Paid 56k for it at a foreclosure sale. Gotta make back that "investment"! 

 

https://cuyahoga.oh.publicsearch.us/doc/168633893

Edited March 25, 20241 yr by GISguy

Proposed renderings of what the future Visible Voice Books in OHC at 4601 Lorain Ave will look like.

Any idea whether this is a move from Tremont or a second location being opened? 

2 hours ago, gpodawund said:

Any idea whether this is a move from Tremont or a second location being opened? 

I spoke to the GM of Proof last night who knows the owner of Visible Voice and he said it's a move. He doesn't know what will go in the current Tremont spot upstairs.

15 minutes ago, Milkshake1 said:

I spoke to the GM of Proof last night who knows the owner of Visible Voice and he said it's a move. He doesn't know what will go in the current Tremont spot upstairs.

The owner of Proof and Visible Voice are the same person. 

3 hours ago, stpats44113 said:

The owner of Proof and Visible Voice are the same person. 

Are they still the same person? Proof is in an Ohio City location now. The GM of Proof referred to the owner of Visible Voice without mentioning he also owned Proof.

 

I'm not saying it's not true, but it's weird he didn't mention the owner of Visible Voice was the same owner as the owner of where he worked. The guy definitely sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

I would have to assume that not many people remember or realize that this building was once a neighborhood movie theater.

That stretch of Lorain is really taking off! I visited Cleveland recently and it already feels so different than it did a couple years ago - I like that so much of the development in this area is local businesses doing historic renovations! I just wish it could connect better to W. 25th, but I'm not sure how that could happen so long as St. Ignatious exists

4 hours ago, Milkshake1 said:

Are they still the same person? Proof is in an Ohio City location now. The GM of Proof referred to the owner of Visible Voice without mentioning he also owned Proof.

 

I'm not saying it's not true, but it's weird he didn't mention the owner of Visible Voice was the same owner as the owner of where he worked. The guy definitely sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

 

Dave Ferrante owns both. 

There’s a several new retail/restaurants set to open soon on Lorain between 45th + 52nd. Modela (clothing) next to Greek Village, a realtor next to Forest city shuffleboard- was hoping for something different for that corner. I passed signage for ‘green wave cafe’ between the Judith and cents in a recently renovated storefront. 
 

Guitar riot/visible voice will fill a big gap once they join. Any timelines on either project? 

On 3/28/2024 at 9:25 AM, downtownjoe said:

Proposed renderings of what the future Visible Voice Books in OHC at 4601 Lorain Ave will look like.

 

Loveeee this - and only a mile from my front door. 

 

Will this be in addition to Tremont or replacing it?

9 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

 

Loveeee this - and only a mile from my front door. 

 

Will this be in addition to Tremont or replacing it?

 

Replacing. Article coming later this weekend.

From this past December:

 

 

 

Ohio City megaproject nearly ready for roll-out
By Ken Prendergast / March 29, 2024

 

As early as next month, plans may go public for a significant mixed-use development on the largest undeveloped site in Cleveland’s booming Ohio City neighborhood. Sources familiar with the project said the release of plans for the development, first confirmed by NEOtrans in October 2023, was delayed as the development team attempted to include a well-known property but will instead move forward without it.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/03/29/ohio-city-megaproject-nearly-ready-for-roll-out/

15 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

Ohio City megaproject nearly ready for roll-out
By Ken Prendergast / March 29, 2024

 

As early as next month, plans may go public for a significant mixed-use development on the largest undeveloped site in Cleveland’s booming Ohio City neighborhood. Sources familiar with the project said the release of plans for the development, first confirmed by NEOtrans in October 2023, was delayed as the development team attempted to include a well-known property but will instead move forward without it.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/03/29/ohio-city-megaproject-nearly-ready-for-roll-out/

 

I know you probably get tired of it but great scoops here (and not to say your other articles don't require work and great intel but!) you can tell a ton of work went into this. 

 

Dropping an afternoon Friday news bomb, catch everyone off-guard, nice! lol

Sounds promising Ken, as long as the name Geis is not involved in the design work. Oh they can build it if it comes to that, just zero involvement with the look. 

 

With the park on one side of the street and a great looking building (with balconies) on the other this should be winner.

Kertesz doesn't work with Geis.

1 hour ago, KJP said:

 

Ohio City megaproject nearly ready for roll-out
By Ken Prendergast / March 29, 2024

 

As early as next month, plans may go public for a significant mixed-use development on the largest undeveloped site in Cleveland’s booming Ohio City neighborhood. Sources familiar with the project said the release of plans for the development, first confirmed by NEOtrans in October 2023, was delayed as the development team attempted to include a well-known property but will instead move forward without it.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/03/29/ohio-city-megaproject-nearly-ready-for-roll-out/

Finallyyyyyyy. Absolutely love it. But My Place Group being involved makes me much less excited than I should be for a project I've wanted for so long. Everyone I know or hear from that rents from them absolutely hates them. People around town have started telling others to avoid their properties when moving to the area. 

Edited March 29, 20241 yr by PlanCleveland

Great news then!

Wonderful news. Not surprising now that the park is in full swing. That certainly must be pushing a lot of development over the finish line. I'm sure a lot of developers would love to be wrapping up projects by 2027 to get those nice juicy rents for properties next to a brand new huge park.

 

I might be more excited about them hopefully renovating W25th like they've proposed. 

well that has been a long long time coming. good news.

 

edit: sasaki is a great choice for planning the lot. i see that name around and looks like they do that a lot, mostly for college campuses, but other things as well like this denver development:

 

https://www.sasaki.com/projects/denargo-market-master-plan-and-public-realm-development/

 

Edited March 31, 20241 yr by mrnyc

Sasaki also did CSU's latest masterplan. 

On 3/28/2024 at 4:25 PM, Milkshake1 said:

Are they still the same person? Proof is in an Ohio City location now. The GM of Proof referred to the owner of Visible Voice without mentioning he also owned Proof.

 

I'm not saying it's not true, but it's weird he didn't mention the owner of Visible Voice was the same owner as the owner of where he worked. The guy definitely sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

I’m 100% positive. He’s a friend of mine. 

On 3/29/2024 at 4:24 PM, KJP said:

 

Ohio City megaproject nearly ready for roll-out
By Ken Prendergast / March 29, 2024

 

As early as next month, plans may go public for a significant mixed-use development on the largest undeveloped site in Cleveland’s booming Ohio City neighborhood. Sources familiar with the project said the release of plans for the development, first confirmed by NEOtrans in October 2023, was delayed as the development team attempted to include a well-known property but will instead move forward without it.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/03/29/ohio-city-megaproject-nearly-ready-for-roll-out/

So Keckan wont sell the restaurant lot unless they also buy the Cinecraft lot, because they use the restaurant parking? Even thought they are going to be building a parking garage?

Make it make sense to me…

2 hours ago, Enginerd said:

So Keckan wont sell the restaurant lot unless they also buy the Cinecraft lot, because they use the restaurant parking? Even thought they are going to be building a parking garage?

Make it make sense to me…

The Cinecraft building will be worth less without the parking provided by the other lot.  So the owner wants to sell as a package, otherwise he's left with a big building and no parking.  The development will eventually have a garage, but it won't be under the control of the Cinecraft owner and may be entirely reserved by the hospital, residential and retail uses on the new site.   Developers likely only want the lot, not the Cinecraft building. 

 

 

On 3/30/2024 at 11:14 PM, KJP said:

Sasaki also did CSU's latest masterplan. 

To add to @KJP ‘s post, Sasaki also did the project planning for Gateway in the early 1990’s, the eventual home of Jacobs Field and Gund Arena. Years later, the firmdid the planning for the highly successful and nationally heralded Health Line that runs down Euclid Avenue from downtown to University Circle sparking billions of dollars of investment. The firm has had a long and very busy history in Cleveland.

Edited April 4, 20241 yr by ArtMasterCLE

 

Ohio City retail defies recent trends
By Ken Prendergast / April 4, 2024

 

This spring, the flowers aren’t the only things blooming in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. So are the new stores and plans for more, including restaurants and cafes. While many new and renovated buildings have opened elsewhere in the city, their ground-floor retail spaces tend to fill with a pre-programmed routine of bank branches, coffee shops, the occasional bar/restaurant, art gallery, or stay empty for a long time.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/04/04/ohio-city-retail-defies-recent-trends/

Great reporting @KJP!  I truly believe Ohio City is a prime example of what we lost sight of during the mall and big box store eras. A sense of distinct  Main Street communities that base their needs with their surroundings.   Walkable communities that can be sustained with a variety of everyday needs  without having to travel for miles to get to.  

Thanks. So I'm watching the Planning Commission meeting this AM. The proposed rezoning for My Place Group's proposed development on Lorain between West 50th and 52nd is getting residential pushback with discussion of the proposed rezoning now approaching one hour. 

5 minutes ago, KJP said:

Thanks. So I'm watching the Planning Commission meeting this AM. The proposed rezoning for My Place Group's proposed development on Lorain between West 50th and 52nd is getting residential pushback with discussion of the proposed rezoning now approaching one hour. 

All of these people so concerned with the traffic should be screaming for the bikeway and the Lorain BRT, right? Right??????

13 minutes ago, KJP said:

Thanks. So I'm watching the Planning Commission meeting this AM. The proposed rezoning for My Place Group's proposed development on Lorain between West 50th and 52nd is getting residential pushback with discussion of the proposed rezoning approaching one hour. 

I see their 45 West project on the CPC agenda, but not 50 West 🧐

2 minutes ago, Enginerd said:

I see their 45 West project on the CPC agenda, but not 50 West 🧐

ok so I started watching at the last minute and they were discussing 45 West at the time. The motion was approved (although Councilman Slife voted no).

 

I would love to hear from @KJP or anyone else a summary of what the issues people had were, though.

Rezoning approved 4-2

Slife had a great comment even though he voted no. As one neighbor who disapproved claimed they don't push back on every project but this one is a complete no-go because height, safety of children, traffic, and parking. Slife essentially called out all of the pushback near west side gets on development and said what everyone is thinking– what kind of development is acceptable to you all? You can't just say nothing should be built here if it's not single family/two family housing. That's not what this area is. I also liked Flukers comment that followed calling out OCI for their ineptness here in staying neutral on opinion. OCI sent a rep who basically said we have allowed the public to comment plenty of times and we don't take any side here.

It's clear to me the problems aren't with height or traffic, these neighbors oppose change they disagree with to the point it becomes an identity. The block clubs are echo chambers. They don't serve the neighborhood any benefit as it relates to commenting on development. OCI should be stronger in pushing the neighborhood forward through fact based thought/input as opposed to letting public input lead conversations. A strong organization is one that allows leaders and subject matter experts to do their things but actively listens to it's constituents to answer to concerns AND helps those leaders/subject matter experts do their jobs with less roadblocks.

Edited April 5, 20241 yr by downtownjoe

There are a whole lot of people in the neighborhood that have opted out of the block club process because of the extreme negativity. 

 

The block clubs are not representative of the whole neighborhood, just the loudest and most opposed.  

I think there probably should have been more of a step down in relationship with the single family homes, one of the worst examples I’ve see recently is station 73 and the townhomes to the north. Station 73 towers over the townhomes and it’s just doesn’t blend well at all. I fear the same may be happening here. 
 

I also think and not say they shouldn’t make exclusions to the rules but it is a bad look if the commission a month ago approved certain zoning laws and now they’re approving a variance to the exact thing the zoning law was trying to avoid and make clearer for developers. 

 

all that said how many times can parking be brought up, there’s plenty of street parking and also just because there’s parking lot for residents of the apartment doesn’t mean everyone will want to pay for a spot, I’ve never seen or lived in a building around here where more than 3/4 of paid parking is taken 

3 minutes ago, BoomerangCleRes said:

I think there probably should have been more of a step down in relationship with the single family homes, one of the worst examples I’ve see recently is station 73 and the townhomes to the north. Station 73 towers over the townhomes and it’s just doesn’t blend well at all. I fear the same may be happening here. 

I take this back there seems to be ample space between the development and the single family homes 

Finally got around to this

 

 

Rezoning recommended for Ohio City project
By Ken Prendergast / April 9, 2024

 

In February 2023, the first of many public meetings were held for a medium-sized development called 45 West proposed by Cleveland-based My Place Group on Lorain Avenue at West 45th Street in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. More than a year later, a rezoning request was recommended by the City Planning Commission to City Council to allow the project to move forward.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/04/09/rezoning-recommended-for-ohio-city-project/

That's really odd looking infill. A horse

designed by committee kind of thing.  Community pushback doing its thing again.

Quote

Next to it is a tiny, two-story, building dating from 1865 that was part of the Nunn Family Funeral Home. It will be repurposed with a 400-square-foot ground-floor retail space.

Were they not allowed to demo that small building? It makes this look really weird with how the new building is wrapping around the house 

19 minutes ago, dwolfi01 said:

Were they not allowed to demo that small building? It makes this look really weird with how the new building is wrapping around the house 

It’s an awesome building they should commended for saving it

2 hours ago, cadmen said:

That's really odd looking infill. A horse

designed by committee kind of thing.  Community pushback doing its thing again.

 

More so, the developer couldn't buy the corner properties. 

I like it.  I think the splitting of the project into three separate buildings was a good move.

Uh oh. https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/04/10/cleveland-firefighters-battle-blaze-ohio-city-funeral-home/

You've got to be kidding me 

1 hour ago, MayDay said:

Uh oh. https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/04/10/cleveland-firefighters-battle-blaze-ohio-city-funeral-home/

Facebook commenters are claiming developers did this to move faster. Goes to show how little they know about the development process in this city. This sucks! Now we’ll have an abandoned burned funeral home and lots that likely won’t be developed for a significant amount of time.

On 3/28/2024 at 6:44 PM, Dblcut3 said:

That stretch of Lorain is really taking off! I visited Cleveland recently and it already feels so different than it did a couple years ago - I like that so much of the development in this area is local businesses doing historic renovations! I just wish it could connect better to W. 25th, but I'm not sure how that could happen so long as St. Ignatious exists

 

I'm biased as an alum - but I think St. Ignatius is a unique touch to that stretch and, in many ways, has been an accelerant to westward development

1 hour ago, YABO713 said:

 

I'm biased as an alum - but I think St. Ignatius is a unique touch to that stretch and, in many ways, has been an accelerant to westward development

Counterpoint: they have gutted dozens of acres of dense urban fabric and replaced it with grass and asphalt

Sorta like Cleveland Clinic gutting their nearby urban fabric in current times?  I was around OC in the early 80s and the 'dozens of acres of dense urban fabric' were not dense. Dilapidated and decaying urban blight is a fairer description  I don't begrudge either institution for their growth and contributions to their neighborhoods.   

13 hours ago, bumsquare said:

Counterpoint: they have gutted dozens of acres of dense urban fabric and replaced it with grass and asphalt

Counter-counterpoint - every inch of that artificial grass is open to the community for public use and houses several:

1. Adult rec leagues,

2. Youth summer programs like Arrupe, providing free childcare in the summer for neighborhood children 

3. Neighborhood activities - last summer I walked my dog around the fence at Kyle Field and a group of immigrants were having what was explained to me as a harvest celebration, with about 40 people. 

 

Additionally, when I was at Ignatius, the structures on those lots were unsafe and, in one case, occupied by a squatter, who the school allowed to live there until his death, despite owning the home from 1994-2007. Ignatius students subsidize the living hell out of Dave's Cosmic Subs, Farkas, Boaz, OCB, and Heck's. 

 

Density is great - and I don't think your point is wholly without merit. But giving neighborhood kids and families access to recreational facilities is also an incredible function.