Tobias C

Havent posted in a bit. Granted I havent seen any of them play, based off of their past teams, im excited about the depth we signed this year. Ola, Larsen, Tarek, Casey, Ashe....as well as draftees Savaria and Minter. Glad they paid Kamara. Im not exactly sure what hes worth. Weve only seen one season of him killing it at center forward, and it seems early to practically double his salary. I could have seen raising him from 500 something to like 650-700 something, similar to successful proven scorers in MLS like Wondolowski or Wright-Phillips....but i can also see that hes the whole reason the Crew were so successful last season and hes at LEAST as valuable as Higuain whos on 1.1 mil......so i can see why Kei would push for that kinda money. Just glad they could reach a deal without drama. TV deal doesnt help me because i live in Toledo but i just fork over the money for MLS Live, and its fine. Im definitely happy for everyone local who was screwed by the blackout though. Good on the front office for at least making the team available, by some means, to everyone. About the new secondary kits... Upon first sight, i wanted to throw up. My thoughts are that i can appreciate Precourts commitment to making the team "authentically Columbus" but this was a little overkill and they probably should have got some opinions before attempting something that risky. Oh well. I actually dont hate the shirt...i dont care for it but i can tolerate it. Its the blue shorts that are ridiculous. If they could switch them to white or yellow or something it would be much easier to look at. Luckily the black is the primary now, and those kits are outstanding. Also luckily, were only stuck with them for a year. I would like to see a kit similar to the Croatian national teams with the checkers. The checkers in the badge represent the fans so the jersey design would have relevance. Yellow shirt, black checkers on the torso, and black shorts. Just my opinion. All in all I still like everything happening with the team and the still upward trajectory i see this team following. For any little step backwards we take, we for sure take like, 3 steps forward so its all good.

It's true that everything at Crew Stadium can be renovated, added to, modernized, etc...heck they can even tear it down and rebuild there. I think the problem going forward will just be the location and the things that it can't provide. Even if Precourt could afford and wanted to develop around the stadium....it's not his property to do so with. I could live with the stadium staying there, but if that was the definite plan, I would hope for a lot more enhancements. I've read that the stadium isnt built to accommodate a roof just being attached so a freestanding structure would probably have to go up around it to support a roof and would be expensive but as long as you're staying put there, could be worth it. Maybe even build a whole exoskeleton around the stands to hold the roof and to have a cool modern facade around the stadium. It would be sweet if it glowed yellow or something! It would look like a whole different stadium.

The thing about Crew Stadium is it wasnt built to be the long term home for the Crew. It was just the test stadium so to speak, to see how the first major league, soccer-specific stadium would go over and was purposely built cheap (only 26 million, which would be 40 some million today but it pales in comparison with thr new stadiums in the league which cost anywhere from 100 to 300 million.) With the league growing at a rapid pace, the other teams are building brand new, modern, stadiums. Theres technically nothing wrong with the stadium, but it doesn't feel "major league". It's more like an oversized high school football field with a stage which just can't give the same game day experience and atmosphere the other MLS teams do. I agree about not having stadiums publicly funded, and at the very least it should be voted on. And nobody really knows how much money Anthony Precourt (team owner) has, although we know he had the 60 million to buy the team and stadium. Maybe he will get other investors in on the deal to help him build a stadium. Who knows. But the stadium is the fairgrounds /expo center property and they have a 20 or 25 year lease to be there (can't remember which) and when that lease is up, they either sign for another 20 years or move out. That leaves them with only a few years to figure out what they're stadium plan is.

I don't have an in depth knowledge of the city of Columbus, but I'm a big Crew fan and I'm curious what others think about the possibilities of a new stadium, now that's its 2015. It's been discussed in the past but with constant development throughout the city, especially in the central areas of the city, what potential locations are even left? I remember people mentioning sites such as by Huntington Park in Arena District, Veterans Memorial in Franklinton, or the Jeffrey Park site....but I think these all have other plans in motion now, right? Does anyone have an ideas of other spaces that could work? Is there possibly a spot that is currently occupied by underutilized buildings that could potentially be bought and razed even? Obviously there's always the suburbs but it's the standard in MLS to shoot for centrally located, urban locations, accessible by transit and/or pedestrians, and near other amenities. Just curious what ideas others that know the city better than me think could be possible.

Wow I haven't been by here in a while. Kamara and Finlay have been shredding up defenses, but our defense on the other hand, needs sorted out. We have like 600k in salary rapped up in two starting Center Backs so I don't know who the hell you bring in there. RB is the obvious place to make an addition though. Too bad that Zeca dude didn't come through. I wonder if theyre talking to anyone else to come in this transfer window. If we could stop making stupid mistakes in the defense and leaking goals, we'll be at minimum, contenders for the eastern conference championship.

This is definitely good news. Im not sure how the parking is going to work but I dont think it should be a problem. It wouldnt even be a big deal if they built a parking structure above ground there. Promenade Park is the space between Water St and the River, and the whole block of open grass used to be buildings. Underground parking would be ideal but it could still work above ground without being unsightly if it was built as part of a mixed use development along Summit St. Just have the first one or two stories be commercial space then the following levels be parking decks that still have the external facade of an attractive downtown building. Something like this..... It would probably be desirable space to lease especially if commercial spaces looked out over Promenade Park and the river. Theres a lot of possibilities and the best part is a corporation is behind it which means little controversy in regards to the public paying for it all to get done.

Good idea. I didn't even think about looking into local chapters of the supporters groups.

The Crew need to make some good acquisitions this offseason. Homegrowns like Trapp will be great for our future, but we also need to be making offers to lots of internationals, as well as trade offers for estpablished MLS guys. I always get this feeling that they don't take talent acquisition as seriously as other teams. Another DP would be great but I won't hold my breath. I just hope Higuain and Arrieta dont lose their magic this preseason. I don't have faith in Warzycha, but i believe in Higuain!

Does anyone possibly know of any soccer friendly bars in the Toledo area? I'm a Crew fan, but living in Toledo, I only make it out to a few games, tops, a year. I usually go to Claddagh at the Franklin Park mall but I'm usually the only one there watching soccer. Curious if anyone knows of any places whete i might not be the only soccer fan.

That article in The Blade that talks about what downtowns residents need hits the nail on the head. A grocery store of some sort, and also a smaller pharmacy store would help out a lot. Part of the appeal of choosing to live downtown, is being able to live an urban lifestyle, so to speak, and in a central business district, I think people expect walkability and amenities to be a part of their lifestyle. Theres a sufficient amount of dining, drinking, and entertainment venues downtown to secure peoples interest, on that end of the equation, but the basic necessities of every day living are missing. I like the idea of the Andersons or Churchills investing in downtown. People throw around names like Trader Joes and Whole Foods, and those places obviously are not bad, but they are big national chains that overlook mid-size, rust belt, downtown Toledo so im not sure we stand a chance with them, at least not in the near future. The Andersons family lives in Toledo, and it would be a greater possibilty that they might see the opportunity downtown. Im not counting on it, but perhaps the city and the Andersons could work together to make a store happen. A store like the Andersons Market thats out in Sylvania would be great downtown.

I agree C Dawg. Sandusky is a great city. I lived there for almost 4 years right downtown. There's lots to do for a little city. The downtown area is doing really well. There's several restaurants and several bars and theyre all thriving. I miss living there and coukd dwfinitely see myself moving back there when I'm retired, especially if it keeps getting better.

I think this development turned out pretty well. It's attractive to drive by. The entire south side of Dorr St from Byrne to Secor is cleared empty lots, except for one big old house (Frat i think?). I wonder what the plans are for all of it. It would be prime for more mixed use development. Honestly I think it would be great if they just bought out most every business along Dorr from Byrne to Westwood, and made it all mixed use, urban/campus village development, then let those former business move back in. With a more atttactive atmosphere outside of campus for students personal time, I could see student numbers finally rising and they're being more demand for housing. Th entire Secor Gardens neighbor could easily become a big student neighborhood. It's currently a sort of rougher, but okay, neighborhood of families, but I could see it becomintg a student dominated neighborhood with its proximity to new development, in the next several years or so.

Haha. Ottawa Tavern is probably the most hipster-ish bar, probably like 90% hipster. Then the Attic is probably like 50% hipster. Then Wesleys is probably like anywhere from 10% to 80% hipster depending on the night. Manhattans is probably like 5% hipster, and the rest are cool older people into blues and jazx music. That's my Adams Street Guide to Hipsterdom.

I've been there several times now. I already don't care about it. It's not enticing as far as nightlife goes, so even when i do go, I just gamble til I'm spent, then leave. The location is just lame. That's all there is to say about it. The Detroit casinos are only an hour away, tops, and are bigger and better. The location nor the building itself does anything to excite me for the experience lying ahead. Oh well. Maybe the city will grow a pair someday.

Adams Street seems to be the "hip" burgeoning entertainment district. Theres still plenty of buildings undeveloped and run down, but the vibe is suitable for the types of people hanging out down there. Kinda the prime place to go out for LGBT, artsy people, hipsters, etc. Close proximity to the Old West End (where a lot of these people live) bolsters the neighborhood. I agree that there are certain key pieces missing from the success & progress puzzle of Toledo, and that we definitely need more detailed plans, ideas, and strategies. At least were definitely seeing progress in the right direction. The balls rolling. We just had a new pub called Ol' Cock n Bull Tavern open up by the stadium, and a new upscale restaurant called Registry Bistro, open across from the arena....as well as a new coffeeshop called Bleak House Coffee open in the Spitzer Bldg. So the balls rolling, slowly, but at least theres some bit of momentum.

I hope they get something going on this building soon. Its location is super important. Not a big fan of the name "Tower on the Maumee" (i think it sounds like the name of something strictly residential condos, like a high rise of condos along the lake shore in chicago or something, further out from downtown.....not a building right in the center of Downtown).....but i digress. I heard theres supposed to be a Marriot Courtyard hotel there. Im not sure how high rated they are, but there was just an story in The Blade recently about how Toledo lacks upscale hotels, that other similar mid-sized cities have and are capitalizing on. The best we have apparently is 3 stars. Maybe we could get a 4 star hotel in there? Simple differences like this might make the difference in whether somebody decides to do business, host a convention, or just host a client, in Toledo. Market rate apartments would be good too. The Standart Lofts are already sold out I believe, so something in their price range would probably be nice. Downtown has a low vacancy of apartments and could use some nice, but relatively affordable additions.

Not sure. Obviously the casinos priorities are accessibility and being noticable, and they have that where they are at. How the city just let an opportunity like this for downtown redevelopment go, is beyond me. I remember hearing a viewpoint, at some point or another, that downtown Toledo is "family friendly" and a casino does not/would not be a good fit. When I heard that I was pissed off because a downtown is the heart of the city, where all walks of life meet. It doesnt matter if people are doing something adult oriented like gambling. Downtown isnt specifically for families and already isnt kid safe. Theres already a strip club, and numerous bars and clubs. Ultimately I dont know how it didnt wind up downtown. Im sure Penn National just wanted it a certain way, and we bent over backwards and gave em what they wanted. :-P

I'm not offended. I haven't been to either ours here in Toledo or Clevelands yet, but ours seems like its just decent. The architecture and location leave a lot to be desired for me, and its not like we couldn't have done it like Cleveland and repurposed an awesome historical downtown building. We have multiple buildings that would of been great for that. I pictured it being in the building directly across Huron St, from the Huntington Center. Classy lookin building, about 5 or 6 stories. Would have helped anchor more development in the center of downtown. Just my opinion.

COMPLETELY agree with everything youve said about the casino plans. I already hate the place and its not even built yet. Like you said before, the place has no "spinoff potential". Its literally on a desolate strip of nothingness, some industry, along the river on Miami St. I get why its where its at. They practically have their own highway exit. That will be great for business as it will be easy to access, but beyond its accessibility for motorists, everything about this place is stupid. First off, a superficial complaint. I realize that Hollywood Casino is a chain but that name is so lame. When I hear the name HOLLYWOOD CASINO my brain automatically pictures a movie rental store thats about to fall prey to netflix. Can we say tacky? Hell something as cliche for the Toledo area as "Glass City Casino" kind of like Motor City in Detroit.....wouldve been preferable to me. The location is stupid as you mentioned. Theres nothing for it to even support, around it. This seems like its going to be a half a** version of Motor City Casino, when if anything, we should be aiming for something more along the lines of Greektown Casino. At least Greektown Casino draws people down to its NEIGHBORHOOD, where they spend money and patronize all of the restaurants and bars in immediate area. Its a mutual relationship. We could replicate that kind of relationship to some degree if the casino were somewhere Downtown. The location you mentioned between Adams and Jackson is good thinking. A casino could be a good anchor for attracting other development on this side of downtown. I think right at the corner of Main and Front St on the East Side wouldve been nice as well. It would have looked attractive at that corner. Then people would walk down Main St. to all the new restaurants and bars that would be possible there. It would also be nice if the McDonalds and Wendys properties could be acquired and redeveloped into large streetfront buildings, several stories high. Maybe as a compromise, McDs, and Wendys could be offered preferential space at a lower cost.......just so we can get the right type of style and development down there. Thats a vital corner. I also think something along the lines of what theyre doing with the Higbee Building at Tower City in Cleveland wouldve been nice for Toledo. We have plenty of great empty historical buildings throughout the downtown core, Warehouse District, and Uptown that could use the love. It wouldve worked out nice being around the Huntington Center. The casino where its at, is basically Rossford. Yes, I know its technically Toledo, but, please, come on.......its literally at the entrance to downtown Rossford. The only problem is I dont think Rossford will even benefit from it much. Downtown Rossford doenst really consist of anything that casino patrons would be interested in, besides maybe a gas station before getting back on the highway. I just think this casino was poorly planned all around. I really dislike it. And yes I will probably find my way into it when im up late on some random friday or saturday night. :oops:

Hello everyone. Im new to UrbanOhio so im probably going to post comments on a bunch of old topics but whateva. This is basically how I feel about the Marina District... This huge stretch of land is really valuable property. Im really excited about all the possibilities for development here, however I dislike all the plans ive seen so far. I remember at one point someone suggested basically making a commericial development of big-box style retail. I dont know how many "urbanists" there are on this website yet, but I think this idea is an obvious NO to anyone with any common-sense when it comes to planning. Then there was Larry Dillins plan. I didnt think this plan was that bad but I wasnt all about it either. It basically came across to me like a artificial urban-esque development. Dont get me wrong, it wasnt bad, but it basically just reminded me of a typical lifestyle center mall with residential. The design was decent though. I was happy that Dillin had it in mind that the Marina District should mesh with the rest of the adjacent neighborhood. Thats the right thinking. Ive only seen a few renderings but it looked like he had park-like areas extending across the street towards Waite High School. That would do well to fuse the areas together. The latest talk, of the Chinese developers, Dashing Pacific Groups plan......I think is completely stupid. Im not opposed to foreign developers taking over the project, although I do think its preferable to give that business to local developers. I can get over that. I just absolutely hate their plans. Their plans dont even look as cohesive as a normal Lifestyle Center developers. The worst part is the architecture and theme. The whole international village idea is just dumb, im sorry. In the renderings I saw, it all looked like a mix of more modern asian architecture, as well as the traditional looking pagoda style roofs and latterns and what not. I think thats utterly ridiculous. Nothing about that fits in with Toledo. It reminds me more of Epcot Center at Disney World, than something befitting a Midwestern American city. I love the idea of ethnic neighborhoods, but only when they occur organically, and exists in buildings that still make sense aesthetically to the city and region. These plans make this place look too touristy in its retail business sections, and the rendering I saw of apartments was atrociously clean and modern looking and the layout wasnt sensible. I just feel like these developers dont have any understanding of whats better for Toledo as a whole. Theyre business people, and obviously money is the bottom line but it doesnt help that theyre from the other side of the world. This development doesnt effect them on any personal level whatsoever. They never have to be remotely near it, let alone utilize it. I just hate how most ideas thrown out there make the Marina District, an isolated, rather exclusive seeming development. It would be a safe, exclusive, enclave of shopping, dining, and entertainment........that the residents of the actual East Side would have little use for. Not that the Marina District needs to be everything East Siders will use.......but I have a feeling that in its current state of plans...........it would mostly just wind up being another type of Fallen Timbers or Levis Commons. A place where people from Perrysburg, Sylvania, Maumee, Monclova Twp, etc, come to get dinner, maybe some starbucks or cold stone, and basically feel like theyre enjoying an awesome "night out on the town".....a great urban experience. :roll: The kinds of people who are populating the actual Downtown area of Toledo are mostly young professionals, college kids, artists, hipster types, and maybe even some empty nesters looking to downsize and live an urban lifestyle. Most of these demographics arent going to be interested in living over on the other side of the river, where the only things to do are in this new development. Theyre most attracted to the character and vibe of the apartments and lofts and condos they can find Downtown. Its just not smart planning. Its not ideally what people would want down here. If I were planning this development, I would have all the streets essentially just be extentions of the streets across Front St. The development would mostly just be standard square or rectangular blocks. This would help make it feel more seamless of a transition across Front St, making this new Marina District a true neighborhood of East Toledo. I would make it the most dense near the intersection of Main St and Front St. I think it should be a point to make the areas where you plan on having the most visitors and pedestrians walking around, near Main St, so that some of these people stroll up Main St, into the existing Central Business District of East Toledo. This would help support development and revitalization on Main St, and support a thriving "Downtown East Toledo" so to speak. The problem is when theres empty space in any city around here, it seems like people have this gut instinct telling them GET RID OF IT IMMEDIATELY. SELL TO ANYONE. Thats the wrong mentality though. People feel like, well "some developments better than no development" I feel thats absolutely incorrect. If you have a valuable property right in the center of the city, you dont just fork it over to the first person who can afford it and has some kind of plan for it. You save it for the RIGHT plan. Whats the right plan then? I think the city of Toledo should consult the citizens of the city, as well as real urban planners who are experienced in smart growth, and come up with a plan that represents TOLEDO, for Toledo.