Street Smart: How to Create a City Within a City

 

 

Cleveland's three largest employers—Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals—sit just shy of East Cleveland, the most bombed-out part of town, where foreclosures and population decline have taken the highest toll. Also clustered around this section of Euclid Avenue, called Greater University Circle, are thriving cultural institutions. Severance Hall is home to the Cleveland Orchestra, arguably the country's best. Then there's the Cleveland Museum of Art, a 1916 Beaux-Arts building with additions by Marcel Breuer and, most recently, Rafael Viñoly. The Cleveland Institute of Art, a college of art and design, will undergo a $5 million expansion to be completed by late 2014.

 

 

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfolio/2012/10/Uptown-Cleveland-Stanley-Saitowitz.asp

 

^That's the second article I have seen on the board recently that states the CIA addition on Euclid will cost $5mil.  That sound kinda low.  Is that the correct figure?

No should be something like 55 million.  I think they left off a 5.

Does anyone know anything about what will be happening, if anything, with the parking lot across from MOCA? I've searched the forums and have only found a dated rendering of an office building.

isn't that supposed to be phase two of uptown?

^yes, that's where Phase 2 is going. Also I heard that the Marons are working on a deal to have at least part of the residential in phase 2 be dorms for CIA

That would be fantastic... Where can I read more information about phase two?

^Actually, based on a recent article in this thread, the development of that corner is more like Phase 3.  Supposedly the next buildings will be behind MOCA (sorta slashing across from Euclid to Mayfield) and another building up Euclid closer to the CIA.

 

There is a rendering of what has been proposed for the corner of Euclid and Ford some where up thread.  That design (while propbably somewhat conceptual) is about 6-7 stories tall.

Welcome to the forum, cwrucrew. This document shows the NW corner of Euclid and Ford as "Phase 2" but this is not the developer's document so it shouldn't be considered as official.....

http://www.funderscollaborative.org/sites/default/files/University%20Hospitals%20Health%20System-%20The%20Anchor%20Institution%20View.pdf

 

More.....

 

 

 

And there's this.....

 

Whether Phase 2 or Phase 3, I just hope we don't have to endure that ugly Euclid/Ford Rd. surface lot for too much longer.  It's the perpetual black eye in the midst of much beauty and progress.

Just met w/ Ari Maron on Friday. The lot on the North side of Euclid is def Phase II. BTW, it's going to be taller than Phase I. Prob about 85 feet.

Just met w/ Ari Maron on Friday. The lot on the North side of Euclid is def Phase II. BTW, it's going to be taller than Phase I. Prob about 85 feet.

 

Density is your destiny!

 

i'm your density

Just met w/ Ari Maron on Friday. The lot on the North side of Euclid is def Phase II. BTW, it's going to be taller than Phase I. Prob about 85 feet.

 

85 feet tall or 85 feet taller?

85 total. Give or take. This wasn't a formal presentation, he was just talking as we walked.

Neighborhood folks, students and visitors (like me) are really taking to Uptown.  There's foot traffic up and down the strip (including to Commodore Place/Univ. Plaza East), at most hours of the day.  The new clothing boutique, Anne van  H, is now open on the south-side plaza (apparently it's been open a few weeks), just up front soon-to-open Accent.  Looks nice... Uptown's a winner in all aspects imho...

^Thanks for that, great to hear!

Accent set to open Oct 29:

 

Side Dish: Beautiful Accent Comes to Uptown

Posted by Elaine Cicora on Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 5:20 PM

 

 

We got a sneak peek last night at Accent, Scott and Brenda Kim's sleek, sophisticated, multicultural restaurant in the new Uptown district near University Circle. Set to open October 29, the 192-seat space is all done up in a palate of black, red, and white, with stunning back-lit walls and ceiling, polished concrete floors, and a centrally located bar and open kitchen anchoring the oval-shaped room.

 

But even more, the restaurant is a dream come true for the Kims, who also own the highly successful Sasa, a Japanese-style izakaya bistro on Shaker Square.

 

Scott Kim says he started talking with developer Ari Maron about the project more than two years ago. "We've know the Maron family for a long time. When they showed me their vision for Uptown, I didn't think twice before signing on. My dream has long been to create a very different kind of dining experience — one where there are multicultural elements on every plate. With its population of professionals, artists, and students, University Circle seems like the perfect spot for that type of dining."

 

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2012/10/12/side-dish-beautiful-accent-comes-to-uptown

One more for Accent and the plaza:

 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

An Uptown Accent

by Laura Taxel

 

I challenge anyone to walk into the Accent, Scott and Brenda Kim's new restaurant in University Circle, and not give a little gasp of amazement, especially after dark. The space is dramatic, ultra contemporary, and unique. The red and black color scheme is sophisticated and intense. Lighting has been used as a design element and after the sun sets the place simply glows. The cumulative effect simply wows the eyes and announce that this is something special.

 

Big windows face a pedestrian friendly plaza. There are plans for a patio equipped with a fireplace. It  promises to be a wonderful gathering place, inside and outside the restaurant, in all seasons. Other restaurants are planned for this urban hub. Accent, opening to the public October 29, is the first, and it will launch Uptown as a true culinary district, much like East 4th Street. Both projects reflect the vision of the Maron family and their development company MRN Ltd. The patriarch Rick and his wife Judy were also at the Accent event, and when were introduced, I  felt compelled to thank him for the way he's investing in and helping to transform this city.

 

http://clevelandmagazine.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-uptown-accent_17.html

Um....Accent is open FYI

 

Though we are officially open October 29th, we wanted to tell our facebook friends, we opened (unofficially) TODAY! We will be open this week Noon-10pm all week! Thank you for your friendship and Welcome to Accent!!!

 

https://www.facebook.com/AccentCleveland

I posted some of this in the Euclid Avenue thread, but Crain’s Business posted a whole Euclid Avenue expose today with stories, photo gallery’s and maps about the transformations taking place along Euclid Avenue.

 

In another story about residential along Euclid, it talks about uptown and mentions that the residential portion is 80% leased!

 

This is even better than I expected and can only mean there should soon be more to come. 

 

Read more here: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20121029/EUCLIDARTICLES/310299979/1262/EUCLIDArticles

 

There’s lots of other stuff that I’m still in the process of exploring here: http://www.crainscleveland.com/section/EUCLIDArticles

 

This is a little late, but thanks KJP! Information like that was exactly what I was looking for.

Had breakfast this morning with a UCI board member where I learned a little more about phase 2. The board member said phase 2 is very much alive and that MRN Ltd is negotiating with UCI (the property owner). However the negotiations are taking longer than they did with phase 1 because, in the board member's words, UCI didn't realize how successful phase 1 would be. UCI expects phase 2 to be as successful. So UCI apparently wants a bigger piece of phase 2 than it asked for from phase 1.

What do you mean by a bigger piece KJP?

Had breakfast this morning with a UCI board member where I learned a little more about phase 2. The board member said phase 2 is very much alive and that MRN Ltd is negotiating with UCI (the property owner). However the negotiations are taking longer than they did with phase 1 because, in the board member's words, UCI didn't realize how successful phase 1 would be. UCI expects phase 2 to be as successful. So UCI apparently wants a bigger piece of phase 2 than it asked for from phase 1.

Alot of people have this thought in their head taht things can't be successful in CLeveland like they are in Chicago or Philly.  Hopefully now that institutions, poloticians and developers have the opportunity to view the success of resent development projects in Cleveland, we can start to get some dollars infused in the city. 

What do you mean by a bigger piece KJP?

 

They want to own a larger part of the end product, or are demanding higher fees on the revenue depending on how they're arranging these things.

^ok but be reasonable.... lets not kill the goose that layed the goleden egg in the process.  There is still much to be done and the risk for the developer never goes away.

What do you mean by a bigger piece KJP?

 

More money.

all good news on this thread!

 

 

 

 

Had breakfast this morning with a UCI board member where I learned a little more about phase 2. The board member said phase 2 is very much alive and that MRN Ltd is negotiating with UCI (the property owner). However the negotiations are taking longer than they did with phase 1 because, in the board member's words, UCI didn't realize how successful phase 1 would be. UCI expects phase 2 to be as successful. So UCI apparently wants a bigger piece of phase 2 than it asked for from phase 1.

Alot of people have this thought in their head taht things can't be successful in CLeveland like they are in Chicago or Philly.  Hopefully now that institutions, poloticians and developers have the opportunity to view the success of resent development projects in Cleveland, we can start to get some dollars infused in the city. 

 

Exactly who are these people?

 

I see a lot of things happening in CLE, that have happened in Hoboken, Weehawken, Downtown Brooklyn, and Philly.  Our problem is, our neighborhood development/redevelopment were slow to the start (we were 5 years behind the aforementioned cities) and the recession hit us harder than Philly.  Now were 10 years behind and still playing catchup, but our city is evolving and for the better.

Really, MTS? Since when I am obligated to "out" people?

Really, MTS? Since when I am obligated to "out" people?

 

Boo, look at post 1324.  That is the post I was referencing.

Had breakfast this morning with a UCI board member where I learned a little more about phase 2. The board member said phase 2 is very much alive and that MRN Ltd is negotiating with UCI (the property owner). However the negotiations are taking longer than they did with phase 1 because, in the board member's words, UCI didn't realize how successful phase 1 would be. UCI expects phase 2 to be as successful. So UCI apparently wants a bigger piece of phase 2 than it asked for from phase 1.

Alot of people have this thought in their head taht things can't be successful in CLeveland like they are in Chicago or Philly.  Hopefully now that institutions, poloticians and developers have the opportunity to view the success of resent development projects in Cleveland, we can start to get some dollars infused in the city. 

 

Exactly who are these people?

 

I see a lot of things happening in CLE, that have happened in Hoboken, Weehawken, Downtown Brooklyn, and Philly.  Our problem is, our neighborhood development/redevelopment were slow to the start (we were 5 years behind the aforementioned cities) and the recession hit us harder than Philly.  Now were 10 years behind and still playing catchup, but our city is evolving and for the better.

 

Slow isn't even the word.  Projects like Uptown, FEB and others have been on the drawing boards for DECADES and, now, are just coming to fruition.  An with  other maddening projects -- like the hole in Public Sq/beefing up the Warehouse Dist, the crappy Lakefront, we're still trapped by inertia -- maddening, because we know what needs to be done, we just can't get out of our way to fix it... I'm grateful upbeat new projects like Uptown are here, but we sure lost a lot of time and, of course, 2008 took the steam out of what could have been had we acted more expeditiously.  But hey, some really good things are coming on line now.  Uptown, esp, has tons of momentum, probably more than  any other neighborhood project in Greater Cleveland right now, in large part because it's building on the tradition of historically the leading cultural district in the nation. Things could be a lot worse.

FYI...per Facebook post, Uptown is down to the final couple apartments proving there is a market in Cleveland for $2,000 per month apartments.

FYI...per Facebook post, Uptown is down to the final couple apartments proving there is a market in Cleveland for $2,000 per month apartments.

 

More apartments please. Thankyouverymuch.

"FYI...per Facebook post, Uptown is down to the final couple apartments proving there is a market in Cleveland for $2,000 per month apartments."

 

BOOM!

 

 

Fantastic news. :)

Well here is the height that everyone was hoping for in phase II:

 

I wish they would go with a different design. Its not that I mind the first phase but Im tired of these mega blocks. Every new development has the same architectural style for the entire block/development. I would prefer a more natural looking development, where each one of those sections had a slightly different facade, making them appear to be different buildings. And to go along with recent discussions, even Crocker Park has more variety!

 

Anyways here are some additional renderings.

 

 

Notice the Bed Bath and Beyond! Ha!

 

 

 

Did I miss something?  Was there an announcement about Phase II going forward?

Whoa, great to see this going to design review!

 

The source of the images, for those interested: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2012/12212012/index.php

WOW.

 

And look at the retail space expansion to the back!

 

Good Lord, that's a lot of gray rectangles. Awesome project, but the design needs work.

Kudos to The Uptown development. Phase 2 already  means success.  Cleveland is on a roll

Politely, CLE has an architectural sameness and blandness... so anything like this is a plus, whether perfect or not.

Wow! love it. the "bed bath and beyond" picture really makes it look huge and futuristic. very cool. this neighborhood is really getting some amazing architecture. way to think out of the box!!

Glad to see phase 2 moving forward. I hope we hear something out of Intesa soon. Having both of those projects under construction at the same would be just a bundle of crazy happiness.

...and why not...hmmmm??

on December 19, 2012 at 7:00 AM, updated December 19, 2012 at 7:06 AM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Count students among the newest denizens of Uptown, a sleek retail-and-residential project lining Euclid Avenue in Cleveland's University Circle.

 

MRN Ltd., the developer behind Uptown, aims to break ground in January for the neighborhood's $21 million second phase. Rising to 85 feet near Ford Drive, the new building will hold ground-floor businesses, 43 traditional apartments and student housing for the Cleveland Institute of Art.

 

MRN expects to buy 1.5 acres from nonprofit group University Circle Inc. and to close its financing deal for the project this week.

 

Dorms are a departure for Uptown, a high-profile development at the core of Cleveland's medical, educational and cultural center. The project's first two apartment buildings, just northeast on Euclid, are 90 percent leased at some of the highest rents in the city. Ari Maron, a partner in family-owned MRN, says he still hopes to build and sell condominiums in the neighborhood as the housing market recovers.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/uptown_project_in_university_c.html#incart_river_default

 

 

Wow, is this going to be record time from official renderings to ground breaking?  Exciting.

 

The dorm component is a bit of a surprise. Hopefully that means CIA is getting close to its own ground breaking.

The dorm component is a bit of a surprise. Hopefully that means CIA is getting close to its own ground breaking.

 

Good point.