jmc8651

^ I think he is moving into the vacant "middle eastern foods building" next to the WSM and across from Bier Market.

There are some signs of life at the Cleveland Athletic Club building...a few workers from Coon Restoration have been there the last of couple of days. Right now they aren't doing any work to the building, it looked like they were just taking a close look at the upper floors. Hopefully this is a sign that the purchase by former members is moving along.

Facade work started on the Allegro Building, former Morse Graphics, last week. It already looks much better after just a couple days.

I walked past the Propsect side of the building and noticed a board with redernings on it. It had renderings for a sports bar/ virtual driving range. I couldn't make out too many details but it showed a Wii station, hi def golf simulators and a small bar. It was in the space where a convenient store was proposed. I would much rather see the convenient store but at least this is a unique idea.

Nice article about the CUDC move to Playhouse Square in the Kent student newspaper, apparently they will move in over winter break. I tired to post a link directly to the aticle but the link would not work. Just search "CUDC move" and it's the first article. http://www.kentnewsnet.com/

I sent the writer an email about his portrayal of downtown. It was pretty short but I just pointed out the number of people living downtown, east 4th, playhouse square, new office tower in the flats etc. Also, I mentioned the recent NY Times "36 hours" article.

I doubted that a Starbucks could work in Steelyard. Putting two locations there, including the Target store, was just stupid.

University Lofts has started leasing. Also I saw some construction workers in the former Morse Graphics building next door to University Lofts. I think a restaurant is going in that space.

^^ I don't think there really is a schedule for the closing, the decisions just have to be carried out by June 2010. My wife works at a parish which is merging and they've been free to move at their own pace so long as that June deadline is respected. However, it wouldn't surpise me if the Bishop was pressing some of the priests to close their parish sooner to avoid closings all at once.

^^ Columbus had a deficit of something like $100 million dollars this year, so I doubt people in Columbus proper woulld agree that sprawl hasn't hurt the city.

I park at the garage on Euclid between 668 and the City Club. It's $125 a month but it's staffed 24/7 and over the last 3 years I've never had a problem.

Does anything good happen when a club is open on a Sunday night? Moda, Spy Bar now View..great Man Shot Outside Downtown Nightclub Victim Taken To Hospital POSTED: 8:11 am EDT August 3, 2009 UPDATED: 12:09 pm EDT August 3, 2009 http://www.newsnet5.com/news/20262073/detail.html CLEVELAND -- A man was shot in downtown Cleveland early Monday morning. Cleveland police said the man was shot at about 1:55 a.m. outside The View Nightclub near East Fourth Street and Prospect Avenue. The victim was shot in the buttock and left thigh. Emergency crews rushed him to the hospital. There was no immediate word on his condition. Police have made no arrests. They are looking for the gunman

At the Take a Hike Tour on Thursday, the director of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Association said they closed on the deal for the old Vivo space.

This sounds like good news... http://www.csuohio.edu/class/com/clevelandstater/copy/News110401.html CSU acquires Heritage Suites, Prospect apartment complex BY VINCE FRATIANI Cleveland State University expanded campus housing when it won a June bid on the mortgage for the Heritage Suites Apartments at Prospect Avenue and East 22nd Street, according to Jack Boyle, vice president for business affairs and finance. “The YMCA defaulted on [its] mortgage with [The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development] and it went to public auction,” Boyle said. Since Ohio law prohibits the use of state money for student housing, not only does campus housing have to be self-supporting, but the university has to be creative to make such purchases. The Euclid Avenue Housing Corporation (EAHC) is a nonprofit entity controlled by the university that handles many of the university’s building contracts. EAHC was formed in 2005 for the Fenn Tower renovation project. It serves as an entity that builds on behalf of CSU, according to Boyle. EAHC is able to access tax exempt bonds to fund building projects and operate without taking away from CSU’s budget. For example, the new Sough Garage on the site of the old Z Lot at Carnegie Avenue and East 22nd Street is financed by EAHC and the RTA. The revenue that the corporation makes pays for 100 percent of the borrowing, according to Boyle, who also serves as the corporation’s president. Revenue could include housing contracts at Heritage Suites or parking charges in the case of the South Garage example. Nobody working for EAHC is paid for their services to this nonprofit organization. “[EAHC] borrowed the purchase price from the Cleveland State University Foundation (CSUF), [which] will treat the loan as an investment,” Boyle said, “CSUF will receive interest payments from the project.” The YMCA hired American Campus Communities, which operates the Fenn Tower and Viking Hall residence facilities, to manage the building while EAHC negotiates to buy the building since it already controls the mortgage. Current Heritage Suites residents who attend CSU have no need to worry, but non-CSU residents will soon be looking for new accommodations. “Currently, about two-thirds of the residents are CSU students. As leases expire, the non-CSU students will have to move,” Boyle explained. Ultimately, the building will operate as a dorm, but will most likely operate as living space for graduate and upper class students, Boyle said. The university wants to regulate legally who lives in these apartments. “We want the area developed as residential housing in support of CSU. Some of the uses there now are not compatible with that goal,” Boyle said. The plan for university-related housing south of campus doesn’t stop with Heritage Suites. “Our goal for the [YMCA] property is to hold it until a developer is able to gain control of the two adjoining properties and to ultimately create an additional rental area south of Prospect that would include Heritage Suites and Walker [&] Weeks (nearby apartments on Prospect Avenue),” said Boyle.

I spoke with the building manager for the former Waterhouse space. She said they should have a lease signed this week and the resturaunt is aiming for an October opening.

Jac's on West 6th is now Lust Nightclub. Hopefully it will do better than Jac's did.

You're going to have to venture a little outside of downtown to get those things. There is a furniture store in Tower City but I think it's geared more towards large pieces of furniture instead of small stuff like shower curtains. Steelyard Commons is a few miles south of downtown and has Target, Walmart and Best Buy. As for getting there, I'll defer to someone who knows more about RTA. Also there's Surroundings on St. Clair between W. 6th and W. 9th but it's also mostly geared towards big ticket items.

For the people in the construction/architecture biz, is it viable to sell this complex off in pieces? I would imagine that the 1010 building on Euclid would be an appealing residential development, but I could also see how it would be hard to redevelop the tower itself without the surrounding parking or buildings. The Rosetta piece of this is interesting. Didn't Chase Bank vacate a lot of space in tower city last year? Regardless of where they end up, a major employer heading downtown would be amazing news.

This is great news, any word on what law firms they have lined up? I rememeber hearing Baker Hostetler, currently in the National City Building, was looking for space. Does anyone think its possible they lured Tuker Ellis away from the flats project?

In the former Machu Picchu space on East 8th/Euclid by CVS, I saw a coming soon sign for Johnny's Hideaway. Anyone hear about this?

The convenience store will be awesome, assuming it's open to at least 9. I'm pleasantly surprised by the restaurant choice, I was expecting another casual sports bar kind of place.

Some new retail in the Warehouse District... http://opensource.sys-con.com/node/990430 Sugar Footwear Opens New Store in Historic Warehouse District of Downtown Cleveland, Ohio June 4, 2009 12:04 PM EDT Related Print Email Feedback Add This Blog This CLEVELAND, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugar Footwear, a unique and innovative shoe store in the famous warehouse district of downtown Cleveland, announces the opening of its flagship boutique. The 600-square-foot upscale boutique, located at 1415 West 9th street will be the retailers first store. It will offer one-of-a-kind designer shoe brands for today's high-fashion woman. The shopping experience will be centered around an exceptional customer experience and will be led by industry-leading retail veterans. The store boasts of its high profiled designer names, eye-catching European shoe designs and hard to find sizes. "I am excite to be opening my first retail shop in the Cleveland metropolitan area," said Josetta Balford, President and owner of Sugar Footwear. "This store will offer a great selection for Clevelanders and tourists as well. Whether customers are looking for the hottest footwear, beloved old styles or are hoping to discover a new designer, they will find something perfect to suit their taste. My goal is to open additional stores in neighboring states, including Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky," Balford continues. Balford is also owner of Identity Salon, a highly successful beauty salon and spa located in the Cleveland Heights area. The public is invited to enjoy an open house of shopping and entertainment on Thursday, June 4. The open house begins at 11am with a reception starting at 7pm, which will include food, local entertainment and shoe exhibits.

Welcome to the forum! I don't know too much about those areas but I would like to point out one thing. As you may know, the City of Cleveland requires all its employees to live within the City. Many of them live in Westpark and this has kept the neighborhood stable. However, the state has outlawed residency requirements and the Ohio Supreme Court will rule on the issue soon. If the ban on residency requirements is upheld this will be devastating for the neighborhood. Obviously the area will not collapse overnight but if you're concerned about home values over the long term this is pretty important. Good luck with your home search.

http://www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/26307 East Flats Development Project Getting Back On Track Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Topics: Economy Download MP3 / RSS RSS A development projects in Cleveland’s east Flats that stalled last year is looking good to start up again this summer. Ideastream’s Bill rice reports. The mixed use development project begun by developer Scott Wolstein ground to a halt last fall, a victim of the credit freeze created by turmoil in the financial sector. Now, Wolstein says, banks are still not lending for new development projects. But he’s finding other financing sources, such as loans from the state, private and public bond issues, and direct investment in infrastructure from agencies like the Cleveland Water and Sewer District. All told, he says, it’s enough to proceed with the project’s first phase… Wolstein: “...which would be about a 240 million dollar project that would include the office tower anchored by Ernst and Young and Tucker Ellis and West. Also the hotel, and some retail, parking garage and other amenities.” Not all of the financing pieces are in place yet, but Wolstein says they probably will be within a few weeks. He says he hopes to get the project back underway within sixty days, and have office space ready for tenants by 2011. The second phase will include more retail, along with entertainment venues and residential housing. Wolstein plans to finance that through the banking system when the real estate market begins to rebound.

The small picture on the woio website lists 2012 west 25th as the address.