Chamber of Commerce Moving Dec. 1

The is on the move to a very recognizable Stow building in a location more centralized for the two primary communities it serves.

Starting Dec. 1 the chamber will be doing business from Stratford Place, the brick Tudor-style office building constructed in 1986 at the southeast corner of S.R. 91 and East Arndale Road.

The 50,000-square-foot building was purchased in early May by InterChez Properties LLC for $1.7 million, according to the auditor's division of the Summit County Fiscal Office. InterChez occupies some of the office suites in the building and has been marketing the remaining spaces for lease.

Doris Stewart, chamber executive director, said Stratford is “really nice – it’s a beautiful professional building that we’ll be proud to call home.”

For the past 10 years the chamber has operated from a suite at . Chamber officials are grateful to Hudson Drive Self Storage owner Lou Murie, a lifetime chamber member who served as president in 1975 and 1976.

“We are very excited about this move, although we express our greatest appreciation to Lou Murie and his staff for all they have done over the past 10 years as our landlord,” said John Pribonic, chamber president. “Mr. Murie has gone above and beyond making sure that our needs as a tenant have always been met.”

Stewart said that to the best of her knowledge, Stratford will be the chamber’s third home since its opening in 1965. Prior to the Hudson Drive office, the chamber operated from Dr. Joseph Bastolla’s office building on Darrow Road.

“We wanted to be in a more visible place,” Stewart said of the board’s decision to relocate. “Since there’s no true center of town … it had to have some visibility, be easy to find and have good parking. Moving to Stratford Place puts us a little closer to Munroe Falls members.”

At 1,342 square feet, Stratford Suite 2450 is almost 1,000 square feet smaller than the chamber’s current office. “But it’s a more usable, more versatile space,” Stewart said.

At Stratford, the chamber will have a reception area, two offices and a 12- by 50-foot conference room that includes a kitchenette area complete with a sink and full-size refrigerator.

The large conference room will allow the chamber to hold more of its committee meetings and other small events on site. And, members will be welcome to use the space during chamber business hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.

When the board first decided to relocate, there was concern about having to buy office furniture since the Hudson Drive location was fully furnished. But members saved the day with their generosity.

“Members stepped up to the plate as fast as the email (soliciting donations) went out,” Stewart said. “We’ve met our needs for donations of desks and chairs, so now our only need is a few more filing cabinets … and some help packing.”

Anyone interested in helping out can call the chamber at 330-688-1579.

Stewart said a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration will be held in January for both members and the community at large.