The former headquarters of Warner & Swasey, a manufacturer of machine tools, has sat decaying on Cleveland’s Carnegie Avenue for four decades. By 2028, it may serve as a catalyst for the area’s revitalization (Harrison Whittaker).
Progress Pics: Warner & Swasey, The 70th, Dunham Tavern Museum & Gardens
Across the two-mile-long, four-block-wide district known as Midtown Cleveland, several critical projects are finally seeing construction activity. The largest of those, a $64 million rehabilitation of the abandoned Warner & Swasey machine tools factory, will add 112 apartments to the area in its first phase.
The development, led by Pennrose of Philadelphia and local nonprofit MidTown Cleveland Inc., is being carried out by John G. Johnson Construction of Cleveland. Its first phase took a major step forward last fall after receiving capital lease financing from the Port of Cleveland.
Warner & Swasey’s main building, at right, will undergo a conversion into residential (and later, commercial) units. To its left, a shed will be demolished and replaced with new surface parking (Harrison Whittaker).
The first phase’s residential units, affordable for households making 30 to 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), allowed it to qualify for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) specially approved by staff at the Ohio Housing Financing Agency — and fill the project’s final $4 million financing gap. Market-rate apartments are proposed for the second phase, along with 22,000 square feet of commercial space.
To the north of the main Carnegie Building, abandoned factory sheds will be razed to make way for new surface parking lots. Another structure on the site, known as the Wedge Building, will be repaired and secured for the second phase.
The view west from the former Warner & Swasey complex on Carnegie Avenue, toward downtown Cleveland (Harrison Whittaker).
On the east end of Midtown at 2024 E. 70th St, a proposed residential development by Sabor Group USA finally appears to be moving ahead. The $12 million project, which underwent a cost-engineered redesign by Grassroots Architecture last year, retains its original 64-unit floor plan.
The apartment complex has been marketed as either The 70th Apartments or CLE70. JCI Contractors Inc. of Ashtabula is serving as its general contractor.
The 70th Apartments begins construction on East 70th Street in Midtown (Harrison Whittaker).
At 6709 Euclid Ave., the Dunham Tavern Museum & Gardens is constructing a new park and Heritage Walking Trail surrounding its historic 1824 home — the oldest unmoved building still standing in the city of Cleveland.
The green space is being built by F. Buddie Contracting Co. of Cleveland, who recently completed a 1,615-square-foot-visitor center for the organization.
Dunham Tavern Museum & Gardens constructed a new visitor center at right (Harrison Whittaker).
The two projects at Dunham Tavern are the first steps in realizing a 2021 masterplan which aims to turn the 5.3-acre property into a “museum campus” and connect the historic landmark with the broader Midtown neighborhood.
The park project was made possible via a $287,326 award from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) through its Green Infrastructure Grant Program.
A park and Heritage Walking Trail will be constructed on Chester Avenue surrounding the 1824-built Dunham Tavern (Harrison Whittaker).
Just outside of Midtown in the Fairfax neighborhood, a new Chipotle is planned at 8114 Euclid Ave. The proposed restaurant features a drive-thru “Chipotlane” digital pickup window and replaces a vacant structure last occupied by Phở Việt & Grill.
Though its signage has remained, the now-demolished restaurant sat abandoned for more than a decade. The building opened as a standalone Kentucky Fried Chicken location which operated for nearly 30 years.
At 8114 Euclid Ave., the former Phở Việt & Grill and Fun Size filming location has been demolished to make way a for a Chipotle restaurant and drive-thru (Harrison Whittaker).
After KFC’s closure, the structure was briefly converted into a fictional “Captain Chicken” restaurant for the Cleveland filming of the Nickelodeon movie Fun Size — starring Victorious actress Victoria Justice.
For more construction updates around Greater Cleveland, check out NEOtrans’ other Progress Pics articles.
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