May 20, 201114 yr If you walk by the completed dorms in person there is clearly way too much siding and it looks cheap. It does not meet the expectations you'd have for a college campus, much less one that's located in a major city's downtown. It's not the end of the world, I'm still excited about all the new housing, but it's kind of a shame the way it turned out. +1 I rate it as an opportunity missed. The building could have been soooooo much better, but it's functionality is still an overall positive. More students living DT will create a more active DT which is something we all want.
May 20, 201114 yr If you walk by the completed dorms in person there is clearly way too much siding and it looks cheap. It does not meet the expectations you'd have for a college campus, much less one that's located in a major city's downtown. It's not the end of the world, I'm still excited about all the new housing, but it's kind of a shame the way it turned out. I think they used that siding because they didn't want the students to get home sick. :-D
May 20, 201114 yr I think they used that siding because using brick was cost prohibitive for the size of the dorms they wanted to build. I do believe the price of brick has gone up dramatically in recent years. So I understand the use of alternative materials. That said, they could have done better than what they went with. I hate siding. I would have preferred a composite board or something along those lines.
May 21, 201114 yr If you walk by the completed dorms in person there is clearly way too much siding and it looks cheap. It does not meet the expectations you'd have for a college campus, much less one that's located in a major city's downtown. It's not the end of the world, I'm still excited about all the new housing, but it's kind of a shame the way it turned out. +1 I rate it as an opportunity missed. The building could have been soooooo much better, but it's functionality is still an overall positive. More students living DT will create a more active DT which is something we all want. Exactly. Didn't mean to sound too pessimistic but I completely agree that its a missed opportunity to create a truly unique dormitory environment.
May 23, 201114 yr I passed the dorms yesterday and from the quick look I got the bricks on the front are starting to cover a good amount of the building on the east side. Its starting to look good from what I saw.
June 1, 201114 yr Article in today's Crains reports that the apartment development on the north side of campus (on Chester) will begin construction in about 60 days (I guess, actually, demolition will begin then). They hope to have the apartments ready by the fall of 2012 (pretty fast) and the project will include a fair amount of retail given there is absolutely none there now...will also include a parking garage and outdoor pool.
June 1, 201114 yr Will the pool be open to the public, or just CSU students and/or residents of the apartments?
June 1, 201114 yr The article did not say...my gut feeling is that it may only be open to residents of the apartments since this is a "semi-private" development, but maybe CSU students will have access.
June 1, 201114 yr Ya know, you could post the article! OK, I'll take care of it...... Cleveland State trustees sign off on $50 million housing deal with private developer By TIMOTHY MAGAW 12:51 pm, June 1, 2011 Cleveland State University trustees have signed off on a deal to allow a private developer to build a $50 million, 308-unit housing complex on the north side of the university's campus. The university will lease 6.8 acres to Polaris Real Estate Equities, a developer in Gates Mills, to build the mixed-use housing complex, known as Campus Village, off Chester Avenue between East 21st and East 24th streets for students and non-students. Officials involved with the project said the idea is to create a neighborhood on university property flush with housing and retail options to further the university's transition into a residential, rather than commuter, campus. READ MORE AT: http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110601/FREE/110609973 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 1, 201114 yr The loft bldg is at 12th and St. Clair. The townhomes are around 15th and Superior, quite a bit closer to this.
June 2, 201114 yr New neighborhood to rise on Cleveland State University campus Published: Thursday, June 02, 2011, 5:55 AM By Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/06/new_neighborhood_to_rise_on_cl.html CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A new neighborhood that includes one of the largest downtown apartment developments built in recent decades will rise at Cleveland State University next year. Campus Village is aimed at CSU faculty, staff and graduate students as well as young professionals. It will include 308 units in nine buildings, a parking garage, outdoor pool, clubhouse, cyber cafe, stores and restaurants on 6.8 acres bordered by Chester and Payne avenues and East 21st and East 24th streets. Three buildings are scheduled to open by August 2012 and the remainder two months later. The $45-million project by Polaris Real Estate Equities of Gates Mills was approved Wednesday by CSU trustees, sealing an innovative partnership. CSU owns the property and will lease it to Polaris, which will develop and manage the project. It will offer one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units in three- and four-story buildings. Polaris officials said Wednesday that rent has not been determined but they told CSU last year that apartments could rent for $850 to $1,550 per month. "The university invests no long-term money in the project and gets a long-term yield from it," said CSU President Ronald Berkman. "It is integrated into the campus while still feeling like a residential village." He expects many tenants will not be associated with the university but will be attracted to the location, across from CSU's recreation center and tennis courts and a short walk from Playhouse Square.
June 2, 201114 yr CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A new neighborhood that includes one of the largest downtown apartment developments built in recent decades will rise at Cleveland State University next year. Jeremy likes this. Looks like the building will come all the way up to Chester with parking in between and behind, which is good. Rental rates will be $850-$1,550, which is good. I also think it's very interesting that this is NOT student housing - it's market rate housing that just happens to be on CSU's campus. Anyone can live here. Didn't think I'd still be reading about a "cyber cafe" in 2011, but whatever... :)
June 2, 201114 yr The loft bldg is at 12th and St. Clair. The townhomes are around 15th and Superior, quite a bit closer to this. Thanks. I remembered they were further east of the condo building, but still proably a bit too far to have a direct impact on the Avenue development
June 2, 201114 yr Why were the townhouses built facing inwards? Huh? Thanks. I remembered they were further east of the condo building, but still proably a bit too far to have a direct impact on the Avenue development I disagree. The townhomes are wedged in a wee bit of a dead zone between Playhouse Square, CSU, the Art District (brain fart as to what its proper name is) and the Financial District. Anything that helps any of surrounding areas helps the Avenue District. I am personally very happy to see some CSU action on Chester.
June 2, 201114 yr Why were the townhouses built facing inwards? Huh? I feel like this should have been facing the other direction and not Rockwell http://tinyurl.com/3gd9wqb Making this the side that fronted Rockwell http://tinyurl.com/3loy54k
June 2, 201114 yr Some guy on Cleveland.com's forum is trying to say this is a bad idea. It is one of several people who somehow think that building residential, retail, and overall development in a prime piece of land is a bad idea. Meanwhile, I am ecstatic! I can walk to new retail daily now! :D
June 2, 201114 yr Why were the townhouses built facing inwards? Huh? I feel like this should have been facing the other direction and not Rockwell http://tinyurl.com/3gd9wqb Making this the side that fronted Rockwell http://tinyurl.com/3loy54k Okay, I see what you mean. I dunno, though, because Rockwell as a whole is just a bunch of back entrances. If they ever get to build the rest, the ones on Superior will actually face Superior, at least according to the old site plan. Perhaps I am a little biased, though, since Rockwell is plowed sooner than E. 14th/15th/Lindazzo in the winter thus making it much easier to get out! We've had to beg them to treat the little streets several times after they turned into a skating rink.
June 3, 201114 yr Will the pool be open to the public, or just CSU students and/or residents of the apartments? If you take just one class each term, you get access to the CSU rec center and the pool. Otherwise just get a yearly membership at the rec center to have pool access. It's $480 a year.
June 3, 201114 yr Are there any architectural renderings of the design? I have gone to Polaris's website and no real information is provided.
June 3, 201114 yr Will the pool be open to the public, or just CSU students and/or residents of the apartments? If you take just one class each term, you get access to the CSU rec center and the pool. Otherwise just get a yearly membership at the rec center to have pool access. It's $480 a year. The CSU rec center, including the pool, is pretty nice. I think some people would be interested in using the outdoor pool in the summer time, though.
June 3, 201114 yr That is a great development! I would love to see the area between I-90 and downtown completely filed in with such developments some day.
June 5, 201114 yr The CSU rec center, including the pool, is pretty nice. I think some people would be interested in using the outdoor pool in the summer time, though. Outdoor pool??? Where is there an outdoor pool at Cleveland State?
June 5, 201114 yr ^none that i am aware of...you will understand the reference if you actually read the thread.
June 7, 201114 yr ^oops, I read the article too quickly. Still, I'm betting the restrictions will be similar to the rec center. Just add in being a resident of the complex gets you access.
June 10, 201114 yr Good to hear more money is being spent on Cleveland State security/ Cleveland State University Police Department gets new headquarters Published: Friday, June 10, 2011, 5:15 AM Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer By Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The building that once housed the former Bakers Local 19, a union once affiliated with the late Teamsters President Jackie Presser, is now home to the Cleveland State University Police Department. The building underwent a $3.1 million upgrade and includes a training room, intake area and a dispatch center that allows employees to view images from more than 900 cameras placed across the campus. The department was housed in the Chester Building Annex for more than 30 years. CSU purchased the union building, on Chester Avenue just west of East 18th Street, in 2004. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/06/cleveland_state_university_pol.html
July 16, 201113 yr The ball is now rolling on acquiring Clean Ohio Revitilization Funds for the demolition of the former Holiday Inn/Viking Hall and the lovely former Kinko's building next door (bastards). The placard is up on the property announcing this.
July 17, 201113 yr The ball is now rolling on acquiring Clean Ohio Revitilization Funds for the demolition of the former Holiday Inn/Viking Hall and the lovely former Kinko's building next door (bastards). The placard is up on the property announcing this. Was the Holiday Inn no longer in business? For some reason I thought it was. Also, was that Viking Hall before and then it became a Holiday Inn? Because I thought that Viking Hall was located further down at 22nd...
July 17, 201113 yr ^The building that is now Viking Hall was previously a Holiday Inn (several years ago).
July 17, 201113 yr And last year it was vacant Haha, wow, I guess I need to pay closer attention. I walked by it probably hundreds of times last school year and never really noticed. I could have sworn that I saw students going in and out, though now that I think about it, it does seem like it was kind of dead around there. I just assumed that was typical of residential life at CSU. Hahaha...
July 17, 201113 yr This is what they're trying to do: http://development.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_development/en-US/CSU_Viking_CORF_Summary071511.pdf I love it!
July 17, 201113 yr Ugh, why must they demolish the former Kinko's building? It's not too hard to rehab it and attach it to the new building.
July 17, 201113 yr And last year it was vacant Haha, wow, I guess I need to pay closer attention. I walked by it probably hundreds of times last school year and never really noticed. I could have sworn that I saw students going in and out, though now that I think about it, it does seem like it was kind of dead around there. I just assumed that was typical of residential life at CSU. Hahaha... And you never noticed that it wasnt a Holiday Inn either...
July 17, 201113 yr Ugh, why must they demolish the former Kinko's building? It's not too hard to rehab it and attach it to the new building. I wouldn't have too big of a problem if they could at least save the facade.
July 17, 201113 yr I agree. Wouldn't it be great if there was a salvage company created that saved historical facades . These could be preserved and sold for future builds.
July 17, 201113 yr And last year it was vacant Haha, wow, I guess I need to pay closer attention. I walked by it probably hundreds of times last school year and never really noticed. I could have sworn that I saw students going in and out, though now that I think about it, it does seem like it was kind of dead around there. I just assumed that was typical of residential life at CSU. Hahaha... And you never noticed that it wasnt a Holiday Inn either... I was confused because there is a hotel further down Euclid at 18th. That's what I was thinking you guys were talking about. I knew that the building at 22nd was NOT currently a hotel.
July 17, 201113 yr I agree. Wouldn't it be great if there was a salvage company created that saved historical facades . These could be preserved and sold for future builds. Or just incorporate it into the new build like Motorcars did with the CH City Hall facade on Mayfield
July 17, 201113 yr Very disappointing. I must say, I think CSU's supposedly new-found urban design awareness has been a bit over-hyped over the past few years.
July 18, 201113 yr If they end up tearing down the old Cooper School of Art building for a "global sustainability center" as planned, they will be the laughing stock of the field.
July 18, 201113 yr ^Ahem, I believe it's the "global sustainable center," which already deserved laughing at for linguistic reasons alone. Looks like they already have a web site too: http://globalsustainablecenter.org/
July 18, 201113 yr A few pics around the city...a few pics of Viking Hall, Heritage Hall, CSU dorms, and University Lofts http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjames0408/
July 18, 201113 yr I agree. Wouldn't it be great if there was a salvage company created that saved historical facades . These could be preserved and sold for future builds. What makes me mad, is that in European cities, saving the facade is always the first thought...not a crazy side proposition. As expected, they value their history way more than America. In March I was walking down a main street in Salamanca, Spain, and they were building a new hotel. They completely gutted/removed the entire building, but kept the face in order to sustain the streetscape and history. If we must destroy, let's at least consider keeping the facade integrated with the new design... Not to mention, how cool would that look!
July 18, 201113 yr Agree with you completely MH as long as it is done well. I recall some horrible facade reclamations done in DC in the 80's.
July 18, 201113 yr The building is about 15,000sf and was built in 1910. The University Architect believes that the buildings facade does not warrant dictating the development of the 2.5 acre lot. He asked the question, "Is it appropriate to design this 2.5 acre site around 60 sf?", the 60sf being the size of the facade. He also mentioned how the interior, sides, and back do not have any architecturally significant features, which I was surprised he said because, although I dont know about the inside, I would be confused if the building had architecturally significant sides on a building that was built to be directly next to another building, even touching. Buildings from that time era never had interesting sides. Should we have torn down 668 for that reason? He did go on and say that they will continue to explore options including salvaging the building and/or facade.
July 18, 201113 yr ^All that sounds very reasonable to me. If it makes sense, they should try and incorporate the facade or save it somehow. But if it would limit the development and cause material alterations to what they determine to be the ideal plan for the site, then take it down.
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