Map Boy

Crazy story...I saw the mammoth building come down in the 1990s while commuting to school on the train and I've recently noticed some action on-site with heavy equipment and trucks moving stuff around.

^Nice! I didn't know/remember that there would be a retail tenant in Fenn Tower. What will it be? Everything, including the kitchen sink! Cleveland State University is soliciting bids for the sale and removal of surplus equipment and supplies per the attached CSU Bid #414WE. All goods are sold "as is" and "where is" and all sales are final. Successful bidders will have two weeks to pay for and remove items. This bid will close on Aug. 24, 2006 at 2pm. Some examples of equipment available on this bid are : Gateway & Dell PII & PIII computers, Xerox, Ricoh & Minolta Copiers, film strip & 16mm movie projectors, Walkie-talkies, HP laserjet printers, Sony video cameras, fire hoses, TV cameras w/ zoom lens, police car light bars, PC monitors, Apple iMac's, Motorola FM radio transmitter & port radios, File cabinets, parking meters, 17" monitors, Kitchen sink/ stove / refig w cabinets, mirrors & Science equipt. Contact Rich Duxbury (687-2007) or Lamar Reed (X4059) for a copy of the bid or if you have questions. There is an open viewing of these items on each Tuesday & Wednesday from 1-3pm at 1802 E 25th St., room 201.

Not good! Does a decline in farebox revenue mean actual fares collected by the fareboxes or does that include monthly passes and the like that can be purchased elsewhere? I will admit that my satisfaction has waned of late...but it's because of isolated incidents, not overall service.

Got this in an email at work: Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Ballot Issue Cuyahoga County’s Arts & Culture assets have brought world-wide recognition and economic strength to our region for generations. The Arts & Culture sector is one of our most valuable industries, a critical factor in the creation and retention of good jobs, and a magnet that attracts visitors and new residents. There is nothing more important to the future of our region than growing our economy. Our Arts & Culture organizations play an important role by providing jobs for today, and enhancing education for the workers of tomorrow. · Our Arts & Culture sector generates over $1billion in annual economic activity · Arts & Culture is directly responsible for more than 3,000 good-paying jobs for our residents, along with more than 7,000 more jobs in related industries · Arts & Culture improve proficiency test scores for our children and prepare students to compete for the jobs of the future so they can succeed · Every year, our children benefit from over 2 million unique arts and culture experiences provided by our local Arts & Culture sector’s award winning education and outreach programs. But our Arts & Culture assets cannot continue to improve our region and our economy without reasonable and stable public funding. Tough economic times have hit this sector hard, and the private sector can no longer serve as its sole source of support. The Cuyahoga County Commissioners have placed an issue on the November 7, 2006 ballot that will strengthen our critical Arts & Culture institutions. Voters will be able to increase the tax on cigarettes by a penny and a half per cigarette throughout the county, and this money will create our only stable, public funding for the arts. Money raised from this issue will support and strengthen vital arts and cultural assets county-wide. Regardless of location or size Arts & Culture groups and projects in University Circle, the Theatre District, North Coast Harbor, Gordon Square Cultural District, neighborhoods and suburbs will be eligible to receive funding. Our arts and culture sector attracts visitors, creates jobs, and draws new creative workers to our region. This fall, voter will have the chance to help keep our Arts & Culture assets – and our region – strong by approving a reasonable, sustainable source of public funding. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What does Arts & Culture contribute to Cuyahoga County? A strong Arts & Culture community improves our entire region. The arts generate more than $1 billion in annual economic activity. The Arts & Culture sector draws visitors and new creative workers to our region. It is directly responsible for over 3,000 full-time, family-supporting jobs. An additional 7,000 good jobs indirectly depend on the Arts & Culture sector. How does Arts & Culture help our children? Our children learn better when they are exposed to Arts & Culture. Research shows that reading and math skills improve among students who participate in the arts, and proficiency test scores are higher, too. Our children are better prepared to compete and succeed in tomorrow’s workforce when they participate in the arts. Cuyahoga County’s children enjoy more than 2.5 million Arts & Culture experiences every year thanks to our world-class organizations. Why does the Arts & Culture community need reasonable, stable public funding? Cuyahoga County’s Arts & Culture assets have brought pride and economic strength to our region for generations. The Arts & Culture sector is one of our most valuable industries, a critical factor in the creation and retention of good jobs, and a magnet that attracts visitors and new, creative residents. But our Arts & Culture assets cannot continue to improve our region and our economy without reasonable public support. Tough economic times have hit this sector hard, and the private sector can no longer serve as the sole source of support. Isn’t there already a tax that funds the arts in Cuyahoga County? No, there is no tax in this county that supports Arts & Culture. The only current dedicated source of public sector funding, provided by the Ohio Arts Council, continues to erode. Over $4 million of state funding for Cuyahoga County arts and cultural organizations and projects has been lost due to budget cuts. How much will this tax issue cost me? Unless you are a smoker, it won’t cost you anything. The Cuyahoga County Commissioners have placed an issue on the November 2006 ballot that, if approved by voters, will increase only the tax on cigarettes by a penny and half per cigarette throughout Cuyahoga County. This will generate approximately $20 million dollars every year that will be devoted to support of our Arts & Culture assets. Taxes on cigarettes have been often been used an important tool in CuyhoagaCuyahoga County to improve our quality of life, and the Arts & Culture levy will help us do that, while also building our economy and enhancing education. How will the tax revenue be used? The revenue from this issue will be administered by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC). CAC is a local governmental body created in June 2005 through State of Ohio enabling legislation. CAC will manage the allocation of funds to Arts & Culture organizations through an open and public review process. Revenue from this cigarette tax will be used to create general operating grants and Arts & Culture project grants. Revenues cannot be used for any other purposes outside Arts & Culture support. Which organizations will be eligible for funding? Money raised from this issue will support and strengthen vital arts and cultural assets county-wide. Regardless of location or size Arts & Culture non profit groups and projects, whether in University Circle, the Theatre District, North Coast Harbor, Gordon Square Cultural District, neighborhood and suburb organizations will have equal access to compete for funding Do other counties across the country give public support to Arts & Culture? Nationwide, many metropolitan counties have been challenged with a struggling Arts & Culture sector. In order to sustain their Arts & Culture assets, these communities have created dedicated, local public revenue streams as a solution to sustain their Arts & Culture assets. Without reasonable public support for our Arts & Culture sector, Cuyahoga County will lose one of our biggest competitive advantages, and we will fall further behind. Arts and Culture Tax Facts > Cuyahoga County Commissioners have the legislative authority to place on the November 7, 2006 ballot a cigarette excise tax in support of the County’s arts and culture sector. > The tax is equal to one and one half cents (1½ cents) per cigarette. A pack of 20 cigarettes would have a total tax of 30 cents per pack. > The levy can be in force up to 10 years. > By law, Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3381, the proceeds from such a tax can only be used in support of arts and culture and can not be used for any other purposes. It would be a dedicated arts and culture public fund only in Cuyahoga County > If the ballot passes it is expected to yield in excess of $23 million annually. The County Commissioners would establish a base of $20 million that will be allocated annually for use by arts and cultural organizations primarily as general operational grants through the County’s Arts and Culture Investment Models as adopted by the Board of County Commissioners’ Resolution No. 040801. > The Arts and Culture Investment Models are a series of four competitive grant categories that include operating support, project support, artist education residencies and research support, and special initiatives or one-time emergency grants, e.g. fire damage, natural disasters. Debts or deficits would not be considered emergencies. > All grant category programs have published eligibility requirements. > All grant programs have published adjudication criteria. > All adjudication peer panels are comprised of arts and culture professionals from outside of Cuyahoga County as well as financial and community development professionals. > All adjudication panels’ deliberations are open to the public. > Only bona fide 501 © 3 non profit arts and culture organizations are eligible for the operating support category. > Organizations that apply for and are successfully adjudicated into the operating support category will receive annual operating support grant for three consecutive years before having to reapply > Operating support grants will be determined through a logarithm–based formula that establishes grant awards equal to approximately 3%, to no more than 25% of the revenues from an organization’s most recently completed fiscal year’s independent audit. The smaller the audited revenue the larger the percentage to calculate the grant. The larger the audit revenue the larger the total grant amount. > Organizations that are unsuccessful in the operating support category would be eligible to apply for project grants. > Any arts and culture projects or programs currently being funded through the County’s general fund, such as the Arts and Culture as Economic Development grants (ACE); the Annual 4th of July Concert on Public Square and property maintenance agreements such as the Allen, State and Ohio Theaters, would be transferred from the County’s general fund and expensed to funds generated by the tobacco tax separate from the base of $20 million (approximately $3.0 million in additional expenditures). > If there are any funds in excess of the Base ($20M) and the current general fund arts and culture expenses ($3.0M), those funds would be subject to only arts and culture initiatives allowed by ORC3381 and the Cuyahoga County Arts and Culture Investment Models (grants programs). > The administrative authority that governs the grants making process is the Cuyahoga County Regional Arts and Culture District (RACD). It is a political subdivision of government (not unlike Metro Parks). The RACD was formed in June 2005 through ORC3381 by County Resolution No. 052402. The Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners serves as the RACD’s board of trustees. > The RACD board appointed an advisory council that includes Steven Minter, professor, Cleveland State University and retired president The Cleveland Foundation; David Bergholz, photographer and retired president, The George Gund Foundation; Jamie Ireland, principal, Early Stage Partners; James Levin, executive director, Ingenuity Festival; Gerri McClamy, executive director, Karamu House and Stephanie Morrison Hrbek managing director, Near West Theater.

From Wimwar, by way of another thread... Why, yes! Yes, we did! Any ideas? Murmurs?

What's this?

I was thinking the old Moda space would be perfect!

^oh man, that would be sweet!

soon, they'll be ready for lift-off! in all seriousness, though, this is great news

I've got some photos and maps to post later. Stay tuned!

Is this what you're talking about? (maybe we should start a city branding thread...)

Hmmm...so it looks like the site has a huge parking lot on it and several buildings that date to the 1920s. I'm hoping that the renovation of existing buildings will be targeting architecturally significant and appropriate structures and using them to build off of. I don't have any more information than what is printed above, though!

I probably won't like the design of this shopping center and I'm not exactly sure of what they're taking down, but this article sums up a lot of what is important in arguing for the competitive position of core city neighborhoods in attracting retailers. I've bolded a few of the points that I felt were most poignant. From Crain's: Community group to try its hand at retail development By JAY MILLER 6:00 am, August 7, 2006 A community development group on Cleveland’s southeast side is testing its wings as a shopping center developer. The Union-Miles Development Corp. plans to break ground this fall on a $6 million rebuilding of an aging shopping corner at East 131st Street and Miles Avenue. The 70,000-square-foot Miles Shopping Plaza would include an expanded supermarket and nine or 10 new shops in an L-shaped plaza with parking in front. More at crainscleveland.com http://www.crainscleveland.com

yes, I agree. But it really shouldn't matter where it is along that block, as long as how you get there and what the environment is like once you're there are both amicable.

^Hmmm...nope! But I'm definitely going to check it out! I think they could definitely pull off something cozy and cafe-like and still have beer & wine. La Cave du Vin on Coventry is a great example of a very civilized wine bar where you can sit for hours and have an intimate conversation at a reasonable volume. So, something like that, but open from 7am - midnight or 2am or 24 hours!

I'm just crazy about Crain's today! An inspiring Opinion column: Rework Burke 6:00 am, August 7, 2006 Federal Aviation Administration isn’t fond of decommissioning airports. It does not like to take runway capacity out of the nation’s air traffic system. We nonetheless believe the administration of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson should explore the permanent closure of underutilized Burke Lakefront Airport... http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20060807/SUB/60804030/1018

This one almost snuck by! From Crain's: Institute of Art cites rising tuition in shift to four-year plan By SHANNON MORTLAND 6:00 am, August 7, 2006 After 40 years of going against the grain, the Cleveland Institute of Art this fall will follow the lead of its competitors and change to a four-year curriculum from a five-year curriculum. The move by the 124-year-old college in University Circle is an effort to attract more students and to cut tuition costs, said David Deming, president and CEO of the Cleveland Institute of Art. With an annual tuition of $26,791, the school is expensive, but the overall cost to attend it will now be 20% less by shaving off one academic year. “As costs kept escalating, it was a problem,” Mr. Deming said. “We saw fewer parents wanting to commit their kids to a five-year program.” In the four decades that the Cleveland Institute of Art had a five-year program, only one other arts school had a similar curriculum, Mr. Deming said. Initially, the five-year program set the Cleveland Institute of Art apart from its competitors because the curriculum enabled students to mature more before entering the work world and to spend more time in the art studio, he said. That approach worked for many years — with the institute’s highest-ever enrollment topping out at 640 students in 2002 — but enrollment has dropped in recent years, said Nancy Stuart, provost at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Last fall, enrollment was down to 548 students, including a class of 120 incoming freshmen, which was 14% lower than the incoming class of 140 the institute had projected, she said. Dr. Stuart said the art institute had trouble attracting transfer students who had attended other four-year art schools, as well as foreign students who wanted to study in the United States for a year. Mr. Deming said the new four-year program “helps us open the door to students who were choosing other places.” Under the five-year program, students spent the first two years taking prerequisite classes and didn’t enter the art studio until the third year. Going forward, students immediately will begin to explore the various arts in their first year, while continuing to take those foundation courses, Mr. Deming said. Students now will need 126 credit hours to graduate instead of the 150 required under the five-year curriculum. “They’re getting the same things. It’s just being condensed,” Mr. Deming said. However, students may stay longer and can take more master-level courses. Graduate programs, scholarship opportunities and enrollment will increase over time, but the art institute will need a new campus to support the growth, Mr. Deming said. The art institute for several years has talked about moving its East Boulevard campus to its other building at 11610 Euclid Ave., Mr. Deming said. “We’re committed to building a single campus by our factory building. A new building would be added next to it,” he said. Mr. Deming said the institute is talking to Case Western Reserve University and developers about a plan to redevelop the Triangle property on Euclid Avenue at Mayfield Road, which is owned by Case and is next to the art institute’s Euclid Avenue factory site. He said the institute should know within three months whether it has a shot at building a new school there.

Now I'm confused. We may be discussing two different things here! Maybe we should just table this discussion until dinner. By the way, why would we want anyone else to join this conversation? We've already said everything that needs to be said on the subject! (that's a challenge, suckas!)

From Crain's: Wind turbines top task force agenda By JAY MILLER 6:00 am, August 7, 2006 Cuyahoga County commissioners plan to unveil this week a regional energy task force that will investigate alternative energy sources. Commissioner Tim Hagan said the task force’s first order of business would be to investigate putting wind turbines in Lake Erie. Mr. Hagan said several private companies have expressed an interest in building a wind farm but that first a variety of legal issues must be sorted out. County Prosecutor Bill Mason will lead the task force. Mr. Hagan said the task force also will look into purchasing hybrid vehicles for the county.

^Really? I'm not picturing the curve... it seems pretty straight to me! So, you think that a well-designed enclosed platform is less scary than a well-designed public street as far as a mode for getting from point A to point B? I'm not debating the fact that a good station waiting area (complete with maps, signage, a "next train" ticker, and working light bulbs) is imperative once you arrive at the station, but I'm not sure I agree that all riders need to be herded down an eclosed corridor to get there. I guess I'm picturing a done-up E. 117th, though, with lots of activity. I'm not sure what could be done with E. 119th, though there are plans to build housing at the north end of it (Hemisphere) and perhaps a public garage in the middle. It definitely wouldn't be as inviting as the E. 117th side, but I think the majority of riders would be approaching from the west side (117th) anyway.

I had a long wait for the bus in front of the vacant space on the southeast corner of E. 4th & Prospect last night and got to daydreaming about what could go in there. I settled on a cafe that features loads of window seats and other cozy tables with comfy chairs. The Starbucks in the BP building certainly lacks the "sit and stay for a while" vibe and just isn't open very late. Others in the neighborhood are small or have poor hours. This one would ideally be locally owned (Phoenix? Arabica?) and would also feature a more substantial lunch menu than your standard cafe...pressed panini's, custom made sandwiches, etc...but would also be open late and of course, feature wi-fi access! The nearest cozy cafe is Rocco's (Huron/Prospect), but that's a little small and becomes more of a bar later on anyway. I'd definitely hit this place up on my way home from school/work to do a little reading and unwinding! Any takers? Finally, there's a new sign on the Sisser building... Condos for sale... 1,800 square feet, 2br 2.5ba.

^Agreed. But even if there wasn't a station entrance, per se, on Mayfield, but they built some sort of "gateway" pieces that announced the station at both Euclid & Mayfield and guided pedestrians, cyclists and drop-off traffic down E. 117th, I think we could achieve the same end.

I like it...anything that shakes up the monotony down there along E. 9th street is fine by me! I agree with the point that our open space options downtown are fairly limited to places with light amounts of tree coverage. The one exception that comes to mind is Perk Park (Chester Commons) which is slated for redevelopment. A question: was this extensive rehab proposed before the DFAS issue was settled? What I'm getting at is the question of whether this is an additional windfall from the announcement that we'll be getting more federal employees, rather than less. I'm guessing the added investment and the impact on local contractors, etc. would have been much less if the DFAS realignment did not go our way!

You mean a station entrance? I have no idea...I've seen so many different proposals! If it's in the middle, I would like to see entrances at both ends, but at the same time, if riders were directed down well-marked, active streets, lined with retail, then these "headhouses" may not be necessary.

^I agree that this was a shortsighted comment, but also that the article was positive and pro-rail and that the average reader would likely come away with much less speculation...this is what we do here on Urban Ohio. Of course we're more nit-picky!