gottaplan

I read an interesting article recently about the impact of TV & movies on young people, influencing them on cars. People who grew up in the 80's had car culture thrown at them non stop in tv & movies: hit shows like CHIP's, Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, etc all featured car chases each week, amazing driving, etc. Young men grew up & couldn't wait to get behind the wheel. Now, not so much, without counting the "Fast & Furious" episodes... I can't think of a single popular tv show out right now that features a car or a good amount of driving each week...

it would be interesting to know the negotiations going on with some of these primary challengers. It's not uncommon for the incumbent/favorite to offer these challengers money or a position to drop out of the race/not run in exchange for a cabinet position or the like.... Seems easier for Kasich to do this since he's the incumbent. Fitzgerald might burn up a good portion of his campaign fund in the primary and be outspent when it comes to facing Kasich.

I wonder what the cost of that new station at E.89th would end up being... $10 million? $20 million?

Perhaps. The instances I recall writing letters for were all repeat offenders where you couldn't help but say "why isn't this guy still in jail"

Sometimes, but not always. When I moved back to Cleveland in 2007, Detroit Shoreway had a program called "Courtwatch". They followed the status of crimes committed in the neighborhood & updated residents on the charges, sentencing, etc. We had several instances of "repeat offenders" that were arrested for assault, drug activity, petty theft, etc. Basic street thug stuff. Through the Courtwatch program, residents wrote letters to the judges at sentencing, demanding the stiffest sentences. It absolutely made a difference in keeping those thugs from coming back to the neighborhood, and it sent a message that our area was not a place to be a troublemaker. Without the letter writing & presence of residents at the sentencing, the judges almost ALWAYS gave the lightest sentence, typically 30 days in jail, then released. And those people came right back to the hood & caused more problems.

I don't think a beach or volleyball courts are in discussion anymore

including what's built in Battery Park so far & everything that's planned doesn't even make half the $500 million...

I just re-read the article that I linked in the comment above. Councilman Zone says the project is responsible for $500 million in development, already occurred or planned. I'm calling BS on that

Thanks for the breakdown, sounds like this project is 100% full steam ahead. Here's another article recapping the history: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/09/west_shoreway_conversion_to_bo.html As far as actual progress goes, the 73rd sewer relocation seems to be moving along ahead of schedule. The crew is laying new sewer across 73rd as of this morning. By end of January, they should be near 74th.

well, how was it

I lived in Detroit for 4 years, for whatever that's worth. if you're staying at the holiday inn express, you're right across from the Book Cadillac. Have a drink in the hotel lobby bar & see as much of the place as you can, even if you have to bribe the hotel staff. Ask to see the 24th floor conference room & the grand ballroom. It's amazing. While you're downtown, walk through the Fisher Building lobby and the Penobscot. Fantastic architecture. Skip the hotdog stands at Lafayette/Coney Island, they are both gross. I don't know how they stay open. Check out Indian Village Historic District, up Jefferson toward Gross Pointe. These were the homes of the mega-rich industrialists of Detroit around the early 1900's. Amazing architecture, see the Dodge family estate, it's incredible. Go a little farther up & drive around the loop to Belle Isle. Only in Detroit could such a fantastic natural amenity be so neglected. Spend at least an hour or two near Midtown, the cultural area near Wayne State & the Detroit Institute of Art. Some cool hipster college bars scattered around to get a cheap PBR and a few nice converted warehouse loft apartment buildings. See the Fisher building as well and the original headquarters of General Motors. It's mind boggling. If you are into ruin porn, you might as well swing down Michigan Ave to the west toward Dearborn on your way out of town & see the old train station. It's always featured in articles on Detroit's decline but was also featured in the Transformers movie.

They should have paid a bit more attention 10-15 yrs ago before the let in Burger King, Crappy's Pizza, Subway, etc in northern strip of Detroit

What I find most unfortunate is that the deceased was out on the streets despite a record that should have kept him behind bars for many years?

^I'm guessing you've never been in that place? Its one of the nicest office complex in NE ohio

So is the boulevard conversion part of this project funded? I'm hearing conflicting reports. I see that the mainline boulevard conversion & reconfiguring of 25th & 28th ramps is in design. Leads me to believe it's been funded. In other news, the sewer relocation for the 73rd street interchange seems to be moving ahead of schedule. I was told they'd be doing the sewer relocation for 10 months but I think they'll be cutting across 73rd (they started down at 69th) in the next month. I did hear that there's a major duct bank of fiber optics along the route that needs relocated as well which will hold up the connection near the Powerhouse in Battery Park.

Good lord! Complain complain complain! When finished, the FEB will be one of the most dense areas in the city. It's expensive to build multistory concrete & steel buildings! You need high rents to justify the high construction costs. If it worked, they would do it. But it doesn't. Quit complaining!

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood when their company president gave his presentation & showed all these developments with pools & retail built in, talking about their marketing data & how market rate apartments was where it's at... check out their website & see what they have under construction in Texas http://www.nrpgroup.com/communities.aspx#

^you can get satellite radio for much less than that. $30/6 month trial, then $75 for a year

NRP has very upscale market rate buildings all over the country.

Gordon Square has a historic district?

By the time the election actually gets close enough, this won't matter. There will be new issues to discuss. Have to remember what a small percentage are actually "undecided" voters, that aren't voting R or D automatically...

Agreed but these basic "jobs" just aren't that readily available anymore. Obviously manufacturing has shrunk but so many other manual labor entry-level jobs are just being replaced by technology/automation. We are in a knowledge based economy. Just bringing a strong back & willingness to work is not enough. People have to seek out training & education. If you don't, you aren't qualified to do much of anything.

He'll be getting on the express right after he wins in November. He has to make sure he fools as many moderates as possible into voting for him before he joins up with the nutjobs in the statehouse in pushing their Tea Party agenda. Kasich has gone against the grain of typical conservative expectations on a number of matters so far. No real reason to think his second term will be any different. I suspect he's giving consideration to a presidential run and would like to avoid any major dustups

If this CHMA property is indeed as valuable as some believe it is, wouldn't it theoretically make sense for CHMA to sell? It'll never happen. Disposition of a property like Lakeview requires years of planning, like literally 8 years or more. Approval from HUD is just one of the steps. Major step is relocating residents. These people have signed leases & don't want to move. There's about 2,000 people that live in that complex including the highrise. The Lakeview property itself is historically significant for CMHA & HUD for a number of reasons as well. CMHA had big money offers from local & national developers for that property back in the late 90's early 2000's and it never happened. It'll never happen.

I don't think anything will happen with the actual Westinghouse building anytime soon. First step would be an application for historic tax credits I would think. The surrounding area which is low rise warehouse/manufacturing & parking lots is ripe for development though. I heard a rumor recently that NRP Group of Garfield Hts was looking at the area for a large scale apartment complex. That would be huge for the area.