KJP

It would be cool, but there's a couple of big parking lots at the top of the hill that should be the focus of the public and private sectors. George still has to put up his billboard on Opportunity Corridor first.

I couldn't guess because I don't know the behind-the-scenes activity regarding their efforts to secure financing and dealing with other market headwinds. This current proposal, sans hotel, dates to early 2024 and possibly earlier. When did they nail down the bulk of their financing for this version of Bridgeworks? I have no idea. Should we count prior versions of Bridgeworks going back to 2019? When I saw the county make this surplus property available in 2018, I thought -- "What an amazing site! Look at its terrific location!" If someone would have told me seven years later the same buildings would still be sitting there rotting away, I would have highly doubted it. We have to do better in the private and public sectors to deliver projects in a much more timely manner.

Bridgeworks shows signs of lifeBy Ken Prendergast / May 30, 2025 While the development team for the $84 million mixed-use Bridgeworks project in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood is finalizing construction permits with the city, the team decided to take a step that could accelerate the project and get it underway sooner. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/05/30/bridgeworks-shows-signs-of-life/

Banking on a large East Cleveland developmentBy Ken Prendergast / May 30, 2025 Cuyahoga Land Bank and First National Bank (FNB) have announced a new partnership to accelerate development in the Circle East District in East Cleveland by supporting homeownership. Since 2022, the land bank has been busily rebuilding this neighborhood next to University Circle from the sewers up. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/05/30/banking-on-a-large-east-cleveland-development/

This is how many electric interurbans were profitable -- they were syndicates and trusts that combined transportation, electric utility generation/transmission and real estate all under one roof. But rural interests hated these trusts and united with the automobile lobby to form fake grassroots organizations to bust the trusts in the New Deal era. A Supreme Court decision circa 1930 forced the dissolution of these trusts, requiring their pieces to be sold off. The Northern Ohio Traction & Light which linked Cleveland, Akron, Canton and New Philadelphia with 80 mph electrically powered trains (on what is today Ohio Route 8 north of Ohio 303) was among those split up. Its transportation operations were acquired by bus operators and its electric utilities later changed its name to Ohio Edison. So, in our nation's desire to return to the Gilded Age including all of its excesses, abuses and instability, perhaps a bright spot might be the restoration of these trusts to actually build rail transit again as part of a conglomerate. On the intercity transport side, that's what Brightline is doing.

Learn from others...... from Michael McLean on LinkedIn: This morning, Illinois lawmakers introduced legislation that would allow Chicago's transit agencies to develop real estate around their stations—a proven strategy used worldwide to make transit systems financially sustainable. Here's how this value capture model works: When transit agencies build housing, offices, and retail around stations, they directly capture the economic value their service creates. In this model, the agency directly profits from the increased property values and foot traffic around their stations. Transit agencies in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore use real estate revenue to fund operations and expand their networks. Instead of relying solely on fare revenue and government subsidies, they become self-sustaining through smart development. Tonight I mapped the zones where transit agencies would have the authority to develop real estate, if this bill becomes law. https://misterclean.github.io/people_over_parking_2025/transit_supportive_development_map.html

Shoreway Tower photo update from May 27. Are these steel tubes that were sitting in the staging area on West 78th forms for a concrete utility tunnel or perhaps for the base of the tower crane?

It's next to the same power source as the H5 Data Center. But this seems to have a Ferrari Tower vibe to it. In fact, when the PD reported on that "project," its backers proceeded to immediately remove its public listing from the Web, just like Chaim Schochet and Newmark did with Two Cleveland Center after I reported on it -- although you can still see it here: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/E-12th-St-Cleveland-OH/35555015/ Schochet was angry with me but he acknowledged he and his mystery partners are still looking at a new use for the site. There was another proposal for that spot from 5-10 years ago for a shorter office building. I thought I'd saved a rendering of it but I can't seem to find it.

Bohn Tower in Cleveland is 204 feet tall. This is proposed to be 242 feet tall. So there! 😁

Miceli Dairy anticipates doubling its employmentBy Ken Prendergast / May 29, 2025 When Miceli Dairy Products, 2721 E. 90th St. in Cleveland, broke ground today for the expansion of its new cold storage facilities, it also teased a follow-on project — a planned new research center plus mozzarella cheese manufacturing plant next to the Opportunity Corridor Boulevard. These additions in the coming years are anticipated to double Miceli’s current employment of 250 people. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/05/29/miceli-dairy-anticipates-doubling-its-employment/

BTW, the light-rail system that I considered most like heavy rail was in Los Angeles. Each rail car is long, hinged in the middle, and operates in three-car sets. So it looks like a six-car train at first glance. The mostly operate on dedicated rights of way, with the Green Line (now called the C Line) operated most like a heavy-rail metro infrastructure-wise but its trains are usually only two cars and don't run as frequently as the Blue Line (A line) or run with three-car trains. But I was most impressed with the Expo Line (E Line) to Santa Monica which has three-car trains, dedicated right of way, fast running, nice mix of riders which was pretty heavy, and lots of development along its line.

I recall the planning commission harping on Silverhills having a publicly accessible water's edge through here.

That's a big price for a small home! 😮

I thought it looked like a Dimit product.

The difference is based on the extent and construction of right of way features for each system. Admittedly, sometimes they get so blurred, it's hard to tell them apart. But at their extreme, a heavy-rail system will typically have a grade-separated (no level crossings) right of way with stations having high-level platforms to offer faster boarding/alighting on/from the trains. They are also usually powered from an electric third rail. Cleveland's heavy rail system is rare in that regard in that it draws power from the overhead lines. Operationally, a heavy rail system will usually have longer trains and greater frequencies than the light rail system. But much of that operational characteristic is offered by the built-in capacity of the right of way. Light-rail systems can operate in streets or on dedicated rights of way but will still usually have grade crossings with streets. Because of this, they usually draw their power from overhead lines, have low-level platforms are even board from sidewalks or streets. The trains are shorter and tend to have less scheduled frequency. But some light rail systems do have high level platforms and grade-separated rights of way and that's when the difference between the two systems start to blur. In Chicago, the outer parts of the heavy-rail El system have street crossings. In Pittsburgh, Buffalo and other cities, portions of their light-rail systems operate in a subway while other portions are operate as a streetcar.

They might want to wait this one out. If this ends in state forfeiture, they could get the property for a song.

Note that the article was significantly edited. They DID not want this out there so soon -- and yet put it on LoopNet and Coyne's owned publicly available site. It had been public for a month.

When a newly created GCRTA (consolidating Cleveland’s rail system under one owner) was considering replacing its rail fleets, there was near if not total unanimity among GCRTA staff in the late 1970s to make it an all-light-rail system. But the GM at the time (Ronis) said Cleveland deserves to be among the Chicagos, Phillys, Bostons of the world and have a heavy-rail system. So having a two-mode rail system was about vanity, not practicality.

I think Coyne really believes in data centers because he's talked about them before. But I don't understand how a vertical data center would work financially. I understand data centers are in demand and may pay well as tenants. But a vertical data center may be very expensive. Perhaps he's just trying to bump up the price of the land but as with everything, time reveals all plots.

New downtown office tower/data center in the worksBy Ken Prendergast / May 28, 2025 Suggesting the construction of an office building in Downtown Cleveland, which is still recovering from the pandemic, seemed like a strange idea. And it was until the listing for it was pulled from marketing sites shortly after NEOtrans wrote about it. Turns out the proposed Two Cleveland Center was publicized prematurely. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/05/28/new-downtown-office-tower-data-center-in-the-works/

How about some potential good news for a change?

Adcom is planning to expand its office space on the fourth-floor at 1468 West 9th.

Algart Health Care, 8902 Detroit Ave., plans a patient wing addition to it existing facility. It's a small addition so not sure it's worth an article.

Lakefront funding survives federal scrutinyBy Ken Prendergast / May 27, 2025 After taking office in January, the Trump Administration began scrutinizing recently awarded federal grants. In response, local, state and federal elected officials from Northeast Ohio scrambled. Their goal was to make sure that federal grants awarded to Greater Cleveland agencies weren’t frozen or, worse, terminated. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/05/27/lakefront-funding-survives-federal-scrutiny/

When was the last time you walked to a store or a park? I find that walking improves my mood, not just my physical health. But in much of America, you can't walk to anything nearby. You are forced to drive. That is not freedom... “The United States, with its enormous highways, sprawling suburbs and neglected public transport systems, is one of the most car-dependent countries in the world. But this arrangement of obligatory driving is making many Americans actively unhappy, new research has found.” Via @guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/29/extreme-car-dependency-unhappiness-americans