clvlndr

It's interesting that Potbelly plans to remain open during the construction... That should be interesting.

I too am impressed by Little Caesar's Arena tight integration into the Woodward Ave streetscape. It looks like a ginant mixed-use building. Large sports arenas of this type usually are set far back with large entrance plazas where fans gather, usually to purchase tickets, food from food trucks, team memorabilia, programs, (and of course, hot tics from scalpers) etc...... The architecture of LCA is impressive, too... It looks like a low-slung office building with the windows-- obviously allowing lots of natural daytime light into the corridors. I also like the giant murals honoring Detroit Pistons' and Red Wings' greats (I'm hopeful Gilbert/Cavs will do the same in The Q makeover)... We'll definitely have to make it up to Motown for a Cavs-Pistons game at this fabulous new joint.

For all the Gilbert bashers, it's obvious the Cavs' withdrawal was a tactic to get a deal done... and obviously it worked.

^Nice to see the boarded up storefronts coming to life. The new Backyard Bocce spot looked busy this past weekend.

Or Midtown. I'd love to see that area built up more and increase density. I don't travel Midtown so much, but do go by CSU and the transformation and density of CSU's new "college town" is amazing, esp after The Edge massive dorm/mixed use building has gone on line... I can only imagine when the PHS apt tower goes in. I do believe, however, that the Red Line (heavy rail rapid transit) is the main reason for the intense density at Uptown -- MRN's Ari Maron said as much... This is why I so often get upset when I think of how Mike White, Tim Hagan and NOACA (No Action back then) so foolishly threw away the Dual Hub subway line proposal. Under then RTA's (Ron Tober's) timetable this line would likely have gone in by the early 2000s and would have had much more impact than the current HL... The PHS, CSU Midtown corridor would likely look like Toronto's Younge Street corridor had our leaders not been so short sighted.

Cleveland's failure to expand rail pursuant to worthwhile proposals, like say Dual Hub subway up Euclid, the Green Line-I 271 (1.5 mile) expansion, hasn't been because of a lack of state support. It has been due to infighting and lack of shared vision. As I said, Cleveland has had a zillion planned expansions, but they never get anywhere because some local official always shoots them down.

This is great... Maybe Buffalo can teach big brother Cleveland how to extend rail transit... that maybe it helps to have a pro-rail transit chief and board as well as having local officials get behind the extension and all pull in one direction rather than fighting rail proposals which ultimately end up never even reaching the federal funding process... Good for Buffalo. Sure sounds promising.

More RTA follies: I was on an an eastbound Green Line train at just after 5p this afternoon, when the train stopped just before the E. 55 Red Line platform ... to change drivers. Because our driver was an older lady and the replacement driver was apparently running late, we sat for 6 minutes ... during the height of rush hour!! This wacko shift change took so long and with, of course, no announcement or explanation from the driver, passengers started giving each other WTF glances and stares... Why in the hell does RTA make these driver changes, esp during rush hour, at E. 55? Yeah, I know the Central Yards and repair facilities are located but, really, how hard is it and how much more expensive is it to have drivers hop a train and ride 5 minutes to Tower City, the central rapid station in the system, to make these driver-shift changes. And at the very least, why does RTA have rail driver shifts that begin/end during rush hour... I swear, this is absolutely the most poorly run, unprofessional major transit system in the country, bar none. ... on a lesser note, I must applaud RTA... We noticed at the (usually unmanned) circular customer information counter in the center of the Tower City rail station, RTA has just removed their How to Survive the GOP Convention flyers ... exactly 1 year and 2 months after the RNC ended!! ... Congrats RTA. ... at least they put in rarely seen (I've never seen them) rail rapid transit information flyers -- this one must have gotten by Joe C...

Very impressive building... I viewed the same angle yesterday as KJP's camera angle along Euclid from Uptown... One U. Circle, along with the Seidman Cancer Center tower makes this stretch of Euclid even more majestic and, yes, more urban.

... Also, as your TOD article noted, the 116 student apt building (the one UOers despise architecturally) is now open and Case/CIA students(?) are living there. Even though I'm not in love with the design either, I like it because of the density added -- it really makes that 1-block stretch of E.116 seem really tight and narrow -- and with the 3 older apts + the newer, architecturally similar University Village dorms, even a tad New York-ish. 116 also will have ground floor retail -- looks like an eatery -- that hasn't opened yet.

It's interesting that, while your photo essay understandably decries the loss of the original Uptown at Doan's Corners from the 1950s forward, the creation of this new Uptown is Cleveland's finest urban neighborhood makeover in my lifetime... it is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the entire metropolitan area. And no offense to the City, but it's so a-typical, it's almost like it's not even Cleveland. It's as if you're suddenly transported to some large Eastern City or Chicago.

Last night, even on a cold, damp and dank Saturday night, Flats East Bank was just as jammed as usually... This really bodes well for the colder weather months. ... btw the WHD was hoppin' too...

You make sense... But unfortunately Joe C/RTA have happily bought into the narrative pushed by Scene, Mark Naymik and others that "nobody ever" rides the Waterfront Line so that even a half-ass, traffic clogged free Trolley which, btw, closes at 11p on weekends when FEB's clubs and restaurants are at full tilt -- even the regular WFL went to 12:05p... is preferable to the WFL... Ridiculous. As for the Green Line, even though RTA relied on the rationale of low late evening ridership at the end of the route (at Green Road) for closing the line after 9p, they failed to take into account that this also hurt the closer-in, densely-populated Shaker-Buckeye neighborhood which utilizes the service significantly, with half-hourly service to Shaker Square after 9p as opposed to the normal 15-minute interval service... a lot of what RTA just doesn't make sense. ... btw, even though RTA's website posted that late evening Green Line service has been restored, 'see the new schedule here' ... that link to the new schedule actually posts the old Green Line schedule, ending at 9p.

Lots of good stuff. Don't know if all of it is going to materialize, but I like the thinking and super glad NOACA is been more supportive of mass transit under the Gallucci administration. In addition to the planned Settlers Landing apartment tower, I'm really hoping the development at the E. 116 and West Blvd stations jumps off. Both could go a long way toward improving the transitional nature of both these old, walkable neighborhoods.

^Outstanding report, Ken. ... any progress toward the Settlers Pointe apt tower? That one's really sexy.

Deal reached that may save Quicken Loans Arena transformation By Karen Farkas, cleveland.com kfarkasCleveland[/member].com CLEVELAND, Ohio - A deal has been reached Thursday to potentially save the $140 million Quicken Loans Arena transformation. Greater Cleveland Congregations announced that it would withdraw petitions challenging the arena deal that were to have led to a referendum vote. In a press release, GCC said Cuyahoga County is committed to two mental health and substance abuse crisis centers. A letter from Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish to representatives of United Pastors in Mission does not specify the county will build anything new. http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2017/08/deal_reached_that_may_save_quicken_loans_arena_transformation.html#incart_m-rpt-1

I don't think so. There's some good stuff happening in UC, but nothing approaching the level of Uptown PGH or Short North. I'd say University Circle has probably seen about the same level of investment as Uptown Cincinnati, which is certainly impressive in its own right. When you cite Pittsburgh's 'Uptown area' you mentioned Shadyside, Oakland, Squirrel Hill and East Liberty. But those are 4 distinct Pittsburgh neighborhoods, of which the closest comparison to University Circle is Oakland and although Oakland has traditionally had greater density and retail the U. Circle, the Circle has really been closing the gap with the emergence of Uptown, Centric, the Marriott Courtyard and all the new townhouse development along E. 118, Little Italy, etc... So if you consider all the development in Cleveland's hottest neighborhoods along with Univ Circle, including Ohio City/Hingetown (tons of townhouses and new retail/restaurants), Detroit-Shoreway (Batter Park, Edison, Waverly Station, etc), Tremont (and up-and-coming Duck Island in between), you could argue it's 6 in one hand, half dozen in the other... This, plus all the development in downtown Cleveland, including the Flats, you'd be hard-pressed to argue that Pittsburgh is 'kicking Cleveland's ass in any way.

^For them to state that the Celtics have anything approaching a Big 3 is a joke... Kyrie is obviously a bonafide, championship-tested superstar... Hayward is still up-and-coming -- he's very good, but not pressure tested as Kyrie... And Horford has been declining in recent years.

Hayward and Kyrie are definitely big gets for Boston and, even when IT's healthy, Kyrie is an upgrade at the point. But Boston has damaged themselves by dealing away Bradley and now Crowder. The also moved Olynyk who gave them added muscle under the basket and who could score... ESPN's over/under win total for Boston is higher than Cleveland's -- around 55 to 53 IIRC. But I still think the Cavs will likely have the better record and win the East once again. ... btw the New York papers have hinted that the trade may make Melo more likely to come to Cleveland than not. Some of this is based on the thinking that the Cavs may deal the Nets' 2018 pick to them in exchange for Anthony... I find that highly unlikely: Anthony simply isn't worth that.... The the Knicks badly tank this season, I believe Melo could get bought out, and if the Cavs are strong and in the finals hunt, I would think Melo would be more motivated to come here; he's still big buds with LeBron... and if we could also snag Wade, look out.

^So both the Cavs and Celtics save face after the Celtics throw in a minor 2020 2nd round pick to seal the deal... Honestly, as much as I hate losing Kyrie, I think this will end deal will help us IF we can get Thomas in the lineup at least by the All Star game, which I think is likely. With Thomas starting and Rose off the bench, we have 2 former All Stars manning the point, although both have a history of injury including last season. We also have Calderon who can eat some PG minutes as well. Crowder will essentially replace Shumpert, who was ineffective at both at the offensive end, while his D also slipped too. Assuming we get back to the finals and face Golden State again, Crowder will be a much better defender of Durant on the wing which would take a ton of pressure off LeBron. Plus Crowder can score the ball better than Shumpert, including the 3. No one knows much about Zizic and he may be battling Tavares to make the roster. But at least we finally do have a couple honest to goodness bigs -- post Mosgov -- who perhaps could throw wrinkle in Lue's lineup and who can spell Thompson... And who knows who we may get during the season. That Nets' draft pick could land us a major star -- think crazy like DeMarcus Cousins or a player of similar impact in perhaps another area... LeBron's camp feels confident the Bulls will buy out Wade and the Knicks may still buyout Anthony... so 1 or both could join the team during the season... And for this year, at least, we still have the biggest puzzle piece any team would die for: LeBron James, and that will always put a team in line for a potential title.

^No doubt... Just look who's living at 1600 PA ave...

^Hard to say what would have happened... I remember when there was a remnant of density at Doan's Corner, too, but by then Winston Willis owned the leftover buildings and it had gotten seedy... not just to blame him, because there were other forces that were at work (as Ken's post noted) that led to this ... as well as the decline and destruction of much of the Hough neighborhood, which was the most densely populated area of Cleveland by far through the 1950s. Maybe the Clinic indirectly led to this demise or maybe they simply took advantage of it. I mentioned that a subway line and station at the corner built in the 20s or early 30s (as several plans materialized during the 19-teens and 20s), would have likely led to Uptown's survival largely in tact. I stand by that. But a subway is always easier said than done, esp in middle-sized metro areas and especially in this case.. On the surface a Roaring 20s Euclid subway (mixed metaphor, I know) was seemingly a no-brainer, but looking at that great Cleveland historical map link from (I'm guessing) the early 1920s and recalling the subway commission report of 1919, there were a number of obstacles, notably the scattered industrial uses spreading up Euclid and the pockets of low-density mansions, that apparently extended even beyond E. 55th and the elevated rail line. As Doan's graphically demonstrated, then as now, Cleveland has always had pockets of high energy with low density/low energy districts in between. The City has always seemingly had somewhat haphazard growth, unlike more planned cities like Chicago, which of course was 'lucky' enough to burn down in 1871 just when it was at the doorstep of explosive growth ... presenting planners a blank pallet upon which to plan. Heavy industry stemming from Rocky's Standard Oil was obviously a Cleveland growth blessing, but likewise proved an urban planning curse -- witness our lake shore vs. Chicago's as a harsh example.

I'm just happy the smaller 16-unit mixed use building is finally moving forward and should compliment the Nuevo restaurant, which in itself is a plus. Momentum is important. I guess I never totally bought in to the idea TC could build all the stuff proposed: 1,000+ apt units, boatloads of retail, offices and even a school on this site next to the stadium. Maybe someday, but not in one fell swoop.

Indeed, these big-project public funding issues are hot-button; look at the nuCLEus thread. I see both sides of the argument, but feel bad that Gilbert pulled out-- I wish something could have been worked out. We know that Gilbert is mercurial and could try and move the team, or sell it to someone would would... Cleveland's hold card is JACK casino -- it would be horrible for biz if he did that, so I don't really think he will... It's just one more piece of bad news for the Cavs since losing the Finals last spring... sadly, the negative hits just keep coming.

^One would think the Cavs have the leverage, but Boston does have a couple legit comebacks: 1) While Boston may not have explicitly mentioned IT's injury, it was pretty obvious for any hoops follower, from GM to fan, that he was seriously hurt and missed the last 3 games of the EC finals because of it. His recovery is dependent on his training, but really the Celtics have little jurisdiction over that until training camp opens which, of course, it hasn't; 2) Boston really did give us a boatload of stuff. Many NBA watchers believe the Cavs got the best of Danny and newbie GM Altman is getting heaps of praise for it. Remember, in that golden season of a year ago when the Cavs hoisted the trophy, Kyrie, who is significantly better than Thomas imho, didn't join the team until January and took a month beyond this to get his feet back under him. I think Koby should continue wear his best poker face with Danny and pressure him to add more but, if Danny holds fast, fold and take the deal. If it was just Crowder and the 2018 pick, alone, one could argue it was an even trade, but we also got 29 ppg Thomas, at least for the season although he probably won't join the team immediately and Zizic, who is the true big we lack -- Edy Tavares has knocked around the league for about 5 years or so and some say he still isn't ready -- so Zizic could also be a plus, too... ... and don't forget, we now have this pg named Derrick Rose who, yes, was/has been injury prone, but if healthy, who knows?