Htsguy

The Raye has finally updated its website to include all the floor plans with starting prices for the apartments. As I suspected, and probably for good reason given the quality of design, amenities and location, prices are up there, especially if you want any significant square footage. The quoted prices are "starting prices" so I imagine the number increases as you get higher up in the building. Of course, while the units are pricey for Cleveland, a New Yorker would be jumping up and down if they could get a one or two bedroom with a balcony for the quoted prices.

I know it is apples and oranges given the size and scope and money poured into the project, but as part of the massive and beautiful restoration of the Battersea Power plant in London (which includes tons of development around it including the US Embassy), not only were the smokestacks retained but I believe they were actually rebuilt. Again it is hard to compare but I guess the point is retaining smoke stacks as part of a redevelopment is not an outlier.

Sorry for going off topic but can you again access Crains via the CC Library? About 3-4 months ago I was having trouble signing on with my library card so I called the library and was told that Crains was no longer available for free through the library. I thought that was strange since the link was still on the website but I took the guy at his word since I could not access it.

I believe there is actually room as I recall the issue being discussed at PC but I don't think there are any current plans for one. In plain English, no money at this time and the focus of the "boardwalk people" are currently elsewhere in the Flats.

Looks like a cheap and poorly done imitation of a style found more and more in cities like NYC but which tend to be more upscale and with better quality designs and finishes.

Excellent article Ken. Very informative and filled with lots of new news. That said, why do I have this feeling that I will never see any of this in my lifetime?

They used to a long time ago, but why would they if they still have a functioning, Wolstein center, even with all its problems.

Look above. They are not tearing down Wolstein Center anytime soon. Certainly not until a new arena is built.

I had a really bad experience with, believe it or not, new construction later in life. It really soured me (and cost me a lot of money) on home ownership, new or old (I have owned both) and I now see myself as a renter until the grim reaper comes a calling. If I have problems with a rental property or landlord (hopefully not) I can just easily move on.

I worked there in the late 80s and early 90s when the Jacobs owned it. My firm moved in just as the Galleria was opening. They had also just completed many improvements to the actual tower in conjunction with the opening of the mall. It was wonderful then. Well maintained and bustling.

I understand the teams move but this is the first I have heard that there are plans to demo Wolstein in the "near future". I understand this is the eventual plan but I cannot see it happening anytime soon as they are not even close to completing a replacement facility. I known an RFP was issued a while ago in connection with building a new arena on Payne, as part of a possible mixed use development, but that proposal has been crickets for a long time now. The odds of such a development happening are probably even more suspect now given the schools current financial situation. I guess the basketball team could go back to playing in Woodling Gym or even Rocket Field House but....I really highly doubt Wolstein is slated for demo any time soon.

So true and unfortunately for the city this time it is not his usual baby stuff. This is one of Cleveland's prime buildings he some how got his hands on and his failure as a developer will be felt more deeply.

Nope. Just highly knowledgeable and a do it yourself type (unlike me) given the types of jobs he has had over the years including as an electrician when he was very young. Like I said, he is a valuable resource in our extended family, especially now given the truth of what @Jenny posted above about it often being necessary to remove the common inspection contingency clause these days when initiating a home purchase agreement.

I am still wondering if it might be the case that this project is in serious trouble. Again there has been no news in ages and no signs of movement. They have their TMUD (granted ages ago) and a city tax abatement (again this legislation passed almost 10 months ago). The city also passed step one legislation regarding an absolutely necessary TIF last October. I figured they would before council to finalize the TIF at the beginning of the year, but the development team has not moved an inch forward in this regard. Now council is going into summer recess with only two meetings planned until September. Historical these two meetings have dealt with emergency stuff and I don't believe there are any Planning and Development committee meetings scheduled until September in any event. The development team did indicate while before Planning and Development last October that their loan with Huntington Bank had been scaled back, but they seemed confident they could work through that. If anybody has some inside information indicating things are still on track, please spill the beans.

fire insurance????

This is clearly a problem and is compounded by the fact that most home buyers, especially young ones, don't have the expertise to uncover issues and are often just won over by shiny stainless steel appliances. As a rule nobody in our extended family buys a home without first having my brother walk through it and you'd be surprised how many times relatives have nixed buying a property they were really interested in after my brother pointed out all the problems, many of which they would not have even been looking for.

If I recall the presentation at Landmarks correctly, the front part of the building pretty much stays the same, just fixed up. The architect is Horton and Harper which means it is in good hands.

I wish I had a nickel for each time Blaine Griffin wonders out loud in a council committee meeting whether there are already too many hotel rooms downtown. I don't agree with him at all but I have to guess he is not coming up with that on his own. Somebody with a vested interest much be feeding him that "myth".

Buckley Building renovation including some apartments on the upper floors.

My thoughts for Building 2 would be something similar to the Cleveland Library Stokes Wing. Boxy with some sort of stone at the base (with touches of glass) and then glassy after this pedestal in either a round or oval shape and of course pretty tall so it makes a statement on the skyline.

The tower is fine. Still hate the shack on the Jacobs lot. Should have been twice as big, look less like a suburban medical office building and should have contained more public amenities.

It is interesting how the development world turns. Or maybe it is just my own ineptitude. This is the one and only thread I ever started. Way back in Oct 2014 so we are approaching 10 years. At the time my number one guess was the Brinkman Duck Island development (and to be fair to me a number of posters at the time agreed). As we know, not only was it not first, it didn't even happen-although we "eventually" got a scaled down development on the site (Waterford Bluffs). What is really sad is that two of the examples I used as possibly being ready for ground breaking "at any time now" didn't-and won't-even happen (Nucleus and a second Flats East Bank Office Building). And my saddest prediction of something that was going to be happen quite soon. LAKEFRONT DEVELOPMENT. Like I said, ten years ago and we are still in limbo. Although in reality this has been a sad 40 year saga. One University Circle and Lumen were also on my list and thank god they did eventually happen.

Quite frankly there is still too much land to develop in the downtown core. Why spend millions in public funds on an isolated area surrounded by freeways and an unattractive industrial valley in order to create another entertainment district or what ever. If private developers want to take a crack at extending downtown south, more power to them, but lets us keep the public focus on the lakefront, river and near east side which themselves are going to be huge challenges. The public well is only so deep.

Who are these people? Are they allowed to vote?😉

Doesn't the actual park have a long way to go funding wise? If I recall correctly they have only raise about a third of the cost (stabilization work is fully funded).