With winter fading into memory in the coming warmer months, the unique opportunities for downtown living may also be disappearing. There is bound to be plenty of pent-up demand, so the deals that can be found today for condominiums and apartments downtown probably won’t last long — even though there has been plenty of development in the past year.
“One of the key value propositions of living downtown is being able to walk to everything to meet your daily life, entertainment and recreational needs,” says Michael Deemer, executive vice president of business development for Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA). “All of our new developments downtown are within walking distance to most of downtown’s attractions, which should be opening up in the months ahead.
“I’m pleased to say that the value of downtown living is still strong because everybody still realizes the convenience of getting outdoors for something as simple as a walk to a grocery store or a favorite bar,” he adds.
It’s also about having easy access to everything the city has to offer, including: hiking trails and sculling or paddling on the Cuyahoga; downtown parks and Public Square; entertainment venues, such as Playhouse Square and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; restaurants, nightlife; and more.
“The renovation of the May is completed, then there’s the Lumen and Euclid Grand to name just a few,” says Deemer.
While it opened last year, there has already been a lot of interest in the May, according to Ken Till, senior vice president of development at Bedrock, a full-service commercial real estate firm specializing in strategic development of urban core neighborhoods. The company is projecting that the May could fill up sometime in the first half of 2021.
“The May offers an array of amenities that are very unique to the building,” says Till. “The expansive floor plates of the former department store allowed us to create a large gym, private yoga room, a makerspace, pet grooming station and a community room with an attached kids play area and library.
“A unique amenity of the May is the amount of outdoor space we offer residents within the heart of Downtown Cleveland,” Till adds. “Residents can relax in the outdoor atrium that features lounge furniture and a boardwalk with a built-in snow-melt feature, as well as a private rooftop patio that offers a spacious area to kick back, cook and entertain in our outdoor kitchens and relax in front of a community fireplace.”
Like the May, Euclid Grand takes advantage of downtown’s historic architecture, this time with the former John Hartness Building. Inside, however, it’s all modern, with apartments that exude style and luxury amenities that include stainless-steel appliances, custom lighting and lofted ceilings.
Step out of your door at the Lumen, and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Playhouse Square, the nation’s largest performing arts center outside of New York City.
You can see all of these, as well as many of the new urban living options downtown, on DCA’s website at downtowncleveland.com. With nearly 20,000 people already living downtown, DCA projects that it will easily meet its goal of having 30,000 residents by 2030.