NorthShore64

New owners of Hough Bakery headquarters bringing new life to Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood Kevin Barry - Jan. 21, 2020 Link: https://www.news5cleveland.com/a-better-land/new-owners-of-hough-bakery-bringing-new-life-to-clevelands-glenville-neighborhood "The abandoned bakery area will likely be turned into an entertainment space to draw customers to the property on nights and weekends. Offices are expected to be on the upper floors. Town homes will be created in a building behind the bakery. . . . He says other developers in town are already flocking to the area. In a Cleveland market where new neighborhoods see aggressive redevelopment and investment every few years, Knez says the Glenville area is ready to be next." https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5179235,-81.5986115,3a,75y,103.66h,100.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIURJ_6jgVCbfwVyoCLRZJQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Short North bar scrutinized for dress code posting Eric Halperin - Jan. 16, 2020 https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/short-north-bar-scrutinized-for-dress-code-posting/ The List: The Short North Food Hall dress code quiz Andy Downing - Jan. 15, 2020 https://www.columbusalive.com/entertainment/20200115/list-short-north-food-hall-dress-code-quiz (Personal Opinion - I would avoid Short North Food Hall and possibly other Corso Ventures establishments; Goody Boy, Standard Hall, Urban Meyer's Pint House, etc...)

Cleveland Indians will try to avoid frostbite in early season games this year Link: https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/01/cleveland-indians-will-try-to-avoid-frostbite-in-early-season-games-this-year.html Paul Hoynes - Jan. 8, 2020 "Team schedules for 2020 were released late last season, but on Wednesday game times were revealed for the first time. Ten of the Indians first 13 games will start at 1:10 p.m., apparently for two reasons: Logically, it should be warmer during the day than at night in the Midwest in late March and early April. Teams can postpone games much earlier for day games than night games due to bad weather." https://www.mlb.com/indians/schedule/printable

I was surprised this was able to stay open so long as a free-standing location. In the past year, nearly all of the dilapidated Stow-Kent Plaza across the parking lot from this Macy's was torn down with much of the land going towards a new Meijer location. Customers sad, angry to see Macy’s closing Link: https://www.record-courier.com/news/20200107/customers-sad-angry-to-see-macys-closing Laura Freeman - Jan. 7, 2020 "The retailer announced Monday that the story will close in the next two to three months. Stow Mayor John Pribonic said 'it was kind of a shock ... we knew nothing about [the closing]' before the announcement. 'It was kept quiet up to that point.'"

The back of the building from Reserve Square. You can't see much, but it underscores how central or in the middle JHB is to much of downtown. You can see more signs of construction from this picture taken this past May.

View from E 13th north of Chester:

If this is true, it seems it would be in the Arlington Gateway development. The two other Central Ohio Trader Joe's are located within a mile of a Whole Foods (Sawmill and Eaton), so it kinda of makes sense for their next location be down the street from the regions 3rd Whole Foods.

More closures in Gateway over the Holidays. District Pourhouse: Figleaf Boutique: Panera Bread: Some of these closures announcements were made last year, but didn't notice them until I was back on campus. District Pourhouse was for some time alone as the one bar/restaurant in Gateway, but only existed in its current state since a re-branding of the former World of Beer in August of 2018. Ugly Tuna became office space and Mad Mex was empty until the opening of Cazuela's second location this past October (I personally found it to be pretty bad Mexican and would not recommend). They are currently retrofiring their entrance and patio/street seating area. Across from Cazuela's in the former Coldstone and Oxley Tavern locations, a Taiwanese restaurant Yong Kang Street should be opening soon. Interior work has been ongoing for some time now. It what was once Gateway's management office next to Jimmy Johns is going to be an esports facility, Game Arena. This photo was taken in October, and a newer facade has since been completed. The management office appears to have moved into a section of the former Aveda Institute location on High Street, however much of this large storefront is visibly vacant. Between Campus and Kroger, the newer developments of The Highline at Nine, Uncommon Columbus and Luxe Belle all have multiple retails spaces which have remained untouched since building completion. The former Stop&Shop (previously a 7/11) which was used as a staging area for Luxe Belle also remains vacant. TL;DR - Recent Gateway closures: Panera Bread, Figleaf Boutique, and District Pourhouse. Near future openings: Game Arena and Yong Kang Street. Multiple retail vacancies remain in recently completed buildings on High between Campus and Kroger.

Davey Tree acquires Amy Greene Environmental Crain's Akron Business - Dec. 11, 2019 "Kent's Davey Tree Expert Co. announced Wednesday, Dec. 11, that its subsidiary Davey Resource Group has acquired Amy S. Greene Environmental Consultants of New Jersey. ... The company has made more than 40 acquisitions since it became employee-owned in 1979, with the pace accelerating in recent years, CEO Pat Covey told Crain's in November. The company attracts would-be sellers with more than cash, he said. Davey, one of the largest employee-owned companies in the nation, uses its employee ownership and growth as a lure as well, because it offers employees of the acquired company a chance to become owners themselves." https://www.crainscleveland.com/akron-news/davey-tree-acquires-amy-greene-environmental

Cedar Point announces 150th anniversary details: Snake River Expedition, Celebrate 150 Spectacular, admission for life Susan Glaser - Dec. 12, 2019 "The ride will operate in the space formerly home to Paddlewheel Excursions, a park favorite removed in 2011. 'You can’t celebrate Cedar Point’s 150th without a new ride experience,' said General Manager Jason McClure. 'We wanted a ride that complemented our history and engaged the whole family.' Details of the new ride — including its name — were shared this morning, along with a list of 150th anniversary additions, via a live YouTube announcement from the historic rotunda of Cedar Point’s Hotel Breakers." https://www.cleveland.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/12/c1344187495187/cedar-point-announces-150th-anniversary-details-snake-river-expedition-celebrate-150-spectacular-admission-for-life.html

UFC returning to Columbus for the first time in 11 years Stuart Osborne - Dec. 12th, 2019 "The event will be held Saturday, March 28th with tickets going on sale Friday, January 31st." https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/ufc-returning-to-columbus-for-the-first-time-in-11-years

Easton is definitely moving in the right direction with this project, adding more entertainment and "lifestyle" tenants with office space above. It grows towards connecting the town center to the next most walkable development, Easton Gateway across Stelzer. In my personal opinion tough, they kind of miss the mark on this expansion. Although I caught the project before its complete (with only a couple of businesses open), most of the buildings and streetscape were finished. One of my biggest gripes is that they kept the surface lot at the southwest corner of Fenlon and Worth Ave. It's only ~70 spots, and its not like there is a shortage of free and close parking tucked into every corner of Easton. Its small, but along with the Nordstrom's loading dock across the street, it forms a bit of a barrier between phases. It doesn't even need to be another building, just not a surface lot. Another questionable decision is the lack of retail in the newly expanded Macy's garage that makes up a decent portion of the walk along Worth in the new expansion. It really takes away from the feel or aesthetic I think they are trying to go for. Its not just that its parking at street level, but that its a big, empty hole in the building facade. It isn't finished yet, but it also didn't look like there would be any thing put in these ~12 foot tall gaps (at least for now). On the other end of the expansion, Easton Gateway seems quite far and still disconnected. They'll need to build up on the current Sleep Number and J/ Alexander's Buildings or overcome the barrier of Stelzer in some way if they want to actually form a connective fabric. A 90 ft crosswalk on a 40 mph road is not welcoming to most pedestrians. Some of these qualms of mine could however be relatively easily addressed, and will hopefully come once Easton becomes more of a true mixed use, dense node in the region. If they don't work on this kind of stuff or de-emphasize vehicles in some way, it won't reach its full potential. TL;DR - Easton is moving in the right direction with this expansion, but they'll still need to work on "connecting" Town Center, the new Expansion and eventually Easton Gateway.

Easton Expansion Progress Pictures (weekend of Dec. 6th): View from the corner of Worth Ave and Fenlon. Expanded Parking garage north of the Macy's. From looking at the site plans I believe the only street level retail within the garage will be at this corner. From a similar view, the original parking structure which has since been added to. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0543381,-82.9141544,3a,75y,119.88h,84.49t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sJY1DU77bQSdT_WLYeQ6Ntg!2e0!5s20171001T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en View to the North from the same corner, looking east down Worth Ave. The same updated/expanded Macy's garage further east down Worth Ave. True Food Kitchen and Crimson Cup buildings north of the garage. Across "The Yard" is the Forbidden Root Brewpub which opened in late November. It seems most other tenants won't open til spring. The block will also include the Forty Deuce Cafe and Speakeasy along with The Beeline Bar. The next block on the North side of Worth Ave is the Restoration Hardware building. From Easton: "The first RH design gallery of its kind in the state of Ohio and one of only 19 in the country, this acclaimed lifestyle destination will be a striking three-story, 40,000- square-foot freestanding building. It will offer an inspiring and expansive collection of home furnishings in a gallery setting, an interactive RH Design Atelier with professional design services, and a Rooftop Park and Café." https://eastontowncenter.com/easton-expansion Said rooftop restaurant opens Dec. 12th. https://www.columbusalive.com/foodanddining/20191211/food-news-restoration-hardwares-rooftop-restaurant-opens-at-easton Next door to Restoration Hardware is a free standing Arhaus. The view across Worth Ave from it is of the new Aloft Hotel still early in construction. The white building to the left will house offices above a retail/restaurant space, and serves as the front of a large new parking deck which stretches south to Alston St. The sky-bridge above connects the parking garage to an additional office building at the corner of Worth and Stelzer. According to site plans there should be a retail/restaurant space on the first level, but it doesn't appear to connect to the sidewalk along Worth. The Worth Stelzer intersection, with Easton Gateway in the background. The building application mentioned in the post above is for this dirt lot in the left of the picture below. The last building in the expansion is just east of the expanded Macy's parking garage at the corner of Worth Ave and Brighton Rose Way. The office building will have a Pins Mechanical Company bar on its first floor. Another view from the east.

Postle Hall Construction Webcam - https://dentistry.osu.edu/about-us/building-strong-foundations/postle-construction-webcam Optometry Clinic Construction Webcam - https://u.osu.edu/newclinic/construction-cam/

View from Thompson of South / Medical Campus projects. New optometry Clinic at the center/left and Postle Hall (College of Dentistry) replacement across Neil to the right. View from W 12th intersection. The existing Postle Hall East is just in front of / to the right of the new replacement. Further down Neil you can see the beginnings of brick work on the hall expansion: Postle Hall expansion rendering: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/06/95m-overhaul-of-ohio-states-postle-hall-starting.html Site Plan: https://dentistry.osu.edu/journal/story/postle-hall-phase-1-replacement

New Optometry Clinic Building at Neil and W 11th: Building Rendering: (roughly) same view of this corner from a 2015 street-view: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9956245,-83.0146506,3a,90y,134.28h,97.26t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCH-SbSvFGc8OSRlp-814bw!2e0!5s20120601T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en View from W 10th. The Clinic straddles the alley way east of Neil, allowing vehicles to pass underneath. This alley once separated the former University Flower Shop and Adriatico's buildings on 11th. No space is being wasted on this site, and continues a good trend of the University making the most of what land they squire "off" or adjacent to campus. Although this project required tearing down the buildings of two well known University District small businesses, they were able to relocate on the same block to newer spaces. 2016 street-view: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9943604,-83.0137394,3a,84.6y,354.92h,90.03t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sxvHYlmwlvQbcCUs84o_pAQ!2e0!5s20160901T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en View from in front of Park-Stradley

Biomedical and Materials Engineering Complex "The 124,000-square-foot complex will house both the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in summer 2020." https://www.thelantern.com/2019/01/new-engineering-complex-to-boost-research-at-ohio-state/ Located in/at the Koffolt and Fontana lab buildings on North Campus https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fontana+Laboratories,+2041+College+Rd+N,+Columbus,+OH+43210/@40.0032974,-83.0143525,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x88388ebdac5bc1d7:0x51948ada6c328468!8m2!3d40.0032974!4d-83.0121638 Building / Complex Rendering: Live Webcam: https://engineering.osu.edu/BMEC

I'm not terribly familiar with Outlet Shoppes / Malls, but I can't think of many that are within a city, urban environment or being practically downtown. They seem to be usually a few exits outside of an urbanized area, or in a third ring / outer suburb. Tanger Outlets; Columbus, Pittsburgh, Jeffersonville, Lodi Station, Aurora Farms. I mean this site might as well be any random highway exit, its about as isolated as you can get in a central city. I guess if the outlet is going to be built in Northeastern Ohio, at least its Cleveland getting the potential revenue, but virtually zero spin off. Also the amount of city revenue may be questionable for what they will be asked to invest in infrastructure, or what Geis / anther developer may build in the future. Does anyone know of a comparable urban Outlet Mall development?

Akron real estate firm proposes three-building development at Ohio 82 & I-77 in Broadview Heights Bob Sandrick - Nov. 19, 2019 https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/11/akron-real-estate-firm-proposes-three-building-development-at-ohio-82-i-77.html "An Akron developer has proposed replacing a BP station at the southwest corner of Ohio 82 and Interstate 77 with three new buildings, including an office, a Starbucks and a Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center. LRC Realty would partner with Dellagnese Construction, another Akron firm, on the project. The proposed site measures about 5 acres. Most of the land is vacant behind the BP station." https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3142069,-81.65254,360m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

U.S. EPA announces $3.6 million in Lake Erie grants Laura Johnston - Nov. 19, 2019 https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/11/us-epa-announces-3-million-in-lake-erie-grants.html "The U.S. EPA on Tuesday announced $3.6 million in grants to clean and protect Lake Erie. The five grants will remove the Brecksville dam on the Cuyahoga River ($800,000), improve wetlands on Sandusky Bay ($285,000), stabilize the banks of Euclid Creek ($374,865), reduce phosphorus runoff($1,000,000), control invasive species and address areas of concern across the lake.

Not much new information on the pipe dream project study. I didn't recall from the study announcement that the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission chipped in some funds. I have very low confidence in something like this ever getting built, but an alignment along (on top of?) the turnpike makes the most sense I guess. Hyperloop study shows potential for big economic gains, fast travel from Cleveland to Chicago Steven Litt - Nov. 18, 2019 https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/11/hyperloop-study-shows-potential-for-big-economic-gains-fast-travel-from-cleveland-to-chicago.html "Transit-oriented development around hyperloop stations would produce $75 billion in increased property values, with $15 billion in Cleveland within a 20-block radius around a station. ... The Richard K. Mellon Foundation of Pittsburgh added $100,000 to the Cleveland-Chicago study to make sure Pittsburgh was included, Gallucci said. NOACA and HTT split the initial $1.2 million cost of the analysis."

This is great to see, and should be a nice improvement over the existing building/conditions of the lot. A lot better than yet another dollar store, "Councilman Blaine Griffin, whose Ward 6 includes Larchmere, said First Interstate was one of several developers he recruited to redevelop the site, adding that residents of the neighborhood were about to start a petition drive against a proposed dollar store there when he started seeking alternatives to the owner's retenanting the building." https://www.google.com/maps/@41.488003,-81.5977012,3a,75y,40.31h,92.05t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAtqyc8fdwL3WIheOLKHrzg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DAtqyc8fdwL3WIheOLKHrzg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D236.62794%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en Unrelated, but Baba Yaga's cafe across the street from this site is some of the best vegan food in town. Also, Loganberry at the other end of Larchmere is an awesome bookstore. The area is too often overlooked and one of the cities best kept secrets.

Brandywine, Boston Mills and Alpine Valley should see improvements next season after purchase by Vail Resorts Susan Glaser - Nov. 17, 2019 https://www.cleveland.com/news/g66l-2019/11/b4b3d78d633197/brandywine-boston-mills-and-alpine-valley-should-see-improvements-next-season-after-purchase-by-vail-resorts.html "'We’ll see a lot more improvements after this season,' promised Jake Campbell, the general manager of all three Northeast Ohio ski resorts. 'We’re asking people to be patient. They’re the best ski company in the world.' ... Campbell, a Medina County native who was promoted to general manager last year, said local skiers and boarders can expect mostly the status quo this year. The most immediate change, he said, is the addition of the Ohio resorts to Vail’s Epic Pass, which gives skiers access to all of Vail’s 37 resorts, plus nearly two dozen other affiliated areas." Not much new information here since the initial announcement by Vail when it acquired Peak Resorts. Undisclosed updates will come next season and fears over pass price increases persist. It does underscore the importance of eastern metro areas as key to the long term viability of the ski industry as its one of the only places where they can increase youth participation (most likely the main reason for the acquisition in the first place). In regards to the potential future improvements, my speculation is that it won't be anything too big as long as they keep to the $15 million figure for the entire Peak Resorts portfolio of 17 resorts for the next few seasons. It they were to follow other regional mountains, snow making and grooming capabilities would seem a likely investment as it help keep them open longer through increasingly sporadic winters. Knowing what Vail has prioritized in the past at other resorts they have acquired, a revamped or renovated lodge for Boston Mills would be a more likely large scale capital improvement (over revamped lifts). Boston Mills current facility can get quite crowded, especially with the ski school crowds, and a larger cafeteria and bar will be a primary way in which they could increase profits from the resort. Also, the two larger in state resorts of Mad River and nearby Brandywine have recently built new, and significantly larger, main lodges. TL;DR - New improvements to Brandywine/Boston Mills remain unclear, but will begin next year. Concerns remain over increases to various passes.