Catching up on a couple of older reports about the Marina District.  This one is from last summer on the two year anniversary of the property's sale from the city to a Chinese investment firm:

 

Neighbors seek answers on Marina District future

2 years have passed since sale to Chinese

BY IGNAZIO MESSINA, BLADE STAFF WRITER

Published: 7/8/2013

 

More than a dozen years and $43 million from taxpayers for cleanup and infrastructure costs had gone into the Marina District when Mayor Mike Bell announced in April, 2011, that the city had a deal to sell much of the land.

 

Dashing Pacific Group Ltd., a Chinese investor-owned firm that had already purchased the nearby Docks restaurant complex, paid $3.8 million for nearly 69 acres of the once-polluted property.

 

Friday marked that sale’s two-year anniversary, and while Mr. Bell and others close to the investors are certain the property will one day become a vibrant development, others are less confident.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/Real-Estate/2013/07/08/Neighbors-seek-answers-on-Marina-District-future.html

 

This report is from November after Mayor Bell was defeated in his re-election bid by D. Michael Collins.  The Mayor-Elect pledged to meet with the Marina District property owners to jump-start the project:

 

13 ABC: Toledo Mayor-Elect to tackle Marina project

And this is from this week.  Mayor Collins had a meeting with local representatives of Dashing Pacific, the Marina District property owners:

 

13 ABC: Collins meets with Marina District Reps

Any updates on the Marina District or is it dead in the water again?

 

Damn that is prime property with a perfect location. SO much could be done there...there just aren't opportunities like this is in many other coastal cities. You've got a ship terminal, marina, close proximity to Downtown, and close proximity to East Toledo's Main Street commercial district (big opportunity to fill those beautiful vacant buildings as spinoff). Other than the misguided demolition of the monstrous Acme Power Plant (at least they left the massive smokestacks as landmarks), the potential is huge to change Toledo's negative ghetto image. This could kickstart the renewed East Toledo I always dreamed of as a kid...

 

Toledo/Lucas County was smart to move its municipal arena downtown (it turned out to be a top notch project), and now there is all this prime waterfront property just sitting there growing weeds like a Texas prairie...

Any updates on the Marina District or is it dead in the water again?

 

This looks like as much of an update we'll get for now.  From http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/24756712/collins-addresses-marina-district-redevelopment

 

"Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins says he's hoping by June of this year he'll have a better idea of Dashing Pacific's intentions, so the city can have enough time to plan for the possibility of exercising a buy-back clause, which allows the city to reacquire the property if development doesn't occur within five years."

^Alright, I'm learning towards dead in the water again. :|

 

There are too many vacant buildings worth saving before doing new construction in Toledo. It could be a very long time until the Marina District is built...

^Alright, I'm learning towards dead in the water again. :|

 

There are too many vacant buildings worth saving before doing new construction in Toledo. It could be a very long time until the Marina District is built...

 

I think you are right...it will be a very long time. There are no nearby neighborhoods with any money - E. Toledo and Manhattan are poor and probably getting poorer. Follow the money - the developers of Levis Commons and Fallen Timbers did, and its at the opposite end of the city. Dashing Pacific bought this for purposes other than developing it. Toledo will need massive infusions of people and capital before something happens in the Marina District.

Well, it's been about six weeks since this article was published.  So maybe we'll get some news about the Marina District?  Or maybe not.

 

Mayor Collins says Dashing Pacific presents proposal in 6 weeks, or else

Written by J. Patrick Eaken, The Press

Monday, April 21, 2014

 

Toledo Mayor Michael Collins said he was told last Thursday that Dashing Pacific Group will present within six weeks an “outline” for the development of the Marina District.  In June 2011, city council voted 12-0 to sell 69 acres of the Marina District property to the Chinese developers for $3.8 million, but the contract stipulates that if there is no vertical development within five years the property reverts back to the city.  Dashing Pacific also owns the nearby Docks restaurant complex in International Park.

 

Collins says he is looking forward to the Chinese company’s plans to develop the site along the Maumee River in East Toledo, but it may be too late.  Later that day, he spoke to a room full of guests at a luncheon hosted by the East Toledo Club at the East Toledo Senior Center in Navarre Park, where he quoted the letter he said went back to the Chinese.

 

MORE: https://www.presspublications.com/from-the-press/13780-mayor-collins-says-dashing-pacific-presents-proposal-in-6-weeks-or-else

Dashing Pacific to sell Marina District property

BLADE STAFF

Published: Thursday, 7/9/2015

 

The Chinese company that bought the Marina District, with promises of developing the riverfront property, has decided to sell it.

 

Toledo Director of Business and Economic Development Matt Sapara confirmed late Wednesday that Dashing Pacific Group informed the city it planned to sell the East Toledo property.  Company officials said if they weren’t able to get a redevelopment plan moving by the July 1, they would list it for sale, Mr. Sapara said.

 

Dashing Pacific bought the 69-acre site along East Toledo’s riverfront in July, 2011, for $3.8 million.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2015/07/09/Dashing-Pacific-to-sell-Marina-District-property.html

^No surprise. I visited Toledo for 4th of July weekend, and the site looked as barren as ever. I really miss the historic power plant and its big, brick smokestacks. :cry: Those would have made such a great centerpiece for the Marina District. It could have been like Toronto's Distillery District or Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Now, it's basically going to be all new build with no connection to the past industry there. That's always harder to make work, but I do think Toledo desires a high-quality, dense development there that meshes with the urban fabric of a Great Lakes industrial city.

 

The restored James M. Schoonmaker and National Museum of the Great Lakes are outstanding. That is the best such museum and ship of any Great Lakes city I've seen. Hopefully the area around them is built up to attract more tourists. Toledo has a really good asset on its hands with that museum. So far, that's just about the only new thing in the Marina District other than weeds and a "road to nowhere." I really hope someone buys this site and builds a great waterfront urban neighborhood. The location is outstanding (waterfront skyline views abound) and East Toledo has great urban bones (though way too many awesome buildings are abandoned). If the historic buildings can be saved and the Marina District can be developed, East Toledo could be awesome.

Anyone local to Toledo have any updates on the Marina District?

 

I got to visit the National Museum of the Great Lakes again on my last visit to the Glass City, and it looked busier, so it looks like that at least is starting to attract people. The ship keeps looking better and better too.

Anyone local to Toledo have any updates on the Marina District?

 

I got to visit the National Museum of the Great Lakes again on my last visit to the Glass City, and it looked busier, so it looks like that at least is starting to attract people. The ship keeps looking better and better too.

 

No Updates. A bike trail connection to the GL Museum from the Craig Bridge Trail is under construction right now (it used to end at the sidewalk). That is unrelated to Dashing Pacific, who isn't going to do anything. In the deal from 2011, the city can buy it back for the same price it sold it for after July 1, 2016 (until July 1, 2017) if there hasn’t been “substantial” development. There will not be any development before then. Dashing Pacific have been trying to sell it. The city will buy it back and then more nothing will happen for awhile until they find someone else to buy it or parts of it.

 

Article from the Blade in June: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2015/07/09/Dashing-Pacific-to-sell-Marina-District-property.html

Anyone local to Toledo have any updates on the Marina District?

 

I got to visit the National Museum of the Great Lakes again on my last visit to the Glass City, and it looked busier, so it looks like that at least is starting to attract people. The ship keeps looking better and better too.

 

A boosterish editorial in the Blade this week argued that COSI-Imagination Station and the Toledo Fireman's Museum should move to the Marina District to create a "Museum District". The editorial also said that a new group of business leaders are arguing for a downtown master plan, which they say would facilitate renovation of Fiberglas Tower, about which there has been zero news lately. I have also seen nothing about plans for the site of the hotel being demolished on Summit Street; not sure there is demand downtown for a third large hotel right now.

If Toledo is going to do a museum district it should be further up Monroe.  Toledo would be better off master planning its urban core as a whole, from the art museum to the waterfront, including adjacent neighborhoods.

^Second that. The big issue Toledo has is that its strongest urban nodes are cut off from each other. It's no longer a contiguous urban core despite historically being one of the best in the Midwest. It was extremely dense at peak.

 

The numerous demolitions in Uptown (including Monroe Street) have left the Old West End as an island of middle class wealth. There is a big hole between Downtown and Old West End that is hurting Toledo's prospects. I think most infill in Toledo should go on Monroe, Jefferson, Madison, and Adams. Historically, Uptown was Toledo's Over-the-Rhine. It had extensive row housing and outstanding East Coast-style urban stock. Probably about 60-70% of the neighborhood has been demolished or burnt down in arson fires at this point. What's crazy is that the original street grid is still intact, even with a lot of brick streets. So it has the infrastructure to be dense and functionally urban again.

 

*Cherry is the other problem area since it cuts off Downtown from the Old North End neighborhoods with the most potential. It's a major barrier that is hurting Vistula and Lagrange. It also should have lots of infill.

 

The Marina District is tougher to develop because it's further away from Downtown. With that said, East Toledo has a lot of potential if Toledo could ever turn its economy around. Main and Starr still have a lot of great historic commercial buildings, and neighborhoods adjacent to them are rich in Victorians (though stripped down at this point), duplexes, triplexes, and a few Columbus-style rows. Any Marina District proposal needs to be well-integrated to the Garfield neighborhood and Main Street.

 

To give an idea of what Toledo's core used to look like:

 

CBD

 

Looking towards Vistula

 

Looking towards the Marina District property (demolished Acme Power Plant in top right corner). It looks like this was always underutilized land throughout Toledo's history:

On June 27th, ProMedica will buy the land from Dashing Pacific. They will then sell it to the Metroparks. :clap:

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2016/06/08/ProMedica-plans-to-buy-much-of-Marina-District-in-East-Toledo.html

That was such prime real estate that i really wished it could of been developed in some kind of grand manner, but urban parkland is also valuable and Im fine with this choice as well.

 

I dont think it will be much of a development catalyst as some of the politicians like the mayor and councilman hope it will be for East Toledo. It will get some downtown residents probably but I cant see it having any major impact on anything. With that said, the East Side deserves an asset like this. They dont have a big park with trails and such.

http://www.13abc.com/content/news/Marina-District-options-shown-to-the-community-394369561.html

 

Marina District options shown to the community

http://www.presspublications.com/18721-70-park-20-mixed-10-cultural-marina-district-framework-moving-forward-again

 

70% park 20% mixed 10% cultural: Marina District framework moving forward again

http://m.wtol.com/toledonewsnow/db/347256/content/XTJ44hFM

 

Plans for new Marina District Metro Park could come in 2017

I am not a fan of this park proposal. With the recent addition of the Middlegrounds Metropark and the existing International Park/Promenade Park on both sides of the Maumee River, this is too much green space in the urban core.

 

There seems to have been a sea change in Toledo's urban core over the last year or two and I think it's worth trying to sell the land to private developers again! Just look at the development momentum across the river right now. Though the loss of the historic Acme Plant is a blow, the site and location of the Marina District is still outstanding, even as barren weeds. Investing public money into a park there could be very short-sighted and wasteful. The views from the Marina District are incredible and the spinoff potential into East Toledo's historic Garfield and Main Street districts is big.

 

Toledo's Marina District is literally a perfect site for large-scale urban infill. It's one of the best opportunities in the entire United States considering how cheap and well-located that land is.

http://www4.toledoblade.com/local/2017/04/26/Toledo-Marina-District-Colony-to-get-150M-in-upgrades.html

 

Toledo Marina District / Colony to get $ 150M in upgrades

Promedica / Developer plan retail, housing

^Ugh, terrible. Too much surface parking, not enough street front buildings, and excessive green space in the urban core. Toledo already has way too much parkland, including massive metroparks that would be state parks in most other metro areas (I think Oak Openings may have even been a state park at one time). While these huge metroparks create a greenbelt around the metro area that limits sprawl, having them in the urban core is a waste of prime real estate. I supported the Middlegrounds Metropark since it was a brownfield, but the Marina District is shovel-ready for large-scale urban infill, not 3-story apartments with too much surface parking and only one or two commercial buildings built in an oversized park. The Marina District should not be a metropark with all that prime waterfront real estate and those amazing views of the skyline and shipping channel. Its location and infrastructure can support much higher levels of development than what is being proposed here.

 

*I would be the first person to support the expansion of Oak Openings in western Lucas County and the restoration of critical Lake Erie marshes east of Oregon (which would also put pressure on Oregon to stop sprawling towards Sandusky along Route 2). Those would be fantastic expansions of Lucas County green space that would also help clean up Lake Erie and help stabilize the endangered plant and animal species around Toledo. But the Metroparks should not do further expansions in the urban core. A smaller park is fine in the Marina District and public access to the water should be maintained, but this tiny housing/commercial development is shooting for the gutter by preserving so much space for another metropark. It is not a good use of existing land and infrastructure with the carrying capacity for high density urban development.

 

In an economically healthy city, this would be large-scale, high-end urban infill.

C-Dawg, I share your exact sentiments on the Marina District. I was personally a fan of Dillins plans for it but that ships sailed. I understand why some people like the idea of a park there as it would be an awesome natural green space for residents there. With that said it's just too prime of land to not develop into something major. If they go with the current plan, it won't have any kind of positive symbiotic effect on the adjacent business corridors or neighborhoods.

 

On the other hand, I'm also not confident a huge urban infill like you and i envision would take off, and I would be afraid it might sit largely vacant for a bit. Downtown Toledo is prospering and progressing nicely but not at such a staggering rate that the energy is flowing into neighboring areas quite yet though. I would also be afraid that it could distract from development efforts in the downtown core which is more crucial in my opinion. It's just kind of a crappy scenario. I kind of wish we could just sit on the land for a little longer til the right idea with the right person to execute it comes along. That won't happen though as our city has a tendency toward short-sightedness sometimes and is dying to just get someone, indeed ANYONE, down there paying the taxes.

Marina District could see 360-unit apartment development

 

A plan to bring 360 market rate apartments to Toledo's Marina District will get a hearing by the city's Architectural Review Committee, next week.

 

The development will be called Gateway Lofts, it's a $45-million Frank Kass project. He's the Columbus-area developer who has shown an interest in the east Toledo site for nearly two decades.

 

More below:

http://www.13abc.com/content/news/Marina-District-could-see-360-unit-apartment-development-450479013.html

 

Meh. I guess it's better than grass but this doesn't look much better/more walkable than the standard apartment complex you'd find in a suburb somewhere.

^Ugh, terrible. Too much surface parking, not enough street front buildings, and excessive green space in the urban core. Toledo already has way too much parkland, including massive metroparks that would be state parks in most other metro areas (I think Oak Openings may have even been a state park at one time). While these huge metroparks create a greenbelt around the metro area that limits sprawl, having them in the urban core is a waste of prime real estate. I supported the Middlegrounds Metropark since it was a brownfield, but the Marina District is shovel-ready for large-scale urban infill, not 3-story apartments with too much surface parking and only one or two commercial buildings built in an oversized park. The Marina District should not be a metropark with all that prime waterfront real estate and those amazing views of the skyline and shipping channel. Its location and infrastructure can support much higher levels of development than what is being proposed here.

 

*I would be the first person to support the expansion of Oak Openings in western Lucas County and the restoration of critical Lake Erie marshes east of Oregon (which would also put pressure on Oregon to stop sprawling towards Sandusky along Route 2). Those would be fantastic expansions of Lucas County green space that would also help clean up Lake Erie and help stabilize the endangered plant and animal species around Toledo. But the Metroparks should not do further expansions in the urban core. A smaller park is fine in the Marina District and public access to the water should be maintained, but this tiny housing/commercial development is shooting for the gutter by preserving so much space for another metropark. It is not a good use of existing land and infrastructure with the carrying capacity for high density urban development.

 

In an economically healthy city, this would be large-scale, high-end urban infill.

 

I agree with most everything here, but only bring this up all these months later to remind you that Toledo is not an economically healthy city. It is improving, but at a rate that is not making up for the past, and not keeping up with the present.

 

I disagree that Toledo is over-parked. The County metroparks are, percapita, outstanding for Lucas County and Toledo. But within the City of Toledo, its parks are generally not well kept, and nor as well used as the county parks. Middlegrounds is well done, using many water management techniques that the city is implementing in other areas, and attracts good crowds. The Marina Metropark (?) will do the same when complete. There is no market to refurbish the many empty buildings standing in downtown Toledo; so there won't be a market yet for new construction on the scale befitting the Marina District. Toledo still has a **long** way to go to revive its downtown before significant new infill will be financially feasible.

I unfortunately agree with you westerninterloper about it being a long time before a big infill project on the east side would be feasible. I think most of the salvagable historic buildings downtown will eventually be restored and brought back to life, but the other side of the river is another story. Theres revitalization happening, but not at a blistering pace that would make a huge Marina District project possible. The plan being put forward is honestly probably quite realistic. Im with CDawg that while another metropark is a nice thing, the whole project feels like a big missed opportunity for a major development. It would be nice if the city just couldve sat on the land for awhile longer, but that definitely doesnt score anybody political points in the city.

I think the park will be good for the Marina District over time. It will increase, at least marginally, the immediate area in East Toledo, stabilize and perhaps increase the value of homes and property in that area. I would prefer a Metropark on that property, and concentrate development on existing city lots in downtown Toledo. The area can't support another commercial and residential node on that property, and won't until downtown is substantially revitalized.

Marina District developer updates council

 

 

The original plans for a Marina District residential and commercial development are being expanded all the way to the corner of Main and Front streets, according to an update given Tuesday to Toledo Council by developer Frank Kass.

 

Mr. Kass, chairman of Continental Real Estate Companies of Columbus, said he has property on East Toledo’s gateway corner under contract. He answered questions at council’s agenda review meeting.

 

More below:

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2017/12/05/Marina-District-developer-updates-council.html

I'd rather have him put more units into the existing footprint and reorganize it so that there are appropriate "streets" and have a more Banks-like or lifestyle center feel, but that doesn't seem to be what's going to happen here.

Developer: Marina District lofts on target for spring groundbreaking

ByDavid Patch | BLADE STAFF WRITER

Published on Feb. 21, 2018 | Updated 10:42 a. m.

 

 

Plans to build a 360-unit residential complex in the Marina District are on schedule for a spring groundbreaking, with final land acquisitions likely to close by March 24, the project’s developer told a Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday.

 

Frank Kass, chairman of Continental Real Estate Co. of Columbus, also said during his presentation at GlasSalon in the Toledo Museum of Art’s Glass Pavilion that Metroparks Toledo’s plan for a new riverfront park on adjoining land is vital to the $50 million investment he expects to make.

 

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/Real-Estate/2018/02/21/Gateway-Lofts-in-Marina-District-on-target-for-mid-spring-groundbreaking-developer-says.html

Updates on the Metroparks Toledo plans at the Marina District:

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http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2018/06/21/Metroparks-Toledo-unveils-plans-for-Marina-District.html

 

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Renderings for the Metroparks Toledo plans at the Marina District:  http://www.toledoblade.com/Editorials/2018/06/26/A-jewel-for-East-Toledo.html

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Metroparks board approved a contract for the first phase of park construction at the Marina District.  Larger pdf version of the above shown Metroparks master plan is also available at the link below:

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http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2018/06/27/Construction-contract-OK-d-for-future-metropark.html

 

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority has taken the first step toward providing up to $45 million in financing for a planned mixed-use development in the Marina District off Front and Main streets:

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http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2018/06/28/Port-Authority-signals-approval-for-Marina-District-development-funding.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/business/development/2019/01/16/metropark-east-toledo-update-funding-phase-future-downtown-river/stories/20190116117

 

Metropark East Toledo update

 

Waterfront plan Phase 1 has $7.9M commitment 

Screenshots of the updated plans. This is going to be a significant improvement over the way that land has been used over the last 50 years, and it'll be done soon. Best news i heard is that a bike lane/path will be constructed down Jefferson street to the riverfront, which will make it super easy for me to get from my house near the Toledo Museum of Art to these parks. 

That looks a billion times better.

The new Metropark will be called "Glass City Metropark", and:

 

"Features will include a sledding hill, a refrigerated skating ribbon, splash and play areas, a riverwalk and other hiking trails, a fishing platform, a grassy outdoor concert knoll with room for 6,000 people, a modern, earth-bermed pavilion with seating for 150 people and standing room for 450 people, as well as a canoe/kayak launch, electricity, and accommodations for food trucks. It will be linked to International Park via a pedestrian bridge over Main Street expected to be built in 2020."

 

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2019/02/20/east-waterfront-park-named-glass-city-metropark/stories/20190220087

Looks like the current riverside drive will be demolished, loved the view going toward the bridge.  Figures theyre gonna tear up the best shape street in all of toledo! 

 

I just hope theres still plenty of fishing access,. I know quite a few inner city fishermen who wont be too happy if they try n restrict hours for them to be out there..  its been pretty lenient the last 12 years

It's a good plan. I hadn't noticed the road, it is too bad that the current drive will be removed, but the park will be better with the road in the back. The amphitheater will be draw, I hope, with one of the best skyline views. I wonder if the high tension power lines that cross there will be removed? The flashing lights diminish the area, imho. Hope the fishers can still use it as they like. 

3 structures are currently under construction, just off main st... one of them is atleast 2 floors, and they are all in the area of the old sports arena

Not the best pic, I'll get some more the next week or so..  

https://www.wtol.com/mobile/article/text/news/marina-district-development-coming-along-in-toledos-east-side/512-f32d7fec-d2b1-48f8-9981-cf2ee2a1fdfe

 

Marina district development coming along in Toledo's East side

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2019/09/25/Get-ready-Work-is-about-to-begin-on-new-Glass-City-Metropark/stories/20190925130

 

Get Ready! Work is about to begin on new Glass City Metrkpark

https://www.toledoblade.com/business/development/2019/09/30/labor-dispute-slows-down-marina-district-gateway-lofts-development/stories/20190930208

 

Labor dispute slows down marina district gateway lofts development