A historic mansion at 3117 Franklin Blvd. is being converted into apartments as part of the Franklin Yards development (Harrison Whittaker). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Progress Pics: The Carriage Co., Franklin Yards, more
A neglected building can drag down an entire block, but restoring an obsolete structure can do the exact opposite, creating renewed activity that cascades to nearby businesses. In Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, a wave of renovation projects could serve as a model for preserving the city’s dwindling stock of historic buildings.
Neglect isn’t unheard of in Ohio City — at the now-shuttered Fridrich Bicycle location, a 143-year-old building at 3722 Lorain Ave. required a partial emergency demolition by a city-hired contractor in May due to numerous complaints of a collapsing façade.
At 3722 Lorain Ave., a collapsing building at the former Fridrich Bicycle shop was subject to an emergency demolition in May. The shop’s main building, at left, is still standing (Harrison Whittaker).
Yet renovations in the area still far outnumber demolitions. With the help of $250,000 in state historic tax credits, the historic Lorain Theater building, 4601 Lorain Ave., was renovated last year into the new home of Tremont-founded Visible Voice Books.
During construction, the theater’s old stage was uncovered. It was restored to provide a space for book readings and live music performances. Renovation work, estimated at $2.5 million, was undertaken by Engelke Construction Solutions of Brunswick, OH.
Visible Voice Books’ new location in Ohio City occupies the historic Lorain Theater building on the south side of Lorain Avenue (Harrison Whittaker).
While historic commercial buildings are an obvious choice for new storefronts, other structures can require a bit of creative thinking to find a feasible modern use.
At 3117 Franklin Blvd., an 1853-built mansion and former YWCA building were last occupied by Vantage Place, an assisted living facility for elderly individuals dealing with mental illnesses. Now, the pair of buildings are being converted to apartments as part of the Franklin Yards development.
At the southwest corner of Franklin Boulevard and West 31st Place, the former Ohio City YWCA is being renovated into 31 apartments (Harrison Whittaker).
Led by The Dalad Group and Property Advisors Group, the project includes the renovations on the south side of Franklin Boulevard as well as a 29-unit, new-construction apartment building on the north side of the street.
The former YWCA building will be converted into 31 apartments, while the historic mansion beside it will include an additional seven units.
Behind the mansion, a structure formerly used as a storage building is being transformed into a neighborhood restaurant space. A permit issued last week for work on its kitchen describes the planned use as a “biergarten.”
A former storage building at the Franklin Yards development will likely open as a neighborhood beer garden (Harrison Whittaker).
Meanwhile at 3801 Lorain Ave., Dalad is also building Ohio City’s first year-round beer garden for Noble Beast Brewing Co. The new location would be the brewery’s second, as well as its first expansion outside of Downtown Cleveland.
The project includes the renovation of a 115-year old mixed-use building as well as a new greenhouse and outdoor patio. The latter would be constructed on an adjacent property last occupied by a gas station.
At 3801 Lorain Ave., a new beer garden for Noble Beast Brewing Co. includes the renovation of the 115-year-old building at right as well as the newly built structure at left (Harrison Whittaker).
On the east end of Ohio City, the first floor of an 1885-built structure at 2098 W. 25th St. is being renovated into a commercial kitchen by the owner of Good Company, a restaurant in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
Known as 2098 Bakery Kitchen, the facility would feature a large production space as well as a smaller pickup area. Next door, a single-story commercial building is being renovated into a new storefront as well. Both projects being constructed by Loomis Companies of Euclid, OH.
At 2098 W. 25th St., a historic building is being built out for a commercial kitchen by the owner of the Good Company restaurant (Harrison Whittaker).
A 5,768-square-foot private residence, the result of an earlier renovation, currently occupies the top floors above the commercial kitchen but is controlled by another owner as an air parcel.
Immediately southwest of that building, across Chatham Avenue, a much larger rehabilitation project is underway at The Carriage Co. Spanning multiple buildings formerly occupied by Voss Industries, the $63.4 million redevelopment is being led by MRN, Ltd.
The Carriage Co. would include 139 apartments over structured parking and ground-floor retail. Pedestrianized alleyways would intersect at the heart of the development, improving connectivity to the rest of the neighborhood.
In addition to receiving a tax-increment financing package from the city, the project has also benefitted from state and federal historic tax credits.
Approaching the old Superior Viaduct above the West Bank of the Flats, The Condominiums at Stonebridge is undergoing a major façade recladding project (Harrison Whittaker).
Further north, a exterior renovation project is making progress at The Condominiums at Stonebridge. The work, being completed by A-STAR of Independence, OH, includes both a new roof and recladded façade to improve waterproofing.
While a permit for the recladding project was issued in 2024, a new permit was issued in October of last year to remove and reinstall a “failed portion of [the] south and east enclosure.”
For more construction updates around Greater Cleveland, check out NEOtrans’ other Progress Pics articles.
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