Northeast Ohio Properties, July 2024

a Classic

$80 million renovation revitalizes Hotel Cleveland on Public Square

FEATURES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mark Watt mwatt@propertiesmag.com 216.251.2655

OFFICE MANAGER

Lisa Larissey llarissey@propertiesmag.com 440.429.6153

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Doug Bardwell, Scott Esterly, Dan Holland, Christopher Johnston, Alec Pacella

MEDIA CONSULTANTS

Matt Lehnert mlehnert@propertiesmag.com 216.251.6753

Larry Overbey loverbey@propertiesmag.com 216.251.6649

OWNER

Real Estate Publishing Corporation

Jeff Johnson, CEO jeff.johnson@rejournals.com

Cover photo: Hotel Cleveland, by Doug Bardwell info@propertiesmag.com www.propertiesmag.com

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9 Examining the Market

2024 Cleveland CRE Summit highlights region’s real estate, construction markets 13 Reawakening a Classic

$80 million renovation revitalizes Hotel Cleveland on Public Square 26 Built With Care

West Park Animal Hospital opens sleek new facility to keep up with evolving profession 46 Taking Shape at Painesville Square

Lake Erie College converts former bank building into student housing

Special Section: Inside Design

54 6 Trends Impacting Interior Design: American Society of Interior Designers identifies industry shifts in 2024

58 More Than Meets the Eye: Craftsmanship, collaboration are key to interior buildout for Museum of Illusions Cleveland

64 Sound Design: Addressing acoustic comfort in the workplace for increased productivity, comfort

66 Making an Impression: Exploring wide format color imaging advancements for interior design

68 Project Profile: First Congregational Church of Claridon: Ceiling collapse leads to interior renovation of historic church in Geauga County 72 Vantage Point: Making a Case for Interior Design Legislation

DEPARTMENTS

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Harry Dempsey

PROPERTIES PEOPLE

Highlighting notable industry events

NAIOP Golf Classic

Recently, the Northern Ohio chapter of NAIOP hosted its 31st annual Charities Golf Classic at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course at Cleveland MetroParks’ Brecksville Reservation in Brecksville. More than 130 committee members, volunteers and guests enjoyed a day on the course, a raffle and several contests, as well as dinner. The annual event benefits numerous organizations that NAIOP supports annually.

1 Dave Maders (Chicago Title Insurance), Eric Jones (First Federal Lakewood), Dan Calvin (CCJ) and Mitch Duale (First Federal Lakewood)

2 Tom Boccia, Karla Salahshour (Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.), Edward Greenlee (ECS Limited) and Jeff Campbell (Cleveland Construction)

3 Julie and Russell Lamb (Allegro Reality Advisors) with Frank Black and Mark Hill (Premier Development Partners)

4 Don Obermeier (CESO) and Jeff Campbell (Cleveland Construction)

5 Tammy Greber (RSM US LLP), Christina Novotny (Baker Hostetler), Kristina Fronczek (RSM US LLP) and Harlie Crouse (RSM US LLP)

6 Steve Larson (UB Greensfelder LLP) with Dan Miller, Chris Miller and Craig Miller (Duffy+Duffy Cost Segregation)

Recently, more than 300 individuals in the design, planning, construction and building management professions gathered downtown Cleveland to board the annual Goodtime Design Cruise. The event provided an opportunity for members and guests from multiple area design organizations to informally network. Passengers enjoyed food, drink and fun while the Goodtime III sightseeing cruise ship navigated down the Cuyahoga River and onto Lake Erie.

1 Anne Hartman, Stacey Dasher and Shreya Patel (Moody Nolan) with Shannan Stanciu (DataBank)

2 David Thal (Weber Murphy Fox), Chris Dohar (Perspectus Architecture) and Megan Pros (Perspectus Architecture)

3 Design professionals and guests network on the Design Cruise Line

Providing integrated construction, commercial real estate, facility management and property management services designed to benefit our clients’ businesses, inspire users in their work place and respect the communities and natural world in which we all live and work, since 1976.

Examining the Market

2024 Cleveland CRE Summit highlights region’s real estate, construction markets

By Properties Staff

More than 100 commercial real estate professionals gathered recently at Windows on the River in Cleveland for the 10th Annual Midwest Real Estate News Commercial Real Estate Summit, co-sponsored by Properties. The morning began with opening remarks from Greater Cleveland Partnership President/ CEO Baiju Shah, who highlighted positive developments in Cleveland over the past few decades along with an optimistic look at what lies ahead.

Following Shah’s introduction was a series of informative panel discussions on topics relevant to the commercial real estate industry in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio overall.

The first panel, moderated by Peter Grealis, senior associate/investment sales with Colliers, focused on the multifamily/apartment market, with informative insights and analysis from Zak Hembree, director at District Capital; Charlie Gagliano, senior vice president – investments with Marcus Millichap; Nick Soeder, principal broker with Adams Lynch Associates; and Rob Garrison, vice president –

multifamily mortgage banker with KeyBank Real Estate Capital.

Next was the Cleveland Market Sector Update discussion, moderated by Tim Jackson, managing director with Integra Realty Services. Panelists included Robert “Kip” Danzinger, attorney with Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill Company LPA; Craig Miller, president/ managing partner of Duffy + Duffy Cost Segregation; Nichole Booker, senior advisor with SVN Summit Commercial Real Estate Advisors; Rico Pietro, principal at Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate; Rob Remington, partner at Hahn Loeser;

Photo by Mark Watt

1 ‘Transforming Downtown and Suburban Development - Game Changers’ panel: Thomas McNair (City of Cleveland), Christine Nelson (Team NEO), Mackenzie Makepeace (DiGeronimo), Brian Cappelli (GBX Group), Bob Fridrich (Geis Construction) and moderator Kevin Malinowski (Colliers)

2 ‘Cleveland Market Sector Update’ panel participants: moderator Tim Jackson (Integra Realty Resources), Robert “Kip” Danzinger (Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill Company LPA), Nichole Booker (SVN Summit Commercial Real Estate Advisors), David R. Stover (Hanna Commercial Real Estate), Rico Pietro (Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate), Rob Remington (Hahn Loeser) and Craig Miller (Duffy + Duffy Cost Segregation)

3 ‘Multifamily/Apartment Market Update and Forecast’ panel: Zak Hembree (District Capital), Charlie Gagliano (Marcus Millichap), Nick Soeder (Adams Lynch Associates), Rob Garrison (KeyBank Real Estate Capital) and moderator Peter Grealis (Colliers)

4 Matt Lehnert (Properties), Ernie Abood (RE Journals) and Larry Overbey (Properties)

5 Greater Cleveland Partnership President/CEO Baiju Shah delivering the keynote address

and David R. Stover, principal/execu- Kevin Malinowski, executive managing director at Colliers. Panel participants included Thomas McNair, director of the City of Cleveland’s Department of Economic Development; Christine agement and site strategies with Team

NEO; Mackenzie Makepeace, director of mixed-use development with DiGeronimo; Brian Cappelli, president of real estate at GBX Group; and Bob Fridrich, president of Geis Construction. Among numerous projects discussed was the ongoing development of Valor Acres, located off of I-77 in Brecksville, which will include new offices, condominiums, a hotel and several retail/entertainment options when complete, in addition to a 600,000-square-foot research and development center for Sherwin-Williams. Also discussed was the development of Turnpike Commerce Center, a 470-acre fully designed master-planned industrial in Shalersville, plus ongoing efforts to revitalize the Superior Arts District with a variety of historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects throughout the community.

Photos by

Mark Watt

PRESERVING HISTORY BUILDING THE FUTURE

Marous Brothers Construction Proudly Served as Design/Builder for the Iconic $90 million Hotel Cleveland Transformation.

Ron Starr Photography

Reawakening a Classic

$80 million renovation revitalizes Hotel Cleveland on Public Square

By Doug Bardwell | Photos by Travis Lee Photography, Ron Starr Photography & Doug Bardwell

Built in 1918, the 14-story Hotel Cleveland opened on Public Square as the premier destination to dine and stay in Cleveland. In operation for more than 100 years, the 607,000-square-foot hotel added a ballroom and garage in the 1960s. Former owners completed interior renovations in the 1970s and ‘80s, but nothing like the most recent, comprehensive $80 million renovation, which touched approximately 90% of the property.

Skyline Investments, of Toronto, Canada, along with its investment partner Eli Israeli, are the latest owners of Hotel Cleveland, having purchased the property in 2015. According to Skyline, it was always their intent to upgrade the hotel.

“Skyline had no idea what realistically it was getting into,” explains Blake Lyon, CEO. “Skyline envisioned an upgrade at the time. However, I don’t think it fully understood the extent and size of the remodeling necessary when it purchased it. The more we looked into it, the more the price grew, forcing us to look to other funding sources. Rising inflation was working against us as well.”

“When we bought the hotel, it was branded as a Marriott Renaissance property,” explains Chris Lund, consultant with Skyline. “Marriott helped us put together a PIP [property improvement plan], and that was the turning point, as we determined that we wanted to make the history of the hotel the primary driver for the project.”

Skyline’s suggestion was to consider upscaling the property to Marriott’s “Autograph Collection” branding model.

“Autograph started back in 2010, and it’s a collection of independently branded hotels,” explains Richard Veilleux, Marriott area vice-president of

full-service franchising. “It’s not a hard brand like Renaissance. Having a property with so much history, how it was originally designed, and its importance within the market, all contributed to this being a great fit for The Autograph Collection of Hotels. But, as Chris described, what’s really important is the branding. From a Marriott perspective, everything stems from that branding, essentially from the pen in the room to everything else within the building has to refer back to the branding of what Hotel Cleveland is about.”

Lyon explains that working with Marriott was far easier than many

Photo by Doug Bardwell

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thought it would be. “We had discussions over all sorts of things, even down to the charging station on the alarm clocks. But looking back with the benefit of hindsight, we were in sync all the way through. It was delayed, and we had headwinds against us, but we never had any major issues getting this over the finish line.”

Joining forces once again

Having worked with Marous Brothers Construction before on the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at The Arcade, and being aware of the company’s affinity for historic preservation work, Skyline once again decided to go with the firm they trusted. Even before Skyline chose to make this part of the Autograph Collection, some major needs were entrusted to the company as designbuilder and architect of record.

“Restoring the building to its original grandeur and making improvements to best serve our client and the future needs of the hotel was something we wanted to get right,” says Adelbert “Chip” Marous, CEO/president of Marous Brothers Construction. “We have a passion for preservation, so where historic features existed, we retained and refreshed their appearance. Where historic finishes had previously been replaced, our designbuild team was mindful of appropriate treatments in the rehabilitation of this building so spaces feel authentic.”

Photo

Doug Bardwell

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considering doing the interior renovations in three phases: floors one and two, floors three and four, and then all the guest rooms from five through 14. Before the work even began, COVID struck and the project was paused for about a year.”

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work on the funding options needed to accomplish Skyline’s goals.

Jared Freeman, general manager of the company’s Design/Build Group, recalls starting exterior work on the hotel with façade repairs and reroofing as the initial needs. “One of the big complaints inside was the in-room heating and cooling, so we began to take a holistic approach, considering doing it in phases, knowing what the end game was. That’s something we bring to the table as a design-builder.”

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“Many of the things we accomplished like tax increment financing (TIF), energy tax credits, sales tax exemptions and those type of arrangements were

Doug Giebel began work in 2017 as an in-house architect with Marous Brothers Construction. “By 2018, we were already

With skyrocketing costs, material shortages and uncertainty about the market, it became evident that they would need additional capital. Having dealt with Lyon before, Steve Goodman of SLG Consulting in California accepted Lyon’s invitation to help them

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Travis Lee Photography

“In today’s construction financing environment, complex projects like the Hotel Cleveland often require multiple funding sources,” says Freeman. “Each source has its own requirements and constraints, which we help our clients navigate. These days, the multi-tiered coordination of these requirements often seems as challenging as the actual construction, but it is crucial in order to make a project viable. That is why working with partners who trust each other is key.”

The other bright spot that appeared about the same time was the announcement that Sherwin-Williams would build its new Global Headquarters directly

across the street from Hotel Cleveland. “Not only did we use their paint exclusively for this renovation,” says Lyon, “but they have been and still are our biggest customer.”

After COVID, everything changed

After deciding to become an Autograph property, Skyline entertained proposals from a few interior design firms that failed to deliver their vision. Marous Brothers Construction then recommended Colum McCartan, someone they had worked with at the Westin Hotel nearby. McCartan brings brand development experience and

furniture and lighting expertise to hospitality clients.

Lyon recalls, “When Colum came to the table, he just simplified the whole thing for us.”

“We wanted to retain as many elements as we could, for both preservation as well as cost reasons,” Lund adds. “Colum impressed us very quickly that he actually thrives on the three R’s [recycle, reuse, reduce] approach on projects.”

According to McCartan, Skyline requested three things: a good design, adherence to Marriott’s brand portfolio requirements, and the ability to meet the budget. So he set off to first do extensive

MOVING UP Just inside the Superior Avenue drop-off entry is a grand staircase, which has been updated with new carpeting, new lighting, refinished handrails and polished marble.

Photo by Ron Starr Photography

research on all the historical details he could find about the building since 1918.

Upon seeing the project for the first time, McCartan recalls, “The sheer chal lenge of replacing cosmetic changes that

WARM RECEPTION A refreshed check-in area awaits guests in the second-floor main lobby, adjacent to the Maker Lounge.

Photo by Doug Bardwell

RECOGNIZING HISTORY The fifth through 14th floors contain all the guest rooms and suites along renovated corridors (top). All units feature large murals, faithfully recreated from original maps of Cleveland from the 1800s (middle, bottom).

be working floor-by-floor, we needed things quickly available. Fortunately, we were able to split the materials between rented space at Tower City, our own warehouse and some of the subs’ warehouses.”

“We finally mobilized in August of 2022,” says Freeman. “We jumped on the façade work since it was going to be a two-year endeavor, and we did the fitness center on the first floor, while starting the design of the FF&E, because we knew it would take a long time to arrive.”

“There was a lot of terra-cotta replacement, which was carefully removed, molds were made, and then it was

“Restoring the building to its original grandeur and making improvements to best serve our client and the future needs of the hotel was something we wanted to get right. We have a passion for preservation, so where historic features existed, we retained and refreshed their appearance.”

Adelbert “Chip” Marous Marous Brothers Construction

replaced,” explains Freeman. “While a lot of other buildings use a cheaper GFRG terra cotta alternative, ours were structural pieces, so they had to be replaced in kind.”

Did you know the hotel used to be twice as big?

“If you know the history of the building,” says Lund, “at one point, it was a thousand-room hotel. There was one guest bathroom for every two guest rooms. That’s the way hotels were built back in the 19th century and into the early 20th century, probably up until

Photo by Ron Starr Photography

Photo by Travis Lee Photography

Photo by Travis Lee Photography

the ‘30s. In the ‘80s, they did a major renovation where they basically cut the rooms in half so that each room could have its own bathroom. When that was done, they cut a lot of corners, which we were then left to remedy.”

Everything needed to be inspected and/or repaired, from plumbing to structural. “Can you believe they did this back in the day?” became a commonly heard phrase as they progressed floor to

floor in the renovation. Lund credits the cooperation of everyone from the construction and design team to the City of Cleveland for coming together with creative solutions to keep the project moving forward.

Another creative challenge occurred when replacing the 1,000-plus windows in the hotel. Between floors 12 and 14, there’s an interstitial space for electrical and mechanical equipment. According

to Lund, a unique window that spanned both floors was necessary.

“The crews were able to do it, but it took a Gantt chart for the project with us starting on the 14th and 12th floors and working our way down. We did manage to keep the hotel open through the entire renovation, however.”

“As Chris just alluded to, we started up top,” adds McGee, “and basically as we got a floor back, the original plan was

2023 - 2024 LEARN | LEAD | CONNECT

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ROOM TO SHARE There are 50 larger suites spaced throughout the hotel, many with great views of Lake Erie and Public Square. Having separate bedrooms and living areas make the spaces more flexible for families or businesses.

Photo

Travis Lee Photography

to give an additional floor to take out to start working on. But then we got to a couple of points where we were trying to catch up a little bit. So, we gave a couple of floors for each floor that we got back. That way, at any given time during the project, we always had right around 100 rooms available. Just under 100 was the lowest inventory that we went down to during the entire 16 months.”

That meant coordinating two separate construction crews, explains Leslie. “We had one team dedicated to work on the guest floors,” he says. “Then, we had a separate team that worked in public areas from floors one through four. No matter where we worked, we had to be careful not to impede access for the guests, which was an extremely challenging task.”

Making the old new again

you haven’t been here in 2024, you are in for an eye-opening treat. Typically, guests will come up the stairs from the Superior Avenue drop-off entrance or from the east entrance to Public Square and Tower City Center.

“Having a property with so much history, how it was originally designed, and its importance within the market, all contributed to this being a great fit for The Autograph Collection of Hotels.”

Richard Veilleux Marriott International

Both of these grand staircases have a renewed appearance with new carpeting, new lighting, refinished handrails and polished marble.

arrangements to accommodate everyone from a group of two to a dozen or more. With great views of Public Square from its two-story-high arched windows and a new menu of shareable bites, brews and cocktails, this will most certainly be a popular place to meet and relax with friends or business associates.

The fountain (which was not historic) is gone, but the incredible vaulted ceiling remains, and beautiful new chandeliers replace the old elegance with new. Also, it’s no longer up and down the one-step raised floor that used to divide this space. The floor is now level throughout, as historically intended. Floor coverings in the area are a combination of rich blues, reds and gold.

If you are one of the majority of Clevelanders who came here to celebrate a graduation, convention or wedding, or maybe enjoyed a staycation here, and

Arriving at the main lobby, secondfloor level, it’s a brand new look. With its new three-sided bar, Maker Lounge takes up the entire northwest corner of the floor, with dozens of comfortable seating

With its marble floor and columns, the main lobby extends from Maker Lounge past the brightly redecorated Ambassador Ballroom and around the corner to the Grand Ballroom escalator.

One of the marvelous discoveries during McCartan’s research was that the original marble quarry, Phenix Cut Stone in Missouri, which provided the

GREAT SPACE The hotel’s Grand Ballroom is almost 23,000 square feet, including the balcony, and is the largest in the city. It can accommodate 1,350 seated guests banquet-style or 2,300 guests for a reception-type event.

Photo by Doug Bardwell

Napolean gray marble for the lobbies, had shut down during the Great Depression but reopened in the mid-‘90s and was able to provide replacement pieces that exactly matched the 1918-era marble. (McCartan found the original advertisement showing Phenix’s work at the Hotel Cleveland in Case Western’s archives and it now hangs in the Maker Lounge.)

The third level is home to the hotel’s largest meeting spaces. The Grand Ballroom is almost 23,000 square feet, including the balcony, and is the largest in the city. It can accommodate 1,350 seated guests banquet-style or 2,300 guests for a reception-type event. Adjacent is an exhibit hall of another 11,000 square feet.

The other two largest rooms – the Forest City Ballroom and the Erie Room – are in the southeast corner of the building. Together, with the folding partition retracted, they can provide almost 10,000 square feet of space. Three other 1,000-square-foot or smaller meeting rooms are also available on this floor. All but the two smallest rooms also have additional large pre-function spaces.

The fourth floor is called the Conference Level, and appropriately so. There are three boardrooms with long conference tables seating from 22 to 26 guests. Thirteen additional meeting rooms range from 200 to 2,200 square feet.

The fifth through 14th floors contain all the guest rooms and suites. All rooms feature comfortable beds and comfortable seating, with textured carpeting and

interesting, large murals, faithfully recreated from original maps of Cleveland from the 1800s. Other framed art consists of old replicated ads or engineered drawings of some of Cleveland’s best-known manufacturers, like the White Sewing Machine Company.

The addition of electric reheat units has eliminated those initial complaints about individual room heating and cooling. With new energy-efficient windows throughout, individual heating/ cooling demands can now easily be met year-round.

All new lighting adds a touch of unexpected delight, with fixtures custom-designed by McCartan and produced in the United States or Canada.

Restrooms maintain their marble walls, luxurious showers and large vanity areas. The latest Moen faucets grace the restrooms and coffee counters.

There are 50 larger suites spaced throughout the hotel, many with great views of Lake Erie and Public Square. Having separate bedrooms and living areas make the spaces more flexible for families or businesses.

Looking back + looking forward

The Grand Ballroom was the first large space to be completed for an event that had been scheduled for August 2023. Guests started experiencing the newly renovated rooms in November 2023.

“We had lots of events on the books which were booked years in advance,

by Travis Lee Photography

MEETING NEEDS The fourth floor is called the Conference Level, and appropriately so. There are three boardrooms with long conference tables seating from 22 to 26 guests.

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some for two or three years in advance,” recalls McGee. “So I would go to Marous and say we have to get this done in order to accommodate this group. And these guys would pull off miracle after miracle. They were great.”

“It was an honor and privilege for Marous Brothers Construction to be selected for yet another high-profile historic preservation project, and this one happens to be our largest designbuild project to date,” says Marous proudly. “I can’t say enough about the design and construction teams. In a way, through design-build, we act as the conductor of an orchestra with the various consultants, engineers, designers and contractors performing their respective professional roles. As large as it is, when a project like this all comes together, you can’t help but stand back and enjoy the symphony.”

“There was also a fifth dimension to this project,” chimes in Lund. “That was to make sure that anything we did, fit in properly without impairing anything that was already there. And, Colum was a very good steward there. Also, Marous, who have a lot of experience with historical buildings in Cleveland, have really invested in their company.

If you look into them a little bit, in that aspect, they have an in-house historian who works for them full-time. So, we had all the resources that we needed through Marous to help us manage this process very effectively.”

“I think there are really three aspects to it,” says Veilleux, of Marriott. “First of all, what ownership committed to on

“It was an honor and privilege for Marous Brothers Construction to be selected for yet another high-profile historic preservation project, and this one happens to be our largest design-build project to date.”

Adelbert “Chip” Marous Marous Brothers Construction

this project was exceptional. You know, a lot of hotels renovate the aesthetics while neglecting the infrastructure, and the building suffers. Secondly, everybody on the team really supported the branding to bring this back to life, and it was really well done. We’re very proud of this within the Autograph collection. It’s a great addition. And then I

think the last piece, which is critical in every hotel, is the people and the culture. Now you have a group of individuals who are incredibly proud of this hotel with such a great, rich history. And how that comes across with every associate at the hotel is really what’s going to differentiate this property from just another beautiful hotel. The combination of those three things will make this a great hotel. I’ve had the privilege of being here three times in the last month, and, it’s just an awesome historical hotel. We’re incredibly proud of it at Marriott.”

But there’s more

“The next phase is to look at getting a giant ‘Hotel Cleveland’ sign developed and put up on the roof,” says Lyon, just like the one that was installed in 1918. “There’s also the vacant 15th floor where we can do something up on top now. So, despite going through all of this, there really is a next chapter and still a lot of interesting things to come for Hotel Cleveland over the next several years. So, it’s certainly a pretty big chapter that we’ve just finished, but the story is going to keep going.”

OPEN TO ACCOMMODATE A pair of large meeting spaces – the Forest City Ballroom and the Erie Room – are in the southeast corner of the building. Together, with a folding partition retracted, they can provide almost 10,000 square feet of space.

Photo

Ron Starr Photography

Built With Care

West Park Animal Hospital opens sleek new facility to keep up with evolving profession

Story & photos by Scott Esterly

What started in the 1960s as a small veterinary practice with just two exam rooms is now a bustling, modern facility with nearly round-the-clock emergency and urgent care available to area residents and their beloved pets.

Dr. Borys Pakush took ownership of West Park Animal Hospital in 1996. He purchased it from Dr. Robert Meister, who operated the hospital for three decades. At the time he took over the practice, Pakush was the sole owner. Over time, he has added four additional doctor partners. He also built a bigger building in 2003, increasing from two exam rooms to six.

“About six or seven years ago we realized we were outgrowing the existing building,” says Pakush. “We were getting to a point where we couldn’t grow anymore. We needed to keep moving forward and to move forward, we needed a bigger building.”

Located at 4117 Rocky River Dr., a half mile south from the historic Kamm’s Corners intersection in Cleveland, West Park Animal Hospital is now home to 22 exam rooms, with two additional exam rooms dedicated solely to contagious pets. The new building is 35,000 square feet. For perspective, its first building was 1,500 square feet and the second building was 7,000 square feet. The approximately $16 million facility welcomed its first patients on February 26, 2024.

A changing profession

Veterinary medicine has evolved greatly over the last several decades. The days of

bringing your pet to an animal clinic and getting a visual examination, IV drip and potentially a clean bill of health in the same visit are now uncommon.

“They’re teaching new doctors coming out of school to practice as if they’re at the

they can’t afford it because they’re trying to provide low-cost care. Those places will be gone in 10 years,” says Pakush. “Invest in pet insurance.”

Since the pandemic, staff numbers have also fluctuated, which has had some impact on what services can be offered.

“We wanted the building design to convey the robustness of [West Park Animal Hospital’s]

This isn’t your local

vet

expertise.

at the corner. This is an institution.”

Tommy Chesnes Onyx Creative

Cleveland Clinic. Everything is diagnostics and specialty tests. I’m not going to just treat what I see; I’ve got to run tests to diagnose it, document it and treat it. There are pros and cons. It’s one of those things where you can say the quality of medicine is tremendously better, but it comes with a price. This building is meant for that type of practice.”

“The hard part in our profession is that these little mom and pop shops that are all over the place, they can’t hire staff to work the nights because

“We close at 1 a.m., but I’d like to be open 24 hours. We are open 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., 365 days a year,” says Pakush. “Our staff numbers were down during COVID. We probably had 130 staff members then and now we have about 195. We just need more doctors.”

“Three years ago, we had too many doctors and not enough staff. Now it’s flipped. I could easily use 15 more doctors. We have 22 now,” he adds.

Team + timeline

To create a modern facility to accommodate the ever-changing landscape of veterinary medicine, Pakush selected Onyx Creative as architect and Kline Rostocil Construction as general contractor. The Onyx design team included Roberto Pinedo, senior project manager; Bonnie Hakes, lead interior designer; and Tommy Chesnes, lead architectural designer. Nate Rostocil and Josh Marks acted as project managers and Kenny Walsh acted as superintendent for Kline

Rostocil Construction. Groundbreaking occurred back in November 2021.

First steps: parking & land acquisition

The catalytic first step of the project had nothing to do with pets. It was parking. West Park Animal Hospital had 17 parking spots at the old building, which was a mere fraction of the number of employees. This, of course, doesn’t include clients coming in with their pets. “While planning it out, the first thing was that we didn’t have

enough parking. We built a parking lot two doors down,” says Pakush. West Park Animal Hospital sits at Rocky River Drive and Melgrave Avenue. On the north side of Melgrave Avenue is VIP, a bar and restaurant. Immediately north of VIP is where Pakush purchased a lot and added nearly 50 parking spots for his staff.

“Once I knew what land we had and how much space we had, I drew out what we could fit on the property. During that time, I was also talking with West Park

Kamm’s Neighborhood Development,” says Pakush. “They wanted our building close to the street. Technically, this is a 25-foot setback street. Our building is set back eight feet. It was their suggestion, not mine. I was all for it, because it increased the size of the building. City Council had to change the law to allow it.”

Pakush credits West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development and Charles Slife for making the setback issue painless. Slife represents Ward 17

SUPPORTING GROWTH Situated near Cleveland’s historic Kamm’s Corners intersection, the new, $16 million West Park Animal Hospital is 35,000 square feet, which is considerably larger than its previous facility.

on Cleveland City Council and helped usher in the law change.

The right look

“One thing I remember when we had that initial meeting at Onyx, I was asked what ‘look’ I want for the building. They said you could have the ‘old country vet’ look, but I kind of wanted the Cleveland Clinic look,” says Pakush. “A month or two later I went back to see the drawings and it was a ‘wow’ moment. It was the look that we were going for.”

The design process was relatively quick, taking about six months in total.

“We wanted the building design to convey the robustness of their expertise. This isn’t your local vet at the corner. This is an institution,” says Chesnes.

“In addition to the Cleveland Clinic ‘look’, we wanted to make sure we paid attention to the animals. We chose what we call a ‘fear-free’ palette with softer tones like soft gray, soft blue and soft neutrals,” says Hakes.

“There was a give and take with wanting to have an institutional hospital aesthetic but also be comfortable and supportive for animals,” adds Chesnes. “We also focused on animal movement within the hospital – the main element being that feline medicine has their own space, but even down to the glass divider at the entryway. When dogs are coming in one side and leaving the other, there’s no chance for physical interaction.”

A subtle way the new hospital is both aesthetically pleasing and friendly to the pets is the epoxy flooring. It is gentle on paws and easy to clean. In the previous building, the flooring was tile with grout that made upkeep extremely difficult.

Construction

The structural steel, steel-framed with brick veneer two-story building sits on just under one acre of land. “It was difficult building around this site because there was no room. You’re putting a big building on a postage stamp,” says Walsh.

As was prevalent with all construction projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, labor and material shortages had to be dealt with. “We knew a lot of the steel would be delayed, so we came up with a plan to order everything we needed right away and that helped a lot,” says Pinedo. If materials were ordered in advance, storage onsite was virtually impossible, necessitating offsite storage.

ROOM TO OPERATE West Park Animal Hospital is a high-volume clinic, completing upwards of 250 transactions every single day. To accommodate this much activity, 22 exam rooms were created with two additional exam rooms reserved specifically for animals with contagious symptoms.

A recurring theme for West Park Animal Hospital is a parking shortage and this was very evident during construction. Pakush negotiated some short-term parking with the bar and restaurant next door to give construction crew members nearby parking.

There are always some surprises during demolition. For instance, during demo of the old animal hospital building, construction crews found an old sanitary line. The old building was taken down quickly, in only a couple days.

Finished product

Stepping into West Park Animal Hospital, the first thing visitors will probably notice is how bright the interior is. The lobby is lined with windows which usher in a bevy of natural light. Natural light became a major theme for the new hospital, as windows line all sides of the building.

“You’ll notice the layers of windows,” says Chesnes. “The circulation is all around the perimeter of the building and in a facility this big, you can feel kind of disconnected and isolated from the outside. In as many inboard rooms as we could, we have windows to the corridor. For staff it’s tremendous to not feel like you’re in the maze of the building all day; you’re always connected to the outside.”

Pakush and his team outfitted the new building with essentially all new equipment. Really, the only items that had to be moved into the new space were consumables like pet food and medicine.

“We’ve been increasing staff over the last year or so in preparation for the new building,” says Pakush. “We decided to create a housekeeping team. We have six people that are cleaning the hospital all day long.”

West Park Animal Hospital is a highvolume clinic, completing upwards of 250 transactions every single day. To accommodate this much activity, 22 exam rooms were created, along with the two additional exam rooms for animals with contagious symptoms. The contagious animal exam rooms

are accessible through a separate side entrance located near the main entrance of the building.

“If the contagious dog must be hospitalized, we have a cage on wheels with a plexiglass door, so it’s contained. This way, they’re wheeled upstairs and not carried or walked through the hospital to their isolation space,” explains Pakush. “In the respiratory area, there are individual cages that are ventilated in and out of the building.”

Another segment of visitors can bypass the main lobby as well: cat owners. A separate feline medicine area is located on the second floor, which is accessible by stair or elevator from just inside the main entrance. This area has its own reception and exam areas and is essentially its own department. Cats requiring surgery will be taken into the main surgical areas on the first floor.

“Our old building had six exam rooms for the whole practice. Feline medicine now has six exam rooms all by itself,” says Pakush. “It’s super quiet in there. Everyone that has a cat says, ‘this is great.’”

Next to the feline medicine area is a rehabilitation center. “Rehabilitation

in itself is kind of its own clinic,” says Pakush. A main feature in this area is an underwater treadmill. The dog gets on the treadmill in a clear tank and water slowly fills to shoulder level.

An unfortunate reality for any animal hospital is to design bereavement procedures and space, which West Park

Animal Hospital took to a new level. “It was important for us to design a separate room for bereavement. When you bring in an animal to be put down, you’re not just in a bright, harsh exam room. You have special lighting and soft surfaces and it’s designed to provide comfort for that terrible moment,” says Chesnes.

The bereavement room has a sofa for pet owners and the pets can be brought in a gurney that can be raised or lowered as necessary. People leaving the bereavement room can exit a side door nearby, so they don’t have to walk through the crowded lobby if they so choose.

The new hospital wasn’t designed just for pets and their owners. A lot of consideration went into designing a stafffriendly space.

“This building also has amenities like a staff lounge and a doctor’s lounge. We tried to design it to attract new staff and doctors to have some comfort space and provide work-life balance. When you’re not working, you have somewhere to get away,” says Pakush.

For instance, in the staff lounge there are six individual restrooms and a bevy of personal lockers and a lot of seating. A staff picnic table was placed outside as well as an employee smoking shelter.

Finally, at the new building, parking was essentially doubled from 17 visitor spots to 35 visitor spots once demo of the old building was complete.

A quick tour

Upon entering the main visitor doors, a restroom, stairwell and elevator encompass the entryway. The stairway leads to the feline medicine department and rehabilitation center. In the waiting room, a gift shop and coffee station are available for visitors. From the waiting room, a hall along the northern side of the building leads to the bereavement area and exam rooms.

On the south side, a hall leads to a back office, administrative offices for the partner doctors, pet food and medicine pickup area, the pharmacy and the doctor work area with 14 computers and 40 permanent lockers. Beyond that is the main treatment area with more than a dozen examination tables and a bank of cages that act as a holding area for pets awaiting treatment or test results. Surgical rooms line the perimeter of the treatment area. There is an ultrasound room for diagnostics and a dedicated dental area that also houses the CAT scan.

In the very rear of the building, beyond the main treatment area, is a biohazard storage room for deceased pets, a delivery entrance, a staff entrance and a drop-off area for large, but otherwise healthy dogs coming in for surgery. In addition to the main and contagious pet entrances, there is a side door along the north side of the building for emergency visits that allows patients to bypass the lobby if necessary.

Along the front of the building on the second floor is the hospital managers’ station, scheduling office, human resources office, doctors’ lounge and surgery prep room.

On the north side of the building and proceeding to the rear is the feline medicine area, followed by the rehabilitation area. After the rehabilitation area is an employee-only conference room, where staff meetings and continuing education courses are offered. Along the building’s south side is the hospital lab, complete with pneumatic tube system to get blood

work to the lab and medicine to the main treatment room and feline area without requiring staff to traverse the entire building.

The staff lounge is massive and centrally located on the second floor. A pet wash station, central supply, IT room and housekeeping are also in this area. Towards the rear of the building on the second floor are isolation areas and rescue wards, where partner organizations like the City of Cleveland can bring in rescued animals for evaluations and treatment.

A vision realized

Everyone, from staff to visitors, is enthusiastic about how the new hospital has turned out and still marvels at how quickly it all came together. In fact, there was never a day the animal hospital was closed. On Sunday, February 25, it was business as usual at the old building and the next day staff and visitors began funneling into the new building.

The vision for the new West Park Animal Hospital came together through a tremendous team effort that Chesnes chalks up to one word: care.

“There really was a tremendous amount of care taken for every element,” he says. “Pet comfort, client comfort, every single decision was put under a microscope. And I think that’s because Dr. Pakush has been through this so many times. He’s worked on three buildings and been in the practice for so long. It was an incredible collaboration.”

SUPPLYING SPIRIT WEAR Situated adjacent to the animal hospital’s waiting room is a gift shop where visitors can peruse branded merchandise, pet supplies and more.

Commercial real estate happenings

Unlocking Benefits of District Energy

Developers, owners and operators of commercial buildings in urban areas typically do not think twice about connecting to the local water supply or electric utility. Rather than generating onsite electricity or drilling a well for water on the property, utilities are trusted to provide these commodities for the building owners and operators to use and control at their discretion.

This approach, however, is often not taken with thermal energy generation for heating and cooling buildings. So often, the initial inclination is to install equipment like boilers, chillers, cooling towers or heat pumps at the building to generate the thermal energy needed for heating and cooling. This equipment takes up valuable space inside the building and on the rooftop, requiring significant upfront capital investment. Furthermore, thermal energy generation equipment requires regular maintenance to provide reliable heating and cooling to a building. The ongoing maintenance and equipment replacement cost requires capital that could otherwise be spent on building improvements and amenities.

District energy: how it works

District energy systems supply steam, hot water and chilled water from a

central plant to multiple buildings in a district through a network of underground piping. This eliminates the need for boilers, chillers, cooling towers or heat pumps in the building. A simple heat exchanger transfers the thermal energy to the building’s HVAC system, eliminating onsite fossil fuel combustion.

By aggregating the load of multiple buildings in a district, the equipment at the central plant operates at higher load factors and, therefore, higher efficiencies than equipment at individual buildings. The distribution piping acts as a form of thermal storage, which further smooths the load for the central plant and provides built-in system redundancy.

Economies of scale allow for industrial-grade, high-efficiency equipment that is not feasible on an individual

Ed Schmidt, Owner ed@cleveland-demo.com Cell: 440-321-1500

9988 Kinsman Rd. Novelty, Ohio 44072 Office: 216-586-1500

ALEXIS OMILION

building basis, which provides low-cost and reliable thermal energy to the buildings in the district.

Leveraging district energy to increase property value

District energy, a long-standing asset in cities such as Cleveland, New York and Chicago, as well as on healthcare and college campuses, is rapidly gaining momentum across the United States as developers and municipalities recognize the value it brings to buildings. Building owners gain efficient and reliable energy at competitive and predictable rates and free up building space that would have been used to house the heating and cooling equipment. These spaces can be transformed into gyms, rooftop bars or additional leasable space.

As an added benefit, by connecting to a district energy system, the building eliminates its onsite greenhouse gas emissions, a key concern for forward-looking tenants and a priority for many regions of the United States. For example, the Washington State Energy Code 2021 bans the use of fossil fuel and electric resistance sources in buildings. In 2022, New York passed NY Senate Bill S9422 that establishes the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act to promote the development of thermal energy networks throughout the state. This summer, Boston’s century-old district steam network will begin supplying the city with green steam produced by renewable energy from New England’s electrical grid. These are just a few examples of the shift towards district energy in the United States.

As Cleveland looks to attract businesses and residents to the area, understanding the energy landscape in other regions and recognizing the emerging shift in the status quo will be critical to success.

Leveraging valuable assets like district energy can improve the value of the building while also helping to attract and retain tenants in a competitive market.

Alexis Omilion is director, business development with Corix | Cleveland Thermal. She can be reached by phone at 216.894.2873 or email at alexis.omilion@clevelandthermal.com.

clevelandthermal.com

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

Smart use of fiscal planning & action

Sticker Shock

Afavorite time of my youth was the arrival of the newest Car & Driver magazine each month. I’d spend hours poring over the articles, reading about cars with eye-popping performance and equally eye-popping sticker prices.

One day, I noticed a newspaper ad touting a brand new 1985 Audi 5000S for a paltry $199 a month. I immediately recalled reading a test on that very car the month before, with one of those eye-popping sticker prices of $20,280 as tested. As I dug into the details of the ad, I realized that the $199 deal was the price to lease the car, not to own it. This was the first time I had ever heard of the concept of a lease, but it wouldn’t be the last. Now a few miles down the road, this is a very common decision – not just for automobile consumers but also for commercial real estate occupants.

This month, we are going to have the first of a two-part conversation on the concept of lease versus own. In this issue, we will outline some of the primary advantages and disadvantages of each. Next month, we will follow up with an analytical process to evaluate and compare the economics of each.

The concept of a lease allows for physical and economic use of a property for a specific period of time without obtaining an ownership interest. In exchange for this use, the user (or lessee) agrees to make periodic payments (or rent) to the

owner (or lessor). Primary advantages of this arrangement include the following:

Financial flexibility

Leasing can provide flexibility to owners who may want or need the cash to invest in their core business and not in the underlying real estate. Avoiding a downpayment, monthly debt service and potentially significant repairs and replacements can free up capital for other, more attractive uses.

Expanded tax deductions

Lease payments are fully tax deductible and include rent paid for both the land and the improvements. In an ownership position, only the improvements are subject to depreciation, as the value associated with the land is not depreciable. If the lease is structured as “net,” with the lessee being responsible for operating expenses as well as base rent, this is deductible as well.

Stability of costs

Leasing can smooth out expenses for the lessee. Because the rent payments are usually well-defined in the lease

ALEC J. PACELLA

agreement and tend not to dramatically fluctuate, businesses are better able to monitor cash flows and develop accurate operating budgets.

Flexibility

Leasing can provide more flexibility if a business needs to expand, contract or relocate in the future. The shorter the duration of the lease, the greater the flexibility offered to the lessee.

There are also several disadvantages of leasing, including:

Cost

For a company with a strong earnings record, good access to financing and ability to take advantage of tax benefits associated with ownership, leasing is usually a more expensive alternative. Individuals and smaller firms often find that the cost associated with leasing as compared to borrowing are closer.

Contractual penalties

If a leased property becomes obsolete or if the project or initiative financed by the lease becomes uneconomical, the lessee is legally obligated to continue to pay the lease. Even if they choose to no longer occupy the space, they remain obligated to the terms and conditions of the lease.

Appreciation

Leasing does not provide participation in the appreciation of the underlying property – even if the lessee is the cause of the property’s success.

Lack of control

A lessee has little to no influence over surrounding co-tenants, nor do they have significant control over property amenities, operational decisions and management philosophies.

Owning is a way to obtain full economic use of a property for an unspecified period of time. While there may be a mortgage contract to borrow funds needed to purchase the property, owners are generally free to use the property as they wish, provided the use is legally permissible. Just as leasing has distinct advantages and disadvantages, so does ownership. Primary advantages include:

Tax savings

The owner of a property is entitled to a tax shelter as a result of the IRS

What I C @ PVC

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS Last month, it was announced that The Bell, an office-to-apartment conversion project, was heading to foreclosure auction. Located at 45 Erieview Tower in downtown Cleveland, the property was purchased in 2022 for $21 million. Although the conversion to 367 apartment units is believed to be largely completed, this will be the third such project that the owner has lost to foreclosure. –AP

rules associated with cost recovery and, if financing is in place, the deductibility of interest and loan costs. There is also a potential benefit of preferred tax rates associated with recapture and capital gains of a future sale.

Appreciation

The owner of an asset is entitled to all of the appreciation in value.

Income

If a portion of the property is rented to tenants, income from these lessees can be used to pay the mortgage on the property, fund the owner’s principal business or be allocated to other investments.

Control

The user that owns a building has the freedom to operate it as they see fit, within the limits of the law. Being able to control the level of repairs and maintenance, future improvements and appearance allows an occupant to directly control these costs.

Primary disadvantages include:

Initial capital outlay

The cash down payment needed to acquire the property may divert cash that could otherwise be used in the

occupant’s core business operation or for other investments.

Financing

The company’s ability to obtain a loan will not only depend on its financial condition and creditworthiness but also will depend on the broader financial marketplace.

Legal compliance

Compliance with changes in laws or zoning may be unforeseen, costly and unavoidable.

Risks

There are many risks associated with ownership, such as potential damage, obsolescence or inability to sell at a preferred price at the right time. The owner is liable for the safety and well-being of tenants, employees and the public in the building and on the premises.

Inflexibility

Space may be inflexible and difficult or unable to expand or contract. Relocating to a new location can be significantly more difficult for an owner as compared to a lessee.

Understanding the pros and cons of a lease as compared to a purchase is important for any occupant. But often the winner is the option that is financially beneficial. Next month, we will show you the money by reviewing an analysis to compare the cost of leasing versus the cost of owning. But for now, Audi 5000.

Alec Pacella, CCIM, president at NAI Pleasant Valley, can be reached at 216-455-0925 or apacella@naipvc.com. You can connect with him at www.linkedin.com/in/alecpacellaccim or subscribe to his youtube channel; What I C at PVC.

Navigating property laws & regulations

Expanding Equity with DBE Program Updates

Every year, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) distributes billions of dollars to finance construction projects undertaken by state and local governments, public transit and airport agencies across the country. In doing so, the DOT is required to ensure all firms competing for contracts on federally funded construction projects are not subject to unlawful discrimination.

The primary mechanism the DOT utilizes to ensure nondiscrimination is its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. For the first time in the 40-plus years since its creation, the DOT announced comprehensive changes to its DBE Program.

Background on the DBE Program

The DBE Program regulates Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs), which are firms that are at least 51% owned by one or more individuals certified as socially and economically disadvantaged, or firms where one or more of the owners certified as socially and economically disadvantaged individuals manage and control the daily operations of the firm. The DBE Program is a series of federal regulations primarily

designed to remedy the effects of past and ongoing discrimination in federally funded transportation and infrastructure construction contracting nationwide. The DBE Program’s primary objective is to provide small businesses owned by economically and socially disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded contracts. Effective as of May 9, 2024, the updates are designed to modernize and improve the program, reduce burdens on participating firms, and grow participating firm capacity and owner wealth.

Final rule updates to the DBE Program

1. Streamlined interstate certification process The improved interstate certification process constitutes a substantial change

CIARAN KELLY

to the DBE Program. The revised process eliminates the former requirement that DBEs provide all additional certifying entities, also known as Unified Certification Programs (UCPs), a copy of the entire application package previously provided to and approved by the DBE’s original jurisdiction of certification. Additional UCPs are now required to provide notice to the firm within 10 business days if the additional UCP confirms the DBE has certification. The new interstate certification process reduces burdens previously placed on UCPs. It enables DBEs to conduct business in other states and continue to efficiently expand their operations outside of the original jurisdiction of certification.

2. Revised calculation of and increased cap on PNW

For the first time in over 12 years, the DOT raised the Personal Net Worth (PNW) Cap from $1.32M to

Northeast Ohio’s Premier Distributer Since 1933 [Newly effective changes to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program] are designed to modernize and improve the program, reduce burdens on participating firms, and grow participating firm capacity and owner wealth.

$2.047M. The PNW Cap provides that an individual seeking certification as an economically disadvantaged individual cannot be certified as such if they have a net worth of more than $2.047M. The DOT also revised the formula for calculating PNW, now excluding retirement assets from the calculation. The revised calculation of PNW incentivizes owners to plan for retirement and the increased PNW Cap opens the door for more firms to participate in the program. As stated above, this update constitutes the DOT’s first revision of the PNW Cap since 2011. To prevent another 12-year period with a static PNW Cap, the DOT will automatically adjust the PNW Cap for inflation every three years using data gathered from the Federal Reserve. This regularly

scheduled adjustment will help ensure the PNW Cap adapts to ever-changing economic conditions and increase participation in the DBE Program.

3. New DBE Performance Plan required for prime contractors on design-build projects

Instead of only allowing prime contractors on a design-build project an opportunity to engage with DBEs at the onset of a project, the DOT now requires prime contractors responding to a Request for Proposal to submit an open-ended DBE Performance Plan (DPP) along with its proposal. DPPs detail the types of work on a project the prime contractor plans to solicit DBEs to perform and contain a schedule by which the prime contractor will undertake subcontracting with DBEs for said work. DPPs can be amended via written agreement between the prime contractor and the state or local transportation agency receiving federal funding for its projects (the “recipient”). DPPs now enable prime contractors to allow a project to progress prior to engaging DBEs to subcontract on the project. This change will result in opportunities for more meaningful DBE participation, overall job growth and fewer DBE terminations.

4. Prompt payment requirements have been strengthened

A primary concern of DBE stakeholders regarding the previous program was its relatively weak prompt payment requirements and protections for DBEs. These concerns, shared by many DBE stakeholders, prompted the DOT to revise the prompt payment and monitoring requirements. The prompt payment requirements under the Final Rule now require that every recipient’s DBE program contain mechanisms to proactively monitor and oversee a prime contractor’s compliance with subcontract prompt payment and return of retainage requirements. Recipients may no longer rely on first receiving complaints or notices from subcontractors regarding a prime contractor’s failure to comply with the prompt payment and retainage requirements. The Final Rule also specifies that prompt payment requirements flow down to all lower tier subcontractors. These changes ultimately reduce the potential risk of DBE subcontractors encountering payment disputes and

takes the burden off DBEs with respect to filing a claim of a prime contractor’s noncompliance with a DBE program.

ODOT’s DBE Program

The DBE Program, albeit federally regulated, requires each recipient, such as ODOT, to implement its own DBE program. The DBE Program requires that recipients certify the eligibility of DBE firms to participate in its federally funded contracts and establish narrowly tailored DBE participation goals. ODOT’s current DBE goals require DBEs participate in at least 15.7% of federally funded highway construction and design contracts and 11.9% of federally funded transit contracts for federal fiscal years 2023-2025. Of the 15.7% goal for DBE participation on Federal Highway Administration-funded contracts, 4.2% is projected by ODOT to be attained via

employing race- and gender-neutral measures alone, with the remaining 11.5% achieved via use of race- and genderconscious measures.

The long overdue updates to the Final Rule will improve the effectiveness of the DBE Program and increase DBE participation in federally funded transit and highway construction and design contracts. Continued efforts to revise and update the DBE Program are paramount to ensuring its continued success in leveling the playing field by providing DBEs a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts.

Ciaran Kelly (ckelly@frantzward.com) is an associate in the Construction Group at Frantz Ward LLP in Cleveland. For more information, visit FrantzWard.com.

Experts In Exterior Masonry Repair &

McMahon Masonry Restoration

BILLBOARD

Contract Awarded to Repair Cleveland West Pier

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District recently awarded a $6.9 million contract to Michigan-based Great Lakes Dock & Materials LLC for the repair of the Cleveland West Pier. Repairs to the West Pier aim to ensure Cleveland Harbor’s viability and contributions to the local and national transportation sector and protect the future of area waterfront recreation opportunities.

Repairs will encase 1,320 feet of the 1,430-foot pier with a new concrete overlay, held in place with steel sheet pile. Work will begin on the lakeward end of the pier and proceed inward to the harbor.

Construction is scheduled to begin in late July 2024 and conclude by August 2025. The project is 100% federally funded.

Work will be conducted by marine barges along the pier and will utilize portions of the federal navigation channel in the Cuyahoga River. “The Station” sailing center, operated by The Foundry and housed in the historic former Cleveland Coastguard Station at the end of the pier, will temporarily move its operations to Gordon Park during construction.

The Cleveland West Pier was constructed between 1899 and 1901 to delineate the mouth of the Cuyahoga River and is composed of timber cribs filled with stone and capped with concrete.

BuildingPoint Ohio Valley to Host ‘Brew & Learn’ Event

BuildingPoint Ohio Valley recently announced it will be hosting a free ‘Brew & Learn’ event at Missing Falls Brewery (540 S. Main St., Ste. 112, Akron) on Thursday, August 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will feature live workshop presentations on newer construction positioning technology, such as mixed reality, 3D scanners, total work stations and more, and will include hands-on demos. Complimentary lunch and drinks will be provided to attendees as well. To RSVP or

for more information, email info@bpohiovalley.com.

Ohio Leads U.S. in Construction Job Growth in May, Per AGC

Construction employment increased in 39 states in May from a year earlier,

while 26 states added construction jobs between April and May, according to a new analysis of federal employment data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). For the month, Ohio topped the list with the largest number and percentage of job growth over the month with 7,000 jobs, a 3% increase.

For the year overall, between May 2023 and 2024, Texas added the most construction employees (35,000 jobs, 4.3%), followed by Florida (27,700 jobs, 4.4%) and California (17,000, 1.9%). Association officials noted that construction labor shortages remain acute even as demand for construction remains varied by project type.

“Although some project types are slowing, there is unrelenting competition for workers for data centers, manufacturing plants, power and infrastructure projects in much of the country,” says Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The industry’s ‘war for talent’ is driving

Photo

Cleveland West Pier

up labor-related costs faster than in other industries.”

Port of Cleveland Approves $87.2M in Bonds for 3 Projects

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority recently approved $87.2 million in bonds for three area projects, aimed at enhancing housing and infrastructure in Cleveland and Mayfield Heights. The majority of funding, $55.2 million, will support renovations and new housing developments. This includes $32 million for extensive upgrades to the Gates Mills Villa Apartment Building in Mayfield Heights, benefiting senior citizens with modernized units and improved

amenities. Additionally, $15 million will fund the Gordon Crossing Project in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, providing affordable housing options. The remaining $8.2 million will finance construction at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport for Jets FBO, expanding aircraft services. The developments are scheduled to commence throughout 2024.

Karpinski Engineering Announces Promotion

Karpinski Engineering recently announced it has promoted Dave Woytek from senior electrical technical manager to associate. With guidance from the firm’s

principals, associates work closely with clients to deliver successful projects and contribute to the firm’s strategic growth. With a career spanning 32 years, Dave started at Karpinski in 2010. He specializes in corporate offices, education, libraries, perform-

ing arts centers, historical buildings and arc flash studies. Woytek has an extensive portfolio, having worked on various projects, including Eaton Center, Case Western Reserve University Maltz Performing Arts Center, Park East Synagogue, Progressive Field renovations and Baldwin Wallace University Knowlton Center.

Hahn Loeser’s Trusts/Estates Group Leadership Changes

Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group recently named new leadership. Partner Christina D’Eramo Evans, who previously served as chair of the Cleveland office Trusts and Estates Practice Group, has

Dave Woytek

joined partner Stephen H. Gariepy as national co-chair of the firm’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group. Partner Dana Marie DeCapite has taken on the role of chair of the Cleveland office Trusts and Estates Practice Group, while partner Richard C.

Spain has been given the new role of chair of the Chicago office Trusts and Estates Practice Group.

The group assists clients in developing comprehensive plans for the management of assets during life, the protection of assets in the event of

disability, and the tax-efficient transfer of wealth at death.

Garland Presents Scholarship to Aspiring CM Professional

The Garland Company, Inc. recently presented an academic scholarship to an area student pursuing a construction management degree at The University of Akron. The Cleveland-based building envelope and roofing manufacturer presented the award to Cy Jolliffe, of Independence.

The Garland scholarship was created in 2020 to honor the company’s 125th anniversary. Children of Garland employee-owners attending an accredited college or university are encouraged to apply. To ensure a fair

selection, applications are submitted with names redacted, and evaluated by a committee from an outside third party. Each year’s award amount coincides with the number of years Garland has been in business. This year’s scholarship amount was $12,900; the company was founded in 1895. Jolliffe is the son of Jeff and Angela Jolliffe; Angela is the credit manager at Garland. Cy Jolliffe spent two years of secondary education at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, studying the construction trades.

Christina D’Eramo Evans Dana Marie DeCapite

Taking Shape at Painesville Square Lake

Erie College converts former bank building into student housing

By Dan Holland | Photos by Larry Overbey & Mark Watt

As a key factor in the revitalization of downtown Painesville, which has seen an influx of commercial, retail and residential tenants in recent times, The Tower will open this summer to Lake Erie College students, providing 172 beds in 41 units within the former Lake County National Bank Building.

Built in two sections in 1957 and 1967, the 78,000-square-foot East and West towers, located at 30 South Park Place adjacent to Painesville Square, become the first offsite residential facility for the private liberal arts college, established in 1856.

Downtown Painesville, which includes The Tower, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. Preserving the features and characteristics of the mid-century modern office building was a vital aspect in receiving a total of $6.46 million in state and federal historic tax credits for the project, which will also include two ground-floor restaurants and a convenience store.

The city of Painesville is currently engaged in a $1 million streetscape

improvement and beautification project in and around the downtown area. The project will connect downtown with the college, which is located less than one mile away via Washington Street.

Beginnings

Discussions on the $18 million historic renovation project began in 2020 between Lake Erie College, the city of Painesville and real estate developer Renew Partners LLC, of Montville, which developed and manages the facility. JCI Contractors, of Ashtabula, served as construction manager. LDA Architects, of Cleveland, was brought aboard early in the process to initiate design and planning for the building, which sat largely vacant for a number of years.

“At Renew, we bring the project to the table, and then JCI starts putting the numbers together – the budgets and working with the architect – and then to the final product,” explains Charlie Borsukoff, president of JCI and partner for Renew. “We’re two separate entities, but we have a cohesion when we work together on all of these projects.”

“We’re excited to partner with Renew, the developer on the project,” says Jennifer Schuller, president of Lake Erie College. “Our residence halls on campus are old and weary, and they’re packed to the gills. We opened up last academic year with only seven empty beds.”

“For the last decade, the college has had to lease apartments across the street from campus, and that wasn’t an

Photo by Mark Watt

ideal situation,” she adds. “But to have a developer partner with us to build new units less than one mile from campus down on the square where there’s a lot of activity – it offers a great housing option for our students.”

“It was during COVID when we first began talking about the project, and then we approached the school knowing that they had a need for good, new student housing,” says Stanley Glasky, VP of JCI Contractors and partner at Renew. “From there, we went back and forth, asking them what their needs were. They liked the idea, and we liked the idea; the integration

between the city, the downtown area and the college in bringing them together, rather than being two separate entities.”

“From there, we went through the negotiations and worked with LDA on the design, how it would be laid out to get the most students in the building,” he continues. “I think they did a really good job of using every square foot of the building.”

Select demolition and an abatement process to remove asbestos insulation began in January 2023, with construction commencing in April. A limited number of students are scheduled to

move into the property this summer as part of a soft opening, with full occupation slated for fall quarter 2024.

Demolition of a small drive-up bank teller building in the parking lot was also included in the project to make way for a stamped concrete esplanade built by the city that runs through the property as a component of its greenway streetscape plan.

Exteriors

Exteriors of the East and West towers feature brick facing with vertical lines comprised of glass curtain wall and spandrel glass, aluminum window frames,

BANK TRANSFER Once home to Lake County National Bank, the mid-century modern office building has been renovated and adapted to provide student housing for nearby Lake Erie College.

Photo by Larry Overbey

LIVING TOGETHER All apartments include a communal living room/kitchen area (top) and a series of single unit bedrooms, each furnished with a desk and a full-sized bed (middle, bottom).

granite panels and white fiberglass dentil molding accents along the roof lines.

A grant for repointing, polishing, cleaning and sealing of the exteriors of the five-story West Tower and four-story East Tower was funded through a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program via Heritage Ohio. Exterior windows are all original, and retained in full per historic tax credit guidelines.

“There’s some lanier granite on the 1967 section, and there’s some that goes around the top of the coping on the East Tower,” says Michael Sanbury, historic preservation manager for LDA.

“There was some repointing, touching up, cleaning and recaulking done.”

Select plantings are strategically placed around the building, streetscape and 170-space asphalt parking lot on the 1.9-acre site.

Interiors

The facility’s ground floor includes a student communal/lounge area and additional space slated to house two specialty restaurants and a convenience store. In keeping with the historic integrity of the building, an original walk-in bank vault is included in the ground-floor restaurant space, along with two additional vaults in the basement.

An original wood and metal monumental staircase with a pendant light chandelier above, leads to the second floor, which opens to an open fitness center situated directly above the communal space.

Apartments range in size from studio to a penthouse suite with eight bedrooms. All units have a communal living room/kitchen area with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and at least one bathroom per each three bedrooms. All bedrooms are single units with a desk and full-sized bed, with exterior-facing units featuring floor-toceiling windows with blackout shades.

Special areas available to all student residents include a fourth-floor teak wood rooftop deck overlooking the square and a wood-paneled thirdfloor boardroom equipped with an

Photos by Mark Watt

original board table. A laundry room is centrally located on the third floor.

Historical considerations

Certain interior spaces and features had to remain intact in accordance with state and federal historic tax credit guidelines.

“When we came in, it was ready for us to build out,” explains Borsukoff. “There were certain walls and items that had to stay because of its historic nature. Maintaining the corridors was what made it a little bit different.”

“I think we were able to do some things that we wouldn’t have naturally done if it was a complete blank slate,” he adds. “The large communal spaces on the first and second floors came about because we were forced to keep them open due to the historic requirements.”

Tax credit work was undertaken by LDA. An early draft of the National Register concerning the area had a proposed end date in the early 1950s, according to Sanbury. “We did work with the person that was drafting the National Register, as well as Ohio’s State Historic Preservation Office, to get them to extend the date so that this building could be included,” he says.

“LDA helped us navigate to get the state and federal tax credits,” says

Glasky. “Because of that, we had to follow guidelines to maintain the fabric of the building from a historical perspective. We were pretty confident in receiving the state credits, even though it’s a pretty competitive program. And with this being a mid-century building, they want to get more of these under their wings.”

Funding for the project came through a variety of sources, including WesBanco, Pace Equity and a state and federal his-

toric tax credit syndication with Foss and Co.

Interior design considerations

A former fourth-floor mechanical penthouse suite atop the East Tower, which contained outdated HVAC equipment, was cleared out to make room for an eight-bedroom, three-bath apartment unit with direct access to the rooftop deck.

“There are hollow metal frames that lend themselves to a mid-century design,” says Glasky. “It’s all very straight and clean throughout. “

A number of storefront features in the corridors were left intact in keeping with historical tax credit requirements.

Challenges

Maintaining a working schedule on a tight site posed challenges.

“It was pretty standard once we got the shell ready, but it was pretty tightfitting with all of these bedrooms,” says Glasky. “We were trying to maintain schedule, so there were a lot of people working in and out and on top of each other while keeping it all safe while it was going up.”

Clearing out the penthouse mechanical suite, as well as a secondary interior mechanical suite, presented additional challenges. “There was another mechanical area in the center of the

Photo by Mark Watt

building between the two buildings that was two-and-a-half stories tall, but we built floors so that we could add a public restroom and a laundry area,” explains Glasky.

Utilities required strategic solutions as well, says Glasky. “We had to switch to a diesel fire pump, which was a curveball, but we figured that out, and that ended up in an old loading area in the back,” he says. “We also had to upgrade the natural gas line to the building, but we were fortunate in finding another gas supplier behind the building – that all came together just in time.”

Long delays in receiving electrical switchgear required an innovative approach. “I want to compliment JCI for everything they’ve done in that aspect; to wire a building in reverse is difficult,” says Shardae Cage, property manager for Renew. “Normally, you would put the switchgear in, hook up the wires and then run the wires to the rooms. They did it in reverse, so they could be ready to just drop this piece of equipment in, hook it all up, flip a switch and then it’s all supposed to work. Then, they had to troubleshoot it in three weeks’ time.”

Building systems

STEPPING UP An original wood and metal monumental staircase leads from the first floor communal space to the second floor, where a fitness center resides.

Open sections between floors were closed off for fire stoppage purposes, according to Glasky.

Each apartment features a split heating/cooling system. Rooftop units service the corridors, and DOAS units provide a fresh air exchange.

Sound insulation and a resilient channel were installed in portions of the corridor walls and in between units.

Flooring throughout the facility consists of LVT, carpet tile, rubberized

All units are equipped with cannabis sensors that can differentiate between cannabis and cigarette smoke and vape aerosols.

All student residents have key FOB access for the building.

Town + gown collaboration

Cooperation from the city of Painesville was key in bringing the project to fruition.

“The city has been great to work with – all the utilities and county building department as well,” says Borsukoff. “Everyone has been very accommodating and welcoming throughout the entire process.”

“Painesville has been very accommodating,” adds Glasky. “They ordered the transformer right away. They were ready with it when we were ready. They worked with us in getting the old power out and bringing the new power in.”

“It has really opened up partnerships with other businesses downtown and a lot of other entities as well,” adds Schuller. “I’ve never seen a town-and-gown relationship like this with such a great relationship between entities.”

Addressing a vital need

The renovation project addresses a vital need for additional student living quarters, says Schuller.

“There aren’t many colleges that can say they’re bringing on a new

by

Photo

Larry Overbey

TOP OF THE TOWN A penthouse suite with eight bedrooms (top) opens directly to a fourth-floor teak wood rooftop deck (bottom) that overlooks the historic Painesville Square.

172-bed residence hall,” she says. “It will certainly benefit us from a recruitment and student retention standpoint in knowing that this is largely upper-classmen student housing. It’s really going to help us move the needle when colleges are facing this demographic cliff, and I think this will be a unique selling point for our campus.”

“Although this building is owned by Renew, we partner together and treat it just like a campus building even though it’s off campus,” says Michael Grasso, student life director for Lake Erie College. “The students here will still have the same staff and resources they have on campus. We just want to provide a seamless experience so that whether they live on campus or in The Tower, they’re getting the same Lake Erie College student experience.”

“There has been a need for redevelopment in the downtown area,” adds Borsukoff. “So, I think bringing Lake Erie College here with student housing as a reuse for this building is going to help jumpstart the downtown area with further development.”

Jack Haskin, a senior student at Lake Erie College, serves as a resident assistant (RA) at The Tower and says he’s excited about living within the facility. “Hearing behind the scenes about the city being so helpful with the building, I can’t wait to show students the new property,” Haskin says. “I came to Lake Erie College my freshman year, and I love this area. I can’t wait to show my fellow students all the opportunities that the city of Painesville has to offer them.”

All for one

All entities pulled together to deliver a much-needed product, Glasky says. “We were blessed with good subcontractors on this project,” he says. “It’s been challenging, but it’s also been rewarding, especially as a historical project. You walk away from it with a sense of pride.”

“We have so many people who are excited about this; the community and all of the parties involved – we all benefit,” says Cage. “But I think that any challenges we’ve faced, we’ve overcome because we have such a vested interest. It’s not just the college, but the whole community that benefits from it.”

“We worked with Renew and JCI for many years on a number of different projects,” says Sanbury. “We have a great partnership with them, and the school has been amazing to work with. We received positive feedback on our designs, and they gave us some direction

on things they wanted to see, and we were able to implement those ideas. It’s been a great experience working with the whole team.”

“No matter what role each person played, I think they all kept the student experience in mind,” says Schuller. “Even when it came to the switchgear and other things, we mobilized and had a new plan quickly in place. Everyone thought about how this space would benefit the students, and I think because we were all grounded in that, it made for a seamless partnership from the college’s standpoint.”

Photos by Larry Overbey

6 Trends Impacting Interior Design

American Society of Interior Designers identifies industry shifts in

2024

Earlier this year, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) released its 2024 Trends Outlook, a research report identifying shifts in societal and demographic trends impacting interior design.

The report points out several overarching trends that will affect the design practice in transformative ways, including consumers’ desire for connection, blurred lines between livework-and-play, and the intersection of sustainability and wellness with life and business.

Several key findings from the Trends Outlook report include:

1. Blurring lines of live, work + play

Recent changes in the post-pandemic workplace have blurred the lines of living, working, staying and playing, with functional spaces blending and crossing design specialties. For example, corporate offices are introducing informal living rooms, cafés and rooftop bars, while hotels are offering team workspaces and conferencing.

Hybrid work is the new normal for many employees, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Leading companies understand how physical space affects employee productivity, and they are actively analyzing their employees’ work habits and preferences to maximize team efficiencies and create an optimal work experience for their staff.

Designers have the opportunity to help organizations create a more personalized approach to their hybrid work strategy and find the right balance of collaboration and focus space for their needs.

2. Aging in place

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, one-person households, as a percentage of all U.S. households, has increased every decade since 1940. In

2020, people living alone accounted for 27.6% of all households. Nearly half of these households [11.1%] were owned by individuals ages 65 and older. Per the National Institute on Aging, many people want to stay in their own home and maintain independence for as long as possible, and they will need help to retrofit their homes.

Innovative solutions that enable the elderly to remain in their own homes for longer are increasingly important as a significant number of the population ages.

3. Seeking connections

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 61% of U.S. adults say having close friends is extremely or very important for people to live a fulfilling life, which is far higher than the share

Story & photos provided by ASID

rating the importance of being married (23%), having children (26%) or having a lot of money (24%). The bottom line is that people of all ages are seeking camaraderie and comfort in spaces that foster a sense of community and connection.

To support this need for connection, designers are emphasizing gathering areas in residential and commercial spaces alike. In homes, kitchen islands are serving as both dining and social gathering spaces, while large, glass bi-fold doors are being used to open and extend living spaces onto patios – increasing ease and flow of gatherings. Similarly, commercial developers are offering consumers more amusement and entertainment experiences that combine high-quality comfort food with fun activities that foster connections with family and friends.

4. ‘Eatertainment’ & other recreational experiences

Spending on dining and entertainment is on the rise, as total recreation spending is expected to grow by 10.2% in 2024. Per a recent market report by Jones Lang LaSalle, in Q4 2022, spending on dining out in the U.S. grew by 13.7% year-over-year, while spending at amuse-

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BACK TOGETHER To encourage workers to return to the office, some companies are choosing to create new, informal gathering areas such as cafés and rooftop bars within the workplace.

ment parks and arcades grew by 20.6% year-over-year. The report identifies numerous categories of expanding entertainment: art installations, bar arcades, competitive socializing, escape rooms, esports, kid zones and immersive virtual reality. There has been an increase of “competitive socializing” entertainment spaces that include activities like mini golf and pickleball. “Eatertainment” has also emerged as an experience combining high-quality but casual menus with communal activities.

Landlords are looking for longevity in these expensive buildouts, seeking experiences that make visitors want to return. Tenants are looking to be in locations like tourist districts, lifestyle centers and mixed-use developments, and near other entertainment activities.

5. Rise of ‘quiet luxury’

In fashion, quiet luxury is often neutral and logo-less. Thomai Serdari, director of the Fashion and Luxury MBA program at NYU’s Stern School of Business, describes quiet luxury as “clothes that whisper their quality, cost and custom tailoring.” With many consumers rejecting “fast fashion,” given highly publicized human rights viola-

COMING INTO FOCUS Hybrid work is the new normal for many employees, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Leading companies understand how physical space affects employee productivity, and they are actively analyzing their employees’ work habits and preferences to maximize team efficiencies and create an optimal work experience for their staff.

tions and impacts on climate change, the return of quiet luxury isn’t surprising.

In interiors, quiet luxury is an understated, timeless and effortlessly luxurious look, achieved using high-quality materials, statement pieces and texture. The quiet luxury look prioritizes simplicity, refinement and a sense of sophistication without ostentation, as consumers seek warmth, comfort and a sense of calm today. This can include plush textiles,

warm neutrals and polished materials, as well as custom art pieces and furniture. Look for adaptations that embrace experiential luxury and personalization, curated maximalism and a mix of soft and saturated neutrals, and the principles of biophilic design and sustainability.

6. AI & other technological advances

AI has long been utilized in commercial practice, but in 2024 it is gaining usage with early adoption from younger designers. Generative AI applications are being used in a variety of applications. Organizations are using AI to generate floor plans, design iterations, occupancy and energy models, coordinated sets of construction documents, specifications and reports; while others are using it to increase autonomy, create experiencedriven design and deliver environmental settings that occupants can customize. The personalization of the consumer experience is just the newest means of the impact of AI.

To view the full ASID 2024 Trends Report, visit www.asid.org. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) serves the full range of the interior design profession and practice through programs, advocacy and networking, and leads inter-disciplinary conversations among designers of all specialties, including workplace, healthcare, retail and hospitality, education, institutional and residential. For more info, visit asid.org.

More Than Meets the Eye Craftsmanship, collaboration are key to interior buildout for Museum of Illusions

Cleveland

By Dan Holland | Photos by Harry Dempsey

If you’ve noticed a new family-friendly entertainment offering on Public Square this summer, it’s no trick of the eye. The Museum of Illusions, located at 186 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, on the ground floor of the former May Company Building, became one of the city’s newest and more unique visitor attractions when it opened May 31.

The 10,000-square-foot, $2.7 million interactive, experiential museum offers more than 60 optical illusions that utilize science, mathematics and psychology to boggle the mind. Exhibits range from the Instagram-friendly Ames Room, which utilizes forced perspective to make individuals appear larger or smaller than they actually are, to an Infinity Room covered in mirrors.

The museum’s “Edutainment” brand combines education and entertainment together into one product, says General Manager Krystal Castenada.

“We really want to bring out that inner child through edutainment,” says Castenada. “It is meant to be entertaining, but there is also a lot of science behind the exhibits. Our illusion experts are always on hand, as there are a lot

of opportunities to explain the science behind a particular illusion for visitors to grasp the concept. It really creates a lot of excitement whenever you see a strange illusion and want to know how it’s done – the curiosity and wonder and excitement about how the illusions are happening.”

Reservations can be made ahead of time, but the museum welcomes walk-in traffic as well, Castenada says, noting that the venue has seen as many as 1,200 visitors on Saturdays and 300-400 on weekdays so far.

Museum of Illusions Cleveland is the 50th location in the franchise to open worldwide. The first museum opened in 2015 in Zagreb, Croatia, where the company is headquartered. The company has spread to 22 locations across the

U.S., with additional openings slated for Seattle and San Diego.

Beginnings

The historic 1914 May Company Building, which now houses “The May” apartment complex with retail space at street level, was refurbished by Geis Companies as a major residential/retail conversion project for real estate development company Bedrock in 2020 (see full story in Properties, October 2020).

Interior design and build-out for the Museum of Illusions (MOI) was completed by Geis Companies as well, working in collaboration with the Croatia-based MOI team. Construction took approximately three months within the space, which was previously occupied by Cadillac Ranch Bar

MAGIC TOUCH The 10,000-square-foot, $2.7 million interactive, experiential museum offers more than 60 optical illusions that utilize science, mathematics and psychology to boggle the mind.

& Grill for years, and more recently housed a Taco Bell Cantina.

“Bedrock was approached by MOI looking for a space, and they told them they had this space available and had the perfect general contractor who had done all of the work in the building previously,” says Jonathan DeMart, project manager for Geis Companies.

“We had already white-boxed the space, cleaned it all out and built it just from infrastructure when we did the May Company Building. Then it was just an open area for lease. Another group temporarily leased the space for the NBA

“We really want to bring out that inner child through edutainment.... It is meant to be entertaining, but there is also a lot of science

the exhibits.”

behind

Krystal Castenada Museum of Illusions

All-Star game. We returned it to white box space, and the perimeter walls were built. When MOI came in, we started from scratch with them.”

DeMart and other representatives of Geis Companies visited the Museum of Illusions in Atlanta prior to beginning any work at the Cleveland site.

“They flew out the design team, and I flew out with the construction contractors right before we started the project,” explains DeMart. “We spent a day on site in Atlanta going behind the walls and behind the scenes and looking at everything. Their museum was very helpful as far as pointing out things not to do – things that they had problems with. So, we were able to see those things beforehand to make sure we didn’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Photo by Mark Watt

The entire design phase started in June 2023 and spanned approximately nine months, according to Todd Ritter, lead architect for Geis. “That covers the time when we got the initial documents, made drawings and submitted them to the city,” he says. “We got the permit in October/November of last year.”

The attraction opened one week ahead of the planned June 7 date.

Combining teams

MOI representatives traveled from Croatia to work on the project.

“It was a great partnership with the MOI teams, especially the project managers from Croatia,” says DeMart. “This is their 50th location, so they were able to give us a lot of good information. When you see walls that tilt or aren’t plum on drawings, and you see that on a 2-D sheet of paper, it’s kind of hard to imagine until you see it built. Taking the carpenters to Atlanta to view all of that prior to work was a major help to the project.”

Geis Companies’ previous restoration/renovation work in the building helped expedite the building process. The MOI project required a complete remake of the space once again, according to DeMart.

“It was comprehensive,” he says. “The HVAC system, plumbing, mechanical – it was all updated or upgraded. It also included the IT data, all the walls, the steel structural framing and reception desk. It took in everything except for the exhibits themselves, which were installed

“There are very specific instructions with wall degrees and floor slope degrees, and you have to nail those things to get the desired effect... If you get that degree off and start getting gaps in things, then the illusion is lost.”

Todd Ritter Geis Companies

by the museum. A mesh awning outside was fabricated by us and our team.”

“I don’t think there’s another general contractor in Ohio that could have gotten this project done in three months’ time,” DeMart adds. “We have a great relationship with our subs, who we use over and over again, as they are familiar with each other and they’re all familiar with us and our design team. But most of

all, they’re all familiar with this building as they all worked in here before.”

Design + build considerations

The exactness of the illusions required precise measurements and installation in order to produce the desired visual effect.

“There are very specific instructions with wall degrees and floor slope degrees, and you have to nail those things to get the desired effect,” explains Ritter, who shares details of one museum exhibit as an example.

“The cloning table has very simple walls going up, but it’s a very specific degree with the mirrors, so that when you sit in there, it looks like you’re playing cards with yourself. If you get that degree off and start getting gaps in things, then the illusion is lost.”

“There were critical dimensions that if not held to, then the illusion would not work out,” says Rich Kramcsak, site superintendent with Geis Construction. “The cloning table is one for sure. That 60-degree angle had to be dead on, and if it wasn’t, the illusion would trail off.”

“The Infinity Room was another one,” he continues. “It’s six-sided. Even with that and installing the mirrors, the MOI team was checking

FRESH PERSPECTIVES Fitting out the space for Museum of Illusions Cleveland required careful attention to detail, as several of the walls and exhibit spaces are intentionally designed at odd angles and shapes to create or support the visual tricks.

Photo by Mark Watt

by raising their hands and putting them off to the side to see if their fingers would trail out. It was with the knowledge that we gained from MOI that allowed the process to be done exactly.”

An experienced carpentry team proved invaluable in finishing the project on time and on budget, says DeMart. “The foreman on this job spent days laying out walls and identifying issues before we ever started putting up any framing,” he says. “His demeanor and attention to detail is what got us through the framing process, which was very tedious in trying to adhere to all of their requirements as far as degrees and measurements and working in a space that wasn’t squared and wasn’t dimensioned as it was on paper.”

An ordered sequence in installing the exhibits was necessary, with coordination required between the museum and construction teams.

ELEVATED SPACE The Cleveland museum is MOI’s 50th location worldwide. While there are similar elements at all of its museums, each has its own unique details. For instance, the Cleveland museum benefits from existing 18-foot-high exposed ceilings that lend a particularly inviting and open feel.

“Everything had to be sequenced with the install as part of the drywall and metal framing,” explains Kramcsak. “With the Vortex exhibit, we had to frame the walls, drywall them, get them painted – with the sprinkler system and the electric – then [the museum] would put in their illusion, and we closed the wall in afterwards. It was a good coordination between the MOI team and us.”

A unique feature of the Cleveland location is the 18-foot-high exposed ceilings with sound baffles. “That was a good thing and a challenge as well, as far as noise and sight,” says DeMart. “We painted a lot of the ceilings black to hide everything and make it blend into the space. It also gives the space a sense of openness.”

HVAC needs are served by seven heat pumps tied into the overall building management system.

Rubberized flooring is utilized throughout most of the museum. Floors and wall finishes were chosen for appearance and durability.

Challenges

A number of challenges had to be overcome in the historic building.

“The floor drops north to south by six inches in the floor,” explains Kramcsak. “From side to side, the slope was four inches. So, it was a little bit of a challenge with framing and trying to keep header heights and keeping everything with what the museum wanted as far as lines going across and matching them up.”

The original floor required grinding, followed by a concrete pour and polishing. “The walls are not all level, and some are tilted or uneven, so to establish that baseline floor that was already tilted was probably the most difficult part,” Demart says.

Rerouting ductwork and piping from a previous adjacent retail business required careful planning.

“We had some ductwork and pipe running through the area from a fastfood business that used to operate in the building,” says DeMart. “We had some grease ducts that ran through this space that we had to relocate and reroute around this space. There was

also a sprinkler system that was shut off in the wall, so we had to reroute it to that [adjoining] side of the building through our space.”

World of wonder

“Being here every day, I got to see the space as it grew into what it is right now, and I thought it was really amazing,” adds Kramcsak. “The best part was when I brought my wife here for the grand opening, just to see the look on her face as she walked through it and saw all the different illusions and what she was experiencing.”

“It’s been a great success so far,” says Tom Clack, operations manager with MOI. “I’ve been here pretty much every single day, and the response has been great. Clevelanders love to support new things, new museums and attractions. Whether you’re 6 or 96, you’re coming through, smiling and having a good time. We love to see that on our guests’ faces, and it’s easy for us to duplicate that excitement back to them.”

Photo by Mark Watt

Sound Design

Addressing acoustic comfort in the workplace for increased productivity, comfort

By Derrell Jackson

Acoustic comfort: the rhythmic clacks of a keyboard, birds chirping peacefully, a faintly humming white noise machine. If only it were that simple. In scientific terms, acoustic comfort is the perceived state of well-being and satisfaction with the acoustical conditions in an environment. Put simply, it’s a concept that recognizes the impact sound can have on worker concentration and anxiety levels.

Sound influences productivity and how well information is processed and retained. According to the National Library of Medicine, distractions in the workplace can contribute to over 90% of productivity loss for an organization. And, according to a 2018 study commissioned by flooring manufacturer Tarkett, acoustics top the list of priorities for employees.

While there is a host of factors that contribute to disrupting focus, noise management within an office is a contributor that should not be ignored. Facility managers have a lot of influence over the overall acoustical comfort of their spaces, from the use of subtle white noise to incorporating more soft, absorptive surface materials. Even in open offices, it’s still possible to manage acoustics by making informed furnishing decisions.

Though noise is inevitable, whether from phone calls, office chatter or outdoor construction and traffic, selecting materials that absorb sound will help manage the impact sound can have on employee productivity and wellness. So how do we curb noise pollution in the workplace? Start from the ground up.

Sound-absorbing floors lay the groundwork for acoustic comfort. Specially designed floors can limit reverberation time, reduce disruptive sounds such as footsteps, and lower background noise. Whether your building has segregated offices, cubicles or an open floorplan, the floor is one of the office’s largest surfaces and presents an opportunity to immediately absorb distracting noise.

Thanks to advanced design and technology today, sound-absorbing floors are no longer limited to soft surfaces. With a number of acoustic-friendly resilient floors available, designers and facility managers

Facility managers have a lot of influence over the overall acoustical comfort of their spaces, from the use of subtle white noise to incorporating more soft, absorptive surface materials.

can enjoy a breadth of options no matter their design or performance needs.

Depending on the structure of your office space, there may be existing furnishings that facilitate acoustic comfort. For example, soft, porous materials –rugs, chairs, curtains – provide a solution

for absorbing unwanted sound. If possible, acoustic panels on ceilings, vertical sound absorbers, and even lighting are also available options.

Think of the goal as being sound management rather than complete soundproofing. A person’s sensitivity to noise is unique. In fact, how people process, manage and react to sound is intrinsic to one’s personality, so it could be distracting for some employees to work in an office that is totally quiet. Still, taking measures to generally improve workplace acoustics and making choices that strategically tackle noise pollution is a way to ensure that the overall environment is better functioning – for everyone.

This article was provided courtesy of IFMA (International Facility Managers Association) in collaboration with Tarkett North America. Visit www.tarkettna.com for more info.

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Making an Impression

Exploring wide format color imaging advancements for interior design

By Mark Mathias

SE Blueprint

In the realm of interior decor, the evolution of wide format color imaging has revolutionized the way we design and adorn living and working spaces. From floors to ceilings, and every surface in between, advancements in printing technology have unleashed a world of creative possibilities, allowing designers/decorators to bring their visions to life with unprecedented precision and vibrancy.

Here’s a look at some of the product categories currently available for interior design projects.

Custom walls

The walls of a room are no longer limited to a coat of paint or stock wallpaper from a swatch book. They are a blank canvas to engage each client’s unique needs. Dozens of textured and unique commercial-grade wall coverings present custom printed graphic opportunities that inspire, inform or promote a oneof-a-kind experience.

FRESH LOOKS Wide format color imaging advances are creating new opportunities for interior design. For example, everything in this image is printed graphics including the bar and floor.

Type I, II or III grade media are readily available, providing durable opportunities for either commercial or residential type projects. Sustainable post-consumer solutions as well as temporary “permanent removable” wall wrap films are available for applications that require images to be removed without damaging wall surfaces.

Today’s wide format printers also are available with precise die cutting

capabilities to provide alternative customization options for vinyl wall decals. Custom logos, text, borders, directional or timelines can be added to just about any wall quickly and affordably.

Custom windows

Stock window films have always been a challenge for window tinters and their clients due to inadequate supply,

inconsistencies between lot numbers, outdated specified products and restrictive roll lengths that create waste. Custom-printed window films, on the other hand, are never out of stock, printed to the exact quantity required (which assures consistency from one window to the next), offer the same print quality as bigname manufacturers’ products, and are generally less expensive. They are also custom fit specifically for each client’s needs. Thanks to advancements in UV printing technology, inks can now be instantly cured via a UV light source seconds after the films have been imaged, eliminating the need for sophisticated and expensive printing presses. Production runs are also no longer a big deal for reducing the costs, so even just one window can be custom-printed affordably to address a client’s specific need. For these reasons, architects and interior designers should consider alternates

when specifying stock window films on projects.

Custom amenities

When designing environments, don’t forget about the amenities. The wide and grand format printing industries are exploding with almost limitless products to print on, either ridged or pliable, that can be integrated into ceiling, floors and even furniture design.

Custom printed textiles present unlimited opportunities for branding seat covers, lamp shades and even protective crash pads.

The influence of wide format color imaging on interior decor cannot be overstated. From floor to ceiling, and every surface in between, this technology has empowered designers and decorators to push the boundaries of creativity and expression. Whether it’s transforming a mundane space into a vibrant oasis or adding a touch of personality to a corporate environment, the impact of these advancements is felt in every aspect of interior design.

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Mark Mathias is vice president with SE Blueprint (2035 Hamilton Ave., Cleveland). He can be reached by email at mark@seblueprint.com or phone at 216.241.2250.

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SAFE + PLAYFUL This soccer ball image was printed on car upholstery and fabricated around structure support pillars in a children’s hospital play area for safety.

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Project Profile: First Congregational Church of Claridon

Ceiling collapse leads to interior renovation of historic church in Geauga County

By Sharon E. Trsek Marous Brothers Construction

The First Congregational Church of Claridon has been an active congregation since 1827, worshipping from their beautiful Western Reserve building along Mayfield Road in Huntsburg for nearly two centuries. Constructed in 1831 and long recognized as one of the finest examples of Greek Revival religious architecture in Northeast Ohio, the church has served the community since it was dedicated in the summer of 1832 and was the first place of worship constructed in the settlement of Claridon Township.

Believed to be the oldest church in Geauga County, it has been in continuous use for 193 years, except for a brief hiatus during the recent pandemic and subsequent reconstruction efforts. Over the years, the church underwent renovations and expansions, including the addition of a lower-level social hall in 1955 and sanctuary renovations in 1966. In 1974, it earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

On June 10, 2021, the suspended hickory wood ceiling inside the sanctuary came crashing down when the nails used

to secure it gave way. Fortunately, no one was in the building at that time. The wood ceiling that had been visible for generations concealed the original painted, curved, lathe-and-plaster ceiling, which was unknown to the congregation. This exposed history ultimately played into the restoration work.

The ceiling collapse rendered the sanctuary unusable for over two and a half years. During that time, the congregation was generously given permission to utilize the nearby Claridon Township Administration room to conduct worship

services. They also held services outdoors as weather permitted. Eventually, once the building was declared safe by structural engineers and local review authorities, church services resumed in its social hall downstairs while sanctuary reconstruction plans were developed and eventually realized upstairs.

After several months of discussions and investigations, the church contacted John C. Williams AIA, principal of Process Creative Studios, to request assistance. Williams, due to the history and importance of the church, offered many months

Photo

Travis Lee Photography

LASTING CHANGE A ceiling collapse in the summer of 2021 created extensive damage to First Congregational Church of Claridon (top). Undeterred, the congregation decided to restore and renovate the sanctuary to serve its needs for years to come (bottom).

of pro bono services to investigate the conditions and help interview contractors to properly stabilize and carefully clean the massive amount of debris. Through this work, the church retained Greg Frost, from Frost Architectural Preservation, Inc., who has a history of working within historic churches. His crew carefully dismantled the fallen ceiling components, removed insulation and assessed damage within the sanctuary space. At this time, with Williams’ suggestion, sections of the 100-plus-year-old, non-original wood ceiling were salvaged for reuse, saving parts of this history of the church. The pews were inventoried before being removed for repair and refinishing at Frost’s facility. Prior to the sanctuary work but included as part of this overall reconstruction effort, the bell tower, dating back to 1848, was stabilized and reinforced by Frost’s crew to preserve its historical integrity and so the bell can remain operational to call those to service, as historically intended.

Head Trustee Susan Vokoun, who has been affiliated with the church for more than 40 years, felt strongly that members within the congregation had an obligation to the church founders to return it to its historical nature so that the interior would be reflective of the exterior. And that they did.

For the planning and design of the restoration, the Church requested that Williams remain involved as the design architect. He agreed and strongly suggested that Perspectus Architecture, with their extensive experience in historic restoration and preservation work, be engaged as partner and architectof-record, with Peter Bohan AIA as principal. Perspectus and Process jointly developed the plans and design for the restoration. With expertise in historic rehabilitation and known for their atten-

tion to detail, the Special Projects Group of Marous Brothers Construction was awarded the role of construction manager to oversee the comprehensive reconstruction, ensuring attention to detail and adherence to historic preservation standards. Additionally, the Carpentry and Interior Finishes Group of Marous Brothers Construction self-performed all metal stud framing, drywall installations, taping and finishing within the sanctuary.

The historic circulation within the sanctuary was preserved through careful documentation and re-installation of pew locations and choir areas with only minimal visual change for ADA accessibility and clearance. Salvaged materials were repurposed where pos-

sible, and new elements were crafted to match the church’s historic aesthetic. New electrical was run behind walls and above the finished ceiling throughout. Existing wood windows were repaired and repainted. All existing wood ceiling joists were determined to be compromised and required replacement.

An optimist might call the ceiling collapse a blessing in disguise because it exposed the original rafters/trusses and remnants of prior ceiling finishes. Process and Perspectus worked with the trustees to design a plan which Marous Brothers Construction ultimately executed to restore the unknown original, curved white plaster ceiling, with a suspended section

‘After’ photo by Travis Lee Photography; ‘before’ photo courtesy of Marous Brothers Construction

of wood ceiling where the old (but not original) wood ceiling used to hang.

This was an important reference to the history of the church, allowing both ceilings to be visible, creating a wonderful outcome following the tragic collapse. Additionally, a section of the “original” wood ceiling was saved and installed behind the altar as a focal point and part of this story.

Despite challenges, including accelerated timelines to meet holiday deadlines, the project culminated in a sanctuary dedication celebration on January 7, 2024. At the dedication, Pastor Mary Ellen Hoffman reflected on the journey, emphasizing the congregation’s reliance on faith during adversity. The project revealed hidden beauty within the church, reinforcing the community’s resilience and dedication to preserving its heritage. As the First Congregational Church of Claridon approaches its bicentennial, its members have much to celebrate – a restored sanctuary, strengthened bonds and a renewed commitment to their shared history.

ABOVE + BEYOND The project team restored the original, curved white plaster ceiling while also incorporating a suspended section of wood ceiling where the old one once hung.

Photo by Travis Lee Photography

VANTAGE POINT

Experts weigh in on industry issues

Making a Case for Interior Design Legislation

The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) works to enhance quality of life through excellence in interior design and supports design professionals, educators, students, firms and their clients in continually increasing the value and understanding of the work of interior designers.

One of IIDA’s goals is to create and protect legislation for state registered and/or certified practicing interior designers who work in a code-impacted environment throughout the U.S. There is currently no federal regulation surrounding the profession of interior design nor does the state of Ohio recognize this as a profession. However, there is growing momentum that has swept across North America in recent years to pass interior design legislation. Twentyeight states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and all Canadian provinces, have some level of legislation in place related to the regulation of the interior design profession. The local IIDA Ohio Kentucky Chapter is hoping to add Ohio to that list.

What does interior design legislation mean for the profession? The “gold star” of any state pursuing interior design legislation is to pass a Title Act with permitting privileges. The Title Act will

require anyone presenting themselves as a “Registered Interior Designer” to hold a current and valid interior designer certificate from the state board of interior designers that would be created upon the passing of the bill. Professional licensing and regulations protect the health and safety of the public from fraudulent, unqualified and unethical practitioners.

To become registered, an interior designer must pass a series of exams administered by the Council of Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ), known as the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exams. This process typically requires a combination of at least 60 semester hours of post-secondary interior design coursework and a minimum of 3,520 work hours, depending on the educational background. These professionals must also pass three specific exams: the Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX), the Interior Design Professional

KRISTIN STUBBS

Exam (IDPX) and the Practicum Exam (PRAC). Registration is mandatory in some jurisdictions to practice, while in others, it is optional but grants a protected title and potentially additional rights, such as permitting privileges.

Passing a Title Act with permitting privileges would allow interior designers to stamp and seal non-structural and nonseismic construction drawings to submit for permit. Contrary to popular belief, this legislation does not restrict interior designers who are not registered. It is meant to elevate the profession, enhance public perception and expand business opportunities for registered interior designers. Additional benefits to passing the “gold star” of interior design legislation include:

• Eliminating the need for interior designers to pay for other design professionals to redraw, stamp and sign their construction drawings and documents for permit

• Enabling interior design firms to serve as a primary firm on a project, instead of working under a registered architect or engineer

• State and federal projects require registered design professionals to bid on their projects and passing this legislation will allow interior designers to do so

• Encouraging economic development by allowing a greater number of businesses to compete for commercial design work

Although interior design legislation is not “new,” there is some relatively new momentum on the topic. Beginning in 2021, North Carolina, a state that previously did not recognize interior design as a profession, passed Bill 188 which established a voluntary state registry for qualified interior designers and gave them the ability to stamp and seal construction documents for permit. This bill was the most comprehensive in the profession’s history and it has helped pave the way for other states to pass legislation on interior design. Since 2021, other states that have passed new or expanded their previous legislation include Wisconsin, Illinois,

Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, New Mexico and, most recently, Massachusetts. Neighboring states, Indiana and Kentucky, have passed Title Acts without permitting privileges. (Jurisdictions with Title Acts do not require registration, and come with a protected title for registered interior designers.)

If you’d like to stay in the know on how interior design is impacted

locally, at a state level, and nationally, text ‘Interior Design’ to 52886. You can also find out more on local IIDA legislative efforts by visiting the IIDA Ohio Kentucky Chapter website online at www.iidaohky.org.

Kristin Stubbs is vice president of advocacy with IIDA Ohio Kentucky Chapter and can be reached by email at iidaohkyadvocacy@gmail.com.

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CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS REPORT

Updated info on important projects in the region, provided courtesy of ConstructionWire (www.constructionwire.com)

Project: #3647303

FULLERTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REDEVELOPMENT

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Multifamily (50-100 units), Retail (< 10,000 sq-ft), Social (50,00099,999 sq-ft)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New

ESTIMATED VALUE: $12 million

SECTOR: Private, Public

LOCATION: 5810 Fullerton Ave. Cleveland, OH 44105

DETAILS: Plans call for the redevelopment of the former Fullerton Elementary School into a mixed-use development.

Estimated Schedule (as of 5/6/2024)

STAGE: Planning

CONSTRUCTION END: N/A

BID DUE DATE: N/A

OWNER: City of Cleveland Division of Purchases & Supplies

Contact: Alyssa Hernandez, Director of Community Development

601 Lakeside Ave., Rm. 128 Cleveland, OH 44114

P: 216-664-4000

SECTOR: Public

LOCATION: 7300 N. Palmyra Rd. Canfield, OH 44406

DETAILS: Plans call for the addition of a 39,304-square-foot building to an existing Career and Technical Center building.

Estimated Schedule (as of 6/20/2024)

STAGE: Starts in 1-3 months

CONSTRUCTION START: 8/2024

CONSTRUCTION END: Q2/2025

BID DUE DATE: 7/10/2024 11:00 AM

ARCHITECT: Team 8e Architecture, LLC

Contact: Thomas A. Madej, President/ Principal Architect tmadej@team8e.com 4131 Fairway Dr. Canfield, OH 44406

P: 330-501-1465

OWNER: Mahoning County (OH) 7300 North Palmyra Rd. Canfield, OH 44406

P: 330-729-4000

DRIFTWOOD

Project: #3665877

MCCTC CAREER TECHNOLOGY EXPANSION FACILITY PHASE 2

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Universities/Colleges (39,304 sq-ft)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: Addition/Expansion

ESTIMATED VALUE: $1-$5 million

Project: #3307043

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Multifamily (102 units), Retail (2,300 sq-ft), Green Buildings (25,00049,999 sq-ft), Parking Structures

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New

ESTIMATED VALUE: $12 million

SECTOR: Private LOCATION: 1209 Fairfield Ave. Cleveland, OH 44113

DETAILS: Plans call for construction of a 128,125-square-foot, four-story, 102-unit apartment building complex in the Tremont neighborhood. The project includes a 2,300-square-foot commercial/retail space. Also, the plan includes 92 indoor parking spaces, 86 in an underground garage, and six electric vehicle parking spaces on the first level with vehicle access.

Estimated Schedule (as of 4/30/2024)

STAGE: Construction

CONSTRUCTION START: 12/2023

CONSTRUCTION END: 9/2024

BID DUE DATE: N/A

DEVELOPER, OWNER: J-Roc Development

Contact: Jesse Grant, Owner jesse.grant@cbre.com

2515 Jay Ave., 101 Cleveland, OH 44113 P: 440-840-7712

ARCHITECT: Evident Architecture Office 411 SE 58th Place Portland, OR 97215

P: 503-708-3227

DEVELOPER: DiGeronimo Companies

5720 E. Schaaf Rd. Independence, OH 44131 P: 2164463500

CM: Independence Construction, LLC

Contact: Josh Decker, Project Executive jdecker@ind-con.com

6400 E. Schaaf Rd. Independence, OH 44131 P: 216-446-3700

Project: #3631697

NORTH COAST HARBOR MASTER PLAN

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Retail/Restaurants (16,000 sq-ft), Hotels (25,000-49,999 sq-ft), Multifamily (50,000-99,999 sq-ft)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New

ESTIMATED VALUE: $25-$100 million

SECTOR: Private

LOCATION: 100 Alfred Lerner Way Cleveland, OH 44114

DETAILS: Plans call for the construction of North Coast Harbor mixed-use development, which includes a 16,000-square-foot food hall, boutique hotel, and Village Apartment Complex.

Estimated Schedule (as of 5/1/2024)

STAGE: Planning

CONSTRUCTION END: N/A

BID DUE DATE: N/A

OWNER: City of Cleveland (OH) 601 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland, OH 44114

CONSULTANT: Field Operations

4 Bryant Park, 11th Floor

New York, NY 10018

P: 212-433-1450

NORTH COAST FOOD HALL

Project: #3631701

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Retail/Restaurants (16,000 sq-ft)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New

ESTIMATED VALUE: $6.159 million

SECTOR: Private

LOCATION: Near Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland, OH 44114

DETAILS: Plans call for the construction of a 16,000-square-foot food hall as part of the North Coast Master Development Plan.

Estimated Schedule (as of 5/1/2024)

STAGE: Planning

CONSTRUCTION END: N/A

BID DUE DATE: N/A

OWNER: City of Cleveland (OH) 601 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland, OH 44114

CONSULTANT: Field Operations

4 Bryant Park, 11th Floor New York, NY 10018

P: 212-433-1450

NORTH COAST BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Project: #3631710

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Hotels (50-100 rooms)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New

ESTIMATED VALUE: $11 million

SECTOR: Private

LOCATION: Near 100 Alfred Lerner Way Cleveland, OH 44114

DETAILS: Plans call for the construction of a boutique hotel building as part of the North Coast Harbor Master Plan development. Estimated Schedule (as of 4/30/2024)

STAGE: Planning

CONSTRUCTION END: N/A

BID DUE DATE: N/A

CONSULTANT: Field Operations

Contact: James Corner, CEO jcorner@fieldoperations.net

4 Bryant Park, 11th Floor New York, NY 10018

P: 212-433-1450

ENGINEER: Osborn Engineering Group 1100 Superior Ave., Unit 300 Cleveland, OH 44114

P: 216-861-2020

DEVELOPER: City of Cleveland (OH) 601 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland, OH 44114

Office of Capital Projects

P: 216-664-2231

PARKVIEW AT SPRING HILL

SECTOR: Private

LOCATION: 1000 Spring Hill Dr. Akron, OH 44310

DETAILS: Plans call for the construction of a multifamily development with 298 luxury apartment units over 49 buildings. Amenities include a heated salt water swimming pool and sun deck, green area for outdoor lawn games, indoor fitness center, dog park, and pet bathing and grooming facility.

Estimated Schedule (as of 4/15/2024)

STAGE: Construction

CONSTRUCTION START: 5/2023

CONSTRUCTION END: Q2/2025

BID DUE DATE: N/A

DEVELOPER: Metropolitan Holdings

Contact: Joseph McCabe, VP of Development 1429 King Ave. Columbus, OH 43212

P: 614-488-1900

Project: #3631352

SUMMA HEALTH SAINT THOMAS CAMPUS REDEVELOPMENT

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Multifamily (> 350 units)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New ESTIMATED VALUE: $34 million

SECTOR: Private LOCATION: 444 N. Main St. Akron, OH 44310

Ignoring your environmental issues won’t make them go away.

Project: #3292782

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Multifamily (298 units), Athletic Facilities (< 10,000 sq-ft), Social (< 10,000 sq-ft), Other (< 10,000 sq-ft)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New

ESTIMATED VALUE: $64 million

EA Group has provided environmental consulting and laboratory services to a wide range of clients for over 40 years. We’ve helped hundreds of companies solve their most challenging environmental issues from assessments and analysis to project management and remediation. Stop hiding from the problem and put our team to work early to avoid environmental emergencies that can result in costly and unexpected delays. Our expert technicians are experienced in:

• Asbestos and Hazardous Materials Management

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• Analytical Laboratory Support

Mike Hicks President

DETAILS: Plans call for the redevelopment of Summa Health St. Thomas Campus into a multifamily development with 500 or more affordable apartment units.

Estimated Schedule (as of 4/29/2024)

STAGE: Planning

CONSTRUCTION END: N/A

BID DUE DATE: N/A

OWNER: Summa Health System 1077 Gorge Blvd. Akron, OH 44310 P: 330-375-3000

OWNER: General Catalyst 434 Broadway, Fl. 6 New York, NY 10018 P: 212-775-4000

DEVELOPER: Welty Building Company Contact: Don Taylor, CEO 3421 Ridgewood Rd., 200 Fairlawn, OH 44333 P: 330-867-2400

Project: #3645424

UNIVERSITY ROAD & LITERARY ROAD MIXED USE

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Multifamily (50-100 units), Retail (< 10,000 sq-ft)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: New ESTIMATED VALUE: $12 million

SECTOR: Private

LOCATION: North of University Rd. and west of Literary Rd. Cleveland, OH 44113

DETAILS: Plans call for the construction of a 17.5acre mixed-use development with two mixed buildings containing ground-floor retail space and residential units.

Estimated Schedule (as of 5/2/2024)

STAGE: Planning

CONSTRUCTION END: N/A

BID DUE DATE: N/A

DEVELOPER: J-Roc Development 2515 Jay Ave., 101 Cleveland, OH 44113

P: 440-840-7712

Project: #3441065

ASHTABULA COUNTY TECHNICAL AND CAREER CAMPUS EXPANSION

PROJECT TYPE/SIZE: Government Buildings/Mfg./ Industrial/Warehouse/Schools (K-12) (50,000-99,999 sq-ft)

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: Addition/Expansion

ESTIMATED VALUE: $5-$25 million

SECTOR: Public

LOCATION: 1565 State Rte. 167 Jefferson, OH 44047

DETAILS: Plans call for the expansion of an existing technical and career campus building to include new work facilities for advanced manufacturing, fire fighting and law enforcement. This expansion will be con nected to two existing buildings within the west side of the campus.

Estimated Schedule (as of 6/4/2024)

STAGE: Groundbreaking

CONSTRUCTION START: 6/2024

CONSTRUCTION END: 6/2025

BID DUE DATE: N/A

GC: The Albert M. Higley Company

3636 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44115

P: 216-861-2050

ARCHITECT: Buehrer Group

314 Conant St. Maumee, OH 43537

P: 419-893-9021

OWNER: Ashtabula Area City Schools

Contact: R. Scott Wludyga, Superintendent scott.wludyga@atech.edu 6610 Sanborn Rd. Ashtabula, OH 44004

Board of Education P: 440-576-6015 ext. 1048

Construction project reports are provided with permission through ConstructionWire, courtesy of BuildCentral (www.buildcentral.com). BuildCentral specializes in planned construction project leads and location analytics for CRE, hotel, multi-family/single-family, medical, mining & energy, and retail construction spaces. Properties Magazine makes no warranty of any kind for this information, express or implied, and is not responsible for any omissions or inaccuracies. To notify Properties of any reporting errors, we encourage you to email cpr@propertiesmag.com.

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