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What are we counting as a "department store?" Indy has a TJ Maxx.

A downtown Burlington's or TJ Maxx could be transformative for Cleveland IMO. The difference between 0 and 1 is infinite, in that sense. And the cities you list as losing department stores still have at least one! Realistically for Cleveland, at this point, it's not clear where we would even put one. All of the spaces large enough are spoken for. I would love it if something could be worked out for part of the Higbee's space after Casino Phase II is built, but that's a long shot.

Hopefully some police "legwork" will appear in the areas where this is happening!

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St Louis, and Kansas City = "most cities of this size" ? No, but your list is not nearly complete. Good work so far! It may be easier to compile a list of cities "this size" and larger that do not have downtown department stores. Columbus and Detroit are examples, each for entirely different reasons. Because... on this particular subject... my word is meaningless here. I could post a video link to the CEO of Macy's stating they have a store in downtown Pittsburgh, and everybody would rally around that guy above who claimed otherwise. But if people get the information themselves, it's somehow untainted.

SPOILERS: This is the plot of Atlas Shrugged.

If you're that interested, you can duplicate them easily enough.

I actually did some of that research, which is why I still hold these opinions. Also, Pittsburgh's are not all closed, and the beneficial effect of having one downtown can be seen throughout the city proper.

^^These devices also make it much easier to organize. And a group of 7-10 is by definition organized. But I think your guess is right, tales of success spreads fast nowadays. That makes it even scarier though... unrelated groups are all finding success in the field of roving banditry. Not a good sign.

Agreed. Its so absurd. Here's a question though. If you had to, would you subsidize the stores just to get them downtown (tax breaks, etc.)? If it was temporary and it expired after a certain period of time, I would consider it. I don't like the idea of subsidizing department stores but we may not have a choice if we ever want department stores back downtown. That's what Pittsburgh had to do in order to keep some of their department stores downtown. Without hesitation. Failing to adopt this common practice is one of Cleveland's biggest errors, and the consequences are plain to see.

OK I might not have brought up their race, but this story raises legitimate concerns. Encountering gangs of brigands is something from a D&D game. You've been attacked-- roll initiative! This shouldn't be happening in Cleveland, certainly not right by CSU.

Just recapping here, Jackson's defense on this issue has two prongs: 1) He's so powerless that his actions cannot be judged, and 2) 327 likes adverbs

Employment centers no longer line up with transit centers, that's a big part of it.

I don't think there are enough people stupid enough, even on the fringe, to sabotage their own economy.

One day they may even downsize it to the point they don't have one any more. Then Cincinnati will only have a couple of downtown department stores left.

Most cities of this size have downtown department stores. Cincinnati has everything from Tiffany's to TJ Maxx. It's like they play by a completely different set of rules than Cleveland does.

This is the sort of crime that can be reduced 100% by having a beat cop standing nearby. It's also the kind that keeps people out of urban commercial districts, although thankfully not the guy quoted above. One thing I noticed when I was living near the Square was the large amount of police presence, some city some private. Is that no longer the case?

There's no reason Section 8 must only be in the city and inner ring. Efforts should be made by the CUYAHOGA Metropolitan Housing Authority to spread it throughout the county. I agree about the negative effects that typically follow it, I just think that those effects should be shouldered by everyone, instead of only those in urban neighborhoods. This approach could also help to curtail sprawl.

Giving pedestrians an elevated bypass would help them at least as much as it helps the cars. It also creates new views that only pedestrians can enjoy. That area is poorly designed in general, so any way we can tie things together is a win in my book.

But that doesn't solve the traffic issue, which is the whole point. You can always cut through the park if you prefer. Others might perceive the traffic as a bigger problem. I just think this bridge would give UC a unique attraction, which would help everything else there. And that to me is worth more than all the torn-up and rebuilt parks we've spent millions on instead.

I never realized there would be such a large thingamajig along St. Clair. That should be a patio, perhaps with a stage. They talk about the lake view from the front windows, but I'm thinking this view will be much better, when weather permits.

80 years seems long enough for these to be there. As quickly as we tear down and rebuild other areas, you'd think something would be in the works for this. It's the switching point for 3 important areas: downtown, OC and DS. That Detroit/25th intersection should be one of the city's most prominent. Instead it's mildly scary, even for people who are used to that sort of thing. Not a safe area to park in... I say that from experience.

Thank you for bringing that up, I loved that idea. No updates that I know of though.

Competent government would offer a competitive environment for these important businesses. As the article points out, competitive would mean no tax on live music at all. I expect our leaders to be aware of best practices and to follow them. I also expect our leaders to recognize the importance of these businesses in promoting neighborhood growth. Their actions to this point suggest failure to grasp these concepts. Competent leadership does not allow such a law to stand, period. As for taxes already paid under this ridiculous policy... they should all be refunded. The mere existence of the policy is ample evidence of incompetence. Jackson has been in office for quite some time, so blaming predecessors doesn't work. Especially when his administration "has pushed for more rigorous tax collections" instead of reform. Jackson is not the victim here. He's the chief executive. The buck has to stop somewhere, and Jackson hasn't exactly been neutral on this, has he? No, he's been on the wrong side of it. To me that constitutes breathtaking incompetence.

Similar to Big Fun?

Reform didn't take too long, thankfully... though I still strongly believe the tax should be eliminated. "The legislation, which passed unanimously, rolls back the tax rate on ticket sales from 8 percent to 4 percent and exempts venues that accommodate 150 people or fewer. The measure takes a step toward resolving a yearlong feud between Mayor Frank Jackson’s administration, which has pushed for more-rigorous tax collections, and proprietors of the local music scene, who said the higher tax could have destroyed owners of small clubs in what is already a break-even business. The legislation does not, however, address the concerns of club owners who owe years of back taxes. City officials declined to comment Wednesday on what will happen with those cases." http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/07/cleveland_city_council_signs_o.html