BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Years after its theme parks closed, major developments are underway at Geauga Lake.
News 5 has confirmed that Meijer plans to start building a store as soon as later this month. In 2023, Meijer bought 16 acres in Bainbridge Township where parts of the parking lot, the main gate, and "X-Flight" were once located.
RELATED: Plan approved to bring Meijer to Geauga Lake property
A spokesperson at the supercenter grocery chain told News 5 that once construction begins, the store is expected to open in 12-18 months.
Geauga Lake closed for good back in 2007, with Wildwater Kingdom closing in 2016. Since then, the property has mostly been an eyesore for the community and became a popular spot for vandalism and trespassing.
Meijer makes up just one of several ongoing developments at the 377-acre space in Bainbridge Township and Aurora, which bisect the once-iconic area.
Aurora unveils new renderings of planned park
Aurora continues to progress toward building a public park after buying the lake and 46 acres of SeaWorld property last year.
Newly released renderings show plans for a beach, trails, reusing the iconic wave pool —minus the waves— and keeping several SeaWorld structures including the welcome plaza, the triquarium and several docks.
"Right after you come into the park, you’re going to see these buildings that people who had been there before had always seen and loved," Aurora Mayor Anne Womer Benjamin said. "That’s going to bring back all kinds of memories."
The mayor detailed how the old aquarium space has several structural issues, but she hopes it can be re-purposed into an open-air pavilion.
In addition, she smiles when mentioning other plans to honor the history of the area throughout the park.
"We have an idea we're working on to have a parks-themed play area," the mayor added. "I'm insisted somewhere in here we're going to have a whale."
While it’s still unclear which elements would open first, the mayor told News 5 she hopes to have lake access available to the public as soon as the summer of 2026.
Check out this News 5 chopper video from 1980 over Geauga Lake and SeaWorld:
What else is being built there?
The first completed units at Vision Development's apartment complex, named VC Park at Geauga Lake and located on the Geauga County side of the lake, are set to begin welcoming residents at the end of April.
A spokesperson for Vision Development confirmed to News 5 that its first four buildings are nearing completion, consisting of two and three-bedroom townhome units.
When completed, the complex is slated to consist of 331 units, from 328 square-foot studio apartments as low as $1,025 a month, up to 3 bedroom 1948 sq-foot townhome units at $3,430 a month.
A spokesperson told News 5 they have preleased almost 10% of their units. He expects to welcome residents to the first of their larger 54-unit buildings this summer.
To learn more about the market-rate apartments, click here.
When the Vision Development apartments are completed, they will include "Woodall Road," in honor of his decades of service to Geauga Lake.
Neighboring that apartment complex is another proposed development that could get underway in the near future.
At a recent Bainbridge Township meeting, a proposal detailed how 77 single-level condominium-style units could be built and sold as part of an "active adult community."
The 55-and-up community would span nearly 23 acres, with prices for sale starting in the mid-500,000, according to Bainbridge Township Trustee Jeff Markley.
What about Menards?
Menards, the big-box home improvement chain, bought property at Geauga Lake in 2020. A spokesperson told News 5 there are still no immediate plans to report on construction of a store there.
When looking at the overall development happening in the Bainbridge Township portion, trustee Jeff Markley told News 5 it's exciting to see development finally happening.
"It’s good to see not a brownfield," Bainbridge Township trustee Jeff Markley explained. "Is it perfect? No, not by any means. Would I have preferred it to be rides and whales? Sure. But it’s not going to be rides and whales anymore and it’s going to be something else and this was something we could conceivable do."
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard, on Facebook Clay LePard News 5 or email him at Clay.LePard@WEWS.com.
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