MayDay

From what I understand, Cimperman was under a lot of pressure about the Wal-Mart deal and in order to get anything done about it, he had to go through Jackson. When Campbell took control of the situation and out of the realm of council, it made Cimperman look like he wasn't doing his job effectively so no doubt there are some hard feelings there.

"Four years ago, Jane Campbell expressed sympathy for and an understanding of the workers in the grocery industry in Cleveland," Thomas Robertson, the local's president, said in an e-mail. "Once elected, however, she turned her back on them. Instead of helping to preserve their jobs -- good-paying jobs with living wages and generous benefits that benefit the city -- she worked tirelessly to bring a Wal- Mart Supercenter to Steelyard Commons." No Einstein, she worked to keep the Steelyard Commons project from being abandoned altogether. City council couldn't get the legislation passed to prevent Wal-Mart from offering groceries - and even if they did, it probably wouldn't have stood in court. So instead of allowing council to keep the project stuck in red tape and eventually dying on the vine and preventing 40+ other stores from opening, she had the sense to realize that some Clevelanders and near suburbanites ALREADY shop at Wal-Mart outside of Cleveland. It's amazing the spin these yo-hos will put on anything.

Thank you! I'm not saying that we shouldn't devote our resources towards the less fortunate but sometimes the less fortunate need to have some motivation of their own. I grew up in borderline poverty in Appalachia - all it took for me to be motivated was realizing that poverty sucks. Period.

From that article I gather that: 1. Jackson is prone to a knee-jerk reaction when it comes to ANY development which might not directly employ a sizable amount of poor residents. And yet he says that he ISN'T anti-business? If residents don't have the appropriate skills for the jobs, maybe the onus is on THEM to attain those skills? 2. He's prone to holding grudges and holds people in contempt because of perceived wrongs. Mike White, anyone? 3. "“There is one thing I learned from street life... there was a code. It is the code I live by now. Today it’s how I deal with the mayor and council.” How lovely - should we have a weekly rumble in the City Hall rotunda instead of voting? Maybe we can get the council members to wear their respective 'colors' at meetings? Hi Frank - once again, not every resident of Cleveland is poor or on the streets.

No, the whole "street cred" with hipsters thing is out the window in Coventry and has been for a while. Most of the street cred grew up and got jobs because their parents were sick of them living in the basement ;-) However I'd say it's a good sign that a store like American Apparel could have located anywhere in the region (i.e. Westlake or Lyndhurst), but they chose Coventry.

I don't understand why they wouldn't add something between pay-as-you-go and the GO 25 plan. Honestly, a car payment on a used car can run around $200 and the idea is to convince people that they don't need a car. Something like 10 hours and 100 miles - enough to do errands once a weekend. And can someone explain the logic of the GO 50 and 100 plans???

As a car-free Clevelander who is frothing at the mouth - I think $100 is perfectly reasonable and I'd write a check today if I could. Just a guess but maybe they're testing the waters in an area that's more car-dependent? I look at it this way - if I were to go to Enterprise and use their "Weekend Special" which is 50% off weekend rentals - the cost is (give or take): 1. Approx. $20 per day (50% off $40.00 each day) = $60.00 2. Full Coverage for insurance (CDW@$10, SLP@$10, PAI@$5 each day) = $75.00 3. Gas (10 gallons @ $2.50) = $25.00 4. Taxes... who knows That's over $150 right there and that's for ONE weekend. I'll still be doing cartwheels when the service starts! I could still take a taxi from my place to Ohio City for under $10, pick up my CityWheels car and still be well under the money I'd spend on a full-blown rental. A $100 membership fee? Bring it on!!! :-D

(Insert the Hallejuah chorus) :clap: :clap: :clap: Except... I have to wait until April? :cry: And I clicked on that link - I hope I don't have to wait until April for that to work! :wink:

Wow, that all happened since this morning? Yeesh! I looked at the site when I was on the Shoreway and nothing looked any different. Oh well - hopefully they make good progress before winter rolls in! :clap:

^If Arabica could hire people with a sliver of a work ethic, they'll stand a great chance of staying in business!

Guys, you're killing me :lol: Here's a rendering of Courthouse Plaza (left of the Federal Courthouse Tower), the Courthouse tower (aka Doubletree Hotel) project (upper right) and approximate location of the Ferchill site. If you're familiar with the Water Street Condominiums, it's right around there.

"Where exactly would this be? Just on the other side of the Shoreway from National Terminal?" Yep.

I really think a lot of people are alienated by Jackson's harping on this notion of "Clevelanders are feeling despair and hopelessness". I'd be interested to see if Triozzi backs either candidate.

rob, you ain't kidding. I'll never forget the time that I went barhopping with my lipstick galpal. We were supposed to meet some of her friends at this hole-in-the-wall. I've never seen such diesel-dykes in my life - and just like you, I thought I glimpsed a younger built guy in a muscle shirt... and it was a woman!!! :-o

Here's a totally unscientific approach: Let's say each employee averages a 10x10 cubicle (some are smaller, some are larger but that seems reasonable to me). 10x10 = 100 sq. feet. 100 square feet per employee X 300 employees = 30,000 sq. feet. Tack on ancillary space (conference rooms, storage, etc.) and depending on how everything is configured, I'd ballpark that 50,000 square feet for 200-300 employees wouldn't be out of the question. So new construction probably wouldn't be anything skyline-altering, but certainly a decent-sized structure.

"I'm a bit critical of the health benefits trumpeted in association with walking and bicycle commutes. I'm not disputing that calories are burned and that one does achieve a better level of fitness, but there is a danger by not having a car that one assumes they're in great shape. I learned this the hard way when I hadn't had a car for a year and a half, had been walking to work and working on my feet for up to 70 hours a week, and then promptly tore a muscle when I went back to the gym. Not the first time I went back, but wihin a week or two. Also, the cardio strength built up by walking and working on your feet doesn't carry over to bicycling or running, and although biking is many times faster than walking, I suspect walking is a better overall exercise. " I don't think anyone would suggest that commuting via foot or bike translates into any kind of athletic capacity. Your muscle tear is simply anecdotal - you may not have been training properly, you said yourself that you weren't taking care of yourself (working too long which would mean you weren't getting rest and time for your body to heal itself). My own experience and it's also anecdotal - I recently went to a party at an acquaintance's place in ex-urbia. Let's just say that the contrast between the city dwellers (aka more prone to walking) and the ex-urbanites (more car-dependent) was alarming. Those of us who live in the city were in the kitchen and one person said "has anyone noticed something?" and we all knew what they were talking about. KJP, let's not poo-poo the pope too much - after all, if anyone is in a position to lecture about the joys of being car-free in Cleveland - that would be me. :-D

monte, if you think those chicks are genuine lesbians... :lol:

Thanks, but like you guys, I like my beer cold and my lesbians 'lipstick'* *Lipstick Lesbians are feminine in appearance.

mrnyc, check your private messages - don't worry, it's not a big deal - just a precaution. Nothing is happening at the site yet - I see it everyday from the Shoreway (Main Avenue Bridge) to and from work. As soon as I see anything substantial, I'll let everyone know.

As eye-catching as the earlier phases are as you cross the swing bridge, it'll be amazing to see this ultra-modern building as you come under the Viaduct. I like what they plan to do with the Carnaval building - sort of a atrium effect not unlike what they did with the Powerhouse.

Some updated pics for Stonebridge Plaza are on progressiveurban.com - please do NOT post the photos here :) http://pure.progressiveurban.com/propview.php?view=1111

Wake up around 7am. Have a light breakfast; hop online and check the news until 7:30am. Get ready and dressed by 8:00am. Out the door by 8:10am. On the bus by 8:15am. Get dropped off around 8:20am. Walk over to coffeeshop; get coffee by 8:30am. Walk to work and at my desk by 8:35am. Give or take :-)

First, I think a few people will find the following link helpful: http://familydoctor.org/x1913.xml Second, "Memo to Brunstucky officials -- you made your auto-bed, now sleep in it " - I couldn't agree more :clap:

Sounds good so far... Church is sold Marous will redevelop site Thursday, October 06, 2005 By DAVID PLATA West Side Sun News A year after they were supposed to sign a one-year option to buy the former Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, Marous Brothers Construction finally inked the agreement this week. The agreement lets the Willoughby-based company, one of the premier builders in the Cleveland area, explore options to redevelop the more than 80-year-old octagonal sandstone building, at West 117th Street, the border with Lakewood. It takes two to tango, said Councilman Jay Westbrook, D-18, in whose ward the building is located. They took longer than we anticipated to complete their initial due diligence. Chip Marous, company president, did not return a call for comment. Ownership of the church, which has stood empty more than a decade, reverted to the city after another developer, Landmark Square Ltd., couldn't follow through on development plans more than a year ago. In the meantime, Westbrook said, Marous completed some $120,000 in emergency repairs at its cost _ including patching a leaky roof and correcting water damage inside the building. Marous has completed or is involved in several major projects on the West Side, including redevelopment of the former West Tech High School as West Tech Lofts, and redevelopment of the former Eveready Battery site on West 73rd Street as the $100 million Battery Park, including townhouses, condos and apartments. Now, Westbrook said, Marous is to look at ways to redevelop not only the church building, but also the commercial strip fronting on Clifton Boulevard between West 117th and the Giant Eagle supermarket at West 116th Street. The supermarket is expected to shut down in at the end of next year and move to West 117th Street next to Interstate 90, where Rysar Properties is building a 123,800-square-foot Target and an 87,325-square-foot Giant Eagle. Westbrook said conceptual plans now will include more residential units than were planned a year ago. At the time, preliminary plans envisioned up to 17 condominiums and six townhouses, along with an expanded Giant Eagle. The plans now discard a supermarket component, but include more housing and smaller retail uses. The plans now could include up to 30 or more housing units, Westbrook said. While the neighborhood will be left without a supermarket, Anita Brindza, director of Cudell Improvement Inc., the local nonprofit development group, said she would like Marous to find alternative specialty markets that would cater to local pedestrian shoppers, also possibly including pet shops, clothing and other retail shops. We also would like to see small individual business people, she said. That's been the backbone of Clifton Boulevard for years and years. There are many small specialty retailers _ independents, not chain stores _ that have done very well there.

To hear him talk, that alone makes him a great candidate for mayor :roll: