With this construction timeline, when can we expect to hear about retail lease signings?

 

(toss up question)

you may be waiting a while to hear about retail lease signings.  The project plans still have not been finalized.  It is anticipated in the next few weeks that the FINAL plan for the site will be submitted and then discussions can continue as when financing will be documented and vertical construction commencing. 

I am also posting this in the "events" section.

 

From the Cleveland Scene blog:

http://blogs.clevescene.com/cnotes/2008/01/on_the_flats_east_bank_a_visio.php

 

On the Flats' East Bank, a Vision of a Pop-Up City

Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 10:26:23 AM

Until Scott Wolstein’s bulldozers start swinging this spring, the Flats’ East Bank will be among the most desolate stretches in this, the City of Desolate Stretches. Old River Road, a former epicenter of debauchery, has been on life support for years. Now, save for the Hustler Club, that resilient ode to naked ladies, the plug has officially been pulled. It’s a ghost town with a view.

 

But Terry Schwartz has a vision for the East Bank. Sadly, it has nothing to do with naked ladies. But it’s wild nonetheless.

 

Schwartz, a planner with Cleveland’s Urban Design Collaborative who’s also helped with the strategic shrinking of Youngstown, is designing a so-called Pop-Up City for the deserted site – a one-day party to “remind people what they loved about the Flats.” It’s ambitious, considering that the party won’t have booze, and what everybody loved about the Flats was getting memorably smashed. But the party, slated for February 29, will have an ice-skating rink, a massive video-game display, live entertainment, food, and – here’s where you can get smashed -- imported snowboarding parks from Boston Mills and Brandywine.

 

The logic behind “Leap Night” is totally dreamy, precisely what you’d expect from a former city planner: “This city has such a tremendous amount of vacant land,” Schwartz says, with odd cheer in her voice. Making permanent use of Cleveland’s desolation takes years, she says. It also involves talking with politicians, a leading cause of depression. So Schwartz has found grant money – yes, there’s grant money for this stuff – to take our bum-infested lemons and turn them into lemonade.

 

“Vacant land is an adventure,” Schwartz says, and, strangely enough, she seems to believe it. -- Joe P. Tone

 

For more more information on "Leap Night" and other pop-up city events, visit http://www.popupcleveland.com. The site's still fledgling but will add info as it comes.

 

Why no beer?  Seriously, what is it with Cleveland and beer truck phobia?

Yeah.. I wanna go to an outdoor event in Cleveland in February without beer.. uhhhh, NO.

Or at least coffee and Kahlua?

Bring a thermos of hot toddy.

^^^Who the f--- wrote that story? That's the snarkiest and most negative thing I've read about Cleveland in a long time. And he tops it off with a bit of male chauvinism for good measure (the naked ladies bit). Thanks again, PD. :roll:

that is not from the pd, it is from the cleveland scene.  I am sure whoever wrote the article spent a lot of time at the college paper perfecting that journalistic objectivity.   

Oh, OK. That's more to be expected from Scene, I guess.

^remember when Scene was locally owned and relevent.        Sigh :oops:

 

(oh crud, off topic)

 

GO FLATS EAST BANK! 

I remember when it was locally owned.

And I remember when rock was young.

^^^Who the f--- wrote that story? That's the snarkiest and most negative thing I've read about Cleveland in a long time. And he tops it off with a bit of male chauvinism for good measure (the naked ladies bit). Thanks again, PD. :roll:

 

How is that a chauvinistic comment? Saying that the Hustler Club is an ode to naked ladies is a statement of fact.

i drove down by stonebridge today and it was pretty nice at stonebridge but whats the big deal about the east bank, besides stonebridge everything else is pretty crappy I don't know how people live down there right now

Thank you for yet another insightful post.

Perhaps Clevelander could contact the people involved rather than needlessly complain. So I decided to call Wolstein's people to get an update. They are still on target with their schedule: Utility and other infrastructure construction work starts when the weather breaks (ie: March or April). Demolitions are continuing, with the Hustler Club coming down once they move out. And, although negotiations are still continuing with tenants, they are close to signing a big one that, when signed and announced, will likely increase the likelihood of more tenant signings. (Hint: think East 12th and Superior).

 

See Clevelander, isn't it so much more productive to ask questions rather than drive around, wasting gas and time, and coming to your own baseless conclusions? Maybe we can come to your neighborhood sometime and complain about it without knowing what's going on, too.

OK but what is the deal with every developer saying that they have a big tenant how many are out there? i think they are just hyping all there projects but they won't be as big as there saying

^ouch, my syntax.

they are close to signing a big one that, when signed and announced, will likely increase the likelihood of more tenant signings. (Hint: think East 12th and Superior).

 

Wow, that's big news.

wait a sec, cleveland isnt clevelander is he?

Eaton has been confirmed as Wolstein's big tenant.

^was that a question or a statement.  How was it confirmed?

about the Hustler building coming down when they "move out". Will that be when it is rebuilt at the other site, or will they move out(and not be open) before the new place is ready?  Maybe they can go to the Moda space. hee, hee.  I kid, I kid. 

Eaton!?  Wow, that is big.

about the Hustler building coming down when they "move out". Will that be when it is rebuilt at the other site, or will they move out(and not be open) before the new place is ready?   Maybe they can go to the Moda space. hee, hee.  I kid, I kid. 

 

I don't know if they're moving out first and then building the new club, or building the new club and then moving out of the old space.

 

If they move into Moda (they won't), they would have to ask Councilman Santiago to give back one of the two statues that was out front of Moda. The male statue is standing in Santiago's backyard. I wonder where the other one went?

I wonder where the other statue is....maybe somewhere on Duck Island. And I was kidding about Moda. Everyone knows (even fools) a Hustler is not a component of a good neighborhood.  Anyhow, Pizza and Calzone Company in the Crooked River building closed last week to make room for the Hustler, however the building needs to be demolished and rebuilt to exacting pornographer standards, so who knows how long that will take.  The Pizza and Calzone company said they hope to reopen in a few weeks "near the Columbus Bridge". My better half did not ask which side, which is important given the bridge will be closing, and this is our primary source for a pie. Interestingly they seemed to have been granted a liquor licence got their trouble. Ah sweet politics.

Demolition of the Hustler place will begin once they vacate the space in mid-March. 

 

Didn't we already know back in December that Eaton was going into the FEB??

Demolition of the Hustler place will begin once they vacate the space in mid-March. 

 

Didn't we already know back in December that Eaton was going into the FEB??

 

rumours have circulated, but I don't think FEB people said "yes", nor has Eaton made a formal announcement.

1/9/08

 

Winners could emerge in that competition this year, as key players such as global manufacturer Eaton Corp. and accounting giant Ernst & Young, with leases soon to expire, settle on new digs. Those deals might bring downtown at least one new top-shelf office building, with potential for another building or a major corporate office campus.

 

None of the handful of tenants shopping for space has made a formal announcement, but plenty of behind-the-scenes dealing took place during 2007.

 

 

I saw this on a website for a design firm out of Elyria   www.sooyco.com   thought it was interesting, it would be cool to be able to get a hold of one...

 

Eaton has been confirmed as Wolstein's big tenant.

^was that a question or a statement.  How was it confirmed?

^No formal announcement has been made; however, (I posted this info several weeks ago) a member of the port authority board (who has been working very closely with the Wolstein project) announced to us that Eaton had signed on with Wolstein's project. This man is informed.

Look for an announcement soon.

A few places to put this story..

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/01/stark_fires_off_email_criticiz.html

 

FrqntFlyr beat me to it on the Stark thread.  .....So Ernst and Young "for sure" to Wolstein then...

This is urban sprawl of the worst kind," said Stark, who has developed many suburban projects, including Crocker Park in Westlake.

 

as Pope would say, ZING!

 

Good for Wolstien if indeed he did land two of the big hitters. 

Truth be told, Stark probably has a decent chance with the two law firms, SSD and BH.  Proximity to the courthouse is key here.  Really, can you imagine all those lawyers walking up that hill to get to the courthouse from FEB.  WHD is about as prime as it gets for any of Cleveland's big 6 law firms.  The biggest firm over there now I think is Weltman in the Lakeside building.  The main competition IMO for the firms is any skyscraper Jacobs might build.  However, if those firms really want NEW digs, considering they are in skyscrapers now, they will choose to go with Stark.  That would be 400,000+ sq. ft. for Stark to start with.  If he still lands Eaton then he has more than enough commitment from office tenants to go ahead and do his "single phase" mega project.  From what I understand, retail and residential interest is not what is going to hold up this project.

wait a sec, cleveland isnt clevelander is he?

 

If it's me you're talking about, the answer is: no.

A few places to put this story..

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/01/stark_fires_off_email_criticiz.html

.....So Ernst and Young "for sure" to Wolstein then...

 

I read the article is saying E & W is looking, but not committed to Wolstein; nobody is at this point.  The only certainty, if we're to believe Stark, is that Eaton's not going to Pesht as of late last year...

 

... Stark's shot at East Bank's being "urban sprawl" is interesting, both considering his Crocker Park and given Wolstein's prime office building location directly at a planned new RTA Waterfront Line station inside the WFL's loop.

"Warren confirmed Wednesday that Eaton has been involved in discussions about building a corporate campus in the loop of the Regional Transit Authority's waterfront line within Wolstein's project."

 

I can't think of a more horrible downtown location for a corporate headquarters.  Why not integrate them within the rest of the development?  Do they require surface parking or something?  Wonderful.

"Warren confirmed Wednesday that Eaton has been involved in discussions about building a corporate campus in the loop of the Regional Transit Authority's waterfront line within Wolstein's project."

 

I can't think of a more horrible downtown location for a corporate headquarters.  Why not integrate them within the rest of the development?  Do they require surface parking or something?  Wonderful.

 

i wonder if there is a timing difference between the 2 sites.  could the waterfront loop building be built sooner?  maybe it doesn't require the commitment from the other pesht tenants for the project to move forward?

^The Waterfront Loop is part of Flats East Bank.

^The Waterfront Loop is part of Flats East Bank.

 

i understand that it is shown in the FEB plans.  my question was the timing of the actual building.  i wonder if the waterfront loop site is farther along/already ready.  we've heard before that the first buildings of FEB will be commercial.  also, i've seen discussion of a building at this location regardless of what happens with FEB. 

 

with pesht, so far, everything seems to be pointing to "all or nothing" with respect to individual buildings.  i wonder if some of the big tenants don't want that uncertainty (if it exists).

I always understood the waterfront loop to mean the exisiting tracks that wrap around the site and head towards Browns' stadium.... am I wrong?...... is this a new development.

You got it.  The space Wolstein wanted DFAS to go to. 

If it is a corporate campus, why couldn't it be integrated into the development? 

Eaton's biggest competetors, Parker Hannifin and Allen Bradley have campus type headquarters, maybe that just works better for that industry rather than a skyscraper.  BTW, Parker left the city to go to a blob off of I-271 when they built their new HQ earlier this decade.

 

Looking at the picture, it looks like there are three open plots within the "loop"  Any one of them looks like it would fit into the development nicely.  Or am I missing something?

^Punch,

 

That rendering is old. The street layout has changed and so have the massings. The new layout has not been released to the public.

^Would it more isolate an Eaton campus or more integrate it?

^I'm a little skeptical of the term "Eaton Campus". I think that may have been a phrase that the reporter accidentally used. If it is a campus, then it would probably spill into the rest of the project (think mixed use).

.

 

 

^ Campus does mean more than one building.

 

something is bothering me, when did E&Y move its national headquarters from cleveland to NY?  was it 2000?  was it when the consulting was sold off? 

 

Arthur Anderson, plays games with Enron, then E&Y buys them then sells the huge consulting business to the French and moves its headquarters to NY?  we get left with just a branch?  Why is it every time congress makes a decision Cleveland looses something?  In this instance we lost a huge consulting business to the French...what the heck does Kucinich do in Washington or would that be Tubbs Jones?  What the heck, we allow a knowledge based company to leave in the process of protecting ourselves from our selves?  Then the proceeds end up going to the headquarters of the office that started the whole thing?

 

 

 

When were we going to get E&Y as WW HQ. 

 

I thougth we've always been a regional HQ.  E&Y is starting to grow and they are expanding in several of cities where they have regional offices.  Its not a "Cleveland lost out" situation.

Ernst was born in Cleveland but I'm not sure that the city was ever its national HQ. I thought it was Chicago (before NY)?

 

EDIT: I think oengus1963 is referring to Ernst & Whinney before the Young merger in 1989.