brtshrcegr

Jeebus H! As much as I've learned to hate the Tower City proposal/Forest City, I think it would make a much more suitable fall-back than this location. Both would be fitting a square peg in a round hole, but at least the Tower City location has a number of amenities built-in and nearby; that cannot be reasonably denied. This, on the other hand...maybe the Lancer Motel to be expanded as the official convention hotel? :wink: Would be an additional boon for the Healthline, but I'd MUCH rather see this site be the future location of the Clinic research facility previously mentioned. And would the Clinic really want/allow such a massive parcel of land right on the edge of their campus, ripe for their own expansion, to be taken by another user that they would have no control of, for decades to come? As much as it pains me to say it, maybe the Clinic banking this site would be the best outcome for all concerned.

Great transformation...much more character! I took a few minutes to re-read this entire thread and it's sadly prophetic. KJP post on the first page (reply #26) take the cake, but all of the posters towards the bottom of page 1 and top of page 2 were certainly intelligent enough to see what was coming, back in the summer of 2006.

I want to revisit the question/postulation that Punch posed back in January. Call me naive, but it has not yet been proclaimed or determined that the OC will be a limited-access, freeway-style roadway like so many on here are (rightfully) fearing, correct? The recent tollway discussion notwithstanding, what evidence do we have that planners are moving away from the mulitlane boulevard, possibly with some sort of public transit component, that was originally envisioned? Seems like this would still provide the greatly enhanced access to University Circle that is desired, without the neighborhood scarring that a freeway (or tollway) would create.

Any word on their goal towards raising $33,000 (and thus getting a $33,000 matching grant from CCAC)? I know they were well on their way a few days ago.

All good points, and ones I wish I would have included in my email! DoctaBroc, if you have not already, may i suggest that your drop Guillen, et. al, an email including these excellent retorts?

It gets to the point that you just can't take it anymore. I've tried to turn the other cheek with the outright editorializing the Plain Dealer takes in reporting many issues, not least the Medical Mart. But they need to know that they will be held to account by those of us who care enough and are passionate enough not to be deceived by their agenda. I'm glad to hear that others have emailed as well, and JeffreyT was the one that really prompted me. I CC'd Publisher Terry Egger, Editor Susan Goldberg, and Reader Representative Ted Diadiun on that email, and I would suggest anyone else who's gonna write Guillen to do so as well: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].

This was not what I was looking for after a great night at the Film Fest and some bar hopping afterward. While I have mixed emotions about the article as a whole, that particular paragraph made me incensed. Just fired this off to Mr. Guillen; he and the rest of the PeeDee need to realize that they cannot get away with such outright fabrications without being served notice: Mr. Guillen- "If the plan works, downtown Cleveland might one day teem with people again. Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime with downtown workers and visitors, but the declining economy and departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren." Please, please, please tell me that you can in some way quantify this statement. I have read your articles re: the Medical Mart with great interest over the past year, and while I have often disagreed with the overall tone of many of them, I respected your reporting. However, this statement is truly beyond the pale, seemingly inserted for no other reason but to fan the ignorant and baseless flames of suburbanites (who have likely not set foot in downtown for decades) that our urban core has suddenly become some destitute wasteland. This reeks of sensationalist editorializing, which may serve a purpose in the proper venue. But in what is supposed to be fact-driven reporting of the news, such falsehoods are of no service to your reputation, that of your paper, or for the community as a whole. Best regards, BrtshRceGr

I wish I would have got that in there. I was crunched for space. It's a good point, though. By the way, I've posted Councilman Cimperman's response to the Matrix executive on my City Hall blog (see link below). Thanks to all who helped with the story, especially DoctaBroccoli! http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2009/03/rubble_piles_near_avenue_distr.html Rubble piles near Avenue District will be gone in 10 days, Matrix Chairman Glen Nelson says by Henry J. Gomez/Plain Dealer Reporter Monday March 16, 2009, 8:47 AM My report about the rubble piles obstructing the views from new downtown townhouses apparently has caught Matrix Realty Group's attention. In an e-mail sent Saturday to Councilman Joe Cimperman, a Matrix executive writes: No to be too off-topic, but....I know that this isn't your first post on here (although first for a while I believe), but I just wanted to thank you for getting involved here on UO, Mr. Gomez. I think this type of dialogue, between interested & passionate citizens and the fourth estate, will not only enhance your ability to do your job, but hopefully make our news outlets, politicians, and local stakeholders more responsive and more in tune with the needs, desires, and wishes of the public. Kudos.

The state of the Flats in the bottom of this pic is seriously impressive. Can you imagine what a 'nabe that would be today if it was still intact? :Sigh:

Okay all, first open this link in a separate window http://www.televisiontunes.com/Benny_Hill_Show.html With that in the background, commence reading the greatest, latest update from wonderful Forest City! :bang: Forest City cuts nearly $50 million from its medical mart and convention center proposal http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2009/03/forest_city_enterprises_cuts_m.html Posted by Steven Litt/Plain Dealer Architecture Critic March 13, 2009 15:19PM Forest City Enterprises today unveiled the most concise, elegant and economical version of its proposal to locate a new convention center and a medical mart behind its Tower City Center complex on the Cuyahoga riverfront. The cost: $351 million -- down $47 million from their most recent previous version, unveiled last month. At the same time, Forest City executives did their level best to demolish a competing proposal to locate the medical mart next to the downtown Mall, alongside a rebuilt version of the existing convention center below Malls B and C...

I don't understand your pessimism. The project is funded by a federal earmark, not a commercial bank. Indeed, one of those evil evil :whip: earmarks is providing funding for this...there really is little parallel to the FEB. And while this will be a great addition to North Coast Harbor (and undoubtedly reap exponentially more benefits when the Port land is finally redeveloped), I don't think I'd exactly call this a "major project." The only thing that concerns me is the start date. 2011? Is it really gonna take 2 years to design this thing?

I gotta believe the two are connected...and this was probably exactly the kind of spark that Kennedy and MMPI were hoping to cause with this week's Crain's article. I unfortunately do not have e-access either, but I did read it today and the gist of it seems to be: 1. Kennedy/MMPI knew coming into the project that it was going to be an ordeal dealing with the various powers-at-be in Northeast Ohio, but even still they are surprised/dismayed by the molasses-like progress. 2. The numerous fiefdoms and not lack of leaders, but excess leaders, in NE Ohio is scaring away big-name national developers from entering/staying in the Cleveland market. 3. Forest City's latest proposal is crap, but they will entertain it when FCE comes to Chicago on March 10 on the off chance that it could actually be a viable back-up. While Kennedy seemed frustrated, I didn't come away from the article thinking he was pondering backing out completely. He still seems to be committed in spite of it all (e.g. the begrudging openness to FCE), which hopefully is attributable to the strength of the overall concept.

^ Well Bratenahl is of course bordered to the north by the Lake Erie Republic, so it didn't really enter my mind. :wink: But point very well taken; that's what I get for posting post-Tremont bar crawl. Still, it is kinda interesting from a theoretical standpoint to have not inner-ring suburbs, but downright Lesotho-esqe municipalities!

While it seems that "Gran Torino" was indeed originally planned for MSP, Michigan's motion picture tax credits (Hello, Ohio Statehouse!) attracted it to Detroit and Highland Park. Detroit (and possibly HP?) does have an appreciable Hmong population, so it wasn't unreasonable. I'd be interested in hearing more about Hamtramck though...it seems that it is unique (possibly in the US, along with Highland Park) in being a suburb completely enveloped by it's urban core.

IIRC, the Highland Park police department has actually been reestablished, as has the FD. No doubt heavily backed-up by the Detroit PD and FD. For those that haven't seen it yet, Clint Eastwood's latest, "Gran Torino", features Highland Park. It's a great, if non-specific, commentary on HP and really the Rust Belt in general, with the interesting twist of the Asian immigrant population (and assorted problems) in the Highland Park area.

Interesting, and your explanation of the arrangement is certainly what I suspected it was. One has to wonder why the PeeDee wasn't able to explain it in this less inflammatory and more reasonable-sounding manner......oh, wait. :bang:

Two words: Ron Tober.

I'm sorry, but I think there's a point here that's being missed. From the above Plain Dealer article: (http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/02/_the_publicprivate_partnership.html) "But a memorandum of understanding the two sides signed nearly a year ago lays out the general guidelines. Among them: The county will pay for almost all the construction costs, which were last publicly projected to be around $425 million, by issuing 20-year taxable revenue bonds. The county will then give the facilities to MMPI to own and operate. MMPI will lease the complex to the county for $40 million a year, which will come from a quarter-cent sales-tax increase that commissioners imposed in 2007. MMPI will use the lease payments to pay off the bonds. The county in turn will sublease the buildings back to MMPI. The company won't pay the county any rent or cut of the operating proceeds but instead will promise to cover all operating costs of running a "first-class facility," eat any losses and keep any profits. The county will pay MMPI to run it -- $6 million in each of the first three years and $5 million for each of the next 17 years. The memorandum's wording indicates that performance bonuses could eventually push that number to $8 million, but county officials and MMPI won't comment. Also, neither will identify the source for that money. County hotel taxes now pay Cleveland about $6.5 million a year toward the cost of running the Cleveland Convention Center. The memorandum gives the county virtually no governance power, rights or leverage when it comes to the complex's operations, policies or profits once the facility is built. It allows only for the county, every five years, "to exercise remedies to be agreed upon in the lease/sublease agreement" if MMPI doesn't book enough business." Now, I am as in favor of this CC/Medical Mart project as anyone is here on this board. Not only is it a sense of civic pride for me (and I know many others), it could also be personally enriching. With all that being said, I do not think that it's unreasonable to question why the County will outright GIVE the facility to MMPI, who will then force to the county to pay $40 MILLION PER YEAR IN RENT, and $5-$8 million more to manage, for a facility WE, the taxpayers, funded and built in the first place. Oh, and by the way, MMPI gets to keep any profits. It's seems like an outright public gift of nearly half a billion dollars to the private sector (and darn near a billion if you count the rent payments), in the same vein (but much greater in scale) as if the Cuyahoga County taxpayers were to gift a new Eaton HQ, or build the Flats East Bank for Wolstein. And before people get started, those who work at Eaton, or patronize the FEB, would stimulate the local economy (and thus justify the economic investment) in much the same way as convention goers. Now I cannot overstate this enough, I am completely in favor of the current CC/Medical Mart plan, even as it pertains to the operating agreement...because I think the investment will more than repay itself, I think there is no more capable firm on Earth to tackle this than MMPI, and honestly, I think that there is an inherent element of necessary impropriety that comes along with these public-private partnerships, for better or worse. However, you have to admit that it is fair for some to question the seemingly illogical calculus in just how this entire project is being arranged. Edit: I came off a little caustic in my original posting last night (thanks Stella Artois! :drunk: ), so I cleaned it up to be a little less accusatory.

I hate to be one to arbitrarily "bump" a thread, but any updates on this project? I haven't made it down to this part of Tremont in a while, but last time I was there it looked like things were progressing slowly-but-surely. It does seem like construction's been going on for ages, however.

Here's an interesting article from the Las Vegas Sun re: Forest City's City Hall project out there, and more generally their overall business practices. It's a really interesting read, and it's fair to say that we're not the only ones who notice FCE's rather strong-armed manner in which they go about their business. It sounds like Forest City is about to have a very busy week, from the Med Mart to the Vegas Strip! Complicated deal, powerful partner Forest City Enterprises is accomplished, but hit by torrent of bad news The elaborate deal for a new city hall, rendered above, between Las Vegas and Forest City includes a land swap and a construction project to be named later. By Sam Skolnik Sat, Feb 7, 2009 (2 a.m.) At a City Council meeting last year, several councilmen went out of their way to praise Forest City Enterprises, the primary developer in the deal to build a new Las Vegas city hall. The vaunted Cleveland-based company, with massive development projects in the works from Brooklyn to Albuquerque, is known to be progressive-minded, they boasted, shepherding projects that support job creation, environmental sustainability and affordable housing. “We’re betting on the right horse,” said one councilman, as a beaming Mayor Oscar Goodman looked on. More at http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/feb/07/complicated-deal-powerful-partner/

Wasn't quite sure where to put this one, so feel free to move to a more appropriate thread if need be. While this article is more about the buying and selling of apartment building themselves, and not the rental market itself, one of the conclusions -- that vacancy rates in apartments will actually rise (to 6.3 percent) -- struck me by surprise. I had assumed that the state of the economy would be a boon to apartment building owners. The thousands of people being foreclosed upon would assumedly turn to apartments for a place to live; while it is a buyers market and mortgage rates are certainly attractive to first-time buyers, potential sellers are holding off because the market is just so dreadfully bad, and how attainable for all but those with the most perfect credit are these bargain interest rates? Thus shouldn't we see the demand for apartments increase for the time being? Also, it's interesting to note that K&D is apparently selling a number of their existing apartment complexes. The optimist in me says that this is all part of their their need to provide additional funding for the acquisition/renovation of Ameritrust tower...and that they're doing something about it. :| http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2009/02/marvin_fongthe_plain_dealer_le.html Apartment building owners finding some bright spots in down economy Posted by Michelle Jarboe/Plain Dealer Reporter February 05, 2009 17:11PM Categories: Real Time News, Real estate Amid the rubble of the commercial real estate industry, there's a little bit of sparkle. Apartment buildings are holding up, even as developers are benched, retailers go bust and real estate groups beg for a bite of the government bailouts. Sure, economists expect some pain for apartments in 2009. Mounting job losses and the sour economy could result in fewer new households -- a blow to occupancy levels and landlords' abilities to raise rents. But apartments are looking pretty stable compared with other sectors of the ailing real estate industry. More at http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2009/02/marvin_fongthe_plain_dealer_le.html

"If you become a resident of NYS, you must get a NYS driver license within 30 days and surrender your out-of-state driver license. Normally, you cannot have a NYS driver license and a driver license from another state, but there are exceptions. It is a violation of Federal law to hold more than one commercial driver license (CDL)." http://www.nysdmv.com/license.htm

Word, x2. I would say that I can understand where chevalier is coming from, and I would venture that many of the ideas that he/she posted appear on many of our own personal public transportation wish lists for Northeast Ohio. However, what I think most of us realize, from spending time on this forum, as well as paying attention to the news and understanding how our government works, is that there are multitude of projects and programs that compete for federal, state, and local funding. One can have all the best ideas, grassroots support, and all the will in the world, but if funding does not exist – nor do allies who could enable such funding – a project, program, or idea will never get off the ground. This is as true for weapons systems as it is for transportation systems. We are on the verge of making significant progress (3-C corridor/Ohio Hub) and have efforts creating tremendous momentum (Cleveland-Lorain commuter railroad), but only after years and years of grassroots lobbying and fundraising JUST to get these proposals on the radar screens of our elected officials. So while it is certainly alright to ask questions about certain proposed (and even not-proposed) transportation projects, to somehow suggest that their nonexistence is indicative of a lack of vision or effort is, in my opinion, naive. In an ideal world, interurbans would reappear, RTA would expand east and west, and light rail to Mentor, Lorain, Parma, Medina, North Olmsted, and Akron would be a reality. And the rest of our crumbling transportation infrastructure would be rebuilt. And we would eliminate poverty in our urban areas, and revitalize public education. And we would all sh!t rainbows. But in order to be an effective society we must set realistic priorities for our public expenditures, and I don't think that building a light rail line to Elyria is the highest and best use of taxpayers dollars at this time.

What a tough situation for all sides involved, I truly believe that. Now, I would consider myself to be moderately-to-very liberal politically, a believer in the proper use of such tactics as eminent domain and other tactics to combat irresponsible property owners, establishments that are a detriment to a community, etc, etc. But I'm more than a little concerned that the city came in and demolished this man's house in this manner....his primary residence, and, from the sounds of it, probably his largest asset. And from what I can tell, the city hasn't offered any form of renumeration. AND his mental capacity CERTAINLY should not be an excuse for doing so. It seems like a slippery slope if we can justify taking/destroying/demolishing a citizen's private property without compensation based on their mental capacity.

I don't mind the orange seats as much as I dislike the Q. Its droopy top clashes with the clean lines of everything around it, particularly of the ballpark. The Browns stadium is just mediocre and generic. Come to think of it, I like the orange seats. Wouldn't blocking the wind, even a little, be more effective than heating it? The air inside those shelters is anything but static. I'm a bit of an architecture neophyte, but I see the Robert Madison is the AOR of record for Browns Stadium, but HOK Sport also claims credit...so I take it they collaborated on it? As far as the Q, I never really had a problem with it until recently. In fact, in general, I like the overall design. But then when you go to places like Washington D.C. and see how the Verizon Center fits into the streetgrid, has street level retail (heck, even a fitness club) that has nothing to do with basketball/hockey, and is the CENTERPOINT – not just the IMPETUS – for a neighborhood's revitalization, do you realize how much more the Gund Arena/The Q could have been. To get back on topic, I noticed the wind-tunnel effect of the shelters the time I ever set foot in one, and it's not like it was exactly frigid in October! While their design has grown on me, and I have no problem with cutting-edge aesthetics, function can't always follow form in applications as important as these.