CLEVELAND — Dick Pace, CEO of Cumberland Development, joined WKYC's Let's Be Clear truck Friday morning to discuss plans for downtown Cleveland's lakefront.
Now, WKYC has the first look at new renderings of what Cumberland Development plans to do with the waterfront property that was dock space for the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority in a previous life.
Today, Dock 30 and Dock 32 are hosting the Tall Ships, but groundbreaking is expected next year for a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood for the North Coast Harbor.
The drawings show space for 1,000 apartments, 80,000-square-feet of office space and 50,000-square-feet of retail space. A green space and school can also be seen in the site plans submitted to the city earlier this week.
"What we want to do is create a mixed-use neighborhood that has vitality and is a great place to live, great place to work, great place to play and to enjoy all the attractions here, and is a great place to learn," Pace said.
Back in 2014, Pace and Texas-based Trammel Crow Company won the rights to develop the 28 acres north of FirstEnergy Stadium.
Work has already been done for the first phase of the lakefront's development, resulting in the Nuevo Modern Mexican & Tequila Bar and Harbor Verandas, 16-unit apartment complex at the end of E. 9th Street near the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Pace said his goal is to create more of a neighborhood setting, a different market from the Flats East Bank, which is more of an entertainment district full of bars and restaurants.
In order to achieve that neighborhood feel, Pace feels an accessible school is necessary. Pace's plan includes daycare and early education, as well as a K-8 school that can feed the STEM high school at the Great Lakes Science Center.
"Part of having a great neighborhood is having a great school at the center of it," he said.
Dock 30 warehouse will become a creative workspace with 20-foot high ceilings. The brick walls will be stripped and replaced with glass for views of the lake.
The area will also become an extension of the city's mall system with the addition of more green space on the water, which Pace says will be ideal for music festivals and events. Cleveland's malls A, B and C currently stretch from Veteran's Memorial Plaza to the north side of Lakeside Avenue outside the Huntington Convention Center.
"Just a nice place to go grab a lunch and sit out," he added.
The next step in the project is a design review Aug. 2. Pace is also seeking public feedback on the designs.
"It's a question of balance and access, making people feel welcome here," he said.