The new Walz Branch of the Cleveland Public Library topped by 51 affordable apartments by Karam Senior Living will see construction get underway after a groundbreaking ceremony schedule for June 6 (Bialosky). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Project sidelined by cost hikes, more fundraising
Following up on a story first reported by NEOtrans a month ago, the long-planned Walz Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (CPL) and Karam Senior Living apartments will indeed see construction start in June. In fact, a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled at 10 a.m. this Friday at the project site, 7910 Detroit Ave., to officially kick off the project.
“This groundbreaking represents a major milestone in the revitalization of the neighborhood and a shared commitment to building a stronger, more connected community,” noted a joint, written statement by the spokespersons of the library system and co-developer the he nonprofit Northwest Neighborhoods Community Development Corp. (NNCDC).
The $34 million project was delayed by cost increases and having to come up with the additional funding. Just two years ago, the combined Walz branch-Karam Senior Living project had an estimated cost of about $22 million. It is being pursued as two building projects in one, but with two developers, two general construction contractors and a myriad of public and private funding sources.
This fence was put up in 2022, shortly after the Chateau Apartments and the old Walz Branch Library were demolished for the new development. It was remained like this since. The shadow in the foreground is cast by the St. Augustine Health Campus (Google).
“The new two-story Walz Branch will feature improved technology, sustainable LEED design, and welcoming spaces for reading, collections, and community meetings,” they added. “Above the library, a three-story residential building will provide 51 affordable apartments for seniors 55 (years) and older, along with amenities like a community room, wellness center, laundry facilities and parking.”
The new Walz Branch is a part of CPL’s Facilities Master Plan. In 2017, voters approved a 10-year, $100 million-plus bond issue to replace or rebuild all 27 neighborhood branches, followed by a $65 million renovation of the Main Library downtown. CPL and Gilbane Building Company are building the 10,300-square-foot library portion.
In 2019, CPL’s board authorized staff to explore the option of partnering with NNCDC, then known as Detroit-Shoreway CDC, to construct a mixed-use development. The project is located in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
These are plans for the first floor and lower level of the Walz Branch Library. Since the land slopes down to north at the top of the image, the lower level will actually look like the ground-level from behind the building (Bialosky).
NNCDC and Cleveland-based Salus Development LLC, a for-profit company that focuses on affordable housing projects, jointly created a new entity called W80 Senior Limited Partnership. W80 is developing the apartments portion and Marous Brothers Construction is building it.
“This exciting mixed-use development will bring a brand-new, state-of-the-art library branch together with affordable senior housing, creating a vibrant community hub that serves residents of all ages,” the spokespersons continued.
This is the second time CPL is pursuing construction of a new library branch topped by apartments. Late last year, construction was completed on the Library Lofts development in University Circle. It featured a 200-unit, nine-story, market-rate apartment building atop CPL’s new Martin Luther King Jr. branch library. The complicated project took three years to complete.
Floor plans for the three levels of the Karam Senior Living apartments are shown here and can be seen in greater detail by clicking on the image. Detroit Avenue is along the bottom of each floor plan (Bialosky).
Coordinating those two projects and partners wasn’t easy. Add to that inflation, supplier issues, change orders and cost overruns. Altogether, they put the project more than one-half-year behind schedule. The Walz Library-Karam Senior Living development will take at least 16 months to build the structure with additional time required for interior build-outs.
“The combined (Walz-Karam) project will be similar to MLK/Lofts in that it combines a neighborhood library with apartment housing in a jointly developed facility, but the look and feel will be very different,” said CPL Chief Operating Officer John Lang.
The library is named for Dr. Frederick Wilhelm Walz, a native west-side Clevelander who practiced medicine and served as a city councilman, among other achievements. Upon his death in 1945, Walz left his property — his home, his office and two other buildings — to Cleveland Public Library.
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