More development for the neighborhood:

 

Upscale apartments planned for Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood

Published: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 5:26 PM/Updated: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 5:33 PM

Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A developer plans to build 60 apartments in University Circle, where hospitals and institutions are driving the need for new homes despite the challenging economy.

 

WXZ Development Inc. envisions a $10.5 million apartment project on nearly 3 acres along Hazel Drive, near the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/07/upscale_apartments_planned_for.html

 

WOW...what a residental building boom in University Circle!

Great news!  That site has been on UCI's to do list for years now- let's hope something finally happens.

 

One other site that seems to have stalled is the new building that was to be built on E118th near the new townhomes, across from the Case athletic fields.  If I remember it right, they sounded pretty confident about financing even in the current climate, but maybe not.

Nice... they're fetching a good price as well. I'd rather buy the place outright than spend that much for a rental, though.

^Not if you're going to be there only 2 or 3 years, like the target market for these.  In any case, that's why there will also be new for-sale housing in UC when lending thaws :)

I had no clue Park Lane Villa was 99% occupied. That's great!

Wow. Keep 'em coming!

One other site that seems to have stalled is the new building that was to be built on E118th near the new townhomes, across from the Case athletic fields. If I remember it right, they sounded pretty confident about financing even in the current climate, but maybe not.

 

What's this now?  I don't remember it.

^These guys: http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2008/12/university_circle_condos_desig.html

Wow some many housing projects are coming together at the same time at UC.  I think the neighborhood is about to boom with housing.  I'm so happy to finally see this!

^These guys: http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2008/12/university_circle_condos_desig.html

 

Ahh, I remember that one now.  I'd like to see it and more like it succeed.

Not sure if others agree, but I would be perfectly happy to see some of the big old houses on the UC side streets get knocked down and replaced by higher density housing.  Some of them are mildly interesting, but none is extraordinary.  I'm too lazy to look it up, but I wonder what the current zoning permits.

I think there are currently plenty of other places in and near UC with nothing even mildly interesting to put dense housing.

Only when there is no more huge tracts of vacant land in and around UC

I think there are currently plenty of other places in and near UC with nothing even mildly interesting to put dense housing.

 

True, but kind of besides the point, IMHO.  I could very well imagine a developer proposing to replace one of the old houses with a 4 or 6 unit condo or rental building whether or not Finch revives Upper Chester or any other developer tackles an empty site.  Other than the current CIA site and UARD, most of the empty land around UC is much less prime than the old house lots.

Not sure if others agree, but I would be perfectly happy to see some of the big old houses on the UC side streets get knocked down and replaced by higher density housing. Some of them are mildly interesting, but none is extraordinary. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I wonder what the current zoning permits.

I personally think there are some lovely old houses north of UC around Wade Park and East Blvd.  It would be a shame to lose such a historic neighborhood.

^I hear ya- I was thinking more about the remaining houses on Bellflower and Juniper and even some of the ones on Magnolia.  There are definitely a few, though, that I would hate to see razed.

Don't know about that. I am sure the materials in this new construction will be cheap...and if not meticulously maintained, will soon show the affects of slack. And, as I have indicated many times before..lack of follow up aspects remain an issue here in the mentality. Nothing worse than seeing newer development look like crap soon after it is built.

I like the Bellflower, Juniper area (except for those horrendous 60s dorms). It feels like an extension of the north campus of CWRU, and in many ways is. A lot of those buildings are used by the university or for businesses (L'Albatros, Arabica, frathouses, alumni house, etc.).  It has a little bit of a quad feel by not being really high-density and having older historic structures.

Don't know about that. I am sure the materials in this new construction will be cheap...and if not meticulously maintained, will soon show the affects of slack.

 

So let's just not ever build anything new again because it will inevitably stink- sheesh! You are a tough crowd.

 

I like the Bellflower, Juniper area (except for those horrendous 60s dorms).  It feels like an extension of the north campus of CWRU, and in many ways is.  A lot of those buildings are used by the university or for businesses (L'Albatros, Arabica, frathouses, alumni house, etc.).  It has a little bit of a quad feel by not being really high-density and having older historic structures.

 

That makes sense- those streets definitely do have appeal.  I guess I'm just comfortable that there will still be plenty of green space on the Case campus, in Wade Oval and around the other institutional buildings that I think it could still be a nice, leafy neighborhood even without all those suburban front lawns.  I'm not pushing for a '60s style mass demo, just thinking out loud how an incremental densification would work.  Or really, how I would react to development proposals along those lines.  The Doan Brook proposal on East 118th was certainly in that direction- demo-ing a sf or 2f house and replacing it with 8 condos, but the existing house isn't much to write home about.

 

Some very interesting items on the list for this thursdays Euclid Corridor Design Review District:

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2010/pdf/EC07152010.pdf

Tudor Arms renovation is bringing a highly visible piece of old Cleveland back to life

Published: Friday, August 20, 2010, 5:30 PM    Updated: Friday, August 20, 2010, 10:40 PM

Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer

 

Like tens of thousands of East Side commuters, I've driven past the looming mass of the 11-story Tudor Arms building for years without any idea of the grandeur of its interior spaces. Located on the southwest corner of Carnegie Avenue and East 107th Street, the building is a highly visible landmark that stands sentinel over a major traffic gateway to the city.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2010/08/tudor_arms_renovation_is_bring.html

Caption on the picture from inside: "Views from the upper floors of the Tudor Arms building overlook the Cleveland Clinic campus."

 

Judging by the picture, it should say views from the upper floors of the Tudor Arms building overlook the a Cleveland Clinic parking lot.

 

HEY-O!  Yup, it's Urban Ohio, people.  Get used to it.

^ Haha!

I just wanted to say that the trees planted during the Euclid corridor project have had a big growing spurt this year and it is quite noticeable already in UC.  I think trees are a factor that are often overlooked as something that affects the "feeling" of a place because they take a long time to develop after a project is over.  10-20 years from now these trees will make Euclid Ave. a beautiful, shady, garden-like atmosphere through this section.  I guess I am also mentioning this because I was dreaming for some extra shade today because I stupidly decided to wear jeans and trudged from stokes up to 115th in the middle of the day.

^ Great observation!

 

 

My take: Developers in the early years realized this (see the myriad of maples/birches, sycamores, and many others planted along streets) and somehow, for many, it was a lost idea in recent years, especially in sprawl areas. Trescaping was an afterthought.  Indeed, the right species will create a "tunnel look" down Euclid. For those who have seen streets like this, it is awe inspiring.

 

Just a few simple advantages of proper treescaping.... Air is cleaner, noise is reduced, soil erosion reduced, water cleaner, backyard/urban friendly wildlife like birds, tree frogs, and more... have shelter and hence won't take refuge in structures..... Trees make the neighborhood feel cozy and safer and could even prevent drive by shooting bullets from hitting someone..... (a new urban recognized quality!)

 

They prevent battering winds and heavy snow drift....add aesthetic value and color...keep places cool in summer thus contributing to reducing energy costs (see Arbor Day Foundation for such information) and can even maintain warmth in winter.....a free shelter in rain.... all free of charge. Positives outweigh any perceived but misconceived negative/ill-informed notions. Plant a tree today!

Do we have disease resistant elms to plant yet?

 

^That reminds me how in the last 4 years we've lost 2 mammoth, umbrella-like Elms in UC.

One stood at Adelbert & Euclid (next to the Allen Memorial Med. Library) and the other stood on the raised lawn in front of Severance Hall...just across the street.

Major losses. Most likely due to disease.

Do we have disease resistant elms to plant yet?

 

Yes they have been planting elms like crazy in DC.

 

"Princeton" is supposedly a resistant variety that was planted heavily along the redone Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the Whitehouse.  I thought I saw some somewhere along the Euclid Corridor.

^Yes indeed, there were may elms planted on the EC.  Can't recall which parts though.  Thanks for the tree report, mikel- makes me very happy to hear.

University Circle study shows opportunities for residential development

Published: Sunday, September 05, 2010, 4:55 AM   

Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hospitals, institutions and other nonprofit groups have been creating jobs and fueling construction projects in University Circle, laying the foundation for more apartments and other private development in the neighborhood.

 

Since 2005, 17 organizations in the Greater University Circle area have added the equivalent of 4,540 full-time jobs, according to a study scheduled for release this week. Those organizations could create 2,900 more jobs within five years, expanding their collective workforce to a projected 36,758 full-time positions.

 

The study was jointly paid for by community development group University Circle Inc. and the Finch Group, a Florida developer that has been investing in the area. Projecting growth through 2015, the research could be a valuable tool for developers considering projects between East 90th and East 120th streets.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/09/university_circle_study_shows.html

 

Another proposal:

 

Local group raising funds to build Fisher House at Cleveland's University Circle for wounded veterans

Published: Saturday, September 04, 2010, 8:00 AM

James Ewinger, The Plain Dealer

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Construction is probably a few years off, but a local group pledged Friday that the region will have a Fisher House -- lodging for the families of wounded warriors being treated at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.

 

The goal is a 20-suite home with a communal sitting and dining areas. A tentative site has already been identified at East 105th Street and Wade Park Avenue, adjacent to the VA hospital in University Circle.

 

"A Fisher House in Cleveland has no opposition," said Tom Sweeney, a Vietnam veteran and former TV newsman here who chairs the local task force.

The objective is to raise $3 million, he said.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/a_foundation_of_support_for_wo.html

Whoa, whoa, whoa...where did this come from:

 

Developer John Ferchill plans University Circle tech center

By JAY MILLER

2:45 pm, September 14, 2010

 

Developer John Ferchill today unveiled plans for a $98.6 million tech center on a University Circle site currently occupied by the 3rd District police station and a Cleveland Public Library branch.

 

The new construction, which is described as an “innovation center campus,” effectively replaces the MidTown Technology Center that Mr. Ferchill's development firm planned at East 61st Street and Euclid Avenue. That project never got off the ground and the building that the Ferchill Group bought in 2003, the former Knitting Mills building, has been demolished.

 

The tech center will be built in phases. The first phase is a five-story, 100,000-square-foot office building at Chester Avenue and Stokes Boulevard. A second 100,000-square-foot building, on the library property would be built to the south. Mr. Ferchill told council that he has plans for a third building, but to accomplish that would require moving an Illuminating Co. substation at East 105th Street and Chester.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100914/FREE/100919937

 

Whoa, whoa, whoa...where did this come from:

 

Developer John Ferchill plans University Circle tech center

By JAY MILLER

2:45 pm, September 14, 2010

 

Developer John Ferchill today unveiled plans for a $98.6 million tech center on a University Circle site currently occupied by the 3rd District police station and a Cleveland Public Library branch.

 

The new construction, which is described as an innovation center campus, effectively replaces the MidTown Technology Center that Mr. Ferchill's development firm planned at East 61st Street and Euclid Avenue. That project never got off the ground and the building that the Ferchill Group bought in 2003, the former Knitting Mills building, has been demolished.

 

The tech center will be built in phases. The first phase is a five-story, 100,000-square-foot office building at Chester Avenue and Stokes Boulevard. A second 100,000-square-foot building, on the library property would be built to the south. Mr. Ferchill told council that he has plans for a third building, but to accomplish that would require moving an Illuminating Co. substation at East 105th Street and Chester.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100914/FREE/100919937

 

 

Well, the police station was going to move anyway......

 

This is a much better spot anyway, IMO, since it's between Case and the Clinic.

OK... let me see if I have this right.  Phase 1 will replace the police station currently on the SW corner of Stokes/Chester.  The police station would have to be moved and they are looking at a site on Chester between 40th and 55th.

 

Phase 2, I assume, is going to require demolishing the library branch just to the south of the police station.  And Phase 3, if we get that far, would involve the parking lot which also houses a utility sub-station on the SE corner of Chester/105th.

 

Correct?  Also, does the $96 million encompass all three phases?

You know, I think Ferchill was always upset with Cleveland politics and corruption dating back to the early Mike White days to this point.  Now that he see's this era coming to an end, maybe he will look back in Cleveland again.  Who knows, maybe even Couthouse Tower will come back on the radar LOL.

So does he have the $$$ for this or this is something he hopes to do if all the chips fall his way.  He does have a history of making proposals in the press and not following through for one reason or another (and blaming others for the failure to follow through when the real reason may be that it was too risky in the first place).

 

Also...is the library on board or is this another wish....do they have plans for another building like the city does for the 3rd District headquarters?

By the way...I am not knocking the concept...I posted quite some time ago questioning why there were not more speculative office projects going up in UC taking advantage of companies that would want to be near the Clinic, UH and the other institutions.

^^Ferchill answered my question in a PD article...."it is not real at this point"...his own words.

I know it's gotta be tough with a "tech building," but I wish he would think more mixed-use.

 

University Circle drastically needs more apartments and housing....he needs to partner with Maron...sigh...

On City Council's docket tonight....

 

Ord. No. 906-10

By Council Members J. Johnson, Cleveland, Mitchell, Dow, Brancatelli, Conwell, Pruitt, and Sweeney (by departmental request)

 

Authorizing the Director of Economic Development to enter into a development agreement with MidTown Cleveland, Inc, or its designee, for the development and relocation of the Third District Police Station from 10660 Chester Avenue to 4501 Chester Avenue; authorizing the Commissioner of Purchases and Supplies to sell City-owned property no longer needed for public use located at 10660 Chester Avenue to J. Christopher Enterprises, Inc., or its designee; and authorizing the Director to lease back 10660 Chester Avenue from J. Christopher Enterprises, Inc., or its designee, on a month-to-month basis until such time as the new Third District Police Station is built and all operations have moved from 10660 Chester Avenue to 4501 Chester Avenue; and authorizing the Director of Economic Development to enter into an Empowerment Zone Section 108 loan and an Economic Development Initiative Grant Agreement with Midtown Cleveland, Inc., or its designee, to provide economic development assistance to partially finance the redevelopment of 4501 Chester Avenue.

Remarks by Director of Economic Development Department:  See Legislation.

PREVIOUSLY HELD BY COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Some legal hurdles to the proposed arrangement to build the new station, as reported by Cleveland.com:

 

City of Cleveland changes course, decides to seek construction bids for new Third District police station

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/city_of_cleveland_changes_cour.html

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson retreated Thursday from a plan to give a no-bid contract for a new district police station after City Council members questioned the legality of the deal.

 

The comments section is hysterical.  Just when you think you've seen the dumbest comment humanly possible, new ones somehow push the bar even higher.

Some legal hurdles to the proposed arrangement to build the new station, as reported by Cleveland.com:

 

City of Cleveland changes course, decides to seek construction bids for new Third District police station

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/city_of_cleveland_changes_cour.html

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson retreated Thursday from a plan to give a no-bid contract for a new district police station after City Council members questioned the legality of the deal.

 

The comments section is hysterical.  Just when you think you've seen the dumbest comment humanly possible, new ones somehow push the bar even higher.

 

Question?  Is this considered a Univ. Circle or MidTown development?

^Probably a bit of both.  The current 3rd District station is in UC.  The new one will be in MidTown.  The demolition of the old station will open up a lot for development of a proposed technology center in UC.

One of the hidden gems in University Circle is the Cozad-Bates House (built 1853).

 

It has a stong history as a stop on the Underground Railroad (I hope someday it can open up as an "Underground Railroad Museum," adding even another cultural attraction to University Circle.)

 

This past summer, $200,000 was spent repairing its roof.  Funds are still being raised for it's complete rehabilitation: http://www.restoreclevelandhope.org/CBhouse.html

 

 

Here's some more info on it: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/06/cozadbates_house_honored_with.html

Crossed-posted from the CWRU thread:

Case Western Reserve University proposed student center gets $10.5 million from Kent H. Smith Charitable Trust

Published: Monday, October 11, 2010, 4:00 AM

Margaret Bernstein, The Plain Dealer

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Case Western Reserve University's drive to build a $60 million student center is gaining momentum, thanks to a $10.5 million gift announced Friday.

 

Fund trustees hope the $10.5 million, which includes $500,000 from the Vincent K. and Edith H. Smith Memorial Trust, spurs more donor support for the student center.

 

The proposed student gathering place, which will centralize many programs in a state-of-the-art building near Severance Hall, fits well with Kent Smith's view of the university, they added.

 

The student center, which administrators anticipate will give CWRU an edge in wooing top students, has been a fund-raising priority for university President Barbara Snyder. It will be named for Tinkham Veale II, a 1937 Case Institute of Technology graduate who pledged $20 million in May. The university also landed smaller grants in the past year, and is now selecting an architect.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/10/case_western_reserve_universit_16.html

 

Developers lined up to build 150-room hotel in University Circle

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Chagrin Falls developer and a North Carolina hotel manager have signed on to build a $27 million hotel in University Circle, across the street from University Hospitals's new cancer center.

 

Snavely Development Co. and Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co. plan a 150-room, eight-story hotel off Cornell Road, behind a retail strip that runs along Euclid Avenue. The brand of hotel has not been announced.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/developers_lined_up_to_build_1.html

^Thanks for posting.  So, errr, I guess MOCA and UARD don't  have to worry about competition for design quality in the neighborhood...  Ick. 

 

Not sure I really understand the financing either.  A $27M hotel project, with very low land acquisition costs, in an areas where "demand for rooms...is high," needs $12-15M in tax credits?  And financing the rest will still be a challenge?  And they can't afford a decent architect?

Its modern cubist brutalism :-P

Can anyone make any sense of the neighboring buildings in the rendering?  I'm not sure if I'm spatially challenged or if the architects just picked a bunch of random stuff to plop down nearby.  Hopefully it's a sign that this is just a rendering for the press release and the real design work hasn't even started.

Yeah the background in that rendering makes no since so hopefully we can just cross our fingers and hope this is a hastily made mock-up and that final design work is yet to come.