Death of Public Square's parking lot

The former Jacobs Lot, a surface parking lot on downtown Cleveland’s
Public Square, had endured for 30 years. That era came to an end this
week as construction crews ripped up the lot’s asphalt to make way for
the pavilion/welcome center for Sherwin-Williams’ new global head-
quarters. This lot was the last of three parcels to see HQ-related con-
struction start. Terminal Tower and the SHW HQ’s tower crane stand
 in the background (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Work crews this week began pulling up asphalt pavement from the parking lot on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, ending a three-decade use that some urbanists considered an embarrassment to the city. It is the last of three project component sites to see construction start for the new Sherwin-Williams (SHW) headquarters. Work is now occurring on each of the three sites simultaneously with a eye toward completion in late-2024.

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Two old Hough walk-ups: two fates

Looking south on East 89th Street, two 1920-built apartment buildings stand
across the street from each other. Each faces a decidedly different future. The
one on the left is structurally unsound and likely to be demolished. The building
at right will be renovated and expanded with workforce apartments (Google).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Two century-old, walk-up apartment buildings face each other on East 89th Street in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood. One is structurally unsound and in danger of collapse after it was neglected by a so-called foundation facing a huge unpaid tax bill. The other will have its renovation and expansion plan reviewed by a committee of the City Planning Commission starting this week after it was bought by a successful, civic-minded local investor.

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Cleveland Clinic’s big projects are on the move

This aerial view of the Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus shows the
addition of more than $1.3 billion worth of new construction and
renovation projects. It includes a conceptual redevelopment of the
former Cleveland Play House site in the foreground. But this is an
evolving masterplan as the overhead view at the end of the article
indicates (CCF). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

To say that the Cleveland Clinic has a lot of development activity happening would be a major understatement. And some of that $1.3 billion worth of construction at its Main Campus is already starting to manifest itself on the landscape.

This week, the Clinic is starting site preparation work for its massive new Neurological Institute on Carnegie Avenue. It also delivered plans to the city for its expanded Cole Eye Institute to be reviewed starting next week. The health care system has been prepping the site for the first phase of its new pathogens center. And it is finalizing plans for a full or partial demolition and redevelopment of the ex-Cleveland Play House property, the details for which could be released this fall.

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Ukrainian refugees seek, offer hope

Ukrainian-Americans, refugees of the Russo-Ukrainian War plus their
families and friends gathered Aug. 5-7 for the annual Pokrova Ukrainian
Festival at the Pokrova Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Parma. It was
the largest turnout in recent memory, including before the pandemic. The
number of attendees, including a large number of younger families and
children, was apparently boosted by the arrival of so many war refugees
to Greater Cleveland (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

While NEOtrans normally covers real estate developments and other business activities in Greater Cleveland, we also occasionally cover economic trends. Those trends, such as the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County adding more working-age population and creating more jobs than many Sunbelt economic powerhouses, also drive business growth and real estate development.

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Shaker Hts, developer reach deal for ex-car dealership site

 Metropolitan Holdings Ltd. of Columbus plans to build next to
 the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights a 250,000-square-foot
  mixed-use development with 140 mixed-income residences
above 18,000 square feet of retail and office uses (RDL).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

The City of Shaker Heights has entered into a preliminary agreement with a Columbus-based developer interested in constructing an architecturally distinctive, mixed-use building on vacant city-owned land, formerly the Qua Buick-Pontiac car dealership, across Warrensville Center Road from the existing first phase of the Van Aken District.

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Stokes West wins final approval

Stokes West, a planned 261-unit residential development in
Cleveland’s University Circle, won final approval today from the
City Planning Commission (LDA). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

City Planning Commission today voted to support the final design of a large mixed-use development called Stokes West in Cleveland’s University Circle after nearly a year of debate over the fate of six historic but neglected rowhouses. The project’s landscaping plan still has to reviewed by the commission but today’s vote puts the development on a path to secure a building permit and start construction, possibly by the end of the year.

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Buckeye neighborhood plan sets goals

The Buckeye neighborhood has several anchors for broader redevelopment.
One of those is the Moreland Theater, across Buckeye Road from Providence
House, which is intended to be the anchor for the new Buckeye Arts Innovation
and Technology District (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

“That neighborhood has good bones” is often said about an inner-city community as its leaders look for foundations in the area on which to build its comeback. Unfortunately, it is not always true the bones are good or if they even exist. But for Cleveland’s Buckeye neighborhood, located on the city’s southeast side, it has a number of features in it or nearby that can be considered good bones on which muscles can be enhanced to regain lost strength.

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