City View Center - A Shopping Center Built on Toxic Land

Numerous people continued to get sick, all with similar conditions, ranging from tumors to lymphoma, cancer of all sorts and blood in their urine.

In Garfield Heights, Ohio sits one of the most toxic shopping centers constructed in the United States. After nearly 2 years of construction, City View Center opened in 2006 as a power center, containing big-box stores such as Walmart, Giant Eagle, Circuit City, PetSmart, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Office Max and Marshalls. Issues arose due to the center being built atop a landfill. One tenant after another moved out over the years due to health concerns and structural issues, and the center was eventually abandoned. So how exactly did all of this arise, and why was the center built here anyway?

City View Center Walmart

During the 1970s, the city’s former dump had been filled to capacity. Unable to fit anymore waste, they were in need of a new location. Finally, they chose the hill where the empty City View Center now sits, which overlooked land towards Cuyahoga Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Seven Hills, Independence and Valley View.

As the city continued to d…