I really like the parking garage and I really like the apartment tower, but I'm having a tough time finding any real design/aesthetic connection. Does anyone else feel that way?  What was the argument that made it get approved by the design review committee?

I've been asking this same question for several weeks now.

There appears to be no desire, nor intention to integrate the building facade with that of the garage. It looks like a building built on top of an unrelated garage and it really detracts from the building's aesthetics.

On 10/11/2019 at 3:17 PM, lafont said:

I really like the parking garage and I really like the apartment tower, but I'm having a tough time finding any real design/aesthetic connection. Does anyone else feel that way?  What was the argument that made it get approved by the design review committee?

Nope.  It's in the middle of downtown.  Its located in the Public Square area, among buildings with very different architectural styles.  It feels organic and not like a suburban planned development.

Edited October 13, 20195 yr by MyTwoSense
incorrect location

13 hours ago, MyTwoSense said:

Nope.  It's in the middle of downtown.  In play house square, among buildings with very different architectural styles.  It feels organic and not like a suburban planned development.

Beacon NOT in Playhouse Square....

7 minutes ago, lafont said:

Beacon NOT in Playhouse Square....

 

I meant Public Square!  dam-dam-damity-damn 

 

Thanks, will now update.  

View from TT Observation Deck

Great pic ^ So probably won’t be getting a Beacon sign on top of the building...?

21 hours ago, GISguy said:

View from TT Observation Deck

Love the gradual color transition from dark to light of the Beacon!

I really like the lighting around the "mid-section" or balcony level of the Beacon.  I would love to see another parking pedestal like this built elsewhere downtown.  Were the original plans to build a tower immediately on top or did the project change due to economic factors at the time? 

^This is not an answer to your question, but keep in mind that the original developer of the parking garage lost it to foreclosure/loan default before Stark entered the picture. My hunch is that the Beacon ultimately worked because a lender took a big hit along the way, providing an indirect and accidental subsidy. All to say, I'm not sure we can point to the Beacon as an indicator that this sort of phased project makes financial sense.

Edited October 21, 20195 yr by StapHanger

7 minutes ago, StapHanger said:

^This is not an answer to your question, but keep in mind that the original developer of the parking garage lost it to foreclosure/loan default before Stark entered the picture. My hunch is that the Beacon ultimately worked because the a lender took a big hit along the way, providing an indirect and accidental subsidy. All to say, I'm not sure we can point to the the Beacon as an indicator that this sort of phased project makes financial sense.

 

Definitely. The parking deck was built for $25 million, and was designed to accommodate a 19-story building atop it. 

 

The prior owner went into foreclosure during the Great Recession and a receiver sold it to J-Dek/Stark/et al in 2011 for $8.15 million. It was a nice little $17 million subsidy. Even with that subsidy, it took six years before construction began and eight years before the doors opened at Beacon.

Edited October 21, 20195 yr by KJP

1 hour ago, RE Developer In Training said:

I really like the lighting around the "mid-section" or balcony level of the Beacon.  I would love to see another parking pedestal like this built elsewhere downtown.  Were the original plans to build a tower immediately on top or did the project change due to economic factors at the time? 

how about the 200 Public Square garage on Euclid? Not sure if it was built to support additional stories though. Ironically parking would probably be the holdup for building atop that one since I assume the existing office building fills the garage daily.

9 minutes ago, w28th said:

how about the 200 Public Square garage on Euclid? Not sure if it was built to support additional stories though. Ironically parking would probably be the holdup for building atop that one since I assume the existing office building fills the garage daily.

 

Supposedly an integral parking garage was the main show stopper when Progressive was considering building a tower downtown.   The lot operators objected and the then powers that be sided with them.

On 10/8/2019 at 9:45 AM, Watertiger1962 said:

 It was actually early Saturday a.m. Lol

Sorry about the post in the wrong thread.

 

A lot of photographers favor times when there's not a lot of pedestrians, so that the focus is on the building(s).   Plus they tend to disrupt shoots.

On 10/21/2019 at 11:12 AM, w28th said:

how about the 200 Public Square garage on Euclid? Not sure if it was built to support additional stories though. Ironically parking would probably be the holdup for building atop that one since I assume the existing office building fills the garage daily.

I doesn't.  The SOHIO Building and garage were built at different times.  The garage was built after the tower went up.  It forced rats into the Arcade.  It was a mess.

Construction elevator side is finally done!!

It looks as if there is some uplighting that illuminates the bottom paneling under the building.

I don’t think anyone has indicated whether or not the Beacon sign is going in - but if it does - wouldn’t it be most impactful on the south side of the building? 

21 minutes ago, CleveFan said:

I don’t think anyone has indicated whether or not the Beacon sign is going in - but if it does - wouldn’t it be most impactful on the south side of the building? 

Maybe they picked the West/East sides since there were plans for a larger building that would most likely block it from the south. ?

Now that the Beacon is completed and it is 80-85% Leased Is there a NOTICEABLE change in

additional vibrancy in around E. 6 /Euclid or not?

11 minutes ago, simplythis said:

Now that the Beacon is completed and it is 80-85% Leased Is there a NOTICEABLE change in

additional vibrancy in around E. 6 /Euclid or not?

Have people started moving in?

1 hour ago, simplythis said:

Now that the Beacon is completed and it is 80-85% Leased Is there a NOTICEABLE change in

additional vibrancy in around E. 6 /Euclid or not?

I think its too early to say. There should be an official grand opening before its even considered complete. Even the Athlon is still have some work done to it after its recent opening.

Curious to know how many units are on the balcony floor and how much they go for? Photos of the interior would be great also. 

1 hour ago, MyTwoSense said:

Have people started moving in?

Yes. When I toured it last month there were quite a few residents already moved in. 

21 hours ago, mack34 said:

Construction elevator side is finally done!!

They still need to resolve the building/garage interface and paint those pink bars in the garage any other color but pink.

Edited October 26, 20195 yr by Frmr CLEder

36 minutes ago, ASPhotoman said:

Yes. When I toured it last month there were quite a few residents already moved in. 

Oh OK.  Good to know.  I could have sworn my nephew and cousin said people weren't scheduled to move in until November or December. 

 

I don't think we'll have a good "idea" or "guess" as to impact until the building is fully occupied.  As much as "full" can mean in the context of this building.  There will always be a low number of vacant units in buildings at any given time.

 

1 hour ago, ASPhotoman said:

Yes. When I toured it last month there were quite a few residents already moved in. 

If I recall correctly residents some started moving - in as early as July

1 hour ago, Frmr CLEder said:

They still need to resolve the building/garage interface and paint those pink bars in the garage any other color but pink.

Never noticed the pink bars until someone here pointed it out and I struggled to find them in person. I don't think they are such a big deal or the garage interface. Its part of the eclectic (or eccentric) quality of the building that I find so interesting. There's an off center, paradigm shift setting theme that runs throughout the exterior of the building. 

Kinda like flamingos...

I'd assume the pink will not be visible much longer.

Weren't they red before? They're possibly still red.

Did they paint the yellow beams on the balcony level? 

Pink, red, yellow, green, brown, beige, eclectic, eccentric...what gives?

 

Execution.

Edited October 27, 20195 yr by Frmr CLEder

My phone camera sucks but here's a shot from Bar32

22 hours ago, GISguy said:

My phone camera sucks but here's a shot from Bar32

 

Set up a GoFundMe to buy @GISguy a better mobile device.  

10 hours ago, MyTwoSense said:

 

Set up a GoFundMe to buy @GISguy a better mobile device.  

As long as I get a lottery style big check out of it, I'm game lol

 

 

Edited October 29, 20195 yr by GISguy

From this photo you can see they have the glass barrier installed at the top. Most of the interior looks complete. My fingers are still crossed that they install a sign at the top and update the entrance as shown in the renderings.

 

 

A little Throwback Thursday action...

 

Demo of the previous buildings at the site (note the lack of signage on Fifth Third Center):

 

This view technically no longer exists since the tower was constructed:

 

Construction crane for the garage component, March 2005:

 

Street level view of the garage, March 2005:

2 hours ago, MayDay said:

This view technically no longer exists since the tower was constructed:

 

 

This view should still exist since this part of the garage is not covered by the apartment tower.

26 minutes ago, ASPhotoman said:

This view should still exist since this part of the garage is not covered by the apartment tower.

 

Good point ?

It's going to really suck if Stark doesn't deliver on this. They keep putting up crappy signage and it cheapens the quality work that's being done stories above it. 

IMO that's actually an upgrade.

Yea i like the change more then the plan on this one..   that first conception hurt my eyes

no way--  i like the o.g. neo-deco version. that is clean and lean and more in-style than the trumpian branding style.

 

 

ps -- i just noticed the doors. good grief they look like stark pulled them off an old school or government building.

Edited October 31, 20195 yr by mrnyc

Execution.

1 hour ago, mrnyc said:

no way--  i like the o.g. neo-deco version. that is clean and lean and more in-style than the trumpian branding style.

 

 

ps -- i just noticed the doors. good grief they look like stark pulled them off an old school or government building.

 

or a parking garage ? 

 

If they follow through with the original design, I sure hope the lights above the door are more symmetrical - maybe it goes against the original building design, but street level, I think it'd look strange.

5 hours ago, ASPhotoman said:

This view should still exist since this part of the garage is not covered by the apartment tower.

Great shot May Day!

1 hour ago, Frmr CLEder said:

Execution.

That's a bit harsh!  They are only doors...

It is what it is.....

20 minutes ago, Frmr CLEder said:

It is what it is.....

I was joking...as in execution, a harsh punishment for a poor facade  ?