Planning Commission OKs Acme Glass Block Windows

The Cuyahoga Falls Planning Commission came away pleased following Tuesday's walkthrough of the Acme Fresh Market #10 construction site. 

The tour, and subsequent meeting that proceeded it, were held, in part, to get a look at and determine the fate of glass block windows that had been installed across the east side of the new building. 

Plans submitted by Acme had called for plate-glass windows and awnings versus glass blocks, and the city wasn't notified of the design change, which drew the ire of several commission members. 

However, after seeing the changes, the commission voted 6-0 to keep the newly installed windows, which will become an integral part of an artistic concept approved by Steve Albrecht, owner of Acme's parent company Albrecht, Inc. 

Commission member Laura Petrella was not in attendance. 

"The windows, set high in the wall, are mostly plain glass, but interspersed with red, blue, green and yellow block," reports the Falls News Press.

The colored glass parallels a 1956 children's film called "The Red Balloon."

In the film, a child is carried away and rescued from those who wish him harm by magical balloons. A large sculpture will be added along State Road later this year to bring the concept into focus.

The commission, however, did take issue with window openings that had been plugged with grey concrete blocks on the 23rd Street side of the new grocery store, said Cuyahoga Falls Planning and Zoning Director Fred Guerra.

Guerra said he'll work with Acme-commissioned Architect Robert White, of Krumroy-Cozad Construction, to find a more aesthetically pleasing solution.

Construction of the 52,500-square-foot, $8 million grocery store is slightly behind schedule and should be completed by this January, said Guerra.