Circle Square’s The Artisan residential building gets final approval
The large residential apartment building, The Artisan, planned for a former Cleveland Police Station got final approval from the Cleveland Planning Commission. Construction could start as early as March 2021.
The residential plans are part of a larger retail and office space development that will reshape the entire plot of land between Chester Avenue to the north, Stokes Boulevard to the east, and Euclid Avenue to the South. The fully-realized plan will eventually move the Cleveland Public Library’s MLK Jr. Branch from Stokes to Euclid, putting more residential units, the Library Lofts, on top.
The Artisan, at 10600 Chester Ave., will be on top of a parking structure and will turn the corner on to Stokes Boulevard.
Next, the project will seek final approval for the new Cleveland Public Library Branch and Library Lofts, west of Fenway Manor, on Euclid.
Once the library is relocated, future phases of the development can be constructed at the library’s current location.
Across Stokes Boulevard, developers are seeking an anchor tenant for a 13-floor, Class-A office building.
Developers will have to return to the Planning Commission for approval on the retail and streetscape pieces of the residential project, but Friday’s approval allows the building to start getting permits to start construction.
Sean O'Gorman from Fitzgerald Associates told the planning commission they expect building to take two years and that each building will be constructed to allow the existing structures to stay open.
Cooper Flats Building
Thirty apartments spread over two buildings got final approval from the Cleveland Planning Commission Friday in Duck Island.
Cooper Flats Building 1 and 2 will bring 18 and 12 apartments, respectively, to the sloping Willey Avenue, east of Columbus Road.
“Duck Island has been a focus for us for years,” said developer Matt Berges. “This is a piece of Duck Island that’s been neglected and well-situated for development.”
Berges tells News 5 some of the units will be subsidized, making them more affordable for tenants to move into.
Berges says Willey is a bit of a pass through road right now, but can serve as an entryway to the community with development along the side.
The sidewalk in front the project’s 12-unit building is wider to accommodate future multi-use trails that could be built through the area. The Red-Line Greenway is expected to be completed nearby, built by the Cleveland Metroparks.
Berges normally builds single-family homes, like Berges’ West 20 and Follett project just up the hill, but Berges says he thought this specific location was better suited for apartment buildings.
Pedestrian Improvement Public Comment
The City of Cleveland and the Ohio Department of Transportation are working together to bring pedestrian safety improvements to 62 locations across Cleveland.
You can see a full list and map of the improvements here.
To help navigate the acronyms on the map, Cleveland City Planning explains:
"RRFB stands for rectangular rapid flashing beacon. These are the bright neon yellow flashers that have a pedestrian-activated push button at mid-block crosswalks to increase yielding behavior by drivers. The crosswalks aligned with the malls on Lakeside and St. Clair have RRFBs, as a local reference."
"PHB stands for pedestrian hybrid beacon, also sometimes called a HAWK (High-intensity Activated Crosswalk beacon), and is made up of red-light flashers activated when a pedestrian pushes the button to cross the street. These are used in the same way as RRFBs, but are typically reserved for roadways with higher speeds and traffic volumes."
Public Comment will be accepted through Dec. 30.
You can contact the City’s Project Engineer, Ron Mason, P.E., at (216) 664-3705 or through e-mail at rmason@city.cleveland.oh.us.
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