gottaplan

Yes, those houses really stand out! When the Shoreway gets reworked, 54th Street will get a "right-in, right-out" intersection which will bring alot more traffic by them. Article in the PD talks with the owner/architect Robert Maschke http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2008/08/robert_maschke_house_in_clevel.html

Looks like another building is getting underway. I saw the survey stakes placed this week, not a large building, but we'll take all the new neighbors we can get.

Yeah, I think that's what they are. Very obvious on the Signal crossbars.

I would much prefer to see a small market, rather than another restaurant. IMO, we gots plenty of restaurants, but walkable/bicyclable grocery options are basically Save-A-Lot, StockYard Meats (thanks 'X') and the Vietnamese Grocery next to Minh Ahn + the Sat. Farmer's market. I'm not a big fan of the Arab grocery on Detroit in the West 90's; their produce looks good from the window but the selection is not all that great. So how bouts a market w/ basics and maybe high end wine & beer in the pwrhouse space? i'm guessing that with only 40+ units built-out, there is not enough walk-up demand to justify it. Thoughts?? I agree totally. A place that might also sell deli sandwiches & such. Don't include just Battery Park though, plenty of crossover traffic from the other two developments along the lake toward 65th... demand may not be that high right now, but initial startup cost would be much lower than a full restaurant...

That's only 2 blocks? I hope to see some more infill development as the theater brings people in. Renovation has also started on the Cleveland Public Theater.

Count me in. I'm a sucker for peer pressure.

The awnings were put up a few years ago when the building was remodeled. The awnings were part of a grant for storefront/signage. Sorry you don't like them. I think it adds alot to an otherwise uninteresting building and does a good job of posting the business names and addresses for not alot of money.

Is a casino appropriate next to housing per zoning? If that's the question, my answer is "no", but I suppose anything is game, considering the land is all currently zoned for industry or commercial. Anything is possible if the area was rezoned.

Almost forgot one of my neighborhood favorites, Don's Lighthouse!

Just curious, what are the eating/drinking places w/ seating you are thinking of around the Capitol that meet your criteria of being within a couple blocks? ALREADY OPEN -Gypsy Bean Coffee/Cafe, across the street -Luxe Kitchen + Lounge, 2 blocks west -Stone Mad Tavern, 2-3 blocks north (seating here is pretty expansive, btw) -City Grill Bar, 1 block east NOT YET OPEN -Wine Bar + Cafe, 1 block north Based on the above, what types of places would you recommend? Thank you for your input. Luxe & Stone Mad would be my first recommendations and both will be jam packed for several months after the theater opens. LaBoca is great, but a bit far to walk. Reddstone is fun for drinks and a bite, but is def too far to walk to the theater. Haven't tried City Grill yet. Gypsy Bean is great for coffee and a snack.

I'm looking forward to seeing the economic impact of the movie theatre on the neighborhood. I think that will be huge more than any singular thing to date. Agreed. The other stores & shops are more to service the people already in the area. The theater will bring in alot of people from other parts of the Cleveland area who will be getting a glimpse of the Detroit Shoreway area for the first time. Hope it's a good first impression. I think it's also worth noting that there is not enough places to eat & drink before/after the shows at Capitol theater. Cedar Lee has 8 or 10 great places within a block or two. The Capitol has about 3 that are that close and none of them have much room to really accomodate a crowd. Anybody been by to see the progress at the Powerhouse in Battery Park? Come by at night, it looks great with the new exterior lighting.

This "keep $1 Billion in Ohio" argument is ridiculous. People like to get away, travel, etc. No matter how big & how nice we make casinos in Cleveland & the rest of the state, people are still going to drive to Niagara, Windsor, Pittsburgh, etc. Maybe not as much, but they still will, because they go to see other cities, visit family & friends, etc.

While this streetscape is certainly very nice, I'm anxious to see how many new businesses open up in the area or existing businesses experience a surge in sales. There are still plenty of vacant storefronts along this strip.

A good portion of the streetscape work was done last year when the new conduit for power & traffic signals were buried. This year has been erecting the poles, pouring the curb & walks & repaving. I think the after-hrs work everyone is referring to is the Cleveland Power workers removing the old poles & wires and making the switches underground. This is probably easier to do after hours when businesses are closed and there is less street traffic.

We lose lots of 19 year olds to Canada where the drinking age is lower. Are you ready to lower that? How about those guys who go to Nevada to buy a legal hooker? Is Ohio ready for that? I just don't buy the "money is flowing out" argument. I think it's a small slice of a pie that's shrinking too quickly. Once every state has gambling the politicians will still find a way to have budget woes. Then what? Agreed!

I agree there ar eplenty of ways to induge a gambling habit already. but doing online poker is not nearly as enticing as going into the casino. Going into these places makes them feel like a bigshot. The doormen & dealers are taught to remember names and call you "sir". They bring you drinks and there is an air of excitement that keeps pleople playing longer than than can afford to. This is all a 5 or 10 min car or busride from the house. Enough about the social ills, I'd rather discuss the physical development. Just don't be blind and tell yourselves there won't be problems with increased foreclosures and such.

That's a pointless example. Casinos create & attract a different style of gambler then those who site at home and play online or buy lotto tickets. It's a destination with higher stakes and much more lure. Go sit in any of the casinos which border Ohio on a weekday and look at the crowd who's there on a weekday. Don't kid yourself that the pro's outweigh the cons. Do some research on the statistics of what happens to mortgage payments and foreclosures and repossessions when a casino opens up nearby. I have, it's shocking.

I disagree with this. States that have the 50% (or more) tax are finding it's not competitive and are looking to cut it below 50%. At 50%, payouts will have to be reduced and customers will figure that out. PA has the highest rate in the country (55%) (but they only have slots), and I think that will hurt them eventually. You need the casinos to be financially healthy. Not competitive for who? For starters, dont' let the casinos build some $500 million monstrosity and they won't have big construction loans to pay back. Put the casino in an already available structure someplace downtown like Detroit initially did. You'll generate close to the same revenue with a fraction of the cost. That'll help em be competitive. Don't include a hotel and it'll encourage people to explore the city to get a room. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Instead of comping people a room at the casino, comp them a room or meal somewhere else in the city. Sounds far fetched cuz it''ll never happen.

Agreed, there is no silver bullet. But you must consider that the majority of the gamblers will be those who can least afford it. Gambling casinos bring a wealth of social issues when you consider the people gambling away house payments, college savings, retirements.... let alone the consideration that all the money spent gambling would/could be spent on dining/movies/other recreation around the area. The cons can easily outweigh the pros. That's why this Issue 3 is a bad deal. Ohio must be very careful about bringing these casinos into urban areas.

That is a huge myth! Go sit at the exit of the Detroit Casinos and see how many of those folks are also going to the Dettriot Institute of Art, or dinner someplace else in the city or a show. They do not! Once the car is parked, that is IT! People stay at the casino till they spent all their money, then they go home! The buses full of retirees that go to Detroit casinos do not stop at these other attractions. They drop off & pick up right in front and that's all the further people walk! Some adventurous people might mingle between a Tigers game and Greektown because it's the only one accessible by the People Mover, but last time I checked, Greektown was had also filed for bankruptcy so there goes that theory. Issue 3 is not a good deal. I'm not saying I'm against casinos, but this latest proposal needs to be sent back to the drawing board.

I'm a native Clevelander who lived in Detroit for 3 years and participated in the casino building boom. I also got a Masters in Urban Planning at Wayne State while in Detroit and the impact of the casinos was debated ad nauseum. A few points I think need to be made - while we might be losing out as a state by not having a casino, that doesn't mean we should rush out and build them. Double check the tax limits on the revenue - Issue 3 caps that tax at 33%. It should be at least taxable all the way up to 50%. Also, any new bars or restaurants should be kept to a minimum inside the casinos. Don't kid yourselves folks, adding casinos will not turn Cleveland into Las Vegas. It will bring alot of social evils and not alot of good paying jobs. The clientele will be mostly blue-collar because the flolks that like to go to Vegas will still go to vegas. Tax the hell out of them and keep them small and don't give them sh!t for incentives or great real estate.

Excellent thoughts. Too bad the big money lobbyists basically write the bill in the State Congress before it goes to the voters... You ever thought of running for office?

Agreed, It is SOOO good to see this project moving (finally). I just hope they don't abandon the residential portion of the project. I agree, but I think the residential aspect is the least important. Plenty of real estate for sale sitting idle in Clevleand.

Hey neighbor! Congrats on your 300th post! ms

As a resident of this area, I was thrilled back in the spring when the "Battery Park" lettering was illuminated on the smokestack at the old powerhouse. Unfortunately the lettering hasn't been lit up for a couple weeks now. Probably switched off due to cost. On a good note, there has been a bit of activity at the Powerhouse lately, meetings with the developer and others, presumably to take a look at leasing the space for office or storefront or restaurant. Anyone who's not familiar with this building should really swing by and check it out. It's received a facelift to the tune of almost $1 million, in new roof, windows, floor and complete tuckpoint of all the masonry. Just sitting empty now though, waiting for a lease, then they'll finish up the sitework and build out the interior.