Look for a press release any day now on the final development plan for "Lot 45".  UCI put out an RFP last August I think for this parcel, 7 developers responded.  Shortlisted in December to two finalists and they've chosen a winner.  The project is going to be a huge attraction for the area, 12 story massing, sustainable design, includes office space, retail on ground floor, student housing, market rate apartments, large parking structure, connection to the new RTA stop and will totally change the pedestrian experience on Mayfield which is pretty miserable near the RR underpass to say the least.

^Well, you just made my day.  Maybe my week :)

 

Can't wait to hear more info and to see who the designers will be.

 

EDIT: might it be time to generate some good mojo and create a stand-alone Lot45 thread??  I can foresee many posts on the topic in the coming months/years.

Design will be upscale but nothing extraordinary like MOCAD.  The big news is the employers that are planning to locate within the development....

 

EDIT - definitely going to want a standalone thread for this development, plans are calling for it to be over $100 million

B...bb...b.bb..b..b...ut what will the commuters do without the surface parking lot?

Look for a press release any day now on the final development plan for "Lot 45".  UCI put out an RFP last August I think for this parcel, 7 developers responded.  Shortlisted in December to two finalists and they've chosen a winner.  The project is going to be a huge attraction for the area, 12 story massing, sustainable design, includes office space, retail on ground floor, student housing, market rate apartments, large parking structure, connection to the new RTA stop and will totally change the pedestrian experience on Mayfield which is pretty miserable near the RR underpass to say the least.

 

This sounds great. Sounds like everyone agrees this needs it own thread. So here it is!

Interesting stats came out of the presentation last night on Lot 45 - something like 90% of the people who work in University Circle, live over 5 miles away and like 75% of that number rents rather than owns.  Based on that, strong demand for market rate apartments.  Also, considering the research facilities nearby at Case, the cultural institutions nearby, and the medical facilities nearby, there is a real shortage of office space also.  Huge shortage of parking for the area as well - analysis indicates this is the limiting factor for bars & restaurants in the area, not the kitchen capacity or dining room capacity - most weekends you can't even park your car yourself if you wanted, you have to valet, and even then, it's not enough capacity.

That's odd.  I always manage to find a place to park.

Would these employers be from the suburbs?

That's odd.  I always manage to find a place to park.

 

Same here.  I go to Sergios and L'Albatros pretty regularly for dinner or drinks and never once have had trouble finding a spot on the street.  I always laugh at the surburbanites who pay to valet.  Same thing happens in Ohio City.

Little italy parking can be rough. Some nearby garages would be helpful.

Little italy parking can be rough. Some nearby garages would be helpful.

 

I dont go to little Itally but more parking garages in Cleveland is the last thing we need.

I'll take a garage over a surface lot....

 

I probably ride my bike to LI more than I drive, but when I do drive, I've never had any trouble getting a spot in the lot where Coltman is..... it's something like $3 IIRC

This is going to be a lot of fun to talk about in the next few years.

 

I have expressed in the past that this was the project in UC I was most looking forward to and given the description by Gottaplan above it will not disappoint.

 

I hope I am not being too bold in stating that this maybe turning into the most important project in a very busy UC scene (even more so than the art museum expansion perhaps).  There are a number of reasons for that in my opinion. 

 

First it's location and connectivity potential (UC and Little Italy, and actually Cleveland Hts).  In fact, its bridging of UC and the hill at this point is the most important aspect of the project.  Also,the location next to the rapid makes it one of Cleveland's few true TOD and will only enhance this station. 

 

The mixed use component is also key which really is still rare in Cleveland (I mean, retail, housing, offices and parking all in one building more or least connected to the rapid and other RTA transit...it will be like a mini TC...even better because of the housing component). 

 

The parking garage is solely needed for Little Italy in my opinion.  I am the type who has no probably driving around forever looking for a parking space in LI but would prefer to just park in this garage and make a couple block walk to the restaurants. 

 

Obviously it will bring new residents to the area.  It will also help connect the CIA to Mayfield and to that south part of CWRU beyond.  Finally the massing (12 stories) and cost (over 100 mil) will make it the major project in UC for the near future even with everything else going on.

 

Finally let's not forget we are losing an ugly surface parking lot.

 

Now I am just going to keep my fingers cost in terms of design.  I have high hopes.

The developer last night made the comment that this was the most important piece of real estate in NE Ohio.  Pretty heavy words when you consider other places getting redeveloped currently like FEB, Medmart, etc. 

 

Regardless, they really see UCI developing as another totally unique downtown area, fully revitalized, centered around higher education, medical, research, technology, and culture.

Very good news.

 

Too bad it isn't called Lot 49

 

The Jazz Butcher - Lot 49

 

 

The developer made the comment that this was the most important piece of real estate in NE Ohio.  Pretty heavy words when you consider other places getting redeveloped currently like FEB, Medmart, etc. 

 

Regardless, they really see UCI developing as another totally unique downtown area, fully revitalized, centered around higher education, medical, research, technology, and culture.

 

ahh yeah. bring it on!

 

can someone post developer links and other background info? i think there was a map?

ahh yeah. bring it on!

 

can someone post developer links and other background info? i think there was a map?

 

Here's an older map from two pages which I stitched together and added labels.....

 

 

can someone post developer links and other background info? i think there was a map?

 

Same request.  Is thread merging happening as I type this??

gottaplan - was the massing similar to what KJP posted above?

Yes, with a few small changes, but overall same layout.  Image above shows parking structure as the tallest, but proposal I saw had the other buildings projecting a few floors above the deck, highest being 10-12 stories.  E. 117th disappears along the RR, Circle drive continues across Mayfield & wraps around the back to reconnect to E. 117th.  Courtyard in the center was much smaller, more like a lightwell.  Also included developing the lot across on south side of Mayfield in front of the existing parking structure, closing Mayfield in with buildings along this section.

^well so far it just keeps getting better and better.

These parking perceptions are always super frustrating for a million reasons.  I dream of a not-too-distant-future where there is enough of a built-in or urban-savvy customer base for UC businesses that the neighborhood planning doesn't have to focus so much on lowest common denominator parking perceptions.

 

Question for folks: are the existing UH garages already open to the general public, or just to UH workers and patients?  Are these garages generally sitting mostly empty on evenings and weekends?

I wonder if Lot 45 will hurt Uptown's phase 2. Maron has to act on options to buy the land by sometime in 2012. And i keep hearing that the rents still don't seem high enough to merit new construction for the heights called for in Uptown's second phase.

I combined the postings from the UC thread with this new thread on Lot 45.

What do you mean, 3231?  The announced heights in Uptown's second phase weren't any higher than what's been built in the first phase, iirc?

What do you mean, 3231?  The announced heights in Uptown's second phase weren't any higher than what's been built in the first phase, iirc?

 

Nothing is set. It's just what I've picked up from conversations with people closer to the situation.

So do we have a confirmation on this project moving forward? I've not seen any press releases, news articles or renderings online yet.

^According to the very first line in this thread.....

 

Look for a press release any day now on the final development plan for "Lot 45". 

^According to the very first line in this thread.....

 

Look for a press release any day now on the final development plan for "Lot 45". 

 

Yes, but I'm impatient and news hungry. I want info NOW!

 

 

BTW, the text below in bold is the part I'm surprised and pleased to hear....

 

Yes, with a few small changes, but overall same layout.  Image above shows parking structure as the tallest, but proposal I saw had the other buildings projecting a few floors above the deck, highest being 10-12 stories.  E. 117th disappears along the RR, Circle drive continues across Mayfield & wraps around the back to reconnect to E. 117th.  Courtyard in the center was much smaller, more like a lightwell.  Also included developing the lot across on south side of Mayfield in front of the existing parking structure, closing Mayfield in with buildings along this section.

Regarding the parking: I had a chance to take a tour of UC with Chris Ronayne last week, and it was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. He has some grand plans for expanding development into East Cleveland and Glenville. He sees UC as being a good neighbor by encouraging spinoff development in the surrounding neighborhoods

 

But he mentioned how many people that commute into UC complain of the limited parking. His response was they should take the bus, as he wants UC to be a dense walkable environment, where parking is not placed at a premium. His comment was that he doesn't want a single surface parking lot in UC. I thought that was pretty exciting to hear.

^Love hearing that.  Wish he would have a talk with the powers at the Cleveland Clinic who seem to be in the surface parking lot expansion business lately.

By the way, with all the details that Gottaplan has provided I notice that he did not indicate "which" developer won.  I have my fingers crossed that it is not Coral.

By the way, with all the details that Gottaplan has provided I notice that he did not indicate "which" developer won.  I have my fingers crossed that it is not Coral.

 

Why?

Here is what I've been able to piece together from several sources:

 

http://neo-trans.blogspot.com/

 

The potential tenants are very exciting. I hope they sign leases, not just letters of intent!

^ Those are some big names!

KJP, where did you get those company names??

^^Except for the architect...  It's not like we need flashy starchitects for everything, but I find biolosky's stuff a bit meh.

 

But seriously, if that tenant roster is at all correct, just wow.  Thanks KJP for the digging!

I hope the sources gave me good info. I will be just as disappointed as you if they turn out to be untrue. But I got a tip and a second source confirmed it, so I felt comfortable enough to blog it.

Well KJP your post about Coral being the developer has tempered my enthusiasm a bit.

 

You asked why I was  hoping they did not win the development prize....Never have been impressed by much of what they have done, especially University Square at the corner of Taylor and Cedar.  Just as bad or worse is their re development of Cedar Center.

 

Moreover they have a rep for proposing grand plans and then things falling through.  The Cleveland Heights development you detailed in your blog is one example as well as a huge make over of downtown Solon.  If I recall correctly they also had some really big plans for Shaker Square when they became involved there (lots of proposed new apartment buildings) and nothing came of it.  Of course much of this was due to the economy and the financing drying up but not all.  My biggest problem with them is they are just lowest commom denominator much of the time.  Hopefully UCI will pressure them to follow through with the vision.

 

By the way, the tenant list you noted does not make much sense to me but I hope you are right.

On the contrary, if that tenant list proves to be true, I can see that making a lot of sense. Case is primarily an engineering school, so I can see it making sense from recruitment. The real estate is relatively inexpensive, so it can also be a cheap launching point to recruit from east coast schools as well. Also, if those firms are interested in branching into health care related technologies (e.g. Electronic Health Records), being in UC makes a lot of sense. You're surrounded by hospital systems that are early adopters of this type of technology and you can learn from them what works, and more importantly, what doesn't work.

 

I hope this is true, because it's very exciting .

As I understand, one of the goals of the "tech ribbon" tenants is to continue working to improve "virtual surgery" and teaching new techniques in the operating room.  Technology currently exists to use literally hundreds of cameras to create a 3D virtual world in an operating room, and teach new surgery techniques to students anywhere in the world.  UCI could become a focal point for growing and improving this technology.

These parking perceptions are always super frustrating for a million reasons.  I dream of a not-too-distant-future where there is enough of a built-in or urban-savvy customer base for UC businesses that the neighborhood planning doesn't have to focus so much on lowest common denominator parking perceptions.

 

Question for folks: are the existing UH garages already open to the general public, or just to UH workers and patients?  Are these garages generally sitting mostly empty on evenings and weekends?

 

Not to thread de-rail, but the UH garages that I've parked in (on Cornell and Circle Drive) are open to the public and don't require any verification [of where you're going], at least during the weekdays, daytime hours.

I can believe the tenant list.  It's not like they are re-locating HQs here.  All those companies in 27,000sf seems to hint at just some outreach offices.

 

I agree with Htsguy in being disappointed if Coral is the developer as they do tend to sell their services on grand plans and then scale back significantly after being awarded the project.  But I do trust UCI, so we'll see what happens.

one thing worth noting is that UCI does not plan to sell the property - they are looking to do a long term lease of the land.  This is very interesting as it allows UCI to retain site control, but also changes some things for the developer to get financing.

 

Hts121 - correct, they are not relocating HQ to this site, but they do plan to have a presence on the site which could grow into something more down the road.

Will Coral be the 'developer'..... or are they just being retained as the 'construction manager' or 'general contractor'?

I can believe the tenant list.  It's not like they are re-locating HQs here.  All those companies in 27,000sf seems to hint at just some outreach offices.

 

Exactly... 27,000 SF of offices would equate to roughly 100 employees between all those firms.

Quick preservation note:

 

E.117 is pure 100-year old red brick.  I wonder if this can be saved or recycled?

^^Except for the architect...  It's not like we need flashy starchitects for everything, but I find biolosky's stuff a bit meh.

 

But seriously, if that tenant roster is at all correct, just wow.  Thanks KJP for the digging!

 

Really a shame about Bialosky too because they are given a lot of great opportunities.