Sadly, it looks like they took down the remainder of the smokestack that was there at the former Independant Towel Company.  Certianly a very cool building.  Surprised anyone would be doing anything to renovate it though with ODOT threatening to take it in the Innerbelt reconstruction.

 

First time poster, long time reader.

 

The Independent Towel Building is coming down and it was bid as an ODOT job, so one might presume it is for the eventual Innerbelt project (getting the demo done now, so its ready to go later).  Another building demo was bid at the same time near the I-90/W. 14th exit ramp - the warehouse with the child's face mural on the south side.  They just tore down some small buildings in front (south side) and I saw some aerials lifts on the north side last week, perhaps prepping that building for demo next?

 

The Independent Towel building didn't "look" very good just prior to demo, but now that all the ugly windows are gone and you can see only the brick architecture, its not hard to imagine how cool a building like that (with iconic smokestack) could have been... 

welcome cleB.

welcome cleB.

 

Ditto!    :wave:

What are people's thoughts on the Inner Belt reconstruction?

What are people's thoughts on the Inner Belt reconstruction?

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2438.0.html

I thought the innerbelt plans had been thrown into flux by the condition of the current bridge.  They were originally going to refurbish it at the end of the project, but then decided to do it first out of safety concerns.  If that's the case, I hate to have the demo work done years before its needed.  I like seeing both of those buildings as I go around the innnerbelt.  Is the new freeway path set in stone yet?  Why not leave these irreplaceable buildings up at least until the plans are certain.

 

Just like the building at 105/Carnegie that my buddy calls "Gotham City Hall."  The clinic has no business destroying it until they're ready to build on that site.  Its as if they're afraid preservationists might win if they don't get it leveled ASAP...         

All of this makes for good discussion, but if we could please direct Innerbelt-related posts to the thread that MyTwoSense mentioned, that'd be great. :-)

Hello everyone, was wanting to know when Tower City renovations are going to be over.  When it's finally finished I gotta get over there and take some photos without the scaffolding.

Hello everyone, was wanting to know when Tower City renovations are going to be over. When it's finally finished I gotta get over there and take some photos without the scaffolding.

 

There are still two years left on the 5-year project.  :( There are discussions in at least one of the threads.

I've never seen the boards this dead.

I've never seen the boards this dead.

 

Haha, I was thinking the same thing :(

Optimistic thought:

 

Many projects that were only talked about for years are now, or are about to be, underway.

Yeah. We really need to get some development news soon. Something .. ANYTHING!! :)

To quote MTS, all y'all just HUSH! :-)

 

Some of us remember (all too well) the years after the Federal Courthouse Tower was built - we had a drought from 2002 to 2005. Besides, you're getting weekly-ish updates of Flats East Bank (but honestly, it's in the site prep stage which is like watching paint dry), Avenue District is well underway, 668 Euclid's getting rehabbed, we have a tower crane over in University Circle (granted for a "meh" building design), the art museum is plugging along, the Healthline will be up and running, the Terminal Tower is slowly but surely getting fixed up, a few spots along Euclid and East 4th have or are close-ish to opening, CSU's student center and education building are getting ready for liftoff.. and then there's the neighborhood residential stuff that's managed to keep going (Battery Park, etc.). yeesh, if you think it's quiet NOW? Nuh-uh!

And we thank you MayDay for all of your efforts. You probably don't hear that enough. Those of us that are participating from afar look forward to and appreciate the updates.

 

MTS... Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawd! :laugh:

Well I'll throw this out there too...  Passing the Euclid 9th Tower this evening (Schofield Building), I noticed that brown wrap paper had been put up in the doors and windows of all the retail storefronts except the former US Bank space.  I also know from a friend in real estate that they are currently not making any effort to resign existing tennants.  There are no signs in the windows advertising spaces for lease, etc.  I don't have any first hand knowledge of anything going on... I'm just saying these are exactly the types of things you do when you are looking to completely redevelop a building.

Don't get me wrong, things don't happen as quickly (or sometimes as grandiose) as I'd like but if you think it's quiet now - it was awful back then. Those of you who remember my "one new pane of glass in Pinnacle!!" pics can attest to that!

^ah, yes, but those were the days when all of these big projects were just starting to get press...

I think I'm just frustrated because there are so many projects in the pipeline that we're not hearing about yet. And I reaaaallly want them to all happen.

 

That is all!

MTS... Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawd! :laugh:

 

To quote MTS, all y'all just HUSH! :-)

 

 

I think I'm just frustrated because there are so many projects in the pipeline that we're not hearing about yet. And I reaaaallly want them to all happen.

 

That is all!

However, you don’t want your city to overbuild. I love South Florida but here are some examples of what that looks like; walls of darkness at night, these are fully completed residential towers. Check out the 40-ish story building to the right.

 

 

Dayum!

 

Yeah, I'm not saying things should speed up, necessarily. But in my own little world, they would. :)

Florida Guy - seriously, thank you for the perspective. I think there's a happy balance and I wouldn't mind Cleveland being closer to the middle, but that's just eerie.

However, you dont want your city to overbuild. I love South Florida but here are some examples of what that looks like; walls of darkness at night, these are fully completed residential towers. Check out the 40-ish story building to the right.

 

 

 

Is that the Sunny Isles/Aventura area?

There are a lot of projects still being pitched throughout the City.  Unfortunately, Banks are not willing, or flat out can't afford it, to finance some of these higher risk, rehabilitation projects. 

 

I would brace yourself for some potential bad news coming out about some big projects that had been talked about and perceived to be "done deals" - but are going to have to be put on hold indefinitely due to liquidity issues with banks. 

 

It's unfortunate that this financial mess had to occur just when projects in Cleveland were really gaining momentum. 

I think I'm just frustrated because there are so many projects in the pipeline that we're not hearing about yet. And I reaaaallly want them to all happen.

 

That is all!

However, you dont want your city to overbuild. I love South Florida but here are some examples of what that looks like; walls of darkness at night, these are fully completed residential towers. Check out the 40-ish story building to the right.

 

 

 

I wouldn't want to live in that condo that is the one light that's lit out of that entire huge building.  Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy!

However, you don’t want your city to overbuild. I love South Florida but here are some examples of what that looks like; walls of darkness at night, these are fully completed residential towers. Check out the 40-ish story building to the right.

 

 

 

Is that the Sunny Isles/Aventura area?

No that is downtown. The bridge you see is the McArthur Causeway. They are just north of the AA Arena across from Bicentennial Park.

Ok I recognized the causeway and thought it was the beach side. 

 

I know folks that live in that horrible Mystic Point development (it's almost impossible to get into it unless you have a damn GPS system) as I've watched fire works from their balcony. 

 

People actually stopped on Collins or the causeway to watch the fireworks.  Crazy!

Back on topic, folks!

Walking to the rapid this morning, I noticed sparks flying out of the top floor windows in the Higbee building.  Any idea what's going on in there?

^Possibly for the KeyBank service center relocation from the May Co. building?

I believe you are correct.  They have started demo up there.  I plans the other day for the new Key space, not bad.  I don't believe they've gone out for bid yet though...

 

On a related note I was in a meeting on the 2nd floor of the convention and visitors bureau space in the Higbee Building the other day... One of the best office spaces I have been in, in a long time.  Stunning.

^The second floor conference room that overlooks Public Square? Yep, that's pretty sweet.

That was the one.  The giant city mural of different mediums as you come off the elevators to head towards that conference room is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  I want it.

That was the one.  The giant city mural of different mediums as you come off the elevators to head towards that conference room is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  I want it.

 

OK and YOU didn't snap pics?!  Hello!

^ I thought about it... but figured I'd look kind of silly taking pictures inside someone else's office I was a guest at.  :)

 

On another side note... They have begun painting the window trim on the 4th and 5th floors of the Halle Building (South Side) where that law firm is moving in.  This is a great sign, as obviously they wouldn't just paint 2 floors of windows... so obviously they are going to do all the windows on the building.  This may be the longest window restoration process in history but I think it's going to look great when it's done.  :)

I've never seen the boards this dead.

 

Unless the credit/financing starts to flow again soon, there is going to be a development lag once the already-funded projects are finished. But we'd better not see what happened after the Great Depression -- nothing! After the Cleveland Union Terminal complex saw its last building built (the post office in 1934), it would be 24 years before another significant building was put up downtown (Illuminating Co. building). My father, who was born in 1929 and lived his whole life in Cleveland, often remarked that Cleveland didn't start recovering from the Great Depression until the 1980s.

 

Let's hope it's not that long.

I believe they're removing more scaffolding from the Terminal Tower today. I don't have my camera with me today, but I can say for sure that they've definitely removed scaffolding around the (help me with the technical term folks) "pegs":

 

^Whohoo!!  I know it is going to be maybe 2 more years, but d@mmit I can't wait to see the finished product!! 

It looks like they've removed one level, but the "pegs" have been exposed for a while I thought?

^Yes, but judging from the photo I posted - the scaffolding that's being removed (if it's just the one level) didn't reach the "pegs". If they're tuckpointing, etc., they'd need to be on scaffolding right next to them, right? So, I'm wondering if it will be more than the one level.

Something that I've been wondering since moving downtown.....  What's up with the building on the southeast corner of Superior and E. 9th (sorry I don't know the name).  It looks pretty much vacant with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 offices.

That the 1717 East 9th Building (aka East Ohio Gas). It's about 20% vacant but was bought about a year ago by a firm that had planned to renovate it.

 

That's the Former East Ohio Gas Building being talked about in the DFAS thread.  There are currently 2 tennants in that I belive take up a grand total of 2.5 floors.  The building is in need of a major overhaul.  From what I've heard it's a complete dump.

Okay, excuse my confusion cause I'm still learning the names of all the smaller buildings, but on the tax credit thing on the Breuer page it says that East Ohio Gas is on E. 6th....  So there were multiple E. Ohio Gas buildings?

Yup.  The one recieving tax credits is much, much more handsome.

^Yes.

 

The original:

 

The sequel:

Yup. The one recieving tax credits is much, much more handsome.

 

Definitely.  Thanks for clearing that up guys!  It just always seemed so strange to me cause E. 9th and Superior is a pretty busy intersection and that building is pretty darn empty!!!!

If you owned a chipotle in the bottom floor of that building on that intersection, it would be the equivalent to owning a money printing press.  I'm still amazed no one has figured that out.

If you owned a chipotle in the bottom floor of that building on that intersection, it would be the equivalent to owning a money printing press.  I'm still amazed no one has figured that out.

 

which building East Ninth or East Six.  If East Ninth than thats possible a nice open restaurant would be fab.