CLEVELAND — Beachwood Place Mall has been a city staple since 1978.

What You Need To Know

  • The vacant space that used to be Maggiano’s Little Italy and H&M’s at Beachwood Place Mall will have a new look and new purpose

  • The Columbus based company, COhatch, plans to transform it into a co-working and lifestyle facility

  • COhatch expects the project will cost over $5 million and the work is expected to begin in the next couple of week

  • The goal is for the project to be complete in about 10 months

“It’s just been a part of my life and watching the evolution of the mall has been really kind of interesting for me to see. Sometimes it’s sad. There’s sad things, sometimes it’s good things," said longtime Beachwood resident Amy Simon.

Her beloved Maggiano’s closed a few years ago.

“It was hard to see it go and then, of course, everyone’s talking then well what’s going to happen? What’s going to happen to the mall? What’s going to happen? Oh no, Maggiano’s went out, like what’s going to go in there?" Simon said.

What’s going in there is a breath of fresh air.

Soon,  the vacant space that used to be Maggiano’s and H&M’s former location will have a new look and new purpose.

The Columbus based company, COhatch, plans to transform it into a co-working and lifestyle facility.

“There’s fantastic school districts and communities all around it. Now it (would) be a complete travesty if that mall started to die, which would take the whole thing down. So, it’s our way of saying let’s build it back up, but let’s modernize it,” said Matt Davis, co-founder & CEO, COhatch.

In its largest project yet, COhatch will reconstruct the currently empty 33,000 square feet into a two-story gathering place.

It will feature a flexible workspace, a ghost kitchen and brewpub plus, entertainment gaming areas and even a golf simulator.

The rental fees will help support more than 100 local nonprofits."Now that is perfect. It’s perfect because I think it will bring people back,” Simon said.

COhatch has locations throughout Ohio including in Cleveland’s Ohio City and others throughout Columbus, Cincinnati, and Springfield.

In a time of online shopping and stay-at-home orders, the need for brick and mortar malls may be fading.

But Simon hopes Beachwood Place continues to stay relevant, especially with these modern changes on the way.

“I think it’s a win-win for the city. I think it’s a win-win for COhatch and I think it’s a win-win for Beachwood Place,” Simon said.

COhatch expects the project will cost over $5 million.

The work on the project is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks, officials said.

The goal is for the entire project to be complete in about 10 months.