Centennial project downtown wins $15m HUD loan

One of downtown Cleveland’s largest buildings and one of its
most difficult office-to-residential conversions is The Centennial
at East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue. Despite and because of it
winning multiple sources of public funding, the redevelopment
project continues to lack a start date (Sandvick).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

The Centennial, one of downtown Cleveland’s most complicated, expensive and elusive redevelopment projects, got another sign that it is very much alive by winning a $15 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The financial assistance will be provided through HUD’s Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program and will be used to help finance the half-billion-dollar conversion of the former Huntington Building, 925 Euclid Ave., from mostly offices into primarily a residential property.

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New Hough housing seeks affordability

Located across the street from historic League Park where Major League
baseball and college football games were played from 1891-1949 could
soon be a 104-unit housing development called Allen Estates featuring
apartments and townhouses, plus four retail/restaurant spaces for
lease (CPC). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

As market-rate housing developments continue to be built in Hough, this east-side Cleveland neighborhood is facing a challenge it hasn’t had to deal with for a century — remaining affordable. To that end, two new developments are moving forward to offer up to 160 workforce housing units plus a few retailers/restaurants that will offer services to those new residents. Those would add to hundreds more housing units that were recently completed, are under construction or planned in response to strong job growth in and near University Circle.

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Ohio City apartment project gets ‘The Vibe’

The Vibe’s development site in the Hingetown section of Ohio City in
Cleveland is the former Cleveland Vibrator plant. It is outlined in red,
with the potential footprints of two future apartment buildings marked
by yellow boxes. North is at the top of the image. Clinton Avenue is
across the bottom of the image, with West 29th Street at left and West
28th Street at right (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Things are starting to come together for new construction on one of Ohio City’s largest development sites. A new developer is at the ready. A project architect was selected and a firm that typically provides construction general contracting has been added to guide the development’s design. The developer even has a name of the development and some basic, preliminary design concepts regarding scale. But what isn’t yet known for certain is the programming for the project and if it will include a ground-floor commercial use, like a restaurant.

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Sterle’s to be demolished

With part of its roof missing from a November fire, the chateau-like Frank
Sterle’s Slovenian Country House on East 55th Street awaits its fate this
week. The ethnic and cultural institution on Cleveland’s east side since
1954 is days away from getting demolished (KJP).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

If the demolition permit application filed Jan. 20 with the city wasn’t enough of an indication, the heavy equipment in the parking lot of Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Country House certainly is.

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Rock Ventures: First Detroit, now Cleveland

It’s almost impossible to take a picture in Downtown Detroit and not
include a property that belongs to or is connected ith Dan Gilbert’s
Rock Ventures LLC. Start with the Qline streetcar running along 3
miles of Woodward Avenue which was partially funded and man-
aged by Rock Ventures. Then, at far left, Bedrock is building the
$1.4 billion Hudson’s Site development. Just beyond it are three
high-rises owned by Bedrock — One Campus Martius, First
National Building and Ally Detroit Center. Along the side-
walk at right are many more Bedrock-owned buildings
with retailers given free or below-market rent. Cleve-
land is next, Bedrock officials say (KJP).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM

Billionaire Dan Gilbert can ride up and down Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit and admire his work like no one else can. He can point at buildings like a kid checking out baseball cards in a collector’s showcase and say “got it, need it, got it, got it…” Perhaps he and his real estate company Bedrock might have the opportunity to do that soon in downtown Cleveland, too.

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Commission OKs Tremont rezoning

The western edge of a nearly 25-acre site, at right, that’s proposed to be
down-zoned from industrial to retail in Cleveland is seen at the bottom
of Literary Street hill. This is also the edge of residential development
in Tremont, visible just beyond the Towpath Trail’s bridge. At left is the
Electric Gardens apartments developed by J Roc which is seeking the
zoning change (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

A nearly 25-acre area of land on a hillside at the north end of Tremont was recommended for rezoning by the City Planning Commission yesterday to allow more development closer to the Cuyahoga River. But the rezoning, primarily from general industry to general retail to accommodate new residential, neighborhood shops and restaurants, was opposed by the industries currently using those properties. Planning commission members responded that the rezoning allows existing uses to continue and that the rezoning is consistent with the city’s land use plans, namely its Vision For The Valley.

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Sneak peek at GCRTA’s new trains

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is reportedly in

  negotiations with Siemens Mobility to supply dozens of trains like this one for

use on all three of the metro area’s rail lines. The standardization of trains

 and infrastructure means GCRTA could offer a one-seat ride with no transfers

from Shaker Heights to the Airport or from Windermere to Cleveland

Browns games and special events on the lakefront trains (Siemens).

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

When the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) acquired new Italian-built Breda trains for its Blue and Green light-rail lines linking Shaker Heights and downtown Cleveland, Jimmy Carter was still in the White House. It was only a few years later, in Ronald Reagan’s first term, when GCRTA received new Japanese-made Tokyu trains for its heavy-rail Red Line between Cleveland Hopkins Airport and Windermere. GCRTA is still relying on trains that predate the mullet. To say that these trains are due for a replacement is an understatement.

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