CLEVELAND — Big changes are coming to two iconic pieces of Cleveland real estate.
Within the next two years, both the Erieview Tower and the Galleria downtown will be converted into a luxury hotel and apartment space complete with new restaurants and entertainment. The venture got a major boost Wednesday, when the state of Ohio approved more than $13 million in tax breaks for the $162 million project.
Marriott highlights the effort, signing a deal that will bring its high-end "W" hotel to the skyscraper. Two-hundred-ten rooms will highlight the first such location in Ohio, but the company will also be going a step further, offering 227 residential apartments designed to replicate the "W" brand. Cleveland will be the first location for "W" apartments anywhere in the world.
Anthony Delfre, managing director and principal of the assisting real estate capital marketing group Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, was at the hearing today when the incentives were announced. He told 3News Marriott was drawn to the city because of its entertainment value, specifically noting the draw of the Browns, Cavaliers, and Guardians.
"It's a very heavy sports and entertainment brand for Marriott," Delfre said, adding that the decision to build the first-of-their-kind "W" apartments is "very important" in regard to Marriott's confidence in the region.
Roughly 1/3 of the tower will remain an office space, but other alterations will be coming to the neighboring Galleria, which has seen its occupancy dwindle in recent years. The former shopping mall will primarily become a restaurant, entertainment, and food hall designed to support the hotel and apartment complex, with significant renovations expected to take place inside. In addition, a signature restaurant will be installed on the 38th floor of Erieview, where "Top of the Town" once sat.
Delfre expects construction to begin some time early next year, with completion slated for either late 2024 or early 2025. More capital will come from construction loans or historic tax credits (Erieview Tower is on the National Register of Historic Places), and municipal investment could also play a role.
"The city of Cleveland has been very supportive," Delfre stated, telling us local administrators are likely "going to be involved in certain subsidy packages."
According to Gov. Mike DeWine's office, the entire project will generate 274 construction jobs and more than 2,000 full-time jobs, once completed. The permanent positions will be "targeted at surrounding low-income communities."