NapsFan

I ride past that building on Bonna and 60th once a week and have admired it every time. This is a sturdy looking gem and the homes around it are still pretty solid looking and densely packed. This is great for that neighborhood. That said, Famous Foundation has done nothing positive with the old Sterles building just down the street on Bonna & 55th. In fact, they've clearly not secured it properly allowing it to get broken into repeatedly with multiple open windows and scrappers appear to have gutted the HVAC system on the roof. It broke my heart when the restaurant was shuttered, but it makes me mad to see the uniquely beautiful building being neglected and ravaged.

When I saw that greenery dangling from the planter boxes for the first time this week I was stunned. At every single design review, planning meeting and zoning meeting, we should be saying "Josh Rosen seems to be able to use better materials and make a profit, why should we allow you to do less?" Thanks for setting the bar Josh. It's up to us to follow your standards and not just cheer every little infill no matter how disposable the build...

I don't see how you could safely build a pedestrian path that clears the large shipping traffic. I'd be all for it as this impacts me daily. It's going to be a long 10 months...

Who knew Duck Island had a mountain? https://youtu.be/89Gxtkv91oI

Are they going to open those flanges on the exterior insulation in the second-to-last Electric Gardens pic? Is that a pre-inspection thing?

The VA Clinic inhabits a good portion of McCafferty. Is the VA moving out?

What is the statute of limitations on filing charges against whoever punched holes in the original facade for those steel beams?

Just a few? The West 3rd lift bridge got completely wiped out. It explains why there are very few pre-1913 buildings on the Tremont peninsula and the south side of Stones Levee. I wasn't around, but by all accounts it was pretty bad for the Tremont riverfront. I look forward to seeing development down there, but I wouldn't recommend a first floor anything...

I think riverfront housing in Tremont is on the horizon--or here if you count Thunderbird!--but I have to be the Debbie Downer and bring up the 1913 flood. Buyer and builder beware...

The 2018 year marker in the masonry is a beautiful throwback.

From the Crain's story: "The property, comprising a five-story building with views of Lake Erie..." I hope they didn't factor the lake views into the sale price because lake views there most certainly are not.

Panda Express? I like Asian food, but I'm not comfortable eating Pandas... In other Steelyard news, the Aspire Fitness gym expected to open in the old Best Buy is in the hiring phase with an expected opening this Spring. The exterior still looks like the old store, but interior work has been going on since at least December.

Pretty sure that the Tremont Constantino's isn't happening. This article is vague and the part about the grocery store is buried, but this is that last thing I recall written about it: http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/breaking-ground/Olney090417.aspx

Hub 55 article on Crains: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20170923/news/136606/hub-55-aims-turn-its-namesake-destination-photo-gallery

Scalish is renovating a great looking brick Federal on that corner. I'm very excited to see what the finished result is there. You have to hand it to those guys considering they find a way to partially demo masonry and rebuild it while other developers only seem to be able to demolish the entire building and squeeze a bunch of cement board & ally clad town homes because that's what the "economy" dictates. Kudos to Scalish for preserving and upgrading the housing stock that makes Tremont distinct! I'm pretty sure they manage to make a well deserved profit in the process.

Noooo! That Amtrak station needs completely replaced. It's sad, dreary and uninspired. Albany-Renssalaer used to have a similar depressing one story cinderblock box and recently replaced it with a beautiful structure.

Most novel architecture looks dated in 20 years, but if it lasts 50 it becomes standard. Good news is, these modern building materials won't last 50... Some call it Jenga, some call it Favela, I call it cheap. Buy a damn brick developers...

OK...Enjoy it while it lasts...

Judging by the mod design and lack of perspective from West 5th, I wonder if any of the existing brick will be incorporated into the design for the 2389 West 5th Building. Also, I see the bike shop on Jefferson signage says Shaker Cycle. I'm curious if there is there some sort of deal for the owner to reopen there? While a well regarded bike mechanic with decades of knowledge, he wasn't known for customer service or expediency. Either way, I'd love to see a bike shop there again.

Glad to see 601 Stones Levee is left standing in the rendering! The good old Malcom is one of my favorite sights from the path across the river. It has a ton of character.

Horton Harper has done some nice work, but they've done some fiber cement board stuff that looks flimsy as well. The 4 unit project at the corner of Marquardt and West 6th has a really sharp looking gabled tin roof, but the siding just feels off and inconsistent. I'm not sure it won't blemish quickly. You can already see water stains on the frontage where downspouts have yet to be installed.

I love that you're making those points AND you have an East 4th street image below your handle. There are plenty of examples of streets adapted for pedestrians that work without drive by. I'm suggesting that traffic alone will not solve Front Street's issues and lack of successful tenants. Car centric thinking will apply to places like C. Falls much longer than downtown Cleveland, but it is old thinking. People won't cruise when they're paying for a driverless car they don't own. Destinations like pedestrian malls make sense in the 21st Century. My hometown just isn't there yet.

It is backwards development. There are two sizable & free parking decks off of Front Street. Adding a few spots out front of the businesses isn't going to solve the issues surrounding the lack of business alone. It's a good looking pedestrian mall and is unfortunate that it does not see the foot traffic that it was designed for. Somebody explain to me how adding cars will increase walkability. I agree that the street isn't the destination it should be, but this solution is straight out of the 20th Century. The issue is more complicated than this expensive proposal. For what it's worth, my 80 year-old dad agrees with the idea that Front Street needs to be more car friendly.

This is where the area's resistance to higher-density housing really comes back and bites the behind. There should already be a lot more people there but ugh, that would be too urban. I can't speak to others opposition to density, but my main problem with it is when new projects (not renovation) are poorly constructed. I don't think they will age well past the abatements. Exterior maintenance will be an issue in the coming decades. BP has a lot of tall residences that will be very difficult down the road. If somebody wants to make friends quick in 2025, it would behoove them to invest in a boom lift--they'd be the most popular person in Battery Park! Overall i believe density is good. Parking is a 20th Century issue and should not hinder a project. Cheap & untested materials however, should be a red flag.

I agree. This news isn't development, it's demolition.