lafont

Re article in PD this a.m. an GCRTA's possibly getting more operating expenses $ next year and how it might go to improving the HealthLine frequency of runs. Mention is made of possible beefing up non-rush hour scheduling, but a way to do that would be to eliminate the loop that connects HealthLine with Univ. Rapid station. How is one to interpret this? First of all, is the thought to eliminate the HealthLine's connecting with the station at all? That's what many of us originally thought was the plan, once RTA seemed convinced the 32 buses would only go back and forth from the Univ. station and eastward, that everyone would have to connect with the HealthLine on Euclid Ave. near E. 107th. The general image was the 32 making a regular loop between the station and Euclid Avenue. Then when the 32 stopped going downtown many of us were happily surprised to find the HealthLine actually would go to the Rapid station and back, enabling people, at least, to go inside when it's cold or rainy, etc. Now it looks like RTA is considering the station connection again. That would be awful for many individuals. And if the 32 wouldn't even make that extra loop to Euclid - horrors! Now, what would this mean? For starters, if the HealthLine were not to connect with the Rapid station the buses would almost always have to make that extra loop to Euclid. Extra cost/time for RTA. Second, they've been planning a brand new, multi-million $ Rapid station. If the HealthLine doesn't even go there it's a waste to not have the people from the 32, 7 , and 9 even wait at that station. A big chunk of the prospective users, I'm sure. What would really make a significant difference to many of us, of course, would be for GCRTA to consider INSTEAD beefing up the suburban runs again - i.e. returning the downtown connection to the 32s, more 9s, etc. That would make all our lives go more smoothly! If they don't go that "extra mile" the least they can do is allow for more runs, like with our 32. That 35-minute gap in the evening rush hour - from 5:21 p.m. to 5:56 p.m. - is particularly obnoxious. Any little delay in the HealthLine getting there (and it happens frequently) from downtown and everyone has to wait up to 35 minutes, at such an important station and connection and common hour! A sham!

After I posted the "Crain's" article I found it can't be opened on this site, unfortunately. But then neither can the one posted from the Midtown forum. Sorry. I don't currently have full access to all the Crain's online articles, but I had gotten it through a Google search (""Euclid Avenue' and 'Crain's' and 'October 31, 2011'" or something like that) and the whole article came up.... Funny how these things work.

Every lot in this part of Cleveland was solidly filled in with buildings until recent years. And most of the streets ran through before this part of Chester was cut through - as sort of a "parkway" - in the 1940s.

This was published in Crain's this a.m and I'm surprised someone here hasn't already posted it: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20111031/SUB1/310319983# As you can see it's the latest and probably most successful plan for the former Victory Building (aka "Arts Building in the late '70s or early '80s, etc.). "$24 million" to be pumped into this former car dealership - quite a hefty sum to pour into it. I'm very glad! the sooner the better.

Is the Calfee Building the official new name for the former East Ohio Building at E. 6th and Rockwell?

I don't believe Chinatown ever crossed the street! Old city directories show other businesses and parking over there. If it is now allowed to cross Rockwell that would actually expand the tiny district! :yap:

The past few days I notice when passing the fire-damaged Euclid Square apartment building that the sides and rear are all collapsed - only the facade and a small part of each sidewall remain. I was wondering if they could possibly go ahead with so much damage and so much refuse. I'm wondering if this was their plan all along or if the walls simply collapsed. Anyway I'm so glad the facade and some more are being retained, and I can't wait to see how they finish off all the rest. If their plan is to match all or most (at least exterior) details they have to go no farther than the twin and occupied structure to the east! :clap:

Restaurants or decent shopping will add to foot traffic. Otherwise it will be employees park in lot, go in building, come out of building, go in car, and get out of the area.... :-(

Regarding the "new" Doubletree Tudor Arms hotel, does anyone know why the hotel has been open over a month and the parking lot is STILL not paved? Any idea when new restaurants will be open? Are there any restaurants open there? Is the fact paved parking and other amenities are still lacking causing the management to charge somewhat lower rates than they would potentially charge? Seems like strange planning on their part.

" urbanforever 629'-Rhodes State Tower Posts: 506 Re: Cleveland: Asiatown Developments « Reply #216 on: August 29, 2011, 01:49:13 PM »QuoteI am trying to think how this could tie into surrounding neighborhoods. I would rather it not be a small isolated enclave. I did a little bit goggle mapping and I saw that across the street are vacant surface lots which could be redeveloped in the future. But when you go up a block north to Superior you run into a glut of old warehouse buildings".... No, Superior is a block SOUTH.

So what's now going on with 7000 Euclid? Major project, I see. I know one or two here had mentioned it but there was discussion about the bi plans for 7100, and there's still no sign any construction is going on there. In fact there an area on the west side borded up - ugly! As for 7000, I'm very glad to see the terra-cotta respected and the new windows are an acceptable design. Big parking lot on west side? That's not so nice but I don't know what the alternative would be. I supposed with some imagination and $ the new lot could be made reasonably attractive. For urban values, however, I'd like to see a new building there facing Euclid and parking only behind. :yap:

So Huntington will be vacating the massive bank lobby and move next door in the corner of the building on Oct. 17th! The big question, of course, is what's to become of the gorgeous banking space. Someone in a newspaper suggestd CMA's auxiliary facility would have better in the Ameritrust Rotunda, across the street, that in its planned W. 29th space in Ohio City. I saw that building recently and it is quite attractive the the location with some merit. But imagine if it were to go in the vacated Huntington space.... Guard told me he's heard a few rumors of what might go there. Can anyone here share any of these rumors? Or, better yet, proposals more concrete?

There's absolutely no excuse for having an out-of-date website. For several years they had a hyper, ever-changing, trendy website designed to allure. Now they've got plenty misleading information. It should be updated or removed altogether, period. The most public-friendly choice would be to remove all that's there that's not currently correct and some sort of explanation of the delay inserted. General information on hopes and dreams is fine, as long as it's clear a lot of it hasn't materialized - yet. Not even one commercial space occupied, for example.

Sure - I was referring to the Salvation Army building. I think renovation of existing buildings is perfectly appropriate in a "Filling In Euclid Avenue" forum. If we start fragmenting every project going on in the Corridor into separate forums it would be far too many forums and far too little continuity. Painting of Dunham, restoring bldg. east of Dunham, adding an outdoor terrace to Galucci's, remodeling Salvation Army - they're not exactly all "filling in" but they certainly are investing in Euclid Avenue" and I think that's what this particular forum has been all about from the beginning. 8-)

Again - all the more reason for this extremely small district (mainly one sizable building) can be visually connected with the fair-sized AsiaTown. Shuttles back and forth would help. Also signage - e.g. with maps, in both districts. Ideally, of course, something would be done with the small number of blocks separating the two districts - really only a few blocks of Superior where something related to "Asian" can be added to the streetscape, perhaps. I don't believe the elaborate new AsiaTown streetscape plan even touches old Chinatown. Is that true about Shanghai's changing names after 2006? We were there not all that long ago - maybe 2007 or possibly 2008 - and I thought it was still Shanghai when we went. Was the exterior sign never changed? The menu was older looking (like everything else there). We got a philosophical, older Asian waitress who relayed her advice about my wife and me getting along.... Then, when I asked about another table being given a whole array of fresh fruit, she brought out some for us, too - for free but made sure to clarify this is a special service for us we shouldn't expect again.

I see there's still more to the project: http://www.cleveland.com/pdgraphics/index.ssf/2010/10/remaking_east_college_street_n.html

Here's are some photos from when the two structures were under construction: http://elyriact.smugmug.com/Journalism/Oberlin/11758599_RSWRC/1/830233017_qPLsx#830233017_qPLsx :clap:

Just saw simple version of this by Oberlin College - on E. College Street to the east of the restored theater. There are, I think, two new buildings of three floors, I believe - retail first floor, apartments above. There's a new and expensive ice cream place and I think a pizza place. Also another shop - is it DVDs? Paperbacks? Can't recall. Anyway, the overall image to me is something that goes with a college town and, in this case, it expands one of the two main streets for that college community.

Wondering if they're going to paint all the brick red now, like on east side. The ultimate would be to restore the whole exterior but obviously that's not in the works, as west side already has the new windows. Whole thing looks somewhat better, anyway.

Wups - I don't see that large store on B&N's website. Either it closed or it was a Border's!.... I have seen multi-story B&N's and for years had imagine that as being a good example. It was right by the Howard Johnson's hotel and a major intersection called [?] Corner(s?). College area and near the stadium.

The B& N is to be a campus store? I've seen those, and the one by CSU (do they still run it?) is quite small and has a very minor collection of general books. I was thinking in terms of this being one of the large, general-collection B&N's. I've been at the one in Boston (Huntington Avenue?), for example, which is located near a university yet is a full collection on many floors with escalators.

Somehow I get the impression Steve L. doesn't take public transit too often. He does live fairly close to the Shaker Rapid (Green Line), however. I don't think any house in Shaker Heights is situationed more than three blocks or so from a Rapid. Of course, then there's the shlep from Tower City to Superior and E. 18th.... :-P

Does anyone know if the Barnes & Noble plans are still very viable? With all that's been going on with the big-box bookstores, and B&N's own problems, I'm wondering if the chain is actually adding stores. If it does get built when is the Uptown B&N scheduled to open? Is it to be on the Art Institute side? I have seen their stores in similar districts in other cities but am wondering.... A lot of people are also under the impression the time seems right for a new interest in the indie bookshops.

Got some responses from Dunham, though lady couldn't answer my question whether or not house/tavern originally had shutters.... The red is only there because they replaced some bad clapboards with those unneeded with the barn project. Two sides - south and another - are being painted the pale gray, which I'm told has been determined the original color after some 28 layers were examined. That sort of thing is quite significant to us preservation purists. :clap:

I just wrote again to Dunham, specifically asking if there might originally have been shutters (as there were shutters on the place for many decades - removed with the Gaede restoration/renovation. I got a response that the current color was determined to be approximately the original, as some 28 coats of paint were researched. The red, interestingly, is strips of wood that were leftover from the barn construction project. They will be painted over the gray color like the surroundings. No response as to shutters but someone else may know.