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Not to cause a kerfuffle, but rumor has it on the airlners.net forums that CO CEO Larry Kellner will be in town on Wednesday, and could possibly annonce an expansion of service and, in addition, the construction of a new CO terminal at Hopkins. Now, judging by the previous record of our fellow forumers on that site, I wouldn't go about betting the farm on this yet. And it seems that there is a lot of potential for gate consolidation amongst the other carriers that could open up space in Concourse B for Continental, for example. But some sort of announcement regarding a CO expansion at CLE that was rumored earlier in the summer would make sense right now, timing wise. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...an activity that I know is not exactly met with abundant enthusiam here on UO!

"sooo uhhh no one got pictures of these renderings? no cell phone picture or anything...?? i drove by last saturday and they were definately not in the windows anymore..." Sorry for waiting so long to post these, but I was able to swing by and snap a few pics on the cameraphone (SLR battery died just as I was taking the first pic) or the Ernest & Young building :?. Sorry the quality isn't that great, but some interesting renderings, imo. The second photo shows three separate views of the building, and take a look at the massings (?) behind the E&Y building in the bottom-right panel. Any speculation as to whether this is conceptual or perhaps some real plans for development?

I've been meaning to post these for a while now. These are shots I took back on the Monday that Wonder Bar [was supposed to] open up...went over there with a friend after work hoping to check it out and found out that the grand opening had mistakenly been announced for Monday instead of Tuesday, as mentioned before. I also got some shots of the inside and outside of Zócalo. I haven't been back on East 4th since that night (two weeks ago), but I would imagine we are getting dangerously close to being able to experience the "tequila bomb" and everything else promised at that place! Interestingly, I was chatting with the bar maid at Flannery's about it and she did not seem to be too happy about it. She wouldn't elaborate, but apparently it's being opened up by the same group that owns Flannery's. If anything, I think she might have been a bit worried about losing patrons across the street, although she said she had no plans to transfer over there. Anyway, take a look at the pics. I'd say the street was looking pretty good for a Monday evening! I'd love to see the progress its made in just the past two weeks...which is what is so great about E. 4th! Outside of Wonder Bar, just before it opened up for the Friends and Family Night. Nice looking patio... ...and even better full of people! Someone had posted earlier asking if Lola was going to add sidewalk dining. They have, and it's quite extensive, spanning its entire frontage: Here's the rather nondescript (at least at this point) front of Zócalo: ..and the interior, which looks a bit more exciting. Finally, East 4th in all of its (Monday) glory!

Any news on the results of the RFP? I think I recall that proposals were due in the middle of May, and things certainly have seemed to be silent on this front since then. But then again, based on this WSJ article and another one that appeared in NY Times a few weeks back, perhaps it's best we take a careful, measured approach (I know, I know) and learn from others' mistakes.

No, I meant Continental. With the continued discussion of CLE becoming more of a reliever for the atroicious service at EWR, I think we need everything in our arsenal to fight for this service. Continental likes to advertise (or at least used to) that they have the most on-time arrivals in the industry, and so it only makes since that expanded service at CLE would bolster this reputation. I know there are equipment issues that may be delaying an expansion in Hopkins (delivery of 739 and 787, etc.) but this is the type of news that can only encourage CO to make a move on CLE. Speaking of the possible cancellation of the planned CLE-CDG service, another forumer on Airliners.net got this response for CO's PR department, which explains why the flight hasn't yet appeared online. Let's hope that the PR guy knows more about what's going on than the reservation agent: Quote: We plan to start nonstop Cleveland to Paris in 2008. The service will be loaded into computer systems this fall. Details as to flight times and numbers will be announced as soon as they are finalized. [Name] Public Relations Continental Airlines [Phone Number]

I hope Continental is listening: Hopkins, Akron-Canton airports buck delay trends Posted by Michael Sangiacomo August 08, 2007 13:17PM Categories: Breaking News In the worst summer yet for airline delays, Northeast Ohio's airports have held the line -- so far. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that the flights on the nation's top 20 airports were delayed more often in May and June this year than the same period last year. Nationally, 31.9 percent of all flights were delayed in June, compared to 27.2 percent in June, 2006. In May, 22.1 percent of the nation's flights were delayed compared with 21.7 percent last May. They also reported more complaints filed by passengers to airlines than ever. The delays, often caused by weather and an air traffic system bursting at the seams with flights. Airplane capacity is up nationally as well, so delayed travelers are finding that getting on another flight is difficult since airlines across the board are flying close to full. However, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Akron-Canton Airport - neither of which is among the top 20 airports - have maintained their on-time records and in some cases improved them. At Hopkins, the percentage of delayed flights was the virtually the same in June of 2006 and June 2007: about 21 percent. In May, Hopkins fared better than last year, showing delayed flights at 13 percent in May, down from 15 percent in May, 2006. At Akron-Canton, the story was similar. In June, 21 percent of the flights were delayed while in June of 2006, the number was close to 20 percent. Like Hopkins, Akron-Canton did better in May with only 10 percent of the flights delayed this year compared with 17 percent in May, 2006. Figures have yet to be released for July. Aviation officials believe that delay numbers will increase when July and August numbers are tabulated.

I'm sure this was posted in an earlier thread, but I wanted to share the letter that April Baer, formerly of 90.3 ideastream, shared on CoolCleveland.com before her move to Portland. And in response to UrbanLife's point 2: As I've mentioned before, the methods of measuring economic vitality to which "old timers" are so beholden are just plain incapable of measuring the true health of our economy in this day in age. Michael DeAloia has stated that there is $100s of millions in business investment and and expanded productivity that is all but ignored due to an obsession with tracking jobs, usually blue collar, gained or lost. From CoolCleveland: As WCPN announcer April Baer packs her bags for a new life in Portland, Oregon (and a new job at public radio station KOPB), she takes a few minutes to jot down for Cool Cleveland readers her feelings about leaving her adopted home. April Baer writes: "Dear Cleveland: Are you reading this looking for The Big Kiss-Off? You've come to the wrong place. I am so tired of seeing short-timers screaming across the Op-Ed pages, all hot to point out the problems that drove them to leave town. Tasteless. Why don't we skip that, and treat my departure like what it is--a breakup that's a little sad, and a little sweet? It would take a real ingrate to sit here and complain--"No one bothered to make use of my talents." "Nobody asked me what I thought." "Nobody capitalized on my potential." Wah wah wah. Don't get me wrong, I've seen how tough it is for young people with energy and talent who are trying to make their mark. But know this: that's not why I'm leaving. I've accepted a job at KOPB in Portland, Oregon because I am a late bloomer. I am way overdue for the "go find yourself" exploration that normal people make when they're in their teens or twenties. Brain Drain? Please. I'm the least appropriate person for that label. For the past five and a half years, I've had the chance to do meaningful work at a progressive, community-minded company (ideastream). I found a fantastic neighborhood in Cleveland (Ohio City) where a person can stretch her legs, play hard, and really get to know the neighbors. OK, so the old-school politics drive me nuts sometimes. But there's a reason why I've stayed. Just like there's a reason you're still here, reading this, when you could be in Columbus sucking down a Cinnabon at Easton in a consumerist stupor. I'm talking about two things: The past, and the future. Cleveland history is better than television. You've got gods and monsters, steel barons, race riots, social upheaval, and once in a while... PROGRESS. It's good to live in a city that hasn't forgotten where it came from. I can tick off a long list of ways that the city's mythology continues to shape what's happening today. And what about the people coming forward to challenge the past? You know the names--Chris Carmody, Sadhu Johnston, Daniel Gray Kontar, Lillian Kuri, Dave Wittkowski, Cindy Barber, Michael Salinger, Annetta Marion & Bernadette Gilotta, James Levin, And yes, you too, Mulready. (These are only the ones I know best.) When they didn't see it happening, these people didn't up and move to Chicago. They got their hands dirty and brought their future to life. Fun and mission amid the ruins of the manufacturing economy? You're damn right it's out there, if you've got the nerve to go get it. When I came here at the tender age of 25, my only sense of calling was to the Nordstrom shoe sale rack. But how could I have retained that frosty veneer after walking down Clark Avenue on a frying summer day, seeing young women fussing with even younger babies, talking about their temp jobs? Or after eating hot dogs at AM with guys whose home address is 2100 Lakeside? Throwing back beers in Slavic Village with fifty-five year olds who are waiting to hear if they're about to be downsized? This town changed me. And there's plenty more like me out there, just waiting to be converted. If I could, Cleveland, I'd just love to sit you down on my lap and say, "Relax, baby! Why are you trying so hard to be someone else? OK, so things ain't what they used to be at the steel mills. Why don't you just keep on being exactly what you are--a wise-cracking, magnificent old broad who has not yet lost her sense of humor, or the will to live." There will always be a young fry coming up from Columbus, Mansfield, Cincinnati, Dayton, Youngstown, who want a real city, who have something to offer, but who don't know how they fit it. They're arriving every day. What will Cleveland offer when they show up at the door? As long as you are living here, the best thing you can do is to make the most of your money and your time. Every dollar you spend can do one of two things: help or hurt. EVERYONE can do more to support the urban centers. EVERYONE can do more to support the arts and culture. I am not laying on a guilt trip. This is about using your lifestyle as a weapon. Stop driving to Strongsville and Beachwood when you should be at Tower City or Shaker Square. Quit going to Burger King when you ought to be getting takeout from Phil the Fire. This goes for politics, too. Wanna know why your elected officials go around mouthing platitudes and avoiding risk at all costs? It's because we've come to see public life as just another service to be bought and paid for. Insert tax money, wait for services to drop out the chute. If you don't like politicians treating you like a passive consumer, you need to stop acting like one. Tired of the quagmire? Get off your duff and do something. It doesn't have to be anything big. Donate to a candidate, volunteer, go to the block club meeting, catch up on the news. Whatever gets your freak on. It is not enough to merely react to what you think is bad. Spread some fertilizer on what you think is good. So with that, Auf Wiedersehen, Cleveland. Come see me sometime in lovely, pine-fresh, rain-drenched Portland. I'll be thinking about you." from Cool Cleveland reader April Baer [email protected] April Baer is the host/producer of 90.3@9 on 90.3 WCPN ideastream. Her last day at work is Fri 1/23. The opinions in this letter are April's and not those of 90.3 WCPN ideastream'.

Your commentary on shopping trends in urban supermarkets is spot on, and certainly not unique. Just today, I was chatting with the owner of Constantino's, located here in the Warehouse District in Cleveland, about the very subject. His store is about 10,000 feet (probably about a third of the size of that Kroger, if not more) yet he thinks it's the ideal size, and more importantly provides the ideal product variety, for urban dwellers. Most of those who live downtown, or work downtown and drop into Constantino's, are not looking to buy the 12-packs of toilet paper or 6 pack of chicken breasts. Instead, they are much better served by a grocery that can provide prepared foods, a good selection of the basic necessities, and a some niche products. Constantino's also benefits by having an absolutely wonderful wine selection.

Having just switched from Verizon to AT&T/Cingular (gadget fan boys can guess why ;-)), I can say that there is a noticeable difference in service quality. Having spent years with Verizon and its predecessors (everyone remember CellularOne and AirTouch?) I had become blissfully unaware of the concept of dropped calls and extended bouts of no service. Now, this is a seemingly daily experience. I would say that unless you are contemplating acquiring a certain, newly launched "revolutionary mobile phone, breakthrough internet communicator, blah blah blah...", I would go for Verizon. However, one redeeming feature of AT&T is the customer service in their stores (haven't used phone support yet). They are truly a different class of people compared to the arrogant, unmotivated, and sometimes rude service I received at nearly every Verizon store I ever entered. But the quality of the phone service on Verizon always made up for it in my mind.

CLE: To answer one of your earlier questions about the corner of Fulton and Lorain with the gas station and Unique Thrift, one of Cleveland's larger developers was trying to piece together that block a little over a year ago, including the two story house and blue cottage that are directly south of the gas station on Fulton. Unfortunately, the owners of the building that Unique is in had just signed an apparently very lucrative renewal with Unique, which scuttled the whole deal. But don't feel too down....what the developer hoped to put on the corner? A CVS. The Hollywood Video store has actually been an asset IMHO. Before that was built, that corner was consumed by one of those used car lots that are unfortunately still too prevalent along that stretch of Lorain. I think we'll see in a few more years that investment in Ohio City will have reached a point that areas south of Lorain such as that will be utilized for purposes perhaps a bit more inspiring than another drug store!!! But welcome to the neighborhood!!!

Just heard a VERY interesting segment on "Marketplace" on 90.3 WCPN about the new Census numbers (listen to the segment http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2007/06/28/PM200706284.html), and more specifically, the flawed reporting in urban areas. They had on the CEO of an organization called Urban Strategies, which assists cities challenge the Census Bureau's numbers; he's currently in Miami conducting talks with it's mayor. Apparently, while only two cities challenged the numbers in 2002, 41 did last year. St. Louis has been successful 8 years running, and Mayor Mallory is attempting to organize cities nationwide to more effectively call out the Census Bureau. What's even more shocking is the Bureau's methodology: In the case of successful challenges, it refuses to adjust the national total upward. Instead, it just takes population AWAY from municipalities that didn't challenge their numbers! What a bunch of dolts....

Anybody notice the typo in the title of the event above? Now that would be something I'd be willing to fly back from Beijing for!

Hooray! The PD has finally run a story that actually gives Cleveland MORE credit than it deserves. Apparently Hopkins MIGHT be one of the 5 or 6 American airports that is served by the A380...just like Cleveland MIGHT host the 2016 Olympics, or the Browns MIGHT win the Super Bowl next year... If you forget for a moment the taxi-way widening, apron stregthening, jetway and terminal improvements, and ideal weather conditions that would allow the A380 to regularly utilize 9000 ft runways, then the spokeswoman has just delivered some optimistic news!!! Hopkins runway could handle superjumbos Monday, March 19, 2007 Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, with 9,000-foot runways, could handle the A380, airport spokeswoman Pat Smith said. The world's largest airplane, the six-engine Antonov An-225, landed at Hopkins in 2003, she said. There is no word yet on whether Hopkins will see A380s on a regular basis. The A380 is larger than the Boeing 747 jumbo, which has reigned as the largest airliner for four decades. The Antonov An-225 is a Russian cargo airliner, designed to transport spacecraft for the former Soviet Union. Reuters News Service, The Plain Dealer.

Wanted to make sure this didn't fall through the cracks...with Hebebrand's boss gone, I wonder if there's any chance he's on the way out as well! :wink: Strickland signals for change at ODOT GOP-appointed district heads replaced Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Aaron Marshall and Sarah Hollander Plain Dealer Reporters Columbus -- Hit the road, Jack. And take Bill, Mike and Dave with you, too. Such is life under a Democratic regime at the Ohio Department of Transportation, where incoming Gov. Ted Strickland, who took office Monday, is replacing all 12 district directors who served under Republican Gov. Bob Taft... To reach these Plain Dealer reporters: [email protected], 1-800-228-8272; [email protected], 216-999-4816

Ohio's now a leader in fuel cells Industry could bring in thousands of jobs Sunday, November 12, 2006 John Funk Plain Dealer Reporter As its old-line industries have failed, Ohio has tried to create a climate for high-tech manufacturing. Now, after plowing about $52 million into research and other subsidies, the state is emerging as a leader in the fuel cell industry. ... http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/116332403898560.xml&coll=2

"Just when I thought I was out.." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, March 23, 2006 More Quicken news: Cleveland HQ a possibility 4:36 p.m. Cleveland has a chance to pick up a lot more corporate jobs, Quicken Loans Inc. Chairman Dan Gilbert told The Plain Dealer today. To be exact: 3,500. The company, now based in the Detroit suburbs, is considering building a new national headquarters. Quicken Loans is considering only Michigan and Ohio. A decision is expected in three to six months. "Cleveland, because of the other businesses we have there now, is certainly a place we would look at," Gilbert said. "We're always open to talking." The challenges of relocating 3,500 employees to a new state, however, would be a factor in any decision, Gilbert said. He spoke to the paper as he announced the April 3 opening of a loan center in downtown Cleveland.

I hadn't heard about that project at Chagrin Highlands...what are the details? It's about time some more activity happened around there.

That's a good point, guys. While it seems that they indicated openings in a metro by putting the actual location in parenthesis after the main city (see Chicago, etc.), I'm still feel you're probably right on this one. But at least they'll be in the market and have a rep in the area that'll surely see the virtue of locating downtown.

Sometimes you just never know when you're gonna find a gem.... This past Saturday night I was heading out on the Metro here in D.C. for a fun little night at a bar called Hawk & Dove, just a few blocks away from the Capitol. On the floor of the usually spotless subway car, I notice a copy of the Whole Foods Market employee newsletter. I start fipping through, and come a list of their future stores, and get great big smile on my face! (See below, second column) I'm thinking that this must be referenceing the East Bank project; is their anywhere else right now that would be logical for their first store?

Thanks for the great responses, everybody! I've already passed them along. But let's keep this thread going, I think the idea of creating an RTA rider's organizaton could make a meaningful difference in the attitude towards mass transportation in this town. RTA, Calabrese, et. al, aren't gonna get the ball rolling on TOD's, smart and creative use of trolleys, etc., so let's create a groundswell that they can't ignore! Best

I too disagree with the comments that those outside of Cleveland still don't think much of it. For my springbreak last year, me and my two best friends from college--one from Portland, the other Rhode Island--spent three days in Cleveland and three days in Chicago (I know, the most ludicrous destinations for an early March vacation). Neither had ever been to Cleveland and Chicago, and I was absolutely floored when they said they were really surprised with Cleveland and actually enjoyed their time more here than in Chicago! :-D We had a great time at the Art Museum, Rock Hall, and Film Fest, and one of my friends--an architecture student--didn't stop grinning for about a day after I took him to the Peter B. Lewis building. We CAN compete with those who have never heard of those absurd burning river jokes, and fortunately the number of such people are growing by the day. I also couldn't help but smile on Friday, while reading a column in the Washington Post's Sports section by Michael Wilbon. Titled, "For Detroit, Sunday Brings Much More Than a Game," he discusses much of the same underlying issues we've been debating here. But a paragraph towards the end proved how we're really viewed in the eyes of such elitist left-coast institutions as the Post: "I know exactly what Parker's talking about because I've taken verbal and written shots at Detroit over the years. I once said it looked like Beirut. Since Cleveland's revitalization in the mid-1990s, Detroit has become the easiest target among big American cities." An East Coast hack truly believes that Cleveland has turned the corner...why can't we?

I also have very little knowledge and zero experience in the industry, but I do have the view of a slightly jaded 20 year old. IMHO, ODOT doesn't gain anything by their plans, BUT it's what's easiest for them. They're used to building concrete bridges, so why should they try something new? They're completely disinterested in a challenge, and molded by the government culture in Columbus, where there hasn't been change in over a decade. I don't want to sound elitist or stoke-up some Cleveland-Columbus rivalry, but I think that if these bureaucrats were located in Cleveland, they would have a lot more progressive attitude toward the project. Cleveland's no New York City, but we are much more the Eastern, trend-setting locale than Columbus is. That's just the way it is. Now if we can only unite this spirit of progressivism--from our political leaders and Forest City to Peter B. Lewis and Thomas Mulready--in opposition to ODOT's complacency, we will all witness the power of a unified Monster on the Lake!

I have a favor to ask those of you who ride the buses/rapid in Cleveland. I'm working on a project evaluating the use of RTA, specifically how you pay for your rides. Do you pay your fare into the farebox each time you ride the bus, or do you use a pass or farecard? Do you buy your pass or farecard online, at a neighborhood location such as a bank, pharmacy, grocery store, etc., or does your employer provide them to you through the Commuter Advantage program? Also, is there anything that RTA could do to make this aspect of riding the bus/rapid more convenient for you? A program they've offered in the past or that you've experienced in other cities that you'd really like to see in Cleveland? I don't work for RTA, but your answers will be used to help improve RTA's service.

Thought I'd just share with ya'll some anecdotal info I've heard regarding the most recent developments with the innerbelt project, specifically the whole bridge fiasco. As I explained in my first post on the boards, I'm from a western suburb but currently attending college in Washington D.C. When not in class and participating in various other college related :wink: activities, I intern for a Cleveland area politician that has an office here in D.C. I was speaking with one of his aides last week about the innerbelt project, asking him many of the same questions that have been brought up here. According to him--who's been handling this issue for my boss--the entire process has been as shady and corrupt as we would all suspect. In fact, he became quite agitated when talking about ODOT and how they go about business. Apparently the outcome of meeting that occurred a few weeks ago between ODOT, Frank Jackson, and the area's Congressional representatives was somewhat misrepresented by the PeeDee (no surprise there) and there indeed was not a consensus among the group as the article insinuated. In fact, it seems that the statements indicating that Dennis Kucinich had, in the end, supported ODOT's plan were not true at all. The person I was speaking with said that it was all but a done deal that the new bridge would be another concrete monstrosity. Nothing is set in stone, but he would be very, very surprised if this did not end up being the case. As we all know, ODOT is completely hostile to any other suggestions, but it is ultimately the city's decision what is approved. Unfortunately--and this is really disgusting news in so many ways--Frank Jackson is ready to bend over for ODOT because of some "very shady and suspicious" deals he worked out with ODOT. He didn't tell me what these deals were, but I didn't get the impression that they were concessions from ODOT on, for example, something positive like a reevaluation of their reconstruction of the trench. It sounded like we've been screwed over just as much by Jackson as by ODOT. So things don't look good at this point. Like I said, nothing is apparently a done-deal yet, but the collusion and corruption at ODOT that we all suspected seems to be very real. And its even more frustrating that is seems our new mayor has already lost his backbone. But one can never underestimate the power of the pen; could salvation come in the form of the PD? Steve Litt has written strongly in favor of the signature bridge, if he could convince the editorial board to take up this issue a la Quiet Crisis, perhaps the ensuing groundswell would be too great for the city and ODOT to ignore. What if we got a developer--I'm talking about you, Forest City, but Robert Stark, Wolstein, etc. etc. would do--to publically announce their support of the southern alignment, and commit to to investing hundreds of millions into the construction of the new neighborhood that could then be built. How could the city consciously say no to such an offer? At any rate, we cannot rollover at this critical time when so much of our city's future is at stake.

HealthSpace moving out of neighborhood Clinic buying museum's land, buildings Friday, January 27, 2006 Grant Segall Plain Dealer Reporter HealthSpace Cleveland is trying to recover its health by selling its space. The ever-growing Cleveland Clinic plans to swallow the adjoining HealthSpace's 3.5 acres and its three buildings, including a $33 million showplace barely 2 years old, leaders of both organizations said Thursday. ...