clvlndr

The vast anti-density conspiracy strikes again! I'm telling you, it's real and it's the #1 problem in this town. http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,26612.0.html This is disturbing, but not totally surprising. The biggest obstacle to development progress in this town is the pure selfishness/small-minded-ness of major property owners and retailers. Every man (and woman) for him/her-self and to hell with the greater good of the city.

^This unfortunately, isn't a new problem with RTA during some of it's big event, crowds, using the rails. Oftentimes those RTA guys that strut around with their walkie-talkies and those bright yellow vests and the words "GCRTA Supervisor" written on the back, don't have a clue -- they just try and act important.... It's a shame because, you would have thought by now, RTA would have Browns' game/Waterfront Line crowds down to a science -- they've been doing it for 13 years, now... I haven't been to a Browns home game since 2007 (why waste my time on such a hopeless team?). We were pleased/surprised how smoothly RTA moved people and trains in and out of W. 3rd without a hitch... Sounds like some of the bad old days may have returned.... btw, back then (2007), before RTA went to the Proof-of-Payment fare system, they allowed Red Line passengers to transfer via large ramps outside of the fare-pay turnstiles in the station. I think they've stopped that, now. Not sure POP is the reason.

I'm sure it was just someone who wandered in from cleveland.com.

I'm with you... the good news is that RTA, in announcing the service increases next for next spring, has all but stated that the Waterfront Line will return to weekday service once the East Bank project is finished... As for the other development, I can't help believe that the retail/development frenzy will spread to the group of buildings (including Samsel's), south of the Main Ave. bridge. Hopefully, it will buzz back to life a-la 12-15 years ago, esp with some kind of restaurant in the old Watermark building. All the buildings on the river side of ORR are beuties which must be brought back to life. Adapting the Samsel warehouse into loft apts would be sweet.

Burke wrongly located? Maybe you're right, but that train has left the station. Frank Jackson is against closing it, and evidence suggests a lengthy red-tape battle with the (Federal) FAA in order to close Burke, so we might as well live with it. As we've seen, with evvents like the Tall Ships, people will flock to the area if there are worthwhile attractions... I'm willing to give this plan a shot. Jackson's modest-plan approach is most likely doable. As we've seen, sadly, Cleveland trouble pulling off large-scale projects -- you have to go back to Terminal Tower (Tower City) Group, the starting of the Red Line Rapid, or the Mall Group (which stretched over 3 decades), to see that... Perhaps you could throw in the Gateway Stadiums as more recent evidence...

... Tuesday night, around 8:45-9p-ish was pretty slow downtown, but there was a decent buzz along Euclid... We were heading toward Tower City at E. 2nd, when a jam packed Healthline bus pulled up to the stop and (practically completely) unloaded. Folks (and I don't recall seeing anybody who looked over 30; maybe even 25), streamed from the "station" to across the street along with us heading, also, to TC -- suddenly we were amidst a hoard. I noted a few folks headed south on Ontario while a few others headed toward other bus stops... one guy went into Cadillac Ranch. Everybody else went into Tower City, down the escalator to the Rapid -- the bulk went to the Red Line; some, Blue/Green (like us)... [we decided to grab a drink and what NCAA basketball on the tube,... er, flat screen, at Tower 230, which unlike the rest of the closed-up Tower City, was buzzing with activity -- the bar area was nearly full; great to see] But, yes Martha, lots of folks are using the Health Line and the Red Line, now happily, running at least 2-car trains at all times of day -- with, thankfully, that foolish front car used/2nd car empty trailer, policy being a thing of the past...

Troublemaker. :whip:

As I said, I really like that CATS run the LRT behind the building lines through the heart of downtown Charlotte (Chicago L style)... I'm a little puzzled though, that the tracks aren't completely elevated through downtown -- but it's still infinitely better than street running imho.

^That's what I'm talkin' about. :clap:

Clevelover, we appreciate the shout out. Just remember, be patient my friend...To get where we are, today (34 miles of rail rapid transit (heavy & LRT), 7 miles of BRT), Cleveland has taken a mere 98 years!! (the 1st portion of what is now Green Line service started Dec. 1913!!); and we still have a ways to go to get our rail network where it needs to be although we do appreciate what we have... Charlotte's definitely on the right track -- one thing I like about CATS light rail is that it is apparently very fast and has a private ROW in downtown Charlotte -- with no slow auto-interfering streetcar track-age that so many new American systems have in cities that can't get subways or private ROW's done. Charlotte also has developed a separate streetcar system to run in tandem with CATS light rail – that’s progressive, imho. Keep in mind, the CATS rail you already have and are developing, puts you light years ahead of comparable, even larger metro areas that still can decide what they want to do, ... if anything (ie. Milwaukee, San Antonio, Indy, and, yes, sorry fellow UOers... Cincinnati).. As for comparisons to RTA, you guys down South will get there; and probably a whole lot faster than Greater Cleveland...

... and I don't count the PM. Plus, isn't San Antonio larger than Cincy (metro wise)? As far as I know, San Antonio has no rail either.... ... and it's a shame about Cincinnati because it would be (... let's keep saying WILL be), such a great city for rapid transit -- better than either sprawling metros like Detroit or San Antonio.

It will be interesting to see what they do with the Zinc space then. The impression that I have gotten regarding their restaurant is that it will be similar to their Dim and Dem Sum foodtruck. Which is a completely different atmosphere than what Zinc currently is. IMO, Zinc was always good, never great but good. Their patio really is fantastic so hopefully that will be fully taken advantage of. It is interesting that they were bought out, they could work in another spot DT especially over by PHS. Whatever the new restaurant, the MUST maintain the patio decor of Zinc... Along w/ Pier W., it's the sexiest eating venue in the region, imho.

Bon Bon is a very attractive space and the food is pretty tasty, too... It's big windows and attractive decor seemed to suck in a number of "incidental pedestrians" as opposed to appointment visitors... This is another establishment that is stretching the Market Sq. District, this time west along Lorain... Hopefully it can be stretched further west to that gorgeous historical cluster where Touch Supper club is. Any prospects here? Is Touch going to remain strictly a bar/club, or become something more accessible, around-the-clock?

McNulty's the man... Market Garden is always buzzin' with activity, even on slow Cleveland Sundays... During prime time (aka Happy Hour/dinner time), the joint, which is gigantic, is packed to the gills...

Let's hope Wolstein sticks to this schedule for new rental construction ... has his'dispute' with the Port Authority been resolved?

Very pleased with the service additions: it's all good... Might suggest 15-min service on the Red Line for Saturday, too, as there is a lot of traffic to core areas (Tower City, Airport, Ohio City and, no doubt, the upcoming Univ. Circle Uptown development)... Sundays can remain at every 20 mins; Sunday's a slow day in Cleveland except, obviously, on Browns/big sports days... But overall, I'm very pleased by RTA's recent success, moves...

I would think, given the potential for moving all bus terminals from Public Square, including the Health Line, in accordance with plans to turn the Square into a public park, RTA should consider a Ron Tober/Gateway-like tunnel/underground walkway, from Tower City under super-wide Superior to the new Transit Center. Although this tunnel would be wider than the Tober walkway, and have some retail space... This tunnel would not only funnel bus-to-rail/rail-to-bus commuters, it could also connect Tower City (and the casino) more comfortably to the WHD. How about it?

Let's hope so...even though they've been a more responsible newspaper/citizen in the past year or so.

I'm shocked and highly disappointed to hear of the impending closure of FFB. I don't hear how much better this chain called Titled Kilt is than Hooters (and it doesn't sound like it's much better), it's not going to replace a great place like Fat Fish. FFB was more than a Cajun-themed restaurant, it was a happening -- a great place for blues bands and, yes, the Louisiana cuisine was awesome. The place was always buzzing with activity and, on many weeknights, packed. And for the Rock 'n Roll city, the live blues venue fit right it... I noted the rationale for closing now; still, I'm surprised FFB would shutter just before the dawn of the casino and the prospect of greatly increased traffic. Because it was right in the heart of downtown, it was a major place I'd take out-of-towners... This is really bad news.

^thanks, murray, as usu...

Scav, if somehow we could pull this off, I'd be dancing in the streets... Only in our dreams... I love for this too happen but I just can't see the density or diversity of use to support a subway loop. I hear you biker, ... but maybe what we're seeing is the rebuilding of Cleveland's core, so that such density can be created. Consider how far we've come in just 2 decades, with heightened growth over the last 5 years along the Euclid corridor. The casino, the med mart and the return of the Flats (East Bank), all have the potential to spin off high density growth (esp the casino)... Also, as Ohio City continues to grow, you're already seeing downtown connected to a sub-downtown (entertainment/residential-wise) connected by a 2.5 min heavy-rail subway/metro ride... and this in the car-is-king! Midwest.... If a sprawling, former country-town like Atlanta can spawn density to support heavy rail metro, so can we.

Scav, if somehow we could pull this off, I'd be dancing in the streets... Only in our dreams...

Seems striclty a financing issue, from the article: "A developer hopes to close this month on financing for a hotel next to University Hospitals." I saw this... I guess I was perplexed since it was in the design stage in 2010... Let's hope they can nail down the financing. With all that's going on nearby, esp the redesign, expansion of UH and the Cancer Center next door, you'd think financing of a modest 150-room hotel on site would be a gimmie, esp with no other ones on campus.

^correction: Circle East was initiated under ousted mayor Eric Brewer (who came to EC with promise), but then halted by Brewer and, later, revived under Norton... Still, Norton is a breath of fresh air... .... and now, back to U. Circle develpment.

Couldn't be more excited for U.Circle -- 2 things... would LOVE to see Commodore Place return to it's roots: a classy hotel; it's architecture and UC context would boost its status to the stratosphere; vacancies would be rare; rentals, high -- but I'll happily take a market-rate apt building. Secondly, I'm still a little troubled by the Courtyard Marriott listed as a "site" and not a nailed-down project... A quick Google shows the most recent articles on this project to be in 2010 with a projected groundbreaking in "early 2011"with completion in 2012... Well.... Obviously this project is being held up by something (more than it's supposedly bland design).... U.Circle is badly in need of hotels (that aren't all situated on/oriented towards the Clinic)... Can anyone explain what's going on with the Marriott? Otherwise, on the whole, these projects collectively are all Aces. I particularly like Circle East in East Cleveland... for this alone, EC mayor Gary Norton is bordering on hero status imho.