These are the town homes at Van Aken/Onaway, not the big development at Warrensville.

 

I'm happy to be confused by another transit-supportive development!

Thanks. Pics added in previous post, from blue line headed east

Whoa. It's always been an empty lot. Actually, the area had a lot of empty lots until the past few decades, even as the suburbs expanded.

 

These are the town homes at Van Aken/Onaway, not the big development at Warrensville.

 

I'm happy to be confused by another transit-supportive development!

 

I had to do a double take as I had the same initial thought. I forgot all about this development. Glad to see it moving along.

TOD is nice to see.

Progress at Transit Village at Van Aken/Onaway.  Project has quietly moved

Along

 

I went by the Transit Village and was very glad to see it moving forward.  However, even though the ground has been dug up in the entire footprint, the only building out of the ground are on the western-most corner.  I hope this isn't one of those piecemeal, test developments to see how the market responds, but I guess I could understand it.  This area may be a gamble for new residential building by the bank.  Unfortunately such developments often end up like Avalon Station where only 1 of several condo buildings was built, but  then stopped -- seemingly forever -- as a result of the mortgage crisis/collapse of 2008, so now you have 1 modest, albeit handsome, building next to a cleared, empty lot.  Worse is the Chicle development on the West Side where only a few houses were built and sit by their lonesome on an empty lot.  Does anyone know if the piecemeal approach has been taken by Transit Village?

That's why I'm glad to see Rockport Square moving forward on the old Fairchild Chevy property. It was a huge, vacant lot that sat empty for a decade. But the hot Lakewood real estate market demanded that the townhouse development be finished.

Progress at Transit Village at Van Aken/Onaway.  Project has quietly moved

Along

 

I went by the Transit Village and was very glad to see it moving forward.  However, even though the ground has been dug up in the entire footprint, the only building out of the ground are on the western-most corner.  I hope this isn't one of those piecemeal, test developments to see how the market responds, but I guess I could understand it.  This area may be a gamble for new residential building by the bank.  Unfortunately such developments often end up like Avalon Station where only 1 of several condo buildings was built, but  then stopped -- seemingly forever -- as a result of the mortgage crisis/collapse of 2008, so now you have 1 modest, albeit handsome, building next to a cleared, empty lot.  Worse is the Chicle development on the West Side where only a few houses were built and sit by their lonesome on an empty lot.  Does anyone know if the piecemeal approach has been taken by Transit Village?

 

 

Progress at Transit Village at Van Aken/Onaway.  Project has quietly moved

Along

 

I went by the Transit Village and was very glad to see it moving forward.  However, even though the ground has been dug up in the entire footprint, the only building out of the ground are on the western-most corner.  I hope this isn't one of those piecemeal, test developments to see how the market responds, but I guess I could understand it.  This area may be a gamble for new residential building by the bank.  Unfortunately such developments often end up like Avalon Station where only 1 of several condo buildings was built, but  then stopped -- seemingly forever -- as a result of the mortgage crisis/collapse of 2008, so now you have 1 modest, albeit handsome, building next to a cleared, empty lot.  Worse is the Chicle development on the West Side where only a few houses were built and sit by their lonesome on an empty lot.  Does anyone know if the piecemeal approach has been taken by Transit Village?

 

It was my understanding that they were building it all at once for a complete development in order to avoid the Avalon Station situation (which has a new plan btw). 

 

There is a state of the city on Thursday, if I make it I will find out for sure. 

 

Progress at Transit Village at Van Aken/Onaway.  Project has quietly moved

Along

 

I went by the Transit Village and was very glad to see it moving forward.  However, even though the ground has been dug up in the entire footprint, the only building out of the ground are on the western-most corner.  I hope this isn't one of those piecemeal, test developments to see how the market responds, but I guess I could understand it.  This area may be a gamble for new residential building by the bank.  Unfortunately such developments often end up like Avalon Station where only 1 of several condo buildings was built, but  then stopped -- seemingly forever -- as a result of the mortgage crisis/collapse of 2008, so now you have 1 modest, albeit handsome, building next to a cleared, empty lot.  Worse is the Chicle development on the West Side where only a few houses were built and sit by their lonesome on an empty lot.  Does anyone know if the piecemeal approach has been taken by Transit Village?

 

It was my understanding that they were building it all at once for a complete development in order to avoid the Avalon Station situation (which has a new plan btw). 

 

There is a state of the city on Thursday, if I make it I will find out for sure. 

 

 

That would be awesome, willyboy, we'll wait for your report ... if you make the meeting... I would go myself as I'm both excited and curious about this project, but I'm heading out of town Thursday morning on biz... I was by there this morning and workers swarming busy finishing the wood frame for th one unit, which based on the garages in back, may be for 4 units.  However, as I noted, there was no activity anywhere else on tehe lot, which has me worried although the fact it has all be dug up could be the cause for optimism.  It had been a well-groomed grass park before this.

New residential breaks ground in Shaker Heights, reflects changing times

KARIN CONNELLY RICE | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

 

...“Shaker Heights is a beautiful area and we were well-aware of the beauty of the city’s homes,” says Vintage director of development Mike Marous. “What happens in built-up cities is there’s no land and you have to tear down [for new development], but here was this piece of land that for years was virgin soil that had never been built on.”

 

Working with Shaker officials, Vintage came up with a $10 million plan to build 33 upscale townhomes on the property, offering proximity to the RTA Rapid, University Circle, downtown and all that Shaker has to offer.

 

—Further reading: Placemaking puts Shaker residents in the mix of Van Aken District plans and The next must-live neighborhood: Moreland district.

 

“You can walk out the door, jump on the Rapid, get your groceries and be home in five minutes,” says Marous of the location, adding it offers the best of urban and suburban living. “It’s 15 minutes to downtown," he says, noting that picturesque Shaker Square is nearby and walkable.

 

MORE:

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/VanAkenTownhomes032217.aspx

^I've been passing that construction for the past two weeks and keep forgetting to snap a pic.

Construction update from yesterday, as seen from a Blue Line train....

 

The Townhomes of Van Aken, Onaway Station, Blue Line, #Shaker Hts. http://townhomesofvanaken.com/

 

 

 

Onaway Station looks nice and is great for this location.  But my fear, as I stated above, is that the few units built (4? 5?) on a small portion of the lot may be all that's going up in the first phase until market and financial conditions are solidified.  Willyboy I know some time ago you mentioned you'd be attending a Shaker City council meeting where Onaway Station was to be discussed.  Did you go?  Did you hear anything?

I wish there was more room for infill on the Green Line.

 

Looking at HistoricAerials, I'm shocked at how many vacant lots there were well into the 1970's in the area.

There is room, but only around the Warrensville and Green stations. I posted some ideas in the TOD thread that the neighbors will surely hate.

Onaway Station looks nice and is great for this location.  But my fear, as I stated above, is that the few units built (4? 5?) on a small portion of the lot may be all that's going up in the first phase until market and financial conditions are solidified.  Willyboy I know some time ago you mentioned you'd be attending a Shaker City council meeting where Onaway Station was to be discussed.  Did you go?  Did you hear anything?

 

I ride the Blue line just about every day and , while KJP's photos show the current progress they don't show the next units.  They have already laid the foundations and rough'ed in the plumbing so it would seem that they are going to be erecting those units quite soon.  I could be wrong, but I don't think they will be able to leave the site in such an unbuilt state.

 

This is all just my impression though and I haven't talked to anyone in the know.

Love it. And will the city/SHDC plan anything along the Green Line, especially at Warrensville (perhaps in partnership with John Carroll Univ) and at Green? The ridership on that line is fading and needs a boost of more pedestrian traffic originators and destinations.

 

 

BTW this is just south of the Chagrin-Lee intersection...

 

Shaker council looks at possible EcoDistrict in Moreland neighborhood

Updated on July 11, 2017 at 6:31 PM Posted on July 11, 2017 at 5:57 PM

By Thomas Jewell, special to cleveland.com

 

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- It's still in the discussion stages, but the idea of an "EcoDistrict" in the Moreland neighborhood already looks like a good fit.

 

Architect Irwin Lowenstein of the Moreland Collaborative described the initiative to City Council Monday as a "design approach to community development, looking at everything as a system, rather than pieces and parts."

 

And it involves a great deal of input from residents and other stakeholders, including the Moreland Collaborative, which placed in a design contest earlier this year involving infill housing.

 

MORE:

http://www.cleveland.com/shaker-heights/index.ssf/2017/07/shaker_council_looks_at_possib.html

He said that another Cleveland "First Suburb"  has asked for a proposal focusing on transit-oriented development EcoDistrict.

 

Anyone know what that other first suburb is?

Onaway Station looks nice and is great for this location.  But my fear, as I stated above, is that the few units built (4? 5?) on a small portion of the lot may be all that's going up in the first phase until market and financial conditions are solidified.  Willyboy I know some time ago you mentioned you'd be attending a Shaker City council meeting where Onaway Station was to be discussed.  Did you go?  Did you hear anything?

 

I ride the Blue line just about every day and , while KJP's photos show the current progress they don't show the next units.  They have already laid the foundations and rough'ed in the plumbing so it would seem that they are going to be erecting those units quite soon.  I could be wrong, but I don't think they will be able to leave the site in such an unbuilt state.

 

This is all just my impression though and I haven't talked to anyone in the know.

 

Unfortunately this practice -- build a few homes and test the market -- has been done before.  In fact, the situation of the Livingston townhomes is very similar.  On E. 135 street, immediately south of the intersection with Livingston street near Shaker Square, developers (about 10 years ago) erected 4 attractive townhomes adjacent to the Livingston Apts, which has a number of subsidized units.  As with Onaway Station, the plan was to build several more townhomes and fill the lot.  Unfortunately only those 4 stand today.  But like Onaway Station, next to, and behind, the Livingston units are concrete pads capped water and sewer lines protruding for future townhouses that weren't built.  It appears that's what's happening at Onaway Station, for while the concrete pads are in place and water and sewer lines protrude, there are no more townhomes being erected over the pads.  Let's just hope that demand can push the developers to finish off townhomes over the entire lot rather than those 4 in a tiny corner of it.

Any news on this project?

^I was by there this past weekend and, as I noted before, there's no progress on any but the 4 or so units constructed in the north western corner of the lot.  There's still no improvement on the larger portion of the lot, other than some concrete pads with water and/or electrical connections for new units.

We were assured that we wouldn't have what happened at Avalon Station with a partially build development. 

So the plan is for staggered construction in an effort to get some sales , before moving to the next section. 

 

I have seen these marketed, but have no idea if any have sold.  Personally I wouldn't be willing to pay low 300,000 for that spot. 

That side of Van Aken is suddenly too close to Cleveland and all of its associated problems to be able to recoup enough of that kind of investment.   

 

   

^I was by there this past weekend and, as I noted before, there's no progress on any but the 4 or so units constructed in the north western corner of the lot.  There's still no improvement on the larger portion of the lot, other than some concrete pads with water and/or electrical connections for new units.

Have you been by there recently? I drove by quickly yesterday and it seemed all of phase one is being worked on but not positive.

^I was by there this past weekend and, as I noted before, there's no progress on any but the 4 or so units constructed in the north western corner of the lot.  There's still no improvement on the larger portion of the lot, other than some concrete pads with water and/or electrical connections for new units.

Have you been by there recently? I drove by quickly yesterday and it seemed all of phase one is being worked on but not positive.

 

I was last by there Labor Day weekend... I'm not sure what you mean by phase one.  Does it go past the few largely completed structures in the far western corner of the site?  I sure hope so, because just those few units alone look embarrassing.

Twelve units are included in phase one:  http://townhomesofvanaken.com. I have to go down to my property today anyway so I'll take the square and check it out again at a slower speed.

^OK, this gives a much better perspective.  Phase 1 still isn't great in terms of size, but at least it encloses the concrete pad I mentioned so you won't see the backs of units from Van Aken.  Let's hope there's some momentum in terms of sales so they won't have an Avalon Station situation.  Thanks for the info.

Does anyone have any idea how the Van Aken/Onaway townhouses are selling? I recently bought in Shaker, and drive up Van Aken on my way between the new place and my current place downtown. From Van Aken, it appears all of the units still have the stickers on all of the windows, and the ones I can see still have the for sale signs out front. I know Zillow is very slow with updating, but it shows ten of the townhouses for sale (some which have been listed as long as 154 days). They are absolutely beautiful, and I hope they sell well so the full development could be built out. I would have been interested in one myself if it were more in my price range. Is it the location being so close to the Cleveland boarder that is scaring buyers off? Some of the comments I saw on their Facebook ads indicated as much...

$330-$350 for 2 bed, 2.5 bath, 2100 square feet. Looks like 3 are for sale.

Does anyone have any idea how the Van Aken/Onaway townhouses are selling? I recently bought in Shaker, and drive up Van Aken on my way between the new place and my current place downtown. From Van Aken, it appears all of the units still have the stickers on all of the windows, and the ones I can see still have the for sale signs out front. I know Zillow is very slow with updating, but it shows ten of the townhouses for sale (some which have been listed as long as 154 days). They are absolutely beautiful, and I hope they sell well so the full development could be built out. I would have been interested in one myself if it were more in my price range. Is it the location being so close to the Cleveland boarder that is scaring buyers off? Some of the comments I saw on their Facebook ads indicated as much...

 

I think it’s perception that the closer u go to the cleveland border the less safe. I think that’s silly for a few reasons:

 

- I jog through Ludlow often. It’s pretty much an extension of Onaway. Very pleasant and everyone is super friendly.  I think after that incident last decade with the jogger, ludlow wants to make sure all joggers feel safe and are being watched by neighbors.  I think the one incident was unfortunate and wrong place/wrong time.  It seems like a very pleasant neighborhood.

 

-the train and van aken are both heavily trafficked. Seems pretty safe to me

 

- having lived in Marous brother townhomes before, they make them pretty hard to enter. Most entry points other than the garage is second floor and higher. IMO their townhomes are perfect for areas where break ins are on a buyers mind. But break ins really could happen anywhere in shaker

 

Again, I think perception is the issue, not reality.  I would absolutely buy and live in one of those. I also don’t think they are marketing them well.  I think shaker needs to up their game and work with some type of promotional org to get these on people’s radars.

They've sold two of the townhouses after cutting the price. A recent article said two more are close to selling

 

I live in Shaker and I agree with the safety perceptions. However I also believe that the location was a poor choice as it's a long walk from retail. Presumably people who want a townhouse are looking for a dense, walkable neighborhood. The condos at Lee and Van Aken have been selling at a slow and steady pace since it's close Heinen's, a coffee shop and the library.

 

Neighborhood schools are also a big deal in Shaker real estate. A lot of buyers want to be in the Fernway and Mercer elementary school zones. I don't have kids in the district but that seems to be the trend.

^yes regarding school zones, but i also dont think a family is the target market for these townhomes.    Regarding retail, its not out your front door, but its a mile walk to shaker square...and you can also train there..so not tremendously inconvenient.  Ideally they want to get people who use the rail and work downtown living in these, probably younger or empty nest.  They need to market as such and dont just rely on zillow and redfin, where young families hunt for properties and will probably be buying a home with more space.

Fair point regarding the schools but I think that a mile walk to retail is pretty inconvenient especially in the winter.

 

I agree about the marketing. It's odd how little the city has been promoting this development, we hear about Van Aken constantly.

 

It's my understanding that there is tax abatement but you would never know by going past the site. That's a big selling point in Shaker.

$330-$350 for 2 bed, 2.5 bath, 2100 square feet. Looks like 3 are for sale.

 

So these Shaker Heights townhomes are listing/selling for up to $350,000 but not selling very fast. Meanwhile in the Midtown thread, townhouses at East 72nd Street are listing/selling for up to $479,000.

 

Either someone is doing/not doing their marketing very well, or we're really in an upside-down real estate market these days.

Hospital employees may qualify for a $30,000 forgivable loan, plus the 15 year abatement is locked in.

 

But still, can you imagine spending that kind of money on 71st/Euclid? To each his own I guess.

$330-$350 for 2 bed, 2.5 bath, 2100 square feet. Looks like 3 are for sale.

 

So these Shaker Heights townhomes are listing/selling for up to $350,000 but not selling very fast. Meanwhile in the Midtown thread, townhouses at East 72nd Street are listing/selling for up to $479,000.

 

Either someone is doing/not doing their marketing very well, or we're really in an upside-down real estate market these days.

 

I think they made a mistake when only making them 2 bedrooms, and not having any 3 bedroom options in the first phase. 

That's good to hear that they're selling, albeit slowly. I personally love the location and think the Van Aken corridor is pretty under appreciated. I just bought a condo on Van Aken near Lee to be closer to work in South Euclid, and am very excited to be able to take the train to still do everything I love downtown (honestly would have loved to stay downtown, but its getting a bit expensive to a lowly government employee lol). I don't believe there is any security issue, but can see the perception. I really think Shaker needs to do a better job of marketing the entire corridor - easy access to the excitement downtown, and at an incredible discount (even with the HOA fees).

Work started on the next cluster of Van Aken/Onaway townhouses. I wonder if the existing homes have sold out?

^the vintage website states 6 of the first 8 are sold...zillow would seem to confirm that, as only two of the new sale units have been listed for 100+ days, the rest for 36 days which i assume are the next phase units.

This is good to hear.  I had heard that there was some trouble selling the units.

Really small niche to market for with these units.  If you live in shaker, you most likely have a family and need more space.  Younger folks tend to flock to more urban areas...the market would lean empty nesters who love shaker and want to downsize but stay there

This makes me feel so much better. I had seen them take the construction fence around the property down last week. My initial assumption was they were going to just seed over the lot and call it done. Apparently cutting the price was what they needed. The ones already built are beautiful, and a finished development will do wonders for the area.

Snapped a quick pic of the second phase of the townhouses. They've gone up quite quickly.

 

Updated shot of the second stage of Van Aken - Onaway townhouses, nearing completion.

 

Nice. But shot from a CAR? C'mon man....

KARIN CONNELLY RICE | MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

With the Van Aken District in motion, Shaker Heights is setting its sights on the future

 

In some ways, the Van Aken District may seem like it was built overnight, but everyone involved in the intricate planning and construction of the shopping destination that is touted as Shaker Heights’ new downtown will be quick to assert that the planning began 18 years before the first brick was even laid.

Now, in a unique collaboration between the City of Shaker Heights, the Shaker Heights City School District, and Shaker Heights Public Library, officials are once again developing a strategic long-term plan for community facilities.

 

MORE:

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/breaking-ground/ForwardTogether032519.aspx

 

I didn't see the plans they talk about (isn't Cleveland.com just great at referencing things, but not proving any way to see or access them?), but I sure hope the building does a good job with respecting the current setbacks on Van Aken and Winslow Ct, similarly to Avalon Station and the other existing multi-family buildings on Van Aken. An H shaped building of that size, on that large of a property, does not lead me to think it will though. I have a feeling this is going to mirror more closely along with Campbell Court (on the other side of Avalon Station) in that a parking lot will take up a large part of the street frontage, instead of being tucked into the rear. Shame on Shaker if we allow that to happen.

^ Found the site plans/elevations and they only slightly better than I feared. I'm still disappointed in it.

 

Edit: Link to the Planning Agenda which includes more pictures - https://www.shakeronline.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/2157?fileID=5190

Edited April 5, 20205 yr by PoshSteve

About what I expected.