Topic: Cleveland Casino site and environs

[Clueless,Ohio]

Opening day








A few more. TT is looking pretty good...
















Seen from Canal Rd in the Flats




May 8




May 5

Fencing came down this morning around the Welcome Ctr and awnings went up on the gift shop






It's really durty and dusty over there on Prospect...a street cleaner was there but some good rains should  take care of it. Then re-striping of street lanes and crosswalks will most likely take place. I was getting worried about the re-painting/re-striping, but over by the Higbee building and the Q that was also done this morning...






This is right near the main entrance on W. Prospect. There are a few of these. I would hope these are either removed or street lamps replaced




And...they were,






April 29






April 25






April 10, 11








Poles going up, this is part of the Prospect Ave side




Ontario St. side has about half of the poles up






Some exterior lighting is showing up on the PS side (as seen from Old Stone church)





April 7 evening







April 3, 4

Video board going up




Plastic replaced glass windows today on the Stanley. Tomorrow is some kind of court hearing




Nighttime, the exterior lighting is awesome. No longer a moribund zone.



















Art Deco Silver Grille level of Higbee Bldg













↓ Saturday
working on the weekend












↓ Friday
On Prospect (at E. 2nd St.) looking west







At Prospect & Ontario



Ontario St. looking at the long side of the Higbee Bldg



Ontario St. at Public Square





Around the Square and now back on Prospect (at W. 3rd St.) making my way back towards the Higbee Bldg. This portion of Prospect is technically called W. Prospect



The Ritz-Carlton, W. Prospect & W. 3rd St



 





Tower City Valet on W. Prospect



On W. Prospect (at W. 2nd St.) looking east, Higbee Bldg on the left







Across the street, and on W. 2nd St











Turn to look back down W. Prospect at this nice vista



Approaching Ontario St. again with Higbee Bldg on the left







Looking out at the construction across the street where I started



"Re-pointing" ((I think it's called) of the brick and mortar on the Stanley





I don't know the name of this building at E. 2nd St. & High St. but I wish I had a magic wand to remove this 1960s/70s bastardization of the windows and return them to the originals which still exist at the top. If restored, this building is a 6 story version of the Columbia.






PHASE 2 proposed location

Just to close this circle, here are some pictures to get a sense for phase 2's location:
Standing on the level of Tower City Center's surface parking lot with W. Huron Rd and the Landmark office complex, old Ohio Bell building and The "Q" all sitting above




This is what's holding up W. Huron Rd.
Phase 2 would also be cantilvered hereabouts (so that its entrance would meet  Huron Rd at street level)




This is the remnants of the ramp that sloped down from W. Huron to this parking lot (I think the ramp was removed before Gilbert's 85 mill purchase)




Standing on Tower City's parking lot with Canal Rd. below and the Riverview parking lot beyond that




Canal Rd which would bisect the phase 2 Casino and whatever was built at the river's edge (likely continued parking)




Now standing on Canal Rd with a remnant of the ramp in the foreground




One more level down, standing in the Riverview parking lot looking up




At the river's edge. This is where the river-narrowing was proposed for (to "more easily" create extra Casino parking). Not going to happen




So that's below W. Huron and down to the Cuyahoga River. What about the relation to the phase I renovation and construction up above this area?
This is W. Huron and phase II would be behind the Hard Rock Guitar (I believe this Guitar would have to be placed elsewhere if this phase is built as proposed)




Up at the traffic light at Ontario St. I'm standing on the median island andOne can see the Stanley (small building in center). The structure on the right of the photo is the parking garage that Rock Ohio Casesars bought from the city of Cleveland (former Gateway Parking Garage). It will be used to park cars that use the, ahem, Welcome Center.




Swinging around here is the beginning of the Landmark Offices




Swinging around more...there is the open space above Tower City surface parking that should have a Casino on it sometime in the future




Looking down from W. Huron to the Tower City parking lot, where I started.






That's it for now

[ColDayMan]

Cleveland might just have the best urban casino in the country when it's all said and done, topping Greektown in Detroit.

[edale]

For those of us not familiar with the Cleveland casino plans, could someone post some renderings or site plans?  I thought it was going into an existing building rather than new construction, but it looks like that might not be correct?

[ClevelandOhio]

For those of us not familiar with the Cleveland casino plans, could someone post some renderings or site plans?  I thought it was going into an existing building rather than new construction, but it looks like that might not be correct?

"Phase one" will be going into the Higbee Building.

They demolished the columbia building in order to build the "welcome center" aka parking garage...

"Phase Two" which will be the new build will be built behind tower city here...



So...

Higbee(Phase 1)


Parking Garage... Welcome Center


Phase 2

[MuRrAy HiLL]

Great pictures and breakdown!

Please no gerbil tube into the back of that beautiful building...(fingers crossed)

[Clueless,Ohio]

Yeah very thorough explanation CO.
For another point of reference for the phase II location... it is going on the other side of the tall brick wall:

[Etheostoma Caeruleum]

I hope that some of the buildings like Higbee's and the nearby Landmark can get the exterior wash to rid them of the dirt channels... Anyone know if they will be washed? Once something brand new is down there, it may make the older buildings look very dirty.


These look like they will be pretty classy places. Hope some of the patrons actually remember to dress up a bit.  Sneakers and ripped jeans and ball caps don't seem to blend nicely with the scene.

[Firenze98]

I also hope this project gets finished up with a nice large bath for the exterior facade.

[Clueless,Ohio]

Added 4 shots at the top of the thread (taken Saturday afternoon)

[CTownsFinest216]

are there any pics of what was demolished? seeing the welcome center crap its no surprise that the new construction is garbage.

higbees used to be such a nice department store. i especially loved being inside during the holidays. shame that a freakin casino goes in it.

nice shots

[Hootenany]

^

[CTownsFinest216]

oh sh!t,  they demolished that building?!??! i didnt even realize when i was looking at the pics. they mustve just done it too

ridiculous. they couldnt put this stupid welcome center on one of the dozens of existing parking lots downtown?

[Whipjacka]

lets not start this again.  The columbia discussion was a very bitter time around here.

[Htsguy]

^^Maybe you should read the pages and pages discussing and debating this on various threads rather than having us all re hash it again.

[Hts121]

I hope that some of the buildings like Higbee's and the nearby Landmark can get the exterior wash to rid them of the dirt channels... Anyone know if they will be washed? Once something brand new is down there, it may make the older buildings look very dir

Ask Sherwin Williams....

[Florida Guy]

I hope that some of the buildings like Higbee's and the nearby Landmark can get the exterior wash to rid them of the dirt channels... Anyone know if they will be washed? Once something brand new is down there, it may make the older buildings look very dirty. These look like they will be pretty classy places. Hope some of the patrons actually remember to dress up a bit.  Sneakers and ripped jeans and ball caps don't seem to blend nicely with the scene.

Exactly what I was thinking looking at the photos.

Yes, I miss Higbee's as well but she's been gone a long time and is not coming back. This is a great repurpose for this building; I for one can't wait to visit!

Thanks Clueless!

[McCleveland]

clueless, the building whose name you are looking for is the Penn-Illis Building. It is now essentially dead, I would put probability of its redevelopment around under 5%. It will now be completely encapsulated by parking garages and other structures.

[Clueless,Ohio]

Yes I am glad that the Higbee Bldg is getting a much-needed renovation. I know I've previously stated how I'm OK with the skywalk, but the more I look at that picture at the top of this thread the more I like that view the way it is. But I believe that a connection from the parking garage to the actual facility is a 'must' for the developers. And an overhead walkway seems like the only (feasible) option. Who knows? maybe there won;t be a conection.

I havent ever heard the name Penn-Illis. Interesting.
In the last couple decades, if not longer,  there has aways been a restaurant/diner on the ground floor. It was Cleats til just a couple months ago. So the upper floors are empty?

[Burnham_2011]

Quick Stanley Block question:  even though it is going to be completely wrapped up in the new welcome center, it would seem that they have, by building around it, sort of grandfathered it in.  I would also imagine that to some degree this is good because it'll force D. Gilbert to recognize the importance of developing this property.  (I mean... otherwise it's a very ugly blemish on the side of his gleaming welcome center).

Who currently owns the building (remind me, please) and even though Gilbert couldn't buy this before building the Casino (otherwise it would have been toast) does anyone see it being sold in, say, 2-3 years once the Casino is running and its fate is secure?   

It seems as though this will be starring Gilbert in the face every day and would be something he'd like to take care of.  And, though i'm not certain, my guess is that once the W.C. is built, it would be unlikely that he would demolish it, if he bought it, and simply add more parking spaces to the original building. 

[Clueless,Ohio]

I added pictures near the end of the thread trying to get a sense on the location of phase 2.

Also, there has been a lot of discussion on the admittedly very dirty Landmark Office complex. When I was snapping pictures recently I see that some areas near the top of the buildings have a cleaner look. This is in one of the recessed areas facing W. 2nd St. This top band is like an off-white.
I don;t know if this is a cleaned area or not, but I bet this entire place would be gorgeous if spiffed up. Uhhh, 2017 World Congress on Art Deco anyone?

[Jaybird]

I'm still not overly sure what good a casino would do in downtown Cleveland, but it's already cost them one highrise historic building...

[MissinOhio]

I'm still not overly sure what good a casino would do in downtown Cleveland, but it's already cost them one highrise historic building...

Well one positive is Cleveland isn't turning to just its casino for activity downtown like Detroit did when they built theirs.  This casino is just going to add to the already busy entertainment districts scattered throughout downtown from the Warehouse District, East 4th neighborhood, and Playhouse Square.

[Etheostoma Caeruleum]

oh sh!t,  they demolished that building?!??! i didnt even realize when i was looking at the pics. they mustve just done it too

ridiculous. they couldnt put this stupid welcome center on one of the dozens of existing parking lots downtown?

Uhh.. YES! I think many feel exactly the same... I surely second the emotion.

[Clueless,Ohio]

Casino update, mostly night shots

[ClevelandOhio]

Wow, the Higbee Building looks great!

[willyboy]

The Higbee looks fabulous with the lighting!

[mrclifton88]

WOW  the lights are amazing.  Maybe other surrounding building owners can take note of what a little cleaning and spot lighting can do for already amazing architecture?  *cough* *cough* Landmark Office Towers!

[KJP]

My favorite picture from the updates.....

[dave68]

I will give kudos to Rock Gaming for an absolutely brilliant architectural lighting of The Higbee Building.

[MyTwoSense]

I will give kudos to Rock Gaming for an absolutely brilliant architectural lighting of The Higbee Building.

That how the building was lit in the past.

[eastvillagedon]

I shouldn't have looked at these pictures. It's a depressing reminder of what a thriving department store Higbee's was.

[Oldmanladyluck]

Great shots!  The Higbee looks GREAT lit up at night!

[osu4brutus03]

Out goes the old in comes the new....The Horseshoe Casino Cleveland is a perfect fit....I'm excited for the things to come...

[Clueless,Ohio]

My favorite picture from the updates.....

It's kinda amazing how many interesting shots you can get in that short block (W.2nd/Prospect/Huron).

[Florida Guy]

Downtown department stores are a thing of the past, not just in Cleveland. I have great memories, but I moved on a long time ago. I'm excited about the reuse of this beauty. The lighting looks great and it's going to look even better when they hang the flags and totally finish the other features planned for the exterior.

Thanks for the update.