Places
Developments
Oak Shore Green
Oak Shore Green was the first of a type of development project that would diversify the residential make-up of Bratenahl.
Around 1973, Merriman Construction purchased a parcel of the Rand estate on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard. Although townhouse condominiums were never previously considered feasible in Bratenahl, Merriman determined Oak Shore Green a potentially rewarding venture.
A plan of development was presented to the Planning Commission and later to Village Council in 1974. The Planning Commission asked Merriman Construction to preserve as many trees as possible. Merriman performed an exhaustive study of the trees on the grounds and how to protect them. Two other difficulties, parking accommodations, and traffic patterns were cleared. Merriman stated that the village was very cooperative in helping to resolve problems, and they were treated with more consideration by Bratenahl than many other communities.
The complex was built on a parcel of the Rand estate south of Lake Shore Boulevard. There were two buildings on the property. The smaller of the two was used as a barn. The second building was a gardener’s cottage converted to Dr. Rand’s laboratory.
Merriman Construction began the development of 45 townhouse condominiums in 1977, the first major construction in the village since Bratenahl Place. There were two buildings on the property. The smaller of the two, previously used as a barn, was torn down. The second building was a brick and stucco gardener's cottage that had been converted to Dr. Rand,s laboratory. That building became part of the Oak Shore Green condominiums and is Bratenahl’s oldest condominium.
The condominiums were built in phases. The first phase consisted of four units since the water capacity of the antiquated pipe system could only handle that number. After the mains were replaced, the second phase began. Phases one and two, units 1 to 16 were nearest to Lake Shore Boulevard.
Phase three involved construction of units 17 to 33, the central ones east and west of Oak Shore Drive. The final phase involved units 34 to 45 in the rear of the complex.
The condominiums became attractive to young professionals who in all likelihood would not have lived in Bratenahl without Oak Shore Green or similar townhouse development. The success ushered Bratenahl into the townhouse condominium era. All in all, Oak Shore Green is a composite of the individual personalities of its residents. Proud of their “village within a village,” they served as a model for future Bratenahl developments.