Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

Cuyahoga County residential development projects in the media:

• Local developers plan to convert a cluster of buildings at West 25th Street and Church Avenue in Ohio City to the West 25th Street Lofts, 70 market-rate apartments. They hope to begin construction in March.
• The mixed-use Intesa project in University Circle could include 80 micro-apartments, small units between 300 and 600 square feet.
• Cleveland Heights City Council unanimously approved a development agreement for a planned $11.4 million mixed-use project on the vacant city-owned property at Lee Road and Meadowbrook Boulevard. The four-story, 17,000-square-foot building will include ground-level retail below 77 apartments. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School Board approved an 11-year, 80% tax abatement for the development.
• The Cleveland Metroparks commissioners authorized development in a portion of the easement that the park system holds on the Mandley-Vetrovsky Funeral Home property in Fairview Park. The agreement enables Abode Living to proceed with plans for a townhouse project.
• As an alternative to a proposed 11-house subdivision, 12 acres of wetlands along Bishop Road in Highland Heights may be preserved as open space.
• Abode Living is considering plans for a second phase of its Clifton Pointe townhouses in Lakewood.
• The Zaremba Group dropped its plans for an apartment complex on the former Locust Grove golf course site at Cedar and Lander roads in Mayfield Heights.
• A proposed apartment building in Rocky River is attracting interest from seniors.
• A proposed cluster home development would add single-family houses at Center Ridge and Crocker roads in Westlake.

Greater Cleveland residential projects in the news:

• Forest City Enterprises is considering a plan to convert the Halle Building in downtown Cleveland to 200 apartments.
• The City of Cleveland Heights selected the Orlean Company to redevelop the vacant lot at Lee Road and Meadowbrook Boulevard. The proposed $11.4 million project calls for a four-story building with apartments over retail. The City is seeking an 11-year, 80% tax abatement agreement from the school district.
• Lakewood City Council heard an update on the Rockport Square development. The future of the project remains unclear. Meanwhile, the Lakewood Architectural Review Board approved small changes to the Clifton Pointe townhouse project.
• The developer of the proposed Quarry Park subdivision withdrew his plans after the North Royalton Board of Zoning Appeals denied a request for a zoning variance. The project had been tabled indefinitely last year.
• The Rocky River Planning Commission approved preliminary plans for a 274-unit apartment building on the site of the former Giant Eagle store at the Rockport Shopping Center. Wald & Fisher plans to redevelop the other half of the shopping center.
• The Solon Planning Commission approved plans for the Lake Neptune Estates subdivision, a 13-house development proposed for the southwest corner of Neptune Drive and Miles Road. City Council is considering the plans.
• In Strongsville, work on the Cedar Creek Estates subdivision continues and City Council approved plans for the seven-house second phase of the Siedel Farms subdivision.
• Westlake voters will decide a rezoning issue on a proposal to build 22 apartments above the former Borders store at The Promenade.

Update 2: Cleveland Heights Patch has more information about the plans for the Meadowbrook-Lee development.

The City of Rocky River is beginning construction of its Old Detroit Road streetscape improvements (PDF). Funding for the $275,000 project includes a $100,000 grant from Cuyahoga County.

A developer hopes to build Cedar Creek Estates, a 12-house large-lot subdivision in northern Strongsville. In Rocky River, construction and sales of the upscale Eleven River condominiums continue.

Update: the Strongsville Planning Commission approved the plans for Cedar Creek Estates.

The Chagrin Falls Architectural Board of Review approved preliminary designs for the townhouses in the proposed River Walk development on West Orange Street. In Rocky River, construction continues on the Eleven River luxury condominiums.

Rocky River City Council recently approved a new development code (PDF). It includes a mixed-use zoning classification.

Stakeholders in Rocky River continue to discuss design concepts for the Detroit Road streetscape project.

City Architecture presented preliminary renderings of streetscape designs for Old Detroit Road in Rocky River to the Detroit Road Stakeholders Group.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for the Eleven River townhouses in Rocky River. Construction of the $7 million project is scheduled to begin this summer.

Eleven River is a proposed luxury riverfront condominium development in Rocky River. Its developers are also working on the 27 Coltman condominiums in Little Italy.

Update: the West Shore Sun has more details.

The final anchor store in the redeveloped Westgate shopping center opened late last month. Developers, retailers, and municipal officials in Fairview Park and Rocky River are all pleased with the project.

Rocky River Director of Economic and Community Development Kory Koran updated a Rocky River Chamber of Commerce audience about how the City has fared over the last year.

Officials in Rocky River are learning about the engineering costs associated with implementing a railroad quiet zone.

A stakeholders group is exploring ideas for improving the Detroit Road streetscape in downtown Rocky River. Mayor Bobst said that the group wants "a unified district that is pedestrian friendly."

The City of Rocky River maintains a spreadsheet of vacant office, warehouse, and commercial properties that are for sale or lease. It is available on the City's website.

The cities of Berea, Brook Park, Olmsted Falls, and Rocky River are continuing their plans to establish railroad quiet zones. Brook Park remains on target to become the first multi-crossing quiet zone in Ohio. Bedford, meanwhile, is waiting for news from the Federal Railroad Administration about its planned quiet zone.

Channel 8 reports that the Westgate redevelopment in Fairview Park and Rocky River is nearly complete.

The owner of Rocky River's Beachcliff Market Square is "very unhappy" with the results of the shopping center's 2006 renovation and expansion, and plans to invest in additional improvements. Rockport Shopping Center will also be redesigned. Preliminary plans call for dividing the former Target store into five smaller spaces and replacing the buildings to its east.

Upscale shopping centers Crocker Park in Westlake and Beachcliff Market Square in Rocky River are competing for customers.

The Plain Dealer depicts the Rocky River Harbor neighborhood in Lakewood and Rocky River as a quirky and colorful place.

Channel 3 took a look at the redevelopment of the Westgate shopping center in Fairview Park.

The new Target store at the Westgate shopping center opened yesterday, and the Jacobs Group announced ten new tenants for the redeveloped 600,000 square foot center.

By a vote of 4-3, Rocky River City Council decided to proceed with plans to establish a 24-hour railroad quiet zone. Mayor Bobst recommended creating a quiet zone between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., while residents supported the 24-hour zone.

Rocky River officials are waiting to hear if the proposed Cleveland to Lorain commuter rail project could affect their plans for a railroad quiet zone before they decide whether to support the commuter rail proposal.

As part of the reconstruction and repaving of Lake Road in Bay Village, Rocky River, and Lakewood, ODOT will incorporate some recommendations that have been gathered through traffic studies and area stakeholder outreach, including traffic calming, streetscaping, and pedestrian amenities.

The City of Rocky River will implement a railroad quiet zone, and City Council is debating whether it should be a partial or an all-day quiet zone. Mayor Bobst recommended a quiet zone from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and safety enhancements such as increasing signage near railroad crossings. Most residents favor the 24-hour quiet zone.

Officials from Lakewood and Rocky River are discussing alternatives for improving water quality by reducing combined sewer overflows. Prices for the options range between $1.3 million and $3.1 million.

Rocky River City Council has begun discussing the water main maintenance and no poaching agreement offered by the City of Cleveland.

Construction of the new Westgate shopping complex is slightly ahead of schedule, and more retailers have agreed to leases in the development. The center's Target anchor will open on July 27, and Lowe's is scheduled to open in November.

Rocky River officials continue planning for a railroad quiet zone in the City, and want to schedule a public meeting within the next month.