gottaplan

X - I wouldn't be so quick to say "that isn't going to happen". I've heard the topic discussed enough to know that everyone is aware of it. 10 yrs ago, nobody probably thought we'd throw out the current system and implement a new system. The same system we're all talking about has been implemented with success in a dozen other cities, with great success. All it would take is to create a referendum and get it on the ballot. Once that happened, I think it's anyone's guess if it would pass. Seems like you're against the new system though so I won't waste any more words on the possibilities. The new county council (who serve PART TIME) is going to oversee a portion of the county budget which is basically discretionary income, or about 10% of the entire budget. I'm sure there will be close collaboration between these new county council members and the respective city mayors/Cleveland city councilmen. It seems to me that this county council is going to spend more time on policy issues like job training, economic development, finding savings through shared services, etc.

I'm digging this back out. Had some family in town for the weekend and was telling them about the upcoming elections for County Exec & the different wards. My uncle asked me if I thought it was really going to make a difference. I think it will but it will take some time of course. I've had the chance to sit and listen to a few candidates speak and I think alot of these ward reps are going to be clueless. It's going to take them awhile before they realize this is not about bringing jobs or whatever to their little representative region. If it's going to work at all, it's going to be about creating real change, combining services, creating a system of policies for the entire region, instead of everyone having their own, which pits everyone against each other. So having said all that, I'm still unsure if that will get accomplished and how long it might take. Many years I'm sure, since alot of people will lose their power as the region becomes more collaborative and combines services. I'm just curious what everyone else thinks will be the outcome. Of course corruption should be gone for the near future when the current clan is ousted. One other thing, many of these races are going to be decided at the primary, especially those in the Cleveland limits, no Republican candidates stand a chance. The primary is the day after Labor Day, so it's going to be a low turnout.

I love going to Tremont and always take out of town visitors there. While walking around several times this summer though, my wife & I have both commented that several of the streets are poorly lit. The city needs to trim back the trees both above to let the streetlight shine down and really cut it back in many of the yards that reduce sight lines. Other areas, there just isn't enough overhead light. Either the lights need replaced or more need to be added. A few main arteries there in Tremont would really benefit from a streetscape program, similar to what's been done on Detroit or Lorain & other parts of the city...

I always enjoy Steven Litt's writings and this article has to be one of my favorites. He pulls no punches in his critique but at the same time usually points out what OTHER cities have done to improve their urban design. Slightly off topic, I went to a meeting recently for a new County Council candidate who was bemoaning the impact that ODOT has had on draining the city of population and allowing the urban sprawl to increase dramatically in the 90's & '00's while the inner city crumbled. He pretty much chalked it up to the fact that no State Governor has stood up to ODOT policies or put a director in place to make the necessary changes.

These types of threads always kill me. The original poster hasn't even commented in almost a month and here we all are, bickering away... "Shaker Heights! Tremont! Euclid! E. 4th!...." For all we know he's probably still in Michigan but we continue debating all the pro's/cons of each location amongst ourselves...

Busy day in Battery Park today. Framing on the last house on 76th is underway. The house is already sold and should close around the end of October. Powerhouse continues to move forward. Building out the inside space and backfilling all the dirt around the exterior. Temp fence was taken down and is stacked for pickup. Contract & lease are signed for the wine bar. Opening is targeted for Oct. 1st. Will have appetizers too. Asphalt paving behind the latest Skyview townhomes also along with landscaping going in. Should make the place look alot more finished. Next phase of that building should start soon also, only 1 unit left to sell in the current Skyview building. Still more action with the 76th tunnel renovation underway. Dozer was in action today on the slope between the RR tracks & Shoreway. Hopefully next week they start digging out for the new sloping grade change and it starts to take shape. Already looks totally different with all the trees cleared.

I was bummed to miss the last event also, if it's Aug 27th, a Friday night, I can make it

I used to really enjoy that site, found a lot of interesting articles, insightful commentary and some real investigative journalism. At a minimum, it was a great place to find out about current events, how to get involved and support local causes that needed help, etc. Now, it's a hodgepodge of commentary, most of it unrelated to the Cleveland area, on topics that are barely relevant to anyone. What happened?

Tree clearing at 76th tunnel is pretty much done already. View from up top in Battery Park and down below along the Shoreway or park area is totally different. Complete unobstructed views of the lake. I printed off plans from the ODOT website for the project and this new access ramp is going to be really really nice when complete.

The question was not a heartless one, more of a logistic one. Like it or not, there are over 2,000 people living there, close to 3,000 if you included the high rise building. It's not an easy task to relocate that many folks. Even if you sent half to other CMHA estates and half to single family homes through the Section 8 program, that's still a HUGE undertaking. And to be fair, not everyone in the place is a criminal. Many folks are very appreciative to be living there and want to see the thugs removed just as badly as us folks who are merely driving by occasionally...

Not practically, it is walking through the middle. Lakeview Terrace is one of the largest & worst CMHA properties in the city, definitely the worst on the West side. It's a "family estate" which means it has school age children, but it's bad for gangs & drugs, not bedbugs. The nature & layout of the property makes it difficult to police. Multiple offers were made by private developers in the 90's and early 2000's to buy this property up and redevelop it but the question was always "where would all those people go?" The buildings themselves are not suitable for reuse as anything. They were built in depression era and have long outlived their useful lives. They have been modified and renovated as much as they can be, but in the next 5 yrs I think we'll see a plan to redevelop this the same as what's been done at Valley View/Tremont Point, Arbor Park/Longwood, Garden Valley, and other Hope 6 mixed income projects. The city needs it and the residents need it. These old dense developments of public housing become a magnet for crime & drugs. Unfortunately some mental giants designated the site a historic landmark, which will make redevelopment even more difficult. ..."stepping off soapbox"...

Not practically, it is walking through the middle. Lakeview Terrace is one of the largest & worst CMHA properties in the city, definitely the worst on the West side. It's a "family estate" which means it has school age children, but it's bad for gangs & drugs, not bedbugs. The nature & layout of the property makes it difficult to police. Multiple offers were made by private developers in the 90's and early 2000's to buy this property up and redevelop it but the question was always "where would all those people go?" The buildings themselves are not suitable for reuse as anything. They were built in depression area as temporary housing and have long outlived their useful lives. They have been modified and renovated as much as they can be, but in the next 5 yrs I think we'll see a plan to redevelop this the same as what's been done at Valley View/Tremont Point, Arbor Park/Longwood, Garden Valley, and other Hope 6 mixed income projects. The city needs it and the residents need it. These old dense developments of public housing become a magnet for crime & drugs. Unfortunately some mental giants designated the site a historic landmark, which will make redevelopment even more difficult. ..."stepping off soapbox"...

^^Agreed! It looks terrible for anyone enjoying the view from Shooters or all the passengers on Nautica or Good Times... Spend $500 and put up some banners and fencing to show schematics or at least block the piles of rubbish that are there now...

Yes, that's exactly what I'm implying. They were in the area because they were visiting from out of town and took a wrong turn after walking out of the West Bank Flats toward their friend's house. Hts121 - what has been edited?

The downtown Alliance or Flats Oxbow Association or someone should get together and blast 19 Action for that report. If I was one of bar owners who's place was shown during that segment I'd be ready to sue for slander.

I emailed pretty much the same comments to the reporter at 19 Action News along with the news dept manager and the editor. Probably nothing will come of it but that seriously is one of the worst stories I've seen about Cleveland in recent history.

19 Action News Story - "Flats Attack - Two Men Vicously Beaten Downtown" http://www.woio.com/global/story.asp?s=12913618 Not sure if anyone else saw this last night on the news but I did and it was shocking. I guess that was the reaction that 19 Action News wanted the viewers to have. Only problem is, the attack didn't occur in the Flats or even downtown, as the headline and reporter would have readers believe. In fact, during the broadcast last night, the reporter was even standing on a busy corner downtown, talking about how downtown needs more cops to prevent such attacks. First off, the attack was at W. 25th & Division. This is neither downtown nor the Flats. It's the projects, CMHA's Lakeview Terrace. Second, why didn't the reporter come right out and say where the attack occurred? If the story finishes by asking for witnesses, give a true description of the area. Instead, they sensationalize it by painting all of downtown and the flats with this image of unsafe. So ridiculous. During the story, they even flashed photos of other bars down town as if to say that is where the attack occurred. Finally, the victims were two young white men, obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time. No description of the attackers either? Age, race, clothing? How are people seriously supposed to help identify them? These two guys got viciously assaulted and beaten so badly the one guy's skull was fractured!!! For what? Insanity! Following a week of news about the NAACP protesting cops & clubs on W. 6th and demanding a meeting with the mayor, where is the public outcry about this story? Sorry, but I'm so upset by this entire segment for so many reasons, I just had to vent.

Interesting. I know that little range off I-77 between Fleet & Harvard has been really busy all summer.

Work has officially begun on these two tunnels. Tree clearing equipment is working today at the hillside of 76th between the Shoreway & the RR tracks. They'll work on the slope till Labor Day weekend, then tunnel will be closed off and major repairs can begin. Majority of work will be finished this year with landscaping and some finish work done next spring. 10,000 cy of excavation at the 76th tunnel to cut in the new ramp, while about 3,000 cy of fill at the Lake Ave tunnel to bring that up to grade for that new ramp.

Went to go hit some golf balls tonight at the driving range that was located on Brookpark between Ridge & Tiedeman across from Golden Corrall. Saw it was all fenced off with heavy equipment & construction trailers. Anyone know what this is going to be? I always thought that was awfully valuable real estate to be a driving range...

That's cool. I was in Detroit working downtown when they were there filming the first Transformers movie there. Makes it really fun when the movie comes out to see how the scenes look as a finished product.

Very interesting that you brought up the Google map thing. I was looking at it last night, and they must've just updated that view about a month ago, like end of June, because I can tell by looking at the progress of the homes and I know what was done & when... Street view is still way outdated though, doesn't show much except blank fields out there, but new flashes every so often... weird If you really want to be impressed, come check out a volleyball league some night after work. People everywhere

Last house on 76th got the basement dug & footer poured last week. Only leaves 1 more to go, probably after the walls get poured & backfilled on the first one. Next phase of the Skyline townhomes, facing North between 73rd & 74th, should be starting soon also. Tunnel at 76th to the beach will be starting after Labor Day weekend. Powerhouse is progressing. I've seen an alarm company working out there recently and interior walls are up & painted.

Looks like the tunnel reconstruction projects at 76th & Lake Ave will start after Labor Day weekend. Pedestrian traffic needs to be maintained until then.

This should be interesting to see what they have to say, this is the apartment building on West 80th & Detroit - North side - three of the buildings are on W.80th between Detroit & Lake: You are invited to a community meeting… DETROIT TERRACE REHABILITATION/EXPANSION PROJECT Please join Mort Levin (President of The Levin Group and owner of Detroit Terrace apartments) as he presents his plans for a rehabilitation and expansion of Detroit Terrace. Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 6:30 P.M. St. Augustine Towers 6th Floor 7821 Lake Avenue. Councilman Matt Zone will be in attendance to receive feedback from the community regarding the project. Should you have any questions prior to the meeting please call Nanci McCormack at Detroit Shoreway CDO - (216) 961-4242.