9 hours ago, KJP said:

Redirected from the Random Developments thread...

 

 

Their permit, issued June 8, is for a field office -- the address is 645 Prospect on the permit. Specifically, it reads:

 

FIELD OFFICE - MAKE INTERIOR ALTERATIONS TO GROUND FLOOR TENANT SPACES PER APPROVED PLANS AND FIELD INSPECTION. SEPARATE ELECTRICAL PERMIT REQUIRED. CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY REQUIRED.

 

The size of the field office is roughly 3,000 square feet and has a reception area, eight offices marked as "CCA Team Offices" plus a meeting room marked as "CCA Conference Room." Pretty clear that CCA = "City Club Apartments." But there are also two offices marked as "BD Team Offices" and a meeting room identified as "BD Conference Room." Anyone know what that is?

 

So it's pretty clear that this is for the City Club Apartments tower which has no room for a construction trailer on Euclid and the developer is leasing only the Euclid Avenue lot for the new apartment tower. They're not going to take up parking spaces in the deck for an office or the Prospect lot for a trailer office.

 

But is certainly in a good location for nuCLEus, too. The question is, how long is Cleveland Construction's lease at this location?

Maybe BD means BUILDING DESIGN?

I could see that being a somewhat permanent office.  There should be enough work within downtown that should keep them busy for years to come.  

Turns out this new field office is for more than just the City Club Apartments, so I'm putting it here and in Random Developments....

 

 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021

Cleveland Construction Inc. fields a good sign for downtown

 

Sometimes a sign about the future prospects of downtown construction is just that -- a sign. And what better place to put that sign about future prospects than on Prospect Avenue?

 

Crews this week were working inside and out while renovating a 3,160-square-foot storefront at 645 Prospect Ave. for Cleveland Construction Inc. which signed a three-year lease in June for a ground-floor space in the parking deck for K&D Group's Residences at 668 on Euclid Ave. Among the renovations is a sign for the Mentor-based construction firm, affixed above the storefront.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blogspot.com/2021/08/cleveland-construction-inc-fields-good.html

@KJPHoly moly, that article is like 5 articles in one.

Awesome to hear about the ballpark village possibility. I imagine the Indians getting granted a sports book gambling license could make for a centerpiece of it.

It appears that numerous elements of the construction and site plans will be up for review and possible approval Oct. 7, according to newly updated Building & Housing records.

 

 

On 9/17/2021 at 2:47 PM, KJP said:

It appears that numerous elements of the construction and site plans will be up for review and possible approval Oct. 7, according to newly updated Building & Housing records.

Wish we were better at redeveloping existing structures -- could they find a way to add support columns within the existing garage and build above it?  Seems like a waste of concrete to toss it all into a landfill.  I suppose it depends on whether you have the right below-grade support for the final structure, but if someone had a way to do it I would think you could save a lot of time (eliminate tearing down the garage and building it again) and money in the process.  You could be a hero...

So they are tearing down the garage? Are there structural issues?

5 hours ago, LibertyBlvd said:

So they are tearing down the garage? 

 

No.

2 minutes ago, simplythis said:

Is it even remotely possible that SHW breaks ground before City Club Apartments?

I know that City Club is once again in front of the CPC next week. But when will they break ground?

If you would have polled all of forumers last spring I would bet that City Club would get unanimous

vote as the next project to break ground.

 

I'm not sure if I'm reading their filings with the city correctly, but EV Bishoff, the owner of the neighboring City Club Building, appears to have concerns about the City Club Apartments' proposed earth shoring structures and that it could negatively impact his building. So that's what the Oct. 7 CPC meeting appears to be about.

 

This is a summary of the building permit application whose issuance has been pending for a couple of months now.....

 

Project Description:

FOUNDATION & SITE UTILITIES - NEW CITY CLUB APARTMENTS
CONSTRUCT THE FOUNDATION AND INSTALL SITE UTILITIES FOR THE NEW CITY CLUB APARTMENTS (PHASED APPROVAL ONLY). THE SHORING CONTRACTOR / CM WILL SUBMIT STAMPED SHOP DRAWINGS WITH INPUT FROM THE OWNER'S GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER FOR AN EARTH RETENTION SYSTEM AND PROTECTION OF THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES. SPECIAL INSPECTIONS ARE REQUIRED. NO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY TO BE ISSUED WITH THIS PERMIT.

^ Laughable that he’s concerned about it negatively impacting his building that, he himself, invests absolutely zero in. The very definition of an absentee landlord. 

I’d be thrilled to have a beautiful new apartment high rise adding to my property value and injecting new people and energy - not to mention aesthetic value on the avenue. 
 

If City Club happens, it will be a fantastic addition in that neighborhood. 

1 hour ago, CleveFan said:

I’d be thrilled to have a beautiful new apartment high rise adding to my property value and injecting new people and energy - not to mention aesthetic value on the avenue. 
 

If City Club happens, it will be a fantastic addition in that neighborhood. 

"If"?!?!?

I try not to take anything in development circles for granted. 

8 hours ago, cfdwarrior said:

"If"?!?!?

Like NuCLEus, I'll believe it when they are working on the 3rd floor.

On 9/17/2021 at 2:47 PM, KJP said:

It appears that numerous elements of the construction and site plans will be up for review and possible approval Oct. 7, according to newly updated Building & Housing records.

 

 

So today is the day...

28 minutes ago, LibertyBlvd said:

So today is the day...

So we will see a crane tomorrow. HeHe

@KJP, do you have any updated information on when to expect this building to rise? 

5 minutes ago, KFM44107 said:

@KJP, do you have any updated information on when to expect this building to rise? 

 

@KFM44107 There was supposed to be a meeting about it today but I have not seen any outcome of the meeting reflected in its permit processing status, as shown online. The meeting was not publicly broadcast anywhere that I know of.

So…..was there a meeting - what’s going on with this project? 

Hello, Nucleus, is that you?

2 hours ago, cadmen said:

Hello, Nucleus, is that you?

 

OOOP!  Lets hope not!

 

 

Apartment tower groundbreaking waits on property transfer
By Ken Prendergast / October 19, 2021

 

For more than two months, an approved construction permit for the foundation of a high-rise apartment tower in downtown Cleveland has sat at the city’s Department of Building & Housing office, ready for the architect of record or general contractor to come pick it up.

 

No one directly involved with the 23-story City Club Apartments project was willing to say precisely why construction workers haven’t descended upon the current parking lot site at 720 Euclid Ave. to build the tower. But a high-ranking city building department official said a typical reason why a construction permit isn’t pulled right away is because contractors are waiting for the subject property’s sale to close. That was backed up by other information.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2021/10/19/apartment-tower-groundbreaking-waits-on-property-transfer/

 

Why does this transaction have to be so complicated.

33 minutes ago, simplythis said:

Why does this transaction have to be so complicated.

Taking my reply over to the regionalism thread... the house next door to me was sold from a foreign investor to a local couple, it took nearly a month for all the paperwork to clear. In terms of paperwork, I have to imagine a development of this size is a few orders of magnitude larger. 

LOL. What a sh*t show. Nobody from the developer to the city can't figure out he difference between The City Club and the parking lot next door?? And admittedly l'm not a developer but it seems to me that before you go through all the trouble of hiring contractors and filing tons of paperwork with the city the first thing you would do is acquire the friggin property. Christ. Same as it ever was in good ol' CLE.

I'm sure they already do have a purchase agreement. Probably had one for a year or so. Sorry to rain on your old narrative and desire to complain but the there's no controversy here except a typo that had no impact on delaying the project. BTW the developer is from Michigan. They came to Cleveland to invest.

Does it look like there will be a groundbreaking this year?  

14 minutes ago, LibertyBlvd said:

Does it look like there will be a groundbreaking this year?  

 

Yes. The city's Web portal shows they may be pulling the foundation permits now. The city is awaiting payment.

Sorry if l'm just a little jaded about the state of progress in this town Ken. I know you prefer a dispassionate approach and that's a healthier outlook but l'm just tired of the all too often second rate efforts here. 

 

Rather than be complacent about things let's hold all of us (politicians, civic and business leaders and even us citizens) to a higher standard. If we don't expect better we surely won't get it. You may think l'm just being negative but l see it as holding our feet too the fire. If we demand better we might get better.

I just walked past the site and the light pole directly in front of the lot  has been removed.  I assume that means that construction is imminent. 

53 minutes ago, cadmen said:

Sorry if l'm just a little jaded about the state of progress in this town Ken. I know you prefer a dispassionate approach and that's a healthier outlook but l'm just tired of the all too often second rate efforts here. 

 

Rather than be complacent about things let's hold all of us (politicians, civic and business leaders and even us citizens) to a higher standard. If we don't expect better we surely won't get it. You may think l'm just being negative but l see it as holding our feet too the fire. If we demand better we might get better.

 

Then shoot straight. Don't be mad at a Michigan developer for taking $40+ million from their disinvestment in St. Louis to make an investment in Cleveland. And then when the super-extra-cost-conscious Michigan developer takes more time and holds out for a better deal, don't call it "same ol' CLE." It can be useful to be angry at those who deserve it. It can be destructive to be angry at those who don't.

I'm not at all unhappy about an outside developer coming into town. The more the merrier. I don't  even care if he wants to hold out for the best deal he can get. That's business. My complaint (and maybe l misunderstood the reasons) is it seemed this project was delayed primarily due to lack of site control and slow city hall paperwork. That's how l interpreted the reports l read. 

 

The real reason l took that approach is this project seemed to be just another in a long, long list of failed or downsided projects that we all know too well.

 

This is anecdotal but take it for what it's worth. Every year l spend time in Boston. Dallas and Phoenix. Love Boston, don't like the other two. But one trait all three have in common is the people expect the city to get things done. And they do! They expect more and somehow, someway they get more. And before you say those cities are very different than CLE l get it, they are. They, along with alot of other US cities are on a roll. I'm not saying we're competing on the same playing field but we CAN do better than we are and maybe the first step is to raise our expectations.

 

In most ways Ken l think we want the same things for CLE. A strong core, better rail transport (including TOD), etc. You probably view Jane Jacob's the same way l do. We both want our home to be the best it can be although you see my missives as pointing out the negative while l see them as a plea for doing better. Perspective.

To keep this thread on topic, let's discuss further at:

 

Don't know if this is a precursor to anything imminent, but as I was passing the surface lot, they were taking down the parking signage.

I'd say that's probably a good sign, but I'm checking to see if the GC has anything official to say. The permits for the earth retention system and foundation work were pulled a couple weeks ago although payment has yet to be made.

Don't know if this is a precursor to anything imminent, but as I was passing the surface lot, they were taking down the parking signage.
http://cdn.urbanohio.com/monthly_2021_11/20211105_135723.thumb.jpg.1cb21f5f5dc37c7052d858313c69a260.jpg

Is that splotch of concrete on the sidewalk interrupting the brick where the crane will be going?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is that splotch of concrete on the sidewalk interrupting the brick where the crane will be going?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I realize now that seems awfully tiny for a crane lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Watch for the trees to be removed!

Hmmm, as of this afternoon, Marie’s “world class signage” was still in place 🤷🏻‍♂️

As of this morning, the construction manager has yet to receive a "go" notice from the owner. Same story -- they expect to hear from the owner "soon."

Ken, when you refer to the owner are you referring to the owner of the property or the developer? At this late stage are they one and the same?

37 minutes ago, cadmen said:

Ken, when you refer to the owner are you referring to the owner of the property or the developer? At this late stage are they one and the same?

 

Not yet. When they are one in the same, that's when the building department expected to see a groundbreaking. The foundation work permit has been pulled although not yet paid for (just checked to make sure). We're still looking for that title transfer.

Thanks. So WHEN the title transfers then the developer will also be the land owner. Do you have any idea what the hold-up is? Seems like at this point it's NOT the city at fault here so then it must be that 'ol bugaboo money as in the land owner wants more than the developer is willing to pay. If that's the case that is too bad because the design is really groundbreaking for downtown. Here's hoping both parties can come to an agreement because not only would another parking lot be filled in but it wouldn't be filled in with just another building but something that would really stand out.

I'm sure they already came to an agreement a year or more ago. But the due-diligence period in any purchase agreement before closing is usually pretty lengthy, especially for a site that had previous owners/users. And any downtown or former industrial site demands lots of due diligence. Unfortunately, I don't know what the closing date is.

This is PURE SPECULATION on my part but could it be the developer is trying to value engineer this project to death due to rising costs and is not taking that final plunge until this is done.  I seem to recall hints of this in the past.

5 minutes ago, Htsguy said:

This is PURE SPECULATION on my part but could it be the developer is trying to value engineer this project to death due to rising costs and is not taking that final plunge until this is done.  I seem to recall hints of this in the past.

 

I think that's a very reasonable speculation. The developer is extremely cost conscious and has been trying to squeeze every possible penny out of the contractors and suppliers. In fact, I wouldn't surprised to hear that he's going to wait until materials costs (especially steel which is up 200+ percent since January 2020) start coming back down to earth.

Not sure if this means anything significant about when this project will start, but the new Cleveland Construction office on Prospect has been getting window decals with the City Club project on them over the last two days. I know they are involved in the project so of course this isn’t a huge surprise. But I thought the timing was interesting. They were officially up as of this morning. 

19 hours ago, Htsguy said:

This is PURE SPECULATION on my part but could it be the developer is trying to value engineer this project to death due to rising costs and is not taking that final plunge until this is done.  I seem to recall hints of this in the past.

 

 

SAYONARA HIPSTER ROOF BEACH!  🥺

23 hours ago, NCLE said:

Not sure if this means anything significant about when this project will start, but the new Cleveland Construction office on Prospect has been getting window decals with the City Club project on them over the last two days. I know they are involved in the project so of course this isn’t a huge surprise. But I thought the timing was interesting. They were officially up as of this morning. 

 

Should have some good news in a couple of weeks. *fingers crossed*