theguv

Musky, thanks for the tip. Downtown Buildings LLC is indeed MRN http://pdfdl.oceighty.net/pdf2html.php?url=http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/bza/agenda/crr6-6-05.pdf 9:30 Ward 13 Calendar No. 05-118: 711 Vincent Avenue Joe Cimperman 6 Notices MRN Limited aka Downtown Buildings LLC, owner, appeal to change from a nightclub to a parking garage the use of an existing two-story brick building, situated on acreage located in a General Retail Business District on the south side of Vincent Avenue at 711 Vincent Avenue; subject to the requirements of Section 343.18©, the driveway along Vincent Avenue that provides access to the property must be located so that there is not less than 15' is between the point of tangency of the driveway apron radius and a prolongation of the property line to the curb line measured at the curb line. (Filed 4-26-05) this is certainly moving away from the intent of the restaurant thread. where to move this new discussion?

peabody, why no stairs? too much public-access im guessing. this unfortunate to say the least. i feel the connection is integral to the connection of the hoods. as for the ponte vechio discussion, i wonder if they'd be interested in selling coffee/espresso on their patio only or takeout in the mornings? i think italians make good espresso. ;>)

Anyone interested in performing a live reading of the aforementioned law to mr. mrn? i am very interested in listening to his reasons for not putting any trees, even temp. pots or not painting a mural on the wall that jaimie mentioned, even a guinness advert would be fine. better yet, why not do both? i'm sure mr. mrn cares about the city and wants to do what's best. anyone interested in talking with the man behind mrn. i would imagine the law would prove to be provacative persuasion. im confident we could all come to a compromise. it's great to discuss with all you fine intelligent folk, but i would like to try and do something more. anyone interested? btw, i believe flannery's to have bought by some CA folk, which explains the makeover to the "prototypical wooden Irish pub facade"

interesting idea - nice work on the graphics, btw. but i'm thinking that the scranton peninsula might be better utilized by creating canals that run through the site, like a mini venice. either way (lagoon or canals) the expensive issue of bulkheads is going to arise as well as flood control on the river. we def need more free or alt thinking on this topic though, so thanks for that!

good to see the minds at the Levin College are creating online offerings for public education You can now watch episodes of the locally produced TV show, Urban Issues, online. The show is hosted by Levin Dean, Dr. Mark Rosentraub. Prior to being online, the show was only available via video and Adelphia cable. The current episode, "Cleveland’s Architectural Future", features: Steve Litt, The Plain Dealer, and William T. Eberhard, Oliver Design Group It's a literal architectural throwdown. Check it out! Words start flying right around halftime. http://urban.csuohio.edu/ (right column)

Lots of great ideas at Hotel Bruce. The last print issue was a design challenge for Rockafeller Park check it! http://hotelbruce.com/home.php I especially like the Counter Cultural Gardens..

check out this iNGENUITY installation on public square showcasing the TWE study commissioned by RTA http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com/event_listings.asp?eventid=489&time=&date=7/14/2006&categoryid=days

Wasn't there a commuter rail line of sorts connecting hudson and clevo back in the day??

lots of exciting collaborations and innovations happening in the midtown innovation zone the area is chock full of "knowledge based" enterprises.... OpenSource Economic Development - Power to the People! >> weekly WED meetings/workshops at myers college >> www.midtownwednesdays.blogspot.com check out http://www.midtownmytown.com for more info if you live/work in midtown

The good folks at the Cuyahoga Valley Initiative (CVI) http://www.cuyahogavalley.net are working with the folks at the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan http://www.cuyahogariverrap.org to craft a new type of bulkhead that will enable, rather than inhibit, fish habitat. It could very well be the first such design in the country/world which would make it marketable to other areas. The Feds awarded CVI $500K for the greenbulkheads project late last year. http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/about/minutes0512.html Because of a dredged depth of 20+ feet and corrugated steel walls, the Cuyahoga is very inhospitable to aquatic life. The green bulkheads would offer the same soil retention function while concurrently providing temporary habitat (safe place) for fish moving up or downstream. The first prototype is planned for installation in the late fall of this year. It may also feature some sort of pocket wetland. While I believe this is all fine and dandy and may too much to restore biological life to the last 2 miles of the Cuyahoga while providing a possible revenue stream from the exportation of new technology, I wonder if there isn't a simpler solution. When/if the Port is moved off the riverfront and on an artificial island on the lakefront, as proposed by the new Lakefront Masterplan, why not connect the industries that use the cargo via rail instead of dredged canal? At the minimum this would eliminate the need to dredge the river to a 20' depth twice per year. By letting the river lose some of its depth, levels of dissolved oxygen (critical for fishies) would increase as flow rate increased. Many of the bulkheads would no longer be necessary and the river could again have natural banks, some of which would be natural wetlands (nature's water purifier) Pie in the Sky or Possibility? I imagine many of you will lament the removal of giant ore boats from the lower Cuyahoga. I would maintain that it is for the greater good..............

Yes. Delightful point. Automobiles and people do not mix. 3000 pounds and 300 hundred pounds (if you play for the brownies). Noxious belching and necessary breathing does not mix. 300 pounds walking at 3 mph does not feel very safe being approached by 3000 pounds at 25 mph. Not to mention all the space automobiles use up while they sit idle for 90% of the day awaiting use. that could be parkland or people space. Cars suck space and oxygen and make ugly stuff multiply for eyes, ears, & nose.

here is a proposed design for our public square via http://gcbl.org/land/green-infrastructure/a-great-public-square-for-cleveland this posting is for folks who like pictures. if you'd like to read more, have at the pdf via http://www.greencitybluelake.org/images/land/public-square-plan.pdf enjoy. comments/suggestions/criticisms are always appreciated.

Gildone said "Great cities have great public spaces." Check this editorial from Sunday's PD http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/114932380648340.xml&coll=2 what are thoughts on a park at E. 4th and Prospect/Huron??

I remember reading that Cleveland or at least the county which encompasses it, Cuyahoga, has a similar problem of overbuilt retail. The county did a study in 2000. Results here> http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/retail/

ZaceMan said " yea i was kinda surprised about the farmers market comment for cleveland" While it's true that the WestSide Market provides great prices and an incredible shopping experience, the idea of a farmer's market is to connect local growers with local purchasing power. The WestSide Market has only one dedicated Organic Stand and most of their produce is not local except for the bounty months of summer (late july - mid sept) Aside from the Shaker Square Farmers Market and something similar at the Galleria, I don't believe there are any other farmer's markets in Cleve-proper, a shame considering our rich farming heritage and rich rich soil. Luckily, City Fresh is working to change this. http://www.gcbl.org/food/local-markets C-Dawg Njaim said " I totally agree. Mass transit is probably the single most important aspect of what makes a city "sustainable." Good lord, oil has brainwashed Americans into oblivion." I agree, mass transit (bus, streetcar, train, etc) is a critical element of creating a sustainable city. But, when one looks at energy use, a larger chunk is spend on construction, namely building construction. Therefore, "green" building may be the most important element in a city sustaining it's current population while providing the next seven generations the resources to do the samething. It's a tough one, but when you consider basic human needs (Maslow's hierarchy), shelter/clothing is on the list while transportation is not. Transportation is an enabler of commerce while buildings provide a place for commerce. I might suggest that they are of near equal importance and when created in a sustainable manner; produce critically important secondary effects such as enhanced green spaces. KJP said, "It is limited only by mother nature, and by the creativity and energy of those who have a stake in that city's future." Bravo! A fine attitude; if only those of us with the creativity and the energy also had the power and influence. What do you suppose is our best card to play? And MGD, how was the conference? Alas, I was out of town.

paul, nice shot. how did you get access to it?

Interesting article from Tacoma, WA in http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/columnists/voelpel/story/5767558p-5157334c.html

^ have you ever been to chicago's lakefront? definitely lots o sunbathers, etc

here is a link to the urban design workshops at CUDC that were held in regards to the design of the innerbelt CUDC's site is much improved. have a look here at sesssions 1 and 2>> http://www.cudc.kent.edu/c-Public-Engagement/pages/Innerbelt.html

new site for the long proposed greening of the warehouse district WoW in the Warhouse District promises lots of giant hanging planters, but as of yet, little else... http://www.wowinwarehouse.com/

This is an interesting project in that it has the ability to change to aesthetic and visual appeal of a rather awkward building. the style of all the buildings surrounding the beautiful new plaza is brutalism though i prefer to think of it as starwars-esque, especially some of the structures in empire strikes back. as it once existed, the plaza would have been great for massive starship landings and laser pistol duels, ala halo. unfortunately, our engineering school has yet to develop those technologies. so, how can we make the plaza and surrounding buildings function better for today's (and the near future) use? enclosing the waste of space walkways under the MainClassroom building is a start. But how can the enclosure most dramatically affect the overall aesthetic appeal of the plaza? will the enclosing walls be glass with embedded LEDs for instant opacity? will the enclosing walls be multistory? if glass is used extensively, is it possible to playfully mock the heavy handedness that is brutalism? fun questions to consider and ones that i hope our arch dept is looking at. thanks for the updates and pictures musky!

The park would become the first on the rim of the Cuyahoga Valley in Cuyahoga County, and the first in downtown Cleveland. A New Park Overlooking Downtown Cleveland? By Steven Litt Plain Dealer Architecture Critic The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority could create within a year the first public park in Cleveland overlooking the Cuyahoga Valley and the city skyline. For years, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority dreamed of building a new, mixed-income, high-rise apartment complex on the 17.3- acre property in question, located off W. 25th St. in Ohio City. Aside from an address just south of the landmark Detroit Superior Bridge, the land boasts the skyline view made famous in a 1928 photograph by Margaret Bourke-White, which shows a smoke-shrouded Terminal Tower under construction. But having decided it would cost too much to stablize the land, which is sliding slowly downhill towards the Cuyahoga River, the housing authority now wants to turn the site into a park... more at: http://www.cleveland.com

i, for one, agree with either closing off cross streets or at the very least narrowing them. here's a recent proposed redesign as a result of a competition sponsored by the gund foundation. thank our good mother earth for the gund foundation. cleveland's urban gardens, ecovillage, wind power, and now public square; all ideas seeded by gund. if only we had the gund institute! http://gcbl.org <<<< scroll down to public square link

I am not sure what you mean by educated. The white part I think I get, though I tend to get pretty dark in the summer. Are you inferring that there are a lot of females on the bus? Beauteous!

Until today, I was confusing the aforementioned Heritage Lane Project in Cleveland with the Citirama Project in Cleveland, which is due north of Heritage Lane. The Citirama project was completed by individual builders last year and is certainly worth exploring as it is along the beautifully maintained East Boulevard. http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/mayor/press/2005/200504/CiTiRAMAFactSheet042105I.htm I've recently begun to explore the streets east of E. Blvd and have been pleasantly surprised. It definitely represents some of Cleveland's finest and best maintaned housing stock. Worth a bike ride as it also presents a nice overhead view of Rockafeller Park.