done to attract partners, Pandolph said.

A $600,000 RACP grant awarded in 2017 funded improvements to the west entrance to property off Route 19. Those road improvements were done in 2021 as well as sidewalks and lighting on the site.

In December 2021, MMC received a $700,000 RACP state grant for a second phase of internal road and infrastructure improvements for future development. The second phase of improvements is expected to begin this year.

Collaboration with the Economic Progress Alliance, the county's lead development agency, and support from state Sen. Michele Brooks and state Rep. Brad Roae, were important in securing both state funding and development partners for growth at Vernon Place, according to Pandolph.

Jim Becker, executive director of the Economic Progress Alliance, called the project a great addition to the community.

"The team assembled by the medical center worked well together to identify excess land at Vernon Place and target developers to make this project a reality," he said. "Our development partnership with Meadville Medical Center has never been stronger and we look forward to many more partnerships in the future."

The Vernon Township Planning Commission is scheduled to review proposed land development plans tonight.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.