It’s official: Lakewood Common groundbreaking ceremony is set

Across Marlowe Avenue from the Lakewood Common’s construction office, and behind
the historic Curtis Block, is where city, school and development team officials will gather
at noon Thursday for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment of
the former Lakewood Hospital site. Site preparation was getting underway last
week (NEOtrans). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Last week, NEOtrans was first to report that site preparation work was getting underway for the Lakewood Common redevelopment of the former Lakewood Hospital site. This week, we can report that the official groundbreaking ceremony is now scheduled.

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Tariffs may cut GCRTA railcar order by 10%

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s new railcars will start coming off
the assembly line in California next year. But some of the components are manufactured
overseas and subject to new federal tariffs, thus increasing costs of the final product. This
image shows some of the Siemens railcar’s features but are not necessarily which ones
are subject to tariffs (Siemens Mobility). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

For the first time in more than four decades, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is replacing its rapid transit trains — the oldest fleet of railcars used by any U.S. transit agency. But that rare $450 million opportunity to modernize its rail system could end up 10 percent short of its goal.

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Two more big Lakewood developments

It’s back! Solove Real Estate’s The View on Detroit’s mixed-use development has a new
project leader. DiGeronimo Companies is seeking to build a project very similar to what
Solove proposed four years ago on Detroit Avenue just east of Bunts Road. It is just one
of four current and planned large developments on Detroit in Lakewood (RDL).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Detroit Avenue in Lakewood is becoming a hot zone of multifamily developments. One project at the Steve Barry Buick site is well underway. Another, Lakewood Common, is just getting started. And two new developments are planned at sites where other, similar buildings were sought before.

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CWRU-led effort a finalist for $160M advanced manufacturing program

Advanced manufacturing in Northeast Ohio could get a boost if a regional partner-
ship led by Case Western Reserve University wins a $160 million grant spread
across 10 years to boost the region’s manufacturing competitive (CWRU).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Northeast Ohio’s ambitious goal of becoming a national epicenter for advanced materials and industrial innovation over the next decade, with the goal of creating 20,000 manufacturing jobs, has advanced to the next stage.

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The Park opens its doors in Tremont

Although some finishing touches are still coming, The Park in Cleveland’s Tremont is wel-
coming its first tenants in a setting that offers 1.5 acres of green space featuring walking
paths, native landscaping and amazing views of Downtown Cleveland. This is one half
the L-shaped building. Plus, a second phase with for-sale townhomes could someday
rise on the land to the right (NEOtrans). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

It’s like a secret hidden behind a 19th century Cleveland neighborhood, found only by wandering the back streets of Tremont’s Lincoln Heights section. And just when you’re wondering if you made a wrong turn, The Park jumps out at you like a surprise.

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ODOT-Aviation reverses course, OKs permit for new Browns stadium

The planned new Huntington Bank Field is close enough to Cleveland Hopkins Inter-
national Airport, seen at left, that it initially resulted in a denial of a building permit
for the large, new structure. Today, the permit was approved (HKS).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

After initially denying approval, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) today reversed course and approved a permit for construction of the new, enclosed Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

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Another Cleveland-area shopping center sold

Fairview Centre has been serving the community for 85 years. The once-linear retail
strip along and near Lorain Road was significantly reconstructed in the mid-1990s
with a new grocery store and other retail spaces set back behind a large parking
lot (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

For the sixth time this year, another large, multitenant retail center in Greater Cleveland has sold.  JLL Capital Markets announced today that it arranged the $13.8 million sale of Fairview Centre, a 147,602-square-foot, grocery-anchored shopping center in Fairview Park.

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Downtown Lakewood project starts

Construction equipment showed up yesterday and crews began working today to prepare
the Downtown Lakewood site for construction. That includes cordoning off parking spaces
on Belle Avenue, relocating a bus stop on Detroit Avenue and filling in the pit that has
characterized the site for the past five years. The house at far right is now a construction
office for Lakewood Common (NEOtrans). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

At long last, construction crews are on location today to begin site preparation for the $115 million Downtown Lakewood mixed-use development called Lakewood Common. It’s a sign of progress that’s been pursued by two mayors and two different developers since the city-owned Lakewood Hospital was closed by Cleveland Clinic in 2016.

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St. Clair-Superior is Mandel’s next big bet

Looking west along Superior Avenue toward Downtown Cleveland, the St. Clair-Superior
neighborhood is to the right of Superior where Cleveland’s Mandel Foundation is making
big investments to support dedevelopment efforts including new murals seen at the
bottom (SCSDC). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

If you’ve noticed the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation‘s name on some recent, significant investments in Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, that’s not just because applicants from that area happened to submit some compelling grant requests at roughly the same time.

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New Browns’ Brook Park stadium to have among least parking in NFL

Green Bay Packers fans walk to Lambeau Field from their car, parked on the front lawn
of a house in a residential neighborhood near the stadium. Many homes in Green Bay
and neighboring Ashwaubenon have offered stadium parking for decades (Used with
permission from NBC 26 WGBA-TV). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Last night, in the hours before the Green Bay Packers hosted the Washington Commanders for a football game at historic Lambeau Field, fans did what they do everywhere else. They parked their cars, maybe did a little tailgate partying before walking to the stadium and paid a handsome price for the privilege.

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McCafferty Center redo gets warm reception

A birds-eye view rendering of the southwest corner of the affordable senior apartments,
proposed to be built on the current site of the McCafferty Health Center on West 44th
Street, at left, and Lorain Avenue in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood (City
Architecture). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Plans for demolishing a city-owned health center in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood and replacing it with 72 affordable senior apartments over offices plus community spaces got a warm reception today from the city’s Landmarks Commission.

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Cleveland developments get $54M from Port

Two developments that were awarded financial assistance today by the Port of Cleveland’s
board of directors are seen here — The Bell, at left, and Erieview Tower (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

More than $54 million in bonds were awarded today by the Port of Cleveland for three Cleveland real estate developments including a luxury downtown hotel and an Ohio City apartment complex.

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Cleveland Clinic sells, leases back 24 facilities

In Northern Ohio and Florida, 24 Cleveland Clinic properties were sold to MedCraft Health-
Care Real Estate. The Clinic is then leasing back the spaces to continue their operations and
services at those sites (Newmark). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

A large-scale sale-leaseback of 24 facilities in Ohio and Florida is underway, and it’s Greater Cleveland’s largest employer that’s initiating it. The sale-leaseback was sought by Cleveland Clinic, and the buyer is MedCraft HealthCare Real Estate. a suburban Minneapolis-based health care real estate company.

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Bedrock teases new downtown towers

Zooming in on a rendering of Bedrock’s Riverfront Cleveland public realm improvements,
the view from West 3rd Street and Eagle Avenue in the Flats reveals massings for two new
downtown towers in Bedrock’s Rock Block, in addition to the next phases of its Riverfront
development at left (MKSK). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

As they say in target practice, “pay attention to the background.” That’s also good advice to use when reviewing plans for major urban developments like Bedrock’s Riverfront Cleveland masterplan. But the plans, in this case renderings, opened the door to inquire about Bedrock’s vision for another downtown megaproject.

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West Park developments see progress

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Parker townhomes were, from left, Cleveland
Ward 17 Councilman Charles Slife, Maverick Building Co. owner Anthony Fiorini and
Brian Salem of the Salem Team at eXp Realty (NEOtrans).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Long Cleveland’s most stable neighborhood, West Park has been getting a little gray in the 20th century. While several other Cleveland neighborhoods are seeing new housing and businesses get built, that investment has largely eluded West Park. Until now.

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Notable real estate investment firms merge

Legacy RHM Capital was created through the combination of two firms led by these five
men. From left, they are Jim Doyle, Ned Huffman, David St. Pierre, Mitchell Schneider
and John Joyce (Contributed Image). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Legacy RHM Capital, a fully integrated real estate investment platform focused on acquiring, operating and enhancing institutional-quality multifamily properties, announced its formation through the strategic merger of Legacy Capital Partners and RHM Capital Group.

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Downtown garage is coming down

This two-level parking garage has been closed for more than a year due to its poor condition
and is part of a site that’s listed as available for sale or lease. The garage is too frail to support
an overhead vertical development like the Ten60 Bolivar Apartments, seen at far right, which
was built atop a decades-old garage (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

A small, decaying parking garage on an available property near Progressive Field in Downtown Cleveland is likely to be demolished soon. The question is, what might replace it now and for the long term?

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Downtown property owners renew special improvement district

On a hazy day in early June, Downtown Cleveland was entering another summer of
special events, activities and programming, plus the usual living, learning, working
and nights out on the town, all of which are supported by Clean & Safe services
provided by Downtown Cleveland Inc. and funded by downtown property
owners (NEOtrans). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Downtown Cleveland, Inc. today announced Cleveland City Council’s approval of the reauthorization of the Downtown Cleveland Improvement District, raising about $43.5 million in dedicated funding through 2032.

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Port of Cleveland names new CEO

Jeff Epstein, who has worked for decades in various economic
development roles in Greater Cleveland, was nominated to
what is arguably the top development position in the region
(Port of Cleveland). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The Port of Cleveland announced today that it has nominated Jeff Epstein to serve as its next president and chief executive officer, pending formal board approval. Epstein brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of economic development, public-private partnerships, and transformative urban investment.

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