TMUD round 3 starts next week

By Ken Prendergast / July 21, 2023

The desire for new-build projects in downtown Cleveland led to the creation of the state’s Transformational Mixed Use Development (TMUD) tax credit program nearly three years ago. But in the first two years of the four-year TMUD program, no developers of new-construction downtown projects have submitted applications. As the third round of TMUD will start next week, will a new-build project downtown finally be an applicant — or perhaps even a winner — despite of tightening labor and credit markets plus rising interest rates?

Seeds & Sprouts XXIX – CSU to start arena plans, Downtown garage demo, Olde Cedar’s replacement

By Ken Prendergast / June 21, 2023

Cleveland State University is about to start work on plans for a new arena, a downtown parking garage will be demolished — for a parking lot, and one of the oldest public housing projects in the USA along with the old juvenile justice center will be demolished for a mixed-income housing complex.

Astro to launch from a Hard Rock

By Ken Prendergast / June 12, 2023

After sitting empty for seven years, the space at Tower City Center that housed Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Cleveland finally will have a new restaurant with a new theme, possibly as early as this September. But it took an invitation from Bedrock Cleveland to consider the site at 230 W. Huron Rd. before the new restaurant’s partners decided to splashdown there.

A dozen high-rises in the works downtown

By Ken Prendergast / June 10, 2023

Last week, NEOtrans wrote about three high rises in a single development — the first phase of Bedrock’s riverfront site — that could see construction start by this time next year. But that is by no means the only downtown high-rise development in the works. NEOtrans is aware of 13 high-rise projects of 10 stories or more in various stages of development, not including those already under construction downtown. This inventory includes only potential new-construction high-rises, not major renovation projects like The Centennial, redevelopment of the Rose Building and others.

Downtown Cleveland seeks post-pandemic boost

By Ken Prendergast / June 6, 2023

The City of Cleveland and Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA), in partnership with Cuyahoga County, Destination Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), today unveiled Reimagining Downtown Cleveland. Over the next one to five years, this series of short- and intermediate-term strategies will accelerate the evolution of Downtown Cleveland from a 9-to-5 central business district into a diverse, vibrant, and accessible mixed-use, 18-hour, 15-minute neighborhood.

Getting Tower City on track

By Ken Prendergast / May 29, 2023

When you have an opportunity to expend the same or similar effort and money that would achieve the better of two outcomes, why not pursue the better outcome? That’s the decision Greater Cleveland has yet to make when looking at a transportation ingredient to two major waterfront development masterplans. One is the downtown lakefront development led by the Haslam Sports Group. The other is the Tower City Riverfront development led by Bedrock Real Estate. Both are supported by civic organizations and all levels of government.

Brownfield grants reveal progress on many projects

By Ken Prendergast / December 17, 2022

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine today announced $88 million in state support for 123 brownfield remediation projects that will help clean up hazardous and underutilized sites throughout the state. The Ohio Department of Development is funding the awards through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, which is designed to clean up and prepare hazardous brownfield sites for redevelopment. The projects announced today will impact communities in 35 counties across the state.

Stark has new buyer for downtown site

By Ken Prendergast / December 2, 2022

If it’s December, then there’s a new buyer emerging for the so-called “nuCLEus” properties owned by Cleveland-based Stark Enterprises. But there’s a few differences with the potential sale of downtown land in the Gateway District compared to last year’s deal that fell through. Perhaps the most significant difference this time is that Stark’s CEO isn’t denying it.

Megaproject candidates — a partial list

By Ken Prendergast / July 8, 2022

While a complete list of applicants for so-called “megaproject” tax credits won’t be available until sometime next week, NEOtrans has learned who a few of the local applicants are and aren’t, including at least one surprise. The deadline was today at 5 p.m. for submitting applications to the Ohio Department of Development for the second round of Transformational Mixed Use Development (TMUD) tax credits that could total $100 million.