Map Boy

but 600 parking spaces that will take the place of surface lots on campus is a huge deal...I'm sure you've seen the master plan...as each surface lot is accommodated in new garages, new housing and other structures go up. I consider this as a big win.

yes, this is a huge parking lot that extends from Prospect to Carnegie and creates, as Wimwar said, a huge gap. The building in the image looks like it has several floors of offices/apartments as well. Could be RTA/CSU offices or new housing? I, too, saw this in land-use maps, but have never seen a rendering or elevation perspective. I like it!

That's exactly my point, though! They're missing the fact that the northern alignment will do lots of harm to both Gateway and Tremont by adding twice as much roadway and structural supports to neighborhoods that have already been marred by them! I understand that the church issue is a much more volatile one, but in the end, both issues need to be considered for what they are.

yes, but with office vacancy rates around 75%!

More on Emerald Commons at http://www.chnnet.com/b_real_estate.html and in a recent PD article: Emerald Commons to offer the homeless housing and support services Sunday, December 18, 2005 Angela D. Chatman Plain Dealer Reporter The Housing First Initiative, which seeks to boost the amount of permanent supportive housing in Cuyahoga County, has launched its first project after three years' efforts. The coalition of advocates, service providers and city and county officials has identified a need for more of this subsidized housing coupled with support services for the chronically homeless. Its target population includes people with problems ranging from mental illness to alcoholism who can live independently with a little help... For More: http://www.chnnet.com/emerald_commons_homeless_housing.asp

B12 and Wimwar, I agree with both of you. I don't like the design elements that I'm seeing or reading about, but I do hope that this "new" product in Tremont will have allure that can capture some of the housing demand that the neighborhood does not already meet. The few drawings that I've seen show the parking located on the interior of the development, with sidewalks and walkways fronting the street. This tends to be my preferred layout, but we'll see how this plays out in the "gated community" format. Those two words are just such taboo in the urban discourse... I wonder who's idea it was to use them as a marketing point!

Just saw an update on this one in "Inside Tremont," TWDC's newsletter. The following is from the developer's website (bergenvillagehomes.com): After a prolonged period of purposeful planning and design, the anticipation and suspense surrounding Bergen Village has finally culminated as construction work has begun for the 36 luxury townhome development. The three-acre site that will become Bergen Village was originally acquired by the late Don Bergen, Sr. in 1983 for his construction business because of its proximity to Downtown Cleveland and its convenient access to major highways. As the Tremont neighborhood gained its reputation as a premier destination for urban living, Don Sr. envisioned the property being redeveloped into a new residential community. Though he was in his final years and felt he no longer had the energy to complete the task, he entrusted the dream to his sons to complete after he passed. Inspired by their father’s vision, Don Jr. and Cecil have been determined to carry out his wish by developing the project in partnership with Keith Sutton and David Territo of Sutton Builders. Bergen Village rests on Tremont’s Ridge at the corner of West 5th and Literary Road and enjoys an astounding scenic view from its enviable location. Jacobs Field, Gund Arena, and the entire Downtown Skyline provide a picturesque backdrop to the North of the site. Tremont’s historical churches and structures are firmly rooted to the South and West, and the Cuyahoga River and Cleveland’s famous industrial valley are located to the East of the site. In celebration of the unparalleled views, the private road within the subdivision will be known as CityView Drive, and the seven different architectural elevations are named after the seven most characteristic structures that can be observed from the site. From its prime position atop the ridge, Bergen Village offers a panoramic setting, a nostalgic touch of Cleveland’s history, and most of all a distinctive experience in urban living. Bergen Village will be Tremont’s first gated community. With automated gates on the drive, but swinging gates on the footpaths, the fencing will control vehicular access while remaining friendly to pedestrians. The residents of Bergen Village will enjoy neatly landscaped green spaces and centrally maintained common area which includes snow removal and lawn care. In future years the scenic setting of Bergen Village could connect to a vast network of parks and recreation spaces, with the Ohio Canal Corridor’s exciting proposal to extend the Towpath Trail along West 4th Street adjacent to the site. The seven different townhome designs range from traditional to more modern. Six designs utilize contextual materials such as Hardie siding, stone, and brick, while one will offer galvanized metal panels. The interior designs are modern with large amounts of open space. A choice of floor plans is offered at each level and will range between 2000 and 2200 square feet among three floors, with an optional elevator. Prices of the luxury townhomes will begin in the $290s, with special low-interest financing and a 15-year tax abatement available to buyers.

I understand why Midtown and Tremont would be fiighting primarily for those causes, but Joe C's got to think on a grander scale. He represents parts of Midtown and Tremont, but also Downtown and Gateway. He's got to see how the bridge alignment that's currently on the boads would be detrimental to his contituency on the east side of the bridge, as well as the west side. Also, I-90 is currently a huge barrier that separates Tremont from the surrounding neighborhoods. With the addition of a new bridge, this barrier grows. On the other hand, the southern alignment results in a more minimal bridge and the demolition of the current one. I see this as a huge improvement for Tremont. Of course they can't knock down sacred structures, but assuming this can be done without harming the Greek Orthodox Church, Joe C's got to recognize how this can improve both Tremont and Gateway.

I don't think we'd have any trouble finding someone to operate the bridge...who wouldn't want to while their days away sitting in a booth overlooking the Cuyahoga, watching boats and people pass by?

I like this idea. It's this kind of thinking and development that could make the investment in a new CC much more worthwhile and lucrative. I hope something comes of it!

I've been in there once in my life...about 2 months ago. I needed some pita and I found it. I was surprised to find that it was as big as it was. I was picturing something along the lines of the West 6th Market...nothing substantial at all. I found that it was along the lines of a Gristede's or something similar in NYC. It had a deli and prepared foods and pretty much all of your everyday grocery needs. I don't know how much of a difference street visibility would do for it at present, because there just isn't that much pedestrian traffic along E. 13th and from what you're saying, there's no way to connect it to 12th, but with the addition of 3 new blocks of housing over the next few years, an upgrade seems to be in order. I'm not surprised that it's a big selling point for those existing units, because obviously you're going to find out about it when you check the place out. I just know that there are loads of retailers in Downtown Cleveland that are buried underground or part of an indoor marketplace and most people don't even know they're there. Marketing is poor and the street-level retail scene is abysmal. I feel that this will change dramatically over the next 5-10 years...

true, it's important that the local media keep the attention on this project, but the same theme is constant throughout...we're all getting involved very late in the game. I wasn't here over the past two years, but I read the PD and the County Weblog and I don't remember hearing much or anything about this. And it may seem like there are lots of voices chiming in now, but as Litt said in his latest article, some of the loudest ones are still quiet (Jackson, Campbell, Cimperman). How are we going to convince people that they need to get involved in this? Unless you're a planner or an Urban Ohioan or you own a business in Midtown or live in Tremont, chances are you're not getting involved and don't really see the need to. It's unfortunate, because everyone's money is going into this and just as we need to convince the entire region that Cleveland's vitality affects them, we need to convince everyone that this project could impede or augment Cleveland's vitality for decades to come.

Here's an aerial of the area (ripe for development!) with a few ideas on it:

well, 30,000 sf would be the size of the Dave's in Ohio City and there's another Dave's on Payne just east of Downtown. I don't know who owns this one, but I can't imagine a 30,000 sf space not having all of your normal grocery needs!

Hadid's Cincinnati CAC is amazing... and talk about shoe-horning a significant building into a small footprint! What I love about it is its transparency. The building is art in and of itself, but it doesn't hide its prized posessions, but rather flaunts them and the activity they inspire to all passers-by. Aside from the obvious benefit of being closely tied to CMA, this is great for the large number of artists and art students in the neighborhood. The outcry from this group over the disruption in access to CMA resources was pretty loud. It made me realize how dependent they are on existing institutions (outside of their own) for their research and inspiration. Consider, as well, the proposed relocation of the majority of CIA's campus over to this location and you've got a cozy, but substantial cluster of modern art institutions in a couple blocks. Pretty awesome, if you ask me!

Yeah, Dave's in Ohio City is 35,000 for comparison. I can't imagine needing a grocery store any larger than that! The issue that many of my peers have addressed, though, is that the market has no street-level visibility as it stands right now. I hope that in its expansion, they can extend it out to the sidewalk. With the addition of 600+ new residents in the Avenue District, plus the recent addition of Statler Arms and new tenants that could arise from these rehabs, an upgraded grocery should do quite well! I know that's one of my top prerequisites when I look at a neighborhood. I need to be able to walk to the grocers. This is why I wouldn't consider Tremont or Gateway at present and would have great difficulty living in Detroit Shoreway or Little Italy. The WHD now has Constantino's and Flats East Bank should soon have its own grocer. A growing Avenue District should have a grocer befitting of the status it's trying to establish for itself.

#500...hot! Welcome and thanks for posting that review. I'll definitely be looking into WVIZ for an archived recording or transcript. Stark seems to be an interesting guy who has great vision, but perhaps not the most practical way of enacting it. And maybe he's just a melodramatic character who's trying to shake things up...who knows? I can't fault the guy for wanting to dream big ("make no small plans"), but the reality is that ownership and available land is so fragmented in Cleveland that doing what he's talking about may not be possible without widespread cooperation with other property owners and developers. He certainly can't do it all by himself! So, I hope he learns to make nice with his peers and can be a force for action, where so many others are being overly cautious. At present, I would say I'm going to side with Ari Maron and Zaremba and Wolstein and Ferchill (etc.) until someone (Stark?) comes in and shows me that BIGger plans can be executed. As it stands, Stark's signature project is out in Westlake. The man needs to prove himself to true urbanists before he can denigrate the likes of Ari Maron & co.

This is great news! Another anchor for this high profile intersection. In 5 years, this will be a neighborhood with so much more to offer. I can't wait!

sounds great! who knows how big the market is now? I can't imagine it's much over 10,000 square feet. having a 30,000 sf space would be a big asset for the neighborhood!

I'm happy to say that I've been to most of those places and I agree with each of the ones they've listed there with perhaps only the exception of Rockefeller Center. Portland's Pioneer Square is fantastic...a multimodal transit hub, tourist center, great place to relax and well programmed. It also has a handsome collection of historic architecture and is well maintained! I might put Bryant Park on the top of the list, as it creates the most dramatic oasis of peace and quiet amongst the Times Square/Midtown madness. Also, extremely well programmed and maintained. It's also interesting to note that Washington Square in NYC is slated for a major remodeling and "renovation." I worry about what this will do to the organic nature of much of the activities that make this place so attractive. I know they've had more problems there than many of the other parks, but it's still an amazing place and should be rehabbed with much care and a keen eye on what makes it work so well right now! As for Cleveland...the more successful places that come to mind are Market Square in Ohio City and Star Plaza in Playhouse Square. The former has some decent programming during the summer months and is a nice place to visit on the weekends, but the overall feeling of the place is that it's "owned" by the homeless. I don't mind sharing a slab of rock with someone I don't know and may not dress to my standards (!), but I know a lot of people that avoid that place like the plague. It's a shame, too, because it's adjacent to some of the most vibrant blocks in the city. Star Plaza is, again, well-programmed in the summer months (thanks to Park Works), and is well dressed for the winter months, but it is still only treated as a place to walk through most times of the year. I hope that they come up with a new use for the C-Tix kiosk that will soon be vacated and keep the music going! Public Square? Yeah, we need to rethink our "front yard" in a big way. The most common solution I hear is cutting out the through automobile traffic. Will this ever happen? I have no idea! Here's another thread on the subject: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2541.0 How about a couple pix?

what do we do about something like this? who does mr. hothead report to? who's responsible for hiring him? you KNOW I'm about to write some letters!

Actually, according to my records, both the Villa Carabelli and Edghill Townhomes are completely in Cleveland.

where's this action that you speak of? that sign's been up for quite some time and I haven't seen anything new!

wow, B12! Great thread! This is something we've been talking about on here for some time, but no one has responded with a photo tour this extensive! Great work! And considering you did it amidst snow storms and finals week makes it even more impressive! And all those comments about how little neighborhoods like this are publicized and how few Clevelanders (let alone Ohioans) know about them... take note of B12's activism... Chinatown and the Live-Work District are on his two Emerging Cleveland tours that will run in the next month! Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!

Anyone else been in the Galleria lately? I was surprised last month to see how many shops are actually open in there! An independent book seller, an art gallery, etc. etc... and it will only do better with these high-end units being built across the street. If this goes as well as expected and Tower City wants to reap the same benefits, Forest City's going to have to look to this project for guidance...