East Avenue to chill with ice cream shop

Owners hope to open in spring or summer, local officials say

Elyria could have a new ice cream shop filled with tasty treats later this year.

John and Cynthia Oleksiak bought the building at 212 East

Ave., in June 2020 for $50,000.

The shop has been in the works for awhile, but was delayed due to the novel coronavirus, city officials said.

During a city Planning Commission meeting March 2, a variance request was approved to build out the front deck of the building.

The deck originally was proposed to go right up to the sidewalk.

However, chief building official David Farkas said the idea potentially was dangerous because it could block the line of sight of pedestrians and traffic.

The deck was to be used by customers, Farkas said.

“With it right up to the sidewalk, it gives little to no warning to any pedestrians coming by on a bicycle or walking by with a stroller,” he said. “I have high concerns for this current location and height.”

“In a car or a van, you can have difficulty seeing over that, especially if people were sitting on the deck,” Farkas said.

Community Development Director Ashley Scott said the location of the business is a little tricky because it looks like a home instead of a commercial building.

Assistant safety service director Dawn Calvert said the hope is to receive a lot of traffic from recent developments in downtown, including the new Elyria Public Library System Central Branch, located at the corner of Broad Street and East Avenue.

“It’s important to take in the consideration of the library and the increase in pedestrian traffic in that area,” Calvert said.

The business owners have been engaged with the city during the planning process, and are hoping to open during spring or summer, she said.

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION National Ice Cream Day is July 18.