gottaplan

entire list is pretty unimpressive. That photo of Hillary is totally airbrushed too, no way is she that thin. She is never photographed below the waist cuz her rear end is large & in charge

Old remaining Garden Valley Housing Projects (how many other cities had projects with the same name?) are getting demolished finally. Not sure when anything will go back in the place, but it should improve the looks of the area nonetheless. They've been vacant for 3 years now.

Good stuff. I always wondered how they backfilled the streetcar entrance/exits to the bridge's lower levels...

reading the comments after a PD article on anything outside Cleveland sports is about as informative as the graffiti in a portajohn... don't read too much into it. I've talked to several people who've gone on these tours and all said the current County Admin building is a complete joke from top to bottom. Impossible work conditions, storage boxes EVERYWHERE, horrendous climate controls, windows stuck open/closed, poor lighting, ripped up carpeting, nasty restrooms... several also said the Breuer Tower is the best option for new County offices. Makes me wonder how much everyone will cringe if that's the result of this study, after so much controversy

Interested to see what plans the Chicago project has for addressing contaminants that might in the dredgings like Cleveland's dyke 14...

I think Dredgers knew they would only last a year in that space but did it anyway just to promote the brand in a high profile district.

until I read the flyer, I didn't realize the parking structure across the street was being sold with the rotunda & tower

Not sure if this link has been posted yet, but it links to PDF brochures of all the properties. Ameritrust Tower is certainly the largest & most complex property listed. http://pmc.pdt.cbre.com/IG/cuyahoga/dispo.html The buildings at 1276 West 3rd & 310 West Lakeside also look to have potential for residential redevelopment.

No that's not what I'm predicting or saying at all. I'm just saying these properties are costing the County money everyday in upkeep, utilities, security, insurance, etc. Parking garage is included with the Ameritrust complex. Full info here: http://pmc.pdt.cbre.com/IG/cuyahoga/pdf/bro/Ameritrust.pdf Interesting note on the last page of the brochure that various buildings in this complex would qualify for historic or new market tax credits...

How could the Breuer Tower be considered the least desirable? Asbestos free, 29-story tower by mid century master, attached jewel box banking hall, parking, at the crossroads of an area in the city with an apartment vacancy rate of 2%. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me... No parking, needs a total facelift on the outside, windows, etc. Interior has a floor plan that is terrible for both office or residential... I wouldn't be surprised if someone bought it to try & take it down. Big picture, no matter what the County gets for these properties, it's a win. They are paying millions to maintain them, even from the most basic standpoint, and getting nothing in return.

There's a handful of properties on that list that are very desireable. The two I'm most curious about are the least desireable: Ameritrust Tower & the old County Juvenile Court buildings

which existing property offering quality finishes & modern layout has vacancy? Something along the lines of this in Ohio City: http://www.friesschuele.com/ That is a condo building but many of the units are rented and it's a good example of modern finishes & layouts. The cost of new construction would certainly be a hurdle to overcome and some type of subsidy would be necessary, like a 10 yr tax abatement or low interest partial loan, but it's not far off

what evidence would be enough for you? Conversations with realtors, property owners and staff at DSCDO who all say they are inundated with requests? Perhaps the developer moving ahead with the warehouse conversion on 76th has some evidence of strong demand.... Congrats on the deal you got on your remodeled home but that is no parallel for modern apartments rentals. And I am familiar with LIHTC requirements but I'm fairly certain that was not part of the funding for the apartments I was referencing.

That day is not far off. Much of the apartments above Capitol Theater & such were renovated using low-income housing grants & such. Those funding sources stipulated the apartments remain low-income for a specified period. I want to say it was 10 yrs and those renovations were done back in 2004 so we're coming up on that date. When that happens, I think you'll see a dramatic change.

^I'm assuming by all the new buildings on Detroit, you mean fast food places, convenience stores, etc? I agree, those are crappy and should've been built into existing vacant storefronts. Nevertheless, market forces are rapidly changing in this area. Demographics are shifting and will continue to favor market demand for a modern mixed use building that could house a first floor bank, a deli (perhaps to replace the crappy Subway building), and a salon. Above could either be medical offices or apartments. Stong demand for both. I know people looking at this right now.

^right. Because you know how many phone calls DSCDO gets every week with inquiries about modern market rate apartments or office space available....

Sorry but it's crappy and you need a refresher on urban design. There's nothing architecturally unique about it. The other three corners of 65th & Detroit are occupied by 3 or 4 story buildings, with brick & stone construction, more architectural features. The building which houses Gypsy Bean is beautiful. The building which houses Councilman Zone's office & Duohome has great brick construction & stone details, even the building which houses the Capitol theater is three stories with brick & stone accents. City Grill is barely 2 stories, has cheap vinyl siding and is connected to ONE story hallway storefront which is functionally obsolete. It's not even full brick like the corner building which houses the Liberty Tax office, nor does it have any detailing above on the single bumpout... Knock it down. For the record, there are plenty of vacant storefronts still in this area yet and I'm not advocating knocking any others down. But at some point you have to recognize that what storefronts are available, do not meet the current demands. New construction can be designed to blend in with the existing design & add much more function and density (at least 3 stories to match the other corners). I enjoy old buildings as much as anyone, but just because a building is old, doesn't mean it's worth saving. Especially when it's in a thriving area like Detroit Shoreway, which has a strong demand for modern office space - nothing to offer between high rents of downtown district and 30 year old office buildings in Lakewood. Check out some of the new construction that's been done in Short North area of Columbus or Old Town area of Chicago via Google street view... great examples of new construction built in alongside existing old buildings, that add density and maintain the architectural character.

The City Grill bldg is cool. That windowless fortress though, not so much. What exactly is cool about the City Grill bldg? It's outdated 2 story, empty storefront & crappy apartment above? The windowless fortress is the bingo hall owned by the church (several years behind on back taxes) which only gets used once a month. Failure of planning to ever allow that along a busy artery like Detroit Ave.

The renovation at 5700 Bradley & the Waverly Station townhomes are both nice additions to the area but more buildings located immediately in the Gordon Square hub need converted to market rate. Something needs to happen along Detroit, right across from XYZ. There is a vacant lot, across from a parking lot, a single family home, some vacant storefronts.... I'd love to see it all cleared & something go back in it's place, more modern mixed use. Banks are already looking at the area for a place to locate. Could use a modern medical/dental office too

My source was Ari Maron himself, but a quick google search found some articles backing that up: Nick “Red” Hillman, the Rathskeller’s owner, wanted to be included in the City’s redevelopment plans, but was told that he would have to give up his location unless he agreed to make his bar upscale, so that it would be a fitting establishment for the patrons of the upscale retail shops being planned. According to Hillman, he would have had to pay three times his normal rent, so he could ‘fit in’ with the rest of the area’s renovations. After the Cleveland City Council declared the area around East 4th Street to be blighted, Hillman and other area business owners were forced to make a choice—either finance costly repairs on their buildings and change their clientele or risk losing the building through eminent domain http://castlecoalition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=452&Itemid=130

Keep in mind that the development's proximity to the airport pretty much dictates the height of the buildings will be limited....

You're still ignoring that "First & Main" was done because there was a large parcel available immediately next to the downtown which allowed the downtown grid to be extended & incorporated. Had something similar been available closer to what resembles downtown Westlake, I'm sure that would've been the primary site selection. Or maybe it would've still been the current site, which is very large, was a greenfield site, and had highway access a few hundred yards away... How many private landowners did Stark have to buy out to acquire the property which is now Crocker Park? Perhaps the answer is to just go ahead & make Crocker Park the formal downtown of Westlake. Put the post office there, the library, maybe the city offices in one of the new buildings....

^yes Weston holds several prime pieces of parking downtown. But "demand" is only half the story. Selling t-shirts at Abercrombie in Westlake is not the same as selling them in a newly built storefront downtown Cleveland. Much like the residential gains in Cleveland have all been in reconverted existing buildings, the cost would be too much for new construction. Demand for a $20 t-shirt is good but that same t-shirt downtown would have to sell for $35 and demand goes away.

Nobody has "forgotten" how to build a proper urban environment and I'd bet a month's salary that if the developer (Stark) had the opportunity to build in a downtown area they would have jumped at it. You're totally ignoring the excessive cost to purchase, acquire and develop a massive project like Crocker Park. It would be nearly impossible to buy out enough private landholders in a downtown environment to even build a third of it. Compare Hudson's "First & Main" development. Similar in nature, built to resemble a walkable, albeit recreated, downtown feel. Some on-street parking, but mostly parking in structures hidden back in the corners. For what it is, it's very well done. Hudson also had a single large property, who's former owner escapes me, but it wasn't a greenfield previously. Nevertheless, dealing with a single owner of such a large parcel, located right on the fringe of downtown made it tremendously attractive. Look at Steelyard Commons - developed in an urban area on a single piece of property obtained from a single owner. Or look at East Fourth - that project took years in court and questionable use of "blight" designation to assemble those properties. Also note it's not even a fraction of the size of Crocker Park. I would also point out that storefronts are struggling in that area because the rents are too high. Some market forces you just can't get around.

How about Serena Williams absolutely destroying Sharipova in the gold medal tennis match? Williams looked like she was just toying with her. Sharipova looked like she wanted off that court halfway through the first match.