I love it.  It looks like a doll house. 

 

To our resident architects or residents, is there a reason that the first level of the building is different than the upper floors.  The building looks as though its sitting on a pedestal.  I would have loved to see the glass affect from top to bottom.

^ Very nice. It looks like one of those hot & hazy Cleveland summer days. I'm looking forward to the pics from the meet.

Long time, no updates. here it goes:

 

I talked to one of the sales reps... 35 units sold, with deposits on "several more". From the context of the conversation, it sounds like business has picked up to 2-3 units being sold per week, and there are supposedly only 6 of the original 12 penthouses available.

 

Anticipated completion date is still late July/Early August. Although, in my (inexperienced) opinion, it looks a little farther than 2 months away from being finished.

 

Just to add to the update, PURE's website lists the Stonebridge Tower (phase 4) as being completely sold out now.  There had still been a few condos left until a little while ago.

Another updated pic - the top is a view north from the Viaduct, the bottom is the site plan, with north being to the left:

 

Another updated pic - the top is a view north from the Viaduct, the bottom is the site plan, with north being to the left:

 

 

Wow, I am impressed! Looks like there is a lot of street level retail in that rendering.

wait so almost all of this is not residential?

wait so almost all of this is not residential?

 

I was thinking the same thing.  I'm hoping that this is a typo or error and in actuality, there will be retail UNDER the residential tower.

 

I'm happy to see that there are TWO hotels proposed for the area, officially making the West Bank of the Flats a "destination".

And a water park between the two hotels? That's cool, but I hope they could throw a retractable roof on it so it would still be usable in the winter.

A retractable roof would be da bomb! If it was like a giant skylight in the winter. That'd be neat!

wow, almost unrecognizable. in a good way. no more parking ocean.

 

great pic of phase five, i was wondering how it was coming along. i dk what to say about the ground level, it's quite odd. best i can say is it obviously won't look so awkward after more of the plans come on line. otherwise, i love the general look of the building and also the rooftop.

The parking can be a tight squeeze...but a) it is city living, and b) stonebridge has some of the cheapest parking in the city. I know for me, parking is not a make or break situation like these residents claim. I think these residents are taking it a bit far, yet at the same time, Doug Price does not make himself sound very friendly.

 

And this quote is so over the top, "I will happily go back to the suburbs if this is the way we're going to be treated by the city and by the developer," Daane said. :roll:

 

I bet they are taking this into consideration, and allowing for the spaces to be larger in phase 5.

 

A tight squeeze

Flats condo residents upset by tiny parking spaces Residents battle Flats condos over parking spaces

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Susan Vinella

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Owners of condos that sell for as much as $700,000 and offer sweeping views of the lake and downtown Cleveland say they are being squeezed - by their narrow parking spots.

 

Residents of Stonebridge Towers along the west bank of the Flats have complained to the city that parking spots are so small that drivers and front-seat passengers can't get out of cars at the same time.

 

The tight squeeze, some say, has caused damage to their vehicles because doors bang against X-shaped support beams and cars parked next to them.

 

Read More...

I should add, while that quote is shocking to me-there are a number of suburban expats in the building (and other parts of downtown) who are on the fence about urban living to begin with and the littest thing is enough to push them back. This is something for any developer AND the city to understand. You can't just throw up housing and think you have done your job. No matter what I would never live in a Cleveland suburb..if the city were unacceptable I would just leave the region. My attitude used to be when people wax nostalgic about Westlake or what have you, would be to think, well go back if it is so great.  I certainly hope people in the position to make a difference do not have the same attitude I do b/c we are not in a position to lose any people back to the burbs.

 

Whats funny is that guy quoted almost never drives his car. It sits collecting dust in garage, albeit in a tiny space. He bikes and walks everywhere. Try doing that in Strongsville. He told the reporter this too, but of course they did not print that.

Yeah, definately sounds like a slow day...

 

But, either way, let's face it. Publicity is publicity. It doesn't REALLY matter if it's good, or bad... especially with something as minor as a parking space! god knows how many people were unaware of Stonebridge until they read this article.

 

It reminds me of my buddy that used to go around from city to city opening up adult book stores. One of the industry secrets was to open up shop, then call the local news station on yourself posing as a disgruntled resident. When they make a big deal about it on the 5:00 news, they interview about a half a dozen local citizens that are absolutely appauled that this "smut" is in their neighborhood. He says by 10:00 that evening the stores were packed.

 

I would bet for every one person thinking, "wow, those stonebridge guys are ***holes for not selling them bigger parking spaces" there are 3 people thinking, "hmm, I wonder if those condos are all sold out.. I mean, afterall, that lady profited $30k in 2 years"

It must be one hell of a slow news day for the PD to make that the lead story on the front page :roll:

 

Especially since this was discussed at the Cleveland Planning Commission several months ago. I was considering putting this in the paper, but then thought "who outside of Stonebridge really cares about this?" Great news sense, PD. And good job of turning a civil matter with no impact on anyone outside of Stonebridge into another opportunity at taking a swipe at Cleveland. Assholes.

the real story, imo, that the article glosses over: how did this get approved in the first place when the plans don't meet city codes?  they touch on it (plans just showed parking), but there should be some accountability in the city depts as well to make sure that things are built to code. 

 

does anyone have any more pics of the "X" structures or other pics of the garage space?  and is the garage currently full?  i assume that all units come included with 1 space, penthouses 2 spaces?

^I have to agree with Urbanelife that the "news" in the article (although it certainly is not top of the fold front page news) is the lack of oversight by those at the city who should have approved the plans.  This is a worthy topic (and thus new worthy) and should have been the focus of the article.  Looks like the reporter did very little investigation regarding this very important point.  Is the city failing in this regard and jeopardizing other developments.  What other planning and construction details are they neglecting.  I would like to know who is screwing up at the city level.

 

I also feel for the homeowners to a certain extent.  From the pictures in the article the spaces are ridiculously tight and I am sure they are not exaggerating damage to vehicles which we all know  (even a minor ding) can be very expensive to repair.

I really take offense to the last line in the article.

 

"I will happily go back to the suburbs if this is the way we're going to be treated by the city and by the developer,"

 

Is somebody holding a gun to this guys head to live in the City?  If you are spurned away from living in Cleveland, or anything for that matter, because of a tight parking space, you have some serious issues.  And to end an article like that is just what KJP said, a cheap swipe at Cleveland.  I just don't get the PD, for every positive article there are countless little jabs like this, that in the end, make city dwellers dispise the PD.  Who are they targeting to read this paper? 

Sometimes the plans that are presented aren't always the plans that get built. There was a smaller issue on a townhouse development across the street from my house. The brick that they put up was not the same color brick that was presented to Design Review and Landmarks. Turns out that the guy who ordered the bricks made a mistake. The bricklayers just put up the bricks that they had in front of them. Luckily, I pitched a fit to the city and the developer had to correct his error. It was a very ugly error, but it looks great now. I just wonder if there was some miscommunication somewhere that lead to Stonebridge's issue. It can happen.

If the city had approved faulty building plans at least more than once and within a short period of time, then it's a trend and worth a news story that affects a general audience. Either way, is it worth top billing on the front page?

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying the condo owners' complaints aren't legit. They've invested a good chunk of change in their residence in the city and it should go without saying that the parking space/s they paid for (and were promised) should be functional within reason. It would also behoove the developer to be a little more cordial than saying "suck it up" when he has future phases in the pipeline. You have potential buyers reading the article and if they perceive that management will be unresponsive (or downright hostile) for a minor issue, they'll take their money elsewhere. But leave it to the PD to turn a little squabble like this into a tempest in a teacup.

If the city had approved faulty building plans at least more than once and within a short period of time, then it's a trend and worth a news story that affects a general audience. Either way, is it worth top billing on the front page?

 

I never thought this would make the paper...I kept telling people we were self absorbed to think people outside SB actually care about this...then they said I don't know the PD...Anyway I think the bigger story revolves around the city inspectors- when was the last time they had big project like this to inspect and approve? Probably not a regular part of their job.  There were other differences b/t the plans and the as built..not necessarily in a corupt or intentionally deceptive way, but rather plans change as projects move along...and the city did not initially catch the changes until owners pointed them out.  Believe me, I think the city and developer learned a lot. While I do not include my self in this category, there are a lot of movers and shakers around here, and they didnt get where they are in life by being passive or or unobserving about where their money goes.

I'm a little confused.

 

Question?  Since phase 5 isn't open yet, what phase are they talking about?

 

^phase 4

the real story, imo, that the article glosses over: how did this get approved in the first place when the plans don't meet city codes?  they touch on it (plans just showed parking), but there should be some accountability in the city depts as well to make sure that things are built to code. 

 

does anyone have any more pics of the "X" structures or other pics of the garage space?  and is the garage currently full?  i assume that all units come included with 1 space, penthouses 2 spaces?

actually even penthouses have only one space. As units sold they filled the garage and many later sold units only have a gated space outside. As we recall only the 10th and 11th were supposed ot be condo, but things changed quickly as the sales took off. The spaces were picked in order of when you closed. We were one of a group of 4 units were the first to close so needless to say we have a great space.

^phase 4

 

Thanks.  So why are we talking about this in phase five thread? 

^phase 4

 

Thanks.  So why are we talking about this in phase five thread? 

 

I'm thinking we can just start calling this the stonebridge thread?

 

^phase 4

 

Thanks.  So why are we talking about this in phase five thread? 

 

I'm thinking we can just start calling this the stonebridge thread?

 

 

Not a problem.  I was confused by the phase and the posted article.  I just don't want someone else to be confused about which phase the parking is in or affects.

 

If there was a place for accuracy, its urban ohio.

 

Pope, can all the stonebridge threads be merged?

I agree with MayDay and LovesIt.  How pathetic that the PD chose this as the front page story.  Seriously!  No wonder thousands and thousands of people are so pessimistic about Cleveland...What a sorry excuse for a cow town newspaper!  Let's make sure that there are 17 pages of car ads and 3 sentences (if we're lucky) about Sudan... :roll:

 

Pope, can all the stonebridge threads be merged?

 

we have more than one?

We do have this one...which is where the Phase 4 news should have went...

 

Cleveland: Flats WEST Bank megaproject

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=9195.150

^That's actually a thread for discussion of phases 6-12 I think, but after it got started, most of the discussion about future phases ended up being in this thread anyway.

^Jacobs owns those lots and he's still hoping to put a casino there someday.

 

They're also trying to find legal loopholes. If an Indian tribe (like the Shawnee which were relocated from Ohio to Oklahoma) claim the area as a native soil and the U.S. Department of the Interior agrees with them, then the Ohio law banning casinos is trumped by federal supremacy. The Powerhouse in the Flats isn't far from where an Indian burial mound once stood, and the Shawnee can petition the area as essential for its livelihood, though federal law specifies things like fishing or farming. But that same federal law has allowed the Shawnee and other Indian tribes to successfully petition the Dept. of the Interior for land rights that ultimately resulted in the construction of casinos.

Okay folks - sorry, but now I have to clean up this thread - so say goodbye to all the gambling/World Trade Center posts and...

 

Any one how does the harbor inn property positioned within this developent. I know the owner would sell for 1 million dollars. 8-) :drunk:

Would he really?

Thats what I heard last time. . :mrgreen:

Whats going on with the condos? Why are they not yet finished? Are they having a problem selling units? Thanks!

Whats going on with the condos? Why are they not yet finished? Are they having a problem selling units? Thanks!

 

What (Which phase) are you talking about? The current phase is nearing completion and there are a few phases already complete.

I am referring to the glass house building-the one with the wavy blue roof. I walked by it earlier tonight and it did not seem as if much progress has been made for awhile. Additionally, I am curious about the occupancy rate. Thanks.

Whats going on with the condos? Why are they not yet finished? Are they having a problem selling units? Thanks!

 

My two cents (sorry MTS :)) is that this is the highest profile development these guys have going right now.  Even if presales are going slow, they would still push ahead with completion.  If they were short of cash, I am sure thier suburban projects would get the short end of the stick

I've been told they will be completed sometime in September now. Additionally, nearly half the units are sold (the last time I asked, anyways). I don't think that's too bad, considering not one unit is completely finished and in move-in condition.

1/2 of the units are sold? That's pretty good. Hopefully they can soon after get started on the next phase.

Well... I was told 45 units had been sold, and that was about a month ago. Out of 108 total, of course.

 

They also mentioned that they had been selling, on average, 2-3 units per week over the summer. No clue what the actual number is now.

Well... I was told 45 units had been sold, and that was about a month ago. Out of 108 total, of course.

 

They also mentioned that they had been selling, on average, 2-3 units per week over the summer. No clue what the actual number is now.

 

Just curious, but why did you ask how they were selling if you already knew how many were sold?

Well... I was told 45 units had been sold, and that was about a month ago. Out of 108 total, of course.

 

They also mentioned that they had been selling, on average, 2-3 units per week over the summer. No clue what the actual number is now.

 

Just curious, but why did you ask how they were selling if you already knew how many were sold?

 

I thought shuli asked for sales information?

Whats going on with the condos? Why are they not yet finished? Are they having a problem selling units? Thanks!

I think there has been misunderstandings  in what is reported sold...I would pick up an info sheet and see what is sold vs. on "hold" or "reserved" to truly answer your question. There is a big difference between a sale that is all but closed short of transfer vs a reservation.  Also not all floors are for sale...apartments are planned on lower floors so I am guessing the building should only need a certain percentage of sales on the condo floors (I think 7 and above if I am correct) .  Despite the city telling the public  about how positive the The Blue Light District proposal is for a neighborhood, people buying $300,000 condos a stones throw away are not seeing it that way...ask any realtor other than the ones trying to sell in the building..or better yet ask yourself.

Thank you everyone for the great information! This is the best forum :lol:

3231, I'm sure we don't have the "worst " paper but putting things into perspective, what is Cleveland, what was Cleveland, and what do we want Cleveland to become?  I don't know about you but I think we should have higher aspirations than what Detroit, Memphis, or Nashville are doing.  Cleveland's so concerned about Columbus, Pittsburgh, Indy, etc...Why don't we set our standards higher like Chicago, Toronto, Boston, or CLEVELAND 60 +/- years ago?!?!?! You know, the 6th City!  No more of this, "Well at least we're better than Detroitbusburgh."  We're not trying to be copycats but we need to have higher standards if we want this city to be what we all know it can be!

Why don't we set our standards higher like Chicago, Toronto, Boston, or CLEVELAND 60 +/- years ago?!?!?! You know, the 6th City!  No more of this, "Well at least we're better than Detroitbusburgh."  We're not trying to be copycats but we need to have higher standards if we want this city to be what we all know it can be!

 

You know, that's a great idea!

Folks, it's one thing to reference a newspaper in a thread but can we please save those posts for the UrbanBar? This discussion has sprouted up in too many threads to count and we need to keep things tidy and on topic. Thanks! :-)