Urban Community School -- right on the line with Detroit-Shoreway's service area

 

 

 

St. Ignatius High breaks ground on DiSanto Hall
By Ken Prendergast / May 31, 2024

 

Shovels hit the soil yesterday at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood in a groundbreaking ceremony for a renovated and expanded academic building to be called DiSanto Hall. The building, when complete in the Fall 2025, is being named for the project’s largest donor Fred DiSanto and his wife Brittan.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/05/31/st-ignatius-high-breaks-ground-on-disanto-hall/

First I've heard of this one. 

 

Ohio City-focused developer readies apartments, rehab near West Side Market

5 minutes ago, Rustbelter said:

First I've heard of this one. 

 

Ohio City-focused developer readies apartments, rehab near West Side Market

 

It was on Landmarks Commission last week.

45 minutes ago, Rustbelter said:

First I've heard of this one. 

 

Ohio City-focused developer readies apartments, rehab near West Side Market

I'm pretty sure the picture they used in the article is from 2008!  That's so bad!  😆

^ more apts attached behind it maybe, but for pete’s sake dont wreck that beautiful, historic building. i hope its landmarked? 🙀

2 hours ago, mrnyc said:

^ more apts attached behind it maybe, but for pete’s sake dont wreck that beautiful, historic building. i hope its landmarked? 🙀

If I recall the presentation at Landmarks correctly, the front part of the building pretty much stays the same, just fixed up.  The architect is Horton and Harper which means it is in good hands.

6 minutes ago, Htsguy said:

If I recall the presentation at Landmarks correctly, the front part of the building pretty much stays the same, just fixed up.  The architect is Horton and Harper which means it is in good hands.

That and SHPO is involved. The "design" looked the same as it is now, essentially but extended further back with the new apartments. Westleigh Harper said SHPO is demanding a lot of things when asked about certain choices by the committee.

 

 

 

 

Interesting development righ next door to St. Emeric Church.

19 hours ago, ragarcia said:

 

 

 

 

Interesting development righ next door to St. Emeric Church.

 

 

Glad to see this one finally get going. I remember reading about it a while ago. Here's more info if you're curious

 

https://thelandcle.org/stories/historic-apartment-renovation-near-irishtown-bend-west-side-market-gets-nod-from-landmarks-commission/

There is a concept called The Red Shed on the Landmarks Commission agenda that looks to be some sort of coffee shop going on West 32nd street near Franklin.  I really like the look of this.

 

5 hours ago, TDi said:

There is a concept called The Red Shed on the Landmarks Commission agenda that looks to be some sort of coffee shop going on West 32nd street near Franklin.  I really like the look of this.

 

 

"Be still my beating heart"... said the remote worker.

 

Holy moly. That is just gorgeous.

 

 

Edited June 4, 20241 yr by ASP1984

17 hours ago, TDi said:

There is a concept called The Red Shed on the Landmarks Commission agenda that looks to be some sort of coffee shop going on West 32nd street near Franklin.  I really like the look of this.

 

Correcting this to help illuminate the approval process:

These are simply concept renderings in order to receive landmarks approval and in turn BZA approval. The building needs to be rezoned from 2 family to commercial before being able to lease. There is no tenant in place or guarantee that it will be any sort of coffee shop. This is simply all conceptual and the tenant can be anyone. 

^ Maaaan

5 hours ago, cadmen said:

^ Maaaan

Just trying to help people understand the approval process in the city. The community especially does not have a sense for how the approval process works and tends to believe that a concept rendering is indicative of a final project design or a potential tenant. For this project, many community members assumed there was a coffee shop going into this location and there was pushback about "not needing another coffee shop" in the neighborhood. This was simply created in order to go through the approval process to change the zoning. The more information people here and the community at large has and understands how "the sausage is made" in the development process, the better off it will be for everyone. 

 

As a general aside as it relates to development: Happy to answer other questions about design choices, surface parking vs. covered vs. underground, etc. Everyone wants the highest designed product out there with the lowest rents possible, but someone has to pay for it, so developer's have to meet the market where it is. 

^ ln this case my frustration is not about the process but in fact my over-reacton to what looks like an absolutely amazing design and a great addition to the neighborhood only to read it's just a concept and not an actual proposal. My fault really, but still, l hate when we see a great design only to find it's not actually a proposal at all. Or worse, it IS a proposal and then begins the watering down process and we end up with a stunted and ugly Bridgeworks building.

 

Ken says don't lose any sleep over it but that's hard to do when we want to see our city move forward with great looking projects. And sure, in the grand scheme of things none of this really matters, we'll all be dead someday. But while we're alive we can dream can't we?

17 hours ago, babysfirstxmas said:

For this project, many community members assumed there was a coffee shop going into this location and there was pushback about "not needing another coffee shop" in the neighborhood.  

 

Not enough coffee shops imo, hard to find a seat some days

1 hour ago, cadmen said:

^ ln this case my frustration is not about the process but in fact my over-reacton to what looks like an absolutely amazing design and a great addition to the neighborhood only to read it's just a concept and not an actual proposal. My fault really, but still, l hate when we see a great design only to find it's not actually a proposal at all. Or worse, it IS a proposal and then begins the watering down process and we end up with a stunted and ugly Bridgeworks building.

 

Ken says don't lose any sleep over it but that's hard to do when we want to see our city move forward with great looking projects. And sure, in the grand scheme of things none of this really matters, we'll all be dead someday. But while we're alive we can dream can't we?

There’s no saying it won’t be a coffee shop. The exterior would look similar to what is proposed. It could be a coffee shop, restaurant, retail, or office. There is no tenant in place. The interior fit out will be dependent on the end user. The exterior will be renovated and should be representative of something similar to what is shown here. 
 

If you know a good coffee shop or tenant who should look at it, forward them the designs!

Where's the entrance?

3 minutes ago, mtnbikefan said:

Where's the entrance?

In the left side of the building but again this is purely for the zoning purposes. The commission mentioned having stairs up the middle of the porch (which would be tough for ADA compliance, also there doesn’t seem to be a enough room at the front of the property for that to happen)

On 6/5/2024 at 10:37 AM, Jax said:

 

Not enough coffee shops imo, hard to find a seat some days

 

For real.

 

Anyone saying "we've got enough coffee shops in our neighborhood" is completely out of touch and probably boring at parties. 

On 9/23/2023 at 12:22 PM, KJP said:

Does this need a new thread?

 

 

Ohio City’s next big apartment project
By Ken Prendergast / September 23, 2023
 

One of Ohio City’s largest development sites is located in this Cleveland neighborhood’s booming Hingetown section. So it was only a matter of time before a large development was proposed for that site at 2828 Clinton Ave., measuring nearly 2 acres. That time is coming next week when the Franklin-Clinton Block Club which includes Hingetown will get a presentation of preliminary plans for the development and offer input on it to the city’s design-review and landmark commissions.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2023/09/23/ohio-citys-next-big-apartment-project/

Has there been any talk of this project recently? I don't think I've heard a peep so far in 2024. 

6 hours ago, PlanCleveland said:

Has there been any talk of this project recently? I don't think I've heard a peep so far in 2024. 

 

Nope, nothing.

Work has started back up on Franklin Yards. All of the windows have been removed from the mansion. 

 

On 6/3/2024 at 10:13 AM, dwolfi01 said:

 

 

Glad to see this one finally get going. I remember reading about it a while ago. Here's more info if you're curious

 

https://thelandcle.org/stories/historic-apartment-renovation-near-irishtown-bend-west-side-market-gets-nod-from-landmarks-commission/

 

Shot of the same development from down the hill. I like how this adds more to the near west skyline.

On 6/15/2024 at 3:11 PM, PlanCleveland said:

Work has started back up on Franklin Yards. All of the windows have been removed from the mansion. 

 

 

I just met with the contractor who is doing the roof work on this structure.  He is doing another project in Northeast Ohio for me, and mentioned he would be moving to my project when this was completed (sometime in early July).  Seems like it might be a pretty quick job.  I am not up in Cleveland to know if roof work on this has started.

 

Anyway, he said the developer does a great job, and does not go cheap on his projects.

Noticed construction/temp lighting up inside multiple floors of Carriage Works/Voss. Not sure how long it’s been there. First I noticed.

Ohio City got two projects funded.....

 

 

 

Cleveland makes prime Ohio City site available
By Ken Prendergast / July 2, 2024

 

For years, the underutilized McCafferty Health Center at 4242 Lorain Ave. in Cleveland’s booming Ohio City neighborhood has been a topic of interest among real estate developers and community leaders. Today, Cleveland city officials announced they will soon be entertaining proposals for the site’s development.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2024/07/02/cleveland-to-make-prime-ohio-city-site-available/

No doubt an improvement is coming to this site but I would rather see market rate here, or at least mixed income. Putting emphasis on affordable housing in one the few areas of Cleveland proper that can potentially demand higher end housing does not seem wise to me. Ohio City may be "booming" relative to other Cleveland neighborhoods but it still has a ways to go compared to marquee neighborhoods in peer cities. Cleveland needs all the market rate development it can get to bring tax dollars and create critical mass in a city that has historically struggled to do so. I suppose between this and the Waterson site development it appears to me that City leaders seem insistent on addressing a "gentrification problem" that is the least of Cleveland's issues. I wouldn't take issue if Ohio City had already reached its potential but it still has a ways to go.

Isn't there enough affordable housing in the city already?  Perhaps it's time to start raising the bar.  Cleveland is one of the poorest cities in the country and has been for quite a while.  How does that change? Maybe the city needs to also focus on attracting more affluent residents to address the imbalance.

 

Edited July 5, 2024Jul 5 by LibertyBlvd

I see no issue with affordable housing here. LIHTC could be very useful in actually getting a project built. I just want to see good urban form and nice ground level uses. 

I don't think that building affordable housing here precludes building market rate elsewhere.  As noted, Ohio City and Detroit Shoreway are "booming", but only by Cleveland standards.  There are still lots of other locations where housing of a variety of pricepoints can be built.

You'd be shocked to know that we are 20,000 units shorts on affordable housing. Its a major concern here, especially compared to other metropolitan areas of similar size. 

58 minutes ago, LibertyBlvd said:

Isn't there enough affordable housing in the city already?  I think it's time to start raising the bar.

Why is the bar deemed "lower" because housing is being provided to people in a city that can't afford a $2,000 750sq ft apartment? They need quality housing as well and Cleveland right now doesn't have that especially at that price point. I feel that people only feel this way because it's in Ohio City instead of Collinwood or Glenville. 

21 minutes ago, zbaris87 said:

You'd be shocked to know that we are 20,000 units shorts on affordable housing. Its a major concern here, especially compared to other metropolitan areas of similar size. 

 

Not sure what that has to due with that particular site? There are plenty of sites throughout the city for this.

 

This is a large site that a lot can be done with but I'm prepared to be disappointed. How about a 10-12 story tower with 25% affordable housing and excess parking to make up for the lost street parking as a result of the Loraine bikeway project? Of course if something like that was proposed I'd expect all the naysayers and NIMBYS to come screaming about height and density, but I think we're at the point where a more aggressive approach can be taken given the rents apartments are demanding on the near west side.

Just now, Rustbelter said:

 

Not sure what that has to due with that particular site? There are plenty of sites throughout the city for this.

 

This is a large site that a lot can be done with but I'm prepared to be disappointed. How about a 10-12 story tower with 25% affordable housing and excess parking to make up for the lost street parking as a result of the Loraine bikeway project? Of course if something like that was proposed I'd expect all the naysayers and NIMBYS to come screaming about height and density, but I think we're at the point where a more aggressive approach can be taken given the rents apartments are demanding on the near west side.

Because people of lower incomes should be able to easily access the same amenities of those with high incomes. The best neighborhoods have a mixture of people, culture and incomes. The vast majority of Lorain will contain Luxury/Market Rate housing, this can be fully affordable, we'll survive. 

^ You're not telling me anything I don't know, I just don't agree this is the time for that type of development at this particular location. I noted in my previous post that I wouldn't be opposed to affordable housing here if Ohio City was further along in its development, and I'm also not opposed to mixed income in its current form. Ideally this could be a lynchpin project like Church & State was for Hingetown IMO.

 

I know Loraine Ave has improved but a handful of hip businesses does not mean it's thriving. It still lacks day-to-day amenities and vitality, along with the tax base and sense of community these will bring with them. Bringing more practical amenities to the area is best accomplished by market rate investment because this is what businesses are looking for when taking assessment of where to open/invest. As of now those theoretical market rate projects have not come to fruition to replace the still numerous run-down and underutilized sites in the immediate area. I'd like to see things like walkable drugstores, banks, groceries, etc sprout up along Loraine so the foundation can be in place for those amenities to exist which can then potentially serve that wide range of incomes.

1 hour ago, Rustbelter said:

 

Not sure what that has to due with that particular site? There are plenty of sites throughout the city for this.

 

This is a large site that a lot can be done with but I'm prepared to be disappointed. How about a 10-12 story tower with 25% affordable housing and excess parking to make up for the lost street parking as a result of the Loraine bikeway project? Of course if something like that was proposed I'd expect all the naysayers and NIMBYS to come screaming about height and density, but I think we're at the point where a more aggressive approach can be taken given the rents apartments are demanding on the near west side.

 

It is ironic that a larger, more inclusive development that would arguably benefit the neighborhood the most would also receive the most backlash. 

I think the problem isn’t with building affordable housing in these neighborhoods but with council putting market rate and low income development at odds with one another. I recall Jenny Spencer specifically saying during the announcement of Waterson that she did not want to see more market rate in Detroit Shoreway. That’s the bigger issue to me - can we address the shortage of both without vilifying our market rate developers?

I think there may be some misunderstanding as what "affordable housing" is, especially in this context. In KJP's article he references "Low Income Housing Tax Credits" and "workforce housing," which if going the LIHTC route would most likely see restrictions at 60% of AMI or below, but sometimes does include a portion of units at 80% of AMI and/or some market rate units. Workforce housing on the other hand generally means units restricted to 80% of AMI; I mostly see workforce deals with 50% of units at 80% AMI with the remaining units at market rate, although different cities/states/programs could define "workforce housing" at different restriction levels.

 

The restrictions are based off HUD's annual income limits for the county where the project is located. For Cuyahoga, the 2024 income limits for a family of 4 are $77,750 to qualify at the 80% AMI level, $48,600 at the 50% AMI level, and $31,200 at the 30% AMI level (so for a single person that'd be between $34,050-$54,450). Cleveland's median household income is $37k (US Census, 2022 ACS), so there's a lot of people who would qualify for these units.

 

To provide better context, below are what monthly rents would be in Cuyahoga by unit size and AMI level:

 

Developing units with these types of rents with residents at or below the 80% AMI level will help Ohio City and the near west side remain a mixed-income community with housing options for everyone. There's enough room to develop both market rate and affordable housing and the city should not pass up a rare opportunity to develop affordable/workforce housing in the community on land they already own.

Edited July 3, 2024Jul 3 by andrew0816

I dont know how to post a tweet on here. But someone from CBRE posted that the old Platform Brewery on Lorain Ave is already under contract to Scared Water Kava Bar.

13 minutes ago, TDi said:

I dont know how to post a tweet on here. But someone from CBRE posted that the old Platform Brewery on Lorain Ave is already under contract to Scared Water Kava Bar.

Booooooo (yay for a vacant storefront being filled though) 

A lot of these episode were filmed in and around Ohio City in 1993 - It was a lot of fun piecing together where these people were, and realizing how much different the surrounding neighborhoods looked back then 

 

 

 

Some good fill in would be better if there were buildings surrounding it already but a good start I guess. These are walk ups, no parking is required, also no windows on the sides are allowed because the building fills the width of the lot 

Those no windows sides are rough.

They of course said they expect other developments to fill in on the sides 

This is great, we could use about 35 more of these, all stacked up next to each other wall to wall.  

 

This type of density is what makes neighborhoods like Over-the-Rhine or Brooklyn so great.  

I love smaller human scale developments like this, especially if they have their own unique look. IMO five of this next to each other create a better built environment than one large development (obviously minus the difference in residential size). 

FYI I was driving by the other day (sorry I couldn't get a pic) of the old Saucy Brew Garden fencing that had a new sign on the fence. All it said was a logo for TurnDev and had this URL on it: https://www.turndev.com/

 

Not sure how new that sign is but I walk to Banana Blossom like at least once every few weeks (delicious Thai food) and this is the first time I saw it. I know there were plans announced a while ago about development here of a pretty sizable apartment project. Not sure if maybe things are still moving with the development. Would be welcoming news to get another empty lot filled sooner rather than later