Developer Bobby George has big dreams for Old River Road in the Flats

Preservation efforts along Old River Road started in the early 2000s, when demolition for the Flats East Bank project to the north raised concerns about the future of a corridor once lined with sail makers and marine suppliers. In 2006, nonprofit groups succeeded in adding the Old River Road Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places, opening up access to financial incentives to restore buildings that date as far back as the 1860s.

Public records show that companies tied to George and GBX established a foothold along the river in 2017. But it took them until December of last year to consummate a deal with the owners of Samsel Supply, who sold the partners five buildings for an undisclosed price.

“That’s precisely the target type of real estate that we look at,” said Antonin Robert, GBX’s president of community development. “It’s historic. It’s underutilized. It represents economic opportunities both for our investors and, just as importantly, for our community.”

GBX worked with the nonprofit Historic Warehouse District Development Corp. to place preservation easements on the buildings, protecting the historic structures in perpetuity. Those easements are binding legal agreements. In exchange for federal tax breaks, George and GBX gave up their rights to demolish, build above or substantially change the facades of the buildings.

That’s the model GBX has used elsewhere in Cleveland and across the country, where the company typically partners with lead developers like George.

Tom Yablonsky, who oversees easement programs for the Warehouse District group and the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corp., believes that Old River Road will see “a radical change in investment prospects,” similar to the wave of activity that has transpired in the Superior Arts District since GBX planted a flag there in 2014.

Much of the Flats real estate is vacant today. But Samsel Supply, founded in 1958, still operates a store on the first floor of the warehouse building and maintains offices next door. The manufacturer and distributor employs roughly 40 people and serves customers in maritime industries, construction and other fields.

Mike Samsel, the company’s vice president, said he and his siblings fielded interest from a series of developers before agreeing to sell. Last year felt like the right time, said Samsel, who likes GBX’s approach and is wowed by George’s eye-catching proposal.

Now the family-owned business is looking for a new home, ideally elsewhere in the Flats. Samsel said there’s not a firm timeline for the move. “We can do what we’re doing in a smaller space, for sure,” he said.

The Samsels still own a stake in the Hausheer Building, at 1250 Old River Road, which is home to Collision Bend Brewing Co. They partnered on that redevelopment project in 2016 with the Catanese brothers, of seafood business Catanese Classics, and developer Fred Geis.

“The Samsel family has been incredible,” said Jim Haviland, executive director of Flats Forward, a nonprofit neighborhood advocacy group. “They’ve anchored Old River Road through the decades of changes that have gone on there. They’ve stayed that anchor and have taken great care of their properties, which has made them attractive for investors.”