Monday, April 5, 2021

Former Westgate Shopping Center Begins Its Ride Off Into the Sunset

Last week, I noticed some demolition work taking place at the old Westgate Shopping Center at W. 21st Street and Leavitt Road. As it turns out (and according to an article in the Morning Journal), the portion of the shopping plaza that was once home to Stars Disco and Monoplies was being removed due to some damage from a fire.

It’s odd seeing straight through to the railroad tracks and the houses beyond. 
According to the Journal article, it is unclear what the current owners of the property have in mind.
Those of us that grew up on the west side of Lorain remember the shopping center as a vibrant place and a symbol of the growth taking place on that side of town. I wrote about the April 1958 Grand Opening back here.
Fisher Foods had already opened its outlet there in February 1958 (which I wrote about here).
It’s sad of course seeing the building in its decrepit shape. When I stopped to watch some of the demolition, I enjoyed a brief conversation with two of the workers. We were all reminiscing about which stores and businesses were located there.

Here’s hoping that this strategically located gateway property finds some new life and use.

****
UPDATE
Here are a few more shots showing the progress of the demolition. I understand that the damage done to the left portion of the remaining buildings was an unfortunate accident. (By the way, I got my souvenir brick!)
at

2 comments:

  1. -Alan D HopewellApril 5, 2021 at 9:33 AM

    I remember when Monopolies was W. T. Grant, one of my favorite stores as a child.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 5, 2021 at 1:19 PM

    I liked how they played up the western theme.West side of Lorain.Westgate Plaza name.Very nice.Very new and foward thinking shopping center.Then the Midway Mall practically decimated the whole Lorain and Elyria shopping scene.But now the mall is getting some karma punishment of its own as it is practically a ghost mall.I also think that the "projects" apartments right to the east of the Westgate Plaza had a profound effect on it.I mean that place is drug central.Killers,rapists and drug dealers all live there.Now who would want to frequent that area?But for a brief period of time the Westgate Plaza had a very bright and sunny future.Sadly this is just another busted dream of what was once a high water mark in the city of Lorain.

    ReplyDelete