Flats East Development LLC, the partners behind the multi-phase Flats East development, have broken ground on Phase II. The project is expected to be complete in time for residents, visitors and office workers to enjoy the 1,200-foot riverfront boardwalk by summer of 2015. The ambitious project contains a few surprises, including a new office building that's been added to the mix.

"Currently, we've broken ground on Building 4, which is the large residential building with 243 apartments above a parking deck and retail podium," says Brice Hamill, Director of Design with Fairmount Properties. "With Building 4 being the largest of the buildings [in Phase II], we needed to kick it off now to complete it on schedule. We just finished up the auger piles and deep foundation, and now we're coming out of the ground and casting columns for the first floor retail."

The apartment building will feature high-end units with floor-to-ceiling windows, granite countertops and other luxury finishes. Although lease rates have not yet been announced, you can bet that they'll push the envelope. Residents here will be able to enjoy suites featuring hardwood floors, 10-foot loft-style ceilings and a balcony on every unit so they can watch the action go by.

There's also a second floor common rooftop deck over the retail area, and the penthouse suites will have access to their own private rooftop decks. "We think we have the best residential site in Cleveland given the views and activity on the water – from planes to trains to boats, and we did a lot to capture that," says Hamill.

Retail concepts include Toby Keith's Bar and Grill, BBR, Beer Cellars, The Big Bang dueling piano bar, Flip Side, FWD, Panini's Bar and Grill, Crop Kitchen and Vine and Cropicana. Hamill says the one he gets the most reactions to is Toby Keith's.

"Everyone wants to know about Toby Keith's," he says with a laugh. "There's an insanely high county music listenership here, with no venue for them."

Another design element that will be sure to surprise and delight Clevelanders is the fact that the entire waterfront area can be closed to vehicles and turned into a pedestrian-oriented district for festivals, summer events, pig roasts and the like.

"From an urban planning standpoint, that's one of the coolest things we're doing down there," says Hamill.

There's also a 3.5-acre park that will be owned by the developers yet publicly accessible. The 1,200-foot boardwalk will be maintained by the Metroparks, Hamill says.

The developers also have broken ground on Flip Side, a gourmet burger bar with a large selection of regional craft beers, on a lot adjacent to Phase I.

The new office building will be much smaller than the Ernst and Young Tower, totaling about 150 to 200,000 square feet with additional retail. It was born out of the surplus demand for space in the tower, which is now nearly 95 percent leased.

"It will be large floor plates, and we look at that as a cool possibility for a company... to get branded power in a downtown building," says Hamill.

Hamill promises that more local restaurants and establishments will be announced soon, including an ice cream venue, countering concerns that Flats East Phase II will consist largely of chain restaurants. "We're going to bring in not just a fine dining concept, but places for everyone: young, old, married, not married, kids or no kids," says Hamill.

Surface parking lots will surround the development for now, but over the long term, those could become future phases for additional development.

Source: Brice Hamill
Writer: Lee Chilcote