1 hour ago, gg707 said:

I wasn't able to grab a picture, but there was some boring equipment out on the large vacant lot between Smith Ct. and Abbey Ave. 

 

The property is being sold to another established developer. I'm checking to see if he wants to say anything about it.

 

 

Two Tremont markets fade in a rite of passage

By Ken Prendergast / November 10, 2021

 

Tremont doesn’t have a grocery store but it does have tiny neighborhood markets. And two gritty members of that shrinking fraternity are about to fade into history.

 

The demise of the Fairfield Food Market and the Abbey Market & Grocery are a rite of passage as Tremont continues its transition from a rough and tough neighborhood of Eastern European, African-American and Appalachian people who worked in the nearby mills and other Cleveland industries. Replacing them in the last few decades are a wide and gentrifying mix of young professionals, service workers and others who live in new or renovated townhomes and apartments.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2021/11/10/two-tremont-markets-fade-in-a-rite-of-passage/

Exciting to see something is finally moving forward on the Abbey property! I really do hope a small market is able to open in the area. Add in some other small scale retail, and Duck Island can start to be a full neighborhood of it's own. I remember Constantino's was going to open around the corner from there in Tremont a few years ago. Something like that in the area would be nice.

I started the article by writing about the Fairfield market because it was certain that its owner wanted to demolish it. But I got a phone call returned at the end which confirmed the demise of the Abbey market too. That property has a bigger real estate development proposed for it. Had I begun writing the article now, I would have started with that property first.

Movement....

 

ABBEY AVENUE APARTMENTS AND TOWNHOMES

 

Project Information - Near West Case #  NW 2021-042

Address: 1910 Abbey Avenue

Company: Geis Companies

Architect: GLSD Architects / Geis Construction

Description: New construction apartments and townhomes on Abbey Avenue between West 20th and West 19th.

Committee Actions/Submissions

Date:November 18, 2021

 

https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/designreview/brd/detailDR.php?ID=3954&CASE=NW 2021-042

You should see the renderings for this Abbey Block mess….

12 minutes ago, w28th said:

You should see the renderings for this Abbey Block mess….

 

I think that's assumed this being Geis and GLSD.

I would like to see the renderings but perhaps not until morning so I don't have any nightmares.

 

Maybe design review will push back as they did when they were presented the NRP disaster on Scranton Peninsula.

 

Duck Island apartments, townhouses planned

By Ken Prendergast / November 24, 2021

 

On one of the largest undeveloped plots of land in the heart of Duck Island’s development hot zone, a locally active real estate developer plans to build a mix of for-rent, market-rate housing styles. The project, called Abbey Avenue Apartments and Townhomes, is proposed for the block bounded by Abbey, Smith Court plus West 19th and 20th streets.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2021/11/24/duck-island-apartments-townhouses-planned/

A cheap, developer special on one the of best pieces of property in the City. What a shame.

Edited November 24, 20213 yr by w28th

Oh well...@w28th really hit the nail on the head

Big Tru by Hilton energy coming from this schlock. Blech.

Looks like they just took the blueprints for the Avenue District apartments and made them uglier, if that is possible.  Another boring four story rectangle with no originality.   I guess they are easy and cheap to replicate and they know people really don't care.

What really pisses me off is that something like this will be approved easily while the apartment building on Fulton by Horton and Harper which was thoughtful and sharp was mindlessly struck down.

1 hour ago, Htsguy said:

What really pisses me off is that something like this will be approved easily while the apartment building on Fulton by Horton and Harper which was thoughtful and sharp was mindlessly struck down.

Didn’t that get schematic approval?  Did CPC reject it when they requested final approval?

Here is the view from the intersection at Abbey… hopefully they put artwork there because threat blank wall is not good. 

15 minutes ago, gg707 said:

Didn’t that get schematic approval?  Did CPC reject it when they requested final approval?

I think it was Ladmarks that turned it down after them came back a second time (I believe but not sure they reduced it by one floor).  I also believe McCormick was not supportive as there was a fair amount of NIMBY action.

Edited November 24, 20213 yr by Htsguy

7 minutes ago, Htsguy said:

I think it was Ladmarks that turned it down after them came back a second time (I believe but not sure they reduced it by one floor).  I also believe McCormick was not supportive as there was a far amount of NIMBY action.

Ridiculous.  Same people complaining about a lack of affordable housing oppose any new multi family housing in Ohio City as though those things aren’t connected. 

4 minutes ago, gg707 said:

Ridiculous.  Same people complaining about a lack of affordable housing oppose any new multi family housing in Ohio City as though those things aren’t connected. 

What I think is really a shame is that the proposal was a thoughtful contemporary solution (I enjoy an urban fabric that mixes styles as long as it is well done) on a semi blighted and problematic parcel (in terms of making a project work economically) that incorporated a small retail component very well and brought life to the corner.  If I recall the PC staffer for the area (Matt Moss?) testified that it was exactly the type of project the city wanted for Fulton given the future investment to be made on nearby Lorain Avenue (if indeed that ever actually gets figured out and started...somebody knock on Mayor Bibbs door).  

Oh, I was thinking the one further south on Fulton (2222) also was rejected.   The one you are talking about at Woodbine still annoys me.  

4 hours ago, mrclifton88 said:

Here is the view from the intersection at Abbey… hopefully they put artwork there because threat blank wall is not good. 

 

This belongs at Crocker, not right off of downtown. Yuck. 

While not the best, I don't hate it. Just standard run of the mill urban infill. My only complaint is that I wish it had a retail space, like maybe for a small market.

2 hours ago, PoshSteve said:

While not the best, I don't hate it. Just standard run of the mill urban infill. My only complaint is that I wish it had a retail space, like maybe for a small market.

 

I agree.  Duck Island is going to miss Abbey Road Market.

Interesting comments. I think they mean we're making progress without even realizing it. 

 

For years all we saw was disinvestment, abandonment. So when a developer wanted to build something our focus wasn't so much on the design but just that something was replacing nothing. Fast forward to today and although we're still not seeing red-hot sun belt development we have seen significant infill, especially housing. The one common denominator in all that design both here and around the country is the ubiquitous multi-shaded boxy look like the one Geis is proposing. That design is here, there and everywhere around the country. It's funny, I remember the first time I saw it, what, 30 years ago? I thought "wow" so fresh, so modern, so different. Now it's just so old, so derivative. 

 

So what is the progress we've made? It's that we're no longer satisfied with any 'ol infill. We've progressed to the point that  we actually care about a what a development looks like. We're not just be happy that we're getting something, anything. 

 

That's progress and it bodes well for our future. I don't know what the next "look" is going to be but I feel confident that we have progressed enough to demand our place at the new design table. 

 

Speaking of table, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

On my phone so it won't be terribly nuanced but I've got a bunch of buds in pgh and lived down there for a year, I always joke that cle is 5-10 yrs behind pgh and @cadmenjust echoed that sentiment. When pgh first started infill it was a ton of boxy and uninspiring stuff and eventually design came into play. There's still plenty of boxy stuff going up down there but also a lot more flair than just standard builds. For the rents this place will be fetching you sure would hope they give it more thought. 

From an e-mail about the upcoming Duck Island Block Club meeting:

 

Quote

 

A third development (still in early stages) has been pushed back by the DI Co-Chairs to an upcoming meeting in January or February, 2022:

 

The Pearl: Very early on in the development process on Columbus and Brevier. The developers would like to communicate with the community as early as possible. They have mentioned adding commercial space as a neighborhood amenity and will be seeking a street vacation of Brevier. Not seeking a vote as they are too early in process, but would like to make community aware of plans.

 

This is the vacant dirt lot with cars parked on it and a billboard east of the "Y" intersection of Columbus and W. 25th. edit- only other thing I can add to this is that it is going to be a fairly good sized project.

 

The other two developments are the above mentioned Abbey Road apartments, and a 3 unit townhouse complex on Freeman. 

They should get that intersection sorted out, have Columbus turn to intersect pearl at 90 degrees.  

11 minutes ago, RMB said:

They should get that intersection sorted out, have Columbus turn to intersect pearl at 90 degrees.  

 

Absolutely. It's not a pedestrian- and bike-friendly intersection. And by vacating part of the Columbus Road ROW, the adjacent property owner gets more free land (on top of vacating Brevier).

Here is the view from the intersection at Abbey… hopefully they put artwork there because threat blank wall is not good. 
http://cdn.urbanohio.com/monthly_2021_11/E12CC5C9-DACD-40CB-A404-8228F4F85C28.jpeg.9542334c00ff9b117a3844ce9caa3f72.jpeg
http://cdn.urbanohio.com/monthly_2021_11/EA8A44D8-098D-4257-8347-03A565B04304.jpeg.a4afd87606e6c9f9af96115a87088131.jpeg

One thing that seems consistent with Geis projects are that they are simply not interested in retail being included. This building, The avenue district building, their project in Midtown. All missed opportunities, it's kind of frustrating. They want to build in the city but don't want to build proper projects FOR the city.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

Geis wants low risk, easily manageable developments with minimal design standards that their inept in-house designers can execute.

Great for investors, not so great for the urban fabric. Their projects have created dead pedestrian zones in every instance other than the Breuer Tower (the 9). Pedestrian experience is simply not a priority. For whatever reason Near West Design Review rolled over for this project. Doesn’t seem like the block club or CDC will, though I question their arguments (likely an anti density view).

Edited December 2, 20213 yr by w28th

Geis architects have been designing light industrial boxes in the burbs for decades. You can see some of that experience in their residential designs for urban settings. 

I get that the Geis architects have an industrial background, but I really wish they'd pick up a magazine, surf the internet, or simply look up when they drive around.  I bet their wardrobe sucks too!

14 hours ago, w28th said:

Geis wants low risk, easily manageable developments with minimal design standards that their inept in-house designers can execute.

Great for investors, not so great for the urban fabric. Their projects have created dead pedestrian zones in every instance other than the Breuer Tower (the 9). Pedestrian experience is simply not a priority. For whatever reason Near West Design Review rolled over for this project. Doesn’t seem like the block club or CDC will, though I question their arguments (likely an anti density view).

 

Yeah, this is a frustrating dilemma, because NIMBY's so often latch onto the aesthetics as a pretext. 

 

I think this project is needlessly ugly and disappointing given the amazing site, but I guess I wouldn't say I oppose it, because the density is good and the site plan seems fine, and those are two things we can't really take for granted. 

41 minutes ago, gruver said:

I get that the Geis architects have an industrial background, but I really wish they'd pick up a magazine, surf the internet, or simply look up when they drive around.  I bet their wardrobe sucks too!

 

Conrad Geis always wears a three-piece suit.

I guess I agree to a certain extent since it does add density which hopeful will foster good projects by responsible developers who will build aesthetically pleasing buildings (like say the Intro guys nearby).  That said I would march on city hall if something like this was proposed for say the parking lots near Lutheran on West 25th.  A Geis development on that site could easily be mistaken for an extension of the public housing across the street.

The Geis design is definitely not a show stopper, but keep this in mind:  This residential urban infill project in a residential neighborhood will be, roughly speaking, twice as large as, more stories than, as tall as, and include as much retail as, a certain building designed by a nationally known architecture firm and which is currently being built in the heart of the densest neighborhood on the most high profile site in the city.  I'm talking to you SHW Pavilion!

 

All in all the Geis design will fit in nicely with the other townhomes around there and add back some lost density.  It's not the gold standard of design, but it will also age much better than projects like Church and State.

2 hours ago, Dino said:

 it will also age much better than projects like Church and State.

 

Church and State will age just fine.

Geis made some minor design modifications since my article and will be submitting them tomorrow for review and possible approval. I've seen the revised renderings and I'll be damned if I can figured out what changed, except for the sample mural. Then again, I'm no architect.

Hey guys just to let you know l got a peak at the revised renderings and the changes really stand out if you know what to look for. First, the light beige panel on the corner wall is a full half inch larger than the original. Second, the chocolate section above the now larger beige panel is darker. That's right, if you look at the chocolate color spectrum (1 to 100) you will see that the original was a 66 and the revised color is a 67. 

 

Those with a discerning eye will notice the changes immediately and those who don't...well just leave it to the experts as they know best.

this is terrible

 

that people can be all Nimby to halt good projects is an issue.    but an equally extreme reaction to that  would be approving this sort of design solely because it provides more density.  With the rent PSF you are getting these days, at least when lumber comes back down, you can afford to do something more attractive and timeless and achieve density too.

18 hours ago, cadmen said:

Hey guys just to let you know l got a peak at the revised renderings and the changes really stand out if you know what to look for. First, the light beige panel on the corner wall is a full half inch larger than the original. Second, the chocolate section above the now larger beige panel is darker. That's right, if you look at the chocolate color spectrum (1 to 100) you will see that the original was a 66 and the revised color is a 67. 

 

Those with a discerning eye will notice the changes immediately and those who don't...well just leave it to the experts as they know best.

 

 

oh good more beige!

 

because that a color we need more of in building facades!

PC recognized that there were still many issues that had to be ironed out (and more meetings with community groups) for the Abbey Road apartment building and townhouse project so they turned the request for schematic approval into conceptual approval so the developer could re-group and make the necessary changes and come back for schematic.  In other words the PC felt the plan was going to change so much that they could not give schematic approval at this time.

Edited December 3, 20213 yr by Htsguy

Geis desperately needs some new in-house architects.  

^ What did they do? Run Link59 over again?

 

More details regarding the Abbey Road project and Planning Commission.  3 community reps spoke and while they are happy this long vacate eye sore is going to be developed they indicated that the community had a number off concerns.

 

Two big issues was the lack of significant retail (Geis most recently did add 500 sq feet of retail space to address this concern) and traffic flow (which most people believed could be easily fixed).  Number of parking spaces was also brought  up.  Another big issue was siting with the belief that the townhomes should front West 19th rather than a wing of the 5 story apartment building. 

 

The community members also expressed vague concerns with the design but it was Commission member Lillian Kuri (and only her on the commission) who was very vocal about the design expressing great disappointment in the product for such an important site and felt the developer really had to go back to the drawing board and do a better job.

 

I should note that the Geis rep had a semi heart attack with only conceptual approval and the possible need to come back with more of a retail component.  He claimed that Panzica had included significant retail in other projects in the city which were much better situated for retail and was having problems leasing the space.  I believe this may be true.  I wonder if part of the problems is that he seeks unreasonable rents and terms.  Really don't know.

 

 

Edited December 3, 20213 yr by Htsguy

I realize the bottom line in any development comes down to money but it doesn't cost anything to flip through a few of those architectural design books, you know, the fancy ones with all the high gloss pics of interesting and appealing buildings and steal some ideas. A little of this, some of that, you could even throw in something from your own head (you are an architect right?). Mix it up a little so you can't be sued for plagiarizing and l bet you come up with something infinitely better that the crap proposed. 

 

Hello...Geis? Anybody there? Hello?

An updated agenda for the Duck Island Block Club just came including this extra nugget about the Columbus/W. 25th St. project:

 

Quote

ADDED ITEM -  Conceptual Overview -  The Pearl: Very early on in the development process on Columbus and Brevier. The developers would like to communicate with the community as early as possible. They have mentioned adding commercial space as a neighborhood amenity and will be seeking a street vacation of Brevier. Not seeking a vote as they are too early in process, but would like to make community aware of plans.

 

2 hours ago, X said:

An updated agenda for the Duck Island Block Club just came including this extra nugget about the Columbus/W. 25th St. project:

 

 

 

I spoke to a member of the development team and would like to post an article as soon as possible. But there's been a lot to cover (including another Hough article tonight) and family life intrudes on work -- or is it the other way around?

It's proposed to be 7 stories containing 185 units

 

Mixed-use building 43 The Pearl coming to Ohio City area

 

The development coincides with other multi-use projects in the area, including the Waterford Bluffs, The Fairmount Creamery, Electric Gardens, Carriage Works, and The Abbey Avenue Apartments, which just got an approval from the City Planning Commission last Friday.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2021/12/06/mixed-use-builiding-pearl-ohio-city.html

I friggin' hate getting scooped! Especially when I've been working on this article since Friday!!! Arrrgh! 😤

 

I'll publish it anyway, probably around noonish.