If you’ve driven through the area around Route 84 (Johnnycake Ridge Road) and Route 615 (Center Street), you’ve probably noticed a major amount of clearing and site work underway. The project is part of the redevelopment of the former Bolton property, a roughly 186.5-acre site extending from Route 84 south toward I-90.  The development is planned as a mix of residential, commercial and preserved open space, with the northern portion of the property being developed first.

A large new residential development

The residential portion covers roughly 69 acres near Route 84 and is expected to include about 270 homes.

Plans have included approximately:

• 63 detached single-family homes
• 212 attached units
• a combination of for-sale and rental housing

Ryan Homes and ProBuilt Homes have both been identified in connection with the residential portion of the project.  The plans have evolved as the project has gone through the approval process. More recent revisions have refined items such as frontage, lot sizes and the placement of individual housing units.  The clearing and road construction now visible near Routes 84 and 615 are part of this residential phase.

More than housing

The property stretches well beyond the area currently being cleared.  Farther south, toward I-90, portions of the property are planned for commercial and mixed-use development. Concepts discussed over the course of the project have included uses such as:

• restaurants
• medical offices
• daycare
• a grocery or supermarket
• a gas station
• other neighborhood-serving commercial uses

Not every concept shown on an early development plan necessarily becomes a final project. Commercial portions of a large development like this often evolve as specific users are secured.

The historic Bolton house

The historic Bolton house is also expected to remain.  Approximately 8.5 acres surrounding the house have been separated from the larger development area, and possibilities discussed for the property have included an event or wedding venue.  Preserving the house gives the project an interesting connection to the history of the property even as the surrounding acreage is redeveloped.

Significant land will remain open space

One of the less obvious parts of the project is the amount of property that is expected to remain undeveloped.  Approximately 35 acres in Mentor, along with roughly 34 additional acres in Kirtland Hills, have been associated with conservation or open-space plans. Trails and public access have also been discussed.  That means the final development will not simply consist of housing and commercial buildings covering the entire property.

Infrastructure is already going in

A project of this size requires substantial infrastructure before homes can be built.  Lake County approved a sanitary sewer extension along Center Street of more than 3,200 feet, with an estimated cost of approximately $412,000, paid by the developer.  The grading, clearing, utility work and new streets now visible are the early stages of turning the long-planned development into an actual neighborhood.

What happens next?

The residential portion is the most visible activity right now, but the Bolton property is a long-term development project. Additional housing, commercial development, open space and adaptive reuse of the historic property are expected to take shape in phases.  As specific builders, businesses and commercial users are formally announced, the picture will become clearer.

I’ve been asked about this project repeatedly as the clearing has become more noticeable, so I’ll continue updating this page as additional information becomes available.  Large developments often change between the conceptual-plan stage and final construction, so I’ll distinguish between uses that have been discussed or proposed and projects that have actually been approved or announced.