Creating a new thread to highlight what is, has been, and will be happening in South Euclid. I started this week as the city's Housing Programs Coordinator and look forward to sharing any news going on, and trying to answer any questions you may have! The guy who I'm replacing is moving on to become the new Economic/Community Development Coordinator - a position they just created.

 

Since 2010 there has been over $50M in residential construction and improvements, and over $150M in commercial. Some notable things include:

 

-Planet Fitness will be building a two story (first in NEO) flagship gym to complete the build-out of Cedar Center North

-Construction of the new Marc's plaza on Mayfield is well under way behind the current location. The businesses currently located in the plaza will move with Marc's to the new one before its demoed and two out parcels - one for a restaurant, the other for a bank - will take its place. The rebuild includes the former Burger King on South Green which will be demoed and replaced by a new business.

-Telling Manor is still being turned into a Porcelain Museum now that the library has moved.

-Sanctuary on Green will close and be replaced by a new medical rehabilitation center.

-Oakwood Commons is close to being built-out now with the additions of TJMaxx Homegoods, Burlington and Steak'n'Shake and the final out parcel building will soon be going up.

 

While now most of this development has been auto-centric and suburban in nature, the city is working to finally update its zoning to form based, or at least institute overlay districts in the main commercial areas to prevent repeats of the above.

 

More to come :)

^ Congrats!

That is such a bummer to hear that the Sanctuary on Green will close. Having a wife from Germany, we looked forward every Christmas season to taking the kids there to pick out their tree ornaments. Super bummed to hear this.

 

Also, I just drove by Oakwood Commons (worst use of land ever btw) today and can not believe that the city allowed the developer to place an out building with the rear of the building facing Warrensville Center Road. It looks terrible, with the back doors facing the street. I felt really bad for the home owners across the street who have to look at this everyday.

 

I wish you luck in your new position and hopefully you can steer SE in a more design friendly direction.

 

Congrats! When will Sanctuary close?

No set date that we know of, but its expected by the end of the summer.

Slightly off topic, but the other day, when heading toward Aurora Premium Outlets on 306, I was taken aback when coming across a group of new detatched houses on the west side of 306 also with a long row of rear elevations facing  306.  There was a wall placed such the road would be screened off for the homeowners, but nothing enabling all the drivers on 306 to avoid this mass visual pollution!

Moe's Southwest Grill opens at Oakwood Commons on Thursday. $3 Burritos and the first 50 customers get free burritos for a year.

^What time does it open Thursday?

^Not sure if they're having any special hours, but looks like regular opening is 11am at their other locations

Didn't have a chance to get out and get any pictures, but the old Marc's plaza just east of Green on Mayfield has been demolished today. The new stores being built behind it are scheduled to open in September.

Progress of Season's Kosher Market under construction at Oakwood Commons. Pretty uncommon for a retail building to have a basement, but the geology of the site requires it. The different kitchens will be located in the basement, with the store taking up the entire ground level.

 

 

I've been going by the new Marc's and it makes me sad. The Mayfield corridor in South Euclid has a lot of nice old commercial buildings right on the street, and I think it is quite walkable for postwar suburbia. The old Marc's was nothing special but about as ideal a suburban supermarket could be, right on the street with a big parking lot in the back. That new one is so far back and behind a hill such that you can barely even see it from the street. A bummer to see a suburb with an actual relatively nice urban corridor embrace enormous parking lots and setbacks.

 

There also used to be, years ago, a wonderful old multi story mixed use building right on the Southeast corner of Green and Mayfield that was replaced by a CVS with a parking lot. PoshSteve if you are working for the city I wish you lots of luck in preventing this type of development going forward. I know the city council also has a CSU-trained urban planner on it.

One ugly wall separating the parking lot from the businesses next door. Coffee Phix got slammed from all that construction, and things haven't improved since.

 

I do like that strange standalone salon there; it's gotta be a front for something.

The big problem comes from the city's relative lack of zoning. The same reason that lead to Cedar Center North and Oakwood Commons taking on their current forms - and the CVS. There is talk about creating a form-based overlay district along Mayfield and part of Green, but right now the city doesn't have anyone working on that, something that will hopefully change soon.

 

The Marc's redevelopment is not done though, and there will be out parcels developed along Mayfield, although I am not sure how close to the road they will be. One is supposed to be a new Starbucks, though that seems more likely to be replacing the old Burger King on Green.

 

Also, the Subway that just opened next to the new Marc's is one of their new concepts they just started rolling out in the last couple of months. The biggest feature is self order kiosks when you first walk in.

I remember the nice old building that used to be where the CVS is now located. It seems that South Euclid once had a substantial downtown-like commercial district along Mayfield. It is sad to see how it has become just another suburban strip.

The Dairy Queen turned LoanMax and empty South Euclid Library mansion are particularly heartbreaking. And just thinking how much Greenview, Memorial and especially Brush have collapsed in the last twenty years. It's all such a shame.

^ Telling Mansion is not vacant, it's a porcelain museum.

 

http://www.americanporcelainart.org/

Planet Fitness closed on their purchase on the parcel in Cedar Center next to GFS for $1M. All parcels in Cedar Center have been sold now. This is meant to be their new flagship location in Cleveland and will be two stories.

Interesting stand taken by the South Euclid Planning Commission, a 5-0 denial of a proposed Burger King drive thru on Mayfield Road in front of the new Marc's plaza just east of Green Road (and site of the old Maymore shopping center which was demolished in summer 2017).  The "new" BK is not to be confused with the old Green Road BK location, just NW of the current development, which is still standing.  That building has been remodeled on the inside, is awaiting an outdoor remodeling, and is slated to become a medical office building.

 

Here's the minutes from the PC meeting:  https://www.cityofsoutheuclid.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PCMinutes12.14.17.pdf

 

The PC insisted on maintaining the intended, pedestrian-friendly nature of the May-Green intersection/zoning district.  That's encouraging.  South Euclid has seen a boom of new retail in the last ten years with Cedar Center North, Oakwood Commons (anchored by Wal-Mart on Warrensville Center Road), and the new Marc's Plaza being fully built-out.  Also, the McDonald's just across the street from the proposed Burger King will be torn down and rebuilt this year (the existing building is less than 20 years old).  Perhaps now the PC feels confident enough to insist on some basic zoning principles at Mayfield, which is arguably the city's prime intersection.

^ South Euclid had a decent intact intersection at Mayfield and Green until the mid to late 90s.  Planning principles are lost now.

Poor Dairy Queen:( I get sad every I go past the LoanMax, or whatever it's called.

I've been going by the new Marc's and it makes me sad. The Mayfield corridor in South Euclid has a lot of nice old commercial buildings right on the street, and I think it is quite walkable for postwar suburbia. The old Marc's was nothing special but about as ideal a suburban supermarket could be, right on the street with a big parking lot in the back. That new one is so far back and behind a hill such that you can barely even see it from the street. A bummer to see a suburb with an actual relatively nice urban corridor embrace enormous parking lots and setbacks.

 

There also used to be, years ago, a wonderful old multi story mixed use building right on the Southeast corner of Green and Mayfield that was replaced by a CVS with a parking lot. PoshSteve if you are working for the city I wish you lots of luck in preventing this type of development going forward. I know the city council also has a CSU-trained urban planner on it.

I don't believe a developer could have gotten away with this in Cleveland Heights.  Years ago yes (e.g. Noble Road), but no more.

^ Telling Mansion is not vacant, it's a porcelain museum.

 

http://www.americanporcelainart.org/

But when on earth will it open?  I've so no publicity giving an inkling.

^ Telling Mansion is not vacant, it's a porcelain museum.

 

http://www.americanporcelainart.org/

"Slight" problem with the museum's own description.  It implies the mansion/museum is on Cedar Road!  Also, technically, South Euclid and Lyndhurst are not "towns" nor were they ever.  They started out as villages taking land from "townships." I will have to give the owner much credit, however, in that the exterior of the museum looks fantastic!

^ Telling Mansion is not vacant, it's a porcelain museum.

 

http://www.americanporcelainart.org/

Today was the groundbreaking for the new Planet Fitness flagship at Cedar Center North - 20,000sf and two stories. It will take up the last vacant spot in the development between GFS and the main shopping center.

 

 

 

Well... at the least the Whole Foods across the street is nice

Cedar Center North...a pile of crap nothing like what was promised...brought to you by the Coral Company.

Cedar Center North...a pile of crap nothing like what was promised...brought to you by the Coral Company.

 

What was promised?  I can't remember.  Any idea how the retailers are doing?

Cedar Center North...a pile of crap nothing like what was promised...brought to you by the Coral Company.

 

What was promised?  I can't remember.  Any idea how the retailers are doing?

 

It was supposed to be a mixed-use development with urban form.  But instead, a suburban blah shopping strip.

Cedar Center North...a pile of crap nothing like what was promised...brought to you by the Coral Company.

 

What was promised?  I can't remember.  Any idea how the retailers are doing?

 

It was supposed to be a mixed-use development with urban form.  But instead, a suburban blah shopping strip.

 

I don't see market rate housing being a huge hit there.  Maybe if University Square across the street gets that overhaul it could create some interest in housing?  Again though, not sure who they would draw?  JCU students maybe?

 

The design...not my cup of tea but not the easiest doing those type of retail developments with a focus on design.  Going after credit tenants like a panera, starbucks, petsmart, bob evans, chipotle, jimmy johns, five guys, piada, and now panda is the goal for a deal like what was built; maximizing the value of their leases.  And honestly the project was probably viewed as a success for developer and the city.  And I remember people being fairly excited for certain tenants, even though those are generally everywhere (Chipotle, Panera, jimmy johms, but Five Guys and Piada are not in every new retail center).  With the housing density in this area and outward, retail was a no brainer.

 

This final product/project as-built is of course more suburban and is the other end of the spectrum with respect to what I was talking about in the previous retail thread regarding shops in dense urban neighorhoods.  I think ultimately they will do better in the face of Amazon than the big box, national credit tenants will be able to, maybe they will do better then too.

Cedar Center North...a pile of crap nothing like what was promised...brought to you by the Coral Company.

 

What was promised?  I can't remember.  Any idea how the retailers are doing?

 

It was supposed to be a mixed-use development with urban form.  But instead, a suburban blah shopping strip.

 

When was that?  I don't remember that ever being on the table.  I remember a lot of people on here saying they would have like if it was so.  I don't remember that ever being the plan.

^Actually I also remember that being the plan.  Very dense to the street with apartments over retail in spots.  I even have a vague recollection of some pretty detailed conceptual renderings.  I remember grossing on this forum years again about the end result after the promise and of course the continuing failures of Coral.

^You can see an early conceptual on the first page of the Cedar Center thread in completed projects.  This was 2005.  Also the discussion in the thread reflects the disappointment of forum members as the years rolled on and the project actually became what it is.  A new strip center with even less "charm"  or personality than the crumbling strip it replaced.

Thanks.  I checked out the old renderings- it was better than what we got, but "urban form" is still a bit of a stretch- a mixed use building with a few strip mall style wings and some single story restaurants and surface parking along the road. Eh.

Original plan for those interested:

 

This is quite delayed but I just recently was looking for info on this project.  Apparently there isn't much new.  I live right in this area and am hopeful that this gets done.  With the "Target Center" (my nickname for the University Square that is at the southeast corner of the intersection) there, I'm not sure about demand for more retail, but I guess that's where the residential units come in.  I'm looking forward to this because it, combined with the Target Center, and yes, Legacy Village just about 5-7 minutes' drive down Cedar in the opposite direction, it provides lots of options and should be attractive to residents of the area.

 

There were a couple of plan images in a South Euclid magazine they published about a month ago, and I was able to scan them in.  These  are the plans for the north side of Cedar, west of Warrensville, which currently looks like this:

 

 

Layout and sketch:

 

 

 

 

They label each of the red spaces, "restaurant" but 7 restaurants on this one strip of land seems odd to me, and in the sketch the spaces look a lot smaller than they do in the layout.  The surface parking at the lower left of the image calls for 183 spaces, and a 4-level, 440-car garage is shown in gray at the upper left.  I have not seen plans for the south side of Cedar..and I wonder how this project would co-exist  or mesh with the vertical-big-box wonder that sits catty-corner to it.  That place seems to already have very ample parking  and if this intersection is supposed to become ped-friendly I wonder if they're overdoing it on the parking here.  I'm no expert at all so I don't know.

 

Here's what they wrote in the magazine:

 

"Take Cedar Center," [mayor Georgine Welo] says, noting that the city has just released a plan to build up to 128 apartmens or condominiums on four floors above planned retail space and restaurants, which would create a trendy mixed-use space.  Welo has been meeting with builders and landlords to explore further development possibilities.  "We're building relationships with developers, some from out of state.  We have to go out and pound the pavement."

 

The revitalization project could appeal to John Carroll University and Notre Dame College students and others affiliated with those colleges, especially for people who'd like to live and socialize near those campuses.  In addition, the development will create a new town center with restaurants and green spaces for residents to enjoy.

 

Since the project was announced last December, Cal Caminati Jr., the city's economic development manager, says he has been getting congratulator messages from residents, former residents and businesses interested in the development's progress.

 

"We're getting a lot of interest and positive feedback on this project," Caminati says.  "Community development organizations in other cities are asking us about it; I guess when one city does something like this, others want to go forward on their own development projects."

 

To accommodate the extra parking the development would need, the city is looking into building a multi-story parking deck. 

 

Some of this cracks me up because they haven't really DONE anything yet except make a drawing.  But here's hoping it happens.

The city had used eminent domain to wipe out the existing center, was sold a mixed-use development with residential, office, retail, structured parking.  This project stalled for a while, the financial crisis hit, and now here we are. 

 

They then okayed a similar, if smaller design at the other Marc's plaza on Mayfield near Green.  There's also Oakwood, where vehicles and pedestrians on Warrensville get a lovely look at the back entry doors of Moe's Southwest Grille and whatever else is on the other side of this outlot: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5075726,-81.536494,3a,75y,291.35h,82.23t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYfp4dF6jb7u5hwEJV2mv3w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656..  And this brand new dental office McMansion fronting Cedar between Warrensville and Belvoir: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5013235,-81.5300522,3a,75y,324.03h,91.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_lNL1skZ8vaDkRHAmnIdZA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Gosh, so much hostility towards South Euclid!

 

I will say I understand alot of the frustration here, and yes I agree things could be better. I, along with nearly everyone else in the administration and civil service would love to have seen mixed use here, at the new Marc's, and at Oakwood - or at least better interaction with the street. We are currently limited by the outdated zoning though. Things are in the works to change that though, but there is only so much we can legally do right now with what we have. Believe me though when I say everything that can be done under our current ordinances and zoning is being done. There is quite a battle going on with the out-parcels at the new Marc's to ensure there is better street presence there. I will say (and not just because I'm a part of it), that this is one suburb that has a team of very competent people working for it now - particularly in the Economic Development, Housing, and Building Departments.

 

Regarding Cedar Center in particular, lets not forget that this is the way it is now because of the housing crisis and recession. Could the market support mixed use with residential now? Absolutely. Our housing market is very strong for an inner ring suburb (as I've mentioned before). Could it have supported it when the above plan was originally released? Possibly. But things took a hard left after the previous center was demolished, and the city pulled out all stops to get this through in its current form - which is really is not too bad for a retail shopping center. The other option was that this would have remained a vacant lot. Likely up until this day. There was no other option that involved mixed use with the market at the time. Now we have a successful development with a healthy mix of tenants who are consistently doing good business.

Poor Dairy Queen:( I get sad every I go past the LoanMax, or whatever it's called.

^ Telling Mansion is not vacant, it's a porcelain museum.

 

http://www.americanporcelainart.org/

Another Dairy Queen nearby.

 

Some photos of the new flagship Planet Fitness under construction at Cedar Center:

 

 

Join @NOACA_MPO on Sept. 11 at 5pm for a public meeting regarding Mayfield Rd. Corridor Muli-modal plan at the South Euclid Community Center. http://ow.ly/Issr30lH7oZ

The first meetings were very well attended. Lots of input and excitement from residents. Unlike with the earlier meetings, Cleveland Hts has now joined in with the planning.

General summary from the meeting:

 

A serious road diet is prepared for almost the entire stretch from the 271 interchange to Little Italy. The longer term plan calls for the stretch up until Severance to be reduced to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane, and dedicated bike lanes on each side separated from the roadway by grassy/landscaped medians. Sidewalk would be expanded with amenity zones, and on street parking would be added in main commercial nodes. In the short term, there would be temporary trial lane reductions to gauge the effects on traffic, and increased land and streetscaping. Restriping would happen in the medium term to reduce lanes and add bike lanes until the permanent capital improvements can be made. There is currently no dedicated funding for the plan, but having the plan is hoped to help leverage funding and guide ODOT during future maintenance.

Wow! what an improvement that'll be.  Were there any public comments?

Unfortunately there was not a large crowd of residents - certainly not anything close to the first meetings. This was likely due to the time/date of the meeting being changed from what was initially advertised. There were residents from all of the communities, from what I gathered. The few folks that did have questions and comments were about the importance of including the bike infrastructure, how the timing of the lights will be (it will be studied to have much better synchronization), and how the plan could affect property values and taxes. No one was opposed to anything in the plan.

Some photos from the grand opening of the new Planet Fitness flagship location (also includes the regional offices). With this, Cedar Center North is now fully built out and leased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^Cool. Do you know what's going on with that Steak and Shake at Oakwood Commons? I know it was a franchise and corporate was looking at taking over, but recently I think I saw the signage being removed.

 

Also, do you know if the city is looking at any new multi-family housing, maybe assembling acreage or rezoning areas for multi-family?

The Seasons kosher grocery which was to go into Oakwood Commons will...not go into Oakwood Commons, due to the chain's filing for bankruptcy:

https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/local_news/seasons-come-and-seasons-go/article_74152bbe-f804-11e8-96f5-23547aa13854.html

On 12/5/2018 at 10:36 PM, Mov2Ohio said:

^Cool. Do you know what's going on with that Steak and Shake at Oakwood Commons? I know it was a franchise and corporate was looking at taking over, but recently I think I saw the signage being removed.

 

Also, do you know if the city is looking at any new multi-family housing, maybe assembling acreage or rezoning areas for multi-family?

 

^^ All I can say for the former Steak n Shake is all of the legal entanglements have been straightened out and there should be news shortly on the space being taken over. It will not be another Steak n Shake though. 

 

For your second question, again I can't say much, but the city is looking at new multi-family and reuse projects. We are also in the early stages of looking at long needed changes to the zoning code.

Piggybacking off of my post above, January 10th the city and our CDC, One South Euclid, will be having an open discussion on the future of the Mayfield-Green area. Anyone is welcome to attend:

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/719520278431524/

 

Quote

The intersection of Mayfield & Green is the heart of South Euclid, but for too long the downtown district has not received the attention it deserves. A strategic plan for its future needed to be written. A vision of what it could achieve needed to be drawn. Earlier this year, the City and One South Euclidworked with the urban growth firm YARD & Company to craft that scenario, and you’re invited to help bring it to fruition. Join us as we reveal the plan to the public and share the immediate steps we are taking to revitalize downtown South Euclid.

 

^Nice!