Foraker

Maybe, maybe not -- the Guardians aren't selling out their private boxes. Maybe we've reached the peak on the baseball side. That suggests caution in over-amenity-ing the Browns stadium.

I'm ambivalent about Burke. I see a lot of higher priorities than spending any money to close it. But whether Burke is closed or not, what if we build a (fast) rail connection between Hopkins and CAK, and make the argument to the FAA that CAK can provide overflow for Hopkins? Maybe some improvements would be needed, but there is a lot more land available there than at Cuyahoga County, and that rail connection would connect both Cleveland and Canton-Akron populations to two airports. Win-win. (And if the 3C connection can connect Hopkins to John Glenn in Columbus -- suddenly there is a much larger population connected to Hopkins and we would have three airports to choose from)

Building on the lakefront might be more difficult than we think. Everything below the bluff is infill, which won't be as stable and thus may require different construction techniques than building on, for example, a downtown parking lot -- particularly if building "tall." Secondarily, there may be legal impediments -- does the state own or have any say over what can be built on infill in the lake?

Bibb has already proposed a downtown-area "Shore-to-Core" TIF, already approved by city council. So there is at least some of a funding plan in place, even if the Browns move. https://www.clevelandohio.gov/news/shore-core-shore-tif-district-seeks-transform-waterfronts-strengthen-city-core-and-cleveland

If the state contribution is $300m and we continue to provide county-level TIF funding for the local contribution, OK -- move the field to Brook Park. I'm sure we can find better uses for our lakefront and I'm not interested in contributing more to a losing proposition. The city and county have a lot more things that need funding than a football field for a billionaire with more access to capital than the city.

The security checkpoint problem really seems to be caused by the layout of the terminal and how they have tried to shoehorn security between the gaps in the ticketing counters. The airport should build outward, over the current drop-off/pick-up lanes, to create more room for security operations between the ticket counters and the passenger terminals.

I have no idea what Shaker schools are thinking or whether they are coordinating with the city government. But, my understanding is that the state has tightly restricted what school districts can do with excess property. Before it can be sold on the open market it must be offered up to bids from charter schools, for example. I don't know all the details of the conditions under which a school district could profit from the sale of excess property, but it's not as simple as if a company owned the property and wanted to sell it.

Has the city formally decided on this plan? And have they started seeking funding for the planning for the conversion of the Shoreway?

Yes, and that is definitely on my wish list -- but we will still have a bridge over the railroad tracks.

E9th is a road, not a street, and probably will always feel unfriendly to pedestrians. I totally agree that it would be really nice to have a better pedestrian experience on that corridor from the ballpark to the Rock Hall. Maybe take out a lane (or even half a lane) to widen the sidewalks and plant trees, and build a separate pedestrian bridge as an alternative to the E9th bridge to get across Rt. 2 to the Rock Hall.

Cleveland Heights has more vacant lots than you think, although your qualifier "in desirable areas" may be right. Drive around the Beechwood/Altamont/Desota area, or north of Mayfield on the side streets off Noble. I saw an updated map recently but cannot find a copy on the city website. Remember the city tried to interest developers in building on several groups of houses in various areas of the city, without much success. One contract was awarded to Start Right, and my understanding is that they have built and sold one house so far. Infill housing must be really hard. https://www.clevelandheights.gov/1337/Neighborhood-Redevelopment

1. Following the foreclosure crisis, a lot of deteriorating homes were torn down, leaving a lot of empty lots in the urban areas, including the inner ring suburbs. Why aren't we building new homes on those lots? (It's not just Cleveland -- Cleveland Heights alone must have 100s of vacant lots.) My understanding is that one problem is that even a very basic home costs $200k to build, and most of these vacant lots are in neighborhoods where the comps don't come close to $200k. Does anyone have any better information? 2. I saw this interesting article on housing in Denmark. https://www.businessinsider.com/denmark-mortgage-rates-lock-in-effect-home-buying-selling-easier-2024-5 How could it work here?

Maybe a new apartment building will provide some options, and competition for the other apartment buildings in the area. It looks like most of the apartment buildings along Noble were all constructed around the same time -- time to make sure that the housing department is doing the required inspections and requiring repairs, and for building owners to step up with some renovations so that they can compete with the new construction. And hopefully Noble Station isn't the end of development on the corridor. Any news on Start Right's infill housing progress? https://www.clevelandheights.gov/1337/Neighborhood-Redevelopment

Cars (everyone mobile on their own schedule), air conditioning (sealing everyone up inside in their own home), and the internet (media delivered to individuals, remote work) -- technology is redefining "community" and "neighbor."

Out of town for work next week, but looking forward to this --

I am happy to report that on a weekend backpacker on the North Country Trail through NY and PA recently I didn't see a single other hiker. Trail was well marked. (And muddy as hell in the rain! (I do my best to follow Leave No Trace -- I went straight through the mud rather than widen the trail, didn't sink even to the top of my foot, no problem)

It sounds like Mayor Bibb was asking for money for his lakefront park too. It might be less expensive to build than the Haslams' vision, but it won't be free to build (or maintain). Maybe there is a compromise on the horizon. If the state decides not to give either any money (not unlikely), then we're looking at a renovated stadium and negotiations over building some version of Jimmy's World and using that to finance the stadium redo, along with Bibb pushing for an improved waterfront access over what Haslam had proposed. Going back and looking at Haslam's plan again, there is more public space toward the lake than I remembered. And Bibb's proposal also includes some new buildings around the stadium, just not as many as Haslam proposed. I can see a path to compromise -- the "win-win" might not be the home run either wants, but still success for the city and the Browns.

And this gets to the mentality that is the problem. Parking within "a short walk of where we're going" to most Americans (who live in transit-free suburbs) means walking no further than the parking lot at their destination. If you lived in London or Paris or Tokyo you could walk 10-15 minutes to a metro/trolley station and then walk 10-15 minutes to your destination in almost any other part of the city. Part of the reason why no one in Cleveland will drive to the muni lot and THEN take transit is because the Waterfront line doesn't run frequently enough and doesn't pass within a 15-minute walk of enough destinations. Moreover, too many people don't live anywhere near a transit line and so have to drive somewhere just to access the transit system. If I were leading RTA -- step 1, make transit frequent (15-minute headways) and convenient (just a phone-swipe away, or free!). If that means reducing the transit network's reach, so be it -- I'd at least want to test how people felt about RTA after six months with shorter headway and easier boarding. Also, emphasize service, cleanliness, safety. Step 2, make transit reach lots of places (particularly large employers -- CSU, Tri-C, hospitals) in the city core -- run a bus from the end of the Waterfront line along the route for a proposed expansion, try to optimize the route and then use the ridership to justify the expansion (coordinate bus and waterfront line connections, run 15-minute headways!). Step 3, after steps 1 and 2, make it easier to take transit from outlying areas into the denser transit network (and outlying transit routes should be deprioritized until after completing step 1!) I know, the "how" is a lot harder than knowing the outcome you want -- but I'll never be asked to head RTA anyway.

Hey RTA -- don't turn away. Bring the students in to present to your board and system planners. Listen and read their reports. Discuss what you can do to make RTA better.

This is the "European" density that travelers rave about -- the city probably lacked sufficient parks and green space (but also lacked the sea of parking that infests the modern city), as well as the skyscrapers we clamor for on this site. But probably is much more productive than the tower-dominated downtowns of Ohio's Big 3.

Agreed -- the owners should create an "NFL bank" to fund stadium construction and renovations.

What speed for Vision Zero?

I would be surprised if that happens. Colleges are shrinking and secondary schools probably don't have the resources. I expect it to be bought by a developer, and hope that they can repurpose the buildings and retain some of the green space, while expecting that there will be some new construction (probably residential).

I am inclined to agree with you. I do know of a number of dogs have had to had their stomach pumped after ingesting a stash of gummies -- maybe some of that "poison control" money should go to veterinarians. I don't recall that that was ever an issue back in the '70s.

If they do decide to build/renovate the stadium in its present location -- where the F do the Browns play for two years? -- That leads me to the conclusion that a new stadium is rising somewhere else. The Brook Park site is already in Haslam's control, so that's my bet. Even if it's not the best site, what can we hope for to make this new Brook Park "Browns Town" good TOD? In addition to the stadium and parking sea, build a small "village"/Crocker Park as well -- lots of apartments over retail, an excellent red line station, small parks/plazas, a hotel or two. Remember RTA is getting fancy new Siemens rail cars starting in 2027 -- just in time for the new stadium.