Plans for $49M renovation, expansion of convention center revealed

An addition to the former Medical Mart, as part of its conversion to provid-
ing additional meeting and event spaces for the Huntington Convention
Center of Cleveland, extends the ground-floor use converted to a ball-
room out to Ontario Street, at left (TVS Design-Moody Nolan).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Plans for renovating, expanding and converting the ill-fated Global Center for Health Innovation into additional meeting and event spaces for the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland were made available to the public this week. They were released ahead of their scheduled review Thursday by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission. Those plans show the 120,000-square-foot former center, commonly referred to as the Medical Mart, would increase in size by more than 23,000 square feet so it could serve a new and hopefully more productive purpose.

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GCRTA wins grant to build new East 79th Rapid stop

A key to transforming an area south of the Opportunity Corridor Boulevard
 into a vibrant neighborhood is the replacement of a station on the Greater
Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s light-rail Blue/Green line. This
is a vision for that area which has been supported by civic leaders in-
cluding the Cleveland Planning Commission (City Architecture).
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Early last year, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) opened a new station at East 79th Street on its Airport-Windermere rail transit Red Line. Late next year, and less than 2,000 feet south, the transit agency could start construction on a new East 79th station on its downtown-Shaker Heights rail transit Blue/Green Lines. Both stations are seen as a key strategy to improve access for everyone to reach job sites being added along the new Opportunity Corridor Boulevard.

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Brownfield grants reveal progress on many projects

The Peninsula, a 316-unit residential community on Scranton Peninsula
in Cleveland’s Flats won more than $6 million, representing the largest
Ohio brownfield grant awarded in Cuyahoga County. That funding, plus
tax-increment financing from the city of Cleveland, will help the project
overcome rising construction  costs and interest rates, say its developer
NRP Group (BKV). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced $88 million in state support for 123 brownfield remediation projects that will help clean up hazardous and underutilized sites throughout the state. The Ohio Department of Development is funding the awards through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, which is designed to clean up and prepare hazardous brownfield sites for redevelopment. The projects announced today will impact communities in 35 counties across the state.

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Amtrak Ohio expansion may bypass state government

Amtrak’s new Airo trains to be built by Siemens Mobility. Starting in 2026,
these new trains will operate on all eastern routes shorter than 750 miles,
including on services purchased by several states surrounding Ohio
that could be extended to Cleveland (Amtrak).
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Several initiatives that are in their early stages may instigate passenger rail expansion to Cleveland before the state of Ohio decides to get on board. That could be welcome timing considering the Federal Railroad Administration will solicit applications next week for funding to begin the process for developing new and expanded passenger rail services.

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Dog daycare chain eyeing downtown

From the outset of design for the new City Club Apartments tower in downtown
Cleveland, being a dog-friendly environment was emphasized as demonstrated
 in this and other renderings as well as by floor plans which assumed a dog day
care business would be a tenant. A Cleveland-area businessman wants to take
them up on that  suggestion by opening a dog day care franchise there (Vocon).
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A national dog daycare chain is eyeballing the Greater Cleveland area and may start by planting its flag in downtown Cleveland. Dogtopia franchisee and self-described dog lover Alex Mazzenga of Cleveland Heights is seeking to open a dog daycare business at the City Club Apartments, 776 Euclid Ave, according to a building permit application filed with the city this week. The investment necessary to build out the space, estimated by the permit at up to $1 million, shows there’s some serious puppy love involved.

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Phase 2 sought for Midtown apartment complex

Looking at The Foundry Lofts from the Carnegie Avenue side, the two
darker buildings are what is proposed to be added. The red buildings
closer to Euclid Avenue were completed last fall and are filling up
fast (City Architecture). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

With the paint still drying on the first phase of a mixed-use development called The Foundry Lofts, 7240 Euclid Ave., Signet Real Estate Group is asking the city for approvals to begin construction on an apartments-only phase two. The reason for moving forward so quickly on expanding the Midtown Cleveland development is because both residential and commercial leasing activity for the first phase have been strong.

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Odeon, 3 other Flats parcels sold to developer

The Odeon concert club and three other parcels on Old River Road on Cleve-
land’s Flats East Bank were sold to local real estate development financier
GBX Group. The same company is part of ambitious plans for several
neighboring buildings which belonged to the Samsel Supply Co. (KJP).
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The Odeon concert club, 1295 Old River Rd., was among four contiguous parcels on Cleveland’s Flats East Bank sold last week to Cleveland-based GBX Group, a real estate development financier which specializes in structuring financing for historic rehabilitation projects. However, when contacted by NEOtrans, a GBX representative said their plans for the site would not be officially announced for at least two months.

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