CleveFan

I don't think I'm the only one eagerly awaiting KJP's update/news on the Nautica situation (I didn't say project, lol). I almost forgot the scope of the AoDK designs until I reread some of the thread and revisited the amazing video on vimeo, posted here in early 2019 by @Mendo . After what we've been through over the last two months, I have to say all the fretting we usually do about retail and mixed-use development might change in a future world that is quickly arriving. I also have to laugh and agree with @CLE_Millennial when he said, "you're all crazy - the west side of the flats looks like trash.." I might not have said it exactly that way, but there is a balance between preserving historic buildings and the energy of progress. Maybe we tend to fall in love with our old things and want to hold on to them when some aren’t worth keeping. If we ever got something like the AoDK design on that kind of scope, I'd take it in a New York minute. Imagine that kind of development in that location, as downtown, Hingetown and Ohio City all continue to grow. . This is bigger than my pay grade, but one certainty for an uncertain future might be residential. in the next few years, we could be spending more time than ever in our homes- they might have more importance in our lives than ever before. How this world crisis affects how cities are planned and built could become an intriguing subject in itself. Anyway, now, at least the west bank parcel is up for sale, providing some big visions for the area. Whether you like the particular designs we’ve seen, the possibilities are exciting. In the short term, maybe the crisis puts everything on a major pause. I just hope I see this site transform into another amazing Cleveland success story.

Very nice marketing brochure! So, given the progress and visibility of the project, is this a major concern? (I know we’re in an unprecedented market due to the crisis, perhaps I’m answering my own question?)

Manhattan currently has 70,000 per square mile, so I doubt 76,000 is accurate.

An impressive footprint -From that view, hopefully within a couple short years we’ll be able to see the top of the SW Tower peaking up behind the Federal Courthouse.

Yes thanks to Paul in Cleveland. I had asked about this the other day - I think Paul’s photos show that the reason for the appearance of the lighter color on the higher floors is due to the lack of a reflection from neighboring buildings at that higher level.

That’s a spectacular main level. Hope the hotel returns in the very near future and that the project still moves forward straightaway.

Why do the windows appear so much darker on the top 10 or so floors ?

The thumbnail of that video underscores why I hope that Nucleus One winds up in a lighter color as it appears in the newest massing we’ve seen here on UO. The PNC Bank Tower looks really good and I don’t think it would appear as clean and contemporary in a dark gray or brown. And though Nucleus One will be 60 feet shorter than PNC, It will still make an excellent contribution to the feeling of density in the skyline as we see from The Beacon.(How are those panels working for you guys after a few months?) These are the kinds of things that are sort of nice to distract us for a few minutes in a pandemic - for some of us.

Nice!! Just imagine how good that shot is going to look in a couple years.

Thanks to KJP for the great blog and some much needed news to whet our appetites on SW. A lot of positives in that article, mostly the idea of some outside-the-box thinking that could really honor Cleveland's history in the "superblock" area rather than "just" a shiny new complex. (I love shiny and new, but the challenge of building a 21st century HQ and incorporating architectural inspiration from the past is extremely interesting.) I have to admit that PPG Place in Pittsburgh did come to mind - though I know some on this forum really dislike that complex. One of my questions - would SW's main tower have to incorporate any historic design considerations due to its location - or are we just talking about the area that might be the parking structure, based on initial massing? Speaking of that, there's definitely irony that we'll replace Cleveland's largest parking crater with its largest parking structure. How that is executed will be critical. I hope there's a way to design that structure so that it has an interesting street level presence because it will apparently dominate the whole block. And if it's by paying homage to the past and garnering state aid in the process, it sure seems, at first brush (sorry) to be a great idea. Another bit of enticing news - the idea that the tower may exceed 30 stories. Even a modest adjustment up - say to 33 stories at 17 feet a floor - which seems completely possible - would yield a 560 foot tower - and become the city's new 4th tallest building. And I've got to think that it will fit into the Cleveland skyline much more nicely than Stark's Jenga tower would have, by far. Can't wait to see the initial renderings and I hope it's they're not far away.

This is an exciting opportunity and big challenge with the potential of being the cornerstone of a great neighborhood in the 9/12 district. If this conversion is really happening, it will be the rebirth of a 55 year old vision never fully realized. One things for sure-the views, particularly from higher floors of the tower, would be unbeatable. I’d love to see the return of a restaurant on the top floor.

My God it’s 2020.....we can teach interactive classes in every public school but we can’t have a design committee meeting?

The look of the curtain is very effective. Creative touch and whether it’s a big banner or a projection of one form or another, it’s gonna be great..

As KJP said upthread, Stark is guilty of being a showman and unveiling projects, particularly the original Nucleus, that are just not ready for prime time. He is often critiqued in this Forum - I’m sure at times, fairly. But he did produce the first downtown residential high rise in 40 plus years - though that was a 10 year journey. He now seems to have a 25 story office tower on the verge of construction. He deserves his props.

The world we live in now - I don’t know that’s the reason for these planters but that’s the first thing I thought too.

So back on the design, I think this is a big win for the city. I strongly disliked the look of the previous Nucleus apartment building. For me, this is addition by subtraction with the caveat that a Nucleus 2 tower will aspire more towards the Lumen than Reserve Square. If this PNC style coloration is the actual look, it should provide a much more contemporary “pop” and reflect that other towers’ clean elegance. The new office tower is more subtle, but we still get some interesting lines in the buildings dimensions. Would’ve been sweet to see it extended up to 400 feet but..... I also love the new look/proposal for the Herold Building which apparently is part of the package. I know it’s been a long frustrating journey but I think Stark got it right on this latest version that should be able to get underway in the short term. and yes, to echo earlier posters, the planning commission needs to figure out how to get on with their work without thinking they have to do it exactly like they did in the 20th century.

That projection screen is going to really accent the theatrical streetscape of Playhouse Square and bring a touch of Broadway to the country’s second largest performing arts center. Really looking forward to seeing it it lit up.

Thanks for sharing that link - really nostalgic photos indeed! I hope everybody checks them out. Man, we knew how to turn on the style back then...

This building is a perfect symbol and microcosm of the Cleveland narrative - a rich and great history being proudly revived for a new century and new generations to enjoy. Many younger and some now larger American cities simply don’t have this kind of architecture.

Typically informative and excellent NEOtrans article. Very unfortunate that the 12th Ave. condos will now be apartments, but when you think about necessary recovery time from the crisis, it’s probably a great strategic move. Those will be very attractive apartments and the last thing we need is new condos sitting on a market where way too few can buy. I’m thrilled to see SHW say they’re keeping a 2023 move in date, but that does seem extraordinarily fast.

If downtown keeps producing wonderful living options like this, I think the goal of 30,000 residents by 2030 will be rather easily met. Great graphics from Euclid Grand there!

I know this time is different. But it's strange how on a number of occasions, as Cleveland was on the verge of a game changing tower or project - at the last minute disaster strikes sending a mega-project to the unbuilt file. In 87 it was Progressive's 60 story project at the end of the mall that died before it started - as the insurance company hit some financial problems. Then, just a year later, 1988 brought a game-changing proposal for the 1200 foot Ameritrust Tower on the Jacobs lot - which got killed by Ameritrust's merger with Society Bank. Fast forward 30 or so years past Nucleus (I wont go there) into 2020, just as the SHW World Headquarters is just getting cooking- and this time - it's the CoronaVirus Pandemic with the future uncertain and the economy on the ropes. Obviously - first things first - we've got to take care of people, as a country, and do all that we can to defeat the virus and minimize the pain. But just to be a little selfish for a moment - and put on my Forum Hat - this moment feels a little scary in terms of Cleveland development. I'm sure (or was sure) that SHW would be moving full steam ahead with their project - but then the news late Monday shook that confidence just a bit. I hope that the virus is completely defeated in the coming months - many Americans have done their part so far- and research work, testing development and medication trials are happening with intensity. There will be a new normal to get back to - and hopefully it's sooner than later - but it will come. And Cleveland will go on, in a new decade that up until just weeks ago had a lot of momentum and the most positive energy the city has seen in many decades. I'm cautiously optimistic that we won't see a major slowdown in the plans to build the SHW HQ project. But it's certainly too soon to know exactly where any of this is going just yet. Hopefully SHW has their eyes firmly on the vision of this new world headquarters rising in this city on more-or-less the original timeline. Hopefully, this is a relatively short delay while the company takes a deep breath, takes care of its people and determines fairly quickly that it's time to move forward Maybe we'll get some calming messages from some of you most connected Forum insiders that can reassure us. But if you feel just a bit nervous, I get it.

Many of you in the Cleveland area have probably seen this story on the local news. I didn't see it discussed/posted here in the Forum, so for those who missed it on ABC News in their 6:30 broadcast March 25, I'm sharing it here. For me, this was the kind of story that represented Cleveland in the best possible light - featuring one of the city's greatest institutions and human nature at its best. Great to know that a national audience saw it.

Wouldn’t it be great to see the Gilman building restored to its former glory?

Perhaps this is the April 1 “joke” for this year?