TOLEDO, Ohio — Development seems to be happening all around Toledo.
But some areas, like the area near Airport Highway and Reynolds Road, struggle to get businesses to come in and get them to stay.
A building in a plaza of Airport Highway used to be a Glass City Beverage liquor store, but it closed in earlier 2024.
Before that, it was a Pier One. There are also several empty stores behind it.
But it didn't always used to be like that.
Whitehouse resident Rick Anderson visits the area often and said he's seen the area change over the years.
"When our kids were young, there was a place to eat, there was a movie theater over there, and every time I come over here, I think of that because the kids just loved it," Anderson said.
Those places have since closed.
Anderson said he used to always drive over to get pieces for his wood cutting machine from Woodcraft. But to his surprise when he visited on Tuesday, he found a shuttered store.
"I'm frustrated with that because I always get stuff I need," Anderson said. "There's nothing really in Toledo like it."
Woodcraft closed in June, joining several other empty stores.
"Development in this area has always been hit or miss," said Councilman Adam Martinez.
A part of this area falls in Martinez' district.
There is construction of a Clean Express Auto Wash underway, where a Baskin Robbins used to be. It's the last one the city will see for the rest of the year due to council putting a moratorium, or temporary ban, on car washes in July.
Martinez voted in favor of it because he said car washes don't create many jobs.
"Maybe one or two, maybe four or five service-related jobs but we can do better, and Toledo deserves better," Martinez said.
Amazon brought more than a hundred jobs when it redeveloped the old Southwyck Mall property on Reynolds Road in 2020. The city had big plans for the area when it opened.
"I am encouraged to watch the evolution of this neighborhood, including the creation of new jobs and new investments in this very area," said then Toledo City Council President Matt Cherry four years ago.
Outside of a Sheetz that's planned to be built near the Amazon facility, Martinez said he's not aware of "any other ancillary development around the Amazon location."
Martinez said he just hopes more local mom and pop businesses fill in the gaps.
"Chains are fine, but the problem with chains there's no real commitment to the neighborhoods and that's something I'd really like to see," Martinez said.
There are plans for a Sheetz near the Amazon facility. That car wash is currently in progress near this busy intersection.
There's no word yet on when Sheetz or the car wash will open.
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