This proposed sign for Project Scarlet, a renovation and conversion of the former Medical Mutual headquarters into apartments and a hotel, is sought to stir up interest and create buzz about the project (Diamond Signs & Graphics). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
August start proposed but no plans ready
Cleveland Landmarks Commission is due to hear a proposal this week for the addition of a visible, unique sign atop an important building in Downtown Cleveland. But while the proposed sign on the Rose Building, 2060 E. 9th St., is touted as a “Temporary construction duration banner” — there is no sign that construction of a planned hotel-apartment conversion is imminent.
In fact, the proposed sign is the first design application by the building’s new owner for the property. It will be reviewed at Thursday’s Landmarks Commission hearing following a review and non-binding recommendation last week by the Greater Downtown Historic Design Review Advisory Committee (DRAC).
No redevelopment plans by owner Spark GHC (Green Harvest Capital) of Solon of the former Medical Mutual headquarters were submitted for design review. Given the Rose Building is in the Euclid Avenue Historic District, the Landmarks Commission would have to review such plans to award a certificate of appropriateness before a construction permit is issued.
Bhavin ‘B’ Patel, principal for the property owner Spark GHC, has touted in recent news articles that his firm along with partner Cleveland Construction Inc. of Mentor said in news reports earlier this year they hoped to start interior demolition work in March. Then $120 million worth of renovations would start in August. No permits were issued for either.
Proposed ground floor bar and restaurant at the redeveloped Rose Building at East 9th Street and Prospect Avenue in Downtown Cleveland (Berardi).
They have dubbed it “Project Scarlet.” As proposed, Project Scarlet would turn 378,000 square feet of vacant space in the 10-story Rose Building into 154 residential units, plus ground-floor retail and restaurant spaces. The neighboring six-story Sloan Building, 819-823 Prospect Ave., is to become a 123-room Marriott Tribute hotel.
But first, the project’s team members want to put atop the 1902-built city-designated landmark at East 9th and Prospect a 42-foot-wide by 17.5-foot-high sign, installed on an existing rooftop structure on which a previous “Medical Mutual” sign was attached.
The new sign would read “Project Scarlet, presented by SparkGHC” and include a project logo.
Although its action was non-binding, the Downtown Historic DRAC voted 4-1 to recommend that the Landmark Commission approve the sign application. Voting no was Thomas Starinsky, an urban planning and economic development consultant.
Lobby of the proposed Marriott Tribute hotel in the six-story Sloan Building on Prospect Avenue (Berardi).
Among the comments from DRAC members were concerns about setting a precedent of approving a sign that advertises a development project and not a tenant. There were also concerns about the vagueness of the proposed text. The property owner responded that it wanted to keep the sign vague while creating buzz and interest in the project.
Although the project is not ready to go, it does have some things going for it. First, its development team, called East 9th Scarlet LLC, owns the property. It bought the Rose and Sloan buildings in December from Medical Mutual, paying just shy of $11 million for it.
Second, and at about the time the property purchase was closing, East 9th Scarlet won a maximum Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit of $5 million. It was among 14 projects in Cuyahoga County to win historic tax credits from the state in that round.
Elevator lobby with the Rose Building’s original brass elevator doors and other historic fixtures (Berardi).
And, third, the building is in very good condition. Before closing its downtown headquarters in favor of consolidating offices in suburban Brooklyn, Medical Mutual had modernized the building for $35 million.
“Together, we are turning ambition into action, preserving the legacy of this iconic structure while paving the way for a modern, vibrant Cleveland,” Patel said in a written statement upon acquiring the property.
Spark GHC is a minority-owned, U.S.-focused private real estate firm focused on developing, acquiring, and operating hospitality, multifamily and commercial assets. The Spark and GHC family of companies have $350 million in assets under ownership consisting of -3,000 hospitality keys and multifamily units.
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