Map Boy

I used to take the 3am train to Boston about 2-3 times a year when I was in high school. It SUCKED!!! But it was nice to get into beantown around dinner-time... I'm very curious to see what happens here. I know that a WFL extension is probably a ways off, but a tourist running of these historic trolleys on the weekends would do a good job of getting the word out. And people do LOVE Lolly the Trolly, which is just a bus with a trolly's clothes on! What about the tracks on the viaduct? were they kept for a reason?

hell, the rails are probably still there, just buried under asphalt now... KJP?

Yes, walking is much more the norm and necessity in NYC, which seems great to someone like me, but if you happen to be handicapped, forget about it! I really don't know how someone in a wheelchair can live in New York...the subways may be getting better, but they're still decades from being ADA compliant. As for Cleveland and much of Ohio, walking isn't a necessity so much as a choice because driving and parking is so much cheaper and more convenient than in denser/older cities like Boston or New York. You can usually find a spot on your street, if not in your driveway/garage and parking garages downtown will not bleed you dry and tend to let you out IN the building you're going to. I don't like this, but it sure is practical!

Here's a quickie of three new houses going up on West 47th and Bridge, across from the hardware store... From September: The Foundations: Elevation on Columbus Day!

There are a couple low-income buildings in "the district" as well, probably bumping that unit number up to around the 2000 mark...

As of 2:30, a day-and-a-half since the initial posting, the results are 50-50 between those who use private automobiles (single or multiple occupancy) and those who don't (public transit, bike, walk). That's 20 votes in each category...how very interesting!

Sold! Where do I sign up?

Well, that type of square footage would probably just be part of a larger structure. For example, the only that Wolstein is proposing for the East Bank. If you have a tenant signed on pre-construction for a good amount of space, your financing is going to be that much better. PS: who has a 10x10 cubicle??? mine's more like 5x8!!! Good thing I'm only part-time!

I jumped at that "new building" bit too, but then I thought that with the rents they cited, it probably just means occupancy in a "different" building that already exists. That makes more sense. Then again, I could be wrong!

From today's Cool Cleveland: Convention Center Meeting The CFA will be holding a combination Planning/Community Consensus Committee meeting on Tue 10/18 at 6PM to encourage the public’s input on the two proposed convention center locations. View details on both sites at www.conventioncleveland.com. Laborers 310 Hall at 3250 Euclid Avenue, Lower Level.

a quick story regarding those walks to and from the Jake that I mentioned earlier... Eyeing the long line for the "Fatty Wagon" (a shuttle bus that runs on discarded cooking oil) at the Great Lakes Brewing Co., I suggested walking the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge to the game instead. One of my friends (a suburbanite) gasped, but was excited about doing so, since she'd never done it before. The next day, she called me up to tell me how "sore" she was. I asked if it was from all the clapping and cheering during the 13 inning game we'd seen. She said, "No! It was from all that walking!" This surprised me at the time, but come to think of it, she probably walked more that night than she had in the entire previous month... That's not to say you can't be car-free or use a car and be totally healthy living in the 'burbs, because let's face it, many suburbs offer much better recreation options than the inner city. But her lifestyle has pretty much left out the option of walking anywhere, which is kind of sad!

Agreed. And from the looks of it, they're not only ignoring the creation of interaction with the street/sidewalk that this neighborhood could really benefit from, but they're discouraging it! Anyone who's walked beneath the current structures on the viaduct level or the lower (river) level knows what I'm talking about. Again, I use the term "opressive!" I'm really glad that they will be incorporating some sort of retail into the historic building, but this corner really represents the best opportunity to bridge the gap between Stonebridge and the remainder of the West Bank. I think this could be one of the most unique, walkable 'hoods in town and they're pretty much saying they're not interested! I hope they prove me wrong!

What an amazing turn of events we've had with this story! It's so great to see that we've actually one one of these fights and that it should continue to get better!

OK, so as far as this development goes, this is my favorite design of the group. HOWEVER, it looks like it's going to have more of the same overhanging floors that jut out over the sidewalks, opressing passers-by without addressing them at all...ie: no ground floor retail or windows. What's their problem with just building their buildings straight up from the sidewalk? What ever happened to setbacks? Also, what's the deal with the distance between the actual viaduct and all of these new buildings? Is there some sort of engineering regulation that requires them to leave a gap between the viaduct and their buildings, creating creepy crevices and scary "walk the plank" bridges from the viaduct to the upper floors? I'm excited to see that they are planning to incorporate some of the skeleton of the old brick structure on site, but it looks like they're going to be demolishing the vast majority of it. Believe me, though, I do appreciate the attempt to give a nod to history here! Finally, I'll be coming down here frequently to take pics on the ground (and viaduct) level, so rest assured all progress will be monitored!

This piece is a good recap of all the "Celebrate Cleveland" forums that have been going on in the College of Urban Affairs. What I liked is that towards the end, Rosentraub did get on to practical matters, including a recommendation for the public sector to take appropriate action in shaping the future of regional growth (below): "This scenario becomes a reality for the region if public sector planning is coordinated and complements the big bets being made by the Clinic, University Hospitals, Case, Cleveland State University and many important, private companies downtown. Public investments have to be paired with those commitments to ensure success. The region cannot be divided by squabbles and the politics of new versus old suburbs, but unified through a new approach for government in regional economic development. This does not mean a single, super government or an end to any city's existence. It also does not mean the elimination of county commissioners. But it does require a unified approach for economic development and a single voice through a countywide development agency. This agency must have the authority to finance and locate the needed investments to complement the big bets and ensure that the region's infrastructure meets the needs of businesses and residents. This authority's director should be chosen by a board comprised of seven individuals with two appointed by county commissioners, one each by the mayor and City Council of Cleveland, and three by the Cuyahoga County Mayors and Managers Association. It is also possible to designate the Cleveland Port Authority as the economic development agency for the county and give to it the authority and responsibility for using public money to advance the boom."

From CSU Urban Affairs Dean Mark Rosentraub: A housing boom (well, almost) Monday, October 10, 2005 Mark S. Rosentraub As homeowners wait months to sell their homes, it might be a bit cruel to talk of signs of a boomlet in Greater Cleveland. Yet a housing boom of sorts is starting, and Greater Cleveland needs to encourage it. You can find evidence of the boomlet in the high occupancy rates for apartments on downtown Cleveland's East Fourth Street and in Westlake's Crocker Park. A boom is taking place in the Warehouse District, where condominiums at the Pinnacle sell for more than $300,000. There is a boomlet when Zaremba Homes breaks ground for the Avenue District at East 12th Street and St. Clair Avenue while building new townhouses at Brunswick Town Center. Why build new homes when older houses languish unsold? Markets respond to what people want: Energy-saving designs, central air conditioning and layouts for big-screen televisions sell homes. Larger numbers of older and younger consumers in the market also mean a preference for townhouses and condominiums. Older homes in Lakewood or Shaker Heights do not provide what these consumers want, so like a shopper looking for a certain pair of shoes in a specific color, prospective homeowners go elsewhere. It is possible to have a glut of older houses on the market while new homes are pre-sold and rented before harried workers have painted the walls. Does this mean owners of older homes will lose their equity? No. This region can turn declining property values into rising levels of equity. The boom is being steered by four factors. Local housing studies indicate demand from approximately 10,000 households for condominiums surrounded by urban life. This is a large enough market to attract developers who build new units in urban lifestyle areas such as the Warehouse District, the Flats, along Euclid Avenue and East Fourth and 12th streets and in parts of Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and South Euclid. "Big bets" for Greater Cleveland's future economy are being made, and developers want to be ready when these become winners and bring hundreds of new workers to town. The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals are investing more than $500 million that could create hundreds, if not thousands, of new high-technology, health-care-related jobs. The population of the United States and Greater Cleveland is changing; developers want to serve the demands of these giant bubbles of consumers - aging boomers who want smaller, newer places and the workers who will be coming to places like the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Quicken Loans. Many members of these two groups prefer urban lifestyles. The Midwest is far from dead. The U.S. Census projects 10 million new residents by 2025 in the area defined by Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. These people will be employed by new businesses created by the planning and investment being made in each city. They will be attracted by the comparatively low costs of housing and short commute times in these cities. Success in attracting an important share of the 10 million new Midwesterners to Greater Cleveland is the answer to declining sales of older homes, but it will require coordinated, regional efforts. Greater Cleveland must work as a unit to attract new companies to locate around the region's health centers, universities and in downtown Cleveland where the big bets are being made. This will make first-ring suburbs far more attractive to new workers, create a shorter wait for sellers and restore property values. This scenario becomes a reality for the region if public sector planning is coordinated and complements the big bets being made by the Clinic, University Hospitals, Case, Cleveland State University and many important, private companies downtown. Public investments have to be paired with those commitments to ensure success. The region cannot be divided by squabbles and the politics of new versus old suburbs, but unified through a new approach for government in regional economic development. This does not mean a single, super government or an end to any city's existence. It also does not mean the elimination of county commissioners. But it does require a unified approach for economic development and a single voice through a countywide development agency. This agency must have the authority to finance and locate the needed investments to complement the big bets and ensure that the region's infrastructure meets the needs of businesses and residents. This authority's director should be chosen by a board comprised of seven individuals with two appointed by county commissioners, one each by the mayor and City Council of Cleveland, and three by the Cuyahoga County Mayors and Managers Association. It is also possible to designate the Cleveland Port Authority as the economic development agency for the county and give to it the authority and responsibility for using public money to advance the boom. People have asked when Northeast Ohio will rebound and advance. The answer is that a boomlet is in process. Homeowners and other voters must work with elected officials to form the redevelopment authority that allows one unified voice to have the authority and responsibility to advance Cuyahoga County's economy through strategic investments with businesses and the region's nonprofit health-care providers. If a unified voice is found, houses will not sit with for-sale signs for months at a stretch. Rosentraub is the dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

it's kinda invigorating when it happens every once in a while...like riding the any of the rapid lines after a ball game...but i'm just glad it's not like that EVERY time I ride... It also indicates that demand is exceeding supply...so, run more buses...or create a streetcar line!!!

OK, I've got the location now. From Wolstein's first site plan, the bookstore (which doesn't necessarily remain in the plan) would be built on the parking lot next to Samsel, as Ella mentioned earlier. The Samsel building itself would remain. It looks like Wolstein may want to use that parcel as a sort of gateway/magnet to lure people into the site with a major feature. The rapid station is also right there, so it makes sense to use the parking lot for more than just parking... However, if the parking lot serves a dual purpose for Samsel as a parking lot AND loading dock...which is how it's sounding...then there's a more significant problem there... And what about this HUGE (over 100,000 square feet) lot directly east of the site??? Anyone talking about that? The owner is "Main Street Parking, LLC." This would help create a link along Front Street or under the bridge to West 9th.

Where exactly is this Samsel place? Is it on West 9th or down on Old River Road? I'm not familiar with it. I'm pretty sure the office building would be situated up in the bend of the Waterfront Line on the site of what was once going to be the Cleveland World Trade Center.

I'm currently scanning the document and find that it is primarily positive at this point, which is not surprising, considering that it was prepared for the ORDC. The one recurring roadblock is the issue of funding...no surprise there. Here's a telling paragraph from page 10: "Understandably, project financing was recognized as the primary challenge to project implementation. Everyone acknowledged that project financing was primarily a federal issue, and agreed that the state of Ohio would not likely develop this project without a federal partner. While it was recognized that there is a need to secure a federal funding program, many expressed concern whether this would happen in the near-term. Many were eager to see a change in national transportation policy that would encourage more investment in freight and passenger railroad improvement projects. (NOTE: There is now a trio of bills in Congress that would answer this concern. Cong. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) has introduced HR-1630 and HR-1631, which address long-term funding and reform of Amtrak (1630) and establish a federal rail infrastructure development fund (1631). In the Senate, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss) has introduced S-1516, which is similar in its aims to the LaTourette legislation. Both of these legislative efforts would be favorable for the development of the Ohio Hub System.)" Also valuable to each of us locally are the technical regional responses, found in pages 11-17 and the public feedback from each region in the ensuing pages. The primary technical recommendations from my region (Northeast Ohio) are listed as >Integrate and coordinate with Lakefront plans by the City of Clevleand, proposed Convention Center, new ferry service, Dead Man's Curve/Innerbelt reconstruction, and a new multi-modal station to be built by the GCRTA >Provide more information on the footprint needed for the East 26th Street Rail Yard, where re-routing the Innerbelt is proposed to be located >Freight operations must recognize priority of pedestrians and citizens in the lakefront area Public feedback from NEO: Forty-eight people attended the business and community leaders meeting held in Cleveland on a May afternoon, followed by an evening session attended by 34 members of the public. Rich Enty from the Greater Cleveland RTA questioned where the operating funds would come from, could the Ohio Hub be used to help local transit agencies leverage more federal funds, and could certain Ohio Hub stations be jointly developed with local federal dollars? ORDC responded that operating funds would eventually be recouped through passenger fares, and that ORDC did, indeed, see opportunities for the Ohio Hub system to partner with local transit agencies to jointdevelop train/bus stations and leverage more federal funds in the process. One participant said the Ohio Hub should be marketed to business travelers, while another said the ticket price appears too high and should be lowered to attract more riders. It was suggested that a ticket like the EuroPass be developed for use by Ohio riders as they connect between various modes of transportation. Several urged ORDC to be very aggressive in promoting the Ohio Hub and the public meetings where people can help shape the plans. One attendee suggested selling air rights above train stations to raise more money. One woman said that, “as a blind person, transportation is very difficult. This rail project would be a great boon for people like me who cannot or choose not to drive.”

yes, simply with more visibility, the public and political pressure to activate these trolleys will grow. question: these are going to be in a shed, right? Are they going to be available for public viewing? When I was in Brooklyn and was interested in the Brooklyn Historic Railway (now defunct), I was able to gain access to their shed where they were restoring old cars (including Cleveland cars), which made me that much more excited about the project!

^probably true...but I can definitely see some younger businesses who employ mostly younger people (many design/internet/art firms, for example) being attracted to this more than an older office building in the financial district. The problem would arise if the rents are, in fact, $4 or more than the going high mark. I don't think they'll build it without a tenant signed on either. Then again, this thing is looking at a 2010 completion, right? So, who knows what the market will look like then. And the potential office location is the northernmost part of the development, so it wouldn't leave a hole or anything if it wasn't built for a while...

My experience with the Cascade Line in the Northwest was just fantastic. I took the line up and down about 6 times during the year that I lived there and I would recommend it very highly! The prices varied, depending on what kind of deals you could finagle, but I was able to get student tickets for around $25 each way from Portland to Seattle. That's pretty similar to the Cleveland to Columbus route and took about 20-30 minutes longer by rail. The difference was that I could read, sleep or gaze out the window at the beautiful scenery and wake up to find myself right in the heart of Dowtown Portland or Seattle. Another major component to this expansion was that they rehabbed (and are still) every station along that route, making them more comfortable, convenient and usable. The trains were the most attractive and clean of any I've been on in the system (with the exception of the more expensive Acela Express from NYC to Philly) and I felt like a paying customer should. (a stark contrast to my experiences on Greyhound!) One last note. I am a proud carrier of an Amtrak credit card, so all of my spending adds up to rewards on rail transit or with partner airlines. Every time I go out to Portand or Seattle now, I can trade in 1,000 points and get a one-way ticket on the line. And getting 1,000 points is easy as pie!

I think the most common dream for us trolley-folk is that of reopening the lower deck of the Detroit-Superior Bridge. And for good reason! There has been a good deal of discussion about this on UrbanOhio and ideas diverge at West 25th over where the trolley should proceed from there. I would love to see a weekend "tourist" line head down West 25th on the weekends, but I don't think that daily service is needed on that route due to the large number of bus lines that already travel that route. What I'd love to see is a line or two (or more!) continue either down W. 25th into Clark-Metro and Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn, or another head up Lorain, and perhaps another continuing from the bridge up Detroit, towards all the tremendous investment going on at W. 65th and beyond towards Battery Park. Another idea, which I will try to present graphically in days to come, would use existing track along the rail line that follows (roughly) the West Shoreway from Whiskey Island towards Battery Park. Or, how about entirely new extensions east and west as we expand our Waterfront Line and convert the Shoreway into a boulevard? And, one final brainstorm...how about a west bank trolley that runs from the end of the Detroit-Superior Bridge, down past all the new housing on the Superior Viaduct and into the heart of West Bank Parking Lot Town (spurring development there...duh!) and eventually connecting over a bridge to a spruced up Wendy Park??? Can you tell this has all crossed my mind a few times?

I will admit that I have a luxurious commuter pattern. This is a product of my ability to choose where I wanted to live in the Cleveland area, knowing where I'd need and want to go. I understand that not everyone has this much freedom (due to children, work location, cost, etc. etc) So, Ohio City, full of transit options and walkable amenities, makes my life a lot easier as far as this survey goes! One nice surprise since moving to the OC has been the ease in walking home at night from Downtown. Buses are frequent during the daytime to Ohio City, but at night (after 1am), not so much. So, if I'm out late Downtown, I can walk home across the Detroit-Superior Bridge...nice! And I made about 5 or 6 trips back and forth across the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge last weekend to watch the Tribe tank their final three games at the Jake. This wasn't something I thought I'd be doing a lot of, but it's turned out to be a pretty easy option.