Riverfront Development

[Bret Callentine]

Saw this on the PD site...

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindeal ... xml&coll=2

Who has the details? Timeline, funding information, etc???

on the surface, I'm excited to see this project started, however I was a little confused by the quote from Thomas Jordan... "Lakewood hasn't offered any new construction for years,"

Maybe I'm confused, but hasn't Lakewood been cranking out condos along Detroit road? Aren't we in the process of building a whole new school district almost from the ground up? New Library. New YMCA.

Is this just another cheap crack on Lakewood by the PD?

[Brad Hutchison]

Everything I've read about this project usually says it's the first riverfront development in years, so I assume that's what he meant.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

great, just what we need.

more $350,000 appartments that won't sell.

[Grace O'Malley]

According to Rick Foran, he has deposits for several units and interest in about 48 more. Whether that interest translates into actual sales remains to be seen.

However, promoters of the West End development were adamant that there was a demand for upscale housing along the river.

We'll see if that was a valid prognostication.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

it is the west end, so you never know.

I know of plenty professional athletes that live right along the Lakewood/River border on Lake/Clifton.

Seeing how successful Rockport Square and the other development (Robinwood? I don't even know) were makes me wonder if this is the right type of building to go up.

We can't sell our beautiful homes for $150,000..how are we going to sell apartments for 180-200,000 and 350,000-900,000?

just curious.

[Dee Martinez]

My question is about the timeline of this.
It seems as though the "mission accomplished" press releases from the city went out a long time ago. Yet the PD article lends us to believe the pieces werent in place until recently (the reporter isnt specific about exactly when).

At this point, its still just two vacant lots on Sloane and a lot of hullaballoo. Are we right to still be skeptical?

[dl meckes]

Rockport is selling well (they're building six new sold units), Rosewood has done well.

Ivor, what you get with these condos is a brand new living space with the latest amenities. There's no upkeep that a buyer needs to worry about. Different people look for different housing options, so it's good to have a choice.

We went to a Rockport open house and thought the unit looked very nice. DH was talking about where we could put the office! I don't think we're condo people, though.

Due to the housing market situation, Rockport has been taking deposits before building, but they are, in fact, finding buyers and building.

Dee, the Cliffs project was held up over a road/access dispute with the MetroParks that has been resolved. Until that agreement was reached, nothing could go forward. The intention to build went public, but it turned out that not all the i's were dotted or all the t's crossed.

[Dee Martinez]

Dee, the Cliffs project was held up over a road/access dispute with the MetroParks that has been resolved. Until that agreement was reached, nothing could go forward. The intention to build went public, but it turned out that not all the i's were dotted or all the t's crossed.

Understood. Lots of "i"s and "t"s alwasys need attention.

However, the current administration was touting this during an election campaign as big evidence of how great things are going in town, even without those "i"s and "t"s.

The spin started spinning long before the deal was remotely done. Can this help our natural skepticism of those in office?

(You post does make a wonder how the Metroparks were involved in any case, as the road to the development leads from Sloane down a slope which appears to be completely private property at least a few hundred yards from any Metroparks property. From what my two failing eyes can see, this development is occurring totally within the city limits and jurisdction of Lakewood. Can someone explain how the county got their hands in this pie?)

[Bryan Schwegler]

Rockport is selling well (they're building six new sold units), Rosewood has done well.

Ivor, what you get with these condos is a brand new living space with the latest amenities. There's no upkeep that a buyer needs to worry about. Different people look for different housing options, so it's good to have a choice.

We went to a Rockport open house and thought the unit looked very nice. DH was talking about where we could put the office! I don't think we're condo people, though.

Due to the housing market situation, Rockport has been taking deposits before building, but they are, in fact, finding buyers and building.

Dee, the Cliffs project was held up over a road/access dispute with the MetroParks that has been resolved. Until that agreement was reached, nothing could go forward. The intention to build went public, but it turned out that not all the i's were dotted or all the t's crossed.

Absolutely. I think both developments are actually doing very well. I think it's dangerous to assume upscale-priced housing won't sell in Lakewood...that's selling ourselves short.

To be honest, I looked at them also when I was searching to buy in Lakewood. I really liked them and would have bought one other than the fact I really felt I wanted a yard...even a small Lakewood one.

[Stan Austin]

Dee--- The Metroparks owned road that leads to Sweetwater and terminates right by the boat fueling area is the road under question. From that point on it was the old Krumrieg property but Metroparks was going to restrict or deny access from the proposed new road which will run along the shoreline. And, as you point out there is access "up top" at Sloan. That will be a parking area.
Stan

[dl meckes]

However, the current administration was touting this during an election campaign as big evidence of how great things are going in town, even without those "i"s and "t"s.

By the time the campaigns started, the deal with the MetroParks was done.

I don't know that I would call the announcement of a new project "spinning".

If the developers and the City had come to an agreement, it makes sense to start marketing the project to potential buyers.

While the road access in the MetroParks issue was being ironed out, there was a change in the housing market. I heard that the developers did not want to start building until they had a certain amount of reservations.

All sorts of things can happen before the final project is in place. Rockport is a good example of this - that was supposed to be a much smaller project than it is turning out to be, even in a flat housing market. The folks we talked to were very excited about the way things were going and were talking about taking reservations for the "Loft" building.

I know it's not popular to say this here, but who wouldn't want to live in Lakewood? It's a great city!

[Bill Grulich]

I came across this news on WTAM's web site http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/sect ... le=2801409

[sharon kinsella]

Wow - That place is like the temple to the "Great Yuppie".

[jennifer scott]

I think it's great. One more housing option for people wishing to either sell their Lakewood home and stay in Lakewood or relocate here. I also think the price will not deter some people after all, houses in Clifton Park still sell. I think everyone likes diversity here, now we have one more option.

[Jeff Endress]

I've watched the damage caused when the River becomes dammed by ice and floods during a spring thaw.....we all have.

I sure hope those first level condos aren't as close to the flood danger area as they appear to be. Bye bye cars, road, and send in the choppers to rescue stranded residents from their patios. After all, wasn't the original Krumreig structure (in the same area) washed away during the last flood?

Jeff