Map Boy

I don't know how "high end" this will be. It'll be nice, but not Zen nice. I presume that when Zen relocates (is this still on the table?) that they'll keep the spa feature? I'm curious about the new place's market. Zen already has its regulars and will likely not lose any to the newbie. So, will the new one get its draw through the Paul Mitchell "franchise" thing?

ahhh...interesting. I recall that one of the excuses for why the Centrum on Coventry was no longer viable was because the Coventry garage was built too far from the theater. I always thought that was ridiculous, but hey, I'm no theater owner! I would love to think that neighborhoods like Coventry and Detroit-Shoreway could support a theater with walking distance crowds & transit, but I guess if they're trying to make the Capitol the "Cedar-Lee of the West Side," then they'll need more parking than they already have. Blinker, do you think the parking behind the Gordon Square Arcade is inadequate for this purpose? What does CPT do? They're a pretty big destination...

Is that Gordon Priemer's new building (it's an empty pit right now, just west of the Agora), with an added floor?

Ha! That's ridiculous!

That sounds like it might be the parking lot behind the Gordon Square Arcade... The City owns it and probably leases it to DSCDO

The new salon on Fulton across from the library is getting set to open. They're going to have a big party in late-March, but their inspection is this week. The place looks really nice, with lots of exposed brick and clean silver & black fixtures. They're apparently going to carry Paul Mitchell products and will even have the PM dog-care line! No dog grooming, however...

Which are the MAGNET and physical plant buildings? The Convocation Center is totally out now? I was thinking that because the turbine idea came out around the time that the architect was selected that there may have been an attempt to incorporate this significant landmark into the design. I think that would do far better than a big glass pyramid to represent the image that CSU is trying to put forward. Ah well!

Thanks for posting...I don't know how I forgot about this! Don't forget to register!

Ironically, at this intersection, they think they're going to need more room for traffic turning right off of Detroit onto W. 28th to get on the Shoreway...trucks especially. http://www.innerbelt.org/Lakefrontwest/FallFlyerMaps/W28_J.pdf http://www.innerbelt.org/Lakefrontwest/FallFlyerMaps/W28_K.pdf

Continuing my conquest of the local fine dining scene, I made it to Melt the other night and was quietly delighted that there was a 30 minute wait. The place was jamming and YSOH & I were content to wait with brews in hand. The corn chowder and fried tofu were delicious (FYI, Michael Symon...Melt has outdone your tofu dish and for about 1/4 the price!) and we took more than half of our Parmageddon and Spinach Pie sandwiches home...yum! It was exciting to be in a simple, casual place in such high demand. The food was great, the beer selection was impressive, the wait-staff, despite the crowd and lines, was polite and friendly, and the food came out in a jiffy! One of my favorite parts was looking around at tables reading their menus, which are mounted on old LP sleeves. I proudly read my Michael Stanley menu, while my ladyfriend read her Police menu. I saw Styx, Kiss, AC/DC, and others as well. Nice touch of comic relief!

Wimwar/3231 has mentioned that restoration work on a couple occasions. I believe that is part of the "A Place 4 Us" development. The buildings across the street are, unfortunately, in jeopardy of demolition with several of the "preferred" alternatives of the Lakefront West (Shoreway) project.

What about all the "signature" buildings on campus at the Univ. of Cincinnati? That's a state university and they've got some pretty outlandish "iconic" stuff there. I don't think we should be complacent by any means, especially with this location, this building and this time in CSU's development.

And I think we need a better understanding of the program of uses that will front Euclid. Do we have any idea of what those are yet?

ps: where are the wind turbines?

Despite these being sincere plans with true momentum, all of this is so preliminary that I don't believe there are any renderings or site plans out there, aside from those being worked on by Zaremba & MRN for the Triangle. I haven't seen anything from CIA or MOCA. Go ahead an propose some, though! There will certainly be public meetings to discuss these large projects and it would help to have thought through the process yourself before attending. All in all, these projects are very exciting and the notable architects will only serve to make the projects more appealing to a broader audience and not just shoppers, residents and students. The East Boulevard CIA site is very interesting to think about because of its proximity to CMA and its neighbors all being academic buildings under 5 stories. A high-rise condo tower won't be an obvious construct for the site, but could be done well if mixed with buildings that fill out the rest of the site. That's my take on it for now, anyway...

Hmmm...I was thinking that the building was about double its current width and that part of it was cut out, but now I can't really find much to support that! Maybe it's just that the top floors of the building next to it were lopped off... who can help clarify? These are each from Cleveland Memory:

It's on! UrbanOhio style! How many members are submitting to this competition, by the way?

^huh? I guess it took me a minute to realize that Theresa's & Bang & Clatter were going into the same building. How's that going to work out? It's still such a shame that only part of the WT Grant Building still exists. The restoration work they did is amazing, but it would be so much nicer with the rest of the building intact!

So, who knows which one the Graves Building is?

From the East Fourth website: MRN Ltd. Welcomes The Bang and The Clatter Theater to Cleveland Cleveland, February 5, 2007—MRN Ltd. and The Bang and The Clatter Theatre Company (BNC), based in Akron, today announced the curtain going up on a second location on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland. “We want to enrich the cultural landscape of downtown Cleveland,” said The Bang and The Clatter Theatre Company co-owner Sean Derry. “East Fourth Neighborhood is the up and coming entertainment hot spot in Cleveland and is the perfect place for our company to help raise awareness of locally produced, professional works.” With its first location at 140 Market Street in Akron, only more than a year old, BNC is slated to open its new location on Euclid Avenue in January 2008. The new location, an 8,000 square foot space located in the WT Grant Block in the old Cole Shoe Building, will seat approximately 150 people, execute eight plays a year with each play running five to six weeks, and charge $15 per ticket. BNC will be open seven days a week with a Sunday matinee. “The Bang and Clatter Theatre Company wants to help create an attraction that makes Clevelanders stay downtown and enjoy nightlife,” said The Bang and The Clatter Theatre Company co-owner Sean McConaha. “We will offer year round, not seasonal entertainment.” Using the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago as its model, BNC will continue its mission of producing innovative challenging works of exceptional quality and imagination. The emphasis is on modern American plays never before seen in Ohio and promoting plays that explore the boundaries of theatrical style. “The Bang and The Clatter Theatre has quickly become one of the preeminent professional theatre companies in Northeast Ohio,” said Ari Maron, Partner, MRN Ltd. “We believe this theatre company will not only add to the total urban entertainment experience of East Fourth Neighborhood, but will also serve as dedicated community partners for the development of Cleveland’s downtown.” In addition to a full calendar play season, BNC provides classes during the day for teens and adults and conducts classes off-site at various educational facilities. BNC also provides a “Pay-As-You-Can” program. BNC wants everyone to have the opportunity to experience theatre at its finest. The “Pay-As-You-Can” program allows seniors and students to pay what they can, $1 or $10, to view a play. The East Fourth Street Project is approximately 410,555 square feet, including more than 200 residential units and 3,400 parking spaces. MRN LTD is a commercial real estate development and management firm specializing in office and residential space. MRN LTD prides itself on being an unyielding proponent of revitalization and economic development in the City of Cleveland.

Hmmm...I was thinking that it was the Zocalo Cantina place, but according to the E. 4th website, that's going into the Graves Building. I'm not sure which one that is. La Strada is going into the Woolworth Building and Theresa's is going into the WT Grant Building on Euclid.

Thanks Blinky! I'd forgotten about that. Has anyone seen any renderings yet?

MVRDV, eh? Well, it should be interesting!

Well, that's not a quote. He reacted with disbelief and actually told me I was wrong when I said that every stop I ever used in NYC had an information box on it. Each bus stop pole had a four-sided box on it with a route map, route schedule and other information on it. If there were multiple buses that stopped there, they'd squeeze multiple maps and schedules in. That way, you could tell where the buses would take you and if it was worth waiting. Now, the subways...well, that's another story! [edit: according to MTA's website, "most" stops have these: http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/howto_bus.htm]

Right, back to this ballsy development! I was in Gypsy Beans & Baking last week and met a couple who was looking into buying at BP. They were asking around the cafe for impressions of the neighborhood and the development. I'd say they got a pretty resounding "go for it!" Last time I was there, I overheard people chatting about leasing a vacant space across the street. Although the barista said it was a slow day, Gypsy was still abuzz with activity and conversation. It's amazing what a spot like that can do for a neighborhood!