Original article by Bryson Durst
Oct. 31, 2026
The News-Herald recently covered Retail Strategies’ new partnership with the Concord Township-City of Painesville Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) in Lake County, Ohio. The JEDD selected Retail Strategies to recruit retailers, restaurants, and other commercial businesses to both communities.
The story features Retail Strategies Director of Community Partnerships Lizzie Sanders alongside local leaders, including JEDD Administrator Rita McMahon, Concord Township Administrator Andy Rose, and Painesville Economic Development Director Susan Crotty.
From analysis to active recruitment
The JEDD has worked with retail consultants before, but McMahon told the News-Herald that this partnership is different: Retail Strategies will go beyond analysis and actively take the community’s sites to retailers. The goal is a more diverse retail base, with opportunities for new restaurants and more traditional consumer goods retail.
Lizzie explained how the process works. Retail Strategies will identify the brand types and specific brands that best fit the available sites, the JEDD board will approve its target list, and the team will then meet with those brands’ decision-makers at industry events.
Focused on the sites that matter
In Concord Township, the work will center on the JEDD territory along the Auburn and Crile Road corridors and Route 44 between Interstate 90 and Girdled Road. Rose pointed to new centers under construction on Crile Road, including Longwood Plaza, as well as an available site at Crile Crossing, and said he expects Retail Strategies to help identify the “missing pieces” the community needs.
In Painesville, Crotty highlighted downtown vacancies, sites on Richmond Street, and commercial sites in development on Shamrock Boulevard as opportunities for new retailers and commercial users.
Proven results in Ohio
McMahon noted that Retail Strategies’ Ohio relationships helped the firm stand out. The company has partnered with nearby Chardon for about five years, helping recruit brands including Starbucks, Chipotle, and Popshelf. Nationally, Retail Strategies has worked with more than 1,200 communities across 38 states, including 17 in Ohio. As Lizzie put it, the area holds “a lot of potential growth in the area that has just been untapped.”
We’re excited to partner with the Concord Township-City of Painesville JEDD and look forward to helping bring new retail and restaurant options to both communities.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in community development and retail economic development. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality-of-life amenities. We confidently pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team with unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities pay a return in sales taxes, added jobs, and businesses that enhance and add to the unique qualities of your community.
