House of Blues Cleveland brings funky elegance to soul of downtown
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MANAGEMENT • CONSTRUCTION FINANCING • BROKERAGE • MAINTENANCE • APPRAISAL
House of Blues Cleveland
brings funky elegance to
soul of downtown
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2 Properties | March 2005
House of Blues lands new home in Cleveland
Story by Mark Watt | Photos by Roger Mastroianni
I
n the final weeks before House Artists from the New Orleans- us, but it’s just what they do. House
of Blues Cleveland opened to based development/creative services of Blues spends a fortune making
the public in November 2004, a department of House of Blues paused new [clubs] look old and funky.”
few members of the construction and from their work nearby.
design crews were walking through “It looks too good already,” said
the new, 47,000-square-foot live Lead Artist Holly Mandot. “Don’t do “The nicest House of
music and dining complex, checking anymore. In fact, we wish it was in Blues club yet”
the status of remaining work. worse condition.” Founded in 1992 as a home for live
Scott Rauch, project manager with Rauch recalls that by the next day, music and southern-styled cuisine
D-A-S Construction Co., remembers the painters had poured Elmer’s glue with the opening of its first club in
standing on a staircase leading into all over the iron railings and “just let Cambridge, Massachusetts, House of
the venue’s 1,200-capacity music it drip down, leaving globs of glue on Blues has evolved into an entertain-
hall when Project Architect Mike the underside of all the railings.” ment powerhouse with international
Lowry, with Atlanta-based firm “Now when you walk up and down recognition. House of Blues
Cooper Cary, Inc., ran his hand the stairs and slide your hands along Entertainment, Inc. is now the
along the stairway’s iron railing and the railings, it feels as if there are a second largest live music promoter in
mentioned that it could use some thousand coats of paint on there,” he the world (second only to Clear
dressing up. says, with a laugh. “You see those Channel Entertainment). The
“No, no, leave it alone,” said a kinds of tricks all over this place. It’s number of its namesake club venues
voice from the top of the stairs. what made this project so unique for continues to grow as well.
www.propertiesmag.com 3
BLUES BEACON Located at East Fourth Street and Euclid,
Cleveland’s newest dining and live music venue House of
Blues (above) features a 1,200-capacity music hall (left), a
300-seat restaurant, a special events room, a richly detailed
private club and a souvenir store, as well as a substantial
collection of folk art and worldly artifacts.
Celebrating the culture of blues new construction in favor of exten- As its newest completed project,
music and folk art, House of Blues’ sive, adaptive reuse of old, existing House of Blues Cleveland continues
eight operating clubs - located in buildings when finding homes for the chain’s tradition. Located at East
Anaheim, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las new venues. But all eight clubs share Fourth Street and Euclid Avenue and
Vegas, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, a similar look and feel - a funky serving as an entertainment anchor
Orlando and now Cleveland - amalgam of rustic, Southern juke- for development firm MRN Ltd.’s
attract more than eight million visi- joint charm and folk art surrealism East Fourth Street Neighborhood
tors annually. underscored by striking imagery from project (see related story, page 13),
The layout of each club is unique, all major religions - that is central to the venue combines old and new fea-
largely due to a preference to forego the House of Blues experience. tures in creative ways.
Proud to be part of the team for House of Blues Cleveland with D-A-S Construction
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4 Properties | March 2005
With an essentially L-
shaped floorplan that curls
around the mixed-use resi-
dential and commercial
Windsor building on the
intersection’s southwest
corner, House of Blues
Cleveland is carved into
the old Woolworth’s
Building on Euclid and the
Rainbow and Lee’s build-
ings along East Fourth.
Within this shell sit the
two-level concert hall, a
300-seat restaurant, six
bars, private club areas and
a special events room, all of
which are furnished with
exotic, unconventional fur-
nishings from around the
globe. LOCAL LOOK Showcased in the restaurant, a mural by Cleveland artist Peter Wood celebrates the 1952
From custom painted Moondog Coronation Ball, a Cleveland event considered the first rock ‘n’ roll concert.
murals and intricate faux
finishes to original pieces of folk art contractors and others need to be the United States, she says, but it
and exotic ornamentation, the walls involved for a project of this size and would not have happened without
and ceilings of virtually every public detail.” the initial concept of area develop-
space of the club are covered with Pulling the job together was the ment firm MRN Ltd.
unique treatments that communi- result of the work of many contribu- “The fact that Cleveland now has
cate the House of Blues mission to tors not just from Northeast Ohio a House of Blues all began with Rick
“celebrate the diversity and brother- but also from throughout the rest of and Ari Maron [the father/son team
hood of world culture.”
COLUMBIA
“There’s a little flavor on just
about every aspect of the building,
from hand-painted art frames to
custom-built bar panels,” says Joe
Perra, construction design manager
for the House of Blues Development
& Creative Services Department.
The finished project is an exciting
BUILDING PRODUCTS
addition to the city of Cleveland,
says Molly Rose, principal of
Idletime Network, Inc., which repre-
sents House of Blues.
“It’s the nicest House of Blues club
around today,” Rose says. “We feel
this is the best yet because each time
a new club goes up, it’s better than
the last. This is going to be one of the
easiest clubs to operate because it PROUD TO BE PART
was thought out, planned and built OF THE TEAM AT
so well. Plus, [the artist team] has just HOUSE OF BLUES
gone all out.”
CLEVELAND
Building the house
“It’s amazing how many people it
takes to put [a House of Blues club]
together,” Rose says. “People might
not realize just how many consult- P HONE 440.235.3363 | F AX 440.235.3372
ants, designers, engineers, vendors, 25961 ELM S TREET , O LMSTED F ALLS , OH 44138
www.propertiesmag.com 5
that lead MRN Ltd.]”, she says.
“They had a vision and because of
them the project is there.”
Seeking a quality anchor for its
THANK YOU ambitious mixed-use redevelopment
along East Fourth Street, MRN Ltd.
MRN, LTD. & contacted House of Blues to entice
the company to believe in MRN’s
GOOD LUCK TO vision and open a club in an area
that had once struggled with empty
HOUSE OF BLUES storefronts and a seedy reputation.
CLEVELAND “For a whole host of reasons, we
were excited about what House of
Blues does as a company and the
impact that it could have on our
project and the city of Cleveland,”
Ari Maron says. “In turn, they
became very excited about the future
Craig S. Cohen P.E. of Fourth Street and the lower Euclid
Avenue area. They decided they
Structural Engineering wanted to be a part of that future.”
As the planning process began for
Three Commerce Park Square, Suite 200 a new House of Blues in Cleveland,
Chagrin Boulevard, Beachwood, OH 44122 roles for the construction became
clear. MRN Ltd., along with its role
Phone 216.763.2505 as landlord, was to be an operating
partner with House of Blues and
Fax 216.464.2062
would handle structural steel and sys-
Email CSCPE@aol.com tems contracting. House of Blues
would take care of audio/visual/light-
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6 Properties | March 2005
DISTRIBUTORS OF CONSTRUCTION SPECIALTIES
PROUD TO HAVE
BEEN A MEMBER OF
THE HOUSE OF BLUES
TEAM WITH MRN LTD.
Your source for quality
BLUES IN GREEN Touring bands playing House of Blues Cleveland can kick back in one of
two backstage “Green Rooms” with kitchen facilities, showers and other amenities. In “Green concrete & masonry products:
Room B,”a nude Janis Joplin portrait fills an entire wall.
� Decorative Concrete Systems
ing systems contracting. D-A-S with light demolition in early 2004,
Construction was enlisted as con- the official start date would be � Anchors
tractor for general trades with March 2004 and continue for the fol-
Project Manager Scott Rauch lowing 12 months for a March 2005 � Masonry & Concrete
responsible for overall scheduling opening.
and coordination. Holding longterm “To maintain the schedule, we’d Cleaners & Repair
relationships with have big pow-
House of Blues, “This will be one wows every two � Curing & Sealing Agents
Idletime Network, of the easiest weeks,” Rauch
Inc., based in clubs to operate says. “With so � Expansion Joints
Windermere, because it was many of us spread
� Firestopping
Florida, would serve thought out, out across the
as owner’s represen- planned and built country, efficient
tative and Cooper so well.” coordination was
� Grout & Mortar
Cary, based in crucial.” � Joint Sealants
Atlanta, would pro- Molly Rose Construction
vide architectural Idletime Network Inc. began in the old � Water Repellents
services with Mike Woolworth’s build-
Lowry as architect-of-record. Locally, ing with the removal of 9,000 square � Concrete Accessories
City Architecture, represented by feet of the building’s first floor to
August Fluker, would handle historic create two levels for the music hall
credit issues and work with the city and a mezzanine seating area to
of Cleveland on additional issues. accommodate 1,200. 4560 Willow Parkway
Since a number of the firms “The first part was trying to figure Cleveland, OH 44125
involved in the project were located out how you take the building apart
out of town, MRN contracted and then build the new parts back Phone 216.641.2150
Cleveland’s eBlueprint to coordinate into it,” Rauch says. Fax 216.641.1756
all drawings; with eBlueprint’s serv- As there were no real drawings of
ices, drawings could be downloaded the 1950s-era Woolworth’s building 1.800.362.9267
and changed efficiently. (“This cuts as reference, investigative work was
down dramatically on any errors required early on.
which saves time and money in the “Because of the lack of drawings, Committed to your success since 1913
end,” says eBlueprint’s Todd Taylor.) we ran into some structural issues
An original timeline was set: that really put us in a holding pattern
although preliminary work began for about six weeks,” he says. “We
www.chasphipps.com
www.propertiesmag.com 7
Visit Properties online at
www.propertiesmag.com
Masonry
Epoxy Injection
Stonework
Shotcrete/Gunite
Restoration
Commercial–Industrial BOLD STROKES Faux finishes abound
OSHA Elite Contractor throughout the club. By the box office
Pleased to have provided masonry windows in the lobby, detailed paintwork
gives an illusion of stonework. A mural
at House of Blues Cleveland above commemorates various “blues gods.”
5275 COMMERCE PARKWAY WEST
PARMA, OHIO 44130 with D-A-S Construction were able to work but we were forced
PHONE 216.676.9401 to make changes to the sequence.
FAX 216.676.9403 That was probably one of the bigger
challenges that we ran into on the
project.”
We are proud to As Rauch explains, the original
thought process on construction of
have provided & the music hall and lobby was to
install the club at the existing floor
level and install the mezzanine level
installed powder above. Structural issues changed
those plans.
coat rolling “Instead, we needed to dig down
for the lower level and try to build
the upper and lower levels together
shutters, rolling coming off of Third Street,” he says.
“It required us to develop a brace out
grilles & circular of construction slab to hold back the
street. That whole situation entirely
changed our thought process on how
bar gates at to do this project.”
Throughout the job, existing por-
House of Blues tions of the building were modified
to meet the needs of the venue. In
the club area, for instance, Anderson
Cleveland Industrial Construction cut more
than a dozen new openings into the
existing masonry. Workers opened
4555 Willow Parkway up three-foot thick masonry walls,
Cleveland, Ohio 44125 patched original sections of marble
OFFICE: 216/883-2424
and granite and provided and
installed new stones to match the
SPECIALISTS IN SERVING OUR INDUSTRY FAX: 216/883-8952 original.
8 Properties | March 2005
ROOM OF RICHES Exotic furnishings abound in the Cambridge room, a club area with a bar and small stage for special events.
Throughout, curtains can be drawn to create eight-by-eight-foot private cubicles. Overstuffed furniture surrounds a gas fireplace featuring
a bronze-cast mantel from a Civil War-era Southern plantation.
Concurrently, construction began obstacles but in reality it wasn’t that “There was a desire for it but there
in the Rainbow and Lee’s buildings, difficult. It was just a matter of think- wasn’t an available location,” Rose
the site of the venue’s restaurant and ing outside of the box.” says. “Because the interior of the
retail shop, where more surprises The forced plan revision caused by Rainbow building needed to be
awaited the crews. the Rainbow building’s structural rebuilt, an opportunity arose to fit
“We were already four months into problems worked out for the better in one into the plans because the
the project when we reached a Maron’s really wanted one.
point that it was quite clear that “(Overcoming obstacles “When portions of the Rainbow
the Rainbow building was struc- during the project) was building crumbled, Ari [Maron]
turally unsound,” Rauch says, just a matter of came up and said, ‘What do you
explaining that the brick and thinking outside of think about putting a foundation
mortar had deteriorated signifi- the box.” room up there?’ I thought he was
cantly over the years. “As a result, joking. It wasn’t a month later and
we had to brace the front of the Scott Rauch I realized he was serious. The amaz-
building and tear down the interior D-A-S Construction Co. ing part is that they were able to
- it looked like the set for a build it and not delay the opening
cowboy movie - and we had to start some ways, says Idletime’s Molly of the main venue.”
all over in that area. The solution Rose. Each House of Blues venue Despite the hurdles, by the end of
was to create a new building inside typically include a private club called summer it became apparent that, in
the old shell with a new foundation a Foundation Room, which offers fact, the project could be finished
and structural steel supports.” first-class dining and even more ahead of schedule.
“During that period, there was a exquisite furnishings than the club’s “Once this was realized, House of
lot of cooperation and a lot of public areas. Originally, there was no Blues pushed for a November open
yelling,” he says with a laugh. “It Foundation Room in the initial con- date so we compressed everything
seems there were some significant cept for the Cleveland venue. and the 12-month project turned
www.propertiesmag.com 9
into an eight-month process,”
Rauch says.
As summer turned to fall, the
already fast pace accelerated. The
final months of work marked the
arrival of House of Blues’ interior
design team who would put the fin-
ishing touches on the project -
painting murals, adding faux finishes
and installing dramatic art pieces -
just in time for the club’s November
open date.
In through the out door
Upon entering House of Blues
Cleveland from the Euclid Avenue
Photo by Mark Watt
entrance (primarily intended for con-
certgoers) visitors pass through glass
doors, which were built to match the
building’s originals, and are greeted by
FINISHING TOUCHES A vintage English church door and an installation piece by artist Scott a spacious and lofty lobby. Merging
Guoin, celebrating Cleveland’s 1952 Moondog Coronation Ball, add charm in the lobby. remnants of the building’s past with
new House of Blues treatments, the
Behind the artifacts lobby includes a box office, a coat-
room and ample floor space.
S
ince the House of Blues’ beginning, folk The warehouse has become a design work- A series of marble support columns
art and worldly artifacts have been an shop of sorts with a crew of about 30 people, from the old Woolworth’s store
integral part of its overall design style. including glass and metal artists. remain as well as salvaged pieces of
The focus on these striking visual elements can “Over time we have begun doing production the original floor. Overhead, the
be traced to the company’s founder. work for functional items,”he says. ceiling, which includes recessed
Isaac Tigrett, who had previously co-founded At the Cleveland club,one such item is a retail speakers and bits of the original plas-
the Hard Rock Café restaurant chain, launched kiosk in the music hall’s lobby, built with raw ter coating, projects a sense of age
House of Blues partly because of that venture’s steel (manually rusted by storing outside in wet and wear; House of Blues painters
success, partly because of his love of African- weather) and plywood. Pieces of tin have been have smeared oily, brown asphaltum,
American culture and partly because of his hand-tacked on the exterior as ornamentation. an earthy mineral pitch, into the
spiritual guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s influence Other items at House of Blues Cleveland paint to provide a nicotine-stained
(Sai Baba urged followers to “Love all, serve all” showcase another specialty of the creative crew. look. Straight ahead, a “stained
- a phrase that is now a slogan for House of An installation piece, also in the music hall glass” fanlight - actually plexiglass
Blues). lobby, celebrates the city’s 1952 Moondog that has been meticulously painted -
With a fortune helped considerably by the Coronation Ball - regarded as the first rock ‘n’ rests above aged doors leading into
sale of his share of Hard Rock Café,Tigrett began roll concert - with original artwork that incor- the music hall. Above, stretching
gathering art and building materials from porates artifacts. Scott Guion, an artist who around the tops of the lobby walls is
around the globe. When he launched House of provided painted murals throughout the club, a moody, hand-painted mural depict-
Blues, the massive collection, eventually stored built the installation within a gothic inset from ing “blues gods” from Muddy Waters
in a 2,000-square-foot warehouse in New the New Orleans warehouse. to W.C. Handy.
Orleans, became the primary source for furnish- At times, Lead Artist Holly Mendot will com- Through a set of doors on the
ing clubs as they began to pop up around the mission local artists for special pieces within lobby’s eastern wall is a room called
United States. clubs.For instance,a mural of the Moondog Ball The Cambridge, which is private
“He purchased whole Indian temples and in the club’s restaurant was created by Cleveland club area with a bar - dubbed
bought out the whole interior of a church in artist Peter Wood. Harvard Square - and small stage for
England,” says Joe Perra, of the House of Blues Perra says House of Blues is proud of what it’s special events. Throughout, curtains
Development & Creative Services Department. done to help all of these artists. can be drawn to create eight-by-
Although the original collection is now “By having their work displayed by House of eight-foot private cubicles.
nearly exhausted, the team continues to gather Blues, which now owns the largest collection of Overstuffed furniture surrounds a gas
furnishings,mostly from folk artists - tradition- folk art in the United States, many of these fireplace featuring a bronze-cast
ally defined as self-taught artists. artists are now becoming better known,” Perra mantel from a Civil War-era
“Originally, we’d go to the sources directly,” says.“We’ve been able to raise awareness about Southern plantation.
he says.“We’d rent U-Hauls,pull up to the artists’ what they do, and now folk art, in general, is “It’s almost on the level of a
houses and buy pieces right off of their fences.” becoming quite popular.”–MW Foundation Room,” Rose says. “You
10 Properties | March 2005SOUL AND SPIRITS House of Blues Cleveland features six separate bars. From the restaurant’s bar (above), patrons are provided with a
view of a small stage at the back of the dining room as well as pedestrians walking by outside along East Fourth Street.
don’t find this type of room in the the club’s mosh pit and, finally, the Eastside and Westside - and rows of
other venues.” club’s stage, which features a prosce- theater seats from an authentic
Back through the main lobby, visi- nium decorated with symbols of the movie house. Overlooking the stage
tors enter the music hall through world’s major religions. On the mez- from either side of the mezzanine
doors on the southern end of the zanine level are two more bars - level are balcony boxes and two
room. As they pass through, concert-
goers are greeted by a commissioned
piece of art depicting Cleveland-
native music artist Screamin’ Jay
Hawkins (most known for his
recording of the song “I Put A Spell
On You.”) Two flights of stairs, lead-
ing to the mezzanine level of the
hall, flank a separate set of stairs Professional installers of Ceramic Tile,
leading downward to the club’s
Granite/Marble, Pre-cast Terrazzo & Pavers
dancefloor.
On the dancefloor level, two bars
- named Jake and Elwood after the Commercial contractors since 1946
characters played by John Belushi
and Dan Akroyd in Blues Brothers - Members of:
We are proud to have
provided & installed
are placed along the back wall. In the • Tile Contractors Association of America porcelain tile & mosaic mural
middle of the room is the sound-
booth, which controls a • Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute for House of Blues-Cleveland
top-of-the-line sound system; spread • Marble Institute of America with D-A-S Construction.
throughout the entire venue is over
$1 million in audio/visual equip-
ment, including more than 70 video
monitors. Beyond the soundbooth is PHONE 216.898.9920 | FAX 216.898.9921 | WWW.CORCORANTILE.COM
www.propertiesmag.com 11backstage rooms, for visit- richly furnished area of House
ing bands and their of Blues Cleveland. With
entourages, with windows African, Asian and Indonesian
looking directly down onto finishes, the two-story area fea-
the stage from behind the tures exotic drapery, oriental
curtain. rugs and woodcarvings.
Corridors lead from the Offering five-star dining and
backstage area, as well as services, Rose says, the ameni-
the Cambridge Room, to ties are “the best you’ll find
the loading dock, offices anywhere in the city.” A pri-
and eventually the restau- vate dining room with a media
rant, although patrons center allows for presentations
typically enter that area and an outdoor patio overlooks
from the club’s Fourth Fourth Street. A private
Street entrance. SOME LIKE IT HOT In the club’s kitchen, a polyurethane-coated entrance into the music hall
Entering House of Blues floor offers thermal-shock protection. from the foundation room
from its East Fourth Street transplanted from the original allows celebrity visitors to
entrance (primarily for diners), visi- Cambridge, Massachusetts House of move about without drawing much
tors pass over a tiled “front step” Blues club which closed last year. attention.
depicting the House of Blues logo, The restaurant’s kitchen is decked
through a set of doors past a pair of out with stainless steel appliances Bringing it home
folk art sculptures and into the main and a durable, thermal shock-resist- Now that the project is complete,
restaurant, which offers Southern- ant polyurethane floor. the team is proud to see the success
styled cuisine. Ahead, the Near the restaurant’s entrance and of House of Blues Cleveland so far.
restaurant’s main room and an past its sizeable bar is the club’s retail As MRN Ltd. continues its work
adjoining second dining room seat shop where visitors can buy mer- developing the rest of East Fourth
300. A stage on the far wall is suited chandise ranging from keychains and Street, Maron is clearly pleased that
for smaller local acts. Set into a por- t-shirts to original pieces of folk art. House of Blues bought into the
tion of the main dining room’s Above the restaurant is the club’s vision for a revival of the area. “It’s
ceiling are bas-reliefs of “blues gods,” Foundation Room, which is the most an exciting time,” he says.
Rauch concurs.
“This project definitely had its
challenges but at the end it was
extremely rewarding,” Rauch says.
Expect more... “Just being around and getting to
know the operations people, we
know that they are well pleased and
enjoying the space. Just as important,
it seems to be really working well for
At Commonwealth Lumber, we take pride
the city of Cleveland, too.” P
in our “Customer First” philosphy. By providing you with
the right materials and attitude to make your job
easier, we hope to secure our relationship with you Northcoast
Mechanical
for years to come.
That’s Commonwealth Lumber.
Expect more.
Pleased to
Congratulations to DAS install the fire
and House Of Blues protection & HVAC
systems at
House of Blues
Cleveland
Over the tracks at the corner of 330-558-0089
Erie & Depot Street • Willoughby 330-558-0007 fax
ph. 440 946 9800 • fax 440 946 9806 3896 Myrtle Lane
Brunswick, OH 44212
12 Properties | March 2005Live, Work, Play
Redevelopment of East Fourth Street builds momentum
By Mark Watt
A
century ago, Cleveland which opened in 1995. Finding
theatergoers didn’t travel to success with that development
the area between East Ninth project, the firm expanded its
and East Eighteenth streets for reach in the area. In 1998, the 52-
operas and plays as they do now. unit Windsor Block opened on the
Instead, they would head several southwest corner of East Fourth
blocks northwest up Euclid Avenue. Street and Euclid and, a few years
Before Playhouse Square came later, the old National City Bank
into existence in the ‘20s, the city’s building reopened as a home for a
“theater district” was situated Holiday Inn Express and various
around the area now known as other new tenants and the
East Fourth Street. Its numerous Commercial building re-opened
theaters, including the Euclid with 35 units of residential space.
Avenue Opera House, served as a “We found ourselves still
destination point for locals and focused on East Fourth and it was
Photo by Mark Watt
visitors alike. around that time that we began to
Over the following decades, the look at the street itself as a devel-
theaters disappeared and early- to opment,” Maron says. “[The area]
mid-century department stores like makes sense from a development
Woolworth’s, McCrory’s, S. S. MRN’s first residential project in standpoint. It’s within walking dis-
Kresge and W.T. Grant popped up, the Historic Gateway neighborhood tance of Jacobs Field and Gund
found prosperity for a time and then was the 36-unit Buckeye Building, at Arena and connects [the] Gateway
faded or moved. the northwest corner of Prospect [sports complex] to Tower City and
As the population shifted to the Avenue and East Fourth Street, eventually the lakefront. With
suburbs beginning in the ‘50s, the
area felt the effects and by the end of
the century had essentially dried up.
Storefronts were boarded up and the
area grew a reputation as a haven for
prostitutes and drug dealers. Things
had changed.
In the mid-’90s, though, opportu-
nity arrived as the Gateway sports
complex sprang up mere blocks away.
Recognizing a chance to make signif-
icant improvements in the area, the
city’s recently formed Historic
Gateway Development Corporation
helped to re-imagine the area as a
center of activity once again, along
with five likeminded developers.
One of those key developers, MRN
Ltd., had previously focused prima-
rily on residential projects in
Cleveland’s eastern suburbs. But at
the urging of Tom Yablonsky, execu-
tive director of both the Historic
Gateway Neighborhood and Historic
Warehouse District development
corporations, the firm set its sights
on downtown, specifically on that
area along Fourth Street between
Euclid and Prospect avenues, MRN
Ltd. partner Ari Maron says.
www.propertiesmag.com 13Playhouse Square nearby, it’s just a along Fourth Street and surrounding White to inquire about using emi-
crucial hub of activity. If you look at areas, with residential spaces located nent domain to acquire the
the areas around Fourth Street you on the floors above. remaining space. White’s answer was
get a number of hotels and a daytime “The development was coming that the city could only help if the
office population of about 160,000. together but the challenge that we plan was expanded to include several
And, of course, Gateway gets about were facing was site control,” he says. blocks between Euclid and Prospect.
4.5 million visitors annually. From a “We owned about 80% of the prop- The developers agreed.
development point of view, we were erty in the area at the time but there Five years later, the East Fourth
right in the middle of all of these were about 300 additional properties Street neighborhood is a reality.
economic drivers.” between Prospect and Euclid owned With the addition of residential and
The vision was to create a whole by about 250 different people.” commercial mixed-use development
neighborhood, complete with enter- Turning to the city for help, MRN in the area including the W.T.
tainment and retail spaces on the and four other like-minded develop- Grant, Frederick, McCoy, Graves
first floor of each of the buildings ers went to then-Mayor Michael and Sincere buildings, the neigh-
borhood now offers nearly 300
residential units, a 4,000-car park-
ing garage and, filling a niche for
dining, entertainment and retail,
several key attractions for residents
and visitors alike.
The 27,000-square-foot dining
and entertainment venue Pickwick
& Frolic and the newly opened
House of Blues serve as high profile
anchors for the neighborhood.
These will soon be rounded off with
a number of additional key additions
(such as the Tremont-transplanted
restaurant Lola).
“Each of these are a destination
because they each represent a quality
of experience that is not offered any-
where else in Cleveland,” Maron
says. “Since they are one-of-a-kind
[establishments], if you want to go to
a House of Blues or if you want to go
to Pickwick & Frolic, you need to
come downtown to East Fourth.”
With a goal to make the area a des-
tination, MRN felt a need to make
WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN the street a destination itself or, more
THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE specifically, “the coolest street in
America,” as Maron says.
A project completed last fall, the
Rehabilitation of streetscape of East Fourth between
Prospect and Euclid was completely
East Fourth Street torn up and replaced with a pedes-
trian-friendly and creatively
designed right-of-way. Handled by
Specialists in Commercial Construction | Call today for your building needs EnviroCom Construction, Inc., two
vehicular lanes were reduced to one
that snakes between expansive side-
walks, all of which are fully heated
(“There will never be snow on this
street again,” Maron says.)
Streetlights have been replaced with
strings of lights that cross the street
overhead, 12-foot lighting columns
providing ambient illumination and
two 25-foot sculptures - phoenixes
14 Properties | March 2005designed by San Francisco artist
Cork Marcheschi to signify the
street’s rebirth - stand guard at AD INDEX
either end of the street.
Additionally, space was allocated to Active Plumbing Supply Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
provide for street performers in Advance Door Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
warmer months.
“Living, playing and working in a Anderson Industrial Construction Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
city’s central business district is a rel- Apple Mobile Leasing Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
atively new idea, maybe 15 to 20 Chas. E Phipps Company,The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
years old, but it’s hardly a concept
invented by MRN,” Maron says. “It’s
Columbia Building Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
happening around the country and, Commonwealth Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
from the beginning, we felt that the Corcoran Tile & Marble, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
idea would work in Cleveland.” Craig S. Cohen P.E. Structural Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
So far, the assumptions have
proved correct. The percentage of D-A-S Construction Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
occupied space in the area is cur- EnviroCom Construction, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
rently in the mid-90s and demand is Kurtz Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
high, Maron says.
“We’re thrilled about the future of Northcoast Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
this neighborhood, ” Maron says. Pete & Pete Container Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
“It’s exciting to see the momentum Precision Environmental Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
building which started with
Pickwick & Frolic, then House of
Royal Cabinet Design Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Blues and now Lola, and we expect
that momentum to continue
throughout 2005 and beyond.” Let us refer you to the best people.
Thomas Starinsky, project director Properties Magazine is your most powerful ally in
for Historic Gateway Neighborhood reaching a highly targeted readership of more
Corporation, is similarly excited than 10,000 in Northern Ohio who are interested
about the changes in the area. in your products & services. We connect you
“It’s interesting too,” Starinsky with the most influential decision makers
says. “With all of the new stages for in the commercial, industrial, high-end
live entertainment [at Pickwick & residential & institutional markets.
Frolic and House of Blues], the resi-
dential spaces and with retail on the MAGAZINE INC.
Est. 1946
way, Fourth Street is lively again. In
a way, we’ve come full-circle from a MANAGEMENT•CONSTRUCTION FINANCING•BROKERAGE•MAINTENANCE•APPRAISAL
century ago.” P
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