Mostly about Book-Cadillac in Detroit, but also talks a little about his projects here.

 

Cleveland developer John Ferchill brings back historic Detroit hotel

Posted by Michelle Jarboe November 16, 2007 06:45AM

Categories: Breaking News, Economic development

Just heard that we will be reviewing the building renovation and signage for the Bang and Clatter at the next Gateway Design Review meeting (11/21) i'll see if i can't snag a rendering to post... and it is indeed going directly below the brick portion of WT Grant (the former Baker Building).

I have a question because I have a cleveland business looking to buy a specific type of commerical building. Do you have any idea where I should post a thread topic like that, or can I do it here? Suggestions welcome!

Just saw BK's and others comments about the Erie Building. It is, to me, one of the best quality loft bldgs in Cleveland. All those 'textures' in the interior and the street being such a good location. I know there is at least one sale (could be more, I'm not the listing agent) and I agree I wish I could live there too :-)

^ You mentioning the Erie buildings location and the current time of this post reminds me of something I meant to say the other day.  Depending on where your unit is in the building, it could be difficult to get to sleep before 2AM.  I am at my girlfriend's place (Hat Factory) and I can here the music from Spy Bar and Bar Fly like it was on inside the apartment.  It doesn't bug me too much on the weekends, but it can be a bit annoying on Wednesday and Thursday nights.  It is particularly bad when Spy Bar has props the back door open.  I understand some noise comes with the territory, but they really could do a better job of controlling how much of it escapes from the clubs.

I hear you, BK, a person has to sleep sometime!

^ You mentioning the Erie buildings location and the current time of this post reminds me of something I meant to say the other day.  Depending on where your unit is in the building, it could be difficult to get to sleep before 2AM.  I am at my girlfriend's place (Hat Factory) and I can here the music from Spy Bar and Bar Fly like it was on inside the apartment.  It doesn't bug me too much on the weekends, but it can be a bit annoying on Wednesday and Thursday nights.  It is particularly bad when Spy Bar has props the back door open.  I understand some noise comes with the territory, but they really could do a better job of controlling how much of it escapes from the clubs.

 

I just met someone from the Hat Factory and his location (in the back) is perfectly fine noisewise. Not disagreeing with you, it just goes to show that location within the building means a lot.

Cleveland neighborhood revival plan focuses on anchor projects

Plans build on anchor projects in 6 parts of city

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Tom Breckenridge - Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Architects of revival in six Cleveland neighborhoods are focusing their cash and expertise on the streets around big, new projects.

 

The strategy, they say, is to build "model blocks" on the streets that border new neighborhood anchors -- housing and commercial projects totaling $915 million...

http://www.wcpn.org/index.php/WCPN/news/7916/

 

I thought this audio file was extremely interesting. It's from WCPN.org, and it's about Kyle Ezell, who runs an urban consulting business in Columbus. "He says projects like the one in the Flats are necessary to help renew cities. But he says before cities can make a resurgence, people need to change their behavior. He's made it his life's work to help educate people how to live in cities."

 

After listening, I'm wondering what it will take for people to change to the urban lifestyle in Cleveland? Any thoughts?

It's semantics but I think the question should be "how many people will it take" for that resurgence to occur. I say this since there are already people living car-free, promoting mixed-use and density, etc. in Cleveland - but obviously we need more.

^^ From the vagueness of the clip, it sounds like we have to hire Mr. Ezell to find out ;)

 

MayDay's points above are spot on. But I do think we need to invest in more demand-side education. We need to better educate suburbanites about what living in Cleveland is really like (e.g. the 20-something Eastlaker who told me I'd "better buy a gun" when I moved into Asiatown and that "people make money so they can move out of neighborhoods like that ... Why are you moving in?"). We need to get these people into the everyday fabric of urban living, not just to Gateway on St. Patrick's Day. They should see innovative models in the Cleveland schools, they should ride trains and bikes, take rowing lessons, camp in the Flats, grocery shop at Tink Holl, deep sea dive to look at sunken ships in Lake Erie ... things that really connect them to why living in the city proper is so great.

 

We need to expand the awesome work that Emerging Cleveland does to showcase the city to expatriate young professionals visiting their suburbanite folks during holidays. And we need to do a much better job of marketing the city proper to people relocating from other regions, many of whom don't have the psychological baggage associated with the city proper that natives do and would likely be much easier sells. The Living in Cleveland Center is doing a good job of this, talking to HR directors, etc., but their funding is very limited and should be expanded several fold. We should also be encouraging co-housing projects (www.cohousing.org), where a bunch of people can all buy at the same time and invest in shared community amenities at the same time. We should also be doing more robust research to identify niches of potential buyers and steering them toward appropriate neighborhoods and developments ... something more than just saying the market is "young professionals and empty-nesters". NPI is doing some great work in this area for their Strategic Investment Initiatives, but it would be great to see it trickle over to the other CDCs, which of course is their ultimate goal.

 

Of course, those of us living in the city are doing this work just by living the urban lifestyle, by inviting people into the city and taking them on impromptu tours, by making our friends join us at Cleveland's independent restaurants, bars and galleries instead of going out to visit them at the Eton Collection, etc. But we could always be doing more. I've always thought we should have some kind of Urban Pledge ... get 50,000 people to agree to certain urban principles (live in the city, shop in the city, vote in the city, limit car use, increase pedestrian activity, increase bicycle and transportation use, give tours of the city, patronize independent stores, etc.). Just by showcasing that this is a movement and not just 50 people fighting the tide I think would do a tremendous service.

 

If we invested even $1,000,000 a year in such a demand-side effort, the results could be pretty astounding; even if such a grassroots campaign steered only 50 people a year to live in Cleveland, it would more than pay for itself in community impact. It could also be the tipping point for projects to move ahead based on pre-sells.

 

We're doing a great job with the supply side, but our community-level demand-side models, and the resources we devote to educating people about city living, are weak in my opinion.

 

deep sea dive to look at sunken ships in Lake Erie

 

Can you do this from Cleveland?

^ http://www.discoverydive.com/Scuba%20Diving%20Schedule.htm

I guess I'm just discouraged by what he says about Ohio overall: that most people live suburban lifestyles (I'm paraphrasing). Obviously, for many people on UrbanOhio, I'm preaching to the choir, but how do we get people outside Cleveland to accept or even want an urban lifestyle? I think the main thing that concerns me is that people look at it as a fad instead of a commitment to an urban lifestyle, which is what I believe it takes for a truly urban community to take shape and grow.

 

I'm excited about the undercurrents of change. That's fantastic! And I apologize that I'm being impatient .. I think that something like this to truly take root, it will just take time. Something Dick Feagler certainly doesn't realize and something that I'm only really beginning to understand. How do we sustain these undercurrents so they're not just a fad but become an actual commitment to an urban lifestyle for people? I think that's what it takes for true, long lasting change to occur.

Wow, I did not know you could do that, thanks for the link...

 

I might have to try it this summer...

jpop -- tell them that after more than three millennia of urban living, the fact that suburbia has been around for less than 80 years strongly suggests where the fad is. And, as we all know, in most of the rest of the world that doesn't subsidize the hell out of suburban living, urban living is the norm. America's underpriced love of suburban living (and the desire of other parts of the world to emulate it) is on a collision course with reality. We may be close to that collision what with the arrival of peak oil, mankind's contribution to or cause of global warming, and Americans wanting to live beyond their means being a driving factor in the credit crunch and collapse of the dollar's value.

 

All I can suggest is that you travel overseas if you haven't already. I did for the first time last May and it was an eye-opener. Yes, I was aware of Europe's cities, their land use patterns, their transportation systems and their much more significant appreciation of history. But it's one thing to read about it and see pictures of it. It's a whole 'nother thing to walk through it, see it, hear it, smell it and experience it.

KJP: I understand what you're saying. I live in NYC, one of the most cosmopolitan, urban cities in the world, and I see firsthand on a daily basis the benefits of living in a totally urban environment. That's why I'm so passionate about it! I love the fact that I don't have to drive a car, and I love the fact that tons of other people don't, either, and that I'm not stuck in the minority (actually, I might be in the minority; I don't have the stats of cars vs. transit riders).  I live in NYC because I love living in this urban environment, and I only wish that Cleveland were more along these lines! Having lived in Cleveland for years before living here, I've seen developments come and go, and I've seen excitement behind them come and go. What I want to see is the excitement build, sustain itself and spread to create a truly urban community where more and more people realize the benefits and want that lifestyle.

 

I think Cleveland is in a really interesting position right now. Ever since the industrial economy started to change, especially over the past few years, I've been curious to see how Clevelanders and its economy will adapt. So far, I've heard a lot of whining from totally undereducated people about their lost factory jobs. Cleveland was a great city once. It still is, even though over the years it's lost some of that. The thing is that Cleveland can be SO MUCH MORE than it is right now. Cleveland has fantastic assets that aren't being fully appreciated by the general populace right now. Vision needs to be expanded above and beyond where it is today. The question is, do Clevelanders want it?

 

What people need to realize is that living in an urban environment takes a commitment BEYOND the "oh, this is cool to do right now" because there are comforts to living a suburban lifestyle that don't exist in an urban environment. Or they might take another form that need to be adapted to (a park instead of a backyard, etc). It would be really unfortunate if it took a crisis for people to change their ways of life. Hopefully, people will realize the benefits of urban living before they HAVE to.

This discussion is all well and good but it's more appropriate for the City Discussions thread. To get back on topic, it looks like more of the scaffolding is coming down from Terminal Tower:

 

From today at noon:

 

And from August:

It looks beautiful, but it boggles the mind that in the time it's going to take FC to rehab this part of the tower, they've built a 52-story headquarters for the New York Times, 3,000 homes on an old airfield in Denver, and who knows what else?

 

I know I'm not comparing apples to apples, but I'm just saying...

Well, the top of the Terminal Tower had the terra cotta falling off and hitting the street.  It was in desperate need of rehab.

"I know I'm not comparing apples to apples, but I'm just saying..."

 

I hear ya, but there's a LOT of restorative work that has to be done at a painstakingly slow pace (in some cases, hundreds of ornamental sections/pieces being rebuilt literally brick by brick - see below images from Coon Restoration). With the Times Tower, it's basically assembling a giant TinkerToy set - not an easy feat but much less detailwork than restoration of a historic landmark:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woohoo! They're still taking more scaffolding down! :clap:

 

From today:

 

couldn't find a general thread on cleve's economy, so i put it here!

 

cleveland public library compares greater cleveland's top employers from 1950, 1962, & 2006

 

http://cpl.org/?q=node/2409      < note the new Drupal based site : > )

Well looking at that list the Cleveland has undoubtedly shifted to Medicine, Banking, insurance and to other service industry jobs. Now we just need those sectors to keep growing here, which Medicine is doing.

Just ran into the contractor for the prospect place apartments... he told me that they were hoping to have their final elevator inspection next week, and should be getting their occupancy permits for the 4th and 5th floors shortly.  After that they just need to finish the lobby, which should be done in the next couple weeks... so they are looking to have 4 and 5 open and leasable by the first of the year. 2nd and 3rd floors should be not to far behind.  Once those are complete they are going to move on to building out the main 1st floor retail / office space so it is more attractive to perspective tenants and working on the rear parking lot.

 

  So I guess it looks like first of the year for a little life to this project. From someone who works next door to it and lives across the street, I can't wait.

^Where on Prospect is this?

Building to the east of Winton (Carter) Manor on Prospect just east of East 9th.  A sharp early 20th century brick building.

What's happening on the back parking lot?  A repaving?

Brent Larkin at the PD talks about Cleveland's shift in employment in some of the public talks he gives. He uses similar statistics as those noted above. Pretty telling.

What's happening on the back parking lot?  A repaving?

 

At this point, yes.  Bolivar gets no love.

I think this fell through the cracks.

 

Crain's Cleveland Business

November 5, 2007

 

Developers give city dwellings a modern spin

 

BYLINE: STAN BULLARD

 

SECTION: REAL ESTATE; Pg. 18

 

LENGTH: 889 Wörter

 

Brad Klink enjoys his view of the Flats from the rooftop patio at his Tremont condominium, its proximity to downtown where he is an associate at the Roetzel & Andress law firm and bicycling to the West Side Market.

 

And when giving visitors directions to his Clarence Court condominium on West Ninth Street and Brayton Avenue, he tells them they'll know it when they find it...

"When all the budget allows is vinyl siding, that's a limitation,'' Mr. Volpe said, noting higher priced sales for new city homes opened the door to a broader selection of materials and design experimentation."

 

I like this quote by Volpe.  So often, we put down the designs and renderings of several projects in the city and never take into account what the budget allowed for.  An architect is only as adventerous as the budget will allow. 

 

Don't buy that load of crap.  Modest materials can allow for exceptional results with a bit of effort.  Volpe or any other architect have no excuses.

Don't buy that load of crap.  Modest materials can allow for exceptional results with a bit of effort.  Volpe or any other architect have no excuses.

 

What are some modest materials that would be a substitute for vinyl siding? (and I'm not being facetious).

w28th wants to see more EIFS.

Don't buy that load of crap.  Modest materials can allow for exceptional results with a bit of effort.  Volpe or any other architect have no excuses.

 

Said the "apprentice" about the "masters."

Don't buy that load of crap.  Modest materials can allow for exceptional results with a bit of effort.  Volpe or any other architect have no excuses.

 

Said the "apprentice" about the "masters."

 

Musky, you don't know anything about me or what I do.  I don't feel the need to throw my credentials out here to validate my opinions on UO, but if that's where you feel it needs to go, bring it on dude.

Um, ok.

Relax.

I forgot you like to dish it out, but not receive.

 

 

Consider it dropped.

 

 

Um, how about you relax.  I've got no problem with the banter, but you thinking you know where to place me in the scheme of things is off base.

 

Anyways, what I was trying to get across is the fact that regardless of the materials, a structure could at least be formally engaging and well detailed.  Vinyl siding, cmu block, adobe, whatever.

How about you knock off the trash talk, w28th. You don't have to like other architects in this city, but tone down the venom.

Yet a few more levels of scaffolding have been removed from the Terminal Tower - nice way to start the week:

It's also lit up at night.

Is it me or is there a section lit up purple?  I like the colors for the record, nice to see her all lit up again...Brings a smile to your face...

I think you mean the area around the columns just above the scaffolding. It looks beige, but it's not really bright so there's almost a taupe cast to the light.

Responding late....Grandma always called it "the neighborhood" around St. Hyacinth.  I have also heard it called "Little Warszaw".

Is the plan to renovate only the top section of the Terminal Tower or the entire structure over time?

I had nooooo idea where to put this, but I thought it was a neat story:

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Students install energy-saving lamps at museum

   

December 10, 2007

By Mike Sever

 

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The Climate Club of Waterloo High School has helped a Northeastern Ohio museum save energy and some money.

 

In November, the club made a field trip to the Steamship William G. Mather, a former bulk freighter that is now a museum and part of the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland.

 

There, the club changed out 176 light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs that burn longer and more cheaply than incandescent bulbs...

Is the plan to renovate only the top section of the Terminal Tower or the entire structure over time?

 

Good question - I think that the top section and the ornamental sections are of the greatest concern since they're brick with stone facades. IIRC, the lower portion's facade is of a more durable material but I could be mistaken. Whatever the case, it's looking a lot better and they're still removing the scaffolding (from Friday, Dec. 12):

Does anyone know the status of this?

 

In 2007, a proposal was brought to Forest City, the ownership group that owns the Terminal Tower, to reopen the observation deck. The proposal included a renovation of the deck and the addition of an express elevator to take visitors there. This would be done after the upper floors are renovated and the scaffolding removed. Currently, to reach the observation deck, a visitor would have to take an elevator to the thirty-third floor and transfer to another elevator to the forty-second floor.

 

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

Does anyone know the status of this?

 

In 2007, a proposal was brought to Forest City, the ownership group that owns the Terminal Tower, to reopen the observation deck. The proposal included a renovation of the deck and the addition of an express elevator to take visitors there. This would be done after the upper floors are renovated and the scaffolding removed. Currently, to reach the observation deck, a visitor would have to take an elevator to the thirty-third floor and transfer to another elevator to the forty-second floor.

 

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

 

I noticed major elevator work was underway there earlier this year, not sure if it was related to this proposal or would allow it to proceed...