I know we have a separate thread for the completed portion - this addresses the proposed office structure near the former Cantina Del Rio/Carnivale building. And note the change from office to residential!

 

The rendering for the original office project - I imagine it will change with the residential switch:

 

Stonebridge expansion in the works for West Bank

 

By STAN BULLARD

June 20. 2005 6:01AM

 

No link for article

12 Stories.  The westbank is starting to get it's own skyline now!

SWEEEEEET!!!

awesome!  ya know, whenever theres an event at spaces gallery theres always the couple from strongsville asking us about "those luxury condos across the street."  they're quite impressive at street level, im excited to see what these new ones will look like. 

I keep hearing that Stonebridge is getting a bad wrap however.  I guess the walls are paper thin and the condo's are kind of chintzy.  Anyone else hear this?

Fabulous.  Soon this section of the west bank will have it on "neighborhood" name.

 

I say keep the good news coming and building cranes going UP!!!

 

 

I ate dinner at Ponte Vecchio, the restraunt off of the viaduct and I really enjoyed the use of the old brige and deck.  Stonebridge wraps around both sides of the bridge.  I can't tell how 'chintzy' they are inside...but I did not like the use of the sheet metal type siding on parts of the exterior.  The phase 5 project sounds much more upscale. 

Criticisms aside, it is a remarkable thing to see housing on this scale at that location and it's a pleasure to see the old viaduct being used.

Bodes well for the Wolstien project also.

I think they need to build a bridge directly accross the river to connect with St Clair.  This would help to connect the West Bank with dt. 

Sooner,

 

I agree about the sheet metal.  That will look bad in a few years.  I doubt it will hold up well against the weather.

I'm a little worried that at 12 stories it will be a little overbearing for that area.  Seems to me that what makes the Flats unique is the fine scale of development.  On the other hand, who can argue with 110 new downtown condos?

psyched about this and about the potential mixture of uses.  incorporating space for retail and offices can only help this mini-neighborhood within a neighborhood flourish...

 

on the other hand, if the whole thing looks like junk in 5 years because of shoddy materials and construction, then this could all come back to bite us in the ass...

When its all done, about how many people will be living in the "stonebridge neighborhood"?

Cleveland is doing a pretty good job attracting investment.

Punch, it sounds like Phase I-IV had 90 condos and 200 rentals.  Phase V adds another 110 for a total of 400 units.  The population in downtown condos is heavily weighted towards singles and couples, so we're talking most likely somewhere around 1.5 people/household.  That's a guess- and it could be a better guess if we knew the mix of bedroom counts in the units.  Anyway, do the math and it comes out to something like 600 people.  Five-hundred to seven-hundred to be safe

Thanks, just curious.

Up to now, the Stonebridge development is following a logical path by hugging the stone bridge.  It will be interesting to see what they do next, they are pretty much out of stone bridge properties to build on.  I would hope that they begin to build housing that hugs some of the streets that descend down from St. Malachi's.  I think it would be cool to see some townhomes there, ala San Francisco. Hopefully the taller buildings would be closer to the top of the hill as this would provide more units with good views. 

I wonder if the developers have an extensive long term plan for this area?  It really could become a great neighborhood if there is enough density.  The greatest hindrance would be the continuing industrial traffic and Jacobs' hopes for a casino.  I know that he will not do anything with all his Powerhouse surface parking until he is convinced that he won't be able to build a casino there.  But, he could use all that land to build a mixed-use project that has an extensive riverfront connection (like the east bank). 

"I keep hearing that Stonebridge is getting a bad wrap however.  I guess the walls are paper thin and the condo's are kind of chintzy"

 

I haven't heard any complaints from my friend who moved in recently. Sure, he had a small list of minor things that needed fixed but nothing more than you'd have with a new house anywhere.

 

The only time I heard about the construction quality was a single post on cleveland.com's forum which was *allegedly* made by someone who worked on the project. I say *allegedly* because whoever it was didn't say their name, or in what capacity they worked on the project. I don't know that I blame them, because saying such things could constitute libel.

yeah, lots of us could say, "I hear from this guy who met one of the construction workers who said 'blah blah blah,'"  but I guess we'll really just have to wait and see from the people who live there!

 

Personally, I'm thrilled about the whole thing, for the simple fact that it's a really cool development that focuses attention on a central location with a lot of history and a great view of the future.  I would never have had this vision, so the fact that there are people in Cleveland with their hands on money and development know-how who are thinking so progressively is just wonderful!

More housing units in works for Flats

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Christopher Montgomery

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

The Stonebridge residential development on the west bank of Cleveland's Flats is going to get bigger next year. Willoughby-based K & D Group Inc., the project's developer, plans to spend $28 million to build a residential and office building next to the former Cantina del Rio restaurant.

 

The 12-story residential building, at the corner of Elm Street and Washington Avenue, will house 110 units, split evenly between apartments and condominiums, said Doug Price, K & D's chief executive. It will have a glass facade and an atrium that runs up the center, connecting it to the Cantina building, which will be adapted for retail use.

 

The five-story, 25,000- square-foot office building, to be built at 2020 Center St. on the southern side of the Cantina building, will have five premium for-sale units on its top floors priced upwards of $650,000. Condo prices in the residential building will start at $175,000 and average about $325,000. Construction is expected to start this September and last about a year.

 

Read More...

Awesome!  I agree 100%...mixture of uses, with emphasis on the strong market pull from housing right now, spells success!  This is really great...and the addition of amenities retail in the old Cantina (I think we should just call it the Cantina, a la Star Wars) will help to solidify the Stonebridge development's convenience factor.  It's already pretty close to West 25th/Market Square and of course, Downtown, but now it'll have its own little retail cluster as well!

 

And only a year-and-a-half away?  Great!  Keep the construction cranes in the neighborhood...we'll need 'em!

I love how Stonebridge just came together.  There was really no news about this large developement 7 years ago.  No huge master plan posted all over the Plain Dealer and all over the news.  It seems like those kind of projects are just set up to fail.  Stonebride really phased in slowly as demand continued to rise and word of mouth got out.  One building here and one building there.  They started small and it all came together.  Now look what they have, a large developement that on paper looks like a really cool master plan.  If they built this all at once 7 years ago, I don't think the success would have nearly been the same. 

K&D seems to be very pragmatic with thier goals.  They are also doing a development in Euclid along the lake which now is double the size they originally proposed two years ago, because of demand.

This goes to show how important marketing and management are.  If you have those (which K&D does- as that is what they're known for), then it will drive your ability to fill units and justify building more.

 

Just so I am clear, there are going to be two new buildings going up- 12 and 5 stories, plus the existing rehabbed Cantina?  I am trying to understand the site plan for all of this- how it is all fitting on that one lot.

X, that's what it sounds like to me.  I am curious to see the designs.  All glass?

There is alos a rendering of it on the Crains website. It looks really nice!! This is a different article then was posted earlier this week.

 

 

Plans for $28 million expansion of Stonebridge Plaza unveiled

Photo credit: STAN BULLARD

By ALLISON WOOD

July 01. 2005 3:05PM

 

Plans for a $28 million expansion of the Stonebridge Plaza, which will include a 12-story, 110-unit glass-walled residential building attached to the one-time home of the Cantina Del Rio restaurant on the West Bank of the Flats, were unveiled today.

 

Located on the intersection of Center Street and Washington Avenue, the proposed building will have 50 rental units and 60 condos with a 12-story atrium in the middle, said Doug Price, president and CEO of K&D Development.

 

The former Cantina Del Rio building will be renovated and will include neighborhood-oriented retail shops to service residents, he said. Existing additions to the original building will be demolished for the project.

 

Read More...

Three more phases, including townhomes on the Cuyahoga?????  Wow this is superb news to be sure.

I want to see more, but this is great for now!

see what happens when you build public spaces like the Superior Viaduct Park???  Investment just booms!  I'm really interested to see these townhomes on the Cuyahoga, too!  As much as I'd love for the whole thing to be publicly accessible, the thought of having buildings hugging the river, a la Venice, is so charming!  I think San Antonio's Riverwalk is one of the best American versions of this type of thing and it has lots of public space... 

 

Keep on keepin on Mr. Price!

I absolutely love the design of this building.  It is not boxy and it just has an urban feel to it.  Wonder how it will look up against Stonbridges phase one and two.

Could someone super-impose that on to existing pictures we have of Stonebridge right now.

wow how lovely!  more phases to come??  this is great

Very nice look to those buildings.  I'm wondering how much they will obstruct the views for the existing units and the restaurant.  Where would the townhouses be located?

mgd, i dk if you are aware of this but ohio has its own mini-version of venice: the deco-era lagoons development in vermilion-ha!

 

seriously, it is beautiful and here is a little info:

 

History

The Lagoons

Louis Wells, a Cleveland contractor, began the Vermilion Lagoons project as a means of keeping his men busy during the Great Depression of the 1930s. By 1931 the first house and the beach house had been built and the lagoons were dredged and most of the wooden piling secured.

 

The first house was located just to the south and west of the beach house on the Erie Lagoon and belonged to a Mr. Comstock, a real estate salesman and employee of Wells Realty Company.

 

A "building boom" took place in the mid 1930s and by 1940 all of the houses on Anchorage Way, at least one house on Willow Lane, and most of the houses on the portion of Portage Drive located on the north side of the Erie Lagoon had been constructed. The first year-round residents, the Lester Kishman family, moved into their new home in April of 1937.

 

The Lagoons was not mostly permanent residents until the 1950s. Another "building boom" began during this period and it was at this time that Park Drive, the last road to be developed, experienced growth.

 

To the townspeople of Vermilion, the people of the Lagoons were often known as "swamp dwellers" or "swamp rats." They were also thought to be slightly crazy for wanting to live so close to the water. At times, this has indeed meant being in the water rather than by the water.

 

Along with the residential development came the recreational in the form of the Vermilion Yacht Club. Mr. Wells deeded the land on the tip and south side of Anchorage Way to the Yacht Club with one stipulation - no alcoholic beverages could be served or sold on the premises of the club itself. The originators of the Vermilion Yacht Club were all former members of the Cleveland Yacht Club seeking a more secluded anchorage.

 

Besides the obviously great boat dockage and the beach on the Lake, the uniqueness of the Lagoons is in the uniformity of the architecture of all buildings found there. The charm of Cape Cod homes, all white with dark roofs and shutters, amid trees (mostly all willows in the beginning) and fronting on lagoons is undeniable and gives to the Vermilion Lagoons its own inimitable flavor.

 

--Carla Widdowson

 

(Note: This material is published in Sesquicentennial Vermilion, Ohio 1837 - 1987. Many more stories, pictures and memories are available in this booklet, which may be purchased at many of the local shops.)

 

City of Mentor has a lagoons on lake erie that was made with the same idea in mind, but it was the depression that killed it from happening, so it has no houses

I've seen the Mentor one while scanning NE Ohio on Google Maps aerial photo mode...  are either of these worth a visit or are they much more alluring in theory, but not in reality?

 

either way, we're talking a much different scale and context here on the Cuyahoga, but I appreciate the info nonetheless!

The Vermillion lagoons are interesting to look at, and Vermillion itself is a nice town.  Kind of quaint, maritime New-England-like.  There isn't a ton to do there, but it would make a nice little stop on a North East/Central Ohio roadtrip.

Here is a good article I found in properties magazine.

 

New View: Condominiums at Stonebridge offers fresh perspective on Cleveland

By Nancy Loyan Schuemann

 

Stonebridge is more than downtown Cleveland's premier residential address. It is an exclusive neighborhood of luxury condominiums, restaurants, shops and entertainment. Stonebridge Partners, architect Bob Corna and developer Doug Price have turned their vision for the Flats into reality.

 

Beginning with a seven-story, 30-suite apartment building at the foot of the Swing Bridge, the development has expanded to include Stonebridge Center, the renovation of an historic brick building into offices and the Ponte Vechio restaurant. The latest entry is the Condominiums at Stonebridge.

 

Located on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River, next to the Old Superior Viaduct at 2222 Detroit Rd., the Condominiums at Stonebridge blend the ambiance of an historic neighborhood with the amenities of contemporary construction. Easily accessible from I-90 or I-71, Stonebridge is within walking distance of Ohio City with its West Side Market and the new Whiskey Island MetroPark.

 

Read More...

well mgd if vermilion and mentor don't float your boat for any comparison purposes, and i suggest you check them out when you can as both are very interesting. you can always look up the real venice in italy, the california venice, fort lauderdale, long island has them, etc. and check'em out. certainly cleveland's would look something like some parts of all those if it was ever built. i think maybe lorains new spitzer harborwalk is even more comparable to what could happen on the cuyahoga. aww well if it ever happens those are some preview sources.

Here's a rendering of Phase 5 (silver with blue roofs) from propertiesmag.com:

 

 

Looks like the new building will surround the Cantina building but leave plenty of it exposed if that makes any sense.

With the majority of their portfolio and investments in downtown Cleveland, I wonder how long until K&D move into town? I guess the same can be said for Marous Brothers.

excellent feature and a nice overhead shot as well... really helps pull the site and scale together. 

 

I rode my bike down the viaduct the other day and aside from being immensely disappointed in the viaduct level frontage of the new condo tower, I was very pleased with the overall scale of the development (phases 1-4) and how it will serve to bring this area alive.  I also did my usual "gazing wistfully over the northern railing" at the sea of parking lots that make up the majority of the rest of the inner west bank and just let my imagination go.  It's amazing what potential there is! 

 

Phase 5 will be an excellent start to get the momentum going for the rest of the neighborhood...

Why are they making the new building look so different from the rest of these buildings?  Won't that disrupt the continuity?

I think they might actually want that, Lindsh - when you have such a large group of buildings that's creating an instant (well, over the course of a few years) neighborhood there's a danger in keeping everything the same and things can look monotonous.

 

Also, it's going to envelope quite a bit of the former Cantina building - I would hate to see them try to blend or match the brick veneer with the historic brick facade of the Cantina structure. That would look pretty bad because as good as the veneer looks, it's not old-school brick. The contrasting steel/glass next to the Cantina will make thing interesting at least.

 

wow that is cool looking --- thx for finding and posting the rendering!

Good points, Mayday.

 

It would look pretty bad to try and match the brick with the Cantina. 

 

I like the quote at the end of the article.  It sure provides some hope for the future.  I wonder where there next ventures will go.

Why are they making the new building look so different from the rest of these buildings?  Won't that disrupt the continuity?

 

I agree with both Lindsh and MayDay. 

 

Lindsh, I agree that having continuity on both sides of that bridge is important for this project as a whole. 

 

Mayday, I can definitely see how attempting to match the new building's brick to the cantina's brick would be a bad move. 

 

I think it would be best to make this building similar in brick color to the other buildings they've built alongside the bridge.  I don't think glass is appropriate for a project that has enveloped this old bridge in an otherwise consistent manner.  Remember, the bridge is the key element for this site.  The view from the top of the bridge would certainly cease to be symmetric if the glass building went up.  You'd have a nice frame of brick buildings pierced by a glass monster on one side.  After this new building is built though, I would strong recommend that the remaining parking lots visible in the rendering be built with variety in mind (ie more glass and steel). 

 

 

As you may recall, the developers were going with more glass on this new building so as to be less disruptive of the views.  It will be interesting how they incorporate the old cantina bldg and somehow relate to the phase I-IV buildings. 

Although I agree with Mayday re. the monotony of a single style, I don't want to see something that is too totally out of context with the rest of the project.  Somehow they must tie all these aspects together...architectually.

i think they could do a nice contrast though as well.  where it "fits" because it doesnt "fit".  the glass vs brick look could make a much more interesting feel to the place. 

I'm less worried about color and contrast at this point...I'm more concerned about faux-facades.  There are patches of the false brick facade already coming off of the earlier phases, so I hope they can up the ante a little for phase 5 and really go for high quality stuff.  The interiors of the existing buildings may be high quality (I don't know, I've never been inside), but the exteriors leave a lot to be desired.

 

on a side note...I know I've complained a lot about the absence of ground floor retail in the newer buildings both on the viaduct and river levels...and I still am disappointed, but there are several "for lease" signs in older buildings around the viaduct and no one seems to be filling them up...so what needs to happen to convice retailers to get in on the act???  Is the restaurant doing well?  Is there programming on the park end of the viaduct?  Are people moving into the apartments?  curious...