Gordon Square development wins approval

Unlike most Cleveland buildings which are of a gray or beige color, the “Soap Site”
apartments next to Herman Park in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood won
approval from a city design review panel for being different and for embracing
its surroundings (Dimit). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Projects can move fast in Cleveland when you coordinate with stakeholders and align with the Planning Commission. That’s what happened with a proposed mixed use development in the Gordon Square neighborhood dubbed the “Soap Site” went from a conceptual plan revealed publicly only a month ago, to unanimous final design approval today by commission members.

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Haslams say proposed Browns’ Brook Park stadium, development to net $1.2 billion in benefits per year

The ownership of the Cleveland Browns and their stadium development firm say
that a new roofed stadium will create benefits for the suburb of Brook Park and
all of Northeast Ohio including Downtown Cleveland where the team currently
plays (HKS Architects). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The Haslam Sports Group, owners of the Cleveland Browns football team and stadium development company Primacy Development LLC, released findings today from a study saying their proposed stadium in suburban Brook Park would benefit all of Cuyahoga County, including Downtown Cleveland. But county officials say they want the Browns to continue playing downtown and aren’t buying the study’s findings.

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Centennial still alive, among Ohio Brownfield winners

The Centennial redevelopment of 925 Euclid Ave. is project that has not seen much
visible activity lately. But it suddenly has some by winning $10 million in Brownfield
funding through the Cuyahoga Land Bank. It was one of 34 such projects to win
funding (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Without any visible activity in nearly two years, rumors circulated throughout Cleveland’s development community that the roughly $500 million Centennial redevelopment, 925 Euclid Ave. in Downtown Cleveland was dead. Similar rumors circulated about the fate of the Rockefeller Building, 614 W. Superior Ave., and renovations to Rhodes Tower, 2124 Chester Ave., one of the projects in Cleveland State University quieted development master plan.

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Three vacant drugstores, three possible outcomes

A former Walgreens at the busy intersection of West 130th Street and Bellaire
Road in Cleveland’s Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood is due to become a super-
rmarket with a new gas station outside and fresh foods inside (HEART
Design Group). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In Councilman Danny Kelly’s Ward 11 on Cleveland’s West Side, there are three vacant drugstores. Each is facing a different potential outcome. A former CVS on Madison Avenue at West Boulevard may be replaced by a fire station after a gas station was rejected by the neighborhood. An abandoned Rite Aid at West 117th Street and Lorain Avenue may become a senior center. And a vacant Walgreens at West 130th Street and Bellaire Road could turned into a supermarket with a gas station.

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Ohio City townhomes project gets 2nd shot

Townhomes in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood are about to see construction
after being put on hold for nearly three years. An improving for-sale housing
market is a major reason why as is a new general contractor overseeing
the project (Sixmo). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

A long-planned and contentious townhomes development at 4705 Bridge Ave. in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood is seeing signs of construction activity after being on hold for nearly three years. The project’s revival is due to several factors including an improved for-sale housing market of lower interest rates, more fluid financing for construction and a new construction contractor that was hired.

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Cleveland wants a home for manufactured homes

Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity installed five modular homes Oct. 23 at
11830 Matherson Ave. on Cleveland’s West Side. Each was a three-bed, two-bath,
1,350-square-foot home and was the first significant project to build new homes
in Ward 11 since 2005. But the nearest plant for building modular homes is more
than 100 miles away. City officials want one in Cleveland to increase the supply
and reduce transportation costs (Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The city of Cleveland and the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund announced today they have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to modular home manufacturers across the United States and internationally to establish a manufacturing facility in Cleveland. The city and fund officials said they are responding to industry requests for such a facility.

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Look to Milwaukee to rid lakefront of freight trains

Reducing freight train traffic off Downtown Cleveland’s lakefront is a realistic
possibility, one that was bolstered  by a similar project in Milwaukee that was
just funded by the federal government. One of the benefits would be to reduce
the amount of time the Norfolk Southern drawbridge at the mouth of the
Cuyahoga River is lowered for so many long freight trains (KJP).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

One month ago, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) won a $72.8 million federal grant to reroute freight train traffic south of the Menomonee River and away from Downtown Milwaukee. The project has many similarities to a local concept for rerouting most freight traffic south of Downtown Cleveland, away from the lakefront.

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