architrance

http://blog.cleveland.com/cribnotes/2008/08/a_local_development_group_want.html I understand the desire, from a developer’s perspective, the need to build a tower at this location to maximize the property’s worth, but I cant help but wonder if that is the highest and greatest use of this land for the community as a whole. Downtown is an exciting and burgeoning neighborhood that has the potential to grow and become an amazing place. I’ve always thought that Cleveland had such great untapped potential, which is just now beginning to be realized. All the talk of new commercial, retail, and especially residential development is of enormous importance for the city and entire region. However with all of this new transformation and potential growth, we need to not forget the special attributes that make Cleveland so unique. Instead we need to capitalize on them. The Flats as a whole are an amazing, edgy, one of a kind place that for the most part right now, goes sadly unrealized, is neglected, and is hard to get to. This particular piece of property happens to be a potential lynchpin of sorts: it lies directly between the heart of downtown and the heart of these forgotten Flats. Thus its value and importance for the city and region are immense. Right now the Flats are beginning to take shape and open up to the public. Major private developments continue which will bring new residents and visitors to this unique place. A new convention center may soon be located very near. The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail and Scenic Railroad will eventually reach all the way into downtown, connecting with a vast and extraordinary network of parks and green spaces throughout Ohio. This amazing network’s ultimate destination is the future Canal Basin Park, the former end of the canal system and its connection to the Great Lakes. The Canal Basin Park is therefore of immense importance, and must be completed in a most spectacular fashion to realize its potential as a place of world renown. A place that is Cleveland. This site is thus crucial, lying directly between the future Canal Basin Park, and the heart of downtown. As the burgeoning residential population continues to grow, it is apparent that one major amenity is lacking for the true development of lively, attractive residential areas: a real urban park with open green space. Canal Basin Park can help to fill that void by creating a public space for the residents of nearby areas, the Flats, and the Warehouse and Gateway Districts. But it must have a strong connection directly into the heart downtown, creating a grand, visible, and accessible new gateway down into the Flats. Imagine this grand new urban space cascading down from Superior, just steps from Public Square, terracing down into the Flats and Canal Basin Park, all the way to the banks of the Cuyahoga; linked to a vast network of pedestrian and bicycle trails; nestled between and beneath beautiful infrastructure, the iconic bridges that span the industrial valley. This place is Cleveland. It speaks specifically to Cleveland; it’s historic past, and it’s potentially brilliant future. It would form a strong new gateway to Columbus peninsula, and open up the entire Flats and the greater river valley for the public to explore. Whatever eventually happens on this site, it must capitalize on its incredible potential. The planning must not be shortsighted; it must take into account what’s best for the entire region, not just an isolated parcel. It must act as this new grand public gateway to the most unique destination that Cleveland has to offer. It must become a catalyst to spur further development and growth in the surrounding area. Most importantly it must think big and not just achieve the same old status quo; it must blaze a brave new trail and become the precedent of an amazing future. In short, it must help reach the potential what Cleveland was, what Cleveland is, and what Cleveland might someday be…