Thanks, guv for the shots!  Yeah, it's pretty much a suburban budget hotel look.  The fake wood grain is really amazing...I think I would have preferred a nice alligator skin pattern.  I guess I had already prepared myself mentally for this- didn't the renderings from way back when more or less promise this stuff?

 

The Euclid facade doesn't have any of this siding, does it?

 

Wait a sec, did they not demo the old book store?

They will demo the bookstore and add the remaining dorms when the new student center opens.

^bookstore won't be demoed until the student center is completed and it can move in there.

Ah yes, thanks.

So the choice of materials is not the best, but I am not going to lose any sleep over it. I think that once it is completed and everything is filled in it will be fine. I am just happy about the amount of foot traffic that will increase in that area. On the other hand the one thing I do take away from these pics and from other pics from around the city is the amount of rusted and weed infested chain link fence that we seem to have a monopoly on. Every where you turn there is fence that has not been maintained in 40 years. That's what should upset us in these photos. 

I really don't see the "chain link fence issue" reflected in those photos.  All I see is the fence on Prospect over the inter-belt bridge which is in generally good condition and the temporary consturction fence around the project. 

 

While I don't disagree there is much poorly maintained fencing throughout the city (of course not a big fan of chain link in the first place but it does serve its purpose in regards to security) I don't see this as much different than other American cities, especially in the inner city.

What's with the lack of sidewalk in some of those pictures?

What's with the lack of sidewalk in some of those pictures?

 

I think the lack of the sidewalks is because that is a highway on-ramp.  In the one sign you can see a pedestrians and bicyclists prohibited sign. 

RE: Bookstore Move and Demo

 

The current plan is to have the CSU Bookstore open Tuesday, June 1st in the New Student Center.  The bookstore will only close for the Memorial Day weekend (Saturday through Monday).  Now you know how I will be spending that weekend.

 

Demo on the old store starts June 2nd.  The additional dorms will be ready for August 2011.

Thanks for the details, Bookman!

Maybe they can plant more trees to cover it up! Some evergreens perhaps?

Maybe they can plant more trees to cover it up! Some evergreens perhaps?

 

+1

 

Not enough evergreens in this town, in general.  They do a nice job of mitigating the winter blahs.

 

I was out earlier this evening and took this shot.

I do not know if this has been discussed, etc. but it's certainly good news.

I'm guessing this is the appropriate thread for picture.

It's on the ground floor of the 1900 Euclid Lofts building (to the right of the front doors).

 

^I don't think it has been discussed- good find!  And thanks for the pic.  Seems like this would be a great addition to the growing population in the apartments and dorms, especially with the loss of the Reserve Sq. market.  I wonder how big this will be. 

WHOA -- GREAT FIND!

 

How about perfect timing in the wake of the "Avenue Market" closing on E. 13th.

Holy crap!  How awesome.

Good Stuff!!!

 

I can't figure out how to add Flickr pics on here, so here is the link....

 

EDIT - link deleted, but I'll add pics in the future.

 

Work has started on Jimmy John's at 1938 Euclid Ave.

 

 

^I think this has been addressed, but will this be replacing the Jimmy John's on 300ish block of Euclid or will they both remain open?

No, both will remain open.

WHOA -- GREAT FIND!

 

How about perfect timing in the wake of the "Avenue Market" closing on E. 13th.

 

A coworker just told me about this no more than 5 minutes ago.  Any word on why a grocery store couldn't survive with the expanding downtown population and virtually no competition?

Is there any chance the developers put that in there as a kind of place holder, like "coming soon, future retail" or something like that?

 

WHOA -- GREAT FIND!

 

How about perfect timing in the wake of the "Avenue Market" closing on E. 13th.

 

A coworker just told me about this no more than 5 minutes ago. Any word on why a grocery store couldn't survive with the expanding downtown population and virtually no competition?

 

Because it was somewhat substandard, too isolated and buried inside a concrete bunker on the edge of downtown.

Is there any chance the developers put that in there as a kind of place holder, like "coming soon, future retail" or something like that?

 

 

Yeah good question.  Or maybe it will be a "Soupermarket" and they spelled it wrong.  Seriously, it's funny how much excitement putting a couple vague signs in a window can generate from us.

WHOA -- GREAT FIND!

 

How about perfect timing in the wake of the "Avenue Market" closing on E. 13th.

 

A coworker just told me about this no more than 5 minutes ago. Any word on why a grocery store couldn't survive with the expanding downtown population and virtually no competition?

 

Here's the story from Mar 31st: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/03/grocery_store_at_downtown_clevelands_reserve_square_apartments_is_closing.html

Is there any chance the developers put that in there as a kind of place holder, like "coming soon, future retail" or something like that?

 

Yeah, it looks like a generic sign.  They spell supermarket two different ways ("Super Market and "Supermarket").  I don't think the space there is big enough for it to be that super.

WHOA -- GREAT FIND!

 

How about perfect timing in the wake of the "Avenue Market" closing on E. 13th.

 

A coworker just told me about this no more than 5 minutes ago.  Any word on why a grocery store couldn't survive with the expanding downtown population and virtually no competition?

 

Because it was somewhat substandard, too isolated and buried inside a concrete bunker on the edge of downtown.

 

I know that, but it survived for quite a while.  If it was able to stay in business in the past, why not now?  It's not like there are better options now, and there's more demand for a grocer.

i'm sure purely economic business decision.  Frankly I think if K&D had invested money in upgrading the store instead of expanding it, and leaving it in below average condition, there may have been a different outcome.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Construction could start next year on a $50 million apartment-and-retail project intended to be the first phase of a new neighborhood at Cleveland State University.

 

Cleveland State University is negotiating a ground-lease deal with Polaris Real Estate Equities, a Highland Heights developer, on 6.8 acres along Chester Avenue between East 21st and East 24th streets. Polaris will lease the land, now used for parking and the university's Theater Arts building, and build 275 to 300 market-rate apartments and retail on it. The project is the first phase of CSU's North Campus Neighborhood.

 

read more at:

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/cleveland_state_university_picks_developer_for_50_million_first_phase_of_north_campus_neighborhood.html

Great to hear!

Nice to hear...But again, we are hardly filling many quality retail spaces we already have. Will adding more just shift existing business, cancel out others, or remain empty until someone leases the space....

More residents in my hood!  Yeyah!

^ I was kind of thinking the same thing.  I hope the retail is no more than a dry cleaner,  laundry mat, convenience store (ok I'll take that), and maybe a bookstore, bar, or coffee shop.  I too fear oversaturation until we keep filling in population.

 

I like how CSU is aggressively expanding it's residental options.  Overall, good for the university and great for the city.  This side of downtown will be the fastest growing section since what...1920 rates?

^ I was kind of thinking the same thing. I hope the retail is no more than a dry cleaner, laundry mat, convenience store (ok I'll take that), and maybe a bookstore, bar, or coffee shop. I too fear oversaturation until we keep filling in population.

 

I like how CSU is aggressively expanding it's residental options. Overall, good for the university and great for the city. This side of downtown will be the fastest growing section since what...1920 rates?

 

Or is it that downtown residents and downtown commuters (estimated at over 100,000/day) do not patronize downtown establishments. 

^ I was kind of thinking the same thing. I hope the retail is no more than a dry cleaner, laundry mat, convenience store (ok I'll take that), and maybe a bookstore, bar, or coffee shop. I too fear oversaturation until we keep filling in population.

 

I like how CSU is aggressively expanding it's residental options. Overall, good for the university and great for the city. This side of downtown will be the fastest growing section since what...1920 rates?

 

Or is it that downtown residents and downtown commuters (estimated at over 100,000/day) do not patronize downtown establishments. 

This project makes me a little nervous. They are going for market rate tenants. There are a lot of market rate options in much livier parts of downtown. I'd rather that they add more undergrad housing before going market rate. I wish that CSU would continue to focus more on the residential areas around between Euclid and Prospect before going north of Chester. I just don't think there is enough critical mass to move north of Chester at this point.

This project makes me a little nervous. They are going for market rate tenants. There are a lot of market rate options in much livier parts of downtown. I'd rather that they add more undergrad housing before going market rate. I wish that CSU would continue to focus more on the residential areas around between Euclid and Prospect before going north of Chester. I just don't think there is enough critical mass to move north of Chester at this point.

 

I like the fact that they are thinking outside the box and not just marketing the area to college students.  To me just saying "college" students would scare off those who might want to move downtown and be in an area that is affordable, young, hip and upcoming.  This is a great opportunity to build a neighborhood from ground up that not just serves CSU but the community at large.

 

The "livier" parts of downtown didn't just become livlier overnight.  We've all discussed how the city needs more studio and one bedroom units, this is an opportunity to put them in a place with tons of growth potential.  An area with good transportation and centrally located to the CBD, NCH and AsiaTown.

 

I just hope they market the development and the are properly. As this could bridge the area of eastern downtown and the arts/loft district as everyday

I agree with everything MTS just said.  With the unconscionable increase in tuition rates all over the country along with the current depression (not recession, not contraction, DEPRESSION) we're in, schools like CSU are surely seeing a huge boom in student applicants, many of whom are seeking a more conventional university life i.e. non-commuter. 

 

Universities like Georgetown, NYU, Vanderbilt and Duke are all well over $50,000/year for undergrads, and lord knows what cost of living expenses are.  Those numbers are just baffling, especially in an economy where jobs are scarce and a college degree just doesn't cut it by itself unless you're in some kind of specialized field.  In a sense, this a good thing because higher caliber students will want to attend less expensive schools like CSU, which in turn will increase the reputation of teh school and become even more attractive to high quality students, professors and investors.  And with projects like this, students who still want to have a somewhat conventional college experience - dorms, frats, parties, fun, lifelong friendships, diplomas -will now have extra incentive to go to these local schools, thereby pouring money into the local communities.

 

Of course, everything I said here is pretty obvious but it's still all goooood.  How the heck can cleveland.com posters be afraid of this project?

^ I was kind of thinking the same thing.  I hope the retail is no more than a dry cleaner,  laundry mat, convenience store (ok I'll take that), and maybe a bookstore, bar, or coffee shop.  I too fear oversaturation until we keep filling in population.

 

I like how CSU is aggressively expanding it's residental options.  Overall, good for the university and great for the city.  This side of downtown will be the fastest growing section since what...1920 rates?

Isn't that what people said about east fourth?  We see that it's enhance downtown not saturated downtown.

 

If we dont start to build something we'll fall further behind.

I was out and about today all over the CSU campus....

 

1.  Once the Corlett Building, now... A patch of grass.  Well, at least it's not a surface lot.  :|  I know... it's temporary, it's for the farmers market, and they would like to put the arts center here... but still kind of depressing.

 

2.  One of my most pleasant surprises of the day.  It took me a while to notice, but they have replaced the worlds ugliest streetlights campus wide with something that looks significantly better imho.

That's a good point TBideon brought up, is there any planning for frat houses or a frat row in these developments? Im a CSU alumni, so i know that a few frats do exist,however it seems in the past few years the 2-3 frat houses that did exist across the highway seem to have all been replaced or are for sale?

Some updates on the Student Center...

Funny...I actually liked it better when it was "more" under construction.  I didn't realize the color scheme was so gray and ?? ...

A quick update of the completion of the first phase of collegetown.  I really like the balconies off the back of the building, nice amenity that not many places downtown have.  There was a sign in the building that read "Now Leasing, Part Metro - Part Retro.

 

Also, regarding the last picture... I'd like to personally thank the guys at brothers printing for getting this project done.  Now I'd like to personally ask them to at least get a power washer to their other building... You can also see the Morse Graphics/ Allegro building in full swing.

Quick update on the dorms... One thing I like that I didn't notice before is the pedestrian connection that filters out by the Parker Hannifan Center.  CSU is becoming decidely more pedestrian friendly with a lot more detail being paid to connecting spaces.  Also, looks like the Euclid side of the dorms will be primarily if not all brick.

Ok... so here's the deal.  I went to go check out the College of Education Building and take a few pics... but I ended up being really impressed and ended up taking over 20.  Since it appears the building is about ready to open this is a pretty comprehensive look at a relatively finished product (though I am a little angry, that after I circled around back I noticed they had removed all the fencing in the front... if I had waited about 15 minutes this would have been much easier)...

 

I like this building so much more than how I originally thought it would turn out based off the renderings.  I love the use of different materials, finishes, and colors on the exterior.  I also found that there is some outstanding shadow play created.  And i think there was a lot of attention paid to the pedestrian connections and the education buildings interaction with other campus buildings.  I can't wait to see once the plaza between the PE building and the Education building is fully integrated, along with what they are going to do with the area in front of the mather mansion.  At any rate, for a building that was billed as "a complementary building" unlike the student center... well, personally, I find this to be a significantly better addition to the neighborhood.  Anyways, here's my clockwise walkabout:

continued...

Nice..  I agree with the power washer part. Its not that difficult and makes things look a lot nicer in the interim.

So it was this mornings news of the ground lease to start varsity village that sent me on my little photo spree... well that, and the fact that it was beautfiul outside and I wanted to take a hike around town.

 

At any rate, these are just some photos of the project area.  The first building is the arts building on the eastern edge that will likely be demolished if they can finish the deal for the middough building in time.  The 2nd of course is the Doan Electric Building.  This one presents a much larger problem since it is fact a historic building.  The problem of course is that it really only fronts 22nd, with large parking lots on Chester and Payne. So most of the visibility of the building would be lost if development took place around it.  That being said, I hope at the very least they have the developer present one proposal for complete new building.  And one in which they incorporate the Doan Building and build around it.  Shouldn't we at least see what they can come up with and how much it might cost before bulldozing history?

 

At any rate, the last photo should show you some context about what this really means... building something where there is currently absolutely nothing.

 

 

So what is the history of the Doan Electric building?  It housed offices for an old electric company?  When was it built and what have some of its other uses been?