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Coral opposition was personal for Sedlak
(by Mike Klimko - October 29, 2008)
Coral opposition was personal for Sedlak
By MIKE KLIMKO
The now-abandoned Central Park redevelopment project in Solon posed a serious threat to the continued success and the legacy of Sedlak Interiors, according to company founder John Sedlak.
Sales volumes would have dropped in the first 30 months of construction for the Coral Co. project, Mr. Sedlak said, pointing to the reconstruction of Mayfield Road (Route 322) as an example. He said the road project in Mayfield Heights was partly to blame for the closing of a long-established auto dealership.
His desire to protect his business on Solon Road and retain 96 employees, including eight Sedlak family members, and his history with Solon officials motivated him to lead the No Central Park committee of volunteers, he said.
Resistance on the part of city officials in 1987 to bringing his store to Solon ignited the fight in him to wage a campaign against the planned-unit development planned by Coral President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Rubin, Mr. Sedlak said.
"The question you want to ask me is, why was I fighting? What bothers me is they kept this quiet for two years. And that's not right. I fought to keep this out of Solon. I fought to get into Solon," he said.
"Years ago, I was looking for property to build a store. I was told I could get property in Solon with no problem. I saw the property and liked it. I said, 'Buy it.' The city checked me out, told me to get on the ballot, and I won," Mr. Sedlak said.
"I win all the time. I fight to win. I carry an important weapon. It brought me home from the war -- a rosary. I say, every day, 'Thank you, Lord, for getting me through another day.'"
The acquisition of land on Solon Road included acreage between Mr. Sedlak's store and the Erico site, he said. The land was sold a couple of years ago to University Hospitals, he said.
In planning for Central Park east of SOM Center Road (Route 91), between Bainbridge and Solon roads, the Coral Co. obtained an option to buy the University Hospitals land. One of the Coral partners was Beachwood developer Scott Wolstein.
"He fought us," Mr. Sedlak said of Mr. Wolstein. "He wanted to run the show. His money was not going to make us move. We got an offer to sell six months ago from Rubin," he said.
"I asked Rubin to subsidize us for lost business. He said he would look into it and never called back. People would not have shopped in Solon during construction, not with the barrels. It would have killed business. I have fabulous people working for me. I could not afford to lose them. It's tough to hire and train new sales people. And I have the best people I have ever had at any time," Mr. Sedlak said.
The Central Park project was not necessary, not with the presence of 17 empty storefronts among the shopping centers on SOM Center and Aurora (Route 43) roads and with the traffic jams in Solon, he said.
His refusal to sell the property to become part of Central Park and the withdrawal of the project by the Coral Co. due to the reluctance of banks to finance it were victories for him over Mr. Wolstein, Mr. Sedlak said.
"You don't win a battle with money," he said. "You win a battle with people. I want to keep the store in Solon. This is home. I fought for the children to take over when the time comes."
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