I wonder if this project's close proximity to the new SW site had a negative effect. Perhaps the committee thinks this project doesn't need the credits considering the investments occurring right down the street with SW and the Rockefeller. Just a thought.

 

Bridgeworks seeks options after 2nd TMUD snub
By Ken Prendergast / December 7, 2022

 

The development team that has sought to build the high-rise Bridgeworks development, 2429 West Superior Viaduct, in the Hingetown section of Ohio City is left with more questions than answers today after being left off the awards list for Ohio Transformational Mixed Use Development (TMUD) tax credits the second time. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority is making its decision on TMUD award winners and losers today, but information about other applicants was not yet available.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2022/12/07/bridgeworks-seeks-options-after-2nd-tmud-snub/

Is it possible Bridgeworks is a victim of the success of Ohio City / Hingetown? It's hard to be transformational in an already hot neighborhood. 

1 hour ago, Ethan said:

Is it possible Bridgeworks is a victim of the success of Ohio City / Hingetown? It's hard to be transformational in an already hot neighborhood. 

The Cuyahoga County projects that beat it out are also located in downtown and University Circle--two jobs hubs. Ohio City is not a jobs hub.

As much as I want to see this property developed, I do not want to see this project here. Hopefully someone else takes over this project that can create a better design

I'm on team "this design."  I think it's one of the freshest presented in quite some time.  Has color, a unique modern yet retro style that doesn't look like everything else.  Build it!

 

wait, so the erieview scam that will most likely never happen over this plan that most likely would? what the heck is in the water down there in columbus? i know they want to prioritize transformative, but shouldn’t that be mitigated with actually doable? rats.

I like this design as well. I think it would be a great addition to that intersection, and provide some much needed architectural diversity.

2 hours ago, Ethan said:

Is it possible Bridgeworks is a victim of the success of Ohio City / Hingetown? It's hard to be transformational in an already hot neighborhood. 

 

This is what I was thinking.  It isn't transformational to fill one of the last gaps in a hot area.  Kind of the opposite.

I disagree. Without the credit maybe somebody builds another 5-6 story apartment building on that site. Something like that is not transformative regardless of how hot the corner is. 

 

But something like Bridgeworks IS transformative. It would serve as a beacon and could encourage other developers to build 10-15 story apartment/condos on the west side of 25th taking advantage of the great views of the river, park and downtown. That may happen anyway but it also may take another 10 years, wearas Bridgeworks could have kickstarted construction on that much sooner.

11 hours ago, cadmen said:

I disagree. Without the credit maybe somebody builds another 5-6 story apartment building on that site. Something like that is not transformative regardless of how hot the corner is. 

 

But something like Bridgeworks IS transformative. It would serve as a beacon and could encourage other developers to build 10-15 story apartment/condos on the west side of 25th taking advantage of the great views of the river, park and downtown. That may happen anyway but it also may take another 10 years, wearas Bridgeworks could have kickstarted construction on that much sooner.

 

The existence of a 10-15 story apartment building doesn't encourage further development of similar buildings.  The existence of a neighborhood with amenities that lots of people want to be near does.  The transformative project for the northern end of W. 25th St. is never going to be Bridgeworks, it's going to be the Irishtown Bend park.

4 minutes ago, X said:

The existence of a neighborhood with amenities that lots of people want to be near does.

 

I think it's a chicken or the egg thing. Do amenities come first or do the people? In my opinion, no business is going to open up shop somewhere there aren't people living. Look at Detroit Ave west of W25th now. All that new retail is getting filled with nice coffee shops/offices/delis/restaurants because of the new residential developments.

 

So to add a large keystone development on the second most prominent corner of Ohio City is certainly a huge transformation considering what's there now is a derelict abandoned structure. 

 

I think Bridgeworks would have spurred the West Bank Flats to spark some new development which it certainly needs given the sea of parking lots and run down warehouses. 

 

Then again I will fully admit I am biased because I live nearby so I would love my neighborhood to grow lol. 

This site is right across from downtown, right down the street from a major bar/amenity district and off to the right you have a bunch of storefronts, also you're right off a bike path that connects you to Whiskey Island (Wendy Park) and Detroit Shoreway. 

 

People always lived in Ohio City, it just wasn't the right demographic for developers. I wasn't here when W. 25/OC was what it used to be, but some developers made a bet (McNulty, George) and it paid off.

 

Long story short, it seems like a developer should be able to make this corner work and charge rents that would cover the project based on location alone. The ROI might not come as quickly as it would with $5M in TMUD monies but $5M seems like a drop in the bucket when it comes to such a massive project.

Edited December 8, 20222 yr by GISguy
Wendy Island lol - knew something was off

In the absence of much else to talk about I'll add this: I see Bridgeworks a transformative because of its design and prominent location. Heading wast over the Detroit Superior bridge, encountering a large, colorful and modern glass structure on that corner says "Welcome to the west side!" It would be a beacon for the area because there's nothing quite like it while at the same time pairing well with the Church & State building.

 

Yes, of course the park will probably be the big draw to the area but there also could be a synergy at play here. One big thing can lead to others. The park CAN lead to mid-rise housing on the west side of 25th. But Bridgeworks can lead to something sooner which would create a tallish, modern urban footprint that would be very unique for Cleveland. We're sort of talking about a chicken or egg scenario here. We can both be right depending on which comes first but I still think adding Bridgeworks creates something much greater to what should ultimately be a very cool neighborhood. 

16 minutes ago, GISguy said:

This site is right across from downtown, right down the street from a major bar/amenity district and off to the right you have a bunch of storefronts, also you're right off a bike path that connects you to Wendy Island and Detroit Shoreway. 

 

People always lived in Ohio City, it just wasn't the right demographic for developers. I wasn't here when W. 25/OC was what it used to be, but some developers made a bet (McNulty, George) and it paid off.

 

Long story short, it seems like a developer should be able to make this corner work and charge rents that would cover the project based on location alone. The ROI might not come as quickly as it would with $5M in TMUD monies but $5M seems like a drop in the bucket when it comes to such a massive project.

Right? TMUD never existed before, but now it’s essential in order to build anything?

16 minutes ago, GISguy said:

This site is right across from downtown, right down the street from a major bar/amenity district and off to the right you have a bunch of storefronts, also you're right off a bike path that connects you to Wendy Island and Detroit Shoreway. 

 

People always lived in Ohio City, it just wasn't the right demographic for developers. I wasn't here when W. 25/OC was what it used to be, but some developers made a bet (McNulty, George) and it paid off.

 

Long story short, it seems like a developer should be able to make this corner work and charge rents that would cover the project based on location alone. The ROI might not come as quickly as it would with $5M in TMUD monies but $5M seems like a drop in the bucket when it comes to such a massive project.

 

Exactly.  I like this development, but it is a trailing indicator of a booming neighborhood with lots of development and relatively few retail vacancies.  If developers can't make this work, what can they?

I would also vote that this is not "transformative".  There are already many new (less than five years old) apartment buildings, one right across the street and others  within blocks, as well as some big residential developments even older right off the Superior Viaduct.

I have nothing but respect for this developer and all the hard work they have put into this project to date and I understand the challenges when it comes to financing a project.  That said, and this is obviously water under the bridge, but does anybody recall way back when-I think around 2019-who else responded to the counties RFP for this very attractive site?  

1 minute ago, bjk said:

I would also vote that this is not "transformative".  There are already many new (less than five years old) apartment buildings, one right across the street and others  within blocks, as well as some big residential developments even older right off the Superior Viaduct.

I believe what makes this transformative is the mixed use component of apartment, boutique hotel, a little retail (well a coffee shop) and a parking garage.  Ohio City could really use a hotel.  That said, I think one of the negatives in terms of its evaluation by the gang in Columbus is its small size when compared to other projects.  It only meets the criteria for a TMUD because it is 15 stories.  It is below the square footage minimum.  I have to believe the developers were smart enough to understand their application was a long shot and they should have a back up plan.  Hopefully they do.

It's not that development hasn't occurred in Ohio City before TMUD. Of course it has. But the scale of Bridgeworks is different than the usual 4-5 story apartment building. The only thing that comes close is Church & State. There is no question that this neighborhood is growing. The real question is how big and how fast?

 

Another factor in the favor of Bridgeworks is not just its ability to kickstart midrise housing on the west side of 25th but it also could do the same as a connector for west 25th and the west bank of the Flats. Having something as prominent on that corner may spur further development of the Flats hillside. We could have a more seamless area of activity. 

 

I guess my point is that while I agree we will see development in the entire area over time I just think Bridgeworks has the ability to bring about development sooner rather than later. 

1 hour ago, marty15 said:

Right? TMUD never existed before, but now it’s essential in order to build anything?

 

The TMUD is necessary to build very complicated, difficult urban projects on land that has had centuries of prior owners and uses, some of them toxic. Even with a TMUD, the Centennial and Erieview redevelopments are going to be very tough to do. And so is Bridgeworks. Note in my article that itd costs of construction are $73 million but the soft costs are about $27 million. It's the soft costs (property acquisition, site assessments, demolition, clean-up, architectural and legal fees, to cite a few) that are making this project difficult.

 

That said, this project is still very much alive. As I also noted in my article, there are other funding sources that are being pursued. Stay tuned.

What happens to the money awarded to projects that never actually happen? 

1 hour ago, CleveFan said:

What happens to the money awarded to projects that never actually happen? 

 

It's not money until the credits are sold. Any unused credits go back to the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to be re-awarded.

I noticed that at a recent city council Planning and Development meeting legislation was passed to vacant a small portion of the a street to further the development of this project, specifically the parking garage.  I guess this is a small glimmer of hope.  The developers appear to be continuing to work on various necessary  pre-construction punch list items despite failing to secure TMUD credits.  

1 hour ago, Htsguy said:

I noticed that at a recent city council Planning and Development meeting legislation was passed to vacant a small portion of the a street to further the development of this project, specifically the parking garage.  I guess this is a small glimmer of hope.  The developers appear to be continuing to work on various necessary  pre-construction punch list items despite failing to secure TMUD credits.  

 

I hope to have an article on this in the coming days.

I wonder it the good people developing Bridgeworks are going to try and go after that more than 34 million in housing gap financing that is being made available by the City of Cleveland as reported by Michelle in Crains.  The RPP process sounds complicated with a number of approval hoops to jump through.  It does not appear as though it is going to be a quick process and my guess is that there is going to be an affordable housing bias, although market rate projects are eligible.  With this group's luck they will apply and be turn down once again.  

 

Although relatively modest in height, I think this project will have a disproportionate impact on the skyline - adding balance to the west side of the skyline (along with S-W) and connecting downtown to the new construction in Ohio City, Hingetown.

 

They used the wrong rendering, right? 

Very exciting surprise/good news news of the day! This development will make a huge impact at this corner, and help serve as a gateway to both Downtown and Ohio City, and be in a perfect spot next to Irishtown Bend. What a great way to better activate and anchor this intersection!

12 minutes ago, OldEnough said:

Although relatively modest in height, I think this project will have a disproportionate impact on the skyline - adding balance to the west side of the skyline (along with S-W) and connecting downtown to the new construction in Ohio City, Hingetown.

 

Not sure what you mean by modest. It's going to be the tallest new build in the area side since the 1970s. At 15 stories, it's taller than both Church+State and Intro. I'm not sure of the exact height of the Riverview Towers and the West Side Market clock tower, but at 162 feet Bridgeworks may be the tallest building on W. 25.

Edited February 28, 20232 yr by LlamaLawyer

My day has been made! So exciting. Curious if this will draw as much attention, or more, than Intro did. Both game-changing projects.

Can we expect an article soon @KJP?

 

Tower crane #4 later this year. 🙃

11 minutes ago, LlamaLawyer said:

Not sure what you mean by modest. It's going to be the tallest new build in the area side since the 1970s. At 15 stories, it's taller than both Church+State and Intro. I'm not sure of the exact height of the Riverview Towers and the West Side Market clock tower, but at 162 feet Bridgeworks may be the tallest building on W. 25.

Modest in relation to other downtown high rises.  

23 minutes ago, marty15 said:

Tower crane #4 later this year. 🙃

I mean this could be a record for the city of Cleveland in terms of "cranes in the sky" at once. 

2 - SHW

1 - City Club

1 - Bridgeworks

1 - Apartments at Bolivar

1 - Circle Square

1 or 2 - Cleveland Clinic 

Riverview is 260’ with 20 floors and Lake View Terrace tower is 206’ with 19 floors. Certainly will fill the gap between them, will also make the former forest city bank and the quarter building feel small

6 minutes ago, BoomerangCleRes said:

Riverview is 260’ with 20 floors and Lake View Terrace tower is 206’ with 19 floors. Certainly will fill the gap between them, will also make the former forest city bank and the quarter building feel small

 will look great with the condos/apartment buildings behind it stepping up to from the West Bank 

 

it may end up looking taller than a lot of the buildings downtown, since (based off riding my bike over the bridge) Ohio city sits higher than downtown 

Edited February 28, 20232 yr by BoomerangCleRes

53 minutes ago, GREGinPARMA said:

My day has been made! So exciting. Curious if this will draw as much attention, or more, than Intro did. Both game-changing projects.

Can we expect an article soon @KJP

 

Agreed! Exciting and congrats Cleveland! This project will really add so much to the gateway to Ohio City and appropriately extend the urban feel and skyline from downtown.   But poor @KJP…

36 minutes ago, Cleveland said:

I mean this could be a record for the city of Cleveland in terms of "cranes in the sky" at once. 

2 - SHW

1 - City Club

1 - Bridgeworks

1 - Apartments at Bolivar

1 - Circle Square

1 or 2 - Cleveland Clinic 

 

*airhorn noises*

30 minutes ago, BoomerangCleRes said:

Riverview is 260’ with 20 floors and Lake View Terrace tower is 206’ with 19 floors. Certainly will fill the gap between them, will also make the former forest city bank and the quarter building feel small

And the clock tower at West side market is 137’ high - Bridgeworks will rise 25’ above that. 

https://www.clevescene.com/news/bridgeworks-project-will-reach-full-funding-with-2-million-loan-from-cuyahoga-county-41500080?fbclid=PAAaYvs7Q7CiAg5MFSJPx4Diw2z_mr36KKQyA1nS5kbtLtaNSzArH-0CgbwkU


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Bigger news than that nothingburger from the Browns stadium lol.

 

I'm so excited for this one. With this and (hopefully) Irishtown Bend Park getting built this entrance to Ohio City is going to look amazing

 

Also lol they used a super old render for the pic. New design is much better. 

Edited February 28, 20232 yr by dwolfi01

Wow they are already planning for a spring/summer ‘25 opening!

And i love the green more each time i look at it. Somewhat whimsical like city club


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13 minutes ago, dwolfi01 said:

Bigger news than that nothingburger from the Browns stadium lol.

 

I'm so excited for this one. With this and (hopefully) Irishtown Bend Park getting built this entrance to Ohio City is going to look amazing

 

Also lol they used a super old render for the pic. New design is much better. 

 

i would think the haslams just blew their spare coin buying out the milwaukee bucks nba team yesterday, so i wouldnt look for hearing about any development from them.

5 minutes ago, mrnyc said:

 

i would think the haslams just blew their spare coin buying out the milwaukee bucks nba team yesterday, so i wouldnt look for hearing about any development from them.

Somebody missed the lakefront thread. 

Yes! Yes! and one more Yes!

AMAZING 😀

My turn

 

 

Ohio City high-rise may get loan, start date

On March 14, Cuyahoga County Council is expected to vote on a proposed $2 million loan that could finally close a persistent funding gap on the planned $103.7 million Bridgeworks development. The investment would allow site demolition and construction to start as early as this spring, putting a 15-story building at the west end of the Detroit-Superior Bridge in the booming Hingetown section of Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood.

 

MORE

https://neo-trans.blog/2023/02/28/ohio-city-high-rise-may-get-loan-start-date/

And congrats to Mark Oprea at Scene - this is the first big local real estate news I can think of being scooped recently by someone other than @KJP or @mjarboe, even if only by a couple hours. 

Cuyahoga County scooped us all. They posted this press release five days ago. I never saw it until today...

 

https://cuyahogacounty.us/county-news/county-news-detail/2023/02/23/2-mill-econ-dev-loan