clvlndr

Interesting. I like the idea, though I may quibble with your actual scoring. I can’t see New York, JFK getting so high a score -- the very thing you see as minor I see as major: that is, that you must transfer at Jamaica, Queens to complete the trip into Manhattan, either via a long, arduous E train subway ride or the faster, more expensive/less frequent LIRR. Not to mention the fact that, with these transfers, one must schlep her luggage down long corridors and pay a whole new fare at Jamaica -- when I checked the JFK service out 2 summers ago, I saw just this thing happening w/ flustered air travelers. Not to be a homer, but Cleveland’s Red Line Rapid connection is far superior imho, despite the fancy automated tech of the new JFK connector and despite the fact it does serve each JFK terminal (plus parking lots). Plus, in a semi-negative way, Cleveland is enhanced by its small air terminal at Hopkins - not a lot of walking to get to gates unlike bigger airports. I think Philly’s is probably the best: it serves all terminals --except the newer Terminal F for the smaller, 50-seat commuter planes; it’s practically non-stop into Center City and, because it uses SEPTA’s big, roomy electric commuter rail cars, it has generous luggage overhead racks; and some at car’s end… The only downers for Philly are: the relatively infrequent 30-minute frequency, all day, and the ridiculously high fare: around $5.75 now, I believe, because some genius decided to milk air travelers by running them through 5 fair zones (there are only 7, total, I believe for suburbanites around 40 miles away) despite the fact the airport is within city limits; even closer to downtown than Cleveland’s.

KJP, interesting graphic. Does this schematic mean the current thinking is moving away from dual-powered railcar technology using the Red Line into Tower City in favor of conventional diesel push-pull trains, over NS’s main lakefront route, into North Coast? Although the transfer with the Red Line is more arduous, plus there may be capacity issues viz the 2-track “Iron Curtin” bridge over the Cuyahoga River in the Flats, I think the conventional diesel option is superior, especially since it’s more compatible, and can easily interface, with Amtrak’s Ohio Hub service out of North Coast. Strickland has said favorable things about rail during the campaign and was supportive of Amtrak while in Congress. He frequently signed on as co-sponsor of pro-rail legislation. ... As for the West Shore Corridor proposal, it's still too early in the process to go to a governor-elect. Even so, this is something where you go to his staff, which he doesn't have yet. ... Sherrod Brown is definitely for it. He was the one who got a funding authorization for Cleveland-Lorain commuter rail included in the last federal surface transportation bill. And he did that when there was no organized support for the project like there is now. I think we should have added push for getting this done with Brown and George. Although Voinovich hasn’t been a huge transit guy, I at least get the sense he’s open to it, and he’s very much pro-Cleveland. Now that we have 2 U.S. senators from this region, I’d like to think now is the hour to get the Lorain commuter rail going, as well as other rail projects, like the CVSR extension and, possibly, the WL extension along the East lakefront.

Mayday, you’ve hit on some interesting points. Your thread hits on precisely why I don’t get excited about hospitals and expansion. Simply put, high profile hospitals like CC are about 2 things: research and death. They are cold institutional structures that, unless coordinated with spin-off industry - for which Cleveland lags viz it’s mega hospitals - there’s no reason to go there unless you’re a doctor, patient or family of a patient. Midtown and Fairfax, where most of your nabe shots are from, have pockets of promise: Karumu Theatre, the Cleveland Playhouse, being among them (the Baldwin filtration plant is the name that escaped you). But overall, the isolation and deterioration of this neighborhood stem largely from our historical failure to build quality rail transit to this area and present a challenge to that supposed Mid-town, rubber tired transit Messiah: ECP. Cleveland, more than practically any city, has trashed and abandoned its high density inner and mid-city nabes along its main corridor - even Detroit still has more apartment, retail and education density up its Woodward corridor than we do and a big reason why Detroit is experiencing a stronger renaissance up its spin than are we. [as to ColDay's comment, Detroit is different since New Center, its hospital/university/arts district -- is more compact and closer to downtown than U. Circle -- Detroit's midtown-ish blight area more to the north and east of New Center, as opposed to separating its cultural district from downtown, as is the case in Cleveland] There are a lot of great things about Cleveland, obviously, but our absolute neglect of this core area, in addition to our awful lakefront, isn’t among them.

Good for the residents! Envy is nothing but trouble (although, I tend to think the residents' assaults, drug-trafficking and public urination might be the products of opponents' over-active imaginations)... As I've said before, I sure wish OCNW could concentrate on expanding the success of Market Square south along W. 25, which would include Envy. It seems everything just kind of stops at the old, dilapidated United Bank building (that has such huge potential, in itself) and the crappy Market Sq. plaza across the street. Ohio City is great, but still has a ways to go before it's truly arrived in my mind. I'm still amazed at how rundown and seedy the residential area is immediately east of the Rapid Station along Abbey Ave. OCNW's magic wand, that was so successfully waved over the Bridge Street corridor, certainly hasn't reached this quadrant, save the nice Velvet Tango Room jazz club. Is there any more talk of Hope VI building residential units around/over the Rapid stop? ... sounded promising.

This project is pretty amazing given the small land-strip upon which to build along with the fact it sits directly adjacent to Cleveland's busiest freight rail line (correct me if I'm wrong, KJP). Also, businesses are sparse and some of the housing along nearby sidestreets, though high density in nature, is pretty run down, if recent memory serves. It just goes to show what TOD vision and courage to roll the dice can do. There are other more-attractive (in potential) TOD sites along the Red Line that lay empty -- W. 65 (aside from the nice, yet small, EcoCity townhouse strip on W.58th, now 5 years old), W. 25 and Triskett, among them... ... Btw, this article notes the plan to 'improve' Detroit west from West Blvd to W. 117 'and beyond' of which, of course, the Chicle Development is a major starting point... Any updates on the master plan for this important corridor? Mid-summer when I was over there, they appeared to continue rehabbing some old walk-up apt buildings around Detroit & W.110th.

Michigan train ridership reaches all-time high Midday update By Derek Wallbank Lansing State Journal More people than ever before rode passenger trains in Michigan, the Department of Transportation announced Thursday. The Blue Water Line, which runs from Port Huron, through Lansing/East Lansing to Chicago, had ridership gains of almost 11 percent, with ticket revenues up more than 21 percent. The Blue Water Line formerly connected Chicago, through Port Huron to Toronto, but was reorganized in 2004 without the border crossing. Former Amtrak Director David Gunn said in 2004 that the international crossing added too many delays to the route. Both of the other two train lines, the Pere Marquette (Grand Rapids to Chicago) and the Wolverine (Detroit to Chicago) saw more than 5 percent increases in ridership as well. MDOT Director Kirk Steudle attributed the gains to higher gas prices and better marketing of the three lines. Contact Derek Wallbank at 267-1301 or [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

Yes, there can be a profit in mass transit, even in Central Indiana where IndyGo is viewed only as transportation of last resort or for the poor. Typical American thinking about mass transit, but maybe a-changing, at least on some levels. Los Angelenos, for example, scoffed at rail a mere 2 decades ago, now they have a large 3-mode network and are itching for more... ... It seems writer didn't do his homework in waxing poetic about the interurban of yesteryear, while if he'd only traveled to the NW/North Central part of his own state he'd see one of America's last running interurban services: the famed South Shore line out of Chicago. A line that not only is surviving but expanding significantly, thank you very much.

Agreed. I love Hessler Ct., but the residents of this beautiful, historic treasure of a small street have gotten way too self important and, for years, have been nothing but obstructionists to the betterment of the U.Circle retail district. Hessler killed a housing plan for the Euclid strip in the mid-90s b/c of traffic, then they verbalized legal threats against the Heritage Development, Inc. high-rise condos along the Euclid-Ford-E. 115 strip because they would drop shadows on Hessler's historic homes, and the threat, once again, sent planners back to the drawingboard to try and appease the Hessler folks ... Excuse me, is this a progressive, big city urban area or a yeahoo, podunk-ish small country town? I wish Hessler would actually help for positive development of this key Cleveland neighborhood and stop playing the classic Cleveland game: I've got mine, to hell with you... that has stymied development for so long in this town. Hessler needs to stop being so damn insular and selfish. This one small group has seriously held back development and helped keep U. Circle retail-wise and residentially a dysfunctional conglomeration rather than the progressive district it could and should be.

Also, MRN is still the lead developer in the Triangle/Beach development. Their partner from Chicago dropped out several months ago. Zaremba has been the other name thrown around as a new partner. That's right; glad MRN's still in charge. From my understanding, Hundert was more of a divider than a driver. He wasn't known for his cross-institutional collaboration and didn't get along well with some of the other primary players in the neighborhood (let alone in his own university). I'm not certain of all this. Maybe Hundert rubbed some of Case's neighbor's feathers the wrong, but someone had to shake up CWRU's developmental stagnation, from all indicators, he was the guy... His biggest failure was w/ his faculty who, in light of budget cuts and layoffs -- esp in Weatherhead -- they felt he was too much a cold bricks 'n mortar guy... so they punished him w/ the now infamous vote of 'no confidence' which led to his ouster. Maybe Case's plan isn't perfect (PD's Steve Litt despised the retro-Gothic dorms), but I think campus, particularly North campus, is significantly better off after the Hundert initiative... I just hope the progress carries through and Case can rise from the dolldrums to become a campus-town more comparable to Pittsburgh's Oakland, Chicago's Hyde Park or Philly's University City.

So now that Issue 3 has been deep-6ed, does this mean Phase 5 is the last substantial development in West Bank for a while? My assumption is any piece of a Price-Corna-Jacobs mega-project is on hold pending reintroduction/passage of slots legislation in '08, ... or beyond... this also, no doubt, includes the Tower City cc/MMM project, too, since Jacobs & Forest City were to be license holders (and, btw, in retrospect, it was really stupid these licenses weren't open to fair bidding as they were in other states where gaming has passed -- as in all of our freakin' neighbor states where $billions of Ohio dollars will be going until we get our act together).

I think digging up trees in any urban setting is silly... But you have to accept the good with the bad and the fact there's movement (as in actual development progress) is a very big plus... dirt piles, backhoes, new sewer pipes waiting to laid -- now that's what I'm talkin' about!

I hope this isn't a crippling development. If memory serves, didn't MRN, Ltd recently pull out of this project? (I see MRN noted as partner in the above 11/08 article, but I could have sworn they'd dropped out-- sure hope I'm wrong) Whatever his other faults, I began to feel queasy about the pace and ultimate success of Triangle after CWRU's President Hundert was fired last year -- he was the driver of the massive rehab and expansion of Case's campus that has pumped considerable life South Campus and what retail currently exists both on Euclid as well as the Juniper-Ford-Belflower block on campus... While I'm glad the other UC renovations/expansions, like Park Lane Villa, the Art Museum along with the recent CWRU and Botanical gardens expansions, the Triangle is the core project at the center of what could, and should be a great youth-oriented campus-town/retail district fed by transit; an area that would convert UC from disjointed and relatively lifeless (albeit beautiful) conglomeration high powered intellectual, cultural and health institutions ... It's frustrating in this town, sometimes. Just as with legal mess surrounding Wolstein's project in Flats East Bank, and Bob Stark's Pesht, it always seems so difficult to move forward with the key developments that could have the greatest positive impact. So we're stuck with nibbling around the edges. Ugh!

Nice looking at U. Circle Cedar. How it gets beyond the talking/concept stage... As to E. 120 relocation, where are they on that? That's another project that was talked about briefly then went quiet. Where is this project? MOCA and the plans to finally use that god awful gravel parking strip along Euclid from Ford to E.115? ... again, do you sense there is real movement? RFP's? deadlines?

The first units should be ready for move-in by spring. Wow!

Boy, Price/Corna sure put those Stonebridges up in a hurry... contrast that slooowww moving Pinnacle, which is finally finished... the way they're moving on -S-bridge, the place should be openning by summer; what's the schedule?

^just checked msn; didn't realize how close corktown is to the huge MGM Grand casino; there's even an enclosed walkway connecting the casino to the neighborhood over a freeway... Corktown, obviously, has a beautiful old houses and has a gentrification pulse... I'm pulling for it... but it's got to fill in all those empty lots around it and tie into downtown Detroit... is there any kind of 'trolley' service connecting these downtown areas? Sure could help.

Corktown is also hemmed in by one of those dastardly freeway gullies... It's kind of a small Detroit-Shoreway... the adaptive reuse for Tiger Stadium should help. Also, I don't think it's that far from the Mexican-town district with it's couple lively blocks of (jam-packed) restaurants... But I think that beautiful/awful crumbling Michigan Central (abandoned by Amtrak) depot blocks the 2 nabes -- I don't think they're w/in comfortable walking distance... check out msn's 'birdseye view' maps to get a better idea.

Conservatives! What are they conserving? Retrogression? Transportation-wise... socially... international relations... environmentally...etc...etc...etc.....

Great essay; showed all sides of Cleveland. Particularly like the neighborhood shots showing just about every type of housing that exists in the city. I can't think of any American city w/ such a quirky mix of so many styles of living.

^Agreed. 'a step above Randall Mall' is hyperbole on steroids. In addition to Brooks Bros, TC Papyrus, Ann Taylor, Charlotte Russe, Nine West and Johnston & Murphy (cheap shoes? I think not), among other high end and semi-high end stores -- yes, there's Its A Dollar, Fye and Payless Shoe Source (which, btw, is also prominently located on Chicago's tony Mag Mile, in case you've never noticed) ... Is Tower City all it could be? No. Could it be run better? Yes... but I think people here act like the place is an ugly flea market and it's anything but... I hadn't heard the $1M/mo in the red... That's bad... But let's hope it can be cured, not killed just to kill the Ratners... what does that solve? I for one hope the Medical Merchandise mart and, if it is to be (I'm not thrilled) a casino, if it passes, gets built on the Tower City site... The Rats don't deserve it, but Cleveland does. It is the 1st class retail public space in the City, love it or hate (most here seem to hate it)... I also, however, would hate to see the beautiful Public Hall buildings go to waste. I can't believe a Hotel can't be built somewhere adjacent to that site utilizing the Hall and, perhaps, part of the underground convention space, at least part of it, as hotel convention space ... even if Tower City gets the main convention center. Pie in the sky? Maybe. But you do have the lake. You do have (I sure hope) a new Ohio Hub/Amtrak/Commuter rail North Coast station; you do have the Ave District going up next door; you do have the (hopefully connected) Rock Hall and GLSC; and hopefully some kind of housing build adjacent to that mainly-empty concrete bowl called Browns Stadium, that would, perhaps, stretch down and connect with Wolstein's development someday.

^^ Macy's!? eyuk! It'll always be Marshall Field's to me... nice spread; makes me want to head back to Chi-town; can never get enough of it.

Gilbert's in a tough spot. I love the guy for what he's doing for the Cavs, the Q and the local econ in moving 300 Quicken jobs here... Moving the 3,500+ Rock/Quicken HQ downtown would awesome, but the man still has a ton of good will and family in his hometown. If he yanks he HQ from Livonia (in econ struggling Michigan) to Cleveland would make him Darth Vader there.

Wow, BRT in NYC... who'd a thunk, mrnyc?... btw, the following line from you article kinda jumped out at me: In the urban transportation pecking order, New York City’s 2.4 million daily bus riders may very well occupy the lowest rung. No city in the Western Hemisphere can make such a claim other than New York.

i think it also speaks volumes about this development group and their project management and financing situation. Cleveland desperately needs more outside investment to occur so that we can begin to see "wins". Too often local developers/speculators with little experience or limited financing tackle projects that are either on hold for years or never occur. There is certainly room for the locals and I want them to succeed, however there are so many opportunities that as a city we need to attact some developers and investment $$ (and accompanying fresh ideas, optimism, etc) from the coasts. It still blows my mind that Gateway has been open for 11 years and there are still: - empty and generally unfinished floors above Clevelander - an abandoned stretch of lower prospect (e4 to ontario) - maybe 50% street level occupancy on prospect from (e4 to e8 alley) - multiple available storefronts on e4 (there are at least 5 still). I know that some recent announcements were made, and lets hope that they materialize like the bowling alley did. It feels like everything moves in slow motion in Cleveland. I think this has to change, especially when the main barrier appears to be entreprenuers/investment dollars/new ideas. Truer words have rarely been spoken. We definitely need some more out-of-town investors, and I wish our 'leaders' with the NEO Partnership could (for once) start pulling their oars in the same direction so we can crank up more interest, and hence up the competition ante, downtown ... The flip side is that a number of Cleveland-based high-rollers are investing elsewhere... We won't get into those pirates at Forest City... The latest is that John Ferchill's group is doing a ground-up rehab of the Detroit's old Book Cadillac Hotel into a 67-suite luxury Westin Condo. http://www.ferchillgroup.com/bookcadillacres.shtml We definitely need some new blood to kick-start things here. There's progress, to be sure, but often times it seems glacial.

Excellent! Det-Shoreway continues to, er, percolate.