Paul in Cleveland

Any news on when we're going to see renderings? Seems like it should be any day now, no? I'm excited to see what they propose ...

There are some renderings here: http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2007/10/cleveland_institute_of_art_unv.html07/10/large_ciamainjpeg I'm somewhat unimpressed; my first thought when seeing this morning's paper was, "Where are they building this parking deck and why is it on the front page?" Then, for a moment I was terrified that it was the unveiled Triangle/Contemporary Art building. Phew! :)

I had heard some time ago that there was a plan to eventually build a connector to get to the D concourse directly from the ticketing area, so you wouldn't have to go through half of the C concourse and then through the current tunnel. This certainly could be part of the plan. I posted a similar question (what would $50 million buy?) on a frequent flier board that I frequent, here is the most eloquent response: $50m is a lot less than you would think. For comparison, BOS's terminal A clocked in at around $500 million for 22 gates. As another data point, the new security checkpoint at CPH came in around DKK 200 million, or $37m at recent rates. With $50 million, my guess is you are talking incremental improvements to the terminals, along the lines of new checkin kiosks, renovated food/retail space, some renovations of the security lines, showers in the PC, etc.

Great news, I can't wait to see what actual improvements are going to be made. Wish they could just start from scratch on the whole concourse, but that would surprise me if they could do all that with $50 mill ... From the PeeDee: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1189586490312150.xml&coll=2 Continental plans $50 million expansion at Hopkins, source says Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Henry J. Gomez and Susan Vinella Plain Dealer Reporters Continental Airlines is expected to announce plans Friday for enlarging its hub at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport - an expansion that's likely to create hundreds of jobs and pump millions of dollars into the region's economy. Airline executives declined to talk about the deal Tuesday. But a source familiar with the plans said they will deliver the news to Mayor Frank Jackson and others at a City Hall meeting on Friday morning. Jackson's office would neither confirm nor deny the meeting, but State Rep. Matt Dolan, who earmarked $1.5 million in the state budget to aid potential Continental growth, said he has been invited to the City Hall meeting and was told the gathering concerned the airline. "I'm just assuming it's good news," the Republican from Russell Township said. Gov. Ted Strickland's office reported Tuesday that the governor also will be speaking with the airline's executives Friday morning in Cleveland. State officials, worried that Continental would choose instead to grow at its Newark, N.J., or hometown Houston hubs, dangled $16 million in financial incentives to land the project. Continental has offered few details about its plans. But in documents filed with the Ohio Department of Development, the airline said the $50 million expansion would bring an unspecified number of new flights to Hopkins and create more than 700 jobs. Cleveland is the Midwest base for Continental, which as of March had more than 2,000 employees here. The airline is Hopkins' largest carrier. To reach this Plain Dealer reporters: [email protected], 216-999-5405 [email protected], 216-999-5010 CONTINENTAL'S PLANS - The airline has said its $50 million expansion at Hopkins would bring: - 711 new jobs. - Increased flights and destinations. - More connecting flights through Cleveland. - New ticketing and reception areas.

I walked past yesterday after work, peered in all the windows, and saw nothing that I hadn't seen in the PeeDee over the last year .. :(

I think it's that the overall Pesht plan (or maybe the last stages) extends all the way north to where the Port is. So if the ferry thing brings up the news item that the Port is potentially moving to a different site (Burke instead of a new offshore island) that would allow it to vacate it's current space more quickly, it totally relates. :) (Phew!)

Sorry to say, it won't happen. I was at Parker last month, they're just opening up a huge new wing on their campus. They're there to stay.

Interesting to see the continued infighting. I hope that Menn's work will be looked at again, more closely... From today's PD ... http://www.cleveland.com/artsandevents/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1176539819101780.xml&coll=2 Out of the loop on the Inner Belt Saturday, April 14, 2007 Steven Litt Plain Dealer Architecture Critic The Ohio Department of Transportation has decided to build a $260 million bridge over the Cuyahoga River that a highly regarded engineer says is ugly and more expensive than it needs to be. The firm the state selected to design the I-90 bridge hired Swiss engineer Christian Menn to help with the work. Menn says that the designs he proposed are more attractive and that some of them could be less expensive than the one the state finally selected. But he says his alternatives didn't get a fair hearing... To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4136

Yeah, I like the drama that they're going for on that side, but in those models, it looks just horrible and high-school design project-ish. I sure hope the finished product looks/works better.

The Sheraton in Newton (suburban Boston) is built that way, too ... it cantilevers out over the Mass. Turnpike. I toured it years ago while looking for conference hotels in the area. Kind of freaky: The bottommost level right above the highway is the pool. I just had these visions of being in the pool and having the whole thing falling through to the turnpike below! ;) Can't find a real good image of it ...

FYI, I drove in today instead of taking the bus, and parked in the city lot by E 13th & Superior. I noticed that they've now taken even more of the parking away from the western part of that lot, as the construction tears up more concrete. I asked the parking attendant when they are going to close the entire lot, and she replied without hesitation, "Spring 2007."

Here's one more, I like this wide angle shot. Took it on a Chicago-Cleveland flight last Friday, Sept. 29th, about 2:30 p.m.

I walked past the parking lot at E12th and St. Clair this morning, curious as to whether there was a sign at the entrance or on the attendant's building, stating that the lot was going to close permanently in a week. Oddly, I saw nothing. If I'd parked there for years, I'd want to know that I had to find a new place to park with a reasonable amount of notice. Or maybe the attendant is just telling everyone, but that would be a bit odd. So, I guess I'm asking, is this a real groundbreaking (they're closing the lot and digging), or something more figurative?

I was aware that cooling towers did not necessarily mean nuclear plants, I was just throwing out a guess there. Obviously, a bad guess! :-D

Well, I only count 12, but what do I know?! :-D MayDay graciously offered to host the rest ... here they are: The I-77/I-480 intersection Cleveland Clinic area ... note the tall elevator towers, part of the new Heart Center Clinic again, with UH and University Circle University Hospitals and surroundings More UH University Circle Lake Erie shoreline east of downtown Cleveland The Gold Coast Ugly National City Bank building near W. 150th

(Am having trouble uploading rest of photos, stay tuned, I'll try later!)

Okay, here are some photos -- some okay, some so-so -- from a trip last week to Fort Meyers. Got some hazy skyline shots of Cleveland going down to FL. Coming back, I got a cool one of the little boot shaped part of Ohio that sticks out of Meigs County (it always amuses me on maps, and I recognized it instantly). Also what looks like a nuke power plant on the Ohio River. We then flew up past either Athens, Zanesville, or Newark, maybe? I'm guessing that mystery shot is Zanesville, but I'm sure someone will recognize it. We also skirted Akron, including the blimp hanger (which I'm going to Wednesday for the new blimp launching, can't wait!) and downtown. I got some nice shots of the Cleveland Clinic, UH, and University Circle, but was on the wrong side of the plane for downtown Cleveland, shucks! Here goes ... enjoy!

Thanks! I'm heading to Sarasota tomorrow, and if I get any shots going or coming back home, I'll surely post them!

Details are now on the GLSC website ... check out: http://www.glsc.org/visit/upcoming.php?id=298 ...if you can stand the horribly annoying music!

Here's a stab at what our flight path looked like ... I find this to be pretty consistent with flying into Hopkins from points west on many days (of course, wind patterns can make the landing direction vary, too). When the plane crosses downtown, we're not that much higher than the buildings ... maybe a few thousand feet? So the images aren't any sort of lens trickery. Hang out downtown and keep your eyes on the sky, and you'll see many planes on this sort of landing approach (again, depending on the day's wind direction). Sometimes you pass closer or further from downtown, and I don't always have the chance to snap photos when we're really close (and assuming I'm on the left side of the plane or even have my camera with me). Nighttime approaches are always amazing with downtown lit up, the Key Tower's little pinpoints of light clustered all over the crown are fascinating. I'd love to capture this someday, but not sure if it would be very easy.

That's the NE corner of Burke. It's part of the latest dredging/infill going on there Wasn't there a story a few years ago about coyotes or wolves or something crazy living there? (Seriously!)

Thanks! Actually, I took the photo on approach to Hopkins while returning from a biz trip to Kansas City last month. some more photos of downtown from that same landing approach are here: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=9142.0

Thanks MayDay and RiverViewer! For those of you who don't know the Cleveland geography too well, here are a few notes ... had trouble getting them in the original post. #1 shows Dike 14. See http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=8211.0 #2 shows Quay 55. #3 is mostly CSU. #4 is part of Burke Lakefront Airport. #6 shows the new wind turbine by the Great Lakes Science Center.

Here's an aerial shot from last month ...

Coming home from a recent trip to Kansas City ...