^Interesting.  I'm sure finances at the city of CH are stretched, but this would be a great time to buy something like this for green space...  Maybe TPL would be able to help...

 

Unrelated:  Looks like the county land bank just picked up $41M from the second part of the national Neighborhood Stabilization Program.  It was a competition, not a formula, so this reflects a nice vote of confidence by HUD.  All NSP2 awards nationwide were announced just this morning.

As a downtown resident, I would selfishly love for it to become a public course.  Currently you have to go fairly far out into the burbs to get to some decent public courses imo.

One interesting factor in play here that some do not know about is the small, private residential street abutting on the west end of the club.  It is not a public right of way.  It is totally private.  They pay for their own street repairs and even their sewer work.  These people will have a say in any variance request the City receives and are exactly the types that will make a big legal stink out of it.

“This is probably the most desirable site for development in Cuyahoga County because of its size and location.”

 

Hah!  How many times have we heard that?

^No kidding.  What about the port's land?

The Coral Co. sees a management opportunity in others' distressed properties

By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer January 18, 2010, 5:45PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In a sea of struggling apartment buildings and floundering shopping centers, the Coral Co. is diving for new business.

 

Coral, a real estate developer and manager in University Heights, is focusing on distressed assets -- properties that have lost tenants, that are losing money or that have ended up in foreclosure.

 

During the last six months, Coral has brought in four or five assignments in which the company is acting as a consultant, a manager or a receiver for such properties. And Coral, which cut jobs two years ago when its development business fell off, recently hired four people to support its new endeavors.

 

READ MORE AT:

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

Gordon Gecko? I hope Coral will set an example by first making SQ better than it is. Their own buildings there are in need of some simplistics like new paint jobs, and better basic maintenance.

 

Looks like there is some progress being made on the downtown food carts...

 

 

I think this is a great idea and hopefully we'll see them on the streets soon

 

A la cart? Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson cooks up plan for more food options on street

 

by John Campanelli / Plain Dealer Reporter

Monday June 08, 2009, 1:30 AM

 

For decades, if you needed a quick bite while on the sidewalks of Cleveland, street vendors provided two options: a hot dog or a sausage, each often boiled to a remarkable level of blandness.

 

But soon the curbside culinary scene in Cleveland could get interesting. Very interesting.

 

More at cleveland.com:

 

http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2009/06/a_la_cart_cleveland_mayor_fran.html

 

I remember reading this a while back and was really excited. Any news on this?

 

Cleveland food cart applications due Feb. 22

By Debbi Snook, The Plain Dealer

January 19, 2010, 10:28AM

 

 

Imagine, instead of hot dogs or Polish dogs, you could walk out of an office building or museum in Cleveland and get one of the city's more genteel ethnic treats, such as spinach pie and baba gannoush from Aladdin’s Bakery on Carnegie?  Or a cup of Soupermarket soup from the West Side Market neighborhood? Or a Chinese turnip cake from Wonton Gourmet on Payne Avenue?

 

 

read the rest at: http://www.cleveland.com/taste/index.ssf/2010/01/cleveland_food_cart_applicatio.html

 

 

 

Couldn't think of a better place for this post

 

Lake Erie and Ohio River are designated Ohio Department of Transportation's Marine Highway Corridors

By Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer

January 19, 2010, 9:03PM

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation won't ever have to pave, plow or patch its two newest highways.

Around the Web

 

The Ohio River and Lake Erie have been designated Marine Highway Corridors to promote the use of waterways to move people and freight and ease congestion on roads and rail lines.

 

More: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/01/lake_erie_and_ohio_river_are_d.html

I cross-posted the above article at:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,21844.msg455382.html#msg455382

"A la cart? Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson cooks up plan for more food options on street"

 

This is great. The city needs much more street-level activity. Also, it'd be great to see some fruit stands on the streets downtown--not only healthy, but convenient place to shop during the workday. Fruit stands are all over NYC.

 

 

Two comments...First, the curbside eats.....I like this idea. Let's do it the best we can. I want to see the "promote the use of less plastic/waste" component added/considered. Joe Cimperman expressed the importance of this at a meeting.

 

 

Also, on the waterway post. I was not aware that our freight rail lines were "congested" in Ohio. I actually thought they were really underused as evidence of the huge amount of trucks on the highway that one TRAIN could haul all--and thus prevent our roadside stops and rest areas becoming tire rut ridden deisel smelling air, truck stops--and save us millions of dollars on road repairs resulting from heavy weight...and ease the bumber to bumper congestion.

 

Please discuss waterways in the transportation section.

"A la cart? Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson cooks up plan for more food options on street"

 

This is great. The city needs much more street-level activity. Also, it'd be great to see some fruit stands on the streets downtown--not only healthy, but convenient place to shop during the workday. Fruit stands are all over NYC.

 

Are these attached to grocers and bodegas or are they stand alone?  Either way, I like the idea.

"A la cart? Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson cooks up plan for more food options on street"

 

This is great. The city needs much more street-level activity. Also, it'd be great to see some fruit stands on the streets downtown--not only healthy, but convenient place to shop during the workday. Fruit stands are all over NYC.

 

Are these attached to grocers and bodegas or are they stand alone?  Either way, I like the idea.

 

Fruit stands are where?  I can't tell you the last time I saw a fruit stand.  Maybe I should ask, what is your definition of a fruit stand and where in NYC did you see it/them?

http://clevelandplanner.blogspot.com/2010/01/cleveland-marriott-at-key-center-hits.html

 

via Positively Cleveland:

 

"Congrats to Cleveland Marriott at Key Center for making the Top 25 (#18) in Traveler's Hotel Choice from TripAdvisor!"

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoiceList-g191-cTop25

 

 

Fruit stands are where?  I can't tell you the last time I saw a fruit stand.  Maybe I should ask, what is your definition of a fruit stand and where in NYC did you see it/them?

 

??  I can't speak for Harlem, but on-street fruit carts are all over Manhattan south of 96th.  Tons of them.  So many that they fight over turf: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/nyregion/15fruit.html

 

I will be really eager to see what this process results in for Cleveland.  Related to the discussion about Wyse in the 668 thread, maybe there will be revolt against the food courts!

I moved the discussion about the visitors' impressions of Cleveland and all follow-up discussion to an old, related thread in the Travel/Relocation section, under the new thread name:

 

Visiting Cleveland for first time

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,21455.0.html

 

Let's keep this discussions about smaller, miscellaneous development projects. Thanks!

Former East Ohio Gas Building to go up for sale in online auction

By STAN BULLARD

2:38 pm, January 21, 2010

 

An online auction is in the works for the vacant, 21-story former East Ohio Gas Building in downtown Cleveland.

 

The empty office tower at 1717 East Ninth St. is being offered in a sealed-bid auction by the Chicago-based Jones Lank LaSalle brokerage and the REDC Commercial and Auction.com auction companies. Bids are due March 4.

 

James M. Postweiler, a Jones Lang managing director who returned calls made to East Ohio Building owner Sovereign Properties of New York City, said the building's attached, 545-space parking garage would make the offering different from other shuttered buildings that do not have tenants.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100121/FREE/100129956

Great location... but that building needs a serious facelift and, more than anyting IMO, a more inviting lobby.

Doh.  I just posted that in the office development thread.  Someone wanna delete for me?

It's really probably appropriate in both threads  :)

I'm not really familiar with this building and I'm generally ignorant about construction so this may be a dumb question, but is there any chance of a residential conversion?

Yes, I believe the current owner considered it. Perhaps the next owner might, too.

 

BTW, since this building is now more than 50 years old, would it qualify for historic tax credits?

I think that this building could make for a kick ass residential conversion, right in the heart of the financial district.  I guess we'll have to see who buys it first.

I just hope SOMETHING is done with this building. It'd be great if we could fill it up with some new offices, but of course, the hard part is finding businesses that want to move in.

American Greetings should grab it!

^^^

Not a bad idea! From what I understand, AG doesn't have much interest in a downtown headquarters, but I suppose (and hope) there's still a chance.

If AG creates a satalite office for some of the executives that live in Beachwood (I think someone mentioned that possibility in their Relocation Thread) then they could have the more creative and administrative move DT.  I would think that their designers would want something like that and it might be quicker for the Execs to come DT than go over to Brooklyn from Beachwood.

^^^Write to them and suggest this building for such use.

If AG creates a satalite office for some of the executives that live in Beachwood (I think someone mentioned that possibility in their Relocation Thread) then they could have the more creative and administrative move DT.  I would think that their designers would want something like that and it might be quicker for the Execs to come DT than go over to Brooklyn from Beachwood.

This is a great idea. Like EC said, write write write!

Cleveland's Jewish community wants to welcome the world

 

The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, the chief planning and fundraising agency for the region's 80,000 Jews, is committing resources to a center designed to attract international talent and investment. It's offering expertise, start-up funding and the prospect of an enticing location -- its headquarters building on Playhouse Square.

 

When federation leaders decided in fall 2008 to move their staff and operations to Beachwood, they vowed to make a visible re-commitment to the city. That may be by saying "Welcome" to the world.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/01/clevelands_jewish_community_wa.html

I guess that's a good deal for the exchange of the federation moving to Beachwood.

uh oh...chatter on this is spreading out.  We also have:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/board,4.0.

 

and

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16992.30.html

I'm not sure if this is the best place to put this, but I remember finding this development a couple years back when the mister and I were trying to decide where to live and thinking "Holy crap, that's really expensive for Euclid."

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/lakefront_development_not_turn.html

 

EUCLID, Ohio -- It has been nine years since late-night TV king Jay Leno poked fun at Euclid officials who wanted to invest in "unaffordable housing."

 

 

Why build houses few could buy? Outsiders laughed. But Euclid leaders believed a prestigious lakefront development could boost the image of their working class city.

 

Now, after the city invested more than $1 million in tax dollars, the project -- called The Shores of Edgecliff -- still is not finished. The city and its schools are collecting only a fraction of the property taxes envisioned.

 

And people who bought two of the priciest homes in the development -- one cost $750,000, the other $559,000 -- are suing the developer, claiming their homes weren't built to sustain the force of Lake Erie winds.

 

What happened?

 

^I don't think I'd ever buy a house on the lake that wasn't entirely brick or stone.  People build wood framed homes on a lake that routinely has 40+ mph winds coming off of it and wonder why their house sways, creaks, and leaks.

^ That article makes clear how stupid it is to exurbanize the city, as well as how stupid it is for Cleveland architecture to continue featuring the cheapest possible materials.  Of course it says neither of these things, instead suggesting that urban redevelopment is simply a joke of an idea.

 

It mentions that the original plan was to build townhouses with lake views, but neighboring homeowners insisted that only single family homes be built, regardless of views, because they want only "families" living nearby.  It's as if children couldn't possibly have existed before 1960.  Thus we end up with a generic and out-of-place development that has no market whatsoever... again. 

It sounds to me that the expectations were so high for these homeowners that they were bound to be disappointed. Compounded with the foreclosure crisis, sputtering economy, middle-class departure from the larger parts of Euclid (although Edgecliff is reasonably stable...especially waterfront properties) and the passage of 9 years with this development stuck in neutral, I can see why these new home buyers would be experiencing a lot of acrimony right now. Home purchasing is a gamble. But to blame the wind??!! Could they be right?

In their defense, we know that almost all dwellings built after 1980, especially through the 1990s+ and especially in the subdivision tract model, is largely junky construction -- cheap materials, shoddy workmanship, etc.

Unless something is touted as "Old World quality craftsmanship" and really built so, you can expect repairs in a few short years. Good "bones" on houses and apartments started to disappear in the 1970s. Obviously, things constructed to about the late 60s are your best bets for good "bones". I'm sure that the price range of the homes in this Edgecliff development would suggest some degree of "quality craftsmanship". I'm not naive enough to realize that Coral could've "cut corners" along the way. Cracks in the foundation and walls are litigious, but to have houses moving with the wind? Enough to wanna move? This is a new to me.

95% of the homes (if not more) that stretch from the Bratenahl lakefront out to the North Collinwood lakefront through the Euclid and Willowick lakefront and ending around the Lakeline Village lakefront were built before 1965. Of course, the older ones are in Bratenahl and North Collinwood and then they're a little younger in Euclid and younger still in the Lake County suburbs I mentioned. However, still old enough to have "bones". Many of them are brick and stone. Somebody upthread mentioned that brick/stone is a characteristic of the lakefront homes (sorry if I didn't get that just right)... yes, but it's not across the board. There are several areas, like the Willowick bugalows and other places, that are wood-frame. It is ironic that I just did a photo thread on Shore Acres which is not too far from Euclid-Edgecliff. Shore Acres is illustrative of the mix of housing styles found along this ~15 mile stretch of lakefront.

I know, and have known, many people who have lived in this stretch. But I can't recall anybody wanting to re-locate because of the wind. Not until the homeowners in this article (yes, I realize the wind is not their only reason but that's what I'm focusing on).

In their arguement's favor, though, they are living in new construction. And that is an anomaly in this Greater Lakefront area.

Except!...except for Bratenahl! Bratenahl has had a fair number of new homes built. The newer ones are of high quality...at least for the prices one would expect that. And a large number of the older homes are at, or nearing, 100 years old (i.e. high probability of "old-fashioned" quality construction). But I don't believe that the new (or old) houses are blowing in the wind there. But with respect to the newer ones, they make a good comparison for "The Shores":

Same price point...yes. Same side of town...got it. Same Lake...really starting to fit now. Same wind...bingo!

Even the same outwardly construction (wood and stone, or just wood). But I cannot recall stories about the Shoreby or Haskell or Hanna Homes (relatively newer developments in Bratenahl) or the new homes scattered singly throughout the village...shifting with the wind.

This doesn't bode well for "The Shores" homeowners.

This is why I am skeptical of these claims.

 

Dwellings other than the grand mansions ("cottages") of Bratenahl can be used as a comparison.

I know somebody who lives in a late 1920s cottage--- a typical very-small-home cottage, un-Bratenahl---on the East Side of town. It was constructed as a summer home and now is used year-round of course. It is a lakefront home and all wood. I mean, just past the small backyard is the glorious Lake Erie. It's walls are thin (was originally just a summer house). In its 80 years there have been a lot of treacherous winds with every season but no recollections of the house moving or water coming in because of rain or the Lake. This story in The Plain Dealer is laughable to them.

What 's the difference? Age of home and time built. Older homes are more sturdy. Newly-constructed tend not to be.

This bodes well for these "The Shores" homeowners.

However, I'm still skeptical of this wind thing.

 

Which also brings me to where I wanted to say, that a blanket indictment of Cleveland architecture using cheap materials is not warranted. The majority of homes built years ago, as I've said, don't fall apart as fast.

Yes, Cleveland's population boom was so quick that streets upon streets of houses were built relatively overnight for the manufacturing and steel mill workers. But if taken care of, they will last and are, for the most part, well built. There are older homes in some areas that are better than older homes in other parts of town. The Gilded Age homes of Euclid Ave./Upper Prospect/Superior have long been razed. Those would've been the best built.

 

But back to this Euclid story...

What the city of Euclid did was not so far-fetched. To be sure, the "follow the money" part is shady and I didn't know all of that until this article. Nonetheless, the Edgecliff area is wonderful and they wanted to enhance it with new construction. All to try and siphon some of the Bratenahl buyers down the road 3 miles or so. Because of economics and demographic changes, that investment in "The Shores of Edgecliff" is not looking so good.

Of course, if Coral built these like sh!t, then the homeowners need to be heard.

But they don't need to disparage lakefront living in the process.

 

 

 

 

I split off conversation on siding materials to a new thread here:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,22137.msg459081/topicseen.html#new

 

Please continue that discussion on that thread, as this one needs to stay on the topic of "Random Development News".

Federal building on 9th Street getting $121 million stimulus makeover

 

By Joan Mazzolini, The Plain Dealer

February 02, 2010, 6:00PMCLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland's Federal Office Building at East Ninth Street and Lakeside Avenue is getting a $121 million makeover with stimulus money.

 

In fact, federal courthouses, buildings, border stations and ports of entry across the country are being renovated and retrofitted to become more energy efficient with some $5.55 billion to be spent over the next several years.

 

The 32-story Anthony J. Celebrezze building in Cleveland will get a new roof. The main change, however, will be a new facade or cladding on the building designed to save energy -- likely a curtain wall that will envelope the current building.

The Celebrezze makeover is the largest project in the Great Lakes states and one of the largest in the country. Federal buildings across Ohio are getting $211 million in renovation work.

 

MORE HERE: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/federal_building_on_9th_street.html

"The main change, however, will be a new facade or cladding on the building designed to save energy -- likely a curtain wall that will envelope the current building."

 

Wow, that's going to be interesting - I know it's a pretty dull building but when sunlight hits the current facade it makes for some nice photos.

Are they going to simply put cladding over the existing facade?  It wasn't clear to me whether they would remove the old or not.  It appears to me that they may not since they said the building will remain fully occupied during the construction. 

$121m is a lot for just a makeover, no?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtain_wall

 

Sounds like what was done with the parking garage on Euclid Ave.  I imagine it will be all glass.  That will be nice.  We don't really have that look in our skyline.

 

I have imagine that there willl be substantial other renovations for $121 mill.

I am not clear on this at all. What is wrong with the stainless steel facade? If that changes, it would render the park and grounds desgin less signifigant maybe? (because it basically matches the current facade) Unless this is for saving energy or something, if it is just for cosmetics, I have to wonder are we exercising the same logic and doing the same to this building what was done to say, the Schofeild Building in the 60's? Yes, the building is prety plain, but it is not ugly in my opinion. I actually like some of the effects the sunsets play on it. Can someone better explain what this might look like. There is no rendering. If there is any building I wish would get a makover, it is the Justice Center. Just something simple like cleaning the exterior to like new condition and adding acents of light at night. That's all, because this is a building that either someone hates or likes.. i like the natural stone look to it, although I can undersand why many think it is ugly. Anyway, back to The Fed Bldg.....can someone better articulate what this may look like---and YES, sounds like a big pricetag, but then again, I have no clue how much sich things cost.

^They stated in the article that this was being done to save energy.  The Federal Government has a big initiative in cutting energy consumption right now and this is part of it.  The current facade incorporates single pane windows that lose a lot of energy to the outside environment.

 

And yes, this is exactly like what was done to the Schofield Building in the 60's (and probably for the same reason) if they simply put new cladding over the old.

 

Let's see what they renderings look like.  I think the article said those would be out in 6 weeks or so?

^ So then the whole building will look different?

The renderings will tell us in six weeks.

^They stated in the article that this was being done to save energy.  The Federal Government has a big initiative in cutting energy consumption right now and this is part of it.  The current facade incorporates single pane windows that lose a lot of energy to the outside environment.

 

And yes, this is exactly like what was done to the Schofield Building in the 60's (and probably for the same reason) if they simply put new cladding over the old.

 

Let's see what they renderings look like.  I think the article said those would be out in 6 weeks or so?

 

It's absolutely being done to save energy - read the article; it clearly states that the building was designed in an era when energy conservation never crossed anyones' mind. It sits almost right on the Lake but has single-pane glass windows which are horrible for energy efficiency. Most re-clads/new facades in recent years have been done with glass.

Another day, another corruption story.......

 

Mayor Frank Jackson orders review of city's Community Development Department

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mayor Frank Jackson has ordered a top-to-bottom review of Cleveland's Department of Community Development following a Plain Dealer report detailing problems with a city mortgage assistance program.

 

The FBI and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also are investigating Cresthaven Development Inc., a developer that was the biggest seller of homes sold with the city's Afford-A-Home loans.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2010/02/mayor_frank_jackson_orders_rev.html