CLEVELAND — Nearly five years after Stark Enterprises announced plans for the transforming nuCLEus projectin Downtown Cleveland, ground is set to be broken on the project this August.
Stark released renderings submitted to the city for schematic approval of the scaled back version of the plans that CEO Bob Stark declared in 2014 would send a message "that we can compete with New York and Hudson Yards and Chicago and Millennium Park and Shanghai," said Stark at the time. "And let them know that Cleveland is in the 21st century and has the best of the best going for it."
In a release the developer said plans call for the creation of two parallel towers with 80,000 square feet of commercial space, 350,000 square feet of residential space and 400,000 square feet of Class-A office space. The mixed-use plan for nuCLEus has two distinctive towers, both containing 24 floors. The first tower will consist of residential units capping out at 310 feet tall and the second tower will consist of efficient Class-A office space above retail, social gathering spaces, dining, entertainment, and parking capping out at 353 feet tall.
“The entire vision of nuCLEus is to add millions of people to the streets of Downtown Cleveland by integrating a hub of business, residential and entertainment scenes bringing activity and experience for the rest of the thriving community,” said Chief Executive Officer of Stark Enterprises, Bob Stark. “Through our years of design and development, we have refined the plan to provide even more innovative space and placemaking, a catalyst for Cleveland’s on-going transformation into an internationally competitive city.”
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Much like how renovations of Quicken Loans Arena across the street are geared towards opening it up and connecting the 25-year-old arena to the city that it's been walled off from, the same holds true with nuCLEus.
"The new plans are centered around the use of enhancing the connectivity, visibility and brand of Downtown Cleveland, maximizing space with a parking garage housing 1,300+ spots, pedestrian laneway between the two towers and community activity spaces," the company stated.
Scaled back from the original plans, Stark believes it reflects more what the city can support while still making an iconic statement.
“The new plan responds to the changing demands of the market and is sized so that the project can move forward immediately. Public sector assistance is fully supported by incremental tax revenue generated by the project,” said Ezra Stark, Chief Operating Officer at Stark Enterprises.
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