Signs of Progress on Downtown Cleveland Townhomes

The street signs are up at Site 3 of The Avenue District, where townhome buyers began moving in last month.

Located at Rockwell Avenue and the newly created E. 15th Street, Building One includes 10 townhomes, complete with parking garages and rooftop patios.



Foundation work continues on Building Two at Site 3, which includes 10 additional townhomes adjacent to the west of Building One.

Thirty townhomes are planned for Phase 1 of the walkable neighborhood, with floor plans ranging from 1,800 – 2,100 square feet.

Loft and Penthouse Construction at 1211 St. Clair - Dec. 26, 2007

Construction photos from Dec. 26, 2007 show progress at 1211 St. Clair Ave. in downtown Cleveland, future home to 50 elegant lofts and eight penthouses.

Foundation work continues on the parking garage and other underground construction, while the first phase of installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment and risers is underway on the lower levels.



The new photos also show early-stage progress on the building skin, including: brick, stone, metal, panels and windows.





The buck hoist can also be seen climbing the east end of the 10-story building.




Visit the live Web cam for real-time images (refreshed every 30 seconds) of Site 1, at the intersection of East 12th Street and St. Clair Avenue, taken from the One Cleveland Center garage.

Straight to the Top: Penthouse Work to Begin

As construction will soon surpass the eighth floor of The Avenue District Building 1 at 1211 St. Clair Avenue, attention now turns toward the two-floor penthouse level.

Building designers and architects frequently design penthouses with “setbacks,” to create large outdoor terraces that allow for significantly larger and spaces than cantilevered balconies (see rendering below).

With units ranging from $787,000 to $1.1 million, penthouse residents will reach the height of luxury in downtown Cleveland living, with city and lake views, and spacious floor plans.

Each unit will feature a large outdoor terrace and have access to central greenspace for resident use. The interior will feature one of five floor plan options, ranging from 1,870 square feet to 2,700 square feet. Visit The Avenue District Website for further details.

New Avenue District Photos (taken Nov. 30, 2007)

The following Avenue District photos, courtesy of Shawn Hoefler, were taken 11/30/07:

Looking north down East 12th Street, Building one at 1211 St. Clair has reached the eighth floor of the 10-story highrise.

The 254-foot-tall Tower Crane continues to give rise to Building One.

This photo was taken from the eighth floor of 1211 St. Clair Ave. The sun sets directly behind Key Tower every evening.



These three Lake Erie views are from different suites on the eighth floor.

This photo looks out from inside the ground level of The Avenue District towards the intersection of East 12th Street and St. Clair Avenue.


The first Avenue District townhome building at East 15th Street and Rockwell Avenue is scheduled to reach 80 percent occupancy by year's end, and construction is well underway on the second townhome building.

All photos published above are courtesy of Shawn Hoefler

The Avenue District Site 1: Construction Milestones for December 2007

Throughout the next month, construction of The Avenue District Building 1 at 1211 St. Clair Ave. is expected to reach the ninth floor. The foundation of the parking garage and other underground construction will continue throughout the month. The first phase of installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment and risers, will start at the lower levels.

Simultaneously with the interior mechanical work, installation will start on building skin materials, including: brick, stone, metal, panels and windows, at the lower levels. Weather will play a major role in progress as the winter months approach.


On Nov. 29, the Plain Dealer featured a construction photo of Site 1 with the headline “Up Against the Wind.” The color photo appeared in the middle page B10 of the Metro Section, with the caption reading: “Despite Tuesday’s windy weather, ironworkers continued work on The Avenue District…”

Landscaping at The Avenue District Townhomes

It may be mid-November, but there’s still some green to be seen in Cleveland. Take a trip to Rockwell Avenue and East 15th Street and see something not commonly found in downtown Cleveland living – lawns and landscaping surrounding The new Avenue District Townhomes. Check out the following photos taken Nov. 9, 2007, from various angles and views around Site 3.

Skyline and Lake Views from 1211 St. Clair

Have you wondered what the views will be like from 1211 St. Clair?

Check out the Flickr photo slideshow of views from the second, third, fourth and fifth floors. And stay tuned for more photos as construction continues on the 10-floor building at East 12th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

This is the view from the fourth floor unit 401, at 1211 St. Clair, looking north down East 12th Street (taken 10.25.07).

This is the view from the balcony of the fifth floor unit 502, looking west down St. Clair Avenue. (taken 10.25.2007).

This is the view from the balcony of fifth floor unit 506 looking northeast at Lake Erie (taken 10.25.2007).

To view the full slideshow on Flickr.com, click on The Avenue District, Oct. 2007.

Inside The Avenue District - Podcast with Resident Michael Ciccolini

As the first residents begin to move into The Avenue District, townhome owner Michael Ciccolini discusses his new home and downtown neighborhood.

The Avenue District Featured in Builder's Exchange Magazine

Builder's Exchange Magazine, a Northern Ohio trade magazine focused on design and construction, featured The Avenue District as a profiled project for the month of October.

Multi-family: New construction in downtown Cleveland

Quiet zone - A high-end development caters to the upscale resident who wants peaceful sophistication

By: Ian Blakeslee

"The Avenue District is already being called Cleveland's quiet, elegant downtown neighborhood, and that reputation is only going to improve. The area, which already has as many residents as the popular Warehouse District, is in the middle of a development project that could change the landscape of the city for decades to come..."

Click here to view the full article: Builder's Exchange Magazine

Construction Updates: Site 1 and Site 3 Photos

SITE 1 - Building One Lofts and Penthouses

Looking west down St. Clair Avenue at East 13th Street, construction has reached the fifth floor of The Avenue District Building One at 1211 St. Clair Ave. (taken 10.19.07).

A parking garage deck can be seen on the east side of Building One (taken 10.19.07).

SITE 3 - Townhomes

Foundation work is underway for the second and third townhome buildings, as the first building nears completion in the background (taken 10.19.07).

City Architecture, The Avenue District Receive Architecture Award

City Architecture, along with Zaremba, Inc. and the City of Cleveland have earned the Architects Society of Ohio’s Honor Award in the Urban Design Category for The Avenue District.

The award was presented to the neighborhood as a whole for its approach to sustainable design and livable communities, including the buildings and the East 12th streetscape project slated to begin by the end of this year. Click here to view the full release.

The Avenue District Photo Update

This photo, taken 10/9/07, shows the progression of Site 3 construction. In the background, the first ten townhomes in Building One near completion, while foundation work is underway for Building Two in the center, and the ground is being prepared for Building Three in the front.


This photo of Site 1 at 1211 St. Clair Ave. (looking south on East 12th Street) shows the start of digging for the underground parking garage and the future foundation of Building Two at The Avenue District. Building One can be seen in the background.


Building One at 1211 St. Clair Ave. (taken 10/9/07).

The East 12th Streetscape Podcast with Nathan Zaremba

"The whole notion is that 12th Street will be the premier residential, mixed-used street in downtown Cleveland." - Nathan Zaremba

One Year of Progress at The Avenue District

What a difference a year makes. This time last year, community members gathered to mark the beginning of a new era in downtown Cleveland living at The Avenue District groundbreaking ceremony.

Today, the first buildings of The Avenue District are rising to the challenge of revitalizing Cleveland’s urban core, and serving as a sign of progress to come.

Residents have gotten the first look inside of their future homes with the first buyers scheduled to move in later this fall.

Check out the timeline below to see how The Avenue District has changed the urban landscape of this downtown Cleveland neighborhood:

Sept. 29, 2006 – Zaremba breaks ground on The Avenue District - 1211 St. Clair Ave., on the northeast corner of East 12th Street and St. Clair Avenue. Mayor Frank Jackson joined Nathan Zaremba, president of Zaremba, city dignitaries, local media and community members for an 11 a.m. ceremony, followed by a catered reception.

Oct. 26, 2006 – Zaremba earns two regional 2006 Smart Growth Awards. One is the Silver Award for The Avenue District Development Proposal in Cuyahoga County and the other is for the WoodHaven development.

Dec. 15, 2006 – Excavation begins on the Site 3 townhomes at Rockwell Ave. and the newly created E. 15th Street.

Dec. 21, 2006 – Zaremba secures the Foundation Permit to allow underground construction to begin at Site 1. Construction fencing for Site 1 had been up since early December.

Feb. 8, 2007 – Zaremba obtains an option on 1.4 acres of vacant property at the southwest corner of St. Clair Avenue and East 12th Street, adjacent to The Avenue District Site 1.

July 26, 2007 – The Avenue District launches blog. Publishes photos of Panzica Construction fully mobilized at Site 1, with foundation and framing work underway for both the underground parking garage and Building One.

Aug. 2, 2007 – Zaremba, City Architecture and the City of Cleveland officially release E. 12th streetscape plans and renderings to enhance The Avenue District. The three-year project is slated to begin in fall 2007.

Aug. 25, 2007 – Tower Crane appears at Site 1. The Plain Dealer writes teaser Aug. 23: “A bird? A plane? A tower crane? Construction advances on Avenue condos…Next week, a tower crane will rise in downtown Cleveland to begin superstructure and core work…”

Aug. 27, 2007 – The Avenue District Web Cam goes live, positioned atop the One Cleveland Center garage, streaming still photos (refreshed every 30 seconds) of Site 1.

Sept. 6, 2007 – Masonry work gets underway on the Site 3 townhomes.

Sept. 12, 2007 – Zaremba begins grading work for Building 2 of the Site 3 townhomes.

Sept. 22, 2007 – Zaremba hosts The Avenue District Hard Hat Tour for future residents of the walkable neighborhood.

Greater Cleveland Partnership World of Opportunity Video

The Greater Cleveland Partnership has released its new “World of Opportunity” video (below), featuring more than $4 billion worth of developments happening in Cleveland. The Avenue District is featured near 3:40 into the video, right after E. 4th Street.

The Avenue District Hard Hat Tour

A top-to-bottom look at The Avenue District

On Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007, Zaremba hosted The Avenue District Hard Hat Tour for future residents of the walkable neighborhood.

The day started out at 9 a.m. with continental breakfast, and then participants split into two groups – one lead by Matt Zaremba and Site 3 project manager Mike Sathre, and the other by Nate Zaremba, Jr. – to visit both Building One at 1211 St. Clair Ave. and the Site 3 townhomes at Rockwell Avenue and E. 15th Street.

At the townhomes, participants were able to view the inside of a townhome in the drywall phase, as well as get up to the roof to see how the rooftop decks are being constructed.


At 1211 St. Clair Ave., participants first toured the first floor and proceeded down to the basement level. Mark Panzica from Panzica Construction explained how each of the buildings 10 floors would be poured and constructed.

Trend Tracker Links (9.24.07)

Urban Model for the Nation
Washington Post - United States
By Alejandro Lazo
"Christopher B. Leinberger, a visiting fellow with the Brookings Institution, believes the move into urban corridors that is occurring in ..."

University Circle developers announce a high quality short list of ...
Plain Dealer – Cleveland, OH
"A bird's eye view shows the general massing of the Triangle development. Apartments and retail buildings to be built by developers Nathan Zaremba and Richard and Ari Maron are indicated in white, along with new buildings ..."

“Magic” Johnson Introduces Design-Your-Own Lofts in the Bay State
Multi-Housing News
"Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund joined with local partner Cathartes Private Investments, Massachusetts State Treasurer Tim Cahill and students from the Boston Parties in Education program this morning to preview the Mezzo Design Lofts, a workforce housing, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Charlestown, Mass., about a mile outside of Boston…."

Intown living: Sylvan Hills revitalized, yet affordable
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA
"Kersey is an urban planner who works in Midtown and Kravitz commutes to Decatur where he works for MedShare International, a nonprofit that recovers surplus ..."

1211 St. Clair Ave. - 2nd Floor Construction Video

Work has progressed to the 2nd floor at 1211 St. Clair Ave. Check out the brief video below taken on Friday, Sept. 21.



The 10-story building, at the intersection of East 12th Street and St. Clair Avenue in downtown Cleveland, will include 50 elegant lofts (floors 3-8), eight penthouses (floors 9-10) and up to 9,000 square feet of retail (floors 1-2).

Ground-Level Images from Site 1 - Sept. 12

Photos taken from East 12th Street on Sept. 12, 2007 show progress on 1211 St. Clair, future home to 50 elegant lofts, eight penthouses and up to 9,000 square feet of retail space in The Avenue District, downtown Cleveland's premier walkable neighborhood.

Avenue District Townhome Images - Sept. 12

Masonry work continues on the first 10 townhomes in The Avenue District. The rubber roof is now complete, and installation of the rooftop decks is underway.


The plumbing and electric roughs (behind the walls) are completed in most units, with insulation and drywall beginning in select units later this month. Buyers will also finish their interior selections this month, and start moving in this fall.


In addition, grading work has begun on the second townhome building, future site of the next 10 units at Rockwell Avenue and the newly created East 15th Street in downtown Cleveland.

Photos below (taken Sept. 12, 2007) show Building One to the east, with grading work on Building Two in the foreground.

Masonry Works Begins on Site 3 Townhomes

Masonry work is underway on Site 3 townhomes at The Avenue District, located at Rockwell Avenue and the newly created East 15th Street in downtown Cleveland.


In addition to the masonry skin, the rubber roof is now complete, with installation of the rooftop decks starting later this week. The plumbing and electric roughs (behind the walls) are completed in most units, with insulation and drywall beginning in select units. Buyers will finish their interior selections this month.

Images from Site 1 - Aug. 31

In the late-afternoon shadows of downtown Cleveland's skyline, The Avenue District's Building One rises at East 12th Street and St. Clair Avenue:




The tower crane stands 254 feet above Site 1 at The Avenue District: