clvlndr

Patience. Just 11 more months and Bush's ass'll be out of there. Hopefully the new White House occupant will have a last name other than McCain. If not, God help us.

Good luck, psdc... For info & news about what’s going on downtown, you may want to check the Downtown Cleveland Alliance website: http://www.downtownclevelandalliance.com/ I would also GOOGLE whatever interest/professional group you have in mind and add downtown and Cleveland and see what links come up… I'm curious, what downtown district did you & H move to? Also, since you’re becoming more transit-knowledgeable, you might want to hop a Blue or Green line Rapid train to Shaker Square (13 mins) esp on a Friday or Saturday evening. Nice quaint square with a number of restaurants, movie theaters, a Dave's Supermarket and some minor nick-knack shopping-- all in a compact 4 quadrant walk-able square. In nice weather all the restaurants -- which run the gamut from inexpensive (including Dewey’s, a Starbucks-esque coffeehouse) to very expensive -- a have patio dining in warm weather ... The architecture of the Square and apartments around is old and quaint and the area is very diverse and quite safe in the immediate area of the Square. There's a private security force the supplements the CPD in Shaker Square. The Square is just inside the City of Cleveland but right on the border of Shaker Heights which, generally, is an old money, inner ring East Side suburb -- kind of like Chevy Chase in the D.C. area, although Shaker's housing is even larger, generally, and there are more natural amenities in Shaker Heights than Chevy Chase —the Shaker Lakes are a 10-15 min stroll from Shaker Square on a warm summer morning/afternoon... Check it out.

Chris Ronayne is certainly the right man for the UCI job -- UCI, (with all due respect to David Shuster) historically, has been pimped by UH in every land grab its wanted with little conception or drive to create the retail/residential-centered walkable community Ronayne envisions. Once again, though, I'd like to know more particularly about the financing hurdles/efforts Zaremba is facing to know how likely a mid-2009 Uptown groundbreaking is.

^^Mark Funkhousers are unfortunately all too rare in this country, but in terms of building successful transit, it usually comes down to 1 or 2 driven, powerful individuals like KC's good mayor. But KC’s sure lucky to have him and their chances for mass transit have just increased exponentially by his being elected Look at Baltimore. Had they not had Mayor Wm. Donald Schaefer, Baltimore most likely would have no rapid transit at all, neither Metro nor Light Rail -- as well as not having a lot of other cool stuff in town, like the Inner Harbor... More common in America is that 1 stinking individual who rises up to kill transit: like that Republican who campaigned to stop Cincy's promising LRT/commuter rail plan of a few years ago or Cleveland's infamous subway killer, Al Porter. More recently, we had the Summit Co. suburban town of Silver Lake that killed off any further study of the Cleveland-Akron-Canton commuter rail. Obviously Funkhouser has an uphill climb in KC, but also obviously he’s a student of cities, like so many UOers, and knows how critical quality mass transit is to a city. And his pugnacious attitude toward transit is key, too... If you have a guy like this and a similar minded transit chief, it can happen despite antagonists like that Overland Park mayor-- getting this guy. The task is daunting and the odds are stacked against him, esp w/ that archaic Johnson County consensus-of-mayors setup. But at least in KC, they've got Funkhouser and, with him, some modicum of hope. Here in Cleveland, we merely have funk: too many people, including the transit chief, who believe rail is simply too expensive to even consider along with a cadre of public officials, from the mayor on down (and a succession of mayors before him), who don't see transit at all or, like that Overland Park mayor, simply have it so far down their pecking order of importance, it'll never see the light of day, esp in today’s Bushworld of dreaded Federal revenue sharing and slashed FTA local transit funding. It's why grass rooters like All Aboard Ohio are so critical in conservative cities and states like ours to keep pushing the agenda by, largely, educating the public with facts, so much so, that pols simply are forced to climb on board.... or get run over.

You're right. I searched and had a little trouble finding it. I'll keep an eye open for it.

I love what they're doing w/ E. 4th, and the location and unit amenities (granite tops, stainless steel, fireplace, yadda, yadda) and size (1800 sq ft) are nice, but comparatively speaking, $425K seems a tad high. For one thing, the view can't be all that great. I'd like looking down on 4th St, but really, its so narrow it might seem claustrophobic. No lake/river views, no sweeping downtown panorama -- this building's too short for that ... yes, in NYC realtors can get away with this, but in Cleveland? Plus, I'm a little surprised the windows weren't removed and expanded (although, maybe historic pres considerations were at issue). Those little windows in the “great room” are a turnoff. I demand lots of natural light in my homes ... Also, as great as this location is entertainment, restaurant and transit-wise, there's no grocery store in the immediate area in easy walking distance -- one must get to Reserve Sq or Constantino's -- which, though very nice, is pretty expensive. And then there's the old downtown bugaboo of lack of major retail. Unless Tower City, 4 blocks away meets your needs, well... Compare Pinnacle, an all new building which has many of the things I mention as lacking in the Krause (Wonder Bar) Building. What are they charging for comp-sized units? What about Sincere across the street or the Park Building on Public Sq?

"He and developer Nathan Zaremba plan to break ground for Uptown in mid-2009, after resolving thorny issues of parking and financing." Financing will be a big hurdle, hope they can launch it. Hopefully Zaremba's success downtown with Avenue District can buoy him during the current housing financing crunch... Also, all's been quiet from the Hessler Ct crowd. Have they been satisfied by Uptown or waiting to pounce?

Watching President Bush ask Congress to slash or eliminate federal funding for Amtrak has become an annual Washington rite that sends railroad aficionados scrambling to lobby Congress to preserve federal aid. :whip: Here we go again. So it's only the "aficionados" and choo-choo 'buff' who fight to persuade congress Bush's atrocity cuts are a bad idea. Fact is, NE congressmen and senators from both sides of the aisle, from Lautenburg, to Specter, to Biden to Frank, among others, always fight these cuts. While the John McCains (who Ohio is, of course, poised to help send to the White House) who support Bush's cuts. I just hope Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid don't roll over and play dead like they've been for every Bush Iraqi initiative... History says the NE Amtrak lobby is too powerful to allow the weak Pelosi/Reid backbone rule the day.

...... btw, what's new w/ the West Shore commuter line? Any more developments re used equipment, Cleveland routing and CVSR cooperation?

All Aboard Ohio gives me hope.

Once again, it's rather depressing that other areas are so aggressive re LRT and transit yet we here in Cleveland are so conservative...

I think it is. I think there was always talk of a residential tower or two at Lighthouse Landing and that one of the towers could be a hotel or office space. Given the stagnating nature of RE in town, right now, it's not surprising that office space is winning. At least there's positive movement at FEB. There's now a feeding frenzy among major commercial tenants.

Good points. I don't disagree.

and the most ridiculous part of it is probably them asking for the waterfront line (or "a bunch of crappy rails") to be moved. too bad the port/city council/city planning are spineless. money talks i guess..... These "crappy rails" would directly serve Eaton's property with it's own station.

I don't seem to have a problem with who runs it, so long as the City's interests are protected, ie, we get access for other large scale conventions we need to have it. My guess is this arrangement, since used widely, is a econ benefit to the host city and can take a burden off the tax rolls. We must also, obviously, negotiate a fair operating (agreement) price. This article didn't mention where the negotiations were on where the MM/CC will be located. It MUST be downtown. We should not give an inch on this. We're the only major city I know of that has its large-scale convention center at the edge of town -- over 10 miles away from the city center. The IX center is killing downtown. It's big, but it's a wasteland, face it; in the middle of nowhere. And I know it's fashionable for some on this board to pooh-pooh the benefits of a CC. They may not be the "magic bullet" but other cities are building and expanding theirs and making them boost their cities. Indianapolis, for example, a much smaller city than Cleveland, is tearing down the RCA dome to expand its convention center (oh yeah, and their new home for the Colts, which is just outside downtown, will the retractable Browns stadium should have had so it will have multiple uses unlike our lakefront-blocking edifice). And, because of its convention center, Indy has (at a quick glance) at least 3 hotels larger than our largest hotel (Renaissance at a measly 472 rooms), including Marriott - 615 rooms, Westin – 573 rooms, and Hyatt – 497 rooms (plus, Indy has 4, AAA 4-diamond hotels to our 1, the Ritz, of course). Again, we're talking little Indianapolis, not NY or Chicago or even Philly ... Frankly, I don't know of any major city that has as few downtown hotel rooms as Cleveland... Many of Indy’s bigs are attached to its CC. ... Bottom line, we need to get what's best for Cleveland re this MM proposal, but we need to get it done. Our downtown desperately needs it.

Very impressive. :clap: I'm excited for completion. I really like Zaremba's piecemeal approach to development here. It's much like how K&D approached Stonebridge and, I think, the way to do it, esp in Cleveland's volatile economic climate.... I wish Bob Stark would take that approach in the WHD instead of waiting/looking for the Pesht home run. Wouldn't a similar sized building (to Zaremba's) look nice at the corner of W. 6th & St. Clair across from the Metropolitan?

Keep writing our Democratic congressmen (and Senator) to fight Bush in this pitiful Amtrak budget until his lame-duck ass is outta there come next Jan. Obama, Clinton, any Dem is better than the Republicans on this score. If memory serves, wasn't it McCain who was behind the Amtrak initiatives that cut a number of small cities from the lines and, ultimately, break Amtrak up and privatize it -- hastening its doom? :whip:

Didn't hear about the auto-Rapid crash, but then there was this (below) which underscores my call for more Transit cops wandering the system and being stationed at major rail stops. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/02/rta_rapid_shooting_might_have.html RTA rapid shooting might have started with 'a vendetta' Posted by Mark Puente, John Caniglia and Jesse Tinsley February 04, 2008 20:18PM Categories: Crime, Impact An East Cleveland man thought two teenagers appeared suspicious Saturday night as they ambled around the RTA rapid platform at the Woodhill Road station. Within minutes he and his 8-year-old son were diving for cover, rushing through the open door of a train as one teen opened fire. "He pointed the gun at me, and just then the train came at the right time," the boy's father said Monday. "We got on, and I covered my son. The other people on the train ducked, too. My son was terrified; he still is." The train pulled away and the teen gunman and his companion ran from the station. Moments later, in what police said was a random act of violence, the gunman fatally shot Mandrell Means as the 33-year-old walked home. .....

I also wonder about the "ugly" facade of Dollar. Sometimes older buildings drill hangers into facades and hang panels that cover the older parts, which can be removed and the brick, re-pointed underneath. Not sure that's the case here... ... Tearing down buildings for parking, again. I wasn't wild about it even on E. 4th, but it isn't terrible, ... I guess, although there's a gap on E. 4h and Prospect... There is access. But again, it's not as big a gap is what Dollar would cause. And consider, 668 is 1 building. E. 4th is an entire street with retail and, eventually, over 300 units, and yet, the small surface parking, which does allow access to HOB's stage, plus the small basement lots in the buildings themselves, accommodates this whole block-long street. Yes, this does seem like it's bringing a suburban mentality to downtown. Density is what a downtown seeks, not open spaces for parking. We should be about eliminating surface parking, not increasing it… Isn’t that what Stark is striving to do at Pesht in the WHD. Downtown is very compact and walk-able, plus is well served by bus and rail transit (and, yes, will have BRT right at its front door). While I'm excited about the prospects of 668, tearing down Dollar sounds like foolishly robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Nice job, mrnyc; very educational. Imagine Bigelow, a small 168-year-old apothecary, now selling online!

These threads lead to the Q: is Buffalo more Midwestern or is Cleveland more Northeastern? Whatever the case, its clear these 2 towns are surely birds of a feather.

Good catch, cle. I noticed the same thing the other day at OC/W25th. I think the sign is broken. Jerry can fill us in.

I can't understand why this project is 5-10 years away from construction even starting. Why? We spend so much time talking and planning and then, once the time passes, some quiet snag has been hit and everybody forgets about the project. It's at least been 5 to 10 years that Shaker began planning for this, if not more. I don't get it... The Sussex Courts condos, which were supposed to be an upscale, high-density transit/retail oriented adjunct to the Warrensville/Van Aken project has been completed for over 2 years. ... Anyway, I like the idea of extending the rapid through to the UH complex. I wish money could be found for a rail underpass because, despite the traffic calming aspect of this project, this will still be a very busy traffic intersection. This expansion could finally set the stage for eventual Blue Line expansion all the way to Chagrin Highlands. But the article mentions the scariest Cleveland words for even the short UH rapid expansion: "at some future time." In Cleveland parlance, that is often a code term for "never."

Not sure of the specifics, but most require the owner who wants to demolish or substantially alter, to petition for permission to whatever commission issued the declaration of historic status: city, state or federal. The past cases I’m aware of, though, involve owners who buy a property already so designated meaning, they’re on notice. (and like most things in our profit-driven country, if a compelling case were made by the Clinic centered on, e.g., increasing CC’s financial viability along w/ CC’s national prestige, a waiver or variance to the designation could still be granted) I think it's tougher sledding for preservationists where the ownership predates the designation, in which case the owner could file in court to rescind the declaration on the grounds it's an unconstitutional taking without just compensation. But that's rare, and the specifics as to when and when not such designations are considered taking-s, is beyond me... So chances are, if the OPod buildings aren't currently designated historic, there's not much that could be done to save them absent a petition before the City's historic preservation commission where, then, I'd think the burden would be very heavy on the preservationist if CC made a showing that, true to Peter van Dijk's statement in the article, the building is incompatible with its plans and not functionally usable to them and, therefore, to force CC to keep it would work an unfair financial hardship on the institution, esp in light of the fact it (apparently) had no historic designation at the time CC purchased it... but, of course, CC would have to come much stronger (and be very detailed about future expansion) than a desire for surface parking with some amorphous plan for development at some point in the future. ... that's my guess, anyway.

^True, ColDay, but in each of those cities you mentioned, the bulk of the buildings that housed those multitudes -- at least those that were lost and that make the difference in today's counts -- are mostly gone or have mere boarded-up fragments left. Look at Hough, where the highest density of Cleveland's pop lived prior to 1950. Today, Hough's part ghost town/part low density w/ middle to upper middle housing on what were bucolic fields left behind around the time of the Hough Riots of the mid-60s, and before... ... whereas the St. Louis buildings I'm talking about, like those in this thread, are very much extant and occupied.