^Love that last quote -- Corna is exactly right. It doesn't sound like he's asking industries to move if they don't want to, so I don't understand why Barricelli et al. are so upset.

Great to hear about this moving along! I have more confidence in this project happening than in just about any other downtown, because of K&D's record of quiet accomplishment.

I really like this whole building by building approach.  a dense neighborhood full of well designed 8-12 story buildings will be great for the flats.  Im wondering whats going to happen in regard to the gambling issue though.  what if it doesnt pass, and i dont think it will, will Nautica be interested in doing something else with the property?

 

 

“It would be hard” to co-exist, said Mr. Plotz, who quickly added, “I’m not sure I want to hear this” when he was told about K&D’s parking lot purchase.

 

The drama! It sounded like the guy might have fainted, lol. Some people would have our waterfront look like a broken cinderblock forever.

 

Seriously though, a residential-industrial-retail mix could easily work there. The ships, the train, Lake Erie, the River, the huge piles of whatever at the Port, etc-- they are all scenic in their own way. It's all part of the fabric of the Flats that make the area so unique. 

 

Anyway, perhaps a specific industrial access road or tunnel to handle the large trucks would benefit both residents and local businesses alike.

 

 

 

p.s. Why do I have the feeling that if the Casino vote passes, the West Bank can look forward to more stunning new buildings in the great, archetectual stylings of Christies Cabaret?

I do think that this is an issue. There are so many semi trucks that traverse the flats every day. They are the lifeblood to many of the industrial businesses that Cleveland needs.  These messy, dusty and loud vehicles take away from the residential experience.  I wonder how much KD takes this into account when planning out this huge project. Don't get me wrong, I am all for a beautiful residential west bank. However, we can't chase away hundreds of jobs to do so.  We need a port/east bank/west bank/whiskey island masterplan that keeps the city's overall interests in mind.

..  I wonder how much KD takes this into account when planning out this huge project. ..

you guys and your "details" . I will say it again (as I may not have said it on this thread!)- these folks are more visionaries than detail people. But your point is excellent and should be considered. I wonder if they can have some different routes for trucks.  for what it is worth the truck traffic is busiest during the week, when most people are at work. still while most us like the industrial aspects of barges, bridges and even trains, air brakes screeching on semis is not as endearing. That horrible blind 4 way diagonally skewed intersection where Washington W. 25th and another street (name?)meet  needs something to be done to it. It is already bad enough with all the trucks California stopping their way through it. Add a few thousand people to the mix? nightmare.

i wonder if anyone is thinking of starting up trolley service under the detroit-superior bridge as part of this masterplan?

Good point, Wim. It would be interesting to tally up exactly how many industrial businesses are left down there, how much truck traffic they generate and what routes those trucks use. If everyone could work together, I bet trucks could be routed onto certain roads where little or no residential development is planned.

i wonder if anyone is thinking of starting up trolley service under the detroit-superior bridge as part of this masterplan?

 

At the West Shoreway meeting last week, somebody asked Craig Hebrebrand this question (but in regards to the shore project). He said no and 'seemed' surprised to hear it. Like nobody ever thogouht of that before.

 

Good point, Wim. It would be interesting to tally up exactly how many industrial businesses are left down there, how much truck traffic they generate and what routes those trucks use. If everyone could work together, I bet trucks could be routed onto certain roads where little or no residential development is planned.

 

I thought the Cuyahoga River Valley Intermodal Connector study and Quigley Road Connector were addressing all of this.

Good point, Wim. It would be interesting to tally up exactly how many industrial businesses are left down there, how much truck traffic they generate and what routes those trucks use. If everyone could work together, I bet trucks could be routed onto certain roads where little or no residential development is planned.

 

I thought the Cuyahoga River Valley Intermodal Connector study and Quigley Road Connector were addressing all of this.

 

I was going to suggest that's probably what's going to be needed for moving the truck traffic remaining in the Flats as the West Bank project proceeds. And, Corna mentioned to me that the aggregates businesses can literally be located anywhere along a waterfront, though the port island is probably the best place for it.

 

And, nice to see Crain's has finally caught up to this story!  :wink:

Everything thats in the flats now can co-exist fine.  Adding a little bit of retail would be fine.  The problem would be the casinos.  Car traffic all day long in a port area that sees a lot of truck traffic would not be a smart move.  Little granny coming to the flats to drop a few nickels in machines would likely get crushed underneath a dump truck.  Personally, if we're going to have slots in OH, keep it at the horse tracks.

^Right on.  And it would be so not-cool if the huge parking demands of a casino blocked the growth of the K&D projects.  I'm definitely hoping Jacobs doesn't get his cash cow down there.  If there needs to be a casino in town, put in the Muny lot so it can be part of the waterfront line tourist corridor (and so the minimum wage, zero benefits employees can get there easily).

it is nice that another media outlet is pickin up on this story!  first, KJP Enterprises, then Crains... someday, the PD may even find out about it!

 

I, too, thought about the intermodal connector when reading the above posts.  The final product wouldn't remove industrial traffic from this area, but it would certainly provide a more clearly designated, efficient route to follow.

 

In addition, we should keep in mind that the first project K&D did down there was the County Engineer's building.  I'm quite certain that they chose that location for reasons of convenience and that they don't mind a little industrial traffic.  Heck, it may even inspire them to work harder!  So, with that in mind, I'm hoping that K&D has a little more commercial space planned for the northward expansion.  This would not only buffer the industrial from the residential uses, but it could also fill one of those office niches we like to talk about.

 

That, and a little more planned greenspace between the river and Wendy Park couldn't hurt!

I, too, thought about the intermodal connector when reading the above posts.  The final product wouldn't remove industrial traffic from this area, but it would certainly provide a more clearly designated, efficient route to follow.

 

And running below street level, as the proposed routing I've seen would have it use the former Erie-Lackawanna RR right of way. That railroad ran north to the erstwhile ore docks on the old river channel. The docks had Hulett unloaders too, and were located next to the Garrett Morgan water intake plant.

 

I'd like to see the Flats Intermodal Connector be built for trucks and trains, with rails in the pavement, to provide a freight route to the new port island.

To be fair to the industrial side....

I have heard of places that are cool, for whatever reason, and people want to live near it.  Then more and more people want to live there, because that is the new area of town.  Suddenly, the reason it was a draw for people, becomes a problem for the second or third wave of people, who spent all sorts of money to live in the hot new area.  Then they complain about the problem and have the "problem" removed from their community.

 

I know of this from bars and entertainment areas, but I think the possibility exists in the Flats as well.  But the K&D guys know what they are doing, so I think they will, in time, be able to put the industrial owners minds to rest.

Now if Wolstein could just get his act together..

 

Flats in Flux

Developer Tricarichi lands $3.3M in East Bank property, eyes restaurant placement

 

By STAN BULLARD

 

6:00 am, August 7, 2006

 

A blue Makita power saw carrying case sits on the leather seat in the back of Michael Tricarichi’s gold Lexus SUV. It’s a tip-off to the hands-on way he and his partners plan to revive Old River Road south of Main Avenue.

 

With the recent $1.2 million acquisition of the empty Frank Morrison & Son building, 1330 Old River, and the building that’s home to BW3 at 1313 Old River, Mr. Tricarichi’s Telecom Acquisition Corp. now owns five commercial buildings in the Flats. All five buildings are just outside developer Scott Wolstein’s proposed $230 million Flats East Bank condo and retail development on the north side of Main.

 

The recent purchases are in addition to $2.1 million Telecom already has invested south of Main. Those buys include the building that housed the old River’s Edge, 1198 Old River; an unnamed one-story building at 1204 Old River; and the three-story Beacon Hausheer Marine Co. building, 1220 Old River.

 

Although there are tenants in two of the five properties — BW3 at 1313 Old River and Lucic nightclub at 1204 Old River — Mr. Tricarichi has a grass-roots plan to resurrect the three empty storefronts Telecom Acquisition controls. With two partners who know the food business, Mr. Tricarichi plans to form joint ventures to install their own concepts instead of leasing the spaces to operators.

 

One of Mr. Tricarichi’s partners in the real estate and in the soon-to-be-developed eateries is David Rudiger, a partner in the Blind Pig bar and pizza shop in the Warehouse District and three other bar-restaurants in Tremont and Westlake. The other is Rocco Whalen, who is partners with Mr. Rudiger in the Farenheit restaurant in Tremont.

 

 

“They’ll handle the food side, and I’ll handle the real estate,” Mr. Tricarichi said, noting the strategy allows the group to exert more control over operations than if the space were leased to outside tenants. Should a venture fail, fixtures could remain for the next concept the partners develop, a far-sighted approach to the Flats, which tends to churn restaurants and nightspots.

 

Concepts for the new restaurants are in the early stages.

 

“I don’t want a lot of boxes and Applebee’s,” Mr. Rudiger said. “I want home-grown Cleveland flair.”

 

The emphasis is on food, not drinks. “Leave the club scene up on the hill,” Mr. Rudiger said, in the neighboring Warehouse District.

 

Mr. Tricarichi added, “Our demographic is 30- to 50-year-old people.”

 

 

 

Prep work begins

 

First up is a concept the partners wouldn’t detail at the former Calabria’s restaurant space in the Morrison building. However, the partners also are working on the onetime River’s Edge bar and deli at 1198 Old River near the Main Avenue bridge. A new roof already is on the structure, and a new air conditioning system is on its way, Mr. Tricarichi said.

 

He also has ordered an elevator for the three-story Beacon Hausheer building, 1220 Old River, and is replacing an inoperable one at the Morrison building. Mr. Tricarichi said he’s interviewing architects to prepare drawings of the old buildings that are needed for future work. He plans to use the top floor in the Frank Morrison & Son Building as offices for his newly formed East Bank South LLC development company for his and Mr. Rudiger’s holdings. At this point, he plans to offer empty upper floors in the buildings as office space.

 

“We don’t want to tear anything down but work with what’s there,” Mr. Tricarichi said.

 

 

A closer look at the East Bank of the Flats.

Photo credit: KRISTEN WILSON 

 

 

Appetite for more

 

Mr. Tricarichi said he’s discussed joint operations or development efforts with Michael Samsel, president of Samsel Supply Co., the other major property owner on that section of Old River with six buildings. Mr. Samsel’s properties are the most viable on the strip, housing his construction and maritime supply firm in a building on the east side of Old River. Across the street, Samsel Realty has office tenants, Arhaus and the empty onetime-landmark Watermark restaurant space in two charming Victorian-era buildings at 1250 and 1269 Old River.

 

Mr. Samsel said “nothing’s etched in stone” as far as joint efforts go. However, Mr. Samsel said he’s pleased with his new neighbor.

 

“They’re working hard over there,” he said.

 

The two groups between them control one of the most intact parts of the Flats shipping heritage, so much so that the low-rise commercial buildings from 1220 to 1330 Old River were added in February to the National Register of Historic Places as “The Old River Road Historic District.”

 

Mr. Tricarichi wants to buy more property on Old River south of Main, but parcels aren’t available. The largest unused property left is the former Odeon Concert Club, 1295 Old River, which closed March 1.

 

Michael Belkin, Chagrin Falls-based Ohio Valley president of Live Nation of Miami, which owns the Odeon building, said “We’re just sitting on it.”

 

 

 

'A discount buy'

 

Some Flats insiders privately wonder if Mr. Tricarichi’s game is speculating to profit from reselling the properties later. Mr. Tricarichi insists that’s not the case, and he has taken more care than simply buying the buildings. He said he has talked to Councilman Joe Cimperman, whose Ward 13 includes the Flats, and Mayor Frank Jackson’s staff, although he doesn’t plan to ask for low-interest loans or other city aid.

 

Mr. Cimperman finds Mr. Tricarichi’s investments encouraging.

 

“He understands the importance of doing something,” he said.

 

Mr. Tricarichi’s built and sold two cellular phone concerns in Cleveland, but has dabbled in Las Vegas and West Coast condos since buying a house in 2003 in Las Vegas while retaining a home in Chesterland. That perspective shapes his view of the Flats beyond a 52-year-old’s memories of better times there.

 

“I see this as a discount buy,” Mr. Tricarichi said. “Where else in America can you buy waterfront land for less than $100 a square foot?”

 

Mr. Tricarichi also has a novel rationale for selling his first Flats acquisition, the former Jimmy’s bar at 1061 Old River, for the Wolstein project.

 

“Unlike most of the other people down there,” he said of Old River north of Main, “I plan to be here after the smoke clears. Wolstein’s project will benefit me.”

 

 

 

“We don’t want to tear anything down but work with what’s there,” Mr. Tricarichi said.

 

:clap:

 

Great news all around. I'm glad to hear they're already starting work, too. I'm starting to feel "planned" out!

“We don’t want to tear anything down but work with what’s there,” Mr. Tricarichi said.

 

^why would you tear anything down?  Its 95% intact with some awesome buildings. 

I'm not sure I understand surfohio's post.

Great news!  This one's been flying under the radar to this point, but it's the type of stuff that we need to see spinning off throughout Downtown and the rest of the city.

I like that Settlers Lading will finally be getting the high end stuff around it that it deserves.  It is a beautiful landscape there on the river. 

I really wish that they could continue the walkway that hugs the river at Settlers.  Building a boardwalk that starts at settlers, continues past the Arhaus/Watermark block and into the Wolstein development would create a great space that would keep people in the Flats after a dinner or would provide a great stroll for those living in the warehouses on W.9th.

This sounds more MY speed. It's sort of pathetic that I'm 20 years under the demo, though. lol. Says something about me I guess.

 

I also like that they are getting this done without making a big fuss. As my journalism teachers used to say, show don't tell!

Here comes the announcement (copied from a graphics-laden PDF invitation)...

__________________

 

You'll soon receive your personal invitation to a major announcement about

STONEBRIDGE

Condominiums [] Apartments

Commercial [] Retail

And the redevelopment of the West Bank of the Flats

Held on Superior Viaduct

4:00PM, Thursday, Sept. 21

Followed by

a reception and party

Is this an open invitation?

I don't know, but I thought the folks here should know when the announcement is going to be made. What was sent to me was a "save the date" e-mail, with few other details. A follow-up e-mail was promised to follow the e-mailed notice in the coming days/weeks.

^well, if its on the viaduct then its probably open to the public.

I heard it is an invitation thing, but perhaps it is only the reception after the announcement that has an invite involved  ... I have been verbally promised an invite, I won't hold my breath, and if KJP, isn't there, I promise to try and take notes unlike the Christmas party I was at last year with bob corna and forgot all the juicy details.  :drunk:  regardless if I am invited, I will crash it. it woulnt be the first time, I can assure you. I am guessing we all already know the scoop, but it will be fun to see if there is anything new.

 

 

it's on my Google calendar!

 

Stonebridge developers planning 1,200 new homes in Flats

Wednesday, September 20, 2006 

12:08 p.m.

 

Tomorrow afternoon, at a ribbon-cutting for their next building, developers Doug Price and Bob Corna will announce plans for 1,200 new homes and an additional 650,000 square feet of office and retail space on the west bank of the Flats.

 

Scott Wolstein's redevelopment proposal for the east bank gets much of the buzz. But as Price observes from his perch across the river, "those guys don't even have a shovel in the ground."

 

Price and Corna already have about 400 housing units and another 108 under construction for the growing Stonebridge neighborhood on the west bank.

 

Stonebridge Place, which will include 100 townhouse lofts, will lead the Stonebridge's latter phases of development. Eventually, Price and Corna see the neighborhood extending north on Center Street and piggybacking off redevelopment plans they have for the Superior Viaduct.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/business/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_business/archives/2006_09.html#185711

 

Is Stonebridge place what is currently under construction, or the next phase?

holy crap!  in a good way

Is Stonebridge place what is currently under construction, or the next phase?

 

Yes. Stonebridge is the whole line-up of apartment/condo buildings along the old Superior Viaduct. The same developers, plus David Jacobs (aka "Son of Dick"), are pushing this major expansion northward toward the lake. But we should hear more details about that tomorrow.

Do these guys have pre-construction sales requirements to meet, b/c you never hear of that when they announce their projects?  Maybe they just have the money up front to construct.

Do these guys have pre-construction sales requirements to meet, b/c you never hear of that when they announce their projects?  Maybe they just have the money up front to construct.

 

i think they had private money for the first building, made it apartments, then sold some off and used that money for the next phase.

 

other developers in cleveland should take note of their strategy and start small and keep growing.  there are 10 other areas near downtown where this type of approach would work - including many of the warehouse parking lots.    the legacy village/crocker park wholesale construction just doesn't work as well in the city. 

Stonebridge is apparently what "Peachtree" is to Atlanta. Here's the breakdown:

 

Stonebridge Waterfront - (apartments) the first two buildings on the south side of the viaduct. They're the first two you see as you cross the swing bridge.

 

Stonebridge Center - 8-ish story office building with Ponte Vecchio and Cuyahoga County Engineer's office, north of the viaduct.

 

Stonebridge Towers - (condo) - the 12-story tower on the west end of the Detroit-Superior Bridge.

 

Stonebridge Plaza - (condo) - 12-story condo tower currently under construction.

 

Stonebridge Place - (townhomes) - this newly announced 100-townhome project.

 

Hope this helps :-)

Seems like they are marketing Stonebridge Towers as Stonebridge Condominums now

Goes without saying, but if someone can go with a camera, please try to get any pics of renderings/site plans they might have.

 

Thanks! :-)

I just rsvp'd, so I'm locked in!  I can't stay for the whole thing, however...

looks like gomez got a little confused.  here is the updated PD bit:

 

 

Stonebridge developers plan 1,500 new homes in Flats

 

12:08 p.m. (updated 3:06 p.m.)

 

The developers behind Stonebridge, already an unlikely success story on the west bank of the Flats, plan to add about 1,500 homes and 935,000 square feet of office and retail space to their growing neighborhood.

 

Architect Bob Corna and Doug Price, chief executive of K&D Group Inc., will announce the expansion tomorrow afternoon at a ribbon-cutting for the next two phases of their project.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/business/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_business/archives/2006_09.html#185711

The PD posted a podcast interview with the Stonebridge people: http://www.cleveland.com/business/audio/index.ssf?/business/audio/kroll.html

 

I"m still trying to get it to work, lol. It was posted today, though.

 

edit: OH, snap, "wild dogs and dead bodies" =)

 

I LIKE WHAT CORNA IS SAYING! He wants to bring Tremont and Ohio City in there....cool.

Good stuff.  He gets it.  He also microwaves his lunch.

 

He even touches on a few hot button political issues...gambling & tax abatement.

 

I wonder what his residents...current & future...would think about placing a casino at the fore of future phases for the West Bank.

 

 

Some of the same, plus some new details and questions.  I was hoping someone was looking into a TIF district with all this development going on and it sounds like they're on top of it!

 

Big plans for west bank of Flats

Henry J. Gomez

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

The developers behind Stonebridge — already an unlikely success story on the west bank of the Flats — want to add about 1,500 homes and 935,000 square feet of office and retail space to their growing neighborhood.

 

Doug Price, chief executive of K&D Group Inc., and partner Bob Corna will announce the expansion this afternoon at a ribbon-cutting for the next two phases of their project.

 

“I know this sounds a little Disneyland-ish,” said Corna, who envisions glass elevators and a series of walkways that connect the west and east banks with Whiskey Island.

 

Then again, Corna said, the mere idea of the neighborhood seemed Disneyland-ish when he first proposed it more than 10 years ago. With about 500 housing units already built or under construction, Stonebridge has surprised its original skeptics.

 

Prices on the existing Stonebridge units, almost all of which have been sold or leased, range from $140,000 for a one-bedroom plan to more than $1 million for a penthouse suite....

 

http://search.cleveland.com/Big+plans+for+west+bank+of+Flats?date_range=all

 

 

other developers in cleveland should take note of their strategy and start small and keep growing.  there are 10 other areas near downtown where this type of approach would work - including many of the warehouse parking lots.    the legacy village/crocker park wholesale construction just doesn't work as well in the city. 

 

Amen!  Corna/Price have the formula down so right, esp for this city.  Think how successful, say, Stark could be if he took Stronebridge's approach and built a couple small, new buildings fronting Johnson/Jobbers/Chamberlain block on W. 6th -- think of how much synergy good looking new buildings mixed in w/ the warehouses would create toward developing an ongoing colossus like what Stonebridge has become.  But nooo.  Stark, like others, want to generate this bank/public-funded home run.  Doesn't work that way in Cleveland.  It usually ends up with a bunch of selfish, bickering chef's who want their piece as well as the project developed in their image.  This town  very conservative, esp toward downtown and in-town trendy areas.  It's very difficult to build consensus and momentum in Cleveland the way other cities do.  Neighborhoods we consider hot have taken years, decades to get where they are (and most, like Ohio City, which we consider great by our standards are, but most big city standars, still quite a ways away from being 'there' yet ... Look at how slow even a short block like E.4th has taken, and only now its about half way there with the year-late Lola's opening... Cleveland's very conservative when it comes to high-impact/visibility positive development in the city -- unlike how the Crocker's, Legacy's, La Place's and Eton's are thrown up overnight... It's why Corna/Price smirk at big-splash Wolstein across the riv with his big splash/big pol/media event condo project that, going on 2 years later, hasn't turned a spade of dirt (Scott, like late daddy Bart never met a taxpayer cushion he didn't love)...

 

All I know is that since the 1st time I was (pleasantly) visually assaulted with the eye-catching Stonebridge apts 5 years ago at the foot of the Center swing bridge, I was excited, and had no doubt that the project would continue developing into the mega-compact/high-density mixed use project that it has become.  Is the Price/Corna approach rocket science or an innate gene in local developers to perpetually want to do the wrong thing?

hmm are there any renderings up yet of whats to be built?

I've not see them, but I will inquire this afternoon. They're supposed to be giving us a press packet, so we'll see what goodies are in there.

 

And Stark has never said he expects to see his downtown vision built all at once. He fully expects it will take decades to realize. But there needs to be a goal to shoot for, with a number of developers and elected officials lined to participate in achieving that goal. That's what he trying to do.

There is a graphic in the paper. I admit, the footprint for the future phases is not as big as I thought it would be.

There is a graphic in the paper. I admit, the footprint for the future phases is not as big as I thought it would be.

Maybe that means they're going to be tall then. 

There is a graphic in the paper. I admit, the footprint for the future phases is not as big as I thought it would be.

Maybe that means they're going to be tall then. 

 

tall buildings next to parking lots don't make for a quaint neighborhood