NorthShore64

(6-13-21) At the June 4th Planning Commission meeting, a ~20' tall "electronic message board" was approved for the middle of the Old River Road / Front Avenue roundabout (pictured above). Here is a rendering from the presentation:

Wendy Park Bridge (6-13-21) The bridge from the East Bank The new multi-use path on the west side of River Road, connecting the Willow Avenue bridge to the north end of the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail. Whiskey Island Connector Trail The trail has nice views of the bulk terminal. You can just barley see part of the new ore tunnel. The bridge/boardwalk around the bend at the Westerly treatment plant looks just about ready to open. A sailboat going through the North Coast Harbor lift bridge There were a lot of people at the East 9th pier, East and West banks of the Flats, Whiskey Island and of course Edgewater. It's great to see people enjoying the Lake on a beautiful Sunday.

(6-13-21)

(6-13-21) Vote for your favorite artist: Honoring Cleveland's Arts District Roots - Mural Competition

Gorgeous Ohio City mansion is taking wing as apartments Stan Bullard - Crain's Cleveland Business - June 13, 2021 Russell Rhodes Mansion - 2905 Franklin Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44113 "The bones of the place — from cornices around the windows to tall ceilings and wooden floors — are in place. On its way to the current owner's conversion of the place to 33 apartments, the property had been the home of the county archives since 1975. The property went into play for redevelopment following the county's 2019 move of the document repository to 3951 Perkins Ave. ... Long-term plans call for building four townhouses on Franklin frontage west of the mansion. That will allow the former garden next to the mansion to become, effectively, a courtyard. ... In a change of pace from new apartments transforming sections of Ohio City, Gillespie is also trying to hit a niche for lower-priced units in the annex building. He hopes to offer suites, some for as little as $750 monthly. The two-bedrooms in the character-rich mansion will be pricier, upward of $1,000."

“What a long, strange trip it’s been”: Beachland reopens tavern, sets sights on future arts campus Lee Chilcote - TheLand - June 11, 2021 "After surviving the last 15 months of the Covid-19 pandemic through grit, hustle and grassroots community support, the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern has finally completely reopened and is selling individual tickets for shows. Now, longtime owners Cindy Barber and Mark Leddy are hoping to use federal relief funding to stabilize their business and begin to realize their newly-congealing dream of creating an arts campus on Waterloo Road in North Collinwood. ... They also spent the much-needed down time making improvements to the building, including painting the ballroom and refinishing the floors, building a new soundboard, and remodeling their kitchen so that they can expand food service."

Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area proposed for Columbus' Arena District Jarrod Clay - WSYX - June 10, 2021 "Columbus City Council said it has received an application from Mayor Andrew Ginther to create a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) in the Arena District. The proposed DORA would encompass Nationwide Arena, Huntington Park and the New Crew Stadium. ... Residents would be able to enjoy beverages outdoors within the DORA during all Blue Jackets, Clippers, and Crew games, beginning three hours before the start of games and continuing through 11:59 p.m."

Grove City Council OKs Pulte Homes' preliminary plan by 3-2 vote Alan Froman - ThisWeek News - June 10, 2021 "A residential development proposed by Pulte Homes of Ohio will move toward a final development plan, but the developer will work with the city to address traffic and other issues. Grove City Council narrowly approved the preliminary development plan June 7 by a 3-2 vote. Pulte is proposing a total of 399 homes on a 145-acre site north of London Groveport Road (state Route 665) and east of Jackson Pike (state Route 104)."

Expanded Lancaster Ave. project, E. Main St. development approved in Reynoldsburg Scott Gerfen - ThisWeek News - June 11, 2021 "Plans for two major housing developments continue to move forward following unanimous approvals June 3 from the Reynoldsburg Planning Commission. ... Developer Michael Oliver of Principle Homes LLC originally planned a community of 56 apartments and 32 townhomes on 4.5 acres at 1170 Lancaster Ave. However, developers returned to the commission June 3 with amended blueprints for 126 apartments and 24 townhomes with attached garages on 7.6 acres as well as a pavilion and a dog park. ... Ciminello’s plan (Eastwood mixed-use development) for approximately 35 acres along East Main Street will consist of 159 'single-story apartment units with attached garages' and 264 'apartment units with detached garages and amenities,' according to a summary of the project."

'Top-notch' independent grocer to replace Save-A-Lot in Whitehall Gary Seman Jr. ThisWeek News - June 9, 2021 "A new independent grocery store with a wide selection of products is poised to replace the Save-A-Lot store in 16,000 square feet at 573 S. Yearling Road in the Yearling Center. Walters IGA will open in mid-July after a remodeling project, said Ed Humeidan, whose company, MJM Realty, owns the Yearling Center. Save-A-Lot closed June 5, he said."

Affordable-housing apartment complex in the works for Whitehall Gary Seman Jr. - ThisWeek News - June 9, 2021 "The $25 million Enclave on Main project is a 4-story, 102-unit apartment complex set to occupy the corner of Main Street and Maplewood Avenue. The Woda Cooper Cos. Inc., based in Columbus' Brewery District, is seeking a rezoning of three contiguous properties – 3540 E. Main St. and 739 and 721 Maplewood Ave. – from residential and general commerce to multifamily. ... 'The city is committed to ensuring that as Whitehall redevelops underused properties, we do so in a way that supports the diverse needs of our community,' said Zach Woodruff, director of development and public service for the city. 'So, while we're happy to welcome new market-rate developments, like the Broadwood and Norton Crossing apartments, we're also pursuing affordable and workforce solutions to provide new housing opportunities to a wider range of income levels.'"

Vue owners to open new event venue near Dublin Hayleigh Colombo - Columbus Business First - June 10, 2021 "A new “destination retreat” and event venue will open early next year on a 64-acre property northeast of Dublin. Retreat 21, which is now booking weddings and corporate events for the 2022, season, will contain modern event spaces, a winery, cidery and lodging options including cabins, yurts and geodesic domes. The property is new concept from the owners of Columbus event venue Vue. The venue, which will start construction later in June, is technically located in Marysville and is adjacent to Rolling Meadows Golf Club." From retreat21.com:

CrossCountry Mortgage kicks off $46M restoration project near downtown Cleveland Mary Vanac - Cleveland Business Journal - June 10, 2021 "CrossCountry Mortgage LLC celebrated a "groundbreaking" for its $46 million corporate campus in Cleveland's Superior Arts District on Thursday with music, strobe lights, working artists and a time capsule instead of the traditional shovel of dirt. The Top 10 retail mortgage lender, currently based in Brecksville, Ohio, plans to repurpose four industrial buildings that date back to as early as 1913 for its new headquarters and home for about 600 employees in the city where it began in 2003. ... Leonhardt began his quest to return CrossCountry Mortgage to Cleveland more than three years ago, receiving incentives from Cleveland, Team NEO, JobsOhio and the Ohio Development Services Agency, he said. ... Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year."

Cleveland neighborhood landmark Sterle's may be bought by Famicos Foundation Stan Bullard - Crain's Cleveland Business - June 10, 2021 "Although Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Emily Hagan has not acted on the motion, Famicos was the sole bidder for the old Slovenian eatery, and its nearly 2-acre site, at a court-ordered online auction on May 28. The nonprofit made the minimum bid of $187,334 for the old 14,000-square-foot restaurant and massive parking lot, according to Columbus auctioneer Barry Baker's report to the court. At prior sales, there were no bidders. ... Khrys Shefton, Famicos real estate development director, said on the same call with Anoliefo that Famicos is launching a planning process for that area and would conduct discussions with neighboring residents and others this summer."

'We just don't want to lose our right to develop it,' Tony George says of Irishtown Bend site Michelle Jarboe - Crain's Cleveland Business - June 9, 2021 "'We're in negotiations with the city,' Tony George said during a phone interview. 'I'm negotiating in good faith. I think they're negotiating in good faith. But there are people who are not privy to the negotiations who are throwing darts at the George family.' Tony George said that he and Ed Rybka, the city's chief of regional development, have talked about swapping not only land but also billboard sites. ... They wouldn't say which land parcels or billboard locations the city has offered up. 'All the properties that they've shown us so far are not acceptable,' said Tony George, adding that the Georges' counterproposals haven't been palatable to the city, either. ... 'I hope they don't go down that track, because we're going to fight,' Tony George said of eminent domain. 'I'll take it all the way to the Supreme Court.'"

Avon Lake says power plant will be closed, torn down, with plans to redevelop lakefront property Cliff Pinckard - Cleveland.com - June 9, 2021 "The power plant on the city’s lakefront will close in September, the city announced Wednesday, with plans to demolish it soon after. ... 'We are confident that turning this outdated facility, which currently operates fewer than 50 days per year, into usable public land will not only improve the quality of life for our community environmentally, but it will also beautify our lakefront for residents, entrepreneurs and visitors,' Zilka said in a statement released Wednesday. ... 'The top priority for the City is creating new ways for the public to enjoy Lake Erie', Zilka said. He said the redevelopment will not be solely residential. ...The city would like to preserve the original plant building if it can be incorporated into redevelopment, Zilka said."

Completion of the Towpath Trail in Cleveland hailed as a milestone, and a goad to keep adding regional trails and parks Steven Litt - Cleveland.com - June 10, 2021 "The ceremonial ribbon cutting on Wednesday that marked the completion of the Towpath Trail in Cleveland seemed modest in comparison to the magnitude of the urban transformation it was meant to celebrate. ... it took more than two decades and $54 million in largely public funding to complete the northernmost five miles between Harvard Avenue at the city’s southern edge and Canal Basin Park, the original northern terminus of the 1832 Ohio & Erie Canal on Columbus Road Peninsula. ... Donovan said that although the Towpath Trail itself may be finished in Cleveland, work has only just begun at Canal Basin Park, envisioned as a 25-acre reserve and historic site where two oxbows of the Cuyahoga River curve toward each other on Columbus Road Peninsula, just downhill from downtown Cleveland."

Cleveland-area developer to purchase mall for $2.3M John Bush - Dayton Business Jounral -- June 9, 2021 "Upper Valley Mall in Springfield will be sold to Cleveland-area developer Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP) for $2.25 million, the Clark County Land Reutilization Corp. announced Wednesday. The sale comes as the mall readies to close to the public on June 16. ... After completing due diligence testing, ICP is expected to take ownership this fall of the 76.8-acre property and 811,000-square-foot Upper Valley Mall, which was built in 1971. 'Our company has extensive experience with retail conversions and we expect our model for repurposing these centers into business parks will be very successful at the Upper Valley Mall,' ICP Senior Vice President Dean Miller said. 'The location, demographics and amenities in Springfield are well suited for our redevelopment plans. The team at the Clark County Land Bank and Executive Director Ethan Harris have been great partners as we move through this process.'"

OhioHealth Performance Center a ‘gamechanger’ for The Crew Charlie Hatch - ColumbusCrew.com - June 9, 2021

Here are some detailed plans for the E22nd Overpass and partial capping of I-90 from an informational presentation to the planning commission at the May 21, 2021 meeting. (I had previously posted these in the Cleveland: Inner Belt/I-90 News & Info). The landscaping designs have not been finalized. There is committed funding for this section of the innerbelt project (CCG3A). Here is the projects timeline: To help get an idea of what these might look like, here are two projects on the Columbus innerbelt that are similar to what is being proposed for East 22nd and the Campus district. The planters and fencing concept for the East 22nd overpass could be something similar to the Spring Street bridge over I-71. The East 22nd partial capping, or "Street Deck," could look something like the Park and Goodale intersection over I-670. This example is just one block west of one of the best highway caps out there, The Cap at Union Station, on North High over I-670. A developer could work with ODOT for something like this at East 22nd, but it is rather expensive to do and rents here likely wouldn't justify it (the North High cap cost $7.8 million back in 2005). If Cleveland were to get a proper cap of the innerbelt, it would likely be on Euclid or maybe Prospect first. A wider deck could be built for the East 22nd overpass to allow for more green space and a type of linear park (like the Long Street overpass in Columbus pictured below), but that's not currently in the ODOT plans. Something more substantial like this would require more local funding from the city (who has to pay for landscaping maintenance), Campus District Inc., Tri-C, CSU or St. Vincent's.

NBA G League's Canton Charge moving to downtown Cleveland, starting with upcoming season Staff Report - The Repository - June 9, 2021 "The franchise said in a press release the team will not extend its expired lease at Memorial Civic Center. The Charge will begin playing home games at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center starting with the 2021-22 NBA G League season, which is expected to begin in early November. ... The move ends a 10-year, nine-season stay at the Civic Center in Canton. The Charge played their first nine seasons there after the franchise was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, relocated from New Mexico and began play in Canton as the Charge in 2011."

Canton Charge are moving to Wolstein Center at Cleveland State Kevin Kleps - Crain's Cleveland Business - June 9, 2021 "The Canton Charge, the G League franchise the Cavs have owned and operated since 2011, will begin playing games at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center, the Cavs announced on Wednesday, June 9. The move will begin with the start of the 2021-22 G League season, which is expected to tip off in early November. ... The team's lease with the city of Canton had expired, however, and the Cavs preferred to have their G League affiliate closer to the FieldHouse and Cleveland Clinic Courts, the team's training facility in Independence. ... The move to CSU 'will be accompanied by the development of a longer-term vision and partnership with CSU that can align with the evolution of their future venue plans,' the Cavs said in the news release. When Cleveland State and head men's hoops coach Dennis Gates agreed to a new six-year contract last month, the university said it 'will strategically define the future' of the Wolstein Center by Jan. 1."

Columbus Indie Music Feature Premieres at Tribeca Hope Madden - Columbus Undergrounds - June 9, 2021 "Columbus’ under-appreciated music scene meets its unsung film scene in a new movie debuting this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival. What’s this all about? Co-directors Noah Dixon and Ori Segev, Denison University grads and creative directors of the Columbus-based film production house Loose Films, sit in to talk us through it. Poser is about a young woman named Lennon who’s kind of an outsider trying to find a way into a vibrant underground music scene."

Sullivant Avenue Public Art Project Prepares Hilltop Residents for Improvements, ‘Brightens Up’ Area Taijuan Moorman - Columbus Undergdound - June 9, 2021 "Along with the $10 million in improvements on Sullivant Avenue — including new sidewalks, improved streetlights, traffic signals, bus bulbs and parklets set to be underway next year — is a public art project to get residents ready for the changes, and liven up the street. Sullivant Bright is a project by Designing Local in partnership with the City of Columbus Department of Public Service, and includes temporary murals illustrating where the permanent infrastructure improvements to Sullivant Avenue will be. ... Residents were able to provide input on the project and will be able to do so again for a second phase, which will include a permanent mural at the I-70 underpass bridge."

Aww. Sad to see Yellow Brick Pizza closing their original 18th & Oak location. But it's great news for the Trolley Barn project at 18th & Kelton that they will re-open there. Hopefully, Yellow Brick Pizza can do for the Franklin Park area at 18th & Kelton what they did for the Olde Towne East area at 18th & Oak. And hopefully a new tenant moves into Yellow Brick's old location to keep that momentum going as well. Ya its sad to see them go. I always associated this corner / Olde Towne East with them, especially with the mural on the side of their building. They had a good ~11 year run there though. Here is view of the building before they opened up in late 2009. They definitely helped out the area a lot. Here are a couple of articles about Yellow Brick and Olde Towne East from when they opened: Yellow Brick Pizza Quickly Takes Hold in OTE - Dec. 23, 2009 A chance well taken - Apr. 13, 2010