City staffing shortage threatens some Cleveland projects

By Ken Prendergast / February 17, 2023 February 18, 2023

At the start of 2024, the city of Cleveland’s new tax abatement policy will go into effect. While the policy will remain basically unchanged for much of the city, it will become less supportive of developments in neighborhoods where construction has been most active — University Circle, Ohio City, Tremont and parts of downtown. So, in those areas, developers are trying to expedite the delivery of projects before the 15-year property tax abatement on new developments declines from 100 percent to 85 percent. But there’s something standing in the way of that acceleration: a lack of city staff to get projects approved in time.

East Cleveland on track for $100M project

By Ken Prendergast / February 16, 2023 February 19, 2023

Cuyahoga County Council’s approval yesterday of a property sale to a New York City-based developer could lead the way toward a “significant” development in the heart of East Cleveland. The site, at Euclid and Superior avenues, is just one-half-mile from the eastern edge of University Circle and set between stations on the HealthLine bus and Red Line rail rapid transit routes.

MLK Plaza bought by DC developer

By Ken Prendergast / February 16, 2023 February 19, 2023

Continued redevelopment of Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood was put into play last week following the acquisition of 4.45 acres of property which has hosted the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, 9300 Wade Park Ave., since 1972. Purchasing the MLK Plaza on Feb. 6 for $2.75 million was an affiliate of Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures (NREUV), according to Cuyahoga County records.

Downtown Lakewood back to drawing board

By Ken Prendergast / February 11, 2023 February 11, 2023

After two years of seemingly endless meetings surrounding the redevelopment of Lakewood’s former hospital site, Roundstone Insurance has not only left the development project but decided to leave the inner-ring suburb entirely. Currently located in the former First Church of Christ Scientist, 15422 Detroit Ave., the headquarters of this fast-growing insurance firm with up to 240 employees and $17.5 million in annual payroll is due to leave Lakewood in April 2024, according to Mayor Meghan George’s administration.

Oracle/Cerner to open Cleveland training center

By Ken Prendergast / February 10, 2023 February 11, 2023

Cerner Corp., a healthcare division of software giant Oracle, is planning to open a training center at 3121 Euclid Ave. near downtown Cleveland that could accommodate hundreds of people in classrooms simultaneously. The proposed training center speaks to Oracle/Cerner’s growing presence in Greater Cleveland and the addition of another major healthcare employer to the region’s economy.

Lakewood site prepped for development

By Ken Prendergast / February 3, 2023 February 3, 2023

Fences went up today at Lakewood’s East End around a former National Tire & Battery (NTB) store and its parking lot at the southwest corner of Detroit and Coutant avenues. In the coming days, the NTB store will come down while hydraulic lifts in the building’s vehicle repair shop will be removed and possibly some of the soil surrounding the lifts, too. Those are just some of the activities that will prepare the site for the next phase of the Studio West 117 development.

Downtown’s next high-rise to turn residential

By Ken Prendergast / February 2, 2023 February 2, 2023

Downtown Cleveland’s next office-to-residential conversion project appears to be in the works. But this one might not be a total changeover to a new use. Ohio Savings Plaza, with more than a half-million square feet divided among two buildings has something big going for it — it’s half-filled with office tenants. Or, half-empty if you’re a pessimist.

Why the LaSalle Theater is for sale

By Ken Prendergast / January 31, 2023 January 31, 2023

Earlier this month, NEOtrans broke the story that a Collinwood landmark, the LaSalle Theater, 823 E. 185th St., had hit the market after 14 years of ownership by the Northeast Shores Development Corporation (NSDC). But with the building stabilized and the NSDC ending its service to the Cleveland neighborhood, officials from the community development corporation said it was time to sell.

Sterle’s to be demolished

By Ken Prendergast / January 25, 2023 January 27, 2023

If the demolition permit application filed Jan. 20 with the city wasn’t enough of an indication, the heavy equipment in the parking lot of Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Country House is.

Rock Ventures: First Detroit, now Cleveland

By Ken Prendergast / January 24, 2023 January 27, 2023

Billionaire Dan Gilbert can ride up and down Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit and admire his work like no one else can. He can point at buildings like a kid checking out baseball cards in a collector’s showcase and say “got it, need it, got it, got it…”

Perhaps he and his real estate company Bedrock might have the opportunity to do that soon in downtown Cleveland, too. And while Euclid Avenue is our main street like Woodward is Detroit’s, most of Gilbert’s acquisitions in Cleveland are along Prospect Avenue and Huron Road. There are some other differences as well, which may offer the opportunity for seeing some more construction workers and cranes in downtown Cleveland. Thankfully, Gilbert can count his properties and his blessings as he is almost fully recovered from a 2019 stroke.

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