lafont

Is new construction expected to occur this year? I sure hope so! As for there still being no retail tenants in the highrise on St. Clair, does anyone know if any store seriously considered opening there or, better yet, if a store is expected to open there at least this year?

The image I've gotten from The Arcade is that tenants have been basically booted out the past few years, or at least their leases weren't renewed, they were made to feel very uneasy about their being allowed to remain for an indefinite period of time, or their rents shot up. Nevertheless, there are "for lease" signs around the storefronts. So what gives? Meanwhile, I'd like to say the quality of the displays in the windows better fits what one would expect in a Hyatt Regency than the quality of some of the shops that are now gone.

Now that Belflower is once again two ways - thank goodness! - I'm looking forward to the day that the piece of Juniper Drive renamed Magnolia will be changed back to its original name the and the two segments of The Drive will once again be united....

I see one of the townhouses was purchased by a Chabad couple and they hold Jewish holiday events geared toward Jewish downtown residents and employees. That's definitely different!

Is there a prospective drawing of what the lighting is to be like?

Regarding that ornate, yellow-brick apartment house (the Alhambra) on Wade Park Avenue and East 86th Street whereby demolition of the western end took place over a year ago but the rest had been spared thus far, it looks like now new windows have been installed on the west end of what remains. So can anyone here share any light on this situation? I've really been hoping some entity would come along and save this one-of-a-kind structure - or at least what's left of it (which is most of the original building, fortunately). 2011 write-up: http://www.clevelandareahistory.com/2011/10/lost-biggest-apartment-building-in.html

Is the land turning in those island with the rock formations indicate the new lighting is finally going to be installed soon? I know several here posted last year about some sort of new, artistic lighting for several of those islands on Euclid - around E. 105th to around Thwing?

I see another apartment house in the "Superior Triangle" is being demolished - leaving one or a few empty buildings. I wonder if the one going now is part of that joint-city project that got so much hype last year, with the two mayors speaking on the "opening" day. Then that building that was left burned out for a number of years, of yellow brick, is now gone too. I believe it was on Superior and closer to Euclid. Possibly on Lee? I sure wish someone would save that decrepit, tall house on Belmar that stands behind the building that's currently being demolished. It's a really interesting house, with the two half-lunette windows on the third floor.

It's a forum, not an app. The answer may be buried in that forum but I wonder if anyone here knows. The point is the articles were saying the County wanted to consolidate many of the offices they had scattered all around the city and this building doesn't like like it will alleviate that situation too much.

As far as residential population vs. commercial yes - no typical ratio could possibly exist. Obviously there are large all-residential areas in Greater Cleveland and every other area of the U.S. without stores nearby. However, Univ. Circle could use a decent menswear store. It would be about time. The Oakland area of Pittsburgh has men's stores and a lot of other commercial.

Comparing the height or overall size of the new County building with that of the demolished County Administration building is irrelevant. The County has been selling off many of its properties around town, and it looks like many of these offices won't fit into the new building, either. Where is the County Archives going to go, for example?

Some may not be happy with the two bridges but that's a really nice photo of the vibrant (and soon to be much more so) district with all its architectural styles. The new County building isn't bad looking but I still think its in a dumb location (I blame the former County Commissioners - particularly one) and I wish it were taller - doesn't look substantial enough. Good for that district, of course.

Very, very disappointing. I wonder how many businesses left in the Galleria will even hold out until then.

I believe "925 Euclid" is the correct name.

I peeked in Mitchell's. I'm assuming the glazed walls are new and intended to be a visual link with the West Side Market - right?

Does anyone have any idea when the Schofield building lost its so-called cupola? Was it there until the 1960s remodeling? I always see it in the photos with the Citizen Building when the latter had its temple front, but I'm wondering if the cupola was only removed with the big remodeling. It does appear in a 1928 sketch I have. When I said the Schofield Building may have have had the cupola through much of its history, I was mistaking it for the building at East 4th and Euclid, which I know lost its little appendage quite early on.

Off topic, but that reminds me of what has been done with the Hanna and Allen Theatres, where gorgeous theaters have been aesthetically ruined with all the high-tech stuff the decisionmakers felt they had to install to "keep up with the latest technology." Meanwhile, beautiful, ornate theaters all over the world seem to do fine in the old style.

How the situation has changed over the decorations. At one time, like ca. 1890-1910, public buildings, if the community had money, were among the most ornate, costly type of construction. Community pride and making a big splash were of very high priority. In recent decades this philosophy became to embarrassing, yet public buildings still seem to cost a fortune - one reason being all the security and "green" issues.

As for "final touches" of the "WRHS expansion," I'm assuming you're referring to the Carousel restoration, as I don't know of any more expansions to the complex. Meanwhile, does anyone know if there is a plan to restore the walls behind the Hay mansion this year? They are in deplorable condition and really embarrassing to both the institution and the residents in Hazel 8. The walls could be gorgeous but obviously serious money needs to go into it. I sure to heck hope they're not just demolished, as so happens in this sort of situation.

Was Shaw ever really renovated? I got the impression the old, original sections(s?) were maintained only as necessary and then a modern addition was put on. Then, of course, the old part was entirely demolished and replaced with a large modern high school - keeping the addition.

Kirk Middle School controversy: It was a beautiful, Georgian Revival building of 1930 - refreshingly elegant and stylish for East Cleveland - many felt shouldn't be demolished. Same architect as that for a somewhat similar high school in a town in Virginia where it's one of the most revered buildings in the community. Many claimed it had to do with the way the state funding worked and the rules were changed which should have supported the maintenance of the structure. http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/story-of-the-week/2001/best-and-worst-of-2001.html

I think that's way too extreme. However, it's sort of an all or nothing sort of thing; it would be difficult for the expensive housing to be successful with bad housing nearby though (though East 118th seems to be doing fine, with very ordinary houses in between the new projects). The East Cleveland part looks far worse than the Cleveland Heights, as we all know, even though for many decades both sides were very much the same. I really wish there were a way to pump funding into the triangle for a lot of renovation (hopefully, tastefully) with the existing doubles, and then fill-in with new doubles or singles or whatever in the more expensive range. Those who have been maintaining their properties decently should be allowed to remain. Yes, the location should be hot.

So NOW when is the REAL construction of the rapid station by Mayfield Road to begin??

There's a stretch of Euclid, between Lakeview and Superior, that has a surprising number of the "original" buildings, but almost all of them are shabby. Such a shame, such potential. I always fear many of them could disappear at any time. :-( This stretch could be considered to have once looked much like some of the blocks were on Euclid between East 55th and around East 101st. Virtually every side street looks bad. Some were always ordinary, and some obviously fancier. For example, the first few streets between Euclid and Forest Hill always had "workingman" houses, but then the five or so closest to Superior had the grander houses; a few of the latter streets are still not too bad. Beyond Superior same thing - there are some streets between Euclid and Terrace filled with houses and, in some cases, small apartment buildings, that look wretched (broken, boarded-up windows; crooked porches; missing columns; etc.), interspersed with vacant lots. The streets built with the larger and more interesting houses, including some with houses from the 1920s and later, pretty much all look pretty bad, with an occasional house that looks well maintained and hasn't been ruined with bad remuddling :oops: At the time of the Kirk Middle School controversy Rosemont Road was looking really nice - one of the most attractive, well maintained streets in EC (lots of fine architecture with original features, well cared for lawns and gardens), outside Forest Hill and Oakhill - but now it's about as bad as any of them. What a loss.... :-(

Regarding that stretch of 1920s apartment houses along Superior Road in East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights, does anyone know if the current, funded project includes demolition of several buildings that are still standing but vacant and shabby? Or is last year's project to demolish some finished and there's still a chance of rehabilitation for all that remain? I was thinking all the vacant buildings would go but am actually glad to think some may still be renovated - horrible as some look.