^I don't think anything related to the Avenue District will come close to Euclid Avenue.  The current proposal is on Superior and wouldn't displace anything.

 

In case anyone missed it, the apartment plan won CPC conceptual approval: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/avenue_district_apartment_prop.html

 

I assume it still needs to go through design review, though.

^I don't think anything related to the Avenue District will come close to Euclid Avenue.  The current proposal is on Superior and wouldn't displace anything.

 

In case anyone missed it, the apartment plan won CPC conceptual approval: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/avenue_district_apartment_prop.html

 

I assume it still needs to go through design review, though.

 

It went through design review on Thursday. I know they'll have to go back again, but I think they got conceptual approval.

 

It went through design review on Thursday. I know they'll have to go back again, but I think they got conceptual approval.

 

Correct.

My post mentioning Euclid Avenue was a response to the individual who posted he would rather see the new apartments go up on Euclid than on Superior.  No, I never meant to imply The Avenue went all the way to Euclid....

Weston? Weston seems to be making some major plays to position itself as the dominant real estate influence downtown....

 

Weston soon could own last of Avenue District assets

By STAN BULLARD

July 24, 2014 9:33 AM

 

Weston Inc., the Warrensville Heights-based real estate owner and developer, is a judge’s decision and signature away from adding two parking lots to its plethora of recent property purchases in downtown Cleveland.

 

Judge John O’Donnell said at a Wednesday, July 23 hearing in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court that he will rule within a week on a proposal to sell Weston the parcels for $1 million. The proposed judgment also requires Weston to pay more than $700,000 in unpaid property taxes on the sites.

 

The parking lots are, respectively, on the southeast corner of East 12th Street and St. Clair and the northwest corner of East 13th Street and St. Clair.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20140724/SUB1/140729902

So Weston Inc. will own about 1/2 of downtown Cleveland.

Weston seems to be snapping up real estate all over downtown (it looks primarily because they are getting great deals) and now will own a good share of the surface lots downtown.  However, to date, for whatever reasons (probably many not of their own making) they have not pulled the actual development triggers even though it is constantly hinted that they are working on something.

 

Are they becoming over extended downtown?  They own or will own property on Prospect (and trying to buy the neighboring property with no luck), surface lots in WHD, Marion Building, Standard Building and now Avenue District lots.  I would like to see they focus on one project and get it done rather than keeping buying fire sale properties and teasing us with possibilities.

Weston seems to be snapping up real estate all over downtown (it looks primarily because they are getting great deals) and now will own a good share of the surface lots downtown.  However, to date, for whatever reasons (probably many not of their own making) they have not pulled the actual development triggers even though it is constantly hinted that they are working on something.

 

Are they becoming over extended downtown?  They own or will own property on Prospect (and trying to buy the neighboring property with no luck), surface lots in WHD, Marion Building, Standard Building and now Avenue District lots.  I would like to see they focus on one project and get it done rather than keeping buying fire sale properties and teasing us with possibilities.

 

I dont see anything wrong with buying the properties, it's takes time and GOOD execution to buy, plan, construct/restore, market and occupy a building.  Why just do one?  If they purchase a few they can plan according to their company's mission.  Is there any evidence that they cannot build/redevelop more than one property at a time?

Weston is not whatever the equivalent term for "domain squatter" is in real estate.  They are just very much in the business of maximizing opportunity/profit and won't move solely on speculation.  That is how it was explained to me by someone high up on the food chain with them.

Weston seems to be snapping up real estate all over downtown (it looks primarily because they are getting great deals) and now will own a good share of the surface lots downtown.  However, to date, for whatever reasons (probably many not of their own making) they have not pulled the actual development triggers even though it is constantly hinted that they are working on something.

 

Are they becoming over extended downtown?  They own or will own property on Prospect (and trying to buy the neighboring property with no luck), surface lots in WHD, Marion Building, Standard Building and now Avenue District lots.  I would like to see they focus on one project and get it done rather than keeping buying fire sale properties and teasing us with possibilities.

 

totally agreed, but on the bright side, the buying and selling of properties indicates a healthy market and gets a lot of notice. there can be very positive side effects of that in and of itself, such as the ability to get redevelopment loans from banks and investors.

True. You don't buy up lots of property unless you see opportunity. If you don't see opportunity, you sell and reduce your exposure.

Honest question, how many parking lots do they own compared to buildings?

Honest question, how many parking lots do they own compared to buildings?

 

You mean parcels with buildings on them vs parcels with parking lots on them?

 

You can get your answer from this resource: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/gis/cpc/basemap.jsp?command=larger

Or use this http://fiscalofficer.cuyahogacounty.us/auditorapps/real-property/repi/default.asp But not all properties are owned by "weston" but by companies created by Weston.

Honest question, how many parking lots do they own compared to buildings?

 

Off the top of my head - I can only think of the Marion and Standard buildings (only re downtown).

Off the top of my head - I can only think of the Marion and Standard buildings (only re downtown).

 

They also own a four-story building at 300 Prospect Avenue which had Family Sportswear on the ground floor.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20130225/SUB1/302259983/weston-is-keen-on-prospects-for-downtown-development

^ Good call.

Honest question, how many parking lots do they own compared to buildings?

 

This article mentions a few more -- including a county warehouse/supply office at 1801 St. Clair Ave. and the auto title building at 1261 Superior Ave......

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/08/weston_emerges_as_potential_bu.html

 

Hey, I just realized. You know what's in the same neighborhood as 1801 St. Clair and 1261 Superior? The two properties they're acquiring along St. Clair (at SE corner of 12th and NW corner of 13th)!

 

EDIT: I randomly checked other properties in the East 12th-East 18th areas north of Chester with the expectation I might find more Weston properties -- or perhaps owned by companies connected to Weston. I didn't find that. What I did find is that some properties were bought by investors or real estate companies I've never heard of before. Granted I didn't click on all of the properties as there are many small parcels in this area just east of the CBD. And that's probably what makes this area so intriguing to smaller investors -- just west of East 12/13 is the downtown "wall" of tall buildings that falls off to lots of short buildings and parking lots. It's a suddenly very undeveloped area. In the early-1990s, the Kassouf family tried to develop the area to the north of here. Mayor White hated Kassouf and the reverse was true, too. White tried to get Kassouf to sell to Forest City, run by his political godfather Sam Miller, which had a massive development planned north-south along an extension of the Waterfront Line as a downtown loop routed via East 17th. I remember seeing the plans at a meeting of the Cleveland Planning Commission in November 1996. But downtown development stalled after the mid-1990s and didn't kick back into gear again until about five years ago.

 

So I'm wondering if this area is starting to get some interest by real estate investors/developers again, after having sat dormant for so long. It would take a developer with the wherewithal of Weston to make this happen. But something tells me they're going to target the Warehouse District first.

Are you referring to the Davenport bluffs project KJP?  I remember that project as one of the first proposed developments that sparked my interest in Urban Development.

Are you referring to the Davenport bluffs project KJP?  I remember that project as one of the first proposed developments that sparked my interest in Urban Development.

 

Yes I am! Do you remember how Davenport Bluffs was designed? A bunch of suburban-style hotels and condo buildings, each about 2-5 stories tall with gabled roofs and surrounded by big parking lots. It was pretty bad.

Are you referring to the Davenport bluffs project KJP?  I remember that project as one of the first proposed developments that sparked my interest in Urban Development.

 

Yes I am! Do you remember how Davenport Bluffs was designed? A bunch of suburban-style hotels and condo buildings, each about 2-5 stories tall with gabled roofs and surrounded by big parking lots. It was pretty bad.

 

It seems like the WKYC building and the FBI building decided to go that route!

 

I have been waiting and waiting for the Avenue district to creep just a bit more northeastward. Lakeside Avenue from East 12 to the inner belt has so much potential. There are definitely a lot of buildings that have loft conversion written all over them (with amazing lake views). And of course connections to the WFL (hopefully made into a loop back into downtown) would be right there as well.

 

As CSU creeps north and East 9th conversions to residential keep building out, we should see this momentum in the Avenue District and hopefully make it all the way up to Lakeside.

Are you referring to the Davenport bluffs project KJP?  I remember that project as one of the first proposed developments that sparked my interest in Urban Development.

 

Yes I am! Do you remember how Davenport Bluffs was designed? A bunch of suburban-style hotels and condo buildings, each about 2-5 stories tall with gabled roofs and surrounded by big parking lots. It was pretty bad.

I vaguely rememeer that.  Very little height like you said.  It was coming off the heels of alot of development around Cleveland, and the inception of the waterfront line which really had me intrested.  But like you said, it was the begining of the end of major projects around Cleveland.  Little did we know at that time, politics were becoming very "corrupt" , and we were heading into some quiet years around Cleveland. 

I think the worst development "proposal" for the Davenport Bluffs area, including a suburban style, gable-roofed Microtel (or some similar crap hotel brand) came from Kassouf when he was trying extract as much value for his land from the GSA when they were planning the FBI HQ.  I don't think it was ever a bona fide proposal though, just posturing, but he did bring it through design review.

I think before The Avenues planners get too excited about Lakeside they should concentrate on what they originally set out to do - build up the lots on Superior Avenue and then along East 12th.

 

So this is not fresh news but it looks like the Avenue District parcels have formally transferred to [subsidiaries of] Weston.

 

On September 12, 2014, 102-06-047 and 102-06-004 transferred to ST. CLAIR PARKING LOTS, LLC for $1,000,000.

 

This transfer price is consistent with the Crain's article from July.

Well this is probably just speculative, but maybe something is going on. Never know.

 

*Property Highlights:

Brand new construction to include multiple retail opportunities

Approximately 0.88 acres of land located at the intersection of E. 12th St. & St. Clair Ave.

 

http://www.passovgroup.com/listings/cleveland-one-cleveland-center-land/

That area is probably the least expensive to develop downtown as the land values are less than the nuCLEus parking lot, the Jacobs lot on Public Square or the Warehouse District lots. Something with quite a bit less scale and risk can be built in these lots.

^ Agreed. I hope someone also develops that smaller strip of land north of the One Cleveland Center garage, and south of St. Clair.

Very nice, though I'd sooner rather see that parking lot across the street developed!

Here's a site plan from 2006 when Zaremba won the option to buy and build on the city-owned parking lots in this area. Note this map is turned 90 degrees, so left is north and the site in question is just above the word "Avenue" and has a proposed building with an L-shaped footprint on it:

 

Very nice, though I'd sooner rather see that parking lot across the street developed!

 

That's one of the two Weston properties in the Avenue District that they bought last year. They bought it under the name St. Clair Parkings Lots LLC. The Weston purchase is referenced in an article I posted earlier on this page.

 

Optima, aka Chaim Schochet, owns the grassy lot at the SW corner of East 12th and St. Clair along with the entire One Cleveland Center tower and parking deck. Wonder if he's developing it or leasing it to someone else who will develop it. Something tells me the latter. But he may also be putting the money he earned from the Huntington/925 Euclid sale to good use locally.

Speaking of Zaremba, anyone see any signs of this. Construction was to begin this summer.

 

Zaremba plans 108-unit apartment project

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/zaremba_plans_108-unit_apartme.html

Speaking of Zaremba, anyone see any signs of this. Construction was to begin this summer.

 

Zaremba plans 108-unit apartment project

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/zaremba_plans_108-unit_apartme.html

 

During a drive around town yesterday between raindrops, I've noticed there's quite a few projects out there that are in wait-and-see mode. It's not like there isn't a lot of construction going on. The first thing that friends from out of town have noticed is how much construction is going on. I also remember last year the article about how Cleveland ranked 8th or 9th in the nation in construction jobs. Perhaps there aren't enough construction workers going around or there's a lag in hiring with pay rising faster than rents? I don't know if this is THE factor but it might be a contributing factor.

Last time I saw a street proposed to be vacated, I stumbled upon properties next to those streets being acquired by Andrew Brickman for his Duck Island development. It is a pretty big deal to for a city to vacate its control of a public right of way, and a city doesn't do it just because it feels like it. A city vacates a street at the request of another party, and usually for a real estate development by someone with a reputation of delivering projects. So I wonder what this is for??

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2015/08212015/index.php

 

City Planning Commission

Agenda for August 21, 2015

 

MANDATORY REFERRALS

Resolution No. 884-15(Ward 3/Councilmember Cimperman): Declaring the intent to vacate a portion of East 13th Street.

^ Might be that little piece of East 13th south of Carnegie - it dead ends into I-90.

^ Might be that little piece of East 13th south of Carnegie - it dead ends into I-90.

 

Could be. There's also an alley between Carnegie and Sumner labeled "East 13th Street." I clicked on some properties along 13th on both sides of Carnegie but nothing stood out for me. Guess we'll have to wait for more information to know for sure.

So, I don't think that this would be a part of E. 13th near the Avenue District.  They changed the ward coverage a couple years back such that Cimperman was not the councilman for that area anymore by just a couple blocks.

^ Might be that little piece of East 13th south of Carnegie - it dead ends into I-90.

 

Could be. There's also an alley between Carnegie and Sumner labeled "East 13th Street." I clicked on some properties along 13th on both sides of Carnegie but nothing stood out for me. Guess we'll have to wait for more information to know for sure.

That's right by the back door of my workplace, there's actually signage there at the corner of East 12th and Bronson Court. So unless there's a typo in the agenda (or the sign :D ), that's not it.

Speaking of Zaremba, anyone see any signs of this. Construction was to begin this summer.

 

Zaremba plans 108-unit apartment project

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/zaremba_plans_108-unit_apartme.html

 

No graphics yet, but it will probably be similar to what was previously shown (above)...

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2015/09182015/DRC_2015_9_17.pdf

 

Downtown/Flats

Design Review Agenda

 

Thursday September 17th, 2015

Cleveland City Hall

Room 514

*Schematic Design Approval

1. Project: DF2015-066: East 15th Street Residential

Project Address: East 15th Street (between Rockwell Ave. & Superior Ave.)

Project Representative: Ron Lloyd, RDL Architects

 

*Denotes agenda item will also appear before the Cleveland City Planning Commission the

following day, Friday, September 18th, 2015.

I'm all for this residential infill, but I wish they would incorporate more retail...especially on a main drag like this, extending the feel of Downtown.

Thatt'd be great, if that retail was at all needed out that way.

Yep, there's still white-boxed retail space all along the ground floor of the Avenue condo building that has never been leased since the building was built in 2007.

From the linked article concerning the remaining properties from the Avenue District project:

 

"We're going to repave it and we're going to park it," he said Wednesday. "I don't see that being a development site for quite some time."

 

:shoot: SURFACE PARKING

 

 

EDIT: Aaaand the article is from last year.

Yep, there's still white-boxed retail space all along the ground floor of the Avenue condo building that has never been leased since the building was built in 2007.

 

Most downtown buildings with street level retail are doing better than this one though.  Seems odd that every single one of its nice new spaces is unmarketable, when plenty of lesser properties have been able to get by.  Makes me wonder what rents they're trying to charge.

I run through that area regularly and IME the foot traffic around there is negligible at best. Maybe it’s better Mon-Fri 9-5, I don’t know. There’s nothing I’m aware of that would draw the downtown crowd that far north and east right now. Maybe if that Greyhound site development happens, that may help.

There's a concentration of hi-rise residential all along East 12th, a substantial built-in market.  It's just that none of those residents has any reason to walk by the Avenue building, because it hasn't leased a single space in 8 years.  And yet if you stroll up St. Clair into rougher neighborhoods, you'll find street level spaces with tenants in them. 

I've heard in the rumor mill that a hair salon is looking to lease one of the long-empty Avenue retail spaces. Who knows if that will work out, though. I do think there is some serious potential in bringing more foot traffic to this area, but the lots SW and SE of St. Clair/E. 12 need to be developed with apartments.

A nice townhouse plan was presented today to Design Review!!

DF2015-066 – East 15th Street Residential New Construction: Seeking Schematic Design Approval

Project Location: East 15th Street b/w Rockwell & Superior Avenues

Project Representatives: Ron Lloyd, RDL Architects

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2015/09182015/index.php

 

 

Story today on Cleveland.com about the above Townhomes.

 

 

Rental townhouses planned for slice of Avenue District site in downtown Cleveland

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A downtown Cleveland resident hopes to build 16 rental townhomes on a vacant strip of land across the street from his house, in a project meant to fill a gap born of the real estate bust.

 

Brent Zimmerman and his wife, Cary, bought their townhouse at the Avenue District in late 2007, just before the housing market collapsed. Now Zimmerman, a hedge fund executive, plans to tackle a small slice of the unfinished neighborhood.

 

In June, a company managed by Zimmerman paid $375,000 for a 0.4-acre property between Superior and Rockwell avenues along East 15th Street. Public records show that the sale was arranged through a court-appointed receiver, who has been managing portions of the Avenue District since 2010 as part of a long-running foreclosure case.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2015/10/rental_townhouses_planned_for.html#incart_river_home

Pretty awesome to see a local homeowner taking it into his own hands to improve his own neighborhood (and view) with a big project like this, on his own. Good luck to him!