March 17, 20187 yr ^ANOTHER brewery? Are they brewing themselves like GLBC or is it just a bar? No TV's---that's wonderful. I'd support this place. I wish more bars had no TVs.
March 18, 20187 yr ^ANOTHER brewery? Are they brewing themselves like GLBC or is it just a bar? No TV's---that's wonderful. I'd support this place. I wish more bars had no TVs. You might be the only one. That will hurt it, IMO.
March 18, 20187 yr I second Pugu's opinion - TV's are just so distracting when you're trying to have a conversation with somebody.
March 18, 20187 yr ^ANOTHER brewery? Are they brewing themselves like GLBC or is it just a bar? No TV's---that's wonderful. I'd support this place. I wish more bars had no TVs. You might be the only one. That will hurt it, IMO. Was going to say this. Bottlehouse in Lakewood is the same way, essentially a library kind of vibe. But I gotta say there are lots of places with 10 HD TVs showing sportsball. I’m all for others who want to cultivate and differentiate from everyone else.
March 18, 20187 yr ^^ Maybe you folks are right. It was just my first reaction. Not every bar needs a bunch of tv's. (though I don't get what a tv or 2 would hurt)
March 18, 20187 yr ^^ Maybe you folks are right. It was just my first reaction. Not every bar needs a bunch of tv's. (though I don't get what a tv or 2 would hurt) Well, Bottlehouse does have a screen for special occasions, like tribe World Series. They’re not monsters!
March 19, 20187 yr Hello, Urban Ohioans! In some minor development news - I'll be opening a dental practice in the Edge 32 building in September 2018! I'm expanding to a second location from my current office in Seven Hills. The space is going to be beautiful when it's done. Keep yours eyes peeled for some world-class signage coming soon for Ryba Dentistry at Detroit Ave & West 32nd! ;D
March 20, 20187 yr Workers with survey equipment at old Hollywood Video parking lot on Lorain this morning.
March 20, 20187 yr Workers with survey equipment at old Hollywood Video parking lot on Lorain this morning. Cool. That's for this..... In other news, the parcel at the corner of Fulton and Lorain was sold recently. It appears that the controversial McDonalds with double drive-thru will not be built. That's an expensive sale price for 0.7 of an acre... PARCEL ID 007-05-009 OWNERS NAME FRE HOLDINGS II, LLC ADDRESS 3701 LORAIN AVE Transfer Date: 06-DEC-16 Sales Amt $1,175,000 Grantee(s) FRE HOLDINGS II, LLC Grantor(s) OC LORAIN FULTON LP And.... Very interesting! FRE Holdings II was formed only three months ago. The company president is Kate L. Brown, and FRE Holdings II's address is: 2500 METROHEALTH DRIVE TOWER 135A Turns out Kate Brown is also President of the MetroHealth Foundation and Chief Development Officer of the MetroHealth System! I'll bet that a neighborhood clinic is being considered for this location, on the SW corner of Fulton and Lorain. EDIT: what's also interesting is that SSSB Service Company Inc -- the company that created FRE Holdings II -- is a for-profit corporation with a single shareholder. It was incorporated in 2012 as LRSS Service Company Inc but changed its name in 2016 to SSSB. The single shareholder isn't identified, but considering the information above, it probably is MetroHealth, a not-for-profit corporation. So why would a non-profit seek to own and probably develop a property through a for-profit company it created? It incurs more tax burden but may raise funds for the nonprofit. Maybe they get a tax write-off in that case? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 20, 20187 yr Full of eye-rolling comments from county council. Though, I understand concerns about the 25 year loan typing up cash for other projects. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180320/news/155471/county-council-balks-ohio-city-development-loan County council balks at Ohio City development loan A Cuyahoga County Council committee Monday, March 19, delayed approval of an Ohio City development project over the unusually long, 25-year term of a proposed county loan. The Economic Development & Planning Committee action will delay — but may not kill — a $2 million loan to fill a gap in the financing of the controversial $56.9 million Church & State project proposed by a development group led by Hemingway Development at 2850 Detroit Ave. This loan had been before the whole council a week earlier but it was sent back to the economic development committee because two committee members, Nan Baker and committee chairman Jack Schron, had missed the committee meeting that had moved the loan to the whole council. ... "I got 30 emails in half a day," said councilman Michael Houser. "I don't like this project. I don't see the need." ... "I would be apprehensive about calling it mixed use when 90% of it is one particular use and 10% is another," said councilwoman Nan Baker. "Usually when you say mixed use you have maybe two-thirds of one and one-third of another." <snip>
March 20, 20187 yr Would those complaining accept nothing but a better looking parking lot? The development itself is a little bit insulated from the single family homes as it is...I find the opposition in this case odd (but familiar).
March 20, 20187 yr Maybe these councilmen need to see letters from YIMBYs to counter act the NIMBYs. It's too bad that NIMBYs always seem to be more active.
March 20, 20187 yr Maybe these councilmen need to see letters from YIMBYs to counter act the NIMBYs. It's too bad that NIMBYs always seem to be more active. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. Remember not long ago I shared the story about the kid in Hingetown telling me he wished it would remain an undeveloped lot... Said it would be better for the neighborhood that way
March 20, 20187 yr I Just sent mine. Also cc: [email protected] & [email protected] Michael, As a resident of Ohio City (W32nd and Franklin) I wanted to voice my support of this development. I heard about your comment from today’s meeting about how you receive a lot of emails questioning the need for this project. I wanted to let you know that you’re hearing from a very small, but vocal group of people that are set against everything. This is exactly the type of development Cleveland sorely needs and has been lacking for decades. Don’t you want Cleveland (and the county) to grow again? I do, and so do hundreds of my neighbors that didn’t know we had to email council members to show our support. If you don’t encourage developments such as this, young people like myself will continue to leave our region. Please reconsider your position on Church and State. Kind regards,
March 20, 20187 yr I sent an email also.....I will never understand the arrogance of "I don't see need and don't like it" No wonder Millennials see Columbus as a more progressive city. Beyond frustrating
March 20, 20187 yr Wow, I was in a really good mood today until I read that article. In the absence of legal wrongdoing by a business, there is no legal justification for the county council to refuse this application. Indeed, the county needs to be assisting private investment to stop and hopefully reverse its nearly 50 years of population losses. Ohio City is densifying with new population and businesses because people want to be there. That's the documented need. It's as plainly visible as the neighborhood's growing population and property valuations. Lead, follow or get out of the way of it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 20, 20187 yr Sent mine as well... Michael, I hope this correspondence finds you well. As an Ohio City resident who lives within a block of the proposed “Church and State” Project [29th and Franklin], I was distressed to hear about the negative commentary regarding this project. From my time at St. Ignatius High School – ending in 2009 – until now, I have seen the dramatic impact in which development can have on the Near West Community. Gentrification is often viewed as a four-letter word, but to the people in the community, it can sometimes mean a summer job for an inner-city youth, a safe greenspace for the community to enjoy, a place to get exercise, or a place to get ice cream on a summer night. Our neighborhood desperately needs this project – and we need it now. We are teetering on the brink of becoming a destination neighborhood with a reputation to rival any other in the Midwest, but we need projects like this to take us there. Capital investment in the city is absolutely crucial to continue to bring people into the city and to promote mixed-income neighborhoods that allow for cultural, economic, and social unification. I am a 27-year-old young professional who loves his city and neighborhood. I’m imploring you, do not give in to the loud voices of people who are chronic litigants of the Board of Zoning Appeals. Say yes to this project, and continuing our progress forward to revitalizing Ohio City. All the best, Thomas I. Moran, Esq.
March 20, 20187 yr I sent mine as well, as the director of a nonprofit organization interested in the betterment of our community. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 20, 20187 yr I am a Lakewood resident so I have no say so here. But I'm glad that everyone is voicing their opinion. I hope that you are all copying other members of the council particularly those on the ED committee.
March 20, 20187 yr Making sure I'm understanding this...the delay in the loan is due to the proposed 25 year length, not the objections of the residents in the neighborhood?
March 20, 20187 yr I am a Lakewood resident so I have no say so here. But I'm glad that everyone is voicing their opinion. I hope that you are all copying other members of the council particularly those on the ED committee. You are a Cuyahoga County resident. And I suspect you probably visit businesses in the Hingetown neighborhood, correct? If so, you are a stakeholder and have ample reason to share your voice. And for those questioning the need for this development, they should stay tuned for a blog that I'm writing about why there are so many relocations to Cleveland occurring. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 20, 20187 yr This is gaining traction, people aren't happy... @cle_news has 25k Instagram followers and is blasting the decision... https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjsPMglju6/?taken-by=cle_news
March 20, 20187 yr I'd actually be very open to hearing of opposition from stakeholders on the basis of displacement or a similar concern because Cleveland should, in theory, be a city where it's easy to mitigate and outright avoid those negative outcomes. Additionally, I think it's always constructive to keep those risks at the forefront of planning and to be intentional with development. But, from what I've seen, the opposition to this specific project seems to be dominated by first wave gentrifiers opposing later wave gentrification and citing p a r k i n g when, in reality, this project is of a totally normal scale for the vernacular of this location. Saucy's actions in regard to community stewardship also seem to have had an unintended negative impact on how this development is perceived.
March 20, 20187 yr Saucy's actions in regard to community stewardship also seem to have had an unintended negative impact on how this development is perceived. I will never understand why the Sam Allard & Co. crew at Scene are so butthurt by Saucy. That strip now brings in tax revenue to the district, employs over 25 people, and provides additional fitness facilities. I get that people gripe regarding the facade and the fact that Title is a national chain, but come tf on.
March 20, 20187 yr Saucy's actions in regard to community stewardship also seem to have had an unintended negative impact on how this development is perceived. I will never understand why the Sam Allard & Co. crew at Scene are so butthurt by Saucy. That strip now brings in tax revenue to the district, employs over 25 people, and provides additional fitness facilities. I get that people gripe regarding the facade and the fact that Title is a national chain, but come tf on. I meant more about when they spray-painted their logo all over the west side. I think it's just been a general trend of acting in a tone-deaf manner that's turned people off. Regardless of whether or not people think there's merit to the criticism, they've definitely soured the block club's views of any type of development.
March 21, 20187 yr Ohio City Townhouses at Whitman Avenue and West 44th Street from Redhouse Design. Don't know who Harbor Street Partners is.
March 21, 20187 yr Good ideas on the emails to Cuyahoga Council. I sent my displeasure with their decision re: Church & State as well... :-) included [email protected]; cc: [email protected] (President); [email protected]; [email protected] (ward rep) Michael - as a home owner and long time resident in Ohio City (currently reside in [address given in Hingetown]), Church & State is EXACTLY the type of development that needs to occur in Ohio City. The biggest issue we have in Ohio City is safety (not parking) and this is the type of density that is desperately needed to put a lot more eyes and ears on the streets. Lack of safety is what will bring down the neighborhood... not parking or anything else. Cleveland is not in a state of hyper gentrification & Ohio City is nowhere close to being built out. Excluding people to live in a rising neighborhood due to parking concerns is how our precarious progress will stop & we'll continue to be a borderline major city facing more decline. This is one of many like projects that should be built on major thoroughfares like Detroit Ave - it is served by existing public transportation and does not disrupt the fabric of the neighborhood that we all love so much. Public transit is the answer to parking concerns - not creating an enclave for existing residents by preventing more development. We're playing in the minor leagues right now and with the actions of Cuyahoga Council, I fear that other development projects will go elsewhere as it will be too risky to deal with county & city politics like has been for generations now. We will continue to be a borderline major city, or worse, if council does not start thinking bigger. How about encouraging this type of construction & many more projects like it that actually add to the tax rolls. With many more project like Church & State, you'll have all the funding & support needed to beef up public transit to a point where you can plan for growth and not just take reactionary measures of creating more cutbacks. Respectfully yours,
March 21, 20187 yr A little different design. Hopefully the county council won't kill it because they can't see the need.... http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2018/03222018/index.php CONCEPT PLAN Case 18-023 Ohio City Historic District Whitman Avenue and West 44th Street New Construction "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 21, 20187 yr ^Asked this yesterday...did council kill it or are they delaying it to renegotiate the length of the loan?
March 21, 20187 yr A little different design. Hopefully the county council won't kill it because they can't see the need.... http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2018/03222018/index.php CONCEPT PLAN Case 18-023 Ohio City Historic District Whitman Avenue and West 44th Street New Construction Happy to see some designs being introduced that actually seem to have a cohesive intent behind the look. I've been getting pretty exhausted by things like the developments at Randall Rd and W48th/Bridge.
March 21, 20187 yr ^Asked this yesterday...did council kill it or are they delaying it to renegotiate the length of the loan? They did not kill it. The article said they delayed the approval.
March 22, 20187 yr ONE residential unit?? http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/bza/agenda/2018/crr04-02-2018.pdf 9:30 Calendar No. 18-62: 2104 West 25 Street Ward 3 Kerry McCormack 16 Notices United Twenty-Fifth Building, LLC., owner, proposes to add a residential unit to existing commercial, non-residential building in a C4 Local Retail Business District. The owner appeals for relief from the strict application of the following sections of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances: 1. Section 355.04 which states that in a “C” area district the maximum gross floor area of the building used as residential area cannot exceed ½ the lot area. In this case the lot size is 4,671 square feet and the building has four floors with 4,620 square feet on each floor. 2. Section 357.01© which states that rear and side yards are required for all residential buildings in Local Retail Business Districts. 3. Section 357.09(b)(2)© which states that an interior side yard of 8 feet is required and no interior side yard is provided. 4. Section 357.05(a) which states that a side street yard of 5 feet is required and no street yard is provided. 5. Section 357.08(b)(2) which states that a rear yard of 20 feet is required. (Filed March 6, 2018) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 22, 20187 yr That's Ari Maron from MRN, I guess his new residence. Must be nice... http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2018/01252018/index.php
March 22, 20187 yr ^^I think there are renderings up-thread. It's the proposed conversion of the top floor or two of the building with boarded up windows at W25th and Chatham. [freethink beat me to it]
March 26, 20187 yr as a follow-up to all of the discussion about the Church & State project, there's County Council meeting today at 3pm with an opportunity for public comment. The $2m loan resolution & discussion is on the agenda, so I'm going to make an effort to be there at the start of the meeting to voice my support as a resident who lives very close to the project. I know many on this thread have been supportive with their emails, so this would be another great opportunity to speak up. address & agenda: http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/20180326edp.aspx
March 26, 20187 yr as a follow-up to all of the discussion about the Church & State project, there's County Council meeting today at 3pm with an opportunity for public comment. The $2m loan resolution & discussion is on the agenda, so I'm going to make an effort to be there at the start of the meeting to voice my support as a resident who lives very close to the project. I know many on this thread have been supportive with their emails, so this would be another great opportunity to speak up. address & agenda: http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/20180326edp.aspx Thanks. I will share this on social media too. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr Anyone know what, if anything, happened? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr If you click on the Council link presented earlier (http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/20180326edp.aspx), you can see they have already posted the YouTube video. The committee did not have to vote on it, technically, since it was already voted out of committee; however, they did vote to send it back to Council for it to be voted on tomorrow night. Everyone was on board with it, including Councilman Houser, who was initially against it. Sounds like it will be approved tomorrow night and will begin construction within the month or two.
March 27, 20187 yr Excellent. I'd like to think our emails had an impact. ;) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr That's Ari Maron from MRN, I guess his new residence. Must be nice... http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2018/01252018/index.php This is the three floor old furniture store at W25 and Chatham that he's redoing the third floor for his home with a nice penthouse/decks added to the roof of the building. He's trying to get retail, office, and or a restaurant on the first two floors.
March 27, 20187 yr http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180327/news/156216/loan-deal-clears-way-church-amp-state-project-ohio-city
March 27, 20187 yr I love politics.... "(The loan) had some concerns in it," said committee chairman Jack Schron, who had opposed the original loan. "I'm pleased to see it go from a vacant lot to making a contribution to our community." It doesn't matter what is said to politicians. It matters who says it.... Council members also were swayed by comments from David Wondolowski, executive secretary of the Cleveland Building Trades Council, who said that a national building trades health and welfare fund was purchasing a $43 million bond issue created by the federal Government National Mortgage Association as a first mortgage on the project. "We believe this project will be a catalyst for economic development in that area," he said. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr It looks like the loan term was the sticking point for this deal. Everything else was just noise. The shortened term was approved unanimously.
March 27, 20187 yr Spoke with some of the people at Saucy last night, they expect to lose their parking lot by May 1st
March 28, 20187 yr After discussion and modifications - shorter term, lower rate - @CuyahogaCouncil OKs loan for Church and State apartments in Ohio City. via @Karen_farkas https://t.co/q26YNvCAqp "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
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