Geis nears halfway mark at The 9 in downtown Cleveland as financing jells (gallery)

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The transformation of the former Ameritrust complex into apartments, a hotel, offices and a grocery store is approaching the halfway mark. But the developers behind the downtown Cleveland project didn't start closing on their intricate financing package -- to pay for that work -- until Friday.

 

For months, construction crews have been running two shifts at the buildings, at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. Now the Geis Cos. of Streetsboro expect to add a third shift to ensure that the $170 million redevelopment is completed in less time than it takes many other downtown rehabilitation deals to get moving.

 

The apartments, 194 of them between two buildings, are scheduled to open in August. More than 250 people have called about the units or inquired online, and showings at four models will start this week. The 156-room Metropolitan hotel will be finished in September. And developers Fred and Greg Geis expect the final piece -- a Heinen's Fine Foods store in the historic Cleveland Trust Rotunda -- to debut in February of 2015.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/03/geis_nears_halfway_mark_at_the.html

 

And developers Fred and Greg Geis expect the final piece -- a Heinen's Fine Foods store in the historic Cleveland Trust Rotunda -- to debut in February of 2015.

 

 

2015 now? That's a huge bummer!

"jells"?

February 2015 is 11 months out.  Considering it's such a significantly different use than a bank, I'm not sure this should really be a surprise.

February 2015 is 11 months out.  Considering it's such a significantly different use than a bank, I'm not sure this should really be a surprise.

 

I was thinking the same thing...For the impact this is going to have on downtown I can live with 11 months. Who knows..maybe they'll be ahead of schedule.

Feb. 2015 doesn't seem unreasonable.  They're saying the 194 apartments will be open by August 2014 ... Frankly, I'm stupefied that such a massive project is being completed so quickly.

Feb. 2015 doesn't seem unreasonable.  They're saying the 194 apartments will be open by August 2014 ... Frankly, I'm stupefied that such a massive project is being completed so quickly.

 

ditto. its completely reasonable. even better considering the enormity of the redevelopment project.

Feb. 2015 doesn't seem unreasonable.  They're saying the 194 apartments will be open by August 2014 ... Frankly, I'm stupefied that such a massive project is being completed so quickly.

 

Well they are running two shifts plus a third may be added.  That's working overtime alright.

Metropolitan hotel sets September opening, lines up downtown Cleveland management team

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Preparing for the September opening of the Metropolitan hotel on East Ninth Street, Greenwood Hospitality Group has hired a management team for the 156-room property.

 

The hotel will occupy the lower floors of the former Ameritrust tower, part of a redevelopment project now called The 9. The $170 million undertaking also includes 194 apartments, a Heinen's Fine Foods grocery store, offices, event spaces and restaurants. The Geis Cos. of Streetsboro are remaking the complex, at East Ninth and Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland, and are constructing Cuyahoga County's new headquarters offices next door.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/03/metropolitan_hotel_sets_septem.html

"jells"?

 

Per Merriam-Webster:  "to take shape and achieve distinctness :  become cohesive."

 

Sometimes I get tired of using the same words over and over.

 

Michelle

I never get tired of your detailed and high quality coverage of these projects - thank you!

Yes Michelle, thanks for great reporting. You put the "Cleveland" back in Plain Dealer that was missing for a while (and not just on the masthead).

It's impressive and appreciated how engaged Michelle is with this forum.  You don't see that as much with the others at the PD.

Ditto.  Also, I enjoyed her retort about "jells", since I actually never realized that was the preferred spelling when used as she did.

^I would've presumed 'gels' was the verb to use.  I've learned something new today. 

^I would've presumed 'gels' was the verb to use.  I've learned something new today. 

 

They both can mean the same thing, but jells seems to be preferred when used how she did.  I would have assumed "gels" as well.

Jell on back to the topic, folks!

With the windows starting to be put into Schofield, are there or were there plans to replace the Breuer Tower windows?

I just got Jarboed!

 

I had never seen that word/usage in print before.

 

I humbly stand corrected :)  Now back to topic!

 

max

The Metropolitan will not get new Windows.

I can wait the 11 more months, too, for the Heinen's.  However, they had some idea what the project entails when somewhat earlier dates were given, like at least as early as October of this year.  Considering the whole Rotunda building, they've said over the years, has been fairly well maintained, and major architectural features are supposed to be maintained, I'm not that impressed such a huge amount of work has to go into making it into a supermarket.  What astounds me in its enormousness is the work required to go into construction - and then all the furnishing - of the County Administration Building this very year.  Now that's impressive!  Like the location, so far away from our other governmental buildings, is kinda dumb, it's kinda dumb the timing has been such that there's this big gap between the closing of all the offices in the former County Administration Building and the big move to the new building.  I realize the hotel people are in a rush to get going, and I'm thrilled about that, but the lack of coordination here gives so much extra work for so many....  Also, of course, all that's going on with the Breuer Tower is extremely admirable in taking place in such a short time.

^That's assuming there will be construction in/for the supermarket from now until early 2015. That assumption is incorrect.

Some photos from today......

 

 

Has everyone noticed how the panels in the horizontal strips along East Ninth Street change from dark green to lighter-tone green?  I didn't see this in the rendering?  It's supposed to create visual interest?  Could the panel colors not be final yet?

Panel colors are final.

The County Headquarters design misses its mark on so many levels for this site  All the surrounding buildings have details which express a verticality and yet the design does everything to fight this. The slight setback for the skywalk  could have had one color of glass to help .  This design is suited for a suburban industrial park.

The County Headquarters design ..... This design is suited for a suburban industrial park.

 

Before Geis started their recent foray into downtown and midtown, the company focused on developing suburban industrial parks for a couple of decades.

I'm sure a big part of the determination on which developer/site was selected for the new county headquarters was cost. After the controversal purchase of the Ameritrust complex and the high cost of the juvenile justice center, the county probably knew it would not be wise to build anything too extravagant. There was not much room to spring for a better civic building as previous officials had already wasted that money on prior deals that soured the public. I do not want to suggest that a developer other than Geis might have not been able to pull off a better design, but I do believe that the design was likely limited by cost concerns.

I'm sure a big part of the determination on which developer/site was selected for the new county headquarters was cost. After the controversal purchase of the Ameritrust complex and the high cost of the juvenile justice center, the county probably knew it would not be wise to build anything too extravagant. There was not much room to spring for a better civic building as previous officials had already wasted that money on prior deals that soured the public. I do not want to suggest that a developer other than Geis might have not been able to pull off a better design, but I do believe that the design was likely limited by cost concerns.

 

Anyone who remembers the inverted pyramid concept should be happy with how this turned out.

The County Headquarters design misses its mark on so many levels for this site  All the surrounding buildings have details which express a verticality and yet the design does everything to fight this. The slight setback for the skywalk  could have had one color of glass to help .  This design is suited for a suburban industrial park.

 

I'm not saying I'm in love with the design, but new buildings should be a product of their time, not try to emulate every detail of the surrounding buildings....imho.

I'm sure a big part of the determination on which developer/site was selected for the new county headquarters was cost. After the controversal purchase of the Ameritrust complex and the high cost of the juvenile justice center, the county probably knew it would not be wise to build anything too extravagant. There was not much room to spring for a better civic building as previous officials had already wasted that money on prior deals that soured the public. I do not want to suggest that a developer other than Geis might have not been able to pull off a better design, but I do believe that the design was likely limited by cost concerns.

 

Anyone who remembers the inverted pyramid concept should be happy with how this turned out.

 

What you talking 'bout Surf, the pyramid thingy was awesome!

^ yeah at least that would be sort of noteworthy, unlike the total capitulation to conservatism. oh well, it looks better than i expected. i dont take gov bldg architecture or lack of it too seriously anyway. much better than what was there so its a positive.

What you talking 'bout Surf, the pyramid thingy was awesome!

 

Ugh! It looks like a circa 1985 chandelier that was stolen from the Galleria!

I noticed a worker power washing the Euclid side of the Rotunda last night

The County Headquarters design ..... This design is suited for a suburban industrial park.

 

Before Geis started their recent foray into downtown and midtown, the company focused on developing suburban industrial parks for a couple of decades.

 

Geis is not the designer however, they are the Contractor in charge of the project.

City Planning Commission

Agenda for April 4, 2014

 

Ordinance No. 338-14(Ward 3/Councilmember Cimperman): Authorizing the Director of the Mayor's Office of Capital Projects to issue a permit to Geis Tower Hotel Master Landlord, LLC to encroach into the public right-of-way of East 9th  Street and Euclid Avenue by installing, using, and maintaining a valet zone, canopy and snow melt system.

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2014/04042014/index.php

The top of the building looks like it was sanded before paint job. Hopefully there will be a paint job! The rest of the building looks pretty clean.

Not paint - it's a black granite finish, so I'll bet it looks dull from the recent cleaning.  A Good polishing will look amazing, and be much more maintenance free than any type of painted coating.

Painting. Polishing. Whatever it takes.

The Power of Color Enhancing Sealer on Stone

 

"Color Enhancing Sealer's are one of the tricks of our trade.

What is Color Enhancing Sealer?  It is a no-sheen penetrating sealer that is formulated to darken, enrich and highlight natural stone.  It rejuvenates the color and improves the appearance of worn or weathered stone.

We use it all the time when we do a Honed Finish on natural stone.  The Honed Finish can lighten up the color of the stone.  Some people like the lighter look, but generally we'll put the Enhancing Sealer on it to bring the color back out.

 

Here's an example of Absolute Black granite that we put a Honed Finish on.. As you can see, when we honed it the stone went grey.  The left side of the picture is Honed Absolute Black without any sealer.  On the right side I put a coat of Enrich 'N' Seal on it.  Huge difference right? "[/size]

 

SOURCE: GraniteGurus.com[/size]

I've gotta say, the new county building is growing on me. I still don't like it, but I don't hate it.

Your photos are totally gorgeous, Mayday.

^Thank you, much appreciated.  :-) Now that the weather has improved, I'm hoping to get out and about on a regular basis. Forgot to post this view of the county building from Huron. As others have said, it's not great architecture by any stretch but it works and isn't an eyesore:

 

The more I look at it, the more I think someone must have said, "Could you give us the Seidman Cancer Center but make it look, you know, normal?" :D

 

Have to agree; not a show-stopper, but outside of the atrocious gerbil tube, it at least seems height appropriate and non-beige ... A 2013 government building could be a LOT worse :)

hmmm... is that new paint on the skywalk i see? granted the whole concept is bothersome, but the decrepit state its in has been almost embarrassing

hmmm... is that new paint on the skywalk i see? granted the whole concept is bothersome, but the decrepit state its in has been almost embarrassing

 

That was a "test area" to prove they could use the existing skywalk. I really hope they complete that soon because it looks pretty ridiculous... Speaking of which, I noticed on each of the corners of the parking garage there are groups of conduit and wiring. Are they putting something on the outside?

hmmm... is that new paint on the skywalk i see? granted the whole concept is bothersome, but the decrepit state its in has been almost embarrassing

 

That little segment of the skywalk was done last year as a test when they started construction.

ahh thank you. never noticed it before  :-D