Playhouse Square to write Act II to The Lumen

Soaring nearly 400 feet above Euclid Avenue in downtown
Cleveland, The Lumen is the tallest residential building in
Ohio. The 318 apartments leased out in less than two years
despite the pandemic and civil unrest. Now stabilized, the
building will reportedly be sold so that Playhouse Square
Foundation can pursue an encore building (Ian Meadows).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Talk about bad timing. Building tours for potential tenants of The Lumen — the largest new residential development in downtown Cleveland in 40 years — began in early March 2020. Less than two weeks later, the nation had gone into a virtual economic shutdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two and a half months after that, protests and riots following the murder of George Floyd swept the nation and downtown Cleveland was not spared.

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Lakewood Spitzer site sold, groundbreaking this year

This view looking east at the south side of Detroit Avenue, east of Bunts
Road in Lakewood, shows what the former Spitzer car dealership and
Educators Music sites could look like by the end of 2023. Those pro-
perties sold last week to a developer that wants to construct apart-
ments and a small ground-floor retail space (Solove).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Construction is due to start later this year on the first of two mixed-use developments on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood by a Columbus-based real estate firm. Solove Real Estate has weathered several significant challenges to get this far with one of its two proposed developments in Lakewood, with the other reportedly not far behind. Combined, the two projects represent a $43 million investment in the community.

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Busy Old Brooklyn corner ID’d for redevelopment

At the northwest corner of Pearl and Memphis roads in the heart of Old
Brooklyn are several neglected, historic structures that would be replaced
with a mixed-use development. The St. Luke United Church of Christ and
the Greenline buildings will be demolished if financing is secured for
affordable apartments and ground-floor commercial spaces at this
location (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Financing could be secured this spring for the redevelopment of the northwest corner of Pearl and Memphis in the heart of Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood. But a casualty of the investment would be the 119-year-old St. Luke United Church of Christ (UCC), 4216 Pearl and the Greenline commercial structures, 3426-34 Memphis, that range from 80-110 years old.

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TMUDs – taking more time

State officials said they need more time to decide which projects around
Ohio will win up to $100 million in tax credits from the new Transfor-
mational Mixed Use Developments program (LOC).
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It’s going to be a little while longer before the developers of 42 projects, many of them megaprojects, across the state learn whether their project is going to win a golden ticket and get a big step closer to their own groundbreaking ceremony.

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Downtown lakefront development may depend on removing the Shoreway

Haslam Sports Group, owners of the Cleveland Browns, seek construction
of this landbridge and conversion of the Shoreway into a boulevard to bet-
ter connect downtown with the lakefront. That and inclusion of a multi-
modal transportation center within the landbridge would support develop-
ment of the lakefront with public spaces, housing, hotels, offices, shops
 and restaurants (AoDK). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

The fate of lakefront development in Cleveland appears to depend on whether local, regional and state policymakers want more traffic and for it to pass through downtown quickly or to have less traffic and for it to travel into the central business district more slowly.

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200 Public Square to get major updates, new amenities

Downtown Cleveland’s third-tallest building, 200 Public Square, is
facing multiple challenges in the 2020s. The owner of the building
is taking those challenges head-on by pumping millions of dollars
worth of improvements into the building so it can better compete
for tenants (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

The pandemic, remote working, tenant downsizing and a flight to quality are challenges facing New York City-based DRA Advisors. In downtown Cleveland, they are fighting those challenges with a 37-year-old skyscraper, 200 Public Square.

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Downtown Gateway megaproject coming to light

This unofficial massing requested by NEOtrans shows the scale of a
potential Gateway District megaproject. The Bedrock Real Estate
portion alone (portrayed here by the two grayish-blue towers at left)
was described by sources as being larger than what was proposed
for nuCLEus. That doesn’t include the Harris-Blitzer Sports & En-
tertainment portion which could feature an apartment tower, seen
beyond the right field wall of Progressive Field (foreground).
This view looks north from Interstate 90 with Ontario Street
at left and East 9th Street at right (Ian McDaniel).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Although the now-dead nuCLEus plan enticed us with its promise of a large-scale project for seven years, there are growing indications that a potential megaproject in downtown Cleveland’s Gateway District could be even larger. And hopefully it won’t tease Clevelanders for as long only to reach an unsatisfactory conclusion.

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Aging Shaker Square apartment complexes bought

Two eight-story apartment complexes just west of Cleveland’s Shaker
Square and across Shaker Boulevard from each  other were purchased
last week by a Chicago-area investor that typically invests in its pro-
perties to add value to them. One property is The Vista At Shaker
Square seen at far-right and the Shaker North Apartments seen in
the distance at far-left. This August 2021 view is looking east
along Shaker Boulevard toward Shaker Square (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Last week, a large, Chicago-area investment firm that reinvigorates multi-family properties acquired two aging, mid-rise apartment complexes on Shaker Boulevard just west of Cleveland’s Shaker Square for $12.4 million, according to public records. The buyer, AMG Realty Group of Skokie, IL, typically looks for faded, undervalued properties so it can update them and improve their management to boost occupancy and then re-sell them.

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Geis doubling its development activity in Hough

This is one of two 42-unit apartment buildings that Geis Companies
wants to build in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood. The building
 shown above is proposed to be built at 1830 E. 82nd St., just south
of the parking lot for the Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health
Center that’s located on Hough Avenue (GLSD).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

With development activity increasing in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, one of Greater Cleveland’s largest real estate developers is doubling down on its bet that this community has a bright future. It’s a sharp change in fortune for a neighborhood that investors and developers had avoided for decades.

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Seeds & Sprouts XXI – Sweeties Candy, miraculous 86th & Scholar House

This is the Twenty-First edition of Seeds & Sprouts – Early intelligence on Cleveland-area real estate projects. Because these projects are very early in their process of development or just a long-range plan, a lot can and probably will change their final shape, use and outcome.

This former Denny’s restaurant on Brookpark Road will become part
of Sweeties Candy Co., seen next door at 6770 Brookpark. In an ex-
pansion plan, the closed restaurant will become a factory and a new
warehouse will be constructed behind it in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn
neighborhood (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

In this article:

Sweeties Candy expanding on Brookpark Road

A miracle on East 86th Street?

Scholar House to start construction by Spring

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Shaker Square apartments project revived

 

Several years ago, Paran Management Co. pursued a 135-unit apartment
building where the Van Aken Plaza now stands next to Shaker Square. This
was a conceptual rendering for it. Now, Paran Management is planning a
mixed-use development by keeping and renovating the curved office
 building and a small commercial structure at the intersection of
Shaker and Van Aken boulevards. Van Aken Plaza will still be
razed but for a slightly smaller apartment building (RDL).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Citing a lack of a modern apartments at Shaker Square, Paran Management Company Ltd. is reviving its plan for constructing a multi-family building next to the historic mixed-use neighborhood center. But the plans come with a new angle — preserving the historic office and commercial structures at the southwest corner of Shaker and Van Aken boulevards.

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New Casa d’Angolo design gets cool reception

Looking north from the bocce courts at Alta House, the Casa d’Angolo
condominiums would rise above Mayfield Road. This conceptual de-
sign received pushback from the City Landmarks Commission which
considered the building monolithic even though it is eight feet shorter
than the La Collina Apartments less than a block away (Maschke).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Conceptual plans for a proposed modern, five-story luxury condominium development called Casa d’Angolo, or “corner house “in Italian, were sent back to the drawing board by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission yesterday. The recommendation came despite a member of the development team predicting the condos would become a Little Italy landmark equal to that of the Holy Rosary Church.

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Gateway megaproject taking shape

In a massing made for NEOtrans, this unofficial view shows what
a pair of significant developments in downtown Cleveland’s Gate-
way District could look like on land sought by Bedrock Real Estate,
left, and the other by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, right.
Both are shown in a simplified massing with just one principal
tower for each site, although more than two towers total could
be built. They are intended to capitalize on the proximity of
the Gateway Sports & Entertainment Complex that includes
the recently renovated Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and
the to-be-renovated Progressive Field (Ian McDaniel).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert along with potential Cleveland Guardians’ minority owners, partners David Blitzer and Josh Harris, are reportedly joining forces on a huge, coordinated real estate development that would transform downtown Cleveland between its central business district and the Gateway sports facilities.

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Samsel Supply in Flats sells to developer

On Cleveland’s Flats East Bank, the two buildings at the right are only
a part of the Samsel Supply Co.’s properties on Old River Road it sold
to GBX Group LLC. But the red brick building is the largest of them,
and it may be expanded vertically to accommodate apartments atop,
with parking in the four floors above ground-floor retail and res-
taurants (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

In a few years, a group of 100- to 150-year-old Samsel Supply Co. buildings on both sides of Old River Road on downtown Cleveland’s Flats East Bank, could gain new life, according to several real estate sources. The reason is that Cleveland-based GBX Group LLC, doing business through several affiliates created for the ownership of these properties, acquired the five buildings and intends to redesign at least one of them — possibly significantly.

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Renovated 75 Public Square ready for residents

Following a $43 million renovation and conversion from an
office building, the 15-story 75 Public Square North began
receiving its first residential tenants two days before the end
of 2021 (all photos: Shawn Zbasnik, CleveCleveland Con-
struction Inc.). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

The 107-year-old 75 Public Square building began its third life two days before the end of 2021. In the coming weeks and months, as more tenants call it home, the building will become more lively and be “illuminated” once again. Two Cleveland-area companies helped this Classical Revival example of architecture get its third wind.

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League Park mixed-use development planned

Hough is seeing significant new investment thanks to several nearby economic
engines — University Circle/Cleveland, the growing Midtown innovation hub
and League Park where the Cleveland Spiders, Indians and Buckeyes
played pro baseball until 1950. In this northwest-looking aerial view,
League Park is to the right, the new Hough Branch of the Cleveland
Public Library is at lower left and a planned development centered
around the Baseball Heritage Museum is in between
(City Architecture). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

A $5.5 million mixed-use development in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood aims to capitalize on one of the neighborhood’s assets to restore some of the vibrancy it lost decades ago. It is building off of other developments that are underway and planned that promise to turn this recovering neighborhood into a stronger community.

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There’s much to look forward to in 2022

Currently downtown Cleveland’s biggest real estate development,
construction of the new Sherwin-Williams global headquarters is
already underway west of Public Square and will deliver the
fourth-tallest tower in the city. But it remains to be seen if
another project might soon challenge this HQ project (KJP).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

If you thought 2021 was busy real estate-wise, there is every indication that 2022 is going to be even busier. And it looks to start off big in January with announcements about what Cleveland-area projects will win the first round of Transformational Mixed Use Development tax credits. There are nine Greater Cleveland megaprojects that are TMUD applicants, so the fate of half of the projects in this list of what to watch out for in 2022 will depend heavily on which projects win TMUD credits and how much of their originally requested amount they will receive.

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NRP Group taking fresh look at Scranton Peninsula

NRP Group’s city-approved plan for The Peninsula in 2019 featured 330
apartments and 15 townhomes, with most of the townhouses used to screen
a two-level parking garage. This aerial graphic looks east at Scranton Pe-
ninsula with Carter Road and the Cuyahoga River at the bottom and the
curving Flats Industrial Railroad across the top (BKV).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Apartment developer NRP Group appears to have had a change of heart about its decision to walk away from developing on Scranton Peninsula near downtown Cleveland, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the company’s plans.

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