The brochure says opening 2016? That doesn't seem realistic to me at all. They need to get started now if they want to be finished by then. Any thoughts?

My guess is that they will build in stages, with the first section opening in 2016.  If it's something like single story restaurants, the timeline is doable

The laneway will be the E.6th street sidewalk that takes you to gateway, I assume.

Did anyone else note that page 10 of the Stark nuCLEus brochure appears to show a build-out on the upper floors of Euclid Avenue's 515 Garage?  Any info?

 

Several folks discussed it upthread, but we do have a 515 Euclid thread in completed/abandoned projects. (hint hint)

 

The laneway will be the E.6th street sidewalk that takes you to gateway, I assume.

 

If so, I like this centuries-old concept which is from Quebec City -- perhaps North America's most European city....

 

There will be great views of the tower from Progressive field.

 

Would the laneways be between the two buildings?  That would make the most sense.

I was playing around with Google Sketchup earlier, and for the heck of it I built a little mockup of the tallest NuCLEus tower and placed it in Google Earth, just to see what a ~450 foot building in that area would look like in relation to the skyline. Here are a few renders.

 

(apologies in advance for the 50's-O-Rama look of the tower, I wanted to use a texture that would make it stand out in the skyline, and this was the best I could find)

 

From Progressive Field: http://i.imgur.com/HdvJOb1.jpg

From near the Prospect/Huron intersection: http://i.imgur.com/VZX5OsS.jpg

From the Hope Memorial Bridge: http://i.imgur.com/BvmIPUT.png

Ok, I don't think I really understand what a laneway is.  The photos of the Melbourne laneway looks cramped and on the inside of a mall (second photo).  How is a laneway different than E4th other than it being skinnier?

^If you are interested in Stark Enterprises take on it I would direct you to the brochure  where they give their description

I was playing around with Google Sketchup earlier, and for the heck of it I built a little mockup of the tallest NuCLEus tower and placed it in Google Earth, just to see what a ~450 foot building in that area would look like in relation to the skyline. Here are a few renders.

 

(apologies in advance for the 50's-O-Rama look of the tower, I wanted to use a texture that would make it stand out in the skyline, and this was the best I could find)

 

From Progressive Field: http://i.imgur.com/HdvJOb1.jpg

From near the Prospect/Huron intersection: http://i.imgur.com/VZX5OsS.jpg

From the Hope Memorial Bridge: http://i.imgur.com/BvmIPUT.png

 

Nice massings!

I'm guessing the laneway concept is more like an old fashion arcade, of which we have two already with one of them on life support and the other doing alright at the expense of the first -- The Arcade and 5th Street Arcades.

 

edit: Corrected name of The Arcade,  as somebody pointed out below.

^If you are interested in Stark Enterprises take on it I would direct you to the brochure  where they give their description

 

Well, it's not really their take, seeing as they plagiarized a Melbourne tourism site for their description: http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Placestogo/LanewaysandArcades/Pages/LanewaysandArcades.aspx.  Talk about lazy.

Appears the Stark folks just added the below nuCLEus brochure (dated 9/2014) onto their site. It adds some additional details - including the "laneways" concept - into the mix. Interesting..

 

Find the brochure download on the left side of this page: http://starkenterprises.com/properties/nucleus/

 

"nuCLEus will introduce laneways to downtown Cleveland, a unique form of urban place making originating in Melbourne, Australia. The laneway at nuCLEus will be a tight intimate space that offers al fresco eateries, one-off shops and cozy little bars, all nestled side-by-side in a unique alley setting with its own individual character and charm."

 

So, is E. 4th a laneway?

 

Similar, but slightly different in spirit.  Laneways are about reclaiming utilitarian alleys as intimate pedestrian spaces.  East 4th has a great scale, but is a conventional street in the sense that its buildings have normal storefronts.

 

Similarly it would be cool for Barn Ct. off of E 9th by The 9 to turn into a laneway as well.

The Grand Arcade is a condominium building in the Warehouse District. I think the Arcade spanning Euclid Ave. and Superior Ave. is called The Old Arcade.

^ It's the Colonial Arcade.  C'mon y'all!!

No, the Colonial and Euclid Arcades are now the 5th Street Arcade.

The Grand Arcade is a condominium building in the Warehouse District. I think the Arcade spanning Euclid Ave. and Superior Ave. is called The Old Arcade.

 

Apologizes for continuing to go off topic, but the arcade between Euclid and Superior is simply "The Arcade."

I've been lied to all my life.

The Melbourne laneways....

 

Open-air:

 

Perhaps this is a design concept that could warrant wider use around the city re: wind protection in colder months?

 

The Melbourne laneways....

 

Open-air:

 

Perhaps this is a design concept that could warrant wider use around the city re: wind protection in colder months?

 

 

I like it.  It gives a sort of European feel in the old medieval parts of cities....Florence, Rome, London etc.

Please happen with that height...

And can we still have the Ferrari Tower?

 

Fingers more than crossed...!

I was playing around with Google Sketchup earlier, and for the heck of it I built a little mockup of the tallest NuCLEus tower and placed it in Google Earth, just to see what a ~450 foot building in that area would look like in relation to the skyline. Here are a few renders.

 

Awesome!  Thanks for taking the time to do that.

The Melbourne laneways....

 

Open-air:

 

 

Perhaps this is a design concept that could warrant wider use around the city re: wind protection in colder months?

 

 

I like it.  It gives a sort of European feel in the old medieval parts of cities....Florence, Rome, London etc.

 

And it's a nice, density driving change-up from the more suburban style developments going on (ie Flats East Bank, etc.).

Thanks for the feedback re: the massings KJP and jborger. Sketchup is a fun little program to make this sort of thing!

 

One thing I wonder regarding the laneways is how crowded they will be before and after games and other events at the Gateway complex. It could end up being a good thing (lots of foot traffic in a tight-knit urban retail environment) or a bad thing (a confined area becoming TOO crowded).

[insert joke hear about pathetic Indians attendance]

Discalimer!!!!!

 

I like what the project does for the parking lot.

 

BUT

 

I think the buildings are too big for the Site and lack the human scale that the buildings around it have.

 

 

Without having detailed designs there's really no way of knowing how it'll feel for a pedestrian. Size of the building doesn't necessarily correlate to pedestrian scale. A 400 foot tall building can feel more human scaled than a two story building if designed properly. Setbacks, a ground level that isn't just long and flat, a good mix of uses, etc. can all make a large building feel properly scaled to the human user. Hopefully we see that from this project, especially if they're going for the laneways concept since that's dependent on proper scaling.

I know the 515 Euc building is showing up on these massings for Stark - but it also was on the Ferrari Tower plan too.

Did I miss some news?

Discalimer!!!!!

 

I like what the project does for the parking lot.

 

BUT

 

I think the buildings are too big for the Site and lack the human scale that the buildings around it have.

 

 

 

Stark seems to feel this scale of structure is necessary to generate enough revenue to retire the debt from the property's large purchase price. If he could higher rents instead to offer buildings of lesser scale, I suspect he would.

 

I know the 515 Euc building is showing up on these massings for Stark - but it also was on the Ferrari Tower plan too.

Did I miss some news?

 

You didn't miss anything. There's been no news. I searched the web for any hint of any movement on it and found nothing.

Discalimer!!!!!

 

I like what the project does for the parking lot.

 

BUT

 

I think the buildings are too big for the Site and lack the human scale that the buildings around it have.

 

 

I always imagined the e4th side being made to look like the euclid-prospect segment with a tall tower behind it. 

I heard there will be some announcement on this development next month. http://www.starkenterprises.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/nuCLEus_EmailVersion.pdf

I heard there will be some announcement on this development next month. http://www.starkenterprises.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/nuCLEus_EmailVersion.pdf

 

If I may be so nosy, what did you hear and where did you hear it?

another forum board. http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleveland/

^I'd take that with a grain of salt (city-data.com forums, specifically).

So I just checked the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer's website and I am happy to announce that it looks like the L&R portfolio has transferred to some Stark subsidiaries!!!!

So I just checked the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer's website and I am happy to announce that it looks like the L&R portfolio has transferred to some Stark subsidiaries!!!!

 

It begins. :)

The company is Gateway Huron LLC and the title transfer was recorded Sept. 18. It says the land at the SE corner of East 4th and Prospect sold for $6.5 million. The land was bought three years earlier for $9.4 million.

 

The land on the SW corner of 4th and Prospect transferred the same day and sold for $500,000. The prior owner LR 310 PROSPECT INVESTORS LLC bought it in 2008 for $532,335.

 

I haven't checked all the parcels in the area, but it sounds like Stark got some good deals.

Thanks for the information guys!  Is the SW corner parcel mentioned above is the corner where L&R wanted to construct the two story building with the huge video board?

Downtown Cleveland parking portfolio sells for $26 million, setting stage for Stark Enterprises project

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Northeast Ohio investors paid $26 million this week for a downtown Cleveland parking portfolio, laying groundwork for a major development project in the city's Gateway District.

 

Stark Enterprises and J-Dek Investments Ltd. bought five properties Thursday from the L&R Group of Companies of California, public records show. In separate transactions, the investors paid other landowners an additional $2.75 million for two small parcels that round out a development site just north of Quicken Loans Arena.

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/downtown_cleveland_parking_por.html#incart_river

Wow. $26 million.

 

Good riddance L&R.

And great job UrbanOhio (specifically SixthCity!) for scooping the PD -- possibly even giving Michelle a heads-up on the transactions.

 

BTW, its great to see the Warehouse District parcels were part of this transaction too.

And great job UrbanOhio (specifically SixthCity!) for scooping the PD -- possibly even giving Michelle a heads-up on the transactions.

 

BTW, its great to see the Warehouse District parcels were part of this transaction too.

 

Thanks KJP but in the interest of full disclosure - it was Michelle who scooped me.  I ran into her at the City Planning Commission meeting this morning and we talked for awhile.  She mentioned that the sale was supposed to close on the 18th.  I immediately went home and checked and she was correct.  No matter how good I think I am, I will always be a step behind her.

Stark’s project aims to give Cleveland new ‘face’

Posted: Thursday, October 2, 2014 12:00 pm

JACQUELINE MITCHELL | STAFF REPORTER

[email protected]

 

“As the legend goes, when the phoenix resurrects from the flames, she is even more beautiful than before,” reads the Danielle LaPorte quote – chosen to describe the burgeoning renaissance of Cleveland – that is featured prominently in the preliminary materials outlining nucleus, Stark Enterprises’ latest downtown venture.

 

nuCLEus, Stark’s modern shopping hub and residential area, will be situated in the center of the city. The project will cost an estimated $350 million, with 500 apartments, a minimum of 200,000 square feet of office space and a goal of attracting national restaurants and retailers.

 

Bob Stark, president and CEO of Stark Enterprises of Cleveland, said the company is expecting construction to commence after the first of the new year.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/special_sections/article_6c209c4a-4994-11e4-ba95-eb095b820e4e.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

Stark’s project aims to give Cleveland new ‘face’

Posted: Thursday, October 2, 2014 12:00 pm

JACQUELINE MITCHELL | STAFF REPORTER

[email protected]

 

“As the legend goes, when the phoenix resurrects from the flames, she is even more beautiful than before,” reads the Danielle LaPorte quote – chosen to describe the burgeoning renaissance of Cleveland – that is featured prominently in the preliminary materials outlining nucleus, Stark Enterprises’ latest downtown venture.

 

nuCLEus, Stark’s modern shopping hub and residential area, will be situated in the center of the city. The project will cost an estimated $350 million, with 500 apartments, a minimum of 200,000 square feet of office space and a goal of attracting national restaurants and retailers.

 

Bob Stark, president and CEO of Stark Enterprises of Cleveland, said the company is expecting construction to commence after the first of the new year.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/special_sections/article_6c209c4a-4994-11e4-ba95-eb095b820e4e.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

 

He certainly has me excited about this project... Interesting comment about  the "several high-rises that will be visible from everywhere in the city".  Can't wait to see some renderings

500 apartments! Even if they're spread amongst several buildings at that parcel, it'll still be impressive. 1717 East Ninth, by comparison, will have 223 apartments.

What intrigues me is he said he expects construction to start after the first of the year.  That's a crazy fast timeline.  Do we know who the architect and engineer is for the project?  If that is the case, I would expect to se plans in design review shortly. 

^I find this hard to believe unless they are just going to start on the rehab of those Prospect Buildings that were involved in that lawsuit.  I was under the impression they are still looking for investors for the big project.

Regarding the timetable for the Stark project. This is what Stark indicated in a recent article from mjarboe[/member].

 

Our intention is to open up a portion of this development, probably most of the parking part of it, before the Republican National Convention," Stark said, "and then open the rest of it up in late 2016 or the spring of 2017

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/downtown_cleveland_parking_por.html#incart_river

 

So we shall see.

Well, if I had to pick one thing Downtown needs, it's retail.  He seems like just the man to bring it.

Not if they want to see the market stay in the doldrums. Sometimes, developers need to push the market a little. Too bad FCE doesn't take this approach. There is a risk in it, but isn't that what growing is all about?

 

I was just talking with someone about what site Stark is eyeballing. The article says "between Huron and Prospect." The only underutilized sites I can think of between those two streets is the section east of Ontario to the Pointe at Gateway. There are two large surface parking lots in the area, one of the Gateway parking decks and several smaller buildings, including Myers University. See the lower-center portion of MayDay's picture....

 

 

To fit millions of square feet of anything into that small space (assuming that is the proposed space), Stark would have to build some pretty tall buildings and a lot of them. For comparison, Key Tower is 1.538 million square feet. Stark is talking 10 million to 11 million square feet. That's about seven Key Towers, or 14 towers in the range of 25-30 stories. It's also about 4,000 residences, if my math is right (which needs double-checking!). At current construction costs per square foot, that's roughly $1.6 billion, putting it on par with the Terminal Tower complex of 1930 and all its railroad access routes. Yet, Stark and the Carney Family built Crocker Park for $420 million, so it's not that big of a leap for Stark to propose a $1.6 billion project.

 

Hell, I say go for it.

 

KJP

 

Looks like KJP had the inside scoop on this nearly a decade ago!  Found this in the thread Re: Downtown Cleveland development pitched by Crocker Park builder

 

Read more: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2591.0.html#ixzz3GRUkVikS

^ tgat is a gem of a find!