YSOH

I just called the number on that listing and they're sending me more info. The lady said that it is going ahead this spring, but she thinks the first phase is just the Jay Hotel (she called it the Post Office building). She mentioned they're creating a courtyard behind the Jay Hotel and building townhomes behind that on 26th through to Bridge. She didn't know about the Woodworks building. I guess I'll have a sales associate calling me soon, so I'll let you know if I learn anything new!

I'm pretty sure Cimperman said the only way they could knock it down is if they built more housing there. Anyone else know?

Ah, that brings back memories. ;) It was a beautiful day for walking. And, the live Irish music at Great Lakes was wonderful - they have it every Monday from 6-9. Good stuff.

Do you think there's any use in writing letters to Dan Gilbert or Frank Jackson or Lebron (only 1/2 joking) about locating the practice facility downtown? It seems like there are a lot of 'add-ons' that would make it even more of a loss to the city if it's out in Independence. Thoughts?

Well, I happen to know of a few forumers working on their MUPDD degrees who might be interested in an apprenticeship! ;)

Well, I feel like a jerk - I didn't get you anything. Seriously, great pictures B12! You're good at this tour thing, huh? I can't wait to try out some of those restaurants...I've heard #1 Pho is amazing. And I just love "Friendship Auto Services" - it puts such a happy spin on an otherwise not so exciting establishment!

This is being sent out to schools, organizations, individuals, etc. around the city. Please feel free to forward it on to anyone you think would be interested and/or reply yourself if you would like to participate! Call for Ideas!!! How often do you travel the stretch of Euclid Avenue from the East teens to Public Square? I walk it almost every day, and every time I do I am saddened at the sight of all those empty storefronts. I am inclined to scurry past with my head down until I get to my destination. While scurrying I often think about how that walk would be if all those windows were full of light and color and things worth stopping to see. Now, back to reality – I don’t want to wait until the Euclid Corridor Project is finished and the number of downtown residents increases enough to encourage retailers and restaurants to fill up those storefronts. I want to have an enjoyable stroll down Euclid right now, complete with light, color, and window shopping. Enter: You. We believe that property owners would be thrilled to fill their empty storefronts with your creative art installation, architectural or planning display, mural, visual poetry, technical wonder, or [place your idea here]. We are setting a goal of filling 5 lower Euclid storefronts by the beginning of 2006, with many more to follow. Installations will change every 4 months or so to keep passersby on their toes! We want to hear from you! If you have an idea for an installation, know someone who you think would want to participate, are a storeowner who would like your storefront to be involved, or just have questions about the project, please email us at clevelandstorefrontsATgmailDOTcom. Please include as much information about yourself as possible (contact info, brief description of your idea, time it would take to create your vision, location and size of your store, etc.) Email soon – we’re anxious to get started!

Many of you have probably already looked through ODOT's powerpoint from June '04 - if you haven't I would recommend it. It has price ranges next to each alternative plan for the entire I-90 plan, not just the bridge. It has the Southern Alignment listed as 'an alternative that will not be studied further'. You can download it at http://www.innerbelt.org/innerbelthome.htm.

Well, I guess he really wants his question answered! Unfortunately, I do not know the answer. Sorry, inkaelin!

Well, I sure do hope the the real person (whoever she is) isn't quite so pale and boxy! :)

And, here's part of the blurb they have online (http://www.wcpn.org/nine/schedule/2005/1114.html): San Francisco has its Golden Gate Bridge; New York has the Brooklyn Bridge; Brasilia, Brazil has the Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge. All have a distinctive character that help define the city in which they’re located. They’re “signature bridges,” structures immediately identifiable with their surroundings. Officials in Cleveland are suggesting that we should have a signature bridge, too; and that it should be part of a new I-90 Innerbelt. We’ll talk to a planner and to Plain Dealer architecture critic Stephen Litt about the viability of a signature bridge for Cleveland.

^I missed it too - hopefully we can listen to it online soon at http://www.wcpn.org/. I do know that Hebebrand and Steven Litt were guests.

That would be nice if 17th ran straight through. Right now, it's just two parking lots.

^Absolutely, urbanlife. Just a funny aside - I was googling around looking for pictures of storefront art to use as examples and when I googled "beautiful storefronts" guess what the second hit was? A travel.yahoo page on the Terminal Tower! Ha!

I LOVE the idea of a downtown-OC-West Side trolley line! KJP, I couldn't quite tell from your picture whether or not your proposed loop goes through Tremont? One of my biggest pet peeves living in OC is how difficult it is to get from OC to Tremont on public transportation. A loop going through both neighborhoods would be fabulous (especially if it were free!).

I think Voinovich just wants a 'signature bridge' - I don't know that he cares whether it's the 2-bridge or southern alignment plan that gets him his bridge. Is that right?

"Nevertheless, ODOT refuses to get a second opinion." Is there any possibility of someone else funding a second opinion on the Southern Alignment plan?

^Sure! I see it starting out with maybe 3-5 storefronts and growing from there. But, it all depends on how many owners/property managers are open to the idea and how many artists we can find that would be interested in a storefront installation. I'm guessing the former will be much more of a challenge than the latter.

If ODOT's saying that, then they're talking out of both sides of their mouths. They propose to spend $50 million on that bridge "to make it last another 40 years" they've said. Worse, the existing bridge piers keep sliding, especially on the Tremont side, and will continue to need millions of dollars worth of repairs, including jacking up the bridge every so often. That's the sense I got, although the person I met doesn't work for ODOT, just with them.

I've heard that the first initiative of the BID will be to hire 50 (?) downtown ambassadors who will be a street presence and will clean up while they're at it. But, they would be a big help with a project like this, once they're in action.

The arguments I've heard (from a recent meeting with someone working on the project) against the southern alignment are: 1. Demolition of the Greek Orthodox Church (and another building in Tremont - I can't remember) 2. Design does not have good engineering (?) 3. Curve in the bridge will be dangerous (compared it to dead man's curve) 4. $$$ - all the on and off ramps by Jacob's Field would have to be rebuilt 5. The current bridge still has ~50 years of life in it (waste of $ to knock it down now, although it will be demolished in 50 yrs) If it's to be considered, I think all those points would have to be disproved with hard facts. Unfortunately, I agree that the meeting on the 17th is just going through the motions.

Oberlin Art Dept is quick to respond! Apparently, they no longer lease the space. Too bad.

Someone also needs to kick Oberlin's butt to fill up their gallery at 1305 Euclid! In fact, I think I'll send them an email right now...

Absolutely, MGD!

^Issis, I certainly wouldn't pretend that this plan would "solve the downfall of downtown Cleveland" and that's not the point of it. In thinking about things that I can do to make my environment feel closer to what I'd like it to be, this seems like a semi-easy creative quick-fix to the problem. Otherwise we just have to wait until more people live downtown and the businesses follow on their own - I want to see physical improvement now!