clvlndr

There's a natural comparison because both were projects where TIGER was sought where one, the Greenway, has been a media/local pol darling and the other barely discussed and/or the subject of controversy as all rail transit projects seem to be. And it was not surprising given this (to me at least) that the Greenway won the TIGER but NCTC lost it. The Opportunity Corridor was not a TIGER project, but is a major non-transit transportation project that received huge positive press and near-lockstep support from local officials... including the RTA chief. My only question is: why is this?

You do know that their home field "barely holds" 30K people, right?? 23K for yesterday's game was disappointing. It was a Sunday afternoon and the weather wasn't terrible. And I don't care whether Oakland is a crappy team (and they were hot until they came into the Pro), fans should be getting behind the Indians. They are one of the League's best and, yet, it seems it still takes either the Yankees or some fireworks display or giveaway to get butts into seats... It shouldn't be this way, especially in a downtown that's exploding and one of the best rail and bus transit access to the stadium in America. The Twins routinely draw more than this and they're among the worst teams in the MLB. Some say that these figures reflect the fact that Minneapolis' stadium is new and the Jake/Progressive Field is 22 years old. I'm not buying this. Although our field isn't new, it is still considered one of the top retro-parks in the league. People still make Baltimore's Camden Yards park an outing, and it's older than Progressive Field. And this whole Dolan's cheap mentality is old and tired. I just don't get Indians' fans but, hey, I only care about winning the WS. Maybe this is just a Cavs, Browns town right now, but hopefully the Tribe will win fans over.

No, it comes down to the application and local support. It isn't just a "hiking trail" - which isn't even a truthful term, but the northernmost segment of the Ohio to Erie Trail. There are years of engineering that has gone into the implementation and planning of the bike/pedestrian corridor, which includes a new linear park, rehabilitation of existing deteriorated parks, and connectivity to other bicycle facilities. Just because your pet project didn't make the TIGER grant doesn't mean that it will never happen. After all, look how long it took for the Cincinnati Streetcar to get off of the ground with a combination of funding sources - including TIGER. It's competitive. The Ohio to Erie trail is fine in my book. The Red Line Greenway is weird to me (running a hiking trail next to a live rapid rail line that is mainly in an open cut ditch) and it wasn't that many years in the making; there was even some talk at one time of eliminating some of the tracks on the Red Line's viaduct to make it easier for hikers to walk into Tower City or whatever. It's salt in the wound that, while this "Greenway" is being funding, nobody seems to be able to find funding for the transit system running the Red Line itself and the level of interest in finding such funding seems very low. The NCTC isn't my "pet project," but it is an important project toward advancing rail. We haven't been able to get any positive rail project done in recent years, save the relocation of the E. 120 Red Line Stop to Little Italy -- I don't count the station rebuilds on their existing site (University-Cedar, Woodhill, Brookpark, etc) as advancing or expanding rail. You can't deny there always seems to be a groundswell of support and consensus for road or hiking trail but none for rail. The confusion about NCTC (should it be East or West of E. 9th street? Is there interest only because a private developer wants Greyhound's current property? etc) certainly had some influence on the TIGER grantors. The Cincinnati Streetcar is a bad example. There had been local political fighting over whether to move forward with it at all including, IIRC, opposition from Cincy's current mayor. It's almost a miracle that the line is even being built. Here again, though, the Cincinnati's "controversy" regarding the streetcar is not unlike the opposition and strife regarding rail projects in Cleveland -- the only difference is that in Cleveland, Joe Calabrese, the transit GM, is often the one who's against rail expansion which is bizarre.

.... or they could simply convert the Health Line to LRT and extend it through the Detroit-Superior lower subway deck out to the West Side... Why bring smelly buses underground? Fact is though the Republicans that run Cleveland won't allow any more rail expansion.

This is very disappointing. So Cleveland wins a TIGER grant for a bunch of hiking trails especially one next to our financially struggling Red Line but fails to win money for a REAL transportation project like NCTC. I'm not an expert in the TIGER application and awards process, but I will bet much of it comes down to local enthusiasm. And in Cleveland, if we go by the np columns (by Steve Litt, esp) and public official pronouncements advocating the Red Line Greenway as opposed to NCTC, where there has been litle but confusion, apathy and even opposition, (save All Aboard Ohio which continues to be the Voice in the wilderness on pro-transit issues), I'm not surprised why projects like the Greenway and the Opportunity Corridor (not a TIGER program but similar as a big local transportation project) move forward while pro-rail projects go nowhere. ...and now we can't even get people like Litt or any local pol to speak up to support funding to even save public transit. The message is: Cleveland hates mass transit and loves just about any other transportation that doesn't involve transit...amazing; sad ... and foolish.

Fred Geis the developer who has an option on the land and who is pushing this project, is a local who also might wish to review this website and thread, as well..

^Damn shame. I thought Detroit transit was on the right track, literally... Detroit has so much potential, but is so freaking balkanized and dysfunctional. Those consevative counties that surround it are totally independent of and at war with the city of Detroit and it manifests itself with their continued fight against mass transit... Cleveland has it's share of problems, but we're a piker compared to Detroit. I sometimes wonder how that area continues to exist until I realize it's all about the Big 3. Other than that, Metro Detroit collapses.

Maybe that's because Fairmont has completed the first 2 phases of FEB which, to date, is a very extensive, amazing, game changing development while Stark has yet to turn a single spade of dirt on a major downtown project while he has been running his mouth about such for 15 years,...at least... Yet I'm ready to cut him some slack since the Beacon at 515 appears to be a go and nuCLEus seems to ne advancing. ... I know earlier it was posted that FEB had some cost overruns and reworked loans. There was no word as to whether this would delay FEB Phase 3, though Fairmont has been silent as to when Phase 3 will break ground.

It's not a matter of whether Stark can do both projects in the abstract. But we all know there are tons of hurdles to clear for any significant new residential construction in Cleveland, especially high rise construction and even more especially in downtown where a the last such project was Park Center, now Reserve Square, ... 44 years ago! Financing is the usual devil in the details. If it were so easy, the Beacon would have risen more close in time to when its parking base was built over a decade ago... And given the ginormous scale and daring architecture of nuCLEus it's not surprising these projects, largely by one company, being staggered, with the "smaller" Beacon going up first.... I know Cleveland is white hot right now, but even in a place like, say Chicago, such projects don't shoot up in the space of a year or so.

RTA's lack of straightforward, honest communication with the public furthers my feeling that they can't be trusted.

It may be awhile. Stark & Co. are ramping up to begin construction on The Beacon, the 28-story apt tower at 515 Euclid where, originally I'd read they would begin work after the RNC, but in a later article, Michelle Jarboe indicated a fall or winter start IIRC.

The Design Review Committee of the CPC could stop it dead in its tracks if it doesn't modify with a more tasteful look.

And Coastal Taco's interior, which includes a large fireplace, is nearly as dramatic as its waterside setting--beautifully done. Now if only the quality of its food and service could match the building and setting ...

My anecdotal observations point to this as well. They never seem to be crowded, even when the other establishments in FEB are jam packed. In other news, 811 on Prospect looked like it was open last night. I don't know if it was just a soft launch, or if it's fully open to the public yet. Sorry for the blurry picture. What ever the food and service will be like (and I hope both are great btw), 811's building redo is very sexy; really draws you in just to check it out... From 811 to Alley Cat to Coastal Taco to Rebol to Red to Nuevo, and others, in terms of building architecture and maximizing setting, Cleveland's new restaurants are on a serious roll.

^Too bad. That's now already 2 eatery failures in this space in just the 4 years of Uptown's existence.

Heinen's is just 1.5 miles away at Chagrin & Lee.

Bummer.

This is nice, but I'd be much more excited to win a TIGER grant for say, an actual transportation project, like the North Coast Transportation Center... It's kind of ironic Cleveland won a grant for the Red Line Greenway project because the way funding is disappearing for RTA and the seeming inertia to do anything about it, hikers may be soon walking next to abandoned rapid transit tracks... But hey, if RTA and the Rapid go under, folks can have Blue and Green Line greeway walkways; even a Waterfront Line greeway too. Urban greenways and hiking trails seem to galvanize more interest than actual transit project in this town. The Edgewater pedestrian tunnel funding is nice...

Btw, Philly has recently expanded their HR and, as many probably know, Philly's Center City is not only much bigger and busier than downtown Cleveland, Philadelphia is one of the culinary capitals of the United States.

I know several have commented that the Hard Rock is a has been and that its food was mediocre... I don't care, I still thinks this sucks for Tower City as well as downtown.

Have you heard any conversation or funding strategies/proposals other than from Ken and maybe Scene, about next year's shortfall, funding crisis for RTA? I know I haven't; certainly not from the Mayor, Valarie McCall, Calabrese or any other local official. Only other place was Cleveland.com Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk And that was just the one article about a month ago. Amazing how nonchalant our state an local officials are about this. The Slate Magazine article noted the irony that State and local officials cited RTA, especially the airport Rapid in their attempt to land the RNC, and yet they don't want to fund it... and yet everyone is talking about what a good and reasonable candidate John Kasich would be for president. Cleveland has obviously come a long way on the downtown/development front but they refuse to see how much will be undone if they continue to thumb their collective noses at the needs of mass transit. It's despicable.

Have you heard any conversation or funding strategies/proposals other than from Ken and maybe Scene, about next year's shortfall, funding crisis for RTA? I know I haven't; certainly not from the Mayor, Valarie McCall, Calabrese or any other local official.

This is one of the best shots of Cleveland I've ever seen.

Cleveland has a very nice transit system built for, as many have noted, a much bigger city that used to exist. Glad folks like you and your friend got out and actually used it. Too many people here drive when they need not. They could only dream of such a system in San Antonio which is much larger than Cleveland.

I don't disagree... can you believe it, even the strip joints were hurting!! ... and Republicans love the, er, gentlemen's clubs.