clvlndr

Thanks for the update on this awesome RR, rob... I've read that CSS&SB is being stretched to the limits by the traffic increase and is strapped for equipment. I guess the double-tracking btw Gary and Michigan City should help things, but more cars are apparently needed... I know, in the early 90s, METRA was leasing some of its diesels and double-deck cars for South Shore rush hour runs. I also read South Shore may, in its next batch, begin ordering double-deck cars similar to Metra cars. This should help... ... I guess congestion for a great transit line like this one is, in many ways, a good thing.

If you look at the Trifecta schematic, the answer is 'yes', although it seems the artist's rendering has things turned around with the awnings outdoor along E.4th rather than Euclid, where I believe they'll be, ultimately. It looks like The Wendy's Building is on the wrong end -- but, again, this is an artist's rendering, and Trifecta, don't forget, though partnering with (wonderful) MRN, is based in Cali, not Cleveland. http://www.trifecta-mg.com/

I was kind of thinking the same thing... Not that I want to pit these 2 great nabes against each other -- I love them both -- but I wonder if the growth of E.4th/Gateway will somewhat be at the expense of the WHD. Hopefully not. They both offer different things. And WHD, at the moment, has a ton more housing... But Gateway has its advantages: now, there is more of a diversity of things to do, esp w/ Corner Alley; it has hotels; less surface parking gaps and is in the traditional (as of the 20th Century) biz core.

The unfolding project will be closely watched by community leaders and activists, particularly along Hessler Road. The neighborhood lies just north of the development area. Residents fear multistory development could detract from their historic street. You can count on the Hessler folks fighting this project. They've fought every development for this land since the early 90s. First it was traffic. Then, a few years back, it was shadows from the projected high rise apartments. They'll find something wrong with this project, too. Methinks they want to leave things just as is. Sadly, in each case, they've been victors of the status quo... I'm hoping this time's the charm, but wouldn't be surprised if this project, once again, ends up in court. :whip:

Very nice. We went to Mexicantown a few years ago for dinner. I just remember the tight group of Mexican restaurants -- and the good food, of course, but didn't see much of the nabe. It reminds me of a number of East Side Cleveland neighborhoods, particularly St. Clair-Superior. Next time, if you could give an update on the lower Woodward Ave corridor, particularly btw New Center and downtown; lots of good stuff going on there when I last visited last summer.

Do not fear and please be patient. The West Shore Corridor group continues to meet regularly, is getting more detailed in their subcommittee tasks, and working on addressing longstanding concerns. In fact, the next stakeholders' meeting is this Wednesday, a day after several West Shore law directors will meet with NS, to make sure the agreement on limiting freight train traffic isn't impacted from running commuter trains on the West Shore Corridor. I'll do my best... at least, officials are talking, and that's a good thing.

RTA issues E.120 station (replacement) study/design RFP At last RTA is really serious, and moving, to finally replace this dump and seriously enhance rail travel to U.Circle. Great to see. http://www.gcrta.org/pdf/presentations/2006-12-05-E120_Station.pdf

Actually, the Pink Line was a long time coming. CTA long used the 1890s era decommissioned, reduced single-track Paulina connector (btw the Blue and Green Lines) as the only (non-revenue) connection between the Blue Lines and the rest of the L network, which was needed when CTA removed the Blue Lines from the Loop and placed in the Milwaukee-Dearborn subways in the late 40s/early 50s ... Also, most of the old steel 'n girder Paulina connector was demolished and replaced with a new mile-long concrete viaduct... For reasons unknown, though, a United Center stop was not built ... meaning it'll cost several extra millions to retrofit a new one onto the present Pink Line.

This is a good reason why I sure wish Cleveland would get going with commuter rail proposals -- how could it ever be cheaper to enter? ... I fear that despite a lot of good front-work/research (like by KJP) we're drifting again; allowing rail plans to fade behind highway and sprawl plans. We've got to keep the heat up esp as the price of gasoline continues its generally upward spiral.

Metro to Extend Yellow Line, Expand Service to Shady Grove Makes sense. Dan, how well is the great neighborhood of Adams Morgan served by the Green (soon-to-be Green/Yellow) Line? Is Columbia Heights the A-M station?

^Are there going to be residences in the 3 buildings over the bowling lanes? Are these buildings sufficiently soundproofed against the noise of crashing bowling pins?... It's really great to see energy return to lower Euclid again. The Corner Alley may help this street turn the corner, so to speak -- maybe even jump start the languishing 28-story 515 condo tower proposal (any updates)...

Very nice! A little Georgian. A little Gothic (my fave college architecture). ... and I love this: ... did the woman win a design award for this?

Tempting to compare, I know, but you really think so? Certainly Chicago is not much like East Coast cities (for better and for worse) but other than a Great Lake, I don't really see big Cleveland either. I do, esp West Side Cleveland from, say, Ohio City thru Det-Shoreway and Edgewater into Lakewood. Probably the flatness and hodge-podge of intersting neighborhood architecture hugging a lakeshore. Also, Cleveland and Chicago share a culture: plain spoken, yet cultural. Beer 'n a shot, sports crazy cheek-to-jowl w/ yuppies... the downside is that both cities are extremely racially polarized to near legendary proportions... and that's not likely to change in the near future ... and, of course, there's the weather, which breeds a sort of toughness in the peoples of both places... Of course the difference is in scale -- Chicago's density is so much greater than Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and any other Midwestern city. I'm not alone, obviously... many, many people make the Chicago-Cleveland comparison... One local radio-talker dubbed Cleveland: Chicago Lite.

One thing I've noticed about having a totally open, visible bar/restaurant is that it can be a catch-22. You need to be fairly certain that what people are going to see is going to entice them to come in. People go where the people are, and crowds beget crowds, and a lack of a crowd can also turn people away and turn into a downward spiral. True. But you'd figure such a place would be in trouble anyway. Covering it up certainly wouldn't seem to be a way to save it.

Chicago Q: The new/old section of CTA's newly christened 'Pink Line' goes w/in a block of the busy United Center (home to the Blackhawks and Bulls) in a steadily transitioning/gentrifying nabe. Why wasn't a station built here? -- even a 'special events' one?

Michael Richards?

E. 55 should be very nice; artsy; I'm impressed. RTA seems pretty ambitious about this station... what's the exact timetable? Also, there is a lot of industrial uses on the lot where they apparently want to build the headhouse (at street level). Are there brownfield issues? Someone mentioned TOD desires here, also. What's the status on that?

How do we amend our constitution to rid ourselves of this lame-brain spending limitation? Why does Ohio always seem the most backwards of the Great Lakes/North Central States and yet we're the most developed? I constantly stay ashamed of this state.

Discovery was to be closed in late Nov. and trial was to begin in December. With Shaia now out of the way, and Woltein controlling 73% of the land, Eminent Domain is now against the rag-tag bunch holding the other 27%. ED would have been easier pre-Norwood, but now there’s very heightened scrutiny when using terms such as “blighted” (private property) or econ development as the means justifying the public taking of private property. However, one would think the ‘taking’ aspect would be ameliorated since it’s clear these owners are milking the system in fighting for low assessments when the Flats was dead and, now, asking the max. Wolstein may get from under this by articulating that he offered these guys FMV for their props based on what their most recent assessments -- thus, meaning Norwood, in fact, would not apply. Also the fact Hustler hustled his club’s improvements through after Wolstein announced should put Larry Flynt on weaker grounds. It remains to be seen. I’m surprised by the silence, though.

^I hear you, mrnyc. I'm supporting ECP but you & both know that should have been rail with, at least, a downtown subway portion as far east as CSU. It's what happens when you have leaders who don't really believe in Cleveland; not willing to take a chance and do the right thing. Ugh!

... btw, of the 2 other downtown bowling/restaurant/martini-bar establishments I've visited/bowled at in D.C. and Philly, I note only Cleveland chose to put its bowling lanes visible and at street level -- very smart, indeed.

The Corner Alley people understand what Fat Fish Blue understood years ago: big windows w/ the visibility of people having fun sucks folks in from the street or their cars. Keep in mind, FFB was formerly a tire dealer beneath a parking deck on lowly Prospect, but now is wildly popular/successful. I notice that Flannery's popularity has seemed to skyrocket after the owners smartly decided to take down those awful curtains hiding the activity inside. Now, the place always seems to be buzzing, esp now they've added the outdoor patio. You'd think retailers/restaurant owners would have learned this, and yet there's still places that still tend to 'hide' their businesses behind drapes and shades... Corner Alley is a beautiful, open & sexy facility and I can't help stopping to gawk inside every time I head past on Euclid... and I'm not the only one. And more importantly, it's the kind of place that's different -- that is, not a pure sit-on-your-ass sportsbar/restaurant or party joint that will be a magnet for folks wanting an active night out. I'm salivating for Thursday!! I have no doubt the impact of the Corner Alley's going to be huge; perhaps the biggest routine people generator of all the Gateway establishments sans the sports teams. I wonder if this can jump start activity at 515 Euclid which is still vacant. If this area really heats up, you'd think that would change as well as pressure to build the condo tower up top... one can only hope. Also, w/ the plans to plans open more rental units atop Corner Alley in McCrory and its neighbors, plus plans (I think) to put units in the Goldfish block on Prospect and other nearby properties, I don't think a small grocery, of some kind, wouldn't be a horrible idea for retail space in 515, esp since it already has a ready parking deck over it in place...

Impressive. Seattle's a great city, already, and will be even greater with LRT. It's interesting that there appears to be much elevated track in that attractive city; meanwhile, here in Cleveland, people get bent out of shape with any talk of els... Also interesting that the LRT will share the Metro bus tunnel with the trolley buses. I'm glad. I really hate seeing rapid transit cities punk out with those street level "transit malls" downtown when grade-separated subways in the city center is, by far, the most efficient way to move trains through the CBD grid... One city that punked out is Dallas. Now, there's rumblings they want to drop their downtown street trackage into a subway given the great success and popularity of their 10-year-old system.

I sure hope these West-burb pols can be kept on task... excuse me, but train horns seems like a trivial issue in light of the bigger picture. It seems people are more angst about train noise and horns rather than working to get commuter service. I sincerely hope this worthwhile service gets off the ground someday but, honestly, in my mind it'll be a minor miracle; quite often, when it comes to such a positive public works project that can encourage smart growth, officials (and residents) major in the minors and the project dies a slow death. I sure hope that's not the case here. That commuter talks have gotten this far is a major positive. But there are many miles to go, obviously.

... as you'll note, Frommers wrote a similar blurb about Detroit. They seem to view the 2 cities as birds of a feather in damning them with faint praise.