CSX makes CVSR downtown extension infeasible

Buried in the underbrush at the bottom-center of this view are the tracks that could
deliver Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad trains to this site for a potential Downtown
Cleveland station. This view was taken from the Lorain-Carnegie Hope Memorial
Bridge. A proposed CVSR station below this bridge was recommended by Bedrock
Real Estate which is building the Global Peak Performance Center at lower left
and owns riverfront land beyond (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Except for one brief instruction, property-owning freight railroad CSX Transportation didn’t participate in a feasibility study for extending the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad‘s (CVSR) passenger trains into Downtown Cleveland. But that instruction, described as “a gold-plated” request, forced the study team to conclude that the CVSR extension would not be feasible — for now.

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McCafferty Center site to be senior housing

The McCafferty Health Center on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighbor-
hood will be demolished for affordable senior housing to be developed by Pennrose.
This view of the mostly vacant health center is from Fulton Court, an alley behind
the property (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Affordable housing developer Pennrose, LLC. is looking to build on the success of its other Cleveland-area projects with its next venture, this time on the city’s west side. The national developer is partnering with Ohio City Incorporated (OCI) to construct a 72-unit apartment building geared towards seniors and charging rents between 30 percent and 70 percent of the area’s median income.

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Sherwin-Williams HQ grand opening set, tower isn’t

Sherwin-Williams new headquarters tower has joined the family of Cleveland sky-
scrapers. But most of the company’s employees won’t join the tower for months
after its official grand opening ceremony which is scheduled for March (Property
of The Sherwin-Williams Company). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Although the grand-opening ceremony for the new Sherwin-Williams headquarters tower has been set, repairs to already finished areas are pushing occupancy of the tower months farther into the future. Some employees told NEOtrans they don’t expect to migrate over to the new tower until next fall.

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City seeks future TIF funds for Riverfront work now

Bedrock’s downtown riverfront development isn’t just about new buildings, it’s
also about new infrastructure that make those new buildings possible. But funding
for the infrastructure is coming from tax revenues captured from the new buildings,
requiring an incremental approach for both unless future funding is pledged to
move more quickly, which is what Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration wants
to do (Adjaye Associates). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration is requesting an important amendment to the city’s riverfront tax increment financing (TIF) district that would do two things. One spells out exactly what infrastructure work would be done. A second would extend the 30-year TIF to 42 years. And the third and perhaps most controversial is that it would pledge undefined future TIF revenues to start infrastructure work now.

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Little Italy’s Singer Steel has new owner

Singer Steel on Random Road in Cleveland’s Little Italy has a new owner — a local
real estate developer. But the property, used as covered parking, has a steady revenue
stream even if it isn’t developed (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Passersby took note of a new sign that has gone up this week on the old Singer Steel building, 2100 Random Rd. in Cleveland’s Little Italy. The sign is for an active local developer named TurnDev of Beachwood, leading those passersby to wonder what’s next for the former industrial building that was turned into covered parking area.

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Downtown Flagstar Bank closing; What does it mean?

The Downtown Cleveland office building formerly known as Ohio Savings Plaza
has not only lost its name from its façade. It's also losing its former main bank
branch, now under the name Flagstar Bank, from the building's ground
floor (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Customers who have accounts at Flagstar Bank’s Downtown Cleveland branch received letters this week saying that the branch will be closing and that all accounts will be moving soon to Flagstar’s Ohio City branch. But the $2.6 billion question is: why?

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Metroparks seeks funds to demolish Flats mill

This massive 22-silo grain mill set between Merwin Avenue and the Cuyahoga River in
Cleveland’s Flats may be demolished if the Cleveland Metroparks can secure state
funding. The former mill buildings on the right side of Merwin are not affected
at this time (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Since the 1930s, the massive Graft Craft silos have been a familiar sight along the Cuyahoga River, on the Flats’ Columbus Road peninsula. But they may not be around much longer if a planned application for demolition and clean-up funds by the Cleveland Metroparks is successful.

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Goncalves: a Cliffs-USS HQ would be in Pittsburgh

In the 45-story 200 Public Square tower in Downtown Cleveland is
the headquarters and roughly 1,000 employees of Cleveland Cliffs,
one of North America’s largest steel companies. The future of that
future of that presence could be in doubt if Cliffs acquired US
Steel (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The headquarters of steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs could move from its namesake city to Pittsburgh if Cliffs is successful in acquiring US Steel, Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves said. But a Cleveland City Hall source today said Mayor Justin Bibb spoke with Goncalves who reportedly reassured him that relocating Cliffs 1,000-plus staffpersons from Cleveland at this stage is just speculation.

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Ohio City building doesn’t survive the weekend

An earthmover works atop a pile of debris that used to be a roughly 135-year-old
building on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. The house
behind it is due to be razed next. The billboard is part of the same property
which could become a multi-family development site (KJP).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

An historic building on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood was there when commuters on the adjacent West Shoreway went home on Friday evening for the weekend. When they went past the site this morning during their return to work, the building was gone.

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GCRTA to upgrade 22 Shaker Hts rail stations

The busiest light-rail station in Shaker Heights is this one — the Blue Line terminus
at Warrensville in the Van Aken District. This station and its new busway transfer
area, along with 21 other Shaker Heights stations, will get new passenger amenities
based on their usage (GCRTA). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

When the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (GCRTA) new trains enter service in the next few years, they will be picking up and dropping off riders at more attractive and user-friendly stations in Shaker Heights. That’s due to a $2 million program to enhance station amenities at all 22 stations in this eastern suburb that was built around its two light-rail lines, the Blue and Green lines.

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Cleveland’s Variety Theatre is for sale

Located on Lorain Avenue just west of West 117th Street in Cleveland’s Westown
neighborhood, the historic Variety Theatre, plus its included retail spaces and
upstairs apartments, is awaiting a rebirth. But it needs a new owner who
can bring the restoration project across the finish line (Cresco).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The Variety Theatre, 11816 Lorain Ave. in Cleveland’s Westown neighborhood, has had multiple owners and uses in its 98-year history. It’s about to have a new one as its owner has put the property up for sale this week.

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Cleveland wins second big lakefront grant

The North Coast Connector, also known as the land bridge, won nearly $70 million in
federal funds for its construction. This view is looking south along the proposed land
bridge toward Downtown Cleveland (FO). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Today, the city of Cleveland announced that it was awarded $69.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for its ambitious downtown lakefront redevelopment. This is the second major federal grant for the downtown lakefront since October when the city was awarded $59.7 million from the USDOT. Construction is due to start in 2027.

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Carriage Co. rebirth gets partial OK, start date

The Carriage Co. redevelopment will restore and repurpose the former Voss Industries
plant on West 25th Street in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood into a mixed-use
complex of apartments, ground-floor retail, offices and indoor parking (SA Group).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Redevelopment of a vacant factory complex in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood into a mixed-use property is on an “aggressive” timeline to get underway. But the Landmarks Commission said it needed more design details about new windows and exterior doors before it could sign off on the entirety of The Carriage Co. project.

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Higley hits a hundred in 2025

Headquarters for The Albert M. Higley Co. stands on Euclid Avenue in Cleve-
land’s Midtown neighborhood. The construction firm also has five regional
offices in nearby states (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Back in 1925, Albert Higley Sr. did what the founders of many new companies owners did. He started building small. But unlike many new companies, his Cleveland-based construction firm didn’t stay small for long. Now, 100 years later, The Albert M. Higley Co. also known as AMHigley, is thinking big as it refreshes its image for the next century.

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First Interstate to renovate UC apartment building

The University East Building is a successfully leased property, located at the south-
east corner of Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Road in University Circle since 1926.
But the property is in need of updating which it will get from new building
manager First Interstate (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

This summer, an aging but well-located building in the heart of Cleveland’s booming University Circle will get a needed refreshing to help it compete with new apartment buildings nearby. The University East Building, 11308-11330 Euclid Ave., will get that attention now that it is under the long-term management of a prominent local real estate developer.

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Depot on Detroit arriving, traffic calming next?

With construction of the Depot on Detroit apartments due to start later this year,
there is renewed interest in realizing a neighborhood plan to redesign streets
in the vicinity of the West Boulevard rapid transit station, seen to the
right of the rendered apartment building (City Architecture).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In two weeks, the board of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is expected to approve the sale of land for a planned apartment building just west of the West Boulevard rapid transit station in Cleveland’s Edgewater-Cudell neighborhood. But that development is renewing interest in a neighborhood plan for redesigning streets next to the station to make the area a more comfortable place to walk and could avail more development sites.

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Erieview Tower financing done, work starts ASAP

Construction work is due to start immediately on converting aging offices in the
61-year-old Erieview Tower to luxury apartments. Following that will be reno-
vations to convert offices to hotel rooms. Twelve floors of offices will be
modernized and a rooftop restaurant and bar will be restored (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Closing of financing for the $218 million redevelopment of the 38-story Erieview Tower and Galleria redevelopment in Downtown Cleveland was announced today by two advisors to the project. The momentous occasion signals an immediate start for residential construction, although some of the remaining office tenants in the building told NEOtrans that site-prep work is already underway.

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New downtown office expansions, renovations

Downtown Cleveland in July 2024, prior to Oswald Companies putting up its
naming rights sign on the silver Flats East Bank near the center of this image.
Their new and old buildings are both making news at the turn of the new
year (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

At the start of the new year, employers are expanding, relocating, renovating and otherwise retrofitting their office spaces. Ironically, the current and former Oswald buildings in Downtown Cleveland are the addresses where most of these investments are planned, according to public records. As NEOtrans reported last week, 2025 may be the year that Cleveland returns to the office.

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Downtown’s Canal Basin Park design gets early OK

Downtown Cleveland’s Canal Basin Park, as viewed from near the old Superior
Viaduct, shows the newly added boat docks and the planned boardwalk along
the planned boardwalk along the Cuyahoga River. Designs for the park offer
features that are both fun and educational for people of all ages (Merritt
Chase). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Although Cleveland Planning Commission’s Design-Review Committee gave a unanimous thumbs-up today to conceptual plans for downtown’s Canal Basin Park, it wasn’t without some suggestions for improvement. The design team for the 20-acre park, located between turns in the curvaceous Cuyahoga River, will come back to the commission with refined, more detailed schematic designs in the coming months.

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Browns move a step closer to Brook Park

The Cleveland Browns and their majority owner Haslam Sports Group moved a
step closer today to making this rendering of the proposed Brook Park stadium
a reality by exercising an option to buy the 176-acre property (HKS).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The owners of the Cleveland Browns football team have completed the next part in the process toward building a new enclosed stadium in suburban Brook Park, officially executing a clause in a land purchase agreement to acquire the site. The site at 18300 Snow Rd. in the Cleveland suburb will not only house the new Huntington Bank Field enclosed stadium, but also a planned, adjacent mixed-use development.

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