Cleveland Development Discussions (Weston, Mutual: lawsuits, control, neighbors)

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I was happy to read this. I've been casually checking out the job market lately and I just can't bring myself to apply to another position in a suburban highway exit office park. I don't need to be downtown necessarily, but I want to be somewhere that's at least a bit walkable and transit/bike friendly.

Of course this means that I've applied to zero jobs...but at least for now, I have the luxury of being selective.

I worked at a suburban office campus my first four years in Chicago, and it wasn't so bad. Except for the commute, of course -- I insisted on living in one of the city's livelier areas and it meant driving 28 miles to work -- one way -- in dense, heavy traffic. But I was willing to work in the "sprawl" suburbs, as long as I could live in an urban neighborhood that was walkable and transit-friendly.

[1watertiger]

Originally Posted by TheProf

I've been following the Sherwin-Williams possible new HQ tower saga over the last several months. The possibilities are exciting, however, even the idea that a move to the suburbs is in play is troubling for Cleveland's oldest and 2nd largest employer (behind the Clinic). I get that SW wants its executives to be close in proximity to their research & development arm and that newly-acquired Valspar Paints of Minneapolis has brought to SW a coatings-development element SW lacked previously and that coatings chemical work is potentially hazardous (explosive, in small amounts, though) and R&D may need to be away from high-density population areas, like downtown, unless such a facility is strongly reinforced and, thus, making it unlikely to be directly inside any new office tower -- I get all this. Still, with all the out-migration of corporate headquarters from downtown over the last 40 years (on up to Cleveland legacy corp Eaton's pulling up stakes for suburban Beachwood just a few years ago, and taking 700 employees with them -- a move that apparently isn't working out in terms of the company losing out on young talent who are eschewing the isolated, dull suburban campus life), it's disconcerting that SWP even has moving out of downtown on the table. Let's hope it's a smoke screen.

SW saw the incentives The city of Cleveland offered Amazon. IMO The city should also bend over backwards to keep Sherwin Wiliams downtown with a new skyscraper. I’m hoping it’s a smoke screen too.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I worked at a suburban office campus my first four years in Chicago, and it wasn't so bad. Except for the commute, of course -- I insisted on living in one of the city's livelier areas and it meant driving 28 miles to work -- one way -- in dense, heavy traffic. But I was willing to work in the "sprawl" suburbs, as long as I could live in an urban neighborhood that was walkable and transit-friendly.

I currently work in one. It's certainly do-able, it's just not my cup of tea. It depends on the physical office and company culture as well. Mine makes me feel pretty isolated. There's very little face to face interaction. Our break room is a small kitchen with no seating. So it's either eat at your desk, in your car, or go off driving somewhere.

That 28 mile reverse commute in Chicago is a doozy! I don't know if I could go for it. Part of what I like about urban workplaces is how you can get tiny escapes from work. You can step outside without being in a parking lot. Grab some headache medicine at the store up the block. Get coffee or lunch outside of work.

The only suburban workplaces I've encountered that sort of approximate that are hospitals and some techbro "all inclusive" offices.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by 1watertiger

SW saw the incentives The city of Cleveland offered Amazon. IMO The city should also bend over backwards to keep Sherwin Wiliams downtown with a new skyscraper. I’m hoping it’s a smoke screen too.

I think it's a smokescreen but Sherwin does have to make it seem like they are serious, so look for more warnings and cryptic talk in the future.

[WeSoHood]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

I think it's a smokescreen but Sherwin does have to make it seem like they are serious, so look for more warnings and cryptic talk in the future.

According to my friend who is in management at Sherwin, his team was instructed to pass any inquiries to media relations team. He said they don't have any plans at all right now... which would lead me to believe it's either a ploy to get more incentives out of the city OR just some guy on a blog who keeps bringing up the same topic & the media eats it up. I think it's a combination of both.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by WeSoHood

According to my friend who is in management at Sherwin, his team was instructed to pass any inquiries to media relations team. He said they don't have any plans at all right now... which would lead me to believe it's either a ploy to get more incentives out of the city OR just some guy on a blog who keeps bringing up the same topic & the media eats it up. I think it's a combination of both.

I'm guessing your instincts are correct. Obviously Bob Stark just got major bennies (TIF, a $12M loan from the City) for nuCLEus... Of course whereas a small/medium local developer like Stark could use the money, SWP is an international giant corporation flush with cash at the moment -- after their Valspar acquisition, it's perhaps the largest paint producer in the world. But hey, if SWP can extract some local bennies, why not? Always good for the bottom line.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I currently work in one. It's certainly do-able, it's just not my cup of tea. It depends on the physical office and company culture as well. Mine makes me feel pretty isolated. There's very little face to face interaction. Our break room is a small kitchen with no seating. So it's either eat at your desk, in your car, or go off driving somewhere.

That 28 mile reverse commute in Chicago is a doozy! I don't know if I could go for it. Part of what I like about urban workplaces is how you can get tiny escapes from work. You can step outside without being in a parking lot. Grab some headache medicine at the store up the block. Get coffee or lunch outside of work.

The only suburban workplaces I've encountered that sort of approximate that are hospitals and some techbro "all inclusive" offices.

I was very fortunate, I guess. My complex had the most wonderful workplace cafeteria I've ever seen. It was a giant atrium that felt like an international food marketplace -- many different stands serving up food of various ethnicities -- Italian, Asian, Mexican, etc. -- along with your standard grill, a carvery, and places you could get, say, a deli sandwich. Of course, sometimes we did go out to a restaurant as a group, having to drive, of course... but I never bothered to on my own.

I recall we also had a coffee shop inside... can't remember if it was Starbucks or something similar.

We also had a gym on premises... plus a commissary where one could get headache medicine or antacids and such, toiletries such as toothpaste, plus T-shirts, sweatshirts and other clothing sporting the company logo.

So it wasn't in a walkable area at all... but there were compensations.

The grounds were large, green, and scenic -- beautiful -- with duck ponds. Good thing I didn't sit right by a window or I would've been distracted all day!

[RobF1129]

Originally Posted by WeSoHood

According to my friend who is in management at Sherwin, his team was instructed to pass any inquiries to media relations team. He said they don't have any plans at all right now... which would lead me to believe it's either a ploy to get more incentives out of the city OR just some guy on a blog who keeps bringing up the same topic & the media eats it up. I think it's a combination of both.

I'm as bullish as one can get on future Cleveland developments but his blog is the most pie in the sky malarkey I've ever read. Still waiting on Cleveland Police to move into their shiny new HQ in the Weston Super Block.

[1watertiger]

Photoshop rendering of how the nucleus project will look from progressive Field. The tower with yellow top under construction is the new Beacon apartment tower almost finished.
Btw the new 34 story Lumen apartment tower at playhouse square is already 13 floors!

https://forum.urbanohio.com/uploads/...abe43a28cd.png

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by RobF1129

I'm as bullish as one can get on future Cleveland developments but his blog is the most pie in the sky malarkey I've ever read. Still waiting on Cleveland Police to move into their shiny new HQ in the Weston Super Block.

Yes, that blog guy and his pie-in-the-sky rumor mill. The PD actually quoted this blog in its story about the SW skyscraper as if he's a legitimate, vetted, and reliable source. This same blog boasted of an upcoming Medical Mutual skyscraper based on ''insider info'' that, after several years of ''talk'', the blogger simply walked away from the topic when Medical Mutual didn't announce a downtown skyscraper.

Regardless, this Sherwin-Williams skyscraper/downtown HQ building has been an on-n-off again topic for at least 30 years.

It would be nice if SW did, in fact, build a supertall skyscraper downtown, with the PS Jacobs lot as its focus.
I for one am glad the police hq building didn't go or will not go on the Warehouse District Weston lots.