Map Boy

Wow, somehow I missed this one...maybe it was finals week? LGR, I'm with everyone on here. I live in Ohio City and go to CSU. I'm there right now, as a matter of fact! I've walked home on occasion, but for the most part, busing and biking are a snap. Driving's not bad either, but I only take advantage of that when someone's willing to give me a ride. Depending on where you are in Ohio City, there are as many as 7 bus lines that will get you over the bridge to Downtown Cleveland and CSU in a matter of minutes. The Red Line (rail) is convenient when traveling greater distances to destinations such as University Circle or the airport. As B12 would certainly agree, this direct Ohio City to airport rail link comes in very handy when friends come to town. The neighborhood is fantastic for so many other reasons, aside from accessibility. The bars/restaurants have already been mentioned (I take full advantage), but there's something to be said for the neighborli-ness as well. Sure, the place oozes historic charm from an aesthetic standpoint, but how about the fact that the neighbors (renters and owners alike) match this with their generosity and amicability? My girl and I have been invited to about a half-dozen pot lucks, were left two bags of community garden vegetables during our first month in town, have been invited to neighborhood meetings, and the list goes on. It's great...and something that hasn't been mentioned yet...it's about a 10-minute bike ride to the lake! We found our rental (2 bedroom, $700) in the heart of the neighborhood through the Free Times, but I would also recommend Scene and Plugged in Cleveland (run by an OC resident!). The other option is to walk/drive around the neighborhood and call posted numbers as you go. That way, you know what the place looks like and where it is before you set up an appointment. A lot of these aren't actually advertised, so you might do well to try this on day one... Good Luck!

This has been part of the Shaker master plan for years. I saw those plans that KJP posted a few years back and I loved them. I thought they were wholly realistic and appropriate...not to mention fetching! I would love to see them happen sooner than later and I think that the success of Shaker Town Center will have a lot of bearing on this. I also love the idea of extending the Blue Line through Van Aken/Chagrin. It could do wonders to connect people to jobs...which is pretty much what that line was initially intended to do...albeit in the opposite direction. Now, the people who need the jobs are on the inside and the jobs are on the outside. Those who the line was initially constructed for don't really need or use the transit like they used to, so RTA et al need to really think about their users and function and make some capital expenditures that reflect this. As for Crocker & Legacy. I've only been to Legacy and that was really before I moved home. (I'll admit that I went once since I moved to find a sporting good that I couldn't find in Cleveland...though I tried!) Crocker Park is a bit outside of my "comfort zone" (I hear that there are graffiti gangs out in the suburbs!) so I haven't been out there. But from what I hear, Stark and Crocker were inclusive when it came to transit, while Legacy was not...employees and shoppers have to get off the bus on Richmond or Cedar and walk across a ton of parking to get to work/shops. This obviously doesn't make CP a TOD in the least (that's a laugh), but the thought of building something that is supposed to be "urban" without actually including a transit element is pretty ridiculous. Crocker is at least a few steps ahead of Legacy in that, and many other regards. Namely, it's a mixed-use development, while Legacy certainly is not!

Until people can get everywhere they need to go in this town without a car (walking, transit, whatever), those with the means are still going to want to have their cars and they're going to demand that they are able to park them in the same structure as their home. I don't like it, but it's still a fact here and there's no lack of space to accommodate them. That said, there's no reason why the option can't be pricey. I know the Avenue District is doing all sorts of customer surveys (most good developers do) to determine what households want from their units. So, if half the people demand 2 spaces, and the homes come with one parking space, but the second is $100/month, would some people consider forgoing the second car? What if they can walk to the grocery/movies/book store? Probably! And what about if the development featured one or two CityWheels cars that could be utilized by residents of the building? Sounds like a smart idea to me! Then, as things really start to beef up, people who brought two cars can decide that they only really need one. And new developments can build less parking as the whole neighborhood/city gets to be more dense, pedestriant/transit friendly, and inconvenient for single-occupant vehicles. Ahhh...utopia.

wow, thanks for all the visuals guys!

well, as much as I ADORE the one we have, I'm glad we don't have two! My grandma told me on the phone last night that she clipped an article for me (so sweet!) about this project. "I remember when that building was 'new!'" She used to go down there to meet with a lawyer in the 70s about her parents' wills. She recalls that it was the fanciest new building in town back then. It baffles her why they'd be tearing down a building this "new." She did account for the asbestos, but said that it's probably much more affordable to just remediate and re-use the building! She's a smart one!

I think this would be a great morale boost for Northeast Ohio's perception of rail investment. If Lorain can show that it's feasible on a small scale and that it spawns greater things, then the we can try this elsewhere in the region...way to go, Lorain! You lead, we'll follow!

Well, naming issues aside, this is exciting...keep us posted when you hear more!

everyone still voting? last I checked, we were way back in Baltic territory...still a few days left, though!

I think Coyne was responding specifically to the Kassouf proposal...he didn't really address Shaia's proposal, which seems to have more teeth to it. But either way, he was basically saying that if they had proposed something realistic, they'd be viewed with a lot more respect. Namely, don't say you're going to break ground on a project to build 400 units of housing in July when you haven't done the engineering work, applied for a single permit or pre-sold a single unit.

wow...stone cold. I asked Tony Coyne about amending the development agreement to accommodate new plans and additional developers and I didn't really get a straight answer. He basically said that he thinks these proposals are ploys to get more money and that they're part of the "type A" personality that all developers share...they just want to get a buck. He implied that he doesn't fault them for this, but didn't sound too optimistic about any compromises. There was probably a lot more to be said on the subject...

hmmm...I think I've seen that article before...can't place it, though

^wow, you really went for it! My comment here echoes some of what has already been said. We (Cleveland) have spent so much money on big projects that have failed us in financial return and spinoff development. When Corna says they'll ask for no new taxes on ordinary Clevelanders or county residents, he'd better mean it. But there also needs to be a guarantee for some sort of spinoff development. There has been nothing built around the stadium that anyone can spend money on. The science center and rock hall were there already and they, likewise, have done zero as far as offshoot private investment. Where are the restaurants? The hotels? the luxury apartments? I think that the $90 million for a project like this should be part of a larger effort to generate revenues for land acquisition/site preparation and port relocation to push the North Coast forward. If it's gonna fly, that's how it has to get off the ground. They can't just dump more money into one building and expect the rest to just happen.

A little more info from the Plain Press: http://www.nhlink.net/plainpress/may2006/articles/04-detroitave-cleanup.php Detroit Avenue industrial site receives funds for cleanup The site of the former Monarch Aluminum/Trinity Building at 9203 Detroit Avenue is now slated for cleanup for redevelopment. On Monday, March 27th, the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund (COAF) announced a $750,000 grant has been awarded for brownfield remediation activities at the site. Energy Wise Building Systems, LLC, a manufacturer of energy-efficient panelized building systems, plans to invest approximately $3.2 million in a new office/warehouse facility on the 5.6 acre site, owned by the City of Cleveland's Industrial Land Bank. Energy Wise Building Systems is a member organization of the Westside Industrial Retention and Expansion Network (WIRE-Net). More at http://www.nhlink.net/plainpress/html/stories/2006-05/detroitavenuesitecleanup.htm

Late notice on this one, but it starts today: May 10-12 9:30-5:00 Closing Reception May 12, 5:30-9:00 Strong work ethic, teamwork and talent are qualities that embody Industrial Design students at The Cleveland Institute of Art. The current group of students embodies CIA’s long tradition of developing outstanding designers, and the graduating class is a group of exceptional individuals ready to step into industry and contribute. We hope that you are able to attend the 2006 Spring Show to see the work for yourself and interview students for internships and full-time positions. RSVP: Spring Show D o u g l a s P a i g e [email protected] c 2 1 6 . 5 7 0 . 7 3 1 2 p 2 1 6 . 4 2 1 . 7 9 2 9 RSVP: Reception e v e n t s @ . c i a . e d u 2 1 6 . 7 5 4 . 3 3 4 0 www.cia.edu/academic/undergraduate/industrialdesign/

until I got to SL...was it about the thread title? cause I changed that just for you!

Parkview has been on HUD's infamous "troubled property list" for a while now, along with a few other buildings in Cleveland. Management changed hands a couple months ago after several poor reviews from HUD's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC). The nearby Neal Terrace recently received its second consecutive poor review, which means it's hurting in a bad way. NT has more than 15% vacancy, which is a bad sign in a subsidized building. I'm glad to see that Parkview will be undergoing major renovations, though. Much like Carter Manor, it is a beautiful building and should complement, not represent a blight on our Downtown's housing stock. I'm also glad to see a commitment to affordable housing Downtown in these desirable locations.

If they can lure tenants like Crate & Barrell and Restoration Hardware over here, I'd actually consider making the trip via rail. I can't support Legacy or Crocker or Eton, but a TOD in Shaker Heights is something I can get down with!

oh man, there was some nice stuff over there (and by erieview)...some of the most substantial stuff was destroyed by fire, though.

^I think that was the point

no one in their right mind would build the development in the first picture on this page...not in Cleveland...and likely not anywhere right now. It really does look like something out of 1950s - 1970s superblock planning. not ok! That said, I agree with KJP that a couple of these, appropriately located, could be nice. And the point that I think we're making with the Shaia and Kassouf proposals is that they can be done without infringing upon the Wolstein proposal. Both of these projects are on property that would either sit as parking lots or be used as garages. So, bring the current owners on board and encourage them to think big...developing the bejeezus out of their parcels and making this thing all it can be! I have to say, the way that Wolstein's original proposal sits, having all this parking over on these two properties just doesn't sound good enough anymore. We don't want a Crocker Park down here...we want something that will connect with the existing neighborhood down Old River and up the hill in the WHD.

again, no mention of 1010, but a very informative article nonetheless... now, what about the other 10 applicants?

maybe they did vote, but they didn't have the heart to tell him that the voted for Jean

ah, yes...they've been working on the entrances on the east and west side of the building, but I haven't noticed any landscaping going on...anyone else?

well, it's the sheer number of people that will be coming over to Euclid that is supposed to be the impact. No one really knows what to expect from building design, but they seem committed to a degree of historic preservation, so it could be very positive. We'll just have to see, though, whether things look just about the same or radically different!

what are you talking about?