I'm going with either Potbelly or ... dream of dreams ... Wagamama :)

I don't think that I've seen anything mentioned here, or in other threads, about the signs up at the former Susy's Soup in The Park Bldg. for an East Of Chicago pizza place--coming soon.

Also, there looks to be something going on in the former Mr. Hero's in the Comfort Inn at E. 18th & Euclid. In the same building there are some renovations taking place in the former Celebrities(?), which was the bar (I think) for the Comfort Inn.

And there seems to be something possibly happening in the space to the Right of the front doors of The 1900 Euclid Ave Lofts.

Anybody know anything about these?

I don't think that I've seen anything mentioned here, or in other threads, about the signs up at the former Susy's Soup in The Park Bldg. for an East Of Chicago pizza place--coming soon.

 

I took a walk through public square on my lunch break today and the sign hanging in the window says something along the lines of "THIS PLACE HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR AN EAST OF CHICAGO PIZZA STORE. PLEASE CALL FOR FRANCHISE INFORMATION." There is a phone number on the sign, obviously, but i didnt take it down.

 

Thanks for the exact wording on the sign.

I guess I didn't read it clearly.

I'm not too excited about that potentially becoming another pizza shop, especially an East of Chicago. There's countless other options that I would like to see in that space, and a pizza shop is at the bottom of the list. We already have a good mix of pizza places close by (Theresa's Pizza, Vincenza's, Legendz - not open yet, but will be in the old Domino's store at 6th and superior, and Capt Tony's on 9th). 

I'm not too excited about that potentially becoming another pizza shop, especially an East of Chicago. There's countless other options that I would like to see in that space, and a pizza shop is at the bottom of the list. We already have a good mix of pizza places close by (Theresa's Pizza, Vincenza's, Legendz - not open yet, but will be in the old Domino's store at 6th and superior, and Capt Tony's on 9th). 

 

Apparently they think they can take market share.  And that additional "pizza" joint will make buying a slice that much easier and cheaper for all.

That's strange wording on the sign.  It sounds more like an ad for EoCP franchises than a coming soon.  I talked to the landlord of that spot back in december and he said that the Flaming Ice Cube (EC's beloved Youngstown vegan restaurant) had signed for that space.

As often said here by the Mayor, "lets wait and see".

As often said here by the Mayor, "lets wait and see".

No.  I want answers NOW!

Four Northeast Ohio affordable housing projects awarded federal stimulus money

By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer

January 20, 2010, 4:07PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency is using federal stimulus money to help developers jump-start construction on 13 affordable housing projects, including four in Northeast Ohio.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/four_northeast_ohio_affordable.html

 

Among them:

 

Emerald Alliance V, a Cleveland Housing Network apartment building for the homeless at 7515 Euclid Ave. in Cleveland. OHFA awarded the project more than $4.6 million from the stimulus programs.

 

I guess all we have to look forward to now is the rendering...

WTF? where is the planning/zoning commission in all this? This and Prospect will do nothing but scare away business from downtown, not to mention turn the Healthline into a "bum" express. Do they not realize this? Do they just not care? These people need a place to stay I understand, but this is NOT it. 90% of the people that stay at those shelters are addicts, schizophrenics, or sex offenders, and the remaining 10% just down on their lucker's are weirdo enough that you arent gonna feel safe sitting next to them on the bus or walking past them out to your car, day or night. Very frustrating. As someone who wants/supports Cleveland to rebound and tries to convert the naysayers, its SH%^ like this that voids all progress, gives them fodder, and makes me have to agree with them.

WTF? where is the planning/zoning commission in all this? This and Prospect will do nothing but scare away business from downtown, not to mention turn the Healthline into a "bum" express. Do they not realize this? Do they just not care? These people need a place to stay I understand, but this is NOT it. 90% of the people that stay at those shelters are addicts, schizophrenics, or sex offenders, and the remaining 10% just down on their lucker's are weirdo enough that you arent gonna feel safe sitting next to them on the bus or walking past them out to your car, day or night. Very frustrating. As someone who wants/supports Cleveland to rebound and tries to convert the naysayers, its SH%^ like this that voids all progress, gives them fodder, and makes me have to agree with them.

 

Ooohhh boyyyy...are you about to get get jumped-on for these comments.

 

I think some might dispute your statistics, and ask for some references.  Just sayin...

^I think this is a supportive housing facility, not a shelter, so I don't think it's going to be quite as grim you predict...  Though still not the best use of this land, IMHO.

 

Looks like this project made it through Euclid Corridor Design Review.  Anyone come across any renderings or site plans?

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/brd/detail.php?ID=2601&CASE=EC%202009-069

 

Rosetta moving their Independence and Beachwood offices to downtown Cleveland

 

They'll be taking 400 jobs to 80,000 square feet of space in floors 11-15 plus a new 17th floor penthouse at 629 Euclid Avenue by the Holiday Inn Express near East 4th Street. The building will be named (Rosetta Center?) and have their name featured on the outside of the building.  Developer is MRN and here's a great quote from them:

 

"Maron hopes to attract other marketing and tech-focused companies to the block, which he described as Cleveland's new "Mad Men" district -- a reference to the hit television show about Madison Avenue advertising in 1960s New York."

 

Awesome news.  More at http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/digital_agency_rosetta_plans_t.html

Very clever on Maron's part.  I like it.

Maron lives at the top of the Holiday Inn, correct?

^I was thinking the same thing. Actually, the elder Maron lives/lived there. Ari leaves on E4.

 

I wonder if the parents will have to find other quarters.

Yes I believe so.  Must be floor 16.

They highlighted it on some show on (I believe) HGtv a couple years ago (they put alot of money into it). 

 

There has been some metal structure on the roof for a while now.  I always thought that was the beginnings to a penthouse.  Anybody know? 

My only question is if I get a job there can I drink like a fish, like at Sterling-Cooper?

 

Just kidding, this is great news!

I could be wrong, but I think the soon-to-be Rosetta Center and Holiday Inn Express are two separate (albeit abutting each other) buildings. Other than the lobby, I'm not sure how or if they're connected internally. Whatever the case, I believe the Rosetta's rooftop has enough space to accomodate a penthouse on its own:

 

^That's my understanding too.  The article describes Rosetta's new home as "the 1920s expansion of a building that houses the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites." The HIE building (the one actually on Euclid) was built in the 1890s, I believe, as the New England bldg.

 

Despite the exterior signage opportunities, this is not a high profile building- Rosetta is probably paying ridiculously low rent there compared to a lot of their competitors.  Good for them.  Hope they keep growing.

Also known as the guardian building

Great article about the Rosetta move above, below is just one quote...

 

"Most of our staff are under the age of 40," said co-founder and president Kurt Holstein. "We're hiring college graduates who are interested in a dynamic, urban environment, which Cleveland offers

 

Finally someone who gets it. Congratulations to Rosetta and the city of Cleveland.

 

Sometime today I am going to copy and paste this article into an email and send it over to the suits at Eaton and other companies who don't recognise the opportunities that are right in their own backyard. We should all let them know what a mistake it is to abandon the city center.

 

 

Great article about the Rosetta move above, below is just one quote...

 

"Most of our staff are under the age of 40," said co-founder and president Kurt Holstein. "We're hiring college graduates who are interested in a dynamic, urban environment, which Cleveland offers

 

Finally someone who gets it. Congratulations to Rosetta and the city of Cleveland.

 

Sometime today I am going to copy and paste this article into an email and send it over to the suits at Eaton and other companies who don't recognise the opportunities that are right in their own backyard. We should all let them know what a mistake it is to abandon the city center.

 

 

 

The problem is those suits want their office in THEIR literal backyards.

and in some cases, they really don't care about having young employees, but rather cater to more experienced middle age workers that (shaking head) prefer suburban work settings.

Great article about the Rosetta move above, below is just one quote...

 

"Most of our staff are under the age of 40," said co-founder and president Kurt Holstein. "We're hiring college graduates who are interested in a dynamic, urban environment, which Cleveland offers

 

Finally someone who gets it. Congratulations to Rosetta and the city of Cleveland.

 

Sometime today I am going to copy and paste this article into an email and send it over to the suits at Eaton and other companies who don't recognise the opportunities that are right in their own backyard. We should all let them know what a mistake it is to abandon the city center.

Great idea! I think we should all do it. I'm sure going to. Eaton's move seems pretty inevitable now, but maybe they'll eventually consider adding offices downtown in the future.

can someone send out the email address of the person or persons that should get an email because I would love to send one as well.

can someone send out the email address of the person or persons that should get an email because I would love to send one as well.

go to this link to send comments to Eaton:

http://www.eaton.com/EatonCom/CustomerCare/ContactForm/index.htm

I straightened it out with the reporter about the remark the building is "a 1920s addition" to the bank.  Apparently that structure behind was built well after the 1890s years both those Euclid buildings were constructed - like in the '20s.

Regarding the facility for the mentally ill to be constructed around E. 59th, is it to be all new or is it to incorporated the massive old facotry building with the windows out? I thought it was all to be new but someone suggested otherwise.  Actually, I wish they could incorporate the old.  Meanwhile, is it to be on both sides of E. 59th?  Is  E. 59th to be removed?

^ I believe the factory building that at one point was slated to be a part of the midtown technology center.  East 59th is being vacated and will cease to exist.  And from what I've seen / heard, we're all going to hate the siting of this project. hate.

^Hate as much as surface parking in front of a set back, suburban style building along the City's most important corridor?

something like that :|

 

On a slightly better front, I also saw the initial site plan for the geis building.  If you pretend that Euclid and Carnegie are the lines on a sheet of ruled notebook paper.  And you drew a capital J on that location... That's pretty much the siteplan.  With the top of that J running across Euclid.  So even though there is a crapton of surface parking surounding this thing, it appears almost all of Euclid is fronted by building with the exception of an entryway.  Though I still believe they'd like to buy that little bookstore on the corner and tear it down to make way for this new building.  Personally I wish someone would push for them to buy and retain that building and try to build a matching looking structure for the rest of the frontage. Probably a pipe dream I know.

Great...

 

But I guess that the geis siteplan might work out... we'll just have to wait for renderings. 

 

I'm hoping that the city planning commission will step up and remember the potential for this corridor... seems as if they've all forgotten so far.

I don't think anything is set in stone, what I saw was basically an aerial photo with someone using a laser pointer talking about a potential site plan for the hospital.  I'm guessing if there is enough backlash to surface lots on Euclid... i.e. a flood of emails and letters to the planning commission it may help.  But the soil area of the build out will be remediated to "residential standards" while the parking area will not, so probably best to start banging that drum now.

Apparently, Midtown Cleveland will be our shame and embarassment for decades to come.  And it all could be prevented if we had officials who took their jobs seriously.  People need to be removed from office when crap like this happens... and by "crap like this" I'm referring to three entirely separate destructive projects that are all going up at once.

Thanks, McCeve for the head's up about the hospital.  Oh man.  Wish we could know if it was just brainless design work by consultants or specific requests from the clients.  Does the site go all the way through to Chester?  If so, it would seem to make a lot more sense to put the surface parking back there.

Honestly, if we are going to have a mental hospital on Euclid... I don't care that much that it won't have interaction with the street.  My first option, of course, would be to put it somewhere else.

There is a certain irony to this whole thing

If you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome, it is one definition of insanity.

 

Cleveland has lofty planning goals and ideals.  As soon as any developer spends any money, the lofty goals and ideals are thrown into the trash.  So, what is the point?

 

I propose the next time someone in the city proposes design standards zoning, they will need to drive to the new mental health hospital for treatment.

(Taking the Healthline would be stupid, because you have to walk over the pretty green lawn and acres of parking)

 

 

*rant over

We get nowhere if developers are above the law.  Law is law.

^Law WOULD BE law, IF city council would not be so eager to get "put me anywhere in the USA" style development in their neighborhoods, and recommend zoning changes to fit crappy developments while at the city planning commission.  In turn, the city planning commission should have the foresight and knowledge of the area to know that this style of development shouldn't take place within the City.

First post here so forgive me if its been talked about.

 

Does anybody know if they designated Euclid or at least a stretch of it as a TIF zone? Furthermore do you know anything about Cleveland´s success rate with TIFS? I currently study in Chicago (though originally from the east side suburbs of Cleveland) and I became familiar with TIFS via my urban geography classes and because Chicago is notorious for implementing them. Though controversial it seems that Chicago has implemented them effectively in some cases. (if we are going to rate effectiveness/success on creating a walkable, livable neighborhood that has incentives for new business´.)

For those of us that don't know what a TIF zone is (I had to look it up), I found this website very helpful. I believe Brad is referring to a Tax Increment Financing zone designation.

 

http://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/pages/mod-diftif.html

 

Cleveland does have an incentive program that offers 15 year tax abatements to any new residential construction in the city.  I guess this would fall under a TIF...

I know Steelyard Commons used TIF's, as well as the Arcade hotel project, but Im not sure if there is an established district or if it is just a "case by case" designation. 

 

I could be wrong but I believe the 15 year tax abatements offered to new homeowners is not considered and has nothing to do with a TIF.

Tax abatements are not TIFs.  TIFs don't always work the same in different states, and that link is specifically about Massachusetts.  But there are some basic commonalities.

 

A TIF is where the city takes out bonds to do improvements on land that help out a developer, improvements like curbs and utilities and beyond.  The amount of increased tax revenue post-development (new value minus old value) is formally dedicated to paying off those bonds.  This margin is the "tax increment."  Once the bonds are paid off, the increased tax revenue can then go into the general fund, or wherever it would normally go. 

 

TIFs cannot be used to finance the development itself, only the traditionally govenrmental tidbits surrounding and supporting them.  State and local government is prohibited from taking out General Obligation bonds for aid to business ventures.  There are also debt limits on General Obligation.  A TIF bond is not a G.O. bond because it is tied to a dedicated revenue stream (the increased tax margin).  And a TIF does not directly involve the city in a business venture because of the limits on what it can pay for. 

 

I'm oversimplifying.  There's a lot of constitutional kabuki dance involved with this stuff and it's needlessly complex.  Key thing to remember:  TIFs involve bonds taken out to do work that indirectly benefits development.  The downside is that tax revenue gains reslting from this development are rendered unavailable until the bonds are paid off.  This is why school systems often hate TIFs.

First post here so forgive me if its been talked about.

 

Does anybody know if they designated Euclid or at least a stretch of it as a TIF zone? Furthermore do you know anything about Cleveland´s success rate with TIFS? I currently study in Chicago (though originally from the east side suburbs of Cleveland) and I became familiar with TIFS via my urban geography classes and because Chicago is notorious for implementing them. Though controversial it seems that Chicago has implemented them effectively in some cases. (if we are going to rate effectiveness/success on creating a walkable, livable neighborhood that has incentives for new business´.)

 

For a list of where TIFs have been used in Cleveland, I would do a press search or try contacting the city.  Here's the city's TIF website with contact info for relevant officials:

 

http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/portal/page/portal/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/EconomicDevelopment/EconomicDevelopmentTechnology/Tax%20Increment%20Financing

 

Given that Euclid's infrastructure is all brand spanking new and comprehensive, I'm not sure what any TIF money would be used for though.

TIFs could be used along Euclid to prepare individual sites for development.  I suppose the entire road rebuild and transit project could have been done as a TIF but it wasn't.  TIFs are usually much smaller in scope.

To the best of my knowledge, no component of Euclid is in a TIF. But the downtown section is a component of a SID (Special Improvement District), where businesses with street presence pay a special tax assessment that goes into maintenance and ED activities within the district (rather than a TIF, where tax revenues would be redirected to financing of projects or to subsequent improvement work, these funds are an additional tax assessment and therefore don't divert funds from other government services, like schools or police).

 

This is the funding that supports the work of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. The recent five-year reauthorization of this special assessment (pending city approval) will allow them to continue their work, and it appears from everything I've read that there will be a stronger emphasis on securing tenants for downtown offices and for retail, particularly on Euclid. So hopefully they will be able to accomplish much of what a TIF could, but on a much larger scale.

 

I would be interested to know if this tax assessment is also levied on nonprofits downtown (or can be), as I think a similar SID in University Circle along Euclid would be pretty much impossible if not (given the nonprofit statuses of the Clinic, University Hospitals, CWRU, CMA, CIA, the Orchestra, etc.). Although I believe that in University Circle, institutions do pay a voluntary fee for UCI member services, such as policing, marketing, signage, etc.

^the SID downtown doesn't get levied on non-profits per say... it gets levied on property owners.  Your fee is based on the amount of street frontage you take up.  And as far as I know there are no exceptions to that.

House of Blues and the E.4th development was partially financed with TIF funds