Anyone want to post the Crains article about downtown housing...

 

Blinker posted it here:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2573.30

so did anybody watch this? i did, it was fascinating.

 

I didn't get to see it because the Bengals game was on.  I know this show repeats some time during the week(end), so I'll catch it then.

 

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

 

i think watching that is an urbanohio must do.

 

ps- i turned to the bengals game after the segment. wow very impressive night views of the city and of course the team dominated.

 

 

When is it going to be on again? I forgot to watch it!

You're a news machine, Grasscat.  :type:

cleveland as an innovator for combining live/work spaces with moviemaking as well as the burgeoning local film industry...

 

http://realneo.us/David-Perkowski

From the 9/12/06 PD:

 

First Suburbs taking loss on Cleveland Hts. makeover

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Thomas Ott

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Cleveland Heights - The transformation of an old duplex into two like-new townhouses was supposed to show how cities can replace renters with owners and reinvigorate troubled neighborhoods.

 

Instead, it showed that one makeover doesn't make a renaissance.

 

The First Suburbs Consortium, an alliance of 17 older Cleveland suburbs, took on the renovation to show private developers that such conversions could be profitable. Instead, the Beechwood Avenue townhouses remain unsold after more than a year on the market, and the group is stuck with loan payments of $1,800 a month.

 

I think that falls into the category of "bummer." But how are these guys marketing the homes? You can sell anything to anybody if you've got the right message and broadcast it to the right targets.

The PD positions this article as a negative, but could it actually be a positive in disguise? Maybe this will help slow suburban sprawl?

 

I don't know how anyone could be surprised by this. We have enough housing for the people who live here. Why should they build more? It makes no sense. I don't find this distressing at all. Am I wrong?

 

National builders turning their backs on NE Ohio

Henry J. Gomez

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

As the housing market slumps nationwide, several brand-name builders are losing interest in Northeast Ohio.

 

The latest signal comes from Ryan Homes, a huge firm and the largest doing business in the region. But, facing declining prospects, Ryan last week cut a large slice of its local staff.

 

For real estate watchers, it’s hardly surprising. Ryan’s cutbacks follow similar cues from other national builders. Kimball Hill Homes plans to leave the market by year’s end, and Pulte Homes recently pulled the plug on a major residential development in Streetsboro.

 

more at: http://www.cleveland.com

From the 9/12/06 PD:

 

First Suburbs taking loss on Cleveland Hts. makeover

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Thomas Ott

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Cleveland Heights - The transformation of an old duplex into two like-new townhouses was supposed to show how cities can replace renters with owners and reinvigorate troubled neighborhoods.

 

Instead, it showed that one makeover doesn't make a renaissance.

 

The First Suburbs Consortium, an alliance of 17 older Cleveland suburbs, took on the renovation to show private developers that such conversions could be profitable. Instead, the Beechwood Avenue townhouses remain unsold after more than a year on the market, and the group is stuck with loan payments of $1,800 a month.

 

I think that falls into the category of "bummer." But how are these guys marketing the homes? You can sell anything to anybody if you've got the right message and broadcast it to the right targets.

 

From what I read of that article, it sounded like they only did one home and that wasn't enough to convince buyers.... Did I read that correctly? I would probably need a little more proof to. It's like buying the first house on a new development. People like being part of a trend, but it takes balls to be the trendsetter.

I looked at the location of the home. In my opinion, they should have started closer to Lee Rd and gone out from there.

^

In response to the article that jamiec posted above, I have to agree that there is a pretty decent silver lining to the departure of these builders from NE Ohio (aside from the job losses).  IMHO, Ryan is the worst of the worst in terms of sprawl housing.  One of their projects comes to mind, which sits off of I-90 near Sheffield.  It's just a treeless wasteland with these vinyl-clad shoeboxes with one of what appeared to be 4 different facades (I'll get off my soapbox now).  I see the departure of the national builders as a good thing simply because the only place that they built was on greenfields, and most of all it was housing that did nothing but add to the surplus that we already have.

First, I do everything I can to avaoid M$. Just because!

Anything M$ sells I have always found a comperable or better product for free. (IMO - Don't want to start any flame war)

 

That being said. Winblows Live Local rocks!

But only because of the Birds Eye view.

 

I bring this up to ask a question about the following image.

I walk from CSU to UDC twice a week for classes at nite and I have been noticing some heavy duty demo work being done inside of 1317 Euclid Avenue.

 

Does anyone know what they are doing there?

yeah, we think its for that irish pub that was announced in late spring/early summer.

^i thought the irish pub was going in the 1st floor space in the hanna building, fronting euclid.  this was an old restaurant/bar space.

 

i believe the plan for this space was always shared offices.  maybe i'll ask the workers today if i'm in that area.  they used to have the floor plans displayed in the windows. 

^that would be even better.

^I asked last week, and they said Irish Pub on the ground floor and offices above.  I had heard a few months back that the pub on the first floor of the Hanna Building fell through, this must have been why!

Thank you very much!

Is this the building that use to have an oriental rug business on the first floor?  If yes, might this be the new offices of Climaco, Lefkowitz and Garofoli (they use to be in the Halle Building and current are "temporarily" on Huron Rd.), at least on the upper floors.  The only reason I question this is because the offices were described on the firm's website for many months but that is no longer the case.  They were suppose to renovate the above mentioned building, including the addition of a third floor with a pato over looking Euclid.  I don't know if the plans fell through (thus their removal from the website).  Maybe they just changed so much and were taking so long to implement that they just decided not to mention them any more rather than up date the site.  In any event that is my guess as to what is going in, as least on the upper floor.  If it is Climaco this is a good sign as their offices were always well done.  Especially like the patio idea if they are still planning on adding a third floor.

Has anyone heard any updates on Fantasy One Cleveland? I had heard that they were experiencing delays that prevented their scheduled July 1st opening, but it's now September and their website still hasn't been updated. Any info?

^^Over the summer, I was told that an opening was expected in time for the Cavs opener. However, considering that the site has been quiet and its already mid-September... its anybody's guess!

yeah, i'm not holding my breath on that one.  I'm also pretty confident that someone will come up with a better idea!

past presents future....  a great promo piece for moving cleveland forward with wind technologies....

 

via realneo.us >> http://www.windustrious.org

good one, KJP!

 

Downtown sites hot for housing

Thursday, September 28, 2006

By Ken Prendergast

Brooklyn Sun Journal

CLEVELAND _ Don't tell downtown housing developers that demand is sluggish for new homes in Cuyahoga County.

 

It's true that the number of new housing starts countywide has declined in recent years as the amount of undeveloped land in the suburbs has become increasingly scarce. But that is not so much the case in Cleveland, as the metro area's mother city continues to see a steady rate of new homes built.

 

Among Cuyahoga County communities this year, Cleveland issued nearly twice the amount of new housing construction permits than second-ranking Westlake, according to CRM Development Research.

 

And, when it comes to housing construction in Cleveland, downtown is where things are really heating up.

 

At 11 a.m. Friday, ground will be broken for the $250 million, 430-unit Avenue District at St. Clair Avenue and East 12th Street. Last week, at the opposite end of downtown, future phases were announced for the Stonebridge development on the West Bank of the Flats, that would add 1,200 housing units to the 500 already built.

 

Physically between those projects are other large proposals _ the Wolstein Group's $220 million Flats East Bank neighborhood and Bob Stark's $1 billion development on Warehouse District parking lots. MRN Ltd.'s revitalization of lower Euclid Avenue continues, while the 1.2 million-square-foot Tyler Elevator Products plant on Superior Avenue is being renovated as Tyler Village.

 

Smaller projects abound, too. For $1.7 million, Matthew Howells bought the Park Building on Public Square, between the May Co. and Ontario Avenue, to renovate it with 26 condominiums. A dozen other small buildings are being renovated or built new elsewhere downtown.

 

We're nearing a tipping point and the greatest volumes are yet to be written, said Ward 13 Councilman Joe Cimperman. (Downtown) is one of the few census tracts in Cleveland that is growing in population. Our goal is to reach 25,000 residents by 2010.

 

Downtown's population has surpassed 10,000, and is growing at a rate faster than any other major midwestern city's downtown, according to the U.S. Census. That growth is creating its own momentum, Cimperman said.

 

You're creating a critical mass and creating a buzz, said Don Picciano, director of sales and marketing for Zaremba Inc., which is building The Avenue District. There is a point where the market will become saturated, but Cleveland is so far off from that point.

 

For the first phase of the Avenue District, two dozen lofts have sold in a 58-unit, 132,000-square-foot building to be built at East 12th and St. Clair. Picciano said discussions are continuing with potential retailers for 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space in that building, to be completed in 2008. A parking deck will be built behind it first.

 

Also, six of 30 townhomes, to be built farther east on St. Clair, have sold. The first townhomes will be ready for people to move into in summer 2007, Picciano said. A new street, Lindazzo Drive, will be built for the townhomes development. Lindazzo is a combination of the last names of attorneys Dan Linder and Joe Randazzo. Both men bid on the naming rights for the street at a June charity event for the American Cancer Society.

 

On the West Bank of the Flats, Stonebridge developers Doug Price and Bob Corna have spent the past year gaining control of properties for a the middle phases of a 12-phase expansion. A mix of rental and for-sale housing, basic retailers like a laundry and a drug store, plus offices and restaurants are in development. They said that it could take up to a decade to build out all 12 phases.

 

Stonebridge started in 1997 with a 30-suite building, then added 120 units, then came a 160-unit building. Price said Stonebridge had $26 million in sales last year and enjoyed a $4 million week earlier this month for their new 12-story building under construction on the north side of the 130-year-old Superior Viaduct. That building is scheduled to be open in late December.

 

The city hasn't seen a residential real estate project the size of what's happening on the west side of the Flats since the 1920s, when the West Boulevard subdivision was announced, said Corna, noting Stonebridge's total number of planned and completed housing units is 1,700. We know this will happen. If you don't believe in Cleveland, then you shouldn't be here.

 

 

As per the usual....Great article!!!

 

Love, love, love the last sentence! 

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Great punch at the end KJP!  And a great article all around!

A refreshing relief from the constant dire/'scare' articles the PD's been featuring lately.

RE: Parkside Townhomes:

 

Foundations are above ground on the first several units...concrete and brick.  That's all I've got for now!

Thanks. Someone's gotta try to counter the Poverty Doomers so that we all don't end up leaping from the Valley View bridge. Besides, if we did that, we'd land on the main offices of Sun Newspapers.  :-o

Just an update on the Park Building (on Public Square) - they're already working on a condo unit on the 2nd floor. This is according to one of the merchants on the ground floor who use the 2nd floor for storage/operations. I say this with the pope as my witness! :)

The city hasn't seen a residential real estate project the size of what's happening on the west side of the Flats since the 1920s, when the West Boulevard subdivision was announced,

 

Formerly known as West Boulevard Heights. The highest portion of west Cleveland during that time.

There is a very cool poster at City Hall (Planning Commission) promoting the latest in technological advances for this area including electricity and running water.

 

Anyway, great article!!

 

Pub to help pump new life into Theater District bldg.

 

By STAN BULLARD

 

6:00 am, October 2, 2006

 

 

 

Molly Brannigans, a traditional Irish pub and restaurant chain based in Erie, Pa., plans to add its lights by spring to those in downtown Clevelands Theater District.

 

John Melody, a co-owner of Molly Brannigans who speaks with the accent of his native Waterford, Ireland, said three of the chains pubs are in downtown settings, and it has done well near theaters in Erie and Harrisburg, Pa. The chain also has a pub in Pittsburgh and will open another this month in Scranton, Pa.

 

Mr. Melody said the chain plans to make a significant investment in Cleveland by installing a 250-seat pub at 1317 Euclid Ave. that is expected to employ about 80 workers.

 

Molly Brannigans will occupy half the storefront of 1317 Euclid, or 6,000 square feet, said Mario Caprini, president of American National Group, a real estate development concern in Cleveland thats been planning to redo the building since 2003. A nightclub he refused to identify has leased the balance of the first floor.

 

The Cleveland office of the Erie-based Weber Murphy Fox architect-ural firm plans to occupy the buildings second floor after agreeing to lease space and buy a stake in the structure, said Doug Hoffman, branch manager. The 10-employee office will take about half the second floor, or 4,600 square feet, a 25% increase from the 3,700 square feet it occupies at Ohio Savings Plaza.

 

 

Mr. Hoffman said Weber Murphy will handle the interior design of the building and will manage the construction job for American National.

 

The Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox and Garofoli LPA law firm was to occupy a third floor that was to be added to the two-story building, a one-time dime store best known as the former Haig Avedesian Building. But, Mr. Caprini said, Were working on getting Climaco out of the project.

 

Climaco managing partner John Peca was in depositions and did not return three calls from Crains.

 

 

 

 

 

So, the entire first floor and half of the second will be occupied?  Fantastic!  Now, about this night club...

i thought hamiltons might be looking for a new space.  perhaps they have signed on?

Great news about the building at 1317 Euclid! That will be a much more visible location for Weber Murphy Fox than the Ohio Savings Plaza.

The very top of the Terminal Tower looks to have been completed.  Some of the scaffolding has been removed already.  Now hurry up with the rest of it, I want that thing lit up again in the night skyline.

Now hurry up with the rest of it, I want that thing lit up again in the night skyline.

 

they lit the bottom portion for the RNC events.  why can't we at least get that on for a few hours every night?  7-midnight or something?  it makes a huge difference. 

Apparently Forest City doesn't give a damn about the average Clevelander and choses not to light up the city's symbol.  I just don't get it.

Apparently Forest City doesn't give a damn about the average Clevelander and choses not to light up the city's symbol.  I just don't get it.

 

I'm not a FC fan, but lets not, speculate. Have you contacted them in any form and inquired as to why the building isn't lit? 

 

The Terminal Tower is the Queen of Cleveland's skyline.  As Cleveland's, most popular visual Icon...I too think it should be lit. 

 

Maybe someone here knows what the situation is or could find out.  Then we could collectively come up with a way(s) to suggest sure the building is lit permanetly - and representing Clevelands skyline in all her glory

And the Guardians of Transportation, while we're at it!

It was partially lit for 3 days for the RNC visitors and now it isn't.  Their actions lead me to conclude:  they only light up the building to make the skyline look good when they stand to make money (they sponsered getting the RNC to visit Cleveland) and not nightly when average citizens can enjoy it.

I'm not trying to make a big deal out of a partially lit building (really in the grand scheme of life it doesn't mean much), but it is part of an accumulating pile of bullshit that FC throws on Cleveland on a dayly basis. 

That's my opinion, regardless of whether or not I have quotes or video footage to back it up.

FC could have also taken the approach of the recent washington monument renovation and actually done something with the structures at the top in an artistic way. 

 

it seems to be another example cleveland needing fresh money and ideas in the city.  in my book, you can only live for so long on what you did years ago.  you also have to be doing and planning good things now. 

 

the group that re-did flannerys and now the bowling alley, seem to have their act together.  if local investors won't step up, we should be heavily courting investors from chicago, new york, san fran, and other cities where they may be priced out by costs, returns, or competition. 

The very top of the Terminal Tower looks to have been completed.  Some of the scaffolding has been removed already.  Now hurry up with the rest of it, I want that thing lit up again in the night skyline.

 

If the top of the tower is any indication of what the rest will look like when the refurbishing is complete, then we are in for a treat and it will be worth the wait.

On my way to class this evening, I drove up Ontario until Prospect. When I looked up to see the top of the tower, it was a bright golden color. Not metallic gold, but more like a golden yellow. Very classic looking. I am sure somebody with more talent can then I can use their super-duper telephoto lens to take a decent picture.

Mayday?

I dunno... I'm not sure if I feel like bringing out the camera for that. ;-)

Well, Ok.

Just use the super lens instead of the super duper one.

I knew it!  They're finally using all the money they've been saving up to clad the entire building in gold!

I know it's not as exciting as truck stops or parking spaces in Conneaut, but I snapped a pic this morning :)

 

whoa that looks awesome

that's one powerful camera.

Very nice.

Imagine what it will look like when it is lit up.

 

Mr. Ratner, tear down that scaffolding!

WHOA!!!  MayDay that is one awesome camera man!!

 

I bet you can take pictures of over half the city without leaving your house!