Recent article in the PD about library construction plans mentions that they'll have it to design review in the fall.  Not sure if that's just the library or the whole building.

 

Phase 1A also includes construction of a new Martin Luther King Jr. branch on Euclid Avenue east of East 105th Street in University Circle, on which the library will spend $10.1 million.

The library board last year chose the New York architecture firm of So-IL to design that branch, in partnership with Cleveland architect Jonathan Kurtz.

The branch will be built as the ground-level portion of a five- to 10-story apartment building to be built above it by Midwest Development Partners, which will contribute more than $5 million to the branch, said Jeremiah Swetel, the library system’s chief of operations.

The design of the combined project should be ready for review by city agencies this fall, he said.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/08/cleveland-public-library-to-kick-off-10-year-100m-project-to-improve-27-neighborhood-branches.html

Euclid Corridor Design Review Case Report

10541 EUCLID AVE. DEMOLITION

Project Information

Euclid Corridor Case #  EC 2019-050

Address:10541 Euclid Ave.

Company:Midwest Development Partners

Architect:Neff & Associates

Talk about a hidden business... I never noticed that All Auto and Tire- ever.

 

Not a loss which will hurt.

Isn't this going to be part of the UC3 development (the new name is escaping me currently...)?

 

edit: nevermind I thought this was in the general University Circle thread

Edited October 3, 20195 yr by PoshSteve
Didn't read thread title

UC3 = Circle Square

 

But in name?

 

UC3 > Circle Square

Update on the demolitions from Design Review

 

 

 

Library Lofts is the first phase of new construction, although technically the rehab of Fenway Manor next door was the first phase of the overall Circle Square development....

 

 

I like the mass of this first new build piece of the project, and I think this design blends alright between the Cleveland Clinic buildings and the more traditional and Antique structures in the area. My only concern is the balcony corner. I understand every other floor getting a balcony to keep with the grid design, but even that's not what's happening in this rendering? The building is already losing that corner area as livable square footage, so why not supply more corner units with balconies to charge more rent? Either way the uneven-ness bothers me... but I'm not the one paying for it.

1 hour ago, WhatUp said:

I like the mass of this first new build piece of the project, and I think this design blends alright between the Cleveland Clinic buildings and the more traditional and Antique structures in the area. My only concern is the balcony corner. I understand every other floor getting a balcony to keep with the grid design, but even that's not what's happening in this rendering? The building is already losing that corner area as livable square footage, so why not supply more corner units with balconies to charge more rent? Either way the uneven-ness bothers me... but I'm not the one paying for it.

This is one of those things I see changing. Renderings seldom represent the final product 100%.  They’ll probably all end up as corner balconies, as they should, like you said.

3 hours ago, marty15 said:

This is one of those things I see changing. Renderings seldom represent the final product 100%.  They’ll probably all end up as corner balconies, as they should, like you said.

 

Or those corner apartments are duplexes.

Is that a LEED certified parking lot between the library and Fernway Manor?

This corner has 4 soon to be 5 high rises and I didn't even realize. If the buildings were mixed use this would be a VERY lively corner.

7 hours ago, Dougal said:

 

Or those corner apartments are duplexes.

I was wondering the same thing.

12 hours ago, WhatUp said:

I like the mass of this first new build piece of the project, and I think this design blends alright between the Cleveland Clinic buildings and the more traditional and Antique structures in the area. My only concern is the balcony corner. I understand every other floor getting a balcony to keep with the grid design, but even that's not what's happening in this rendering? The building is already losing that corner area as livable square footage, so why not supply more corner units with balconies to charge more rent? Either way the uneven-ness bothers me... but I'm not the one paying for it.

 

7 hours ago, Dougal said:

 

Or those corner apartments are duplexes.

 

But that’s @WhatUp‘s point - there don’t appear to be balconies at the red arrows. There are only balconies at the green arrows at the bottom and top of the grid. Balconies every other floor would make more sense than what is shown on the rendering. And balconies every floor would make even more sense (unless the corner units are two floors, but even then it’d still be nice to have additional balconies).

What I find interesting is that the balconies are facing south (where you are looking at one of the ugliest buildings in University Circle) rather than west (where you would be viewing the downtown skyline)

Probably because they anticipate building to the corner of Euclid and East 105th someday, even though it's not been any massings yet.

I guess that would mean buying out the non profit (can't recall which one) which built a new building at that corner about 12-15 years ago.  I would much rather see the sub station on the corner of Chester and 105 go.

^That substation is so maddening. Between that, the WO Walker Center and that lame surface parking lot that appears to be sticking around, it's a little dispiriting how bad this streetscape may still be even after an infusion of high density housing. 

7 minutes ago, StapHanger said:

^That substation is so maddening. Between that, the WO Walker Center and that lame surface parking lot that appears to be sticking around, it's a little dispiriting how bad this streetscape may still be even after an infusion of high density housing. 

I believe that surface lot  is suppose to be an outdoor plaza between the new library and Fenway.  At least that is how it was described in the news reports when it initially went to design review.

 

32 minutes ago, StapHanger said:

^That substation is so maddening. Between that, the WO Walker Center and that lame surface parking lot that appears to be sticking around, it's a little dispiriting how bad this streetscape may still be even after an infusion of high density housing. 

 

It shows the disregard the Clinic has for the neighborhood beyond its castle's high walls.

Midwest Development Partners picks up pace

https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/midwest-development-partners-picks-pace

I just wish this project would get started as it is so transformative.  The planning for this started in 2015 and still has months to go before construction begins.  If this was Stark we would be all over this project moaning and groaning.  Of course Midwest gets a small pass since it has to coordinate with the library and it appears the library's architects maybe the ones holding things up, at least in connection with the Library Lofts part of the project (I think I read something on a library website that they hope to get going in March).

 

Reading between the lines it looks as though any construction on the east side of 107th may be a long time coming, so it maybe years before the project has a complete dense neighborhood feel.

not sure if this is related to the project starting, but heavy equipment is on site...

9 minutes ago, lockdog said:

not sure if this is related to the project starting, but heavy equipment is on site...

Definitely.  Probably for the demolition of that former automotive business which has already been approved by the city.  The former district police station in the background (also approved for demo) is probably next.

1 hour ago, Htsguy said:

Of course Midwest gets a small pass since it has to coordinate with the library and it appears the library's architects maybe the ones holding things up, at least in connection with the Library Lofts part of the project (I think I read something on a library website that they hope to get going in March).

 

One of the forum members (I can't remember which one) who works for the library system was at the UO lunch meeting last week. I believe he said that the MLK library is not imminent.

 

EDIT: I omitted some info from my post

Edited December 1, 20195 yr by KJP

1 minute ago, KJP said:

 

One of the forum members (I can't remember which one) was at the UO lunch meeting last week. I believe he said that the MLK library is not imminent.

Which I guess means the whole project is not imminent unless they decide to start on the Chester side once the station is down which I don't think is the plan .   So sigh.

Chris is rolling out the "get ready" tweets....

 

 

Not sure how literally to take those master plan massings, but I like them a million times more than the ones shown last May with the Library Lofts design. I hope it reflects the developers' current thinking.

Edited January 21, 20205 yr by StapHanger

Those massings are out of date - they predate current proposals

They were knocking down the old police headquarters at Chester and 107th two weekends ago.  I took some pics and posted them in the University Circle--General Developments section.  Haven't been by the intersection since but they were about 90 percent done knocking everything down ten days ago.

Edited January 21, 20205 yr by Down_with_Ctown

Some info included about Circle Square....

 

 

CWRU plans $72+ million dorm expansion, more coming

 

Under an affiliate Library Lofts LLC, Midwest Development Partners purchased two parcels Jan. 2 from University Circle Inc. for $325,000, according to county records.

The MLK branch library would relocate from a neighboring parcel to avail that site for a future phase of the Center Square development. The old Third District Police Station on Chester Avenue was recently demolished for another, as yet unannounced phase of Circle Square.

Minutes from a recent meeting of the Cleveland Public Library's board of trustees noted that the library has received a letter of credit from Midwest Development Partners. It states that the developer is able to fund the entire Library Lofts project. Most of the funding for the apartments portion is from equity partners, according to the minutes.

 

MORE 

https://neo-trans.blogspot.com/2020/01/cwru-plans-72-million-dorm-expansion.html?m=1

Library Lofts is also moving forward. Seeing lots of filings with public entities on it. But this is at the site where the police station was just demolished.....

 

 

Circle Square project in Cleveland’s University Circle to include 24-story apartment tower

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2020/02/circle-square-project-in-clevelands-university-circle-to-include-24-story-apartment-tower.html

I could not find a dedicated thread, if one exists please move this. Thanks

 

 

Circle Square project in Cleveland’s University Circle to include 24-story apartment tower

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Developers hope to break ground this summer for a 24-story apartment tower in University Circle, where the high-rise and a more modest — but unusual — residential building that includes a public library will be the first two chapters in a bigger real estate story dubbed Circle Square.

 

The glassy, 298-unit tower is slated to fill a void at Chester Avenue and Stokes Boulevard, where a former Cleveland police station sat until late last year. Stretching as tall as 250 feet, the building will surpass the nearby One University Circle tower in height and, by 20 or so units, size.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2020/02/circle-square-project-in-clevelands-university-circle-to-include-24-story-apartment-tower.html

 

 

 

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2020/02/circle-square-project-in-clevelands-university-circle-to-include-24-story-apartment-tower.html

Speaking of which......

 

 

 

that tower... man. The garage wrap looks like the original version of the muni lot outlet malls with the Lumen’s ugly cousin thrown on top.

 

ok I guess you all like the looks of it, I love the addition of a tower, but think it’s ugly, my opinion. Maybe it’s just a bad rendering.

Edited February 21, 20205 yr by Taller_is_better

Love the fact-of course- that the developer wants to work with the city to re-configure the area to make it more pedestrian friendly as the development goes forward.  However, it appears to me that the huge parking garage entrance on Chester depicted in the renderings sort of is at odds with that goal.  I know it has to go somewhere but hoping it can be done more creatively.  In the rendering it almost looks dangerous.  Wonder if it is possible to move the entrance to East 105th mid block.  With the sub station next door and the fact that they already have practically turned 105th into a super highway, it is already less pedestrian friendly.

Edited February 20, 20205 yr by Htsguy

The scale of this proposed development may explain why First Interstate decided to build uphill at Larchmere rather than build phase 2 of One University Circle. A 24-story, nearly 300-unit high-rise next to a new 11-story apartment building is a lot of new inventory to add. I can see why First Interstate decided to rotate to another field.

 

BTW, this site plan is pretty stunning.......

I really like the Library Lofts building. SO-IL / JKurtz and Bialosky did a great job blending the library and apartments together.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/02/proposed-new-mlk-library-branch-library-lofts-apartments-win-thumbs-up-at-design-review-meeting.html

 

Quote

Members of the design review committee asked the Bialosky firm to investigate whether the apartments in the Library Lofts design could push and pull forward and back to create a greater sense of variety and depth in the façade.

 

Jesus, no. The design already has a good deal of depth. It doesn't need a bunch of incongruous planes like some of the other crap we've seen proposed.

 

 

 

 

Awesome density move for UC. Always thought our health districts deserved a larger residency base for short commutes to UH and CC.

Cleveland’s 2nd downtown is booming!

4 hours ago, Florida Guy said:

I could not find a dedicated thread, if one exists please move this. Thanks

 

 

Circle Square project in Cleveland’s University Circle to include 24-story apartment tower

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Developers hope to break ground this summer for a 24-story apartment tower in University Circle, where the high-rise and a more modest — but unusual — residential building that includes a public library will be the first two chapters in a bigger real estate story dubbed Circle Square.

 

The glassy, 298-unit tower is slated to fill a void at Chester Avenue and Stokes Boulevard, where a former Cleveland police station sat until late last year. Stretching as tall as 250 feet, the building will surpass the nearby One University Circle tower in height and, by 20 or so units, size.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2020/02/circle-square-project-in-clevelands-university-circle-to-include-24-story-apartment-tower.html

There is already a long standing thread regarding this project where @KJP posted these latest developments.  Having two threads is only going to cause discussion confusion.

I only saw references in the other thread which is called UC3. Is this part of a larger project or did the name change? Anyway mods please merge it with the other. Sorry for the inconvenience.

UC3 is the Circle Square project's former name (UC3=University Circle City Center). Some of the project's properties are still named with UC3...ie: UC3 Stokes Land LLC, UC3 Main Block LLC, etc.

 

BTW, sudden surprises like a newly announced 24-story tower are more like a Christmas morning to me than actually seeing the thing slowly getting built.

Edited February 21, 20205 yr by KJP

I love the way the new apartment tower will use decorative panels to cover the parking garage element of the building.  I'm in Tampa right now for a work trip and there are so many open, un-covered parking garages in the downtown area, it's painful.

I love the site plan but don't really like either of the building designs.  Library lofts is just bland - took a regular brick (or brick-looking) box and put a few concrete dividers on it.  As another poster mentioned, the tower looks kind of thrown together.  I like that they tried to cover up the garage, but the panels don't look good and the tower (while tall) is kind of meh and doesn't seem to relate too the base.  Altogether it looks like a generic placeholder for an apartment tower rather than a real design.    Compared to 1UC, it's really underwhelming design-wise.

52 minutes ago, Potamus said:

I love the site plan but don't really like either of the building designs.  Library lofts is just bland - took a regular brick (or brick-looking) box and put a few concrete dividers on it.  As another poster mentioned, the tower looks kind of thrown together.  I like that they tried to cover up the garage, but the panels don't look good and the tower (while tall) is kind of meh and doesn't seem to relate too the base.  Altogether it looks like a generic placeholder for an apartment tower rather than a real design.    Compared to 1UC, it's really underwhelming design-wise.

Wait is this the design that they will be sending in to get approved? I thought it was a placeholder (the 24 story tower). 

 

Edit: Never-mind I missed it in the article. 

Edited February 21, 20205 yr by MyPhoneDead

Two interesting tidbits I found in MJ's cle.com article:

 

1.  Developers don't fear residential over-saturation in UC.  One principal was quoted as saying Centric (on Mayfield Road between Euclid Ave. and Little Italy) is 95 percent (!) occupied.  That's the first I've heard anything "official" about Centric's occupancy rate in the 2-3 years it's been open, and that's great news (too bad the retail spaces are still mostly empty).

 

2.  Steve Rubin is quoted as saying Midwest wants to take advantage of the nearby Rockefeller Park, which he calls Cleveland's version of Central Park.  I've long been a proponent of Rockefeller Park.  It's a premier public urban space, but people never think of it as part of University Circle, despite it being across the street from the VA hospital and little more than a block away from Wade Oval.  If these new projects can bridge the gap between the northern edge of UC and RP, that's a quantum leap for the neighborhood, and maybe even the east side of Cleveland.  (And what better way to bridge said gap than hundreds of brand new,  class A residential units?)

The tower design may not be a placeholder. It's apparently what they propose. And "they" isn't Midwest Development. Midwest is just the land-owning partner in this joint venture. Midwest IS building Library Lofts, however. 

This tower is destined to stand out in the neighborhood not only because of its height but also its pure, um "glassiness," I guess.   I know glass towers are all the rage in most urban setting these days, but UC's construction mix is a lot more old school with mostly brick and stone buildings built in the last century.  Even the new buildings, like One University Circle and virtually everything the Clinic has built in the last 25 years (with the exception of the new med school and the cancer hospital on Carneige), don't have much glass facings.

 

The overall design is nothing special but it will add some variety to the skyline, which is good.