lafont

So what's going in in the City Blue storefront? I see a Reebock poster and some athletic shoe imagery. Usual thing - I asked a worker if he knows if this will be a Reebock store or a general athletic shoe store and he said he knows nothing.... Imagine if we had a whole NikeTown in downtown Cleveland!....

I looked at the minipark again today and, actually, it looks like brick walks slope down from sidwalk and then up toward entrances to buildings in back. Perhaps an optical illusion, but that's why it looks a mite funny.

That new mini-park/garage entrance area is lookin' quite good except one l'l thing :lol:: the brick walks that go from the sidewalk on up. And I mean UP.... Okay - given the fact the street walk is at a lower level than the doors the brick walks are leading to, and I fully realize why a step or two would not have been chosen, but why are the walks not more gradual? They rise at a greater slope about halfway down, which just don't look too cool.... [or do they go down? I'm not onsite and don't recall]. The point is the ramped brick walks are hardly gradual.

Here it Friday. No go. No, I didn't bring my camera, but I'm very surprised to have no posts here for a few days, when so much is going on at 668! That new mini-park should prove to be pretty nice, even with that not-too attractive wall. Do hope a decent mural goes up there. The way the brick walks dip is a bit odd.... Wonder when the advertising agency's windows will be up to snuff. Still looks like area in front not too occupied. I was hoping when marquee were finished the agency's windows would look good, but no.... Impatiently waiting for when public can walk into the building from both sides. We were told here entrances from both streets would lead to a lobby or atrium in the center.

Yes, I found out construction has not yet begun, unfortunately.

In response to all this supposed locating of newsstands in the vicinity of 668; a newsstand could have a large number of magazines, but I was hoping for one with many newspapers - concentrating on out-of-town. The Arcade has absolutely zero - nothing for quite a few years. On E.6th, just to the north of the relatively new parking garage, was the last major one - Erieview News - in all of downtown, but it closed close to 10 years ago and space still vacent. Take-out place in Nat'l City has small one, Huntington has small one on Euclid level, Tower City has small one but best downtown for newspapers, and Borders Express best place downtown left for magazines, with few newspapers. A large newsstand with dozens of out-of town newspapers, besides a large number of local ones - e.g. neighborhood, ethnic, etc. - is one of the many large-city, urban amenities we used to have and gradually lost over several decades. I think it might work and that would be a great location for it, if there's sufficient space. CPL receives a large number of papers, but don't count on more than a handful from the past few days. :-(

Newsstand for little building - perfecto! One of those hundred things downtown Cleveland now lacks that it used to have and real big city downtowns always have!

Hts121 - Okay, now I get it. Anywho, I know there was a taller building on that site which got demolished in the '60s for the bank (which retained an extremely '60s-looking interior for most of its life). Apparently the bank built a slightly narrower building and that little thing filled in the gap and allowed for a business, as well for some sunlight to stream in for the adjoining Colonial Marketplace building. In this case I think it's kind of a shame of some legislation requires the building to remain, unless it can be useful to the minipark now created. It could be an obvious take-out place, for example.

HTS121 - what are you referring to with our reference to post 116? I pass this mini-building all the time, and I clearly recall when the last business there. I do not see anything that should be considered "historic" about it. Explain, please. :wink:

I've read a new hotel is to adjoin Univ. Hospital's new cancer center, but I don't see, with all the construction, where it is to be. Is there a hotel going up or not? Is it still planned but construction has not begun?

How would that little thing be part of an "historic building?" I mentioned it because its walls this week are also being treated.

Yes, some of us watched the dapple technique applied on the first floor. Now I'm thinking it's the very same materials used for the remainder of the facade? Was there reason to believe the other floors are true terra cotta? I was hoping, though it always looked like a limestone, at best. And we saw that special technique applied there, too, to create that spottled (and, fortunately, slightly weathered) effect.... Was surprised to see the trees going up already along west elevation. Thought they'd do more with the old brick wall, first. I guess the idea was to smooth over the worst of it and leave the rest as a compromise - right? Funny anyone wants to keep that odd little storefront along the next building, added not that many years ago as sort of a fill-in. Does anyone know if something specific is planned to go there? East wall still doesn't look so hot - could use some sort of cleaning. But if that's planned one would have expected it to have been done already. All in all these brick walls don't look so appropriate for a basically luxury apartment building. With enough exterior amenities it could hold its own, I suppose....

Someone told me this a.m. he had spoken with a construction worker at Euclid and E. 65th who told him they were filling in the big basement with sand and he didn't know of any psychiatric facility construction beginning soon. What gives?? I thought this is the one of the three new sizable projects of this type that was really going to see construction soon (with the PIRHL project at E. 73rd beginning later this year). I have found over the years, however, when a construction person is asked a question about what is to be they either: aren't truly aware of the eventual plans (they only know their specific workload and have no interest or are never told the ultimate purpose); or they are told to not divulge what is coming. Is all the work going on at Euclid and E. 65th the first stages of this big construction project or not??? I sure hope so (though I still wish it were at least a block or two away from Euclid)....

Whole facade first floor somewhat modern - walls, windows, light fixtures. Marquee modern as well. All I can say is they're aesthetically attractive and fairly neutral, design-wise. Like what many preservations promote for additions to historic building or new bathroom fixtures when remainder of bathroom original tile, etc. Also, technically, if a department store had never left the building it is conceivable these sort of things would have been modernized by now. It's all compatible. However, proposal drawings show a more detailed marquee with skylights. They could have gotten older looking light fixtures. West wall looking better. To have kept it ugly wouldn't go with a building with fairly high rents, nor with a public exterior mini-park with parking garage entrance. Nor with the view from downtown's traditional center - Public Square.

Thanks.

Okay - Went through the first day of new schedules - 4/4 - and hadn't realized the Healthline BRTs in a.m. rush hour alternated between starting at Windemer at Cedar Rapid station and, conversely, in p.m. rush they ended alternately at Cedar and Windemere. I didn't look at my new schedules carefully enough, as I had pictured every other Healthline BRT, during the rush hours, would get off Euclid, proceed to the Cedar Rapid Station, and loop back to Euclid for the rest of the journey. Others seemed to picture that, too. Now I see the BRTs that leave from Windemere do so only every ten minutes in rush hour, while I pictured they'd leave it every five minutes and, again, every other one would make that loop to and from the Cedar station.... Questions: before Apr. 4th, did the BRTs still leave Windemere every five minutes in the a.m. rush hour or were they always every ten minutes? If they were always every ten minutes from Windemere, then BRTs starting or ending at the Cedar station are indeed an ADDED cost to GCRTA. I'm happy about it - believe me - but this added cost could cut into GCRTA's financial benefit from eliminating all the Heights-Downtown runs. Or were the BRTs, before Apr. 4th, every five minutes during rush hours between Windemere and Public Square?? :clap:

In reply to the inquiry about "sports hall of fame in the area," there are, within the Euclid Arcade (within Colonial Marketplace), several combined storefronts so housing a Negro League museum. I seem to recall more sports-related history stuff was planned for the vacant storefronts there but nothing has materialized. It was probably supposed to be an array of shops selling sports collectibles. As you may recall there was, for a few years, a long-and-narrow business running between Prospect and Huron which sold baseball-related items and collectibles besides stadium-related food items. Called "Take Me Out," or something like that. Different than any other sports store in area.

Oh, that's one on me, Sonny....

jam40jeff: Why did you say the announcement would be made in "October?" Where do you fit into the mystery? And "October" doesn't into the rest of this dialogue....

That's quite a building - lots of character. Originally Baker auto showroom and repair shop, eventually Carpenter Printing, etc. One of our best somewhat Prairie Style commercial buildings. Hope they really take it over, including putting a sign out.

Could someone please clarify exactly where the new hotel is supposed to go, right by the new Cancer center in Univ. Circle? Thanks.

They're working inside, aren't they? Anyway, it's now time for them to work outside, unless they're still delayed re the tax credits. Plenty of exterior work now possible weather-wise. Just see what's going on at 668, for example.

I'll bet the congregation will move further out - likely in the Heights area. Possibly build new in University Circle area. I cannot picture their taking over any church closed by the Diocese (I don't believe any of those churches are in a location this congregation would care for and - even more important - I understand the Diocese no longer wants any of its churches sold to Protestant congragions....). I believe the financial pressure and whatever will be too great for the congregation to rebuild right on that property. :|

A lot of people seem to have "shenanigans" on their mind here! If there's any truth in it I hope some reporter can dig it up quickly. This would make quite a piece, nationally!

Bringing the Healthline BRTs up to the Univ. Rapid Station is much better for the riders communiting from the Heights than our keep having to wait at Euclid and E. 107th, and it will be even better when the new station is built. I'm still not that happy about the required changeover but this makes it more palatable. Came as big surprise, too. I had always imagined either no connection between 32s and HealthLine or everyone having to wait around Euclid and E. 107th....