gottaplan

Former Goldman Sachs Director sentenced to 2 years in federal prison http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203897404578077050403577468.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

Damn those businesses trying to make a profit... They should hire more people than they need! And pay them more than needed! And make more product than they can sell! Jeez, Obama can't straighten everything out himself, he needs SOME help!

Actually, it was Highland Golf Course that got the conversation started. The course that the City owns, that the City lost over half a million last year on, which continues to slide in terms of quality and maintenance...

That is true, but why not at least authorize a "study" of what properties the City owns? Rank them in some fashion to keep, possibly renovate & keep, or sell. And put a real dollar value to what each. I don't think most people have any idea what some of these properties may be worth, or what they are costing the City, just to hold on to them...

Already has been pitched to several city council members and those on mayor's staff...

Talking with friends about the progress of the County property consolidation currently underway and what a smart move it was. Led to more discussion on how much property the City of Cleveland owns, old buildings, parking lots... some in use, some not, some used but hardly utilized... add in the Cleveland Metro School District and all their holdings, Cleveland Water Department, Cleveland Public Power.... the amount of properties that could be released to the public, available for redevelopment, released from tax payer ownership and overdue maintenance... It really seems strange that this hasn't been done. Of course the County property consolidation was partially due to the current HQ building being a POS, and the City isn't going to vacate City Hall. It could however generate millions in revenue from the disposition of some properties and stir some new development.

^well not ALL over town. Some places still need to sit in decline for a few decades till appropriate population and demand warrant redevelopment.... I think at least 1 main artery on the west side like Detroit would be supported though.

Until they get some major tenants signed up & committed, it's just a lot of proposals.

^the entire front side of this development is along Madison, which has excellent walkability. Too bad it's all rundown storefronts & pawnshops.... The railroad tracks, both Norfolk Southern & the RTA tracks, really sever this neighborhood from the rest of the Edgewater area. Going on the north side of the tracks by Baltic, you're back to solid single family homes and decent neighborhoods...

I've spent a lot of time in those Michigan waterfront towns you mentioned and they all benefit from being along the West side of the state and attract the big money investments from Chicago which drives up the property values. To some extent this is also true in Southern Wisconsin, just an hour or two from Chicago. The eastern portion of Michigan is nothing like the west side of the state in terms of upscale resort towns. Getting away from the Great Lakes shores and moving more inland, I have friends & family who still have large grain farms on the west side of Ohio. Corn, soybeans and wheat prices have been steadily climbing and farming is more profitable now than ever before. So many families benefitting from this. It doesn't do much for the smaller urban cities like Lima or Dayton, but there is a new source of wealth being generated in the rural areas without a doubt.

I'm friends with Rich Piiparinen and I've really enjoyed his recent writings. Obviously others have too, as he is getting a lot of national exposure, in Atlantic Cities, Andrew Sullivan's blog, Huffington Post, etc. I think it's a valid question to ask, are these articles blowing things out of proportion. The only things I would point out is that, in the BIG picture, rust belt cities are NOT seeing a revival based on the growing trend of "rust belt chic". It is in fact a handful of neighborhoods, like Cleveland's west side areas of Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit Shoreway.... and these neighborhood repopulations are not enough to stem the tide of Cleveland's serious overall problems stemming from population loss, brain drain, poverty, and crime. But in the "small" picture, there is some movement which is being created in these pockets, young people finding that it can be cool to live in the midst of old industrial settings from an era long before. It's unique, it's affordable, and in some eyes it's downright beautiful.

all these latest incidents are on the east side. Some of the council members and local ministers need to get control of the young people and stop the shootings as it's reaching an epidemic

I disagree, but we're getting off topic. I'll just state I'm not in favor of amending the state constitution for much at all at this point. If the redistricting is a good measure, then pass it as a law with bipartisan support, keep it off the ballot and leave the constitution as it is.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned on this which is leading me not to vote for it is that its another amendment to the state constitution. I don't like our state constitution being opened up & amended for things like this. I didn't like it for the casino either. In dozen reviews, it's been stated that this isn't perfect, but it's better than what we've got. Well let's keep at it till it's perfect, THEN amend the state constitution. Otherwise we'll be stuck with it.

is it typical for ODOT to share such long range maintenance/replacement plans? Would it matter if they said they planned to complete structural repairs in the next 2 yrs, then do a full replacement in 20 yrs? I ask the question because we've seen so much in the way of moving targets for these projects with the Shoreway & Innerbelt, nothing ODOT says would surprise me... whether it was "we've got the money" or "we don't have the money"

^wow.

^interesting tidbit of info there. I don't think anyone will disagree with you that the level of overbuilding roads our state & nation has done is unsustainable. What you haven't rectified is the job creation aspect that all this roadbuilding & maintaining has sustained. I don't have the statistics but I'm sure it's readily available how many union workers are employed, making good wages, doing road & bridge projects, both new construction and maintenance. Cutting the budgets for these types of projects will cut the employment of this sector directly by the same proportion. Middle class jobs gone...?

so make it 10 cents per year. You're still only impacting average commuter by $60 a year. That's small potatoes to avert the catastrophe and game-changing consequences that are being predicted in this thread...

I wonder how close they are to removing the buck-hoist from the north side of the building. Obviously need internal freight elevators functional for that to happen, but I'm sure they would like to get the building totally enclosed very soon.

That's an easy choice. If an average person drives 15,000 miles a year and gets 20mpg, they use 750 gallons of gas. an extra 2 cents/gallon is only $15 per year. I don't see many commuters have a problem with that to keep the status quo

It doesn't matter what I think, it matters what ODOT thinks. One other thing worth noting here, and ties back to some of KJP's comments about major roads being shut down, and possibly the Main Avenue Bridge, in the near future due to lack of funding... while I totally respect KJP's insight on transportation issues, I just don't see this ever happening. Not because it doesn't make financial sense, but because our elected leaders will never go for it. Road work = jobs. What candidate is going to successfully run on the platform that more roads need closed down and they are going to work toward that goal? At the same time, the road building industry is a powerful lobby. Labor unions, asphalt, concrete, steel & stone suppliers, equipment companies... they will bankroll candidates who vow to support bigger road budgets. Who's bankrolling candidates that say "shut it down, let it be overtaken by nature"? The very topic we are discussing, the Shoreway conversion, is being pitched very hard because local leaders want this construction project in their backyard, to show progress, to show jobs & economic activity. Who wants a busted up broken down highway in their district with pi$$ed off commuters in their district? Nobody. So just like local leaders "found" money for the second Innerbelt bridge and "found" money to move forward with the 73rd interchange on the Shoreway, I'm sure they will find money to replace the Main Avenue bridge and whatever else is needed.

interesting point but I think your numbers are skewed to support your argument. a new high level bridge probably isn't necessary. Massive structural support work could be done for half the price you quoted and likely extend the bridge life for decades especially if heavy bus & truck traffic is kept off. No way you could do a lift bridge for $50 million to carry the traffic over the river. The foundations for each side, the connecting roadways, traffic signalization further up stream, plus the hoist system and at least two lanes in each direction, you're more like $100 million and likely 150 million. The light rail project is way underestimated. This is farther than what was estimated in Detroit for their light rail project from downtown out to Midtown. Figure the basic rail infrastructure, utility relocations, new street surfacing, new traffic signals and signage, right of way acquisitions required a long the way (did you map out the route you had in mind? Detroit Ave possibly? I didn't see if you did further up thread) Plus the cost of new rail cars & power connections... more like $500 million at the minimum. Just looking at the numbers, reinvesting in the Highlevel bridge is a no brainer. Impact on the region is another issue and difficult to quantify

I don't know about any trucks being banned from the bridge, I drive it every day and usually see semi's getting on at 28th and trying to merge with eastbound traffic... as for buses, the latest RTA map still shows #55 bus going across the bridge...

The at-grade connections which some people are big fans of is essentially a moot point. And not because it confounds the west side commuters. It's a huge cost for very little benefit. What's the point of having an at grade intersection at 76th & 65th when you already have one at 73rd? Likewise for 54th & 58th, when 45th is 1.5 mins away, just up Tillman. The whole thing that got this thread stirred back up is the cost of the 73rd interchange. The railroad tracks here are a huge obstacle which is very expensive to overcome.

Main avenue bridge is irrelevant to discussion of this thread, which is BOULEVARD CONVERSION. None of the ODOT plans or any other early renderings for the Shoreway boulevard conversion or Lakefront plan ever proposed eliminating or substantially changing the bridge. Changes were proposed to the on/off ramps at 25th & 28th but that's it. The only person to bring the bridge into the discussion was you.