StrangeBrew

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfolio/2012/10/Uptown-Cleveland-Stanley-Saitowitz.asp

Judge OKs settlement in Avenue Tower condo project litigation http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120710/FREE/120719966

http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2012/07/peter_b_lewis_donates_5_millio.html

countertops are corian.

Holiday Inn Express isn't going anywhere. Upgrades and improvements in anticipation of the exciting new developments taking place in Downtown.

...anyone want to see a floor plan? Critiques welcome...

emphasis on for sale on this project has a lot to do with the financier of the development. Remember, Third Federal Savings and Loan is first and foremost a mortgage provider. Their bread and butter is home ownership. This project is evidence of their belief and commitment to that institution.

@freethink - yes. Power lines are being buried next week!

You guys are awesome. Let me try and answer a couple of questions, but if I miss some, just post below. 1. NSP - We are negotiation with the City of Cleveland to bring in an NSP component. This provides two key incentives of both the $20K second mortgage, as well as the higher affordability limits (120% AMI). 2. Neighborhood amenities: Three words - Rails to Trails. As an Ohio City resident, I can't even tell you how much I would love to have a dedicated bike / pedestrian path through the community, let alone one that goes right up to my back door. The Morgana run connects the Mill Creek falls in the east to the eventual trail head with the Towpath trail in the west (the flower you see on I - 77). In addition, the site is situated across the street from Third Federal's corporate headquarters - a stable, highly visible neighborhood anchor. On top of that, the site sites inside of Slavic Village's Strategic Investment Area. This means that significant investment dollars have been targeted into the five streets (E. 71 - E. 75) to stabilize and strengthen. Add in community gardens, weekly farmers markets, a historic downtown core, a renovated Broadway Ave, new RTA Rapid station at E. 55, and the future Opportunity Corridor, and you've really got something special. 3. MillCreek reached full build out back in 2004 or 2005 (memory is a little fuzzy). 222 brand new homes, which at the time was the largest single family development in the City of Cleveland since World War II.

Zaremba is not in serious trouble. Like many developers that were heavily involved in market rate - for sale housing, the past few years have been challenging. Zaremba has been able to navigate a way forward on The Avenue District, but also been very active with NSP funded home renovations projects in City's like South Euclid, Lakewood, and Shaker Heights. This next project, with Third Federal in Trailside at Morgana, brings together many of the successful elements of our Home Again program, as well as MillCreek and Beacon Place developments.

Does anyone mind if I share some "insider" info on the board? Everyone that belongs to this group is so informed and has very strong opinions on what's going on in Cleveland, that I think it'd be a great place to debut some of the details on the project and get some feedback. As the Freshwater article noted, over the next few months, Zaremba, along with Slavic Village Development and Third Federal Saving and Loan, will be rolling out a new housing development in the North Broadway / Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland. We’re calling this new neighborhood “Trailside at Morgana Run” because it is bordered by the amazing new Morgana Run Trail to the north of the site (in case you don’t know, Morgana Run is a rails to trails project that runs from the historic MillCreek Falls all the way to a trailhead near I-77…its eventual connection with the Towpath trail). The site is bordered on the south by Third Federal’s new $20 million corporate headquarters campus, and to the east is Slavic Village’s model block target investment area. Our site plan is laid out in a traditional neighborhood design, and is incorporated directly into the existing neighborhood grid. We were able to re-use three existing city streets, including E. 71st, E. 72nd, and Aetna Road. The site’s location provides plenty of access to public transportation choices, and the connection to the trail means an opportunity for bike / walking / running without competition from motor vehicle traffic. The newly redesigned Broadway Avenue is a vital corridor into downtown, and the planned Opportunity Corridor will soon open up easier access to University Circle. A new park, called the Savannah, features native grasses and trees, connects the homes and the trail and provides a wonderful green “pocket park” along E. 71st Street. The total site plan calls for over 100 new homes, including detached single family and townhouse units. The homes are designed to be a little bit different from most of the product type currently available in the market, including a smaller, more efficient floor plan designs. The units range in size from 1200 – 1400 square feet, and still offer between 2 to 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a detached two car garage. From a construction standpoint, the homes will meet or exceed the City’s green design guidelines, but they will not be energy passive homes (though an interested buyer could upgrade the house to a passive condition if they chose). Instead, we aimed for a balance between style, sustainable design and affordability. It’s been well documented that there are a lot of challenges facing the housing market in Cleveland. We are trying hard to meet those challenges head on with this development. Affordability is one of the leading incentives for these houses. The home base sales prices will range between $135,000 to $160,000. We are also able to offer down payment assistance ($20,000) in the form of a forgivable second mortgage (it becomes a grant after 10 years). Additionally, the City of Cleveland provides property tax abatement for 15 years on new residential construction that meets its green criteria. All told, with today’s historically low interest rates on 30 year fixed mortgages, the monthly payment to live in a new home at Trailside is between $700 to $800 / month (including taxes, insurance and HOA fees). What do you think? We'll be taking our new design drawings to design review in the next few months, and I'll be posting them here first to get some reactions.

you guys are awesome, thanks for the suggestions. @natininja, I'll be there on a Saturday.

plans are in the works...but its complicated. I don't think the condo owners are likely to be bought out though.

I've got six hours to spend in Cincinnati. I've never spent any time in the city and would love to catch some highlights while I'm there. Any suggestions?

I live on the Franklin near W. 47th. I can only say positive thinsg around the neighborhood. I'm about half between Ohio City center and the Gordon Square Arts District. I live with my wife and our daughter in a townhome complex that includes small families, young and older couples, and singles. From my vantage point, its a great community in a great location. Exciting, diverse, and convenient, (and of course beautiful). Sure, an act of vandalism happens occasionally, but as another poster noted, as long as you are smart and aware, you'll avoid a bad situation. Best of all, the community members also look out for each other. The block clubs are strong, and any incident of crime is immediately reported swiftly. Its one of Cleveland's best neighborhoods (IMO).