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As of yesterday, the developer hadn't completely ruled out the pool, but I wouldn't bet on it.

^the new rec center won't open up until August, i believe. According to the developer of the old YMCA building on Franklin in Ohio City..he wants to turn three floors of the old building into a gym/fitness center (the rest will be lofts). He says that it should cost about $35 per month and members would have a key card that allow access. It wouldn't be a full scale fitness center.

Musky, Thanks for the updates. Why the increase for the student center? Did they select an architect? Any word on when that project will start? How about the transit center?

Here is the website for the August "Walk and Roll" event. It doesn't tell you much: http://www.walkandrollcleveland.com/

Go Irish! (but I'm a Buckeye fan as well)

I find this a little odd considering that they were going to occupy space at Cedar Center. Maybe they found another tenant for that space. Good news.

I don't know of any specific programming for the Gardens. I know that they will shut down MLK for a Sunday in August for some sort of festival. From what I can gather, the leaders of this festival aren't the most experienced bunch. Strap, A master plan process for all of Rockefeller Park has just begun. The plan will take a long look at improved programming as well as capital improvements.

Sure makes for an odd combination for one-stop shopping

They seemed to have done the bulk of yesterday's work after 5pm. It shouldn't take long to knock down those tin cans.

Supposedly Steve Litt will be writing an article soon on the recent concerted push to reconfigure the MLK corridor throughout UC. The Cleveland Foundation, RTA, VA and others are all pitching in ($$) to help radically change the MLK/105 and Chester/Cedar/Carnegie intersections. Additionally, talk is heating up about moving the E120th station over to Mayfield. Litt will do a better job explaining this.

Shouldn't this be moved outside of the Ohio City Discussion board?

I don't follow the Cincy stuff much, so forgive me for beating a dead horse: Every time I drive thru Cincy, I am astounded that they would block off views of the river with 3 large sports venues. If they had capped the highway, built some more residential and planned a large park along the river, Cincy would have to be considered as one of the prettiest downtowns in the country.

Not that I know the city like the back of my hand, but does Columbus really need to "come back"? Aren't its best years ahead? Its such a growing city that never really had a 'glory years' period like Cincy or Cleveland. Its unfortunate that there is so much sprawl, but there is enough inner city development and a holy grail educational institution to keep urban spirits high. Colday, I agree that Detroit is too far gone to hope for significant revitalization within Wayne County. As for the sign, I am not a fan. In terms of blight, Cleveland is Detroit's AA affiliate. It hits too close to home.

I believe that it is still $3 until July.

^I'm officially jealous. Great find, KJP.

While I would love to seen them put in place sooner than later, it makes sense to wait until the end. Glass can get shattered, etc.

I don't get it. I reopened it and it had 9 consecutive "o"s.

LeBron offers new digs Related Links LeBron James official web site

they just traded him to the bosox for a player to be named later.

Finch--they think that rehabbing a lot of the stock in the neighborhood will be a good investment.

I've heard that a certain developer (Park Lane Villa) has started buying up available properties in Hough and St. Clair-Superior that are close to Rockefeller Park.

Went to Tastebuds for the first time yesterday. Fabulous! I wish that they would open one in the OC.

I can't find the article on line, but they are breaking ground today on a 20-unit townhouse project at East Blvd and Superior that will overlook Rockefeller Park. Lebron James is one of the investors. The units will cost between $275,000 and $325,000.

While Roldo is dead on with the last paragraph, the rest of the article is crap. He makes so many assumptions in this article and presents them as fact. By the way, Tony Coyne was pretty upset because his quote was completely taken out of context.

Here's another beauty by Roldo. He is getting more and more inaccurate: RoldoLINK Shallow Plan For Public Square By Roldo Bartimole “The square is a ‘sleeping giant,’ according to downtown Councilman Joe Cimperman.” So writes the Plain Dealer in an article entitled “Civic leaders envision revitalized Public Square.” Cimperman has gone from a promising, bright, young and aggressive freshman Councilman to a sadly predictable politician. He lacks even the possible charm of a charlatan. It’s not all his fault. Reporters look for quotes to fit a need and Cimperman’s too accommodating. The Public Square article represents a model example of how certain people and interests get their personal agendas before the public. Their pitch may have little relevance in the extensive list of public need. Its only distinction regards its proponents’ mostly self-interested desires. When a politician makes such a trite remark as Cimperman did, you know the bullshit is already knee high. Check your wading pants if you are going downtown. The article tries to hit every civic responsibility button imaginable to sell its bill of goods. Please check your wallet pocket and pocketbooks. Not until the final couple of 39 paragraphs (and 90 inches of space, including photo and drawing), does some reality find life in the piece by Tom Breckenridge. (I don’t blame the reporter as much as the editors who assigned and allowed this pie-in-the-sky reportage to find public exposure.) Near the end of the drawn out propaganda piece we learn that even City Planning Commission chair Tony Coyne – typically eager to support downtown corporate interests – cautioned about the city’s tight budget. County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones, who also typically jumps aboard such civic propelled yearnings, also hit a bit skeptical tone. However, the rest of the article smacks of a press release that should have been discarded on its way into the PD offices. News is not supposed to be someone’s PR dreaming. That’s, however, what we get. The project is described as making Public Square “hipper.” Can you use a more un-chic phrase as “a hipper square?” That’s how this yearning is described. Someone is really reaching for superlatives to dress up a dog. The article says, “A band of civic leaders says it is time to push for retail, dining and entertainment amenities that would make the square a destination.” The names of proponents, however, indicate not “a band of civic leaders,” but a few of the same downtown trick artists: Ann Zoller, described as an “urban-park specialist, who once headed up ParkWorks, a worthy operation;” architect-developer Paul Volpe; and Joe Marinucci of the Downtown Partnership. These are people with a self-interest attached to their businesses and occupations. The selling job is painful. Zoller goes so far as to say in favor of redevelopment of Public Square, “You get people into public spaces, and the (homeless) problem takes care of itself.” Do they disappear into thin air, Zoller? When you get that desperate for reasoning to do something, you apparently are into selling ice to Eskimos. “A reconstructed square would generate nearly 4 million more visits a year, a 50 percent increase in use, the survey said. If every visitor spent just $5 at new businesses on the square that would spin an extra $20 million yearly into the downtown economy,” the article says. How many times can you sell something tired downtown by claiming a doubling of visitors and millions of dollars in added revenue? Please. This comes, it says, from a “study” of Case economics students. I’m told these were papers for credit by students. However, e-mails to the economics professor in charge for copies went unanswered. He may be on vacation, I’m told. It also stated, “Residents would tolerate a county-wide tax of $10 a year, generating $5 million.” Well that’s easier said than done. Volpe wants to be the big cheese for the project. Volpe is quoted saying, “We could do astounding things.” Public Square could be the “next big project,” he says. He wants some $40 million in public investment. What is Volpe proposing? He suggests (remember on public land) retail business, a restaurant, ice rink and amphitheater. Does Volpe understand that Public Square sits in front of Tower City, which cannot keep its retail alive? We sure need to spend tax dollars for a restaurant to compete with all the downtown restaurants we already have. Another amphitheater? We have two in the Flats. Should we use public money to subsidize competition to them? Does all this belong on public land, or as the article grandly calls it, “the iconic, nine-acre heart of downtown?” Who is trying to fool whom with this? Sounds to me as though Volpe wants another subsidized job. Breckenridge - and the proponents - unfortunately, try to cover every possible base in the sales pitch. Joe Marinucci of the Cleveland Downtown Partnership classically finds this exciting. That’s why he’s paid so well, $204,000 with some $18,000 in benefits and expenses in 2004. He worries about the lack of safety in the Square. So he proposes (with Cuyahoga County paying half of $300,000) “clean and safety patrols.” “The ‘clean and safety’ program soon will hire a licensed social worker who will work to get homeless people off the streets. To discourage begging, the alliance will ask people to give to social service agencies rather than panhandlers, says Marinucci,” according to the article. Now there is progress on the homeless program. Give your spare change to United Way. A few years ago, the Plain Dealer tried to hold developers somewhat in check by demanding that assurance of financing accompany their grand announcements. Apparently, this policy is now kaput. When you sell – and that’s what the PD is doing – these projects that may never come to fruition you simply undermine public confidence in the city’s ability to produce what it says it will do. When things do not happen though they get a big push off in the paper it damages people’s confidence. What the Plain Dealer should be pushing around Public Square at this time is for Dick Jacobs to build the promised structures where the parking lot on the west side has sat unproductively for the last 15 years.