So Ken with interests rates coming down, inflation coming down and property owners able to get higher rental rates per square foot do you expect to see more high rise construction coming our way? We're always reading cool proposals that get tabled due to a poor cost/return ratio. Seems we might have turned a corner.

Ohh myyyy, this small slice of University Circle is quickly becoming our own "Little Toronto" This is a big league development for sure. 

2 hours ago, cadmen said:

So Ken with interests rates coming down, inflation coming down and property owners able to get higher rental rates per square foot do you expect to see more high rise construction coming our way? We're always reading cool proposals that get tabled due to a poor cost/return ratio. Seems we might have turned a corner.

 

There does appear to be some rumblings about some new projects out there. But as we know, it's a big minefield to get through to reach the finish line.

1 hour ago, YO to the CLE said:

Ohh myyyy, this small slice of University Circle is quickly becoming our own "Little Toronto" This is a big league development for sure. 

Imagine this as our North York, the Midtown/E55 area getting a few taller buildings near the Agora, and then Downtown. 

5 minutes ago, PlanCleveland said:

Imagine this as our North York, the Midtown/E55 area getting a few taller buildings near the Agora, and then Downtown. 

I'd like to see the return of a "Doans Corners" neighborhood with restaurants and nighttime options.   Woodhilll and OC are sort of a blank slate for this?  

Nice to see this development moving along here. Does this incorporate street level business? I worry about how these buildings will interact with the street because between the Clinic setbacks and Chester it's not exactly set up to be pedestrian friendly around there. 

5 minutes ago, Rustbelter said:

Nice to see this development moving along here. Does this incorporate street level business? I worry about how these buildings will interact with the street because between the Clinic setbacks and Chester it's not exactly set up to be pedestrian friendly around there. 

The project master plan envisions street retail in the buildings on both sides of Stokes from Chester to Euclid.  It is my belief that in order for this vision to be successful the retail portion has to expand.  Go south of Euclid and on that empty lot north of Chester.

28 minutes ago, Rustbelter said:

Nice to see this development moving along here. Does this incorporate street level business? 

 

Yep. 

16 hours ago, cadmen said:

So Ken with interests rates coming down, inflation coming down and property owners able to get higher rental rates per square foot do you expect to see more high rise construction coming our way? We're always reading cool proposals that get tabled due to a poor cost/return ratio. Seems we might have turned a corner.

This also makes me wonder when all of the sweeping changes with zoning and streamlining the permit process in Cleveland goes into effect. Along with interest rates this plays a major role in how many projects get off the ground from everything we've recently read. 

17 hours ago, KJP said:

 

New skyscraper planned for University Circle
By Ken Prendergast / September 17, 2024

 

The development team for Circle Square, a district bringing more than one million square feet of mixed-use development to market in Cleveland’s booming University Circle, is about to introduce its latest addition to this booming district. And that addition, at the southeast corner of Chester Avenue and Stokes Boulevard, will challenge Circle Square’s The Artisan for the tallest building in Cleveland’s “second downtown.”

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/09/17/new-skyscraper-planned-for-university-circle/

 

This makes absolute sense with Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve continuing to grow every year.  So many rotational programs with people coming from all over the world.  

 

I suspect even more highrise infill will be needed sooner than later. 

11 minutes ago, MuRrAy HiLL said:

 

This makes absolute sense with Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve continuing to grow every year.  So many rotational programs with people coming from all over the world.  

 

I suspect even more highrise infill will be needed sooner than later. 

I can see University Circle becoming our Midtown in Atlanta. Due to demand, it has high rises that mimic downtown but due to better layout, planning etc. is the more vibrant neighborhood. If we're being honest although Downtown contains more people University Circle seems more "alive" consistently throughout the day.

Posted by @mikeygcle at Xitter...

 

2 minutes ago, KJP said:

Posted by @mikeygcle at Xitter...

 

Isn't the Lumen the tallest residential tower in the state as well? 

I think one component of the continued growth of UC is many if not most of the new jobs created are higher paying, certainly higher paying than we are used to seeing. Although our region is still consistently behind in average saleries for comparable positions vs. much of the country. At any rate, many of these new jobs do pay more and some of these medical/educational positions are being filled by out of towners who will be interested in living in a growing UC. We are creating a thriving community that will demand more sophistcsted amenities.

59 minutes ago, KJP said:

Posted by @mikeygcle at Xitter...

 

Great to see people are looking at and sharing the Wikipedia page! I've spent a lot of time cleaning it up and adding in all the updated building photos and information, and it is definitely cool to see all the new buildings lined up next to each other. In fact I was just making edits to the proposed buildings today, adding in East Stokes per KJP's article :)

Edited September 18, 2024Sep 18 by Geowizical

1 hour ago, KJP said:

Posted by @mikeygcle at Xitter...

 

It's so easy to look at what other cities are doing or the projects that were proposed but never built, but if you had said in 2010 that by 2025 Cleveland would have 9 new buildings from 235-616 feet, with 5 of them being residential, no one would have believed it. Hopefully we can keep up this momentum and have another 9 or 10 by 2035. 

^ Right, and to be fair to Cleveland, compared to our rust belt (l hate that term) peers we are actually building at a good clip. That wiki site doesn't just list existing buildings, it also lists buildings proposed. Our peer cities really don't have many projects in the pipeline. And based on what we have managed to get built (never mind all of our angst over those projects that never see the light of day) we are doing alright. 

 

If we can ever figure out how to get the local economy really humming we'll see an even faster rate of new construction.

Two more renderings, courtesy of Michelle Jarboe. Compare my photo taken last week to the render immediately after it (same location and similar angle)....

 

 

Here is the X/Twitter source of those renderings:

 

 

37 minutes ago, KJP said:

Two more renderings, courtesy of Michelle Jarboe. Compare my photo taken last week to the render immediately after it (same location and similar angle)....

 

 

Reminds me of the style of construction you’d see in the Wharf in D.C.  Looks great from the street and adds a nice amount of housing units. I’m a fan 😄

Edited September 18, 2024Sep 18 by Oldmanladyluck

Spectacular, gimme 14 of them right now.

 

is this other building embellishment or something else? From the perspective angle, nothing in that direction looks like that right now.

 

East Stokes just received conceptual approval from todays CPC meeting. Here are a few images of the sites floorplan:

 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, NorthShore647 said:

East Stokes just received conceptual approval from todays CPC meeting.

And dev team said they would return in a month (Oct 15th meeting) for (I'm assuming) schematic approval.

1 minute ago, Geowizical said:

3 minutes ago, NorthShore647 said:

East Stokes just received conceptual approval from todays CPC meeting.

And dev team said they would return in a month (Oct 15th meeting) for (I'm assuming) schematic approval.

 

Yeah I thought I heard that as well, but wasn't sure. In general very positive comments on the development itself and the speed at which they are moving. 

 

East Stokes skyscraper concept wins approval
By Ken Prendergast / September 20, 2024

 

Cleveland’s City Planning Commission today gave unanimous support to the conceptual design of a proposed mixed-use high-rise in the University Circle neighborhood. If the project is able to move swiftly through the design-review process, the proposed 24-story East Stokes Tower at the southeast corner of Chester Avenue and Stokes Boulevard could see construction start as early as spring 2025.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/09/20/east-stokes-skyscraper-concept-wins-approval/

26 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

East Stokes skyscraper concept wins approval
By Ken Prendergast / September 20, 2024

 

Cleveland’s City Planning Commission today gave unanimous support to the conceptual design of a proposed mixed-use high-rise in the University Circle neighborhood. If the project is able to move swiftly through the design-review process, the proposed 24-story East Stokes Tower at the southeast corner of Chester Avenue and Stokes Boulevard could see construction start as early as spring 2025.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/09/20/east-stokes-skyscraper-concept-wins-approval/

 

Hmmm....by what standard is a building a "skyscraper"?   There's quite a few 20 story + buildings on the lake and in some other parts of town.

30 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

Hmmm....by what standard is a building a "skyscraper"?   There's quite a few 20 story + buildings on the lake and in some other parts of town.

 

30 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

Hmmm....by what standard is a building a "skyscraper"?   There's quite a few 20 story + buildings on the lake and in some other parts of town.

I would call it a high-rise but not a skyscraper but that's just being pedantic, I suppose.

I kinda place it at 350 ft in my mind. would put 1111 superior in skyscraper, but not 925 euclid.  

25 minutes ago, Whipjacka said:

I kinda place it at 350 ft in my mind. would put 1111 superior in skyscraper, but not 925 euclid.  

Proposed UO rule #2112-B.    If it wouldn't reach the homerun fence at Progressive when tipped on it's side, only @KJP is allowed to call it a skyscraper!   Go Guards!

 

Edited September 20, 2024Sep 20 by DO_Summers

1 hour ago, E Rocc said:

 

Hmmm....by what standard is a building a "skyscraper"?   There's quite a few 20 story + buildings on the lake and in some other parts of town.

 

By helping my SEO activity 😁

Great addition to the neighborhood.  I do think its a bit weird though that the retail will be on west side of the building fronting Stokes and the east side on MLK is basically a parking garage entrance.  I would think the east side facing Wade Lagoon and the trees would be more attractive.  

17 minutes ago, ryanfrazier said:

Great addition to the neighborhood.  I do think its a bit weird though that the retail will be on west side of the building fronting Stokes and the east side on MLK is basically a parking garage entrance.  I would think the east side facing Wade Lagoon and the trees would be more attractive.  

I believe they want retail all down Stokes on both sides of the street. Like a regular shopping street.

LOL, you mean like: a nail salon, Starbucks, Chipotle, and a cell phone store?

Edited September 20, 2024Sep 20 by urb-a-saurus

2 hours ago, Htsguy said:

I believe they want retail all down Stokes on both sides of the street. Like a regular shopping street.

 

Exactly 

2 hours ago, urb-a-saurus said:

LOL, you mean like: a nail salon, Starbucks, Chipotle, and a cell phone store?

 

yes … err, among other things. 😂

 

that would be amazing to see happen.

On 9/18/2024 at 4:08 PM, KJP said:

Two more renderings, courtesy of Michelle Jarboe. Compare my photo taken last week to the render immediately after it (same location and similar angle)....

 

 

i’m actually shocked they’re proceeding with this give everything we’ve heard about the market right now. who is lending them the $$$ to build this? 

What I'd like to know is who was in charge of the text in the rendering - or is "Singage" some new trendy store I've never heard of?

 

 

4 minutes ago, MayDay said:

What I'd like to know is who was in charge of the text in the rendering - or is "Singage" some new trendy store I've never heard of?

 

Probably a studio for voice lessons.

 

14 hours ago, Htsguy said:

I believe they want retail all down Stokes on both sides of the street. Like a regular shopping street.

 

My geography of that area is a bit weak but doesn't that face the VA complex?   Wanting retail there makes sense.

52 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

My geography of that area is a bit weak but doesn't that face the VA complex?   Wanting retail there makes sense.

No, the VA is like half a mile down the road.

 

Wanting retail there definitely makes sense though.

I really like the building design, but I don't like that the butt end of the building will be facing some Cleveland's better planned park and the lagoon. When coming east/north down MLK from Euclid Ave., rather than being impressed by the development, you'll see a parking garage entrance and mechanical. Could they not widen the new Reserve Court by a lane and put these entrances there? Having retail front onto public spaces aling these parks would give impressions of 5th ave. fronting Central Park. 

14 hours ago, noname said:

i’m actually shocked they’re proceeding with this give everything we’ve heard about the market right now. who is lending them the $$$ to build this? 

I don't know who the lender is, but today's WSJ notes the scattered availability of 30-year fixed mortgages at 5.5%.  Let's say 6% is generally available, construction loans a point or so higher - by the time the developer needs to borrow serious cash (9-12 months from now?), rates will probably have fallen another 1%. 

From Linked In today:

 

Library Lofts turning next page at Circle Square
By Ken Prendergast / September 24, 2024

 

With a partial occupancy permit from the city awarded, arriving residents are opening the book on Library Lofts — the latest building to be offered at the Circle Square district of Cleveland’s University Circle. Like a novel with a thick plot, progress on the apartment building-over-public library has taken lots of turns, though it’s not done yet. But this page-turner is almost there. And what a poetic conclusion it may turn out to be.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/09/24/library-lofts-turning-next-page-at-circle-square/

I'm incredibly glad this is finally almost done, because it should be an important part of the local urban fabric.

 

As a distant secondary matter, I've been pretty disappointed with the overall appearance as the cladding is put on. The original renders looked really great, but the finished product looks fairly cheap so far. 

The last building was originally proposed to be an office building. Given the events and trends of the last few years, is there much of a chance the final tower ends up being residential as well? Or is the Recent revival of the commercial real estate sector enough to keep this to the original plan? 

3 hours ago, Ethan said:

The last building was originally proposed to be an office building. Given the events and trends of the last few years, is there much of a chance the final tower ends up being residential as well? Or is the Recent revival of the commercial real estate sector enough to keep this to the original plan? 

I would love for it to be a med/tech office building to capitalize on the city's efforts to attract businesses in the medical sector like Cleveland is trying to do right now in Ireland. 

Approval. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/24-story-university-circle-apartment-building-approved-by-cleveland-planning-commission/ar-AA1rcBLm?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=fd5f72b34141477388791e8e25e8e7c6&ei=24

I was talking to a member of the development team about the future office building who said it was a long way off in this challenging market. I asked the guy, who got his start in office development, if the Canon Healthcare HQ was a possibility for it. He didn't respond right away. Later, he said "thanks for the tip."

 

I mean, really? You didn't think of that already??