Sitting vacant and rotting since 1985, the former Warner & Swasey factory on Carnegie Avenue at East 55th Street in Cleveland’s Midtown neighborhood may finally be within months of being revived with affordable housing and commercial spaces (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
High-profile project may spur others in Midtown
A coalition of developers from throughout the state of Ohio assembled at Cleveland City Hall Friday to discuss the transformation of the abandoned Warner & Swasey building in Midtown Cleveland. A project seven years in the making, representatives from developer Pennrose LLC’s Cincinnati office, architect Moody Nolan of Columbus and Midtown Cleveland Inc. sought schematic approval for the adaptive reuse project.
If not for a lack of quorum by the planning commission, they would’ve secured that written approval. Instead, a verbal understanding that the commission would approve the schematic plan with conditions at their next meeting was reached. In the meantime, developers will address those conditions and return at a later date for final approval.
While the commission’s informal approval was atypical, it was not without good reason. According to project representative Nicholas Slaughterbeck of Moody Nolan, various sources of hard-earned funding could dissipate soon if construction doesn’t start immediately. They want to get started this year, a timeline that should appease those who’ve long worked to get Warner & Swasey over the finish line.
In addition to Cleveland City Council’s $1 million allocation towards the project, other public financing committed includes state historic tax credits and low income housing tax credits. But the funding awards have been slow in coming due to the project’s complexity and high cost.
Site plan for a redeveloped Warner & Swasey site, currently owned by the city of Cleveland. The open-air sheds will be razed for parking as will a brick outbuilding next to the elevated railroad tracks (Moody Nolan).
Despite this, closing of financing for the $52 million project is set for November of 2025. According to developers, the stabilization phase of the project — which includes site demolition and clean up — will occur this summer in anticipation of a fall construction start date.
“There’s never been so much support for this project than there is right now,” said Slaughterbeck. “Our partners at Midtown Cleveland Inc. have been the main reason why we are here today, getting us to this point. So we’re really excited and hopeful that we can bring a win to their neighborhood and the city of Cleveland later this year.”
Demolition will include removing the open-air sheds and the structurally unstable brick outbuilding abutting the Norfolk Southern tracks to the east. In place of the sheds will be 80 parking spaces.
Rounding out the first phase will be exterior masonry restoration, window and roof replacements, new elevators, interior upgrades as well as mechanical, electrical, plumbing and technology systems, the permit application from Moody Nolan states.
The imposing scale of the Warner & Swasey structures and the inherent complexity and expense of their redevelopment are reasons why this project has taken so long to organize funding to get it over the finish line. But that finish line is finally in sight (Google).
A mix of 112 low-income and market-rate senior living and family units are slated for the Carnegie Avenue behemoth. Residential amenities and commercial space are also proposed.
The transformational project has faced several headwinds since 2018, but developers and local advocates remained steadfast in realizing the project. The reactivation of the former industrial space promises to be a catalyst for a forgotten part of Midtown, often overshadowed by flashier developments and attention to Euclid Avenue.
Carnegie Avenue is getting its own attention now however. Projects like the final phase of Foundry Lofts and a planned apartment complex on East 70th Street are in various stages of progress.
The road itself is undergoing phase one of the rehabilitation project resurfacing the east side thoroughfare from East 55th to East 79th streets. Additional traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures are planned. Developers of Warner & Swasey stated they would coordinate their efforts in the public realm with the city’s roadway rehabilitation.
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