MayDay

Yep, I think they're starting Phase II pretty soon (they were wrapping up the first group the last time I checked). I think the non-traditional styles started with the Tillman Park townhomes (the green, pink and yellow ones) over near West 44th. I'm glad to see them use something a little contemporary.

He calls himself a “self-taught” artist, having attended no architecture or art school. He said his work is found in four presidential libraries. The H3LL you say!!! Thanks for the link, prolix. Mind you, I'm not the Messiah but if someone were to make an awful 42-foot replica of me like that, I'd strike 'em dead with a thunderbolt!

So this is a better use of money than feeding the homeless or providing healthcare for the poor? "Tacky" is a little diplomatic if you ask me!

Not 10 years ago, I used to go to a great local restaurant on West 76th and I never, ever imagined this would be happening... From cleveland.com (Sun Newspapers): Bluffs getting makeover Thursday, July 08, 2004 By DAVID PLATA West Side Sun News The Bluffs area of the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood has been undergoing a renaissance in recent years _ and one that appears will continue. Overlooking Edgewater Park and the Shoreway, the area stretches roughly from West 45th to West 76th streets. Three projects, already completed, under way or yet to start, are giving a new look to Father Caruso Drive, a shorter stretch of the Bluffs, from West 65th to West 73rd streets. The 17-unit Lake Pointe Townhomes is the latest, with 10 units completed and the final seven under way. It's a wonderful development, said Jeff Ramsey, director of Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, the local nonprofit development group. The nearly $4.4 million project, with a nautical look including a corrugated metal exterior, stairs rising to the second floor entrances and windows set into the doors to resemble portholes aboard ship, stretches south on the east side of West 67th, starting on Father Caruso Drive. The husband and wife team of Andrew and Miriam Colen, owners of Hallie Inc. of Pepper Pike, are developers and builders of the project, which is designed by RDL Architects of Cleveland. Miriam Colen said the views, overlooking Lake Erie, make the area especially attractive. The views, the Edgewater Marina is there; I can't imagine a better view than that, she said. And with the new bike path, it's just a nice location. While the first 10 units are already sold, Miriam Colen said the seven now under construction should be ready for occupancy by November. The three-story townhouses have two stories above the garage on the ground floor, plus a deck on top. The two- or three-bedroom units cover 2,100 square feet, with a large finished bonus room behind the garage. It could be used as a family room, an entertainment room, a media room, said Colen, secretary/treasurer with the firm. The living room, dining, room, kitchen and powder room are on the main level; the second-story bedroom level also has two full baths and a laundry room. Councilman Matt Zone, D-17, in whose ward the projects are taking place, said the Lake Pointe development is being done without city aid, other than the normal tax abatement for new housing construction. The Pepper Pike company also has done a three-unit project at Bridge Avenue and West 26th Street in the Ohio City neighborhood, and is doing a 10-unit building at East 36th Street and Prospect Avenue. Also in the area is the Belvedere, a 20-unit housing development completed in recent years at West 69th Street and Father Caruso Drive. Ramsey said most development in the area had been selling for about $110 per square foot. But the Lake Pointe project, he said, is selling for about $150 per square foot. It's establishing a market for that area north of Detroit we call the Bluffs _ the area of our neighborhood where you get lake views and downtown views, he said. What's really significant is that its establishing a market for the redevelopment of the Eveready Battery site. The site is on West 73rd Street, also overlooking Edgewater Park. The plan, which calls for demolition of some 20 buildings but would preserve the old power plant, possibly as a restaurant and museum, calls for nearly 330 units on a 14-acre site. That's the biggest development in our neighborhood and probably on the entire West Side, Ramsey said. City Architecture and Marous Brothers Construction are still working on the plans, with construction possibly to start this year. ............ Here's a link to a rendering of the Lake Pointe Townhomes: http://www.progressiveurban.com/lakepointe/images/LakePointe.jpg And a link to a realtor listing for the Belvedere: http://www.smythecramer.com/apps/propertysearch/homes/index.cfm?search_LN=2140654&action=detail&lnsrc=n

Updated pics as of July 1st: View from the Shoreway: View from Lakeside looking west:

"mayday, when is the last time you needed a transfer?" Probably not for at least a year - thus my ignorance about the system :crazy:

John, if they stick with the current system, the answer is yes. What happens is your ticket gets stamped with a time that reads 2 (or 3?) hours after you board. That essentially is your time that you have to use the ticket for transferring. Or, you can always buy an all-day pass. I've heard that they plan to do away with the ticket readers on the bus/trains and go to paying in the station before you board. And yes, the BRT will be run by the GCRTA.

"The Terminal Tower bears a resemblance to those "stalinist" skyscrapers they have in Moscow and Warsaw." True, but there's a stronger resemblance to NYC's Municipal Building by McKim, Mead and White: Also, most of the 'stalinist' towers didn't come along until 20-some years after the Terminal Tower was completed.

"Well, whatever, I find it tawdry and a vice, and, yes, its a personal opinion. Probably one shared by alot of folks in this state as casino gambling has been defeated here repeatedly." First - who under the age of 60 uses the word "tawdry"? Dagnabbit, whippersnappers - talk about a throwback! Second - beer is a vice. Beer can be addictive. Beer also happens to be listed in your profile as one of your main interests. Selective morality's a b!tch, ain't it? Third - your 'slippery slope/' mentality of "why not legalize EVERYTHING, aka the seventh seal of the apocalypse will be broken!!!" is the usual fearmongering response from someone who can't admit they might not be right. Next thing you know, those d@mned queers are gonna claim they deserve rights that heteros have! Run for the hills! zaceman, a parish hall is a building separate from a church that's used by the church for community activities, bingo, etc. My take? The Catholic church knows that if casinos open in Ohio, their bingo gravy-train that keeps their schools open will face stiff competition. I've never set foot in a casino and most likely will never do so, but I find it abhorrent that they are the primary opponents of casinos under the guise of "morality". If only they could expend the same energy resolving the molestation cases, and caring for the poor...

Yep, another condo/residential project in Cleveland - this is phase 3 of Stonebridge which is the 12-story tower that will complement the existing 8-story apartment buildings. The tower will have four upper floors as for-sale condos and the lower floors as rental. It's getting closer to completion, here are some views: The lower structure of the Detroit-Superior bridge visible on the lower left: And a view of the tower with the rest of Stonebridge and the Detroit-Superior bridge to the left and Ohio City in the background:

That's the glassy 5-story parking deck on Euclid which is just east of the Arcade/Hyatt. I would think the workers are restricted to regular business hours for construction but again, call ahead to be sure. Here's the crane from I-77:

John, the Hyatt is quite a nice place to stay - the noise from the shoppers is only an issue on weekdays around lunchtime. Otherwise the rooms are quite insulated (I took a tour of the facilities, including model suites and there wasn't much ambient noise). Now, the construction from the 515 Euclid project *might* be an issue but I'd call ahead to be sure. Anyways, some updated photos of the Pinnacle, as promised :) The structure behind the crane is the parking garage base: View from the westbound Shoreway: View from the eastbound Shoreway:

zaceman, that's an *excellent* article and folks like napier need to read it. I'm not suggesting that Cleveland *doesn't* need to improve it's convention center but in secondary markets the convention industry is NOT growing as much as boosters would have you hope. Cleveland's center is certainly obsolete but gouging taxpayers to foot the bill is not the answer. Plus, it's not enough anymore to have a great facility - now it's completely standard practice for cities to throw in free hotel rooms (by the hundreds) along with a ton of other 'perks' that don't generate profit. Then, each city has to 'up the ante' until they're all slashing their own throats to get a convention that would have nominal economic impact. Conventioneers aren't the most adventurous demographic - they tend to go to the show, eat in the immediate area, and hole up in their rooms. If they get all that for free as part of the city's incentive...? That's how cities "snatch" conventions - they throw in so many freebies that the city ends up losing money in hopes that conventioneers buy enough souvenirs to make up the difference.

"why cant it be taller and more compact???" Because the fickle convention industry wants "wide open spaces" aka lots of uninterrupted square footage on one level. "or most of it glass rather than just one side??" Because the fickle convention industry wants control over lighting for exhibit space. *Sorry - I spent a year and a half working for GES, the world's largest trade show contractor.

Start at $300K, and penthouse will be 1-million+ So, depending on if I can meet a 'benefactor' (not a sugar daddy, mind you) or hopefully win the Mega-millions lottery (at $177 million), I might be purchasing one of those lovely spots ;)

Yep, look at my first post, under all the images :)

I think the Euclid Corridor project is approaching groundbreaking (end of this summer). There's some info at http://www.euclidtransit.org but it doesn't seem totally up-to-date. A Cleveland forum meet? Okeydokey, I can try to arrange something - I'll make a post here and on the skyscraperpage.com forum when we can somewhat agree on a date. I'm thinking end of July to mid-August while you whippersnappers are out of school ;)

If you look at the rendering, the first 3 stories already exist but only as a parking garage. What they plan to do is update/enclose the garage and then construct an 11-story condo 'tower' on top of that. Here's an overhead map of the location:

Ok, I just drove by the Pinnacle site this morning - no chance to take pics but I did see a construction crane building a scaffolding 'structure' adjacent to the parking garage that will serve as the base of the Pinnacle tower. I'll try to snap a pic during lunch today, but here's some renderings, pics and the official link: Yeah, I could live with a view like this! http://www.pinnacle701.com/index.htm

zaceman, if you're already well connected, you can make a sh!tload of money in painting. One well-placed show in New York and you'd be set.

I attended Kent State University ("Kent" read, "Kent" write, "Kent" duck... lol) initially as a Graphic Design major, but switched to Fine Craft (jewelry/metalsmithing). My minor was always in Art History. My last year (1996) was really rough (amongst other things, a close friend was killed in a car accident) so I decided to take a break. The break ended up taking quite some time, so I currently don't have my BFA. Nevertheless, I quickly got a job as a graphic designer and have been working in the industry ever since. That's why I'm always baffled by people who say there aren't creative jobs in Cleveland. On a side note (and sorry to sound like a broken record), I developed clevelandskyscrapers.com in 1999 and in 2003 I wrote a book about architecture in downtown Cleveland which was published by Arcadia Publishing.

The recent banking acquisition and merger trend has been brought on by an upswing in the economy (the same thing happened in the 1990s). Some banks make acquisitions to expand their retail 'footprint' (aka where they operate) - it's often cheaper to buy out an existing bank and refurbish/rebrand their branches than go into a new area and build from the ground up. In some cases, it's more a matter of 'killing the competition' by buying them out. One of the biggest reasons that National City Bank has made some high-profile acquisitions is the simple fact that, in the banking industry, "stagnation equals death". If they didn't grow, they'd make it easier to be bought out. You're going to see this trend continue - with larger mid-size banks like National City, KeyBank, etc. being acquired by the mega-banks (Chase, Citi, etc.) and tiny banking groups - in other words, a more polarized industry.

I love irreverant comedy - I was howling when Marge was on the plane saying - "This is so luxurious - I feel like Princess Grace and Princess Di SMASHED together!". So wrong but so funny!!!

A great article that features the latest and most significant residential construction in downtown Cleveland from Properties Magazine. Stonebridge is in the midst of Phase III which offers for-sale units as well as rental units. Here's an aerial view of the project - Stonebridge is on the lower left (the viaduct that's mentioned in the article is left of the project, Phase III is at the very bottom left where you see the empty lot): http://www.propertiesmag.com/current/2004-05/StonebridgeD.jpg The article in entirety can be seen here: http://www.propertiesmag.com/current/2004-05/Stonebridge.htm And an elevation rendering: http://www.progressiveurban.com/stonebridge/images/EASTELEV.jpg

I agree - the rows of Chicago-style windows make for quite a sight. What really does it for me is that you can see the 'skylight' glow at night, as shown by this pic by ColDayMan: