Map Boy

I get the feeling that I'm going to love the Greenhouse Tavern when it opens. Kudos to the team on their kick-a$$ website, which keeps us anxious nerds up-to-date with their progress: http://thegreenhousetavern.com/ The reason I post it again is that they've added a new photo series from July 29th on their construction progress. It's nice when they recognize that their future customers are actually interested in the deconstruction (and future construction) of their space!

^thanks for that. And amen to the proliferation of this type of package throughout the system!

How come the federal government can bail out the big banks and airline industry, but they can't help public transit agencies that are suffering as a result of the "oil crisis?" I was speaking (through a translator) to a group of Russian public administrators last week and a lot of the questions they had about Cleveland were geared towards transit. They observed that the system is underutilized and far too expensive. I explained that public funding is dwindling and is far worse than elsewhere in the country and they obviously felt that was unacceptable. Anyways, just another perspective.

they've been presented at public meetings, but this was available based on a quick search: http://www.uhhospitals.org/tabid/1291/Default.aspx

The plans don't look exactly like that anymore, but the parking garage will still go in that vicinity. The emergency department will be just west of it and the lawn in front will be temporary surface parking during construction and a large park space once the new garage opens. Potentially, it could be developed if the hospital needs new facilities (which they will).

MayDay tried to bring this thing back on topic and his boat picture just detoured it in another direction! In reference to my earlier comment about the loop and street grid, it was not at all meant to imply that we could move the freight lines. Rather, that Stark's idea was that we could extend the WHD street grid OVER the tracks to a new development area on the Port's land. This would be an extension of both FEB and WHD, but moreso of the WHD I suppose. Anyhoo, I love pointing out the crane from the Main Avenue Bridge when I pass over it! Good stuff!

on the topic of the "district" maps, I noticed these yesterday on my ride downtown and was excited to see them. I'd forgotten what was going to happen with the two blank sides of these structures on each platform. It wasn't until I got an up-close look at a few of them that my excitement turned to disappointment. I guess I'll have to wait and see what additional maps are provided at each station before I can make a full assessment of this, but the maps that they've just put up are pretty worthless. They have "landmarks" plotted on them, but these landmarks are not identified, nor are the cross streets. Again, this may play out further with the interactive kiosks or more detailed neighborhood maps, so I hope I'm premature here!

not if Bob Stark has anything to say about it!

but the loop can move, right? I mean, there was talk about rebuilding it for "eaton" anyway... why not stretch it out or otherwise alter it to allow for the best connections or developable sites?

Yes, very exciting and I can't wait for the connection between St. Clair and Superior that will really tie the north and south ends of the Avenue District together.

Great stuff! Is that really a model train shop?

We may be meandering more towards a general RTA discussion here, but I think that a "fareless square" would be appropriate for a specific targeted area in Downtown Cleveland. W. 9th to E. 17th, Carnegie to the waterfront, or something like that.

I overheard a couple Red Line riders talking yesterday about why they ride the train. Both were from the west side suburbs. One was a Brookpark park n ride customer and the other was a Lakewood circulator to W. 117th customer. Cost and convenience were an issue, but the Lakewood rider said she used to take the bus to Public Square and transfer to one of the Euclid lines to get to CWRU. With all the construction, she's given up on that option. I wonder how quickly people will shift back to Euclid once the HL is completed. It's nice to have options in University Circle and clearly the best one for the Clinic is the HL.

also, not sure if this has been posted elsewhere on UO, but the sewer district has a "Nowcast" service for beach and water conditions: http://www.ohionowcast.info/index.asp

do either of these beaches have a dog beach?

Word on the streets is that they'll also be running the Health Line during Sparx in the City (September 20-21) as part of their pre-opening trial runs. Anyone can board, but Sparx will be promoting it as a means of getting from the venues in Playhouse Square to those in University Circle... good times!

Building off the momentum from the Uptown article this morning, and directly across the street from it: University Circle Visitor and Living in the Circle Center Grand Opening Live. Work. Play. Learn. Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Press conference - 10:30 a.m. 11330 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44106 It's an exciting week for University Circle and University Circle Inc. (UCI). This Wednesday, UCI opens the Visitor and Living in the Circle Center presented by National City; unveils a new, interactive website; and rewards consumers for patronizing and visiting merchants and institutions in University Circle with the Find Yourself in the Circle Pass. Join us at the Visitor Center as we publicly present the Find Yourself in the Circle campaign.

couldn't get the video to work on Litt's blog. was it anything interesting?

mbi/k2m see http://www.gcbl.org/building/green-building/green-buildings-in-northeast-ohio/mbi-k2m-green-renovation

CMHA is expanding the surface lot behind the towers. For serious? What happened to the idea of creating a public park on that land?

^so you pretty much just hung out on the platform and studied up there?

I just hope they can hold on to the Shoe Town Outlet through all that construction... And wow, I had no idea that the "tower" addition was a go in phase one. It would be wild if this one happened before 515!

eh? teaser? you should know better than to expect patience on this board!

Unless he's talking about "today" as in the summertime, there are more than twice as many students who live on campus during the traditional academic year. Fenn & Viking together have almost 900 beds.

Two comments: 1) I can really see the corridor being an attraction unto itself... not only because of the destinations along the route, but because of the history that will be told at the same time. There are the Euclid Corridor kiosks (still waiting to see one installed) and of course the real, tangible stuff along the route (like the beautiful churches that people have mentioned) that now seem to stick out just a little bit more. Public art, attractive streets and bike lanes... people will CHOOSE Euclid Avenue when this thing is done. Plus, think of how much people have been avoiding Euclid for the past 2 years. I know plenty of people who love the city and think the project is great, but just aren't nerds like us who ride the 6 because we want to wag our tongues out the window at all the progress. When people start traversing the finished product and notice the development and revitalization along every stretch of the way, they're going to be floored. 2) Thanks for the photos McC! I think that's the first time I've seen one of the BRTs at an actual station!