Park Place Tech to buy Progressive’s Alpha campus

View of Progressive Insurance’s Alpha Drive complex in October 2022 as
seen from Interstate 271. The complex is the subject of a purchase agree-
ment with Park Place Technologies which needed larger offices, a ware-
house and data center for its growing business (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Fast-growing Park Place Technologies, with nearly 500 employees in Greater Cleveland, has found a new, larger home after an extensive search that included expanding into a neighboring building or moving to downtown Cleveland. In fact, the property ultimately favored by the global data center and networking optimization firm matched the company’s requirements almost exactly. However, a title has yet to transfer to Park Place Technologies or any affiliates.

READ MORE

Major expansion of Fairview Hospital planned

Fairview Hospital’s North Campus, on the left, is where Cleveland Clinic
officials plan to expand the hospital’s medical and parking facilities, start-
ing by replacing its oldest structures across Lorain Avenue, at right. When
the older structures are replaced and demolished, new hospital facilities
will rise in their place (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In a significant project in Cleveland’s Kamm’s Corners neighborhood, a phased expansion of Cleveland Clinic’s Fairview Hospital, 18101 Lorain Ave., is in the works. The project is proposed to start by replacing older structures with new ones on the hospital’s North Campus. After those new structures are built, three groups of older structures on the South Campus will be demolished and their land redeveloped with future hospital facilities. The group of three structures are the seven-level Groveland Avenue parking garage, attached medical office buildings and, across Lorain Avenue at the North Campus, the Moll Cancer Pavilion.

READ MORE

Largest Hough development in a century

Taking up an entire city block, a redevelopment of the former Martin
Luther King Jr. High School property with 310 housing units, commercial
space and greenspace is further testament to the growth of University Circle-
area institutions and employment whose benefits are spilling over into Cleve-
land’s Hough neighborhood (LDA). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The largest planned, single development in a century is proposed for Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood by reutilizing the huge site of the closed Martin Luther King Jr. High School, 1651 E. 71st St. On that 11-acre property bounded by Hough and Lexington avenues plus East 71st and 73rd streets, 310 housing units and two divisible commercial spaces are planned as part of a neighborhood destination.

READ MORE

Canon, Cleveland Clinic form partnership

A potential landing spot for Canon Healthcare is the vacant but still-new
former IBM Explorys building at East 105th Street and Cedar Avenue.
The building is owned by Geis Companies and the land owned by
Cleveland Clinic. The site has been rumored to be of interest
by the newly established Canon Healthcare USA (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Global imaging giant Canon Inc. and the locally based yet global Cleveland Clinic Foundation today announced their intentions to form a strategic research partnership to develop imaging and healthcare information technologies to improve patient diagnosis, care and outcomes. The announcement, initiated by Canon, publicly reveals the first tangible development in nearly a year since the company said it had created a U.S. healthcare subsidiary Canon Healthcare USA Inc. and would locate its headquarters in Greater Cleveland.

READ MORE

Plaza sought atop Ohio City Red Line station

GCRTA and a private developer will seek funding for a bridge cap over the Red
Line transit tracks, station and greenway south of Abbey Avenue in Cleveland's
Ohio City neighborhood. This view looks southward from Abbey next to
Columbus Road (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) and a private developer will seek federal funding for a bridge cap over the Red Line transit tracks, West 25th Street train station and the Red Line Greenway to improve pedestrian connections to existing and future developments. GCRTA’s board on Tuesday will vote on a staff recommendation to authorize the pursuit of funds to plan for and construct the bridge cap to support a pedestrian plaza and provide a second stairwell/elevator entry, called a station head house, to the rail station below. GCRTA’s board typically approves staff recommendations.

READ MORE

Sherwin-Williams’ HQ2: how big?

In this unofficial rendering, an HQ2 structure that includes all of Sherwin-
Williams’ unaccommodated existing existing and future office and parking
needs on the northeast corner of Superior Avenue and West 6th Street
could require a significant skyscraper. These are the types of planning
options Sherwin-Williams will reportedly consider over the next year
(Ian McDaniel). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Just as NEOtrans was publishing breaking news Nov. 10 that Sherwin-Williams in 2024 would advance planning for the second phase of its headquarters, a trusted source responded with some remarkable data. That source provided employment data for Sherwin-Williams’ various office locations in Greater Cleveland and in Minneapolis which shows the company is dramatically expanding with new jobs that, if continued, shows the urgency in the company’s consideration of a second headquarters structure in downtown Cleveland, hereinafter referred to as HQ2. And based on that employment information and other insights, it is likely to be a significant structure or structures.

READ MORE

Input sought on Watterson-Lake development

A simplified conceptual rendering of how a proposed mixed-use development
could look on the former Watterson-Lake School site on Detroit Avenue between
West 74th and 75th streets in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. The graphics,
called a massing were presented at a recent community meeting to gather input
on how to refine the design. The term “axon” here refers a three-dimensional,
axonometric view (Stantec). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

At a recent community input meeting, a basic concept was revealed for redeveloping the former Watterson-Lake School site on Detroit Avenue, between West 74th and 75th streets in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. The design concept, called a massing, suggested a mixed-use, mixed-income development offering 112 apartments in a five-story building set back from Detroit, 12 rental townhomes, retail and small business incubator spaces fronting Detroit, plus community and park spaces.

READ MORE

CSU narrows finalists to develop Arena

Four firms were invited to submit proposals to Cleveland State University’s
Euclid Avenue Development Corp. for at least the new arena if not an attached
parking garage and mixed use district along Payne Avenue and Interstate 90
in downtown Cleveland (Sasaki). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Four finalists were invited by Cleveland State University (CSU) and its development arm Euclid Avenue Development Corp. (EADC) to submit proposals to build, at minimum, a new multi-purpose arena for the university. In addition, their proposals could also include a parking garage and mixed-use district of housing and shops that were proposed as part of its $650 million campus master plan unveiled last year. The arena, parking deck and mixed-use district were all proposed to rise along Payne Avenue, just west of Interstate 90 in downtown Cleveland.

READ MORE

Tremont’s Lincoln Hts apartments start

An unofficial groundbreaking was held yesterday for the Lincoln Heights
Apartments in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood and construction vehicles
were delivered to the site at the west end of Breiver Avenue. However, town-
homes at the former Cleveland Animal Protective League property may be
pursued at a later date (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Hidden away behind houses and trees, construction on another large development in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood got under way this week. And while this latest development project is largely shielded from view, it simultaneously reveals the continuing strength of Cleveland’s multi-family market as well as the comparative weakness of its for-sale housing market. That’s especially true in certain neighborhoods that, starting next year, will lose their ability to offer 100 percent property tax abatement for new, for-sale homes.

READ MORE

Now arriving: Woodhill Station East

A bird’s-eye view of the proposed Woodhill Station East in the foreground with
the first phase, a nearly completed Woodhill Station West, in the background
along Buckeye Road. This view looks northwest from the intersection of Buckeye
and Woodhill roads plus Shaker Boulevard. The light-rail “Rapid” station is just
out of view to the left (City Architecture). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

A neighborhood-level design review panel today gave thumbs-up, with a few conditions, to conceptual plans for the next phase in the effort to replace the 83-year-old, 487-unit Woodhill Homes public housing in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. Woodhill Station East, a 64-unit mixed-income apartment complex with ground-floor retail at 9615 Buckeye Rd., is proposed to be the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority’s (CMHA) third phase in its Woodhill Redevelopment efforts that would ultimately result in the construction of 640 mixed-income housing units on the city’s east side.

READ MORE

Dix & Eaton grows, buys St. Louis PR firm

Dix and Eaton’s new offices on the top floors of the Bulkley Building in
Downtown Cleveland’s Playhouse Square will include a mix of social
and work areas including this lounge (Van Auken Akin).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE.

With a new Downtown Cleveland headquarters in the works, Dix & Eaton will move into it as one of the largest, employee-owned communications companies in the United States. That change in status occurred on Nov. 1 when the 71-year-old strategic communications firm acquired Standing Partnership, a 32-year-old, St. Louis-based marketing communications consultancy. The acquisition was announced today by Dix & Eaton. Terms of the transaction between the two privately owned firms will not be disclosed.

READ MORE

Next round of Brownfield grants starts Dec. 5

Just south of downtown Cleveland, the Scranton Peninsula site of a former
Republic Steel mill that manufactured chrome-plated nuts and bolts will
soon become home to about 1,000 residents in more than 600 apartments
roughly equally split among two developments. One of those is the NRP
Group’s The Peninsula, in the center-foreground, which won a $6 million
Brownfield grant from the state last year for site clean up (Adam Greene).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Several things have long slowed Cleveland’s post-industrial transition to embrace new economic drivers. One of the biggest is the lack of large, clean properties near existing labor. The city recently announced a $50 million land assembly program that could be boosted to $100 million with other funding. While some of that funding could come from the private sector, another source may well come from a new round of state funding to aid redevelopment, announced today.

READ MORE

Greyhound, Barons may offer downtown, west-side stops

The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center near Cleveland State University is
a relatively quiet place after years of service cuts by the Greater Cleveland
Regional Transit Authority. But it may soon see renewed activity if the transit
agency is able to reach a deal with Barons Bus Inc. for use of its downtown
station plus the Red Line rail stop at Puritas-West 150th (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

With the clock ticking down to an eventual departure from the 75-year-old Greyhound station in Downtown Cleveland, the operator of long-distance bus services is seeking new stations to serve area travelers. After an earlier plan to relocate Cleveland’s station to the Triskett Red Line rapid transit station on the west side met civic resistance, Barons Bus Inc. is pursuing two stations locally. Cleveland-based Barons operates bus service under a license with Greyhound.

READ MORE

Hawthorne School conversion starts Monday

A rebirth of Hawthorne Elementary School starts Nov. 13 as construction
workers will descend upon the site on that date following the closing this
past week of financing to convert the 106-year-old building into apart-
ments (Bialosky). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

While classes aren’t starting on Monday morning at Hawthorne Elementary School, 3575 W. 130th St., in Cleveland Jefferson neighborhood, that is when Sustainable Community Associates (SCA) is going to school. The Cleveland-based real estate development firm has repurposed many an old Cleveland building into apartments, some with shops or restaurants. But this is SCA’s first lesson in converting a school to apartments.

READ MORE

Sherwin-Williams may advance 2nd tower in 2024

This may not be the last time we see a building under construction from this
angle, looking east from the Rockefeller Building at West 6th Street, north
of Superior Avenue. Between the new Sherwin-Williams headquarters
tower and West 6th, another building may rise to accommodate additional
Sherwin-Williams employees, suppliers and corporate partners (KJP).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

One year from now, as Sherwin-Williams employees are scheduled to begin moving into their new, 616-foot headquarters tower in Downtown Cleveland, there are renewed rumblings that the global coatings giant will pursue the development of the west half of its HQ site. The HQ site is west of Public Square and the west half of the HQ site is along West 6th Street, between Superior and St. Clair avenues. That’s where Sherwin-Williams has proposed a second office tower and a row of low-rise, mixed use buildings extending around the corner of St. Clair to partially wrap its five-level, 920-space parking garage. And based on the company’s employment growth, it’s already outgrown its new headquarters.

READ MORE

Ohio Savings Plaza has a buyer, plans

Ohio Savings Plaza, seen as the black and white building in the middle of the
image, has a little brother hiding around the corner and both buildings repor-
tedly have a buyer. The structure visible here at East 9th Street and Chester
Avenue in Downtown Cleveland reportedly will be converted from office
to residential with the ground-floor retail remaining (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

NEOtrans has learned that the two-structure Ohio Savings Plaza in Downtown Cleveland has a buyer who has put the property under contract while its real estate team does its due diligence. NEOtrans has also learned that the buyer intends to partially convert the half-full, 500,000-square-foot. two-building property to residential. The larger of the two buildings, an 18-story tower at 1801 E. 9th St., is tentatively to be converted to apartments. The smaller building, called Park Plaza at 1111 Chester Ave. that faces Perk Park, will likely remain an office building.

READ MORE

Nela Park may add residential

From the air looking west into the sun setting next to distant Downtown
Cleveland, Nela Park looks much smaller than it does from the ground.
Three commercial buildings on the former campus of General Electric’s
Lighting Division could be converted to residential by its new owner
Phoenix Investors (LoopNet). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Many Greater Clevelanders have at least some familiarity with a place that could soon become home to many Greater Clevelanders. The owner of the former General Electric Lighting headquarters, 1975 Noble Rd. in East Cleveland, is preparing plans to convert several office buildings within the 94-acre Nela Park Campus into apartments and make those intentions known at a meeting of local stakeholders, possibly as early as this month, according to a source familiar with the project.

READ MORE

Courthouse proposals are on trial

The Justice Center’s courthouse tower is in the center of this view. But one
of the options for replacing the tower is to build a new courthouse where
approximately this view was taken — from just north of the intersection
of Lakeside Avenue and West 6th Street. This view is from the elevated
Shoreway highway which may not be here much longer. In front of the
current courthouse tower and slightly to the left is a Cuyahoga
County office building called Courthouse Square that is also
in play (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In local real estate parlance, a “whale” is a development project whose total floorspace measures 1 million square feet or more. Not only are they big, they’re tough to get. But there are two Cleveland entities who were able to do what Capt. Ahab could not — catch the whale. Two whales are under construction right now — Sherwin-Williams’ new headquarters tower downtown and Cleveland Clinic’s new Neurological Institute in the Fairfax neighborhood, near University Circle. A third whale is in the early stages of the chase, a stage where things are most fluid and thus, very intriguing.

READ MORE

Downtown retail revival plan announced

Not a soul was in sight at The Avenue shopping mall at Tower City Center
last weekend, despite the rainy, cool weather that might have otherwise
prompted people to linger indoors. There was no pre-Halloween program-
ming or other activities to attract people to possibly shop and spend
money (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Downtown Cleveland, Inc. today shared its Downtown Retail Strategy, designed as a roadmap to create a thriving retail environment in the urban core. Unveiled by Downtown Cleveland, Inc. President & CEO Michael Deemer during the 2023 State of Downtown at The City Club of Cleveland, the plan is one of Reimagining Downtown Cleveland’s near-term economic priorities. It aims to fill gaps in the city center’s marketplace and serve existing residents and businesses.

READ MORE

Collinwood school reopens as apartments

There’s no mistaking that a portion of the Longfellow School Apartments
in Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood was fashioned from a
former school building. Chalkboards, wood cabinets and students’
cubbies remain for residents’ use in the new senior housing
complex (Vesta). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

When schools are converted into apartments, they don’t always look like schools anymore — at least on the inside. The Longfellow School Apartments in Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood put that notion into detention. Located at 650 E. 140th St. just south of Interstate 90, Longfellow had its second ribbon-cutting ceremony last week nearly 100 years after its first.

READ MORE

Cleveland, Maple Hts projects add hundreds of jobs

A new company to Cleveland, LabConnect will open on Carnegie Avenue at
what has been the Athersys headquarters for nearly 20 years. LabConnect's
expansion to Cleveland could happen in early 2024 (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Tennessee-based laboratory services company LabConnect and local fermented foods producer Cleveland Kitchen Co. were approved this week for a combined $1.1 million in state job creation tax credits for up to 250 new jobs at facilities in Cleveland. Meanwhile, a growing Vendors Exchange International, LLC plans to move its offices and manufacturing facilities from a western suburb to Maple Heights where it will expand to more than 70 jobs, thanks to financial support from Maple Heights. 

READ MORE