Htsguy

And to think much of this could have been surface parking if not for the hard work of the early PHS pioneers. It blows my mind thinking of what we could have lost.

Is anything actually happening on the site of this project? If I recall correctly, at the two Planning Commission meetings in May where the revised project plan was submitted for final approval, the presenters keep emphasizing they had to have immediate final approval so they could get shovels in the ground as soon as possible since construction costs just keep rising and rising.

Ken, you and a couple of other forum posters are killing me.🤫

They are pre-leasing. I believe a regular poster to this forum has signed up for an apartment.

Full? Really? The top floors don't even have exterior walls yet.

What a mess

Why in the future? Do it when they build the new garage. It has been a while since we've seen the Hessler folks throw a hissy fit. It should be fun to watch.

The requested tax abatement passed today in council committee. The project received a generally positive response and it was clear that Blaine Griffin has been lobbied behind the scenes for a while. Project reps were up front with the committee that they will be back shortly to request a TIF and that the granting of one was the only way the project moves forward. Interesting that while the Kassouff name was thrown around, not one family member was at the table. Probably because they were embarrassed by their companies resume which was placed on a screen during the presentation. Decades of property ownership/development and only three small projects to their name, despite their constant chest pounding. The biggest was probably the FBI building. They should just face it, they are a parking lot company.

He flew end for the last day of the Feast in Little Italy. He heard how good Corbo's lemon ice is and just had to get himself some.

It just seems to me, given all the facts presented by Ken in his article, that the most logical result if there is a merger is that they will stay in 200 Public Square.

I think @X should go after Elon for trademark infringement. After all he has been using "X" for a long time. We should start a go fund me for attorneys fees. I think we would only need to raise like a hundred million for that purpose. 😉

Well it will certainly be new and refreshing to follow an announced project that actually has its financing in place.

I have never heard anything regarding the Dolans or Blitzer ever being involved in the riverfront. Moreover, talk of a ballpark village close by Rocket and Progressive Field has been almost non-existent lately. I believe the Dolans are more focused on the massive renovations to the stadium which will take the next 2-3 years. And you rarely ever hear anything about Blitzer any more. As far as I know the Dolans do not actually own any substantial real estate downtown, in fact many not own any, and certainly nothing on the riverfront. About their only connection to the riverfront is that the are majority owners (and maybe not for long) of a baseball team that leases a publicly owned ballpark that is kind of near the river. On the other hand Bedrock and other Gilbert affiliates own and have owned for a pretty long time huge swaths of real estate from West 3rd to Ontario and beyond (former Nucleus site), including significant acreage actually touching the river. Finally, Gilbert is vastly more wealthy than the Dolans. I would not mind having the Dolan's money, but I don't believe they are in the same league as the cousin in New York.

I guess I am confused why you believe the Dolans would be or should be involved.

Apples and oranges. Battersea is absolute huge. Moreover the cost for that renovation was crazy.

I cannot imagine that the owners of Higbee Building would have a problem going month to month for a tenant that large for a while if the building is still not finished when the lease expires, probably at a slightly increased rent. I am sure there won't be any companies banging down the doors to take up that much space in that old of a building which would cause them to kick Rocket out.

could part of the problem be that it is summer and real golf is available. There is a similar facility near me which has been open about 2 years now and the parking lot is packed during cooler weather months but not so much in the summer.

Some of the most misleading political tv advertising I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot) was in support of this issue.

The most recent public subsidy was a $2 million loan from Cuyahoga county back in June.

BZA granted all the necessary variance this morning for the 14 unit apartment development proposed for the corner of Cornell and Random. Hopefully we will see shovels in the ground before the end of the year.

From what I have read over the years it is just as bad or even worse in Chicago. I don't know if this is still the case but the ward alderman, basically on his own, can shoot a project down and he usually does so due to complains from neighbors and constituents.

Height-Parking. Height-Parking. Height-Parking. Over and over in public meetings. It really gets ridiculous after a while.

^The above is spot on and well stated. Abortion is the reason we are voting on this tomorrow no matter how ridiculously the GOP asserts otherwise. However, as implied above, this referendum provides the GOP the added benefit of keeping their grip on power in a new different manner. I am sure there are a sizable number of people comprising the Republican electorate (although still the minority) who could case less about restricting abortion and might even favor abortion rights but view Issue 1 as a golden opportunity to consolidate GOP power and are voting YES for that reason alone. That is the voting bloc which makes me nervous as it might tilt the election in the YES camps favor.

Obviously some developers will figure it out but you won't see it in the burbs, especially the sprawling burbs like Mayfield, at levels we have seen and will see in downtown and denser suburban areas. I just don't think the numbers will work in most cases...in other words high enough rents.

By the way, my skepticism revolving around the possible attractiveness of turning suburban offices into residences is bolstered by the approaching (or maybe it has already happened) demolition of the former TRW/Cleveland Clinic building in Lyndhurst. If there ever was a suburban building ripe for conversion if would be this one. It was a top notch design and quality built facility in a gorgeous natural setting, yet still close to tons of retail and other housing and high end amenities found on the far east side. In fact, if a path was built, residents would have just a short walk to Legacy Village not to mention a 4-5 minute car ride to Beachwood Place, LaPlace and all the surrounding convenience shopping on Mayfield and Cedar. A metro park is right across the street if all the nature surrounding the building was not enough and I-271 is a half mile away. Other high end multi family housing is in the neighborhood including many condos. Yet it is going to go Kaboom.