April 17, 20205 yr WXZ's was hacked months ago. I'm amazed it hasn't been fixed or embargoed or something yet. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 20, 20205 yr http://heightsobserver.org/read/2020/04/20/toh-opponents-seek-to-place-advisory-vote-on-fall-ballot The insanity continues.
April 20, 20205 yr Has any work commenced on the Top of the Hill site? I am guessing no since somebody would have mentioned it but I do note that the April 6th closing of the parking lot (per the top of the hill website) was not extended as it had been previously due to various delays, so I thought maybe at least a bulldozer is moving around asphalt or something.
April 20, 20205 yr 15 minutes ago, TBideon said: "detrimental impact on their property values." Who are these idiots? It's a very tight market these days, the "scenic field and parking lot view" condo market. Views like that don't come around every day, and they're really irreplacable once they're gone!!
April 20, 20205 yr 4 minutes ago, LlamaLawyer said: It's a very tight market these days, the "scenic field and parking lot view" condo market. Views like that don't come around every day, and they're really irreplacable once they're gone!! They probably feel their constitutional right to have a municipal surface parking lot next to their property is being trampled.
April 20, 20205 yr 45 minutes ago, Htsguy said: Has any work commenced on the Top of the Hill site? I am guessing no since somebody would have mentioned it but I do note that the April 6th closing of the parking lot (per the top of the hill website) was not extended as it had been previously due to various delays, so I thought maybe at least a bulldozer is moving around asphalt or something. No work as of yesterday, assuming today is the same. But perhaps there is some activity with it being a start of work week?
April 20, 20205 yr 1 hour ago, LlamaLawyer said: http://heightsobserver.org/read/2020/04/20/toh-opponents-seek-to-place-advisory-vote-on-fall-ballot The insanity continues. I had to see if this by chance was THE Don King. Nope, it's this Don King... http://www.heightsobserver.org/read/2018/06/26/reverend-don-king-to-retire-after-40-years-of-ministry Note his quote at the end of this almost two year old article... King has lived in Cleveland Heights since 1985, in the Buckingham Condominiums at the corner of Fairmount and Euclid Heights boulevards. He plans to remain there following his retirement, “unless the proposed ‘Top of the Hill’ project botches things up,” he said with a smile.
April 23, 20205 yr If I lived in the Buckingham what I would really be up in arms about is that cheap looking student housing they are going to build across the street. I tuned in to the on line Design Review meeting this week and it seemed all the panel could do was sigh when confronted with the project.
April 23, 20205 yr 2 hours ago, Htsguy said: If I lived in the Buckingham what I would really be up in arms about is that cheap looking student housing they are going to build across the street. I tuned in to the on line Design Review meeting this week and it seemed all the panel could do was sigh when confronted with the project. Nah, I don't think there is much there is to complain about (but then again I may be in the minority that thinks that Top of the Hill will be good for Buckingham property values). First, the Buckingham is on the other side of the very wide Euclid Heights Blvd. with its center green space. Then there's a tall stone wall bordering Euclid Heights Blvd. on the property site. With a large number of mature trees just on the other side of the wall, most of which (the ones close to the wall) will remain. (The City did raise that issue and the developer promised to keep the trees.) There's a vacant house on the site, and that will remain (and be renovated). If you take a google streetview look from the Buckingham, you can barely make out the existing building. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5010838,-81.5964044,124a,35y,337.5h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3 Then there's the matter of the ugly EXISTING apartment building at Euclid Heights and Overlook..... these new buildings will fit right in and disappear behind the trees and wall as soon as they are finished, and won't change the character of the view nearly as much as Top of the Hill. Hooray for increased density.
May 6, 20205 yr Progress: Top of the Hill real estate closing sets stage for start of construction at gateway to Cleveland Heights https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/05/top-of-the-hill-project-closing-sets-stage-for-start-of-construction-at-gateway-to-cleveland-heights.html CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Years in the making, the deal has officially been signed on the dotted line for the Top of the Hill project. City officials took the final step today (May 5) with the closing on the financial package, essentially turning the project over for construction of the $83 million “catalytic gateway development” that could get under way this month, beginning with a 550-space parking garage. The developer, Flaherty & Collins of Indianapolis, and contractor Cleveland Construction anticipate an 18- to 24-month single-phase building cycle that should be nearing completion by the first half of 2022. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
May 6, 20205 yr Quote Buckingham spokesman Don King said earlier that a group of residents has retained an attorney to assist in mounting a petition initiative to get what appears to amount to a “no confidence” vote against the city on an upcoming ballot, which will be the subject of an upcoming story. After years of public meetings secretive, closed-door talks, the elected city counsel "they" finally had their way and overcame the vocal opposition by four retired architects, seven residents who live next door, and a feral cat the overwhelming majority of the people in order to build the first major development in the city in years the ugliest building in the County on a lot that used to house a large, ten-story tower was unequivocally the most beautiful grassy field in the state and the most utilized green-space in the western hemisphere.
May 6, 20205 yr One space can make the difference between a trophy and atrophy. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 7, 20205 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 7, 20205 yr I have friends moving into the new condos on Overlook this summer, excited to see this development (and hopefully surrounding area) grow!
May 7, 20205 yr ^^I am really surprised that some of the extra special NIMBYS who would show up at city council meetings are not laying in front of the bulldozers.
May 8, 20205 yr On 4/23/2020 at 4:52 PM, Foraker said: Nah, I don't think there is much there is to complain about (but then again I may be in the minority that thinks that Top of the Hill will be good for Buckingham property values). First, the Buckingham is on the other side of the very wide Euclid Heights Blvd. with its center green space. Then there's a tall stone wall bordering Euclid Heights Blvd. on the property site. With a large number of mature trees just on the other side of the wall, most of which (the ones close to the wall) will remain. (The City did raise that issue and the developer promised to keep the trees.) There's a vacant house on the site, and that will remain (and be renovated). If you take a google streetview look from the Buckingham, you can barely make out the existing building. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5010838,-81.5964044,124a,35y,337.5h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3 Then there's the matter of the ugly EXISTING apartment building at Euclid Heights and Overlook..... these new buildings will fit right in and disappear behind the trees and wall as soon as they are finished, and won't change the character of the view nearly as much as Top of the Hill. Hooray for increased density. I was watching the most recent CH council meeting on line and their was some cryptic discussion about this Herrick Mews project across from the Buckingham (which I personally hate as it looks cheap and I would prefer a more adult, upscale project at this location). A couple of council persons vaguely spoke about some communications they were getting from people and they wanted to some how investigate more. It was never clear what type of impute they were getting but it seemed as though it might have been very negative. It may be an incorrect impression on my part but it seemed as if council was a bit clueless regarding this project which seems strange since it has been in planning for some time and has even gone through design review (where I believe it was approve but the response of the panel was very lukewarm).
May 8, 20205 yr 10 minutes ago, Htsguy said: I was watching the most recent CH council meeting on line and their was some cryptic discussion about this Herrick Mews project across from the Buckingham (which I personally hate as it looks cheap and I would prefer a more adult, upscale project at this location). A couple of council persons vaguely spoke about some communications they were getting from people and they wanted to some how investigate more. It was never clear what type of impute they were getting but it seemed as though it might have been very negative. It may be an incorrect impression on my part but it seemed as if council was a bit clueless regarding this project which seems strange since it has been in planning for some time and has even gone through design review (where I believe it was approve but the response of the panel was very lukewarm). Maybe the Buckingham folks and architects should have focused on the blase, questionable development across the street rather than the pretty attractive and well thought out one next door.
May 8, 20205 yr 1 hour ago, Htsguy said: I was watching the most recent CH council meeting on line and their was some cryptic discussion about this Herrick Mews project across from the Buckingham (which I personally hate as it looks cheap and I would prefer a more adult, upscale project at this location). A couple of council persons vaguely spoke about some communications they were getting from people and they wanted to some how investigate more. It was never clear what type of impute they were getting but it seemed as though it might have been very negative. It may be an incorrect impression on my part but it seemed as if council was a bit clueless regarding this project which seems strange since it has been in planning for some time and has even gone through design review (where I believe it was approve but the response of the panel was very lukewarm). Council is not very up to date on development projects across the city. As you know, there are far far more plans that never come to fruition than there are projects that actually advance to construction. But several board members expressed an interest in getting more informed, if not more involved, in knowing what planned projects are out there. Mike Ungar chairs the planning committee and offered to host the rest of council at a planning committee meeting that would include an update on all of the projects in the planning pipeline. So we'll see. The project across the Euclid Heights Blvd. from the Buckingham was proposed by Integrity and if anyone is looking for more information I've heard it referred to as the "Integrity project." I still say that this project won't really be visible from the street unless you're really looking for it. It's cheap housing for students -- of course it's going to look cheap. Cheap housing has its place as do the expensive houses along Fairmount. The screening of this project by the wall and trees is far better than in other locations. So at the end of the day I don't see too much to complain about here. YMMV
May 19, 20205 yr TOH will be breaking ground soon. First area of fencing went up today and old Zoss building has been converted to construction office
May 22, 20205 yr Here is the progress on WXZ's development and the College Club renovation/conversion. New building has substantial street presence and stretches far back on the lot. The Howard Hanna sign also says that there are only 3 units left. Edited May 22, 20205 yr by kevincle
May 22, 20205 yr Looking great. I love how the shape compliments the existing structure. Surprising though we haven't heard from any neighbors about its imposing presence, and the absurd amount of shadows being cast ?
May 22, 20205 yr Those townhouses are not cheap. $650,000-900,000 range, so glad they are selling. WXZ does some great work for a small company. Interested to see what they do with the rental apartments as part of the old College Club renovation.
May 22, 20205 yr Residential real estate in C.H. right now is insane. I can’t speak to high priced properties but I’m licensed (just on the side from reg job, so do very few transactions) and helping my cousin buy a house and good houses under $200k are going instantly with multiple offers often selling for more than ask. I know Lakewood was like that a few years ago but I don’t think C.H. was. But is now and I’m actually pretty surprised it’s as active as it is especially with COVID. I’ve never seen C.H. as much of a seller’s market as it is right now.
May 22, 20205 yr Very interesting! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 22, 20205 yr It really is crazy how much tax dollars are saved for the new owners of tax abated properties. That is a huge reason why they can sell so high. But you have to imagine in 15 years the value of these properties will greatly diminish. Edited May 22, 20205 yr by cle_guy90
May 22, 20205 yr 11 hours ago, smith said: Residential real estate in C.H. right now is insane. I can’t speak to high priced properties but I’m licensed (just on the side from reg job, so do very few transactions) and helping my cousin buy a house and good houses under $200k are going instantly with multiple offers often selling for more than ask. I know Lakewood was like that a few years ago but I don’t think C.H. was. But is now and I’m actually pretty surprised it’s as active as it is especially with COVID. I’ve never seen C.H. as much of a seller’s market as it is right now. This may well be a "certain price point/limited supply" phenomenom. My sister in Hudson just sold her house last Saturday after one day on the market. She had multiple bids and it sold for over the asking price. Her friends across the street listed their house yesterday and already have 20 showings scheduled for Saturday and the real estate agent is confident it will sell that day. On the other side my sister put bids in on two houses in Cuyahoga Falls and she lost both of them. Both sold the first day for over asking. Edited May 22, 20205 yr by Htsguy
May 22, 20205 yr 13 hours ago, smith said: Residential real estate in C.H. right now is insane. Are you seeing a north-south divide in those numbers? Is north-of-Mayfield selling as well?
May 22, 20205 yr This is very interesting and I'd love to discuss these real estate sales activities more. So I continued the conversation here: "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 22, 20205 yr "detrimental impact on their property values." Who are these idiots? They must be relatives of the Flats residences who oppose construction of any new high-rises in the west bank of the Flats. Don't they realize that IF all of the planned building were to occur their property values would sky-rocket? Idiots!
May 22, 20205 yr 22 minutes ago, cadmen said: "detrimental impact on their property values." Who are these idiots? They must be relatives of the Flats residences who oppose construction of any new high-rises in the west bank of the Flats. Don't they realize that IF all of the planned building were to occur their property values would sky-rocket? Idiots! I actually think the CH nimbyism is a lot worse than the Flats folks opposing 2208 Superior Viaduct so as to hardly be comparable. Some of the folks in the flats are going to have a lake view blocked, even if it's not a good lake view. The CH nimbyism is very different. A Cleveland.com article came out months ago talking about lackluster design and making a contrasting comparison to the Flatiron Building in NYC. In the follow up, I saw a number of people on the CH Nextdoor forums seriously arguing that the top of the hill development should have the same architectural impact as the Flatiron Building. It's just beyond me that there are actually people in CH who think their little inner ring suburb that's barely paying its own bills should reject new development unless it would appear on the front cover of Architect Magazine. Anyway, thankfully this thing is actually going forward notwithstanding the opposition. /end rant
May 29, 20205 yr Seems that Top of the Hill is finally underway – at long last. Trees coming down today in the lots on the Euclid Heights Blvd side of things. Wouldn't have been too surprised to see folks picketing.
June 1, 20205 yr More progress! Fencing is up, and excavators on site. And a building on the north side of Euclid Heights Blvd. east of Cedar Hill has even been demo’ed. Edited June 1, 20205 yr by Down_with_Ctown
June 1, 20205 yr They sure are moving fast now (Finally!). Saturday that house was still there. I usually don't like demos when we have so much vacant land as is, but removing a SFH for something like this is surely something that can be repeated.
June 10, 20205 yr Looks like the developer is now referring to this project as "The Ascent at Top of the Hill" https://flco.com/company-properties/top-of-the-hill-cleveland-heights/
June 25, 20204 yr Building hope: Suburban construction projects press on despite virus Douglas J. Guth, Thur. June 25, 2020 "Construction is set to begin on a 500-space parking garage, with developers projecting an 18- to 24-month building cycle that should be complete by early 2022. ... Cleveland Heights estimates a $14.3 million revenue boost over 32 years from the development, with Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools getting a $12.3 million infusion over 30 years." Link: https://www.freshwatercleveland.com/features/BuldinHope062520.aspx
August 3, 20204 yr Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development site on indefinite hold as agreement extension lapses https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/08/cedar-lee-meadowbrook-development-site-on-indefinite-hold-as-agreement-extension-lapses.html As for further notice on the roughly five acres of city property that had been under initial discussion as a mixed-use district for over a year, City Council may not revisit that proposal at least until September. This comes after the third 90-day extension on reaching a formal Development Agreement expired last month between the city and Cedar Lee Connection. City Council had voted on April 20 to extend the "Memorandum of Understanding" for another three months as it was set to lapse that day. "I can confirm that the 'MOU' did expire on July 20 and consensus on a Development Agreement was not reached," City Economic Development Director Tim Boland said on July 23. "I anticipate that when council reconvenes in September, the city will consider the direction for this project going forward." When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
August 3, 20204 yr 2 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development site on indefinite hold as agreement extension lapses https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/08/cedar-lee-meadowbrook-development-site-on-indefinite-hold-as-agreement-extension-lapses.html As for further notice on the roughly five acres of city property that had been under initial discussion as a mixed-use district for over a year, City Council may not revisit that proposal at least until September. This comes after the third 90-day extension on reaching a formal Development Agreement expired last month between the city and Cedar Lee Connection. City Council had voted on April 20 to extend the "Memorandum of Understanding" for another three months as it was set to lapse that day. "I can confirm that the 'MOU' did expire on July 20 and consensus on a Development Agreement was not reached," City Economic Development Director Tim Boland said on July 23. "I anticipate that when council reconvenes in September, the city will consider the direction for this project going forward." Ugh...the Meadowbrook parcel is Cleveland Hts. version of the Jacobs lot on Public Square. But this was in the cards when the extension was granted. I recall the council meeting where this extension was discussed and members of council did not look pleased and probably realized this was going to b e the end result.
August 3, 20204 yr 3 hours ago, Htsguy said: Ugh...the Meadowbrook parcel is Cleveland Hts. version of the Jacobs lot on Public Square. But this was in the cards when the extension was granted. I recall the council meeting where this extension was discussed and members of council did not look pleased and probably realized this was going to b e the end result. I wonder what the holdup was in reaching an agreement on a memorandum of understanding after so much time. My guess is that Cleveland Heights will go back to the drawing board here. Put out a new RFP and expand the site from Meadowbrook to Cedar. I believe the last RFP was for the Lee-Meadowbrook property only, and it was during negotiations for the MOU with the winning RFP bidder that the parking lot off Cedar was added to the project. The two vacant buildings on Cedar (old veterinary hospital and beauty school) are the only obstacles to that. (And remember that there were some issues with an ATT easement across the Lee-Meadowbrook property that remains an ongoing problem.)
August 13, 20204 yr Nighttown posted a nice aerial view on Facebook. The northwest side of the parking garage and central line of support columns are pretty clearly outlined. The south side of the parking garage will border the back of Nighttown and the temporary parking lot adjacent to Nighttown.
September 4, 20204 yr Top of the Hill activity proceeding full bore... the gateway to the Heights will be utterly transformed in no time!
September 8, 20204 yr City's offer to buy Millikin school building for $1 to explore development rejected by the school board. Off the table for now. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/09/ch-uh-school-board-rejects-dollar-offer-from-cleveland-heights-takes-millikin-property-off-market.html
September 11, 20204 yr On 8/3/2020 at 8:28 AM, Boomerang_Brian said: Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development site on indefinite hold as agreement extension lapses https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/09/cleveland-heights-goes-out-for-new-development-proposals-on-cedar-lee-meadowbrook-site.html
September 29, 20204 yr Not the best shot in the world, sorry, but I was in a hurry. Anyway, this is a look at the top of the hill portion of the project. The elevator shafts have sprouted! Meanwhile, on the Euclid Heights Blvd. side, the ground floor of a parking garage is emerging. About as exciting as it sounds, and I didn’t have time for a pic. :-).
September 29, 20204 yr Thanks for the update. I can't believe I was just over there and didn't think to walk by and check it out.
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