May 11, 20178 yr Thank you. That lot is a great development site especially having a attached parking garage in the rear.
May 11, 20178 yr To be clear though, it looked like the lot was just used to launch the drone and then they flew it east over the adjacent buildings.
May 11, 20178 yr It is a good development site however I haven't heard anything about the Goldbergs being active in courting one of the major office tenants that are seeking to build new buildings downtown. Of course it could always be a residential structure built there but there's been no scuttlebutt about that either. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 11, 20178 yr I assume this means nothing and is just a routine project, but they also seem to be refinishing/polishing the gold entrance to the Rose Building on East Ninth.
May 11, 20178 yr Yes, they clean/polish the door just about every year. I would expect an announcement very soon. Maybe within the next week or two.
May 11, 20178 yr If you were hoping to have the entire company consolidate to a single iconic downtown new-build skyscraper, probably.
May 11, 20178 yr If I pull that sentence apart, it could mean there won't be a new-build skyscraper, or at least it won't be iconic, or only the downtown staff and a few suburban staffpersons will relocate to a new downtown location, or the location won't be downtown at all! ;) But I presume based on past messages is that this relocation is primarily to get out of soon-to-be-expiring leases (2020) and the rest (including in-flux federal healthcare laws) will sort itself out later. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 11, 20178 yr Here's some random quotes from KJP there won't be a new-build skyscraper, or at least it won't be iconic the downtown staff and a few suburban staffpersons will relocate to a new downtown location and a suburban location
May 11, 20178 yr So basically, the HQ will remain downtown probably in a mid rise or renovated building. We won't get any new employees working downtown, but we won't lose any either? We're possibly getting a new building which maybe means that the rose building will open up for residential. I guess I can live with this outcome
May 11, 20178 yr I'm greedy. If the Rose Building eventually is converted to residential, then that's the best part of this deal. Sounds like there's just too much up in the air right now regarding federal healthcare laws for MM to make any big moves for the future. And with at least two of their leases expiring in 2020, they can't wait for the feds. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 11, 20178 yr I think our shot at an iconic skyscraper will solely be coming from Sherwin Williams. But if MM could build something fairly substantial on the Hipp lot that is around the same height as the surrounding structures I think I would be happy... I guess we will have to be patient and see what MM announces! (I don't like being patient)
May 11, 20178 yr Hopefully these rumors/speculations are wrong. I wouldn't throw out the possibility of something visible from progressive field based on MM's focus on sports and marketing Gateway in general . That may fit the Bolivar or Hippodrome scenario.
May 12, 20178 yr In all likelihood, if MM is announcing something this month, then it's probably new construction unless an existing building needs significant modifications to accommodate them. And the only existing building with that much space to accommodate MM's current downtown staff of 1,300 is 925 Euclid. Their development plan is for retaining 400,000 sf for office -- and MM can fit into that with space left over. If MM is moving to 925 Euclid without significantly modifying the office space to be retained, then the timeline necessary for that is likely short. So that's why I think an announcement this month is for new construction. Accommodating 1,300 +/- employees in a modern, efficient building with floorplates averaging about 25,000 sf means an office building about 10 or 11 stories tall. MM officials have said they don't want to own their building. And MM is right up against the deadline when they have to move forward on a new building -- with a developer who has a track record of delivering projects quickly. That probably means Geis. And if that's the case, I'm thinking the old Ameritrust garage is where the new Medical Mutual building will go. If true, it will probably be on top of a parking garage that's probably twice as large as the one that's there now. That doesn't mean twice as tall, because Geis owns land all around that parking garage. It can occupy a larger footprint with an office building on top of it. So it may be taller than 10 "stories" after all. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 12, 20178 yr Is there are reason other than the timeline needed for new construction with their lease expiring in 2020 that everyone is excited about a possible new announcement this month. We have been talking about a new highrise from MM for over a year. And nobody has any real inside news. Just pure speculation.
May 12, 20178 yr And nobody has any real inside news. Is that your speculation? ;) I can't speak for others here, but MM isn't renewing it's lease at the Rose Building. They've already said that. So if they're moving to an existing building downtown, they don't have to make that decision/announcement now unless a major renovation of an old building is involved. Why would they do that if they could renovate the building they're in now? They're not going to do that either. MM reps have already said that publicly, too. They've made it quite clear that the Rose Building is too outdated for their needs. So if they're going to construct a new building, it is going to have to be announced and put through the city approvals process now. MM's Rose Building lease ends at the end of 2020. Their Strongsville lease ends in early 2020. It can take at least 18 months to construct a significant office building measuring at least a couple hundred thousand square feet. So now we're back to mid- to late-2018 for a groundbreaking. The city approvals process, pre-development, programming, etc. assuming everything goes well, could take 12 months. So that brings us to mid- to late-2017 for an announcement -- more if the developer doesn't yet have site control or has to do demolition, environmental assessments, remediation, more approvals, FAA/EPA, etc. And I'm sure MM wants some recovery time built into their schedule in case they encounter anything unforeseen from digging and constructing in an old downtown area. So based on that schedule, we're right about at the drop-dead date. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 12, 20178 yr So as we've been discussing here, recent real estate transfers suggest something is brewing at/near East 9th and Bolivar. I've speculated that this could be the new Medical Mutual building. If so, the spot for them to land would be on Geis properties totaling nearly 1.5 acres, between East 9th, Prospect, Bolivar and the Carter Manor residential building. This includes the existing, 8-level 900 Tower parking deck. My speculation is that this would be demolished and a new parking deck built with a two-story tall atrium on the ground level, parking above, and at least a 10-story office building above. How much parking? The current 900 Tower parking deck measures about 270,000 square feet. Medical Mutual staff currently park at the Hippodrome lot and garage. That garage measures about 180,000 sf on six levels. That's 450,000 sf of parking. But the footprint for the Geis property is about 85,000 square feet. It butts up right against the Carter Manor building. So let's assume a new parking deck has 66,000 square feet on each level. It would need only seven levels of parking to offer that 450,000 sf of parking. With a two-story tall (but really only one level due to high ceilings) atrium/lobby, topped by seven levels of parking, topped by at least 10 stories of office building, that's still a significant structure. And, who knows, it may be a few more stories of office building? Then again, the existing parking deck could be left alone, a new Medical Mutual building might fit on the vacant lot along the north side of Bolivar (and take out the two-level parking deck) and offer 20,000 sf floorplates (which means at least a 13-story building). The Frangos buildings across the street could be razed for a new parking deck or retrofitted as parking garages (which might explain why Jobs Ohio was suddenly booted out of there). All of this assumes the Geis property on East 9th is in play.... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 12, 20178 yr ^ It's funny you should bring this up regarding the 900 Tower Parking deck. Recently I was trying to determine if that garage was capable of being built on top of much like 515. Looking into the history of the garage didn't offer any clues. But most concrete structured garages if the load can be transferred adequately could have that capability. This can be done through a transfer mat and transfer girder which would spread the load for increased capacity. Because I am sure the county has an agreement somewhere with Geis that a certain amount of garage spaces are available to them. So I can't see that garage coming down without a fight. Not to mention that it is used by the hotel/residences/hienens etc. We are talking 2 years without it. So is building on top of the garage an option? It would be able to stay open and shorten construction time. And yes this is all speculation. Kind of what we do here.
May 12, 20178 yr And yes this is all speculation. Kind of what we do here. Yep! All true except one thing... The 900 Tower parking deck is a dump. It's pushing 50 years old. BTW I see the Heinen's parkers are directed to the Hippodrome lot. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 12, 20178 yr Was the drone flying along the eave of the Rose building? It could have just been surveillance to check condition of the building to comply with the new requirements to maintain building exteriors. https://www.instagram.com/cle_and_beyond/https://www.instagram.com/jbkaufer/
May 12, 20178 yr Not that this is a deal breaker or anything, but they just opened a laser eye clinic in the base of the parking garage. I'm surprised they would do that if demolition was on the table. Unless it has come about after the fact.
May 12, 20178 yr Was the drone flying along the eave of the Rose building? It could have just been surveillance to check condition of the building to comply with the new requirements to maintain building exteriors. It's possible. I was passing by quickly and only saw it briefly.
May 12, 20178 yr No way Geis would demolish the old AmeriTrust garage. That would create serious problems for them. Plus the cost of building new parking is exorbitant. The Shaia lot at E. 9th & Bolivar is a fantastic development site. Perhaps medical mutual is looking at the Weston deal, nuCLEus, or Public Square Jacob's lot?
May 12, 20178 yr The site where the New York Spaghetti House stood on East 9th, now owned by Geis, might be a good spot for Medical Mutual too. But Weston and Jacobs are likely candidates too. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 13, 20178 yr I would love if they were to eye the parking lot space created after The Hippodrome was torn down . Filling the void along Euclid Ave would be nice
May 13, 20178 yr I would love if they were to eye the parking lot space created after The Hippodrome was torn down . Filling the void along Euclid Ave would be nice Or even the Prospect Ave side. Either of these two sites filled in would be a plus for downtown. Both would be even better.
May 13, 20178 yr It would be interesting if they built a big building around/over that midblock parking garage, but I would assume it's probably cheaper to tear it down and start from scratch. “To an Ohio resident - wherever he lives - some other part of his state seems unreal.”
May 14, 20178 yr Ballpark-area building sells for $2.65 million May 10, 2017 By STAN BULLARD An affiliate of Midwest Development Partners, which is tackling big apartment projects in University Circle, has purchased a downtown Cleveland building for $2.65 million. The three-story structure at 2217 E. Ninth St., across the street from Progressive Field, has a Brickstone pizza restaurant on its first floor and offices upstairs. It dates from 1880, according to Cuyahoga County land records, which show that E. 9th Street Partners LLC acquired the structure last Friday, May 5, from Historical Renovation Properties Ltd. of Cleveland. The building has housed multiple first-floor tenants since a major renovation in the 1980s, long before the baseball park went in across the street, and another update in 1993, just before the stadium opened. MORE: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20170510/NEWS/170519979/ballpark-area-building-sells-for-2-65-million "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 14, 20178 yr It's a gorgeous, historical building that is also sizable. I'm glad their plans are just for investment purposes..at least that's what they're saying... I'd hate seeing this one demolished.
May 24, 20178 yr Wahlburgers is open. http://www.cleveland19.com/story/35508310/wahlburgers-finally-opens-in-downtown-cleveland
May 27, 20178 yr It's got a decent patio. I would've preferred an adaptive reuse of the Stanley or some infill like a City Target, but this definitely beats that grotesque statue idea.
May 31, 20178 yr Orangetheory-fitness-coming-to-downtown-Cleveland https://www.crescorealestate.com/index.php/news/view/orangetheory-fitness-coming-to-downtown-cleveland
June 8, 20178 yr Taco Bell Cantina opens next week. http://www.cleveland19.com/story/35614033/taco-bell-cantina-in-cleveland-opens-next-week
June 9, 20178 yr I personally enjoy when national chains open up shop in the city. To me it shows confidence that the area is growing. I know not all are fans of Taco Bell, I'm not the biggest myself but I will surely check this out. 20170605_174534 by dwainross34, on Flickr 20170605_174528 by dwainross34, on Flickr
June 11, 20178 yr Agreed. One could argue that in the Flats' true heyday it was the larger chains like Landry's, Fado, Hooters, Max and Erma's and the BW3 that gave it a feel of importance and underscored its status as an entertainment destination. Of course, having strong independent businesses interspersed among them only added to the appeal of this district.
June 13, 20178 yr Cantina opens tomorrow. http://www.news5cleveland.com/lifestyle/food/taco-bell-cantina-opens-in-downtown-cleveland-adding-to-a-new-wave-of-restaurants
June 13, 20178 yr Read's Jeweler's and Loan moved out of their space on Prospect (by city tap, winking lizard, bw3, etc) and moved to a new location on St. Clair. Heard a gym is opening up in the space that was previously occupied by Read's.
June 13, 20178 yr Read's Jeweler's and Loan moved out of their space on Prospect (by city tap, winking lizard, bw3, etc) and moved to a new location on St. Clair. Heard a gym is opening up in the space that was previously occupied by Read's. That's odd? Isn't that right next door to Titans Gym?
June 14, 20178 yr Read's Jeweler's and Loan moved out of their space on Prospect (by city tap, winking lizard, bw3, etc) and moved to a new location on St. Clair. Heard a gym is opening up in the space that was previously occupied by Read's. That's odd? Isn't that right next door to Titans Gym? Not right next door but yes a couple minute walk.
June 14, 20178 yr Read's Jeweler's and Loan moved out of their space on Prospect (by city tap, winking lizard, bw3, etc) and moved to a new location on St. Clair. Heard a gym is opening up in the space that was previously occupied by Read's. That's odd? Isn't that right next door to Titans Gym? Orange Theory Fitness only offers group workout sessions, and is geared towards a completely different market than Titan's. They have a large following around the country and Ohio. I expect OTF to do very well in Downtown Cleveland. Here's some info on them: https://www.orangetheoryfitness.com/ Rise Nation and Harness Cycle are also opening up locations near Gateway.
June 14, 20178 yr Read's Jeweler's and Loan moved out of their space on Prospect (by city tap, winking lizard, bw3, etc) and moved to a new location on St. Clair. Heard a gym is opening up in the space that was previously occupied by Read's. That's odd? Isn't that right next door to Titans Gym? Orange Theory Fitness only offers group workout sessions, and is geared towards a completely different market than Titan's. They have a large following around the country and Ohio. I expect OTF to do very well in Downtown Cleveland. Here's some info on them: https://www.orangetheoryfitness.com/ Rise Nation and Harness Cycle are also opening up locations near Gateway. Did an OrangeTheory class in Strongsville last month. Fun time. That is the second niche gym opening downtown, with Rise(?) opening next to Geiger's on Euclid.
June 21, 20177 yr Love the original design! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 21, 20177 yr Anyone know why the top couple floors will remain commercial? I'd assume there is a tenant in there right now that they don't want to lose but idk.
June 21, 20177 yr Anyone know why the top couple floors will remain commercial? I'd assume there is a tenant in there right now that they don't want to lose but idk. My dad used to work for AT&T (sometimes in that building) and he said it is jammed full of the central exchanges and switches for Cleveland (as you might imagine). I'm guessing the top two floors will be retained by them for their cell network access.
Create an account or sign in to comment