Cleveland, OH

Ohio City is first site for Whalen’s new venture

Published

8 months ago

May 8, 2024

Ohio City is first site for Whalen’s new venture

Dan Whalen, after 12 years of working for others in real estate, the former quarterback at Willoughby South High School, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Gladiators will now be quarterbacking his own real estate firm (LinkedIn). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

New firm Places Development launched this week

What does a quarterback like to do? Run a winning team and call his own plays. With that, Cleveland-area native and former pro football quarterback Dan Whalen is taking the snap from center this week and launching his own real estate development and investment firm — Places Development. Not only is the new firm based in Cleveland, Whalen said much of his business focus will be on Cleveland.

For the past six-plus years, he rose through the ranks at Harbor Bay Ventures, based in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook. Starting out as vice president of design and development and later adding the title of president of hospitality. His interest in lodging, restaurants and retail grew when he previously was director and manager of development at Chicago-based Starwood Retail Partners and it stuck with him.

Hospitality is where a lot of his interest remains and could physically manifest itself soon in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. In this growing community, he oversaw his biggest Cleveland project yet — the mass-timbered, $150 million, 512,000-square-foot Intro Cleveland.

Opening in April 2022 at the corner of Lorain Avenue and West 25th Street, Intro has 297 apartments, 35,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space and an acre of green space. The building reached 95 percent occupancy at top-of-the-market rents of $3 per square foot before its grand opening celebration that summer. It lent to calls for a second phase of Intro that has yet to happen due to market-wide financing constraints.

“I’m Looking to diverge and do something on my own,” Whalen told NEOtrans in a phone interview last week. “I’ll be going solo and running things but with support from a bunch of local investors. It’s going to be a platform to achieve new things and offer a level of credible property development.”

This parking lot at the corner of Lorain Avenue and West 26th Street in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood could be the place where Dan Whalen and his new firm Places Development plants its first, big flag. Here, Whalen plans a hotel, probably over ground-floor retail. West Side Market towers in the distance at right (Google).

He made the news public today in an announcement on LinkedIn and noted that he’s leaving Harbor Bay on good terms. His last day at Harbor Bay was April 30. However, he declined to identify his investors in his new venture.

“After six amazing years and so much to be proud of and thankful for at Harbor Bay Ventures, it was time for me to take the leap and start my own development and investment firm,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “What we accomplished in Cleveland and beyond has been nothing short of extraordinary. I am looking forward to sharing more about what I’ll be working on, but needless to say, I’m feeling lots of different emotions…excitement being number one.”

Although he was not ready to reveal details of his first big venture, he acknowledged that his firm has under contract a 0.83-acre property at Lorain and West 26th Street — just one block from Intro. Currently used as a parking lot, the two-parcel property is owned by 2523 Market Corp., an affiliate of nonprofit community development corporation Ohio City Inc. (OCI).

When OCI issued in Spring 2022 a request for interest in the Lorain-West 26th site, Whalen was interested in the site at that time. NEOtrans learned from two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity that My Place Group, which has been developing residential and mixed-use throughout Ohio City, was another respondent. Since then, interest in the site transferred to Places Development along with Whalen.

“I have a couple of things I’m already working on, including a hospitality project in Ohio City,” he said. “I’ll be able to share more news in the next few weeks. But this neighborhood desperately needs and would benefit from a neighborhood-driven boutique hotel. There’s so much activity in this neighborhood yet there’s no hotel west of the (Cuyahoga) River until you get to the airport.”

Outlined in red, the site currently owned by Ohio City Inc. affiliate 2523 Market Corp. is under a purchase agreement by Dan Whalen’s new firm Places Development. Whalen proposes a hotel development here (Google).

Whalen referred to his experience with Intro when discussing the hospitality needs of Ohio City. The nine-story building, which has a rooftop event center called Truss, has been able to attract more than 150 events per year. But it could have attracted even more if there was a hotel close by in Ohio City’s bustling Market District, Whalen explained.

“The neighborhood is screaming for something,” he said. More property could become available next door if Great Lakes Brewing Company relocates its brewing and production operations to Avon in a story first reported by NEOtrans. OCI Interim Executive Director Chris Schmitt did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment about its West 26th site prior to publication of this article.

The parking lot is zoned for local retail which allows all uses permitted in a multi-family district plus businesses for local or neighborhood needs. The maximum building height allowed here is 115 feet which equates to an 11-story residential and/or hotel building. It isn’t yet known how tall Whalen wants to build. A Great Lakes source said the potential development of the parking lot on West 26th was a factor in its plans to relocate their production facilities.

Two hotel projects in Ohio City have struggled to get off the ground. One is at Bridgeworks, which is proposed to include a 132-key Cleveland Motto By Hilton hotel, 146 apartments and ground-floor retail. If it gets city approvals soon, the project could see a groundbreaking by the end of summer. Another is the proposed Hulett Hotel which has no estimated groundbreaking date. Neither are within an easy walk of Ohio City’s Market District.

The inability of those hotel projects to get rolling is a financing problem and Whalen intends to tackle project financing issues with Spaces Development. Many projects in Cleveland and nationwide have been put on hold due to a lack of financial liquidity and a refusal of banks to lend construction money, especially to large projects costing more than $100 million.

The $150 million, 512,000-square-foot Intro Cleveland development at Lorain Avenue and West 25th Street in Ohio City was the biggest project Dan Whalen had worked on in Cleveland. But that was with Harbor Bay Ventures. It whet his appetite for more, but with him calling the plays (KJP).

“Capital markets for the last 18 months have been tough,” Whalen said. “You’ve got to get creative and have a project that not just works but has a contingency to amend (its programming) as the market develops. Others are willing to fund projects but they’re not always easy to find. I think the market’s right for that, not just in Cleveland, but nationwide. Development is hard right now. Down times are a good time to start businesses.”

He said there are buying opportunities out there right now among project owners who can’t recapitalize and get out of their construction loans. Those are going to create sales by opportunity, Whalen said.

He said he didn’t take any cues from anyone else who chose to go on their own in real estate. He was asked about Mike Panzica who worked for eight years at Cleveland-based Hemingway Development before forming his own company M Panzica Development LLC in 2020. Since then, Panzica has been partnering in local projects including Church+State, The Monroe Apartments, The Abbey Townhomes & Flats and now Bridgeworks.

“Mike Panzica took a leap of faith and it paid off,” Whalen said. “I’m 35, 36 this summer, and I’m ready to do this, including doing some smaller stuff outside of Greater Cleveland, too. I’ve always had a game plan to set out on my own and this is my first opportunity to do that.”

Whalen is a former quarterback from Willoughby South High School who went on to get his Masters of Business Administration at Case Western Reserve University while quarterbacking its Spartans football team. He also quarterbacked professionally in the Arena Football League (AFL), playing for the Cleveland Gladiators in 2011 and the Orlando Predators in 2012. The AFL ceased operations during the pandemic and filed for bankruptcy last week.

END

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Cleveland, OH

A new restaurant has opened in Cleveland, Ohio – NewsBreak

Published

3 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

A new restaurant has opened in Cleveland, Ohio – NewsBreak

CLEVELAND, OH – A new restaurant has come to the city.

Are you in the mood for fried chicken and/or fish? If you answered yes to that question, you might want to check out MVP’s Chicken & Fish, which recently opened a new restaurant in Cleveland at 6241 Broadway Ave. According to the restaurant’s social media account, the new location opened its doors last month.

MVP’s menu includes appetizers like Jamaican beef, pizza puffs, jalapeno poppers, onion rings, fried okra, fried mushrooms, mozzarella fries, hushpuppies, chicken nuggets, French fries, and egg rolls. Also on the menu is fried chicken. Customers can get whole wings, tenders, party wings, legs, thighs, gizzards, and livers.

In addition, the restaurant offers a variety of fried seafood. Customers can get catfish, tilapia, Boston blue, perch, whiting, orange roughy, catfish nuggets, shrimp, and jumbo shrimp. Furthermore, MVP’s has sandwiches like a Philly steak (which comes with peppers, onions, mayo, cheese, and mushrooms; the restaurant also offers a version with chicken instead of steak), Chicago-style Italian beef, NY-style chopped cheese (which comes with peppers, onions, mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese), fish sub (which comes with your choice of fried fish, tartar sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and banana peppers), gyro, chicken gyro, cheeseburger, buffalo chicken sandwich, teriyaki chicken sandwich, hot chicken sandwich, and BBQ chicken sandwich.

As for sides, the restaurant has options like mac & cheese, coleslaw, greens, baked beans, and honey biscuits. If you have room for something sweet, the restaurant offers desserts like cheesecake, chocolate cake, Oreo cake, banana pudding, sweet potato pie, and lemon cake.

Here is what a customer had to say about the new restaurant in a Google review:

Fast service! Great prices. Chicken was hot and tender was very good and fresh. Able to go inside and order. Help was very professional. Clean restaurant. Inside & out. Will be back. I Stopped 12/22/24 and the chicken was out of site and so delicious I had to thank the cook

Another customer wrote:

This place has the best chicken & fish, crispy & flavorful and my kids love it too

If you want to check out the new restaurant, you can find it at 6241 Broadway Ave, Cleveland, OH 44127.

The new restaurant is open 7 days a week, Monday to Thursday from 11 AM to 11 PM, Friday to Saturday from 11 AM to 12 AM, and Sunday from 12 PM to 9 PM.

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Cleveland, OH

Cavs vs Hornets Game Preview: Evan Mobley looks for a repeat performance against Charlotte

Published

11 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Cavs vs Hornets Game Preview: Evan Mobley looks for a repeat performance against Charlotte

The Cavs open up a four-game homestand as they welcome the Hornets to town.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (30-4) vs. Charlotte Hornets (7-26).
Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – Cleveland, OH
When: 6 p.m., Sunday January 5
TV: Fanduel Sports Network Ohio (previously Bally Sports), NBA League Pass
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Line: Cavs -15.5
Cavs expected starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Cavs injury report: Isaac Okoro – OUT (shoulder), Sam Merrill- QUESTIONABLE (ankle sprain), Emoni Bates- OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)
Hornets expected starting lineup: Vasilije Micic, Seth Curry, Miles Bridges, Josh Green, Mark Williams
Hornets injury report: LaMelo Ball – QUESTIONABLE (ankle and wrist), Brandon Miller – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Tre Mann – OUT (disc), Grant Williams – OUT (knee), DaQuan Jeffries – QUESTIONABLE (abs), Josh Green – PROBABLE (shoulder), Moussa Diabate – OUT (G League), Isaiah Wong – OUT (G League)
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What to watch for

Keeping the good play going

Cleveland has won nine straight games by double digits. Meanwhile, the Hornets are one of the worst teams in the league, could be without their two best players, and are just coming off a performance against the Detroit Pistons where they scored just 29 points in the second half to lose by four. This should be a game the Cavaliers win with ease.

That said, it’d be easy to look past Charlotte. The Cavs are coming off of a four-game Western Conference road trip. The first home game after being away for that long is easy to drop. Additionally, Wednesday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder will be the second-biggest game of the regular season so far for the Cavs. It’d be easy to let both of those things keep them from playing their best.

Repeat Mobley performance

Mobey scored a career-high 41 points against Charlotte’s weak front line when they played last month. That performance catapulted Mobley into one of the most impressive stretches of his career. In the 10 games since, he’s averaging 21.2 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 63.4% from the field and 53.8% from distance on 3.9 three-point attempts per game.

Mobley will have an interesting test against OKC on Wednesday. How he does there will likely determine if the Cavs win that game. In the meantime, you’d like to see him have a strong showing here so he can head into that matchup with confidence.

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Cleveland, OH

Predicting The Cleveland Guardians 2025 Opening Day Lineup

Published

18 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Predicting The Cleveland Guardians 2025 Opening Day Lineup

No matter what happens from now until the start of Spring Training, the Cleveland Guardians’ lineup going into Opening Day will look much different than it did when the 2024 season ended.

Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez are out; Carlos Santana is in. The Guardians will either rely heavily on their prospects and youth, sign one of the remaining free agents, or swing a trade to fill their spots.

Based on everything we know about the Guardians’ offseason so far, here’s the best prediction for Cleveland’s 2025 Opening Day lineup.

LF – Steven Kwan
1B – Carlos Santana
3B – Jose Ramirez
DH – Kyle Manzardo
2B – Juan Brito
CF – Lane Thomas
RF – Austin Hays
SS – Brayan Rocchio
C – Bo Naylor

Oct 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) hits a single during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers during game two of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

There’s nothing too surprising with the top four in this order. The most significant decision Stephen Vogt will have in this section of the lineup is who to bat second.

Manzardo had some experience hitting their last season, but Santana still has a tremendous eye and on-base percentage (.328 OBP in 2024), making him a better option as a top-two hitter in the order.

Moving on to second base, the Guardians have some decisions to make with how they want to approach the position heading into this season. As of now, allowing Brito to be the full-time second baseman appears to be the best option.

Yes, there are some defensive concerns, but his offensive potential should make up for that.

Lane Thomas was at the center of some trade rumors earlier this offseason, but the Guardians would need a backup option if they were to move on from him. So far, that hasn’t happened, so it’s hard to envision a Thomas trade happening.

Maybe the biggest shock of this prediction is including Austin Hays as the starting right fielder.

The Guardians need more offensive production from their outfield. It’s no secret that they’re a money-conscious organization, so signing someone such as Hays with a ton of upside makes a lot of sense for the team.

Maybe it won’t end up being Hays who becomes a Guardian, but Cleveland should at least sign one low-risk, high-reward veteran before the offseason is over.

If the front office doesn’t sign a veteran outfield, Jhonkensy Noel is the next option up to start in the Guardians lineup.

Both Rocchio and Naylor could take big steps forward in 2025. They’re likely locks at their defensive positions, but it’s hard to move them up any further than this because of their regular season performances from a year ago.

It’s important to note that there is still plenty of time before Spring Training games actually begin and plenty of free agents left, which could directly or indirectly impact the Guardians. This is just a prediction of what Cleveland’s lineup could be, not what it will be.

But until that happens, this type of lineup feels like what Guardians fans could see on March 27.

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