New vision for tech center

 

Developer plans to sink millions into downtown warehouse site

 

Friday, September 22, 2006

Henry J. Gomez

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

From the outside, it's about what you'd expect from an old warehouse that once housed a lighting factory.

 

 

More at http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/1158913858120020.xml&coll=2

Wow, that rendering is beautiful!  Reminiscent of the new Cavs practice center in Independence!

 

Seriously, though, this is great news.  It sounds like they've got a pretty solid plan ahead for redeveloping the space, but it is contingent on a lot of public investment. 

 

Keep in mind that this massive set of buildings is directly adjacent to the Avenue District.  Softening and upgrading the surrounding blocks would allay some of my concerns over the contrast between new townhomes, big old warehouses, wide avenues, and parking lots.  In particular, on the block along Superior, east of 13th Street.

Hmmm, I was just wondering what was going on inside that building. Now I know!

 

MGD, good point... This could also be an opportunity for reviving "Old Chinatown," Rockwell between 21st and 24th (though the Plain Dealer's enormous surface parking lot at 18th and Rockwell would get in the way). There are some cool old buildings there, mostly vacant now though still in good condition.

You're so right about old Chinatown.  You'd think with all the action going on around there (PD, Tower Press, other lofts, CSU, that the revival would've already begun.  This could really help push that forward.  And maybe someday the PD would be compelled to build a garage with more offices (or housing) on top!

^ Or they might just write a story about how housing and retail startups are creating a Quiet Crisis in surface parking availability.

ha!

You're so right about old Chinatown.  You'd think with all the action going on around there (PD, Tower Press, other lofts, CSU, that the revival would've already begun.  This could really help push that forward.  And maybe someday the PD would be compelled to build a garage with more offices (or housing) on top!

 

I was right there with you until i saw the word "garage".  We don't need another garage downtown....just build the housing from the gound up!

But where will the PD folks park?  I'm talking about building on their parking lot, after all!

Here's a novel idea: They could move into the city and *walk* to work! :eek:

But where will the PD folks park?  I'm talking about building on their parking lot, after all!

 

Here's a novel idea: They could move into the city and *walk* to work! :eek:

 

EXACTLY!  OR they could take public transportation!

I hear you both...truly, I do!  But I can't see the PD developing their parking lot (this is all very hypothetical anyway) without accommodating for the lost spaces on site.  If they can do that in a tight little garage with offices on top, I'd be tickled!  More likely, they'd demo something significant nearby instead.  Perhaps Payne Ave...old chinatown would be better suited as surface parking?

Jump from

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3594.msg148076#msg148076

 

^Good news.  Hopefully, $2.5 mil from the state is enough to make this project go through, even though the developer asked for $5mil. 

 

I did not realize this was going to be right across the street from the Avenue District. Cool.

 

To that point, I especially liked this part of the story from the last article:

and re-facing and upgrading the exterior façade of the existing 150,000 square-foot, five-story building.

 

This would hopefully make the building blend in more to that area of downtown, including the new townhouses of the Avenue District.

 

The developer may have asked for $5 million, but he probably expected less. Whether in labor negotiations or grantwriting (except when I write them!), you always ask for more than you expect to get, but have a plan in case you get more than you anticipated. The $2.5 million gives the developer's project lots of credibility with private lenders.

Found this in my nbox ths morning. Nice notice.

Anyone available? Although I doubt he will say anything that wasn't in the article.

 

 

CAMPUS ADVISORY

 

WHAT: Third Frontier Project Awards Announcement by Gov. Bob Taft

 

WHEN: Friday, December 15, 2006 3:00 p.m.

 

WHERE: Cleveland State University

  Stilwell Hall, Room 130

 

Governor Taft will speak at Cleveland State University as part of announcing more than $166 million in Third Frontier Project Awards.  The Third Frontier Project is the Governor's initiative to expand Ohio's high-tech research capabilities and promote innovation and company formation that will create high-paying jobs for generations to come.

 

Everyone is welcome to attend.

 

 

This likely applies to the potential CSU sensor center as well...exciting!

Does anyone have any idea exactly what is being demolished and what is being renovated?

^I tried to figure it out last night based on the size of the buildings and some crude math, but I didn't even come close.

Nothing has been said about this in a while, but CB Richard Ellis is doing the leasing for the tech center. So this puppy is still active....

 

http://www.cbre.com/USA/US/OH/Cleveland/property/clevelandtechcenter.htm?pageid=0

 

Regarding the demolition/new construction, the above web site notes that:

 

In September - November of 2007, Building 1 is scheduled for demolition to create a pad site for 2008 construction of the new data / technology facility.  The new building will be tied in to the existing telecommunications facility (Buildings 2 and 3 above).  Once Building 1 is demolished, the remaining buildings will be refaced to match the architecture of the new construction.

^Great, so the Rockwell view of the Avenue District townhouses is going to get a whole lot worse (demo and construction) ...before getting yet even worse (if the rendering is anywhere close to accurate).  The demoed portion includes the only old-looking factory portion of the complex.

 

Retaining/bringing jobs to downtown is obviously important, so I'm not really down on this project, but man oh man, this ugly job-rich type of thing would be absolutely perfect on Euclid in Midtown.  I wonder if that sad Midtown technology project on Euclid will ever get a tenant.

I hope this project happens.  It's a good plan for this structure and will ultimately add value to the neighborhood.

 

Besides, it is MUCH BETTER than letting Joe Cimperman & our "leaders" place another homeless shelter or "transitional housing" site there. 

Interesting.. very interesting..

Well, not architecturally.

Good news. Apparently demolition is under way.

It's definitely underway - I just went by it.

of course strange brew just posted in the avenue thread that as of right now this is only going to be a surface lot and the building will come later.... GRRRRRRRRRRRR :whip:

Some pics from yesterday, went for a walk with tlazar39 ... at one point, they knocked off a ginormous piece that partially destroyed the fencing!

 

 

It's frustrating... we take one step forward by filling in the Avenue lot, and about three steps back by leveling this.

wait, WTF!  I thought that they were only tearing down the newer portion.

 

Hi all,

 

DAMN! It wasn't that many years ago that the building was being rehabbed for some kind of tech companies. SIFG! You are right blinker12, lots of steps back. Warm nuzzles and bear hugz to all.

 

Jim S.

 

 

 

Sometimes you have to prune some branches for the tree to blossom..

They're still only knocking over a portion, correct??

The least they could do is keep their construction debris off of the new townhomes!  Those are brand new, and now they have to be cleaned again! 

It's just the little crappy building that was in front of this and the building they are tearing down now.  You won't find many people more in favor of preservation than me... but there wasn't a whole lot worthwhile on that building other than the entryways... and while I think the design of the new tech center leaves a little to be desired.... I have no problem with the overall plans for this site.  And I hear they are beginning with the demolition just to get the project moving forward (even if it means a temporary surface lot... but I know that they are working on a potential tennant and they are hoping that in moving forward with the plans it may speed those negotiations up.

The least they could do is keep their construction debris off of the new townhomes!  Those are brand new, and now they have to be cleaned again! 

 

Please tell me you're joking..

^Why? When a construction/demolition crew comes in, it's not unreasonable to ask that they keep their site clean.

A demolition crew should always water down the debris too keep dust and other contaminants from circulating.  It's a breathability/quality of life issue.  It wouldn't be happy if a demo crew knocked down a structure next to where I live only to cover my home with construction soot (allowing me to breath in particles of god-knows-what). 

I've legitimately seen high rise buildings come down with less disturbance... and i would be PISSED if I lived there.  I talked to my buddy who has one of the townhomes (actually sent him one of those pics) and he said, he just comes home and sees less building... i told him he may want to check his HVAC filter...

It's just the little crappy building that was in front of this and the building they are tearing down now. You won't find many people more in favor of preservation than me... but there wasn't a whole lot worthwhile on that building other than the entryways... and while I think the design of the new tech center leaves a little to be desired.... I have no problem with the overall plans for this site. And I hear they are beginning with the demolition just to get the project moving forward (even if it means a temporary surface lot... but I know that they are working on a potential tennant and they are hoping that in moving forward with the plans it may speed those negotiations up.

 

I agree with McCleveland - preserving older/historic structures is should not be over-looked - but this building likely didn't fall into that category.

 

I will say this: as Paul In Cleveland's photos show, the demolition of this building is dirtying and coming surprisingly close to the now-framed townhouses with both dust and debris. I was there with him when the machine operator knocked a HUGE piece off the building down on the fence/street and surprisingly close to the townhouses.

 

...at least they're knocking it down BEFORE people live in the units immediately opposite it (if I lived there now, I'd be PISSED seeing this happen...or worse, knowing they're doing it while I wasn't there to see how dangerously close to home their stuff is going). :-\

 

Ummm that looks like watering it down to me?

^trust me... from some of those pictures it looks like they are doing an awful, awful job.

even if it means a temporary surface lot...

 

I guess we'll have to wait to see just how "temporary" it turns out to be...

 

I'm really happy the townhouses are selling well, even though the view across Rockwell is going to go from bad to bad.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if this tech project falls apart and the "temporary" surface lot is turned over to residential down the line...

 

 

Ummm that looks like watering it down to me?

 

Any chance you worked on film editing for "Make Me a Supermodel"?

Man that above picture says a 1000 words. You have an open window on the new townhome across the street. That's cloud of dust and debris isn't just going to call for exterior cleaning on the Ave. townhouse, but probably interior as well. That's an old building with a lot of stuff that nobody wants to breathe in: dust, mold, who knows what else..... Somestimes there is no common sense on why ppl tear things down in Cleveland. In this case, they tore something down and did not plan the demolition properly imho.

That is more debris and dust that I have ever seen on a demo job.  The ODH and EPA require that buildings are watered prior to demo and during demo to cut down on dust particles escaping the vicinity of the work area.  In temperatures under 32 degrees, they can get allowance throught the local EPA office by writing a letter to them and recording temperatures every hour.  I am sure they had a visito from Twinsburg today to check this out.  KSTAY2, they are watering down, but doing an awful job at it.  Like I said, I work in this industry, and I have never seen so much dust generated from demolition of this variety.  To ease your mind however, the building had to be abated of all asbestos containg materials greater than 1% prior to demo, so any injestion would be fine particulates, however, probably not asbestos.  Just doing in my mind a messy job. 

Wow....  I don't know what to say about those pictures.  I am one of the future townhome owners in the building under construction, so needless to say, I'm not too happy!  Nice to hear that there "shouldn't" be any remaining asbestos, though.  I actually called CB Ellis and got the phone number of the guy in charge of the site - he said that everything looked kosher on Tuesday when he was up there and that the demolition contractor is very experienced but that he'd look at the photos and check it out.  We'll see if he calls back to tell me anything  :|   

Welcome to UO! That is my favorite username on this board.

Thanks!  And...  I got a call back from the site manager.  He agreed the photos did not look good at all.  The EPA was apparently just there on Wednesday, so the dust shouldn't have been too unhealthy.  He saved the photos to send through the proper channels to make sure this doesn't happen again and that everything is properly cleaned up.  Also - other interesting tidbit of info - the guy commented on the rendering for the new building posted here being very old.  He said the updated design is completely glass and that the facade on buildings 2 and 3 will be changed to match.  Maybe it won't look like such a "bunker" after all!

Well that would be nice.  Hopefully, we will get to see the new renderings soon.

Good work, team!

i love when urban ohio gets shit done. :wink:

Also - other interesting tidbit of info - the guy commented on the rendering for the new building posted here being very old.  He said the updated design is completely glass and that the facade on buildings 2 and 3 will be changed to match.  Maybe it won't look like such a "bunker" after all!

 

Tell the tech center's real estate salespeople to update their marketing tools, namely their website which still shows the old renderings on it (which is where I found the rendering)...

 

http://www.cbre.com/USA/US/OH/Cleveland/property/clevelandtechcenter.htm