An outdoor wellness center with a funny name and Scandinavian-style spas and hot tubs is planned for Scranton Peninsula in the Flats, across the Cuyahoga River from Tower City and Bedrock Real Estate’s $3.5-billion riverfront development (Saunagoose). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM
Wave of new construction on Scranton Peninsula continues
A new health and wellness concept is coming to Scranton Peninsula in the Flats in downtown Cleveland. Taking inspiration from the Scandinavian winter ritual of the sauna, The Saunagoose will continue a string of developments on previously-vacant industrial land.
Developers sought schematic approval on Friday from the city planning commission to construct a new outdoor facility directly on the riverfront, located at 1840 Carter Rd. While receiving approval, the project will have to return to the commission at a later date for final approval to begin construction.
Within walking distance of the Towpath Trail on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River, The Saunagoose will roost amongst billions in current and future investments along the riverfront. Patrons will have unobstructed views of Bedrock Cleveland’s $3.5 billion Riverfront redevelopment just across the river and adjacent to Tower City.
The first phase of that redevelopment is the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center (CCGPPC) and the future training facility of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Saunagoose will also be near a future riverwalk and kayak launch as well as a new concert venue to-be-constructed by Bedrock, owned an operated in partnership with concert promoter LiveNation.
This map shows The Saunagoose in the context of various riverfront projects in downtown Cleveland. Land in blue is all owned by Scranton-Averell Inc. with no other known developments in the works at this time (NEOtrans).
Recent developments on Scranton Peninsula include the BrewDog Cleveland Outpost, the 316-unit The Collins at The Riverbend and 293-unit Triton at The Flats apartments finishing construction this year.
The Saunagoose would be a new business concept for the area, diversifying the list of nearby amenities for up to 1,000 new residents. Yet roughly half of Scranton Peninsula still remains to be redeveloped into a complete neighborhood — all owned by Scranton-Averell, Inc.
The Saunagoose site was one that Sherwin-Williams considered in 2020 for its new research and development facility, according to a source connected with the nearby Thunderbird development.
But the global coatings giant or its HQ consultants couldn’t get anyone from Scranton-Averell to return their phone calls. NEOtrans tried several times but couldn’t get anyone from Scranton-Averell to respond to that claim.Â
It’s curious then, that a fledgling health and wellness business established in 2024 could make a deal with Scranton-Averell while a Fortune 500 company established in 1866 could not.
Looking north in this view, the Cleveland skyline (not shown here) will tower over the western bank of the Cuyahoga River and The Saunagoose’s new facility on Scranton Peninsula. The facility will feature industrial motifs representative of Cleveland (Saunagoose).
One possible answer is that The Saunagoose will not infringe on any of Scranton-Averell’s existing industrial and marine tenants. Instead, an outdoor-only operation is proposed to repurpose a former truck terminal lot nestled in between Riverfront Marine Sales & Services and a supply warehouse.
A front entrance will be constructed with repurposed shipping containers, painted with the company’s goose logo. The “entry gate” will interface with the multipurpose trail running on the north side of Carter, over the Cuyahoga River to its terminus at nearby Canal Basin Park.
Inside the gate will be a parking lot covering half the site, with the majority of the programming oriented towards the riverfront in the rear half.
That programming includes saunas, cold plunge, hot tubs, café, and gathering spaces. “The project is designed to create a healthy, active, and memorable public experience,” according to materials provided by the owner, and will seek to create a “strong year-round identity.”
The site will be divided into various “zones” dedicated to different experiences such a a patio area with shade elements and tables, an area for cold plunges and 4-person saunas and hot tubs abutting up to the river’s edge with protective railing.
Site plan for the proposed Saunagoose outdoor wellness center (Integda).
Existing trees along the riverfront will be maintained and new plantings throughout the site will add greenery to the area. The supply warehouse directly adjacent to the east side of the site will be untouched; instead, The Saunagoose will use modular construction to create a front-of-house for check-in and café space.
Another feature of the site’s design are the use of ground materials that promote barefoot movement. These materials include decking, concrete pathways with anti-slip material and grass.
The Saunagoose will offer both private and communal saunas, as well as both wood-fired and electric varieties. All furnishings and saunas will be made out of durable, high-quality materials that will last year round.
According to Daniel Michaels representing The Saunagoose, the design of this new business correlates with the Cleveland Flats Design Guidelines produced by the city in 2022 through its various landscaping and design aesthetics.
Also, being in a transit-oriented development (TOD) zone, pedestrian and bike-friendly facilities will be provided with limited parking.
Native prairie plantings are part of a landscape strategy including conifers, shrubs and soft industrial elements honoring both Scandinavia and Cleveland, similar to this conceptual image (Saunagoose).
The project went through the Downtown/Flats Design Review Advisory Committee (DFDRAC) on April 9, receiving schematic approval with conditions. The main concern from that review body was the lack of shade on the site. A strong recommendation for planting substantial shade trees was made.
City planning staff also supported the project and the committee’s conditions for final approval. City Planner Dan Shinkle noted that the applicant had “made significant strides” in their design but that “there’s a lot of work to be done on things like the parking lot, how entry and check-in work”.
Another committee recommendation was to liven up the shipping containers with colors other than black.
While very supportive of the use for the site, commission member Andrew Sargeant argued that the current proposal was “lacking the kind of cohesiveness with regards to the landscape design and the layout of the space” that one would except from schematic-level design.
“It kind of just feels like a kit of parts — disassembly of shelf pieces scattered throughout the site,” he said. Sargeant added that he ultimately was looking for a more integrated approach to how the landscaping and the different saunas and uses tie together.
Reflecting Scandinavian winter traditions, The Saunagoose will be operational year-round, snow or shine. The sauna is a quintessential winter ritual embracing the dichotomy of heat and frigid temperatures (The Saunagoose, LLC).
However, schematic design typically allows large-scale projects to lock in locations of buildings and pull permits for setting foundations, even before final approval is granted by the commission.
In the case of a modular site such as The Saunagoose, there are almost no foundational requirements save for bathroom facilities. The remaining activations of the site are primarily modular and can be moved around as necessary.
And for that reason, the committee voted unanimously to approve the project for schematic design. The developers were asked to provide a more thoughtful landscaping plan for final approval as those changes would be ironed out soon after.
Citing the difficulty in redeveloping former industrial land, Shinkle expressed that “the applicant has been wonderful to work with” given the various zoning code overlays and requirements on such a challenging site.
Overall the commission was excited about the prospects of this first-of-its-kind business for Cleveland. Even Commission Chair Erika Anthony jokingly surmised that some of her colleagues would leave the office and head down the road to take full advantage of the amenities The Saunagoose will offer.
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