heatohio

That's one of the most ignorant statements I've ever heard. If you care so much about that one building that you're willing to sacrifice an important aspect of Cleveland's rebuilding process, then move. Companies have already stated they're willing to invest in downtown Cleveland because of the casino and med mart. I've traveled to everywhere from NY state, NJ, Vegas, St. Louis, WV (barf), Illinois, Pittsburgh and countless other cities and states in order to gamble. I'm sick of other people having a say in what I can or can't do as far as playing a little craps goes. If YOU don't want a casino, then don't go, move out to Westlake and live in Crocker park so you won't ever have to see it. If they were tearing down some amazing building for a parking garage I'd see a little more reason for a fuss. But this building is very unassuming and won't even be missed once it's gone. Someone showed how it looks like some converted condos in Chicago and what not, but it's not like you had to halt important progress downtown Chicago to turn those buildings into condos. Here's an idea, lets keep the Columbia building, scrap the casino so the stanley block and Columbia can stay empty (along with the multiple other downtown properties) because there are no companies willing to invest because we don't have any real attraction like a CASINO!

That settles it, anything that loud mouth, fathead Drew Carry is against, I'm for.

I'm shocked that anyone can be embarrassed by a casino in our downtown. I've been to every single city mentioned and this fits non of those scenarios. St. Louis has river boat casinos (granted they're permanently docked) but they are very low class and offer really nothing else. Besides greektown, Detroits "downtown" casinos are in the middle of nowhere, and the greektown area has been better off since it's arrival. Joliet is a tiny place outside of Chicago, not even comparable at all. We are lucky to have a project that is spurring future development of retail and hotels in an area that had nearly none for years. I think people are placing their personal "morals" against gambling into play when they say stuff like this and not thinking of the betterment of the city.

I live in Lakewood so I drive to 117th rapid and from there we had the option of either getting off downtown and taking the healthline (the one was did) or take it all the way to the cedar station and pick up the circle link. There are too many easy alternative options to drive there, I'd love for everyone that goes to start taking public transit. Especially since it's supposed to be an environmentally conscious event.

Many of the older people will be the "through the hamster tube and back" types. I think most young people will look for more to do downtown. I can't count the times I've driven up to Detroit and planned on doing stuff besides gamble, but since their two best casinos are in the middle of nowhere I never really did. The one time I went to Greektown I got out and walked the area and visited a couple places. The key, IMO, will be street directories. People need hand holding like it or not. They need "E.4th street --->" signs and the same with the warehouse district. And inside the casino they need signs directing people towards tower city. Not to mention, the people visiting the city for conventions will probably be walking already, especially during the summer months. Those people will be drawn to that area because of the casino where they may not have even bothered without it. The casino isn't the end all be all of cures to the cities problems, but it's a nice piece of the puzzle, and if you need a slightly bad thing to gain a really great thing, it's not all so bad.

I assume it's the ramp that will be part of the mall used for a lake observation landing. I could be wrong though.

Really? Why not? I think all they require is visibility from a freeway and a certain amount of sq footage, which 70K should be plenty. 70K is not nearly big enough for an Ikea. http://flatpackohio.com/2004/08 Yeah, I did some more research and realized that too. I guess when you hear 70,000 sq ft you don't realize how small it is in comparison to some of those stores. Oh well, one can hope.

Does anyone have any idea if the announced 70,000 sq ft retailer in Steelyard could be an IKEA?

I'm almost positive that idea was scrapped in place of nicer pedestrian tunnels.

We can only hope that it doesn't create the problems that people think that it will create.

Not a big baseball fan (football and basketball for me) but I always love when a Cleveland team is doing well. Downtown was doing pretty well for a Sunday afternoon. Passed through on my transfer from the redline to the healthline heading out to Hessler street fair and saw tons of people wondering around, eating on E4th, inside tower city. Good teams = an alive and well city.

Part of my time downtown today was spent actually looking at that intersection including the Columbia building. I've passed by that area for years but have never stopped to look. I must admit, I am far from impressed by the Columbia building. It's not something that I would miss. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a parking garage fan, especially since I'm a huge advocate for public transportation. But I don't see anyway that a "welcome center" can exist in that location without that building coming down, I'm shocked enough that the Stanley block can be saved and incorporated into the plans. Throw in a couple ground level retail stores there and fix up the building just to the east of the current Columbia building for more retail and or restaurants and that intersection should be just fine. This casino is too important to the grand scheme of a new, rejuvenated downtown Cleveland. If this is a necessary evil than I can live with that.

I'll be on the healthline today going out to Hessler street fair and eating at the Falafel cafe, I'll try not to get spooked at all the ghosts I see along the way. And KJP, are those boxers or tighty whities they're wearing? Makes a difference for my imagination.

My fiance yells at me not to read those comments but I can't help myself, it's just like when I used to watch Rush Limbaugh's TV show some years back. I think I like to get mad at these a-holes. Either that or I read it because it makes me feel a lot better about myself after thinking that I could have ended up like one of those people.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/05/post_465.html Euclid Corridor got a huge honor, we should be proud as Clevelanders yet Cleveland.com posters have informed me otherwise. I guess all those times that I've ridden the healthline to go to street fests, theatre, restaurants among other things, those people I saw on the bus were all ghosts because nobody rides that busline.

I'm split, I really am not attached to a random building simply because it's old with nice architecture. But I'd love to see some suburban a__wipes have to walk the dangerous streets of downtown with all those dark people roaming around. But my feelings of how important this casino is makes me feel like we have to do what we have to do. I won't be parking in that garage, the redline will be my mode of transportation when I go to the casino.

I always hated red states.

I could care less if they were to keep the building, I just don't want a McDonalds around me. It's bad enough it's on Sloane and I have to see it when I go to Natures Bin. Not to mention, I moved to Lakewood 11 years ago because it was wasn't a real suburb, keep this up and we might as well be Rocky River with lower home prices.

We are allowed to complain about any new McDonalds.

McDonalds wants to tear down the old Detroit theatre to build, they don't want to be on Sloane anymore. It's bad enough CVS is tearing down a building on the Detroit down by the Library to make a nice big new store.

"Most NBA teams, including the Cavaliers, view the 6-foot-8, 241-pound Williams as more of a power forward than a small forward at the next level. Teams question whether he’s quick enough to guard small forwards." http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/212960/Cavs_See_Derrick_Williams_As_NBA_Power_Forward He will say what he has to say in order to make himself seem more versatile to the NBA teams. Many hybrid 4's play outside more than in. Lewis, Jamison, Donyell Marshall...there are numerous examples. He's athletic as hell, I like his game a lot. BUT, the power forward position is the one spot where we don't need much help and since we look at him as a PF we wouldn't be interested. In my opinion Irving and Kanter are the two best picks, assuming Kanter is available which may not be the case. The center and PG are the two hardest positions to fill and we can fill them both with great players in one draft. We can go after a SF in the early 2nd round or make a trade for one.

I tried sending you a private message but it said your mailbox is full. I'm a realtor and would be more than happy to help you figure these things out if you'd like. Send me a message on here so I can give my personal email and phone number.

Every report has GM after GM placing him as a 4 in the NBA. All his success in college has been at the 4, never at the 3. I don't want him and I know that Cavs wouldn't consider trading up to get him and would possibly take him at 4 if they are indeed intending on going the "best player available" route regardless of position.

Most believe Kanter would have competed for the 1st overall pick if he was allowed to play in Kentucky this year. If you want to argue that he'd be lower in another draft, that's debatable, but we're not in another draft, we have what we have to choose from. He's the top rated big man in the draft and can make a difference in a game on offense and or defense. Derrek Williams is not fast enough to be a 3, not one GM in the league projects him playing the small forward spot. At least not in his early NBA career, he may evolve into that someday but it's hard to teach the things he lacks in that area.

We don't need Williams, especially if we have to give something up to get him. From what I hear he will only be productive as an undersized PF, which we already have a pretty good undersized PF in Hickson. I do NOT want Igoudala, Gay would be fine but Memphis wouldn't part with him for anything we have to offer. That team was one game from the WCF, they're not going to be sellers. Kanter is THE most skilled big in the draft, he has great foot work and can do something that no Cav has done since Brad Daugherty, he can play with his back to the basket. We can't over think this, we'll end up thinking ourselves out of playoff contention. There are two positions in the NBA where you build a team around, the 1 and the 5, and we have a chance to get both in the same night. We HAVE to do it if Kanter is still there, which he should be.