inlovewithCLE

I think sometimes we all get so caught up in all of this that we don't think about (or don't care about) what REGULAR people think. And that's ok, you don't have to. But I think about that. The average regular person has never heard of Angie and doesn't read (and couldn't give a damn less about) Rustwire. I am of the belief that you can never have too many "gimmicky tourist attractions" because regular people LIKE them. The idea that Cleveland can never be a tourist attraction is absurd, defeatist, and most importantly, factually inaccurate considering that the Rock Hall, Playhouse Square, Horseshoe Casino (yes, I've met people who came from elsewhere to go to the Horseshoe), the Q and all of the museums are ALREADY tourist attractions. Quick story, last year I was at Winterfest and I'm with my godson by the food trucks and this couple walks up to me and asks me if B&Ms were the best in town. We chatted for a bit and then they said they weren't from here. I asked them where were they from and they said Buffalo. They didn't come up here to see family or friends. They knew no one here. They came up here specifically for Winterfest. Not to mention the tourists I ran into from Chicago or the tourists I've ran into on multiple occasions from Metro Detroit, so the idea that we can't and never will be a tourist attraction is B.S. As a tourist destination, Cleveland is not New York. But Cleveland's competitive edge is that at its best, Cleveland Can BE New York for others in the region. At our best, we're New York for people who can't afford to (or don't want to) go to New York. Now, specifically on the skylift, I support it. It's unique. It's out of the box thinking (which we DESPERATELY need here) and it absolutely will be a tourist attraction. What happens when the shine wears off is a legitimate concern, but it's not a boondoggle. And let's not present this false narrative of "instead of doing this, we REALLY should be doing this". Lets for one second act like this city is capable of walking and chewing gum at the same damn time and do both. Yes you must make your neighborhood (in this case, downtown) appealing for the people that live and work there. But guess what? Downtown IS an amusement park for many people and you want and NEED that too. Without it, you're Detroit. So whether it's a big ass chandelier outside of Playhouse Square or Dan Gilbert's plans to make a Cleveland's Times Square or the Cowboys Stadium-ifcation of FirstEnergy Stadium or a Skylift, I'm for it. I desperately want this city to shake off the torn sackcloth and linen of Midwestern boredom and rediscover gaudy opulence. We could use some more "look at me"-isms here.

I wish you, or some other conservative, would point to any appealing urban residential/entertainment neighborhood anywhere that uses the availability of parking as its (or even a) major selling point. I'm a conservative, but I think E Rocc is (usually) way off. I would argue, as others have, that it's fundamentally unconservative to support virtually unlimited sprawl as he does. Sprawl is a drain on resources and is an unnecessary waste of tax dollars in the myriad of duplicative services and unnecessary government bodies. So, I don't think you were doing this but PLEASE don't group all of us together. Back on topic, parking IS important. I think its foolish to act like it isn't. But I don't think the parking issue either stops or encourages people to come to LI. The people who allow parking to stop them from coming to LI probably wouldn't be going there anyway. And on the flip side, most people don't go to LI because of the density. They go because of what's in the neighborhood. THAT more than anything is what matters. The average person doesn't give a damn about the things we care about. It's all about the experience. That's what matters to the average person, not parking vs. no parking

It's the theater district. Sometimes theater is all about gaudy and ridiculous. I like it. Liven up the street at night with something different for our foot traffickers AMEN. Its overstated. GOOD. Cleveland needs a little bit of overstated swag instead of the same, vanilla Midwestern boredom.

As a person who works in media/entertainment in Cleveland, I can't put into words how big of a deal this is. Not only because it would bring prestige to the city, but there's also the potential that other organizations like them will follow suit. Being viewed as a cheaper alternative to setting up shop in NYC is important, because it could create a snowball effect. I hope they go downtown

WHOA. That's a big freakin deal. I hope it happens

For over 30 YEARS?!?! My goodness... That's very common. There's a beautiful old brick and stone building right across the street from the West Boulevard Red Line station that's been vacant for at least as long as that. Its owner, like many other owners of long-vacant properties in Cleveland, has been waiting to be enriched by some unpromised economic boom rather than take the best offer she can get. Is there no way to stop that? Imminent Domain, nothing?

Would you want 5,000-20,000 people coming downtown for ANY kind of activity? Some uses are worse than others. At one extreme is a megachurch. At the other is 20,000 people coming downtown for strip clubs, X-rated movie theaters and massage parlors. I consider a surface parking lot and a million other uses as a more moderate use in between those extremes. You may not like my view, nor am I asking you to. So one side of the coin is a megachurch and the other side is a Red Light District? Come on KJP. You're usually not one for hyperbole. That's borderline offensive. Again, I personally don't care for megachurches as my religious experience. But it is not. about. me. And I think your hatred for the concept of megachurches is clouding your vision on this one, my friend. Essentially saying a megachurch would be as extreme as having a freaking Red Light District is kinda out there. A megachurch is a valid use of that space.

Shouldn't at least the initial article stay here though? Since it was clear from the trustees that they are GOING to do something about the Wolstein Center, just don't know what yet.

For over 30 YEARS?!?! My goodness...

Regardless of your personal opinion, a megachurch (a la "The Word") is a valid use of the space. That you would rather have it torn down and replaced as a surface lot instead of it being something you apparently have a philosophical disagreement with is something I just don't get. As a Christian myself, I'm not a big fan of the megachurch experience. Too impersonal for me. But it's not about me. There are tons of people that love it and if attracting a megachurch is a way to finally get some use out of this building, CSU would be a fool not to do it. (And again, this is coming from a person who'd rather have the Wolstein Center torn down and rebuilt closer to Gateway).

There's plenty of land for mixed use developments. I agrue that, getting a megachurch in the facility is the best option. If they can't make that happen, the next best option may be to shrink the size of it to more adequately compete with smaller shows. The last option, which I would probably prefer the most but is the least likely, is to tear it down and rebuild it. I wouldn't want it at Public Auditorium because I believe that CSU needs its own facility that it can control. But maybe, if possible, they could rebuild it in or around the Gateway district and become technically a Gateway facility. I think that could actually help with CSU Men's Basketball attendance as well. If possible, they should tear it down and rebuild it at Gateway

Well I would say that based on the fact that City Council already approved it and the fact that this guy is about to start paying for it, I doubt he'd be doing it without them lined up already. I think the question of time may be more towards what happens with the land after they leave, but the city wouldn't move forward on this transaction if it wasn't already lined up, especially given the building's history

Don't bet on it being "way in the future". From the Random Developments Thread: Euclid Avenue mansion, laden with public debt, might have future as children's museum (gallery) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The last 19th-century mansion standing on Cleveland's former Millionaire's Row might get another shot at life, after a tangled decade that started with high hopes for renovation and ended with the prospect of foreclosure. In an unusual transaction, the city of Cleveland plans to take possession of the empty Stager-Beckwith mansion and sell it to Michael Chesler, a local developer who aims to remake the historic house for the Children's Museum of Cleveland. The deal, approved by Cleveland City Council on Monday, would avert a foreclosure sale of the Euclid Avenue property to pay off nearly $550,000 in overdue taxes. If Chesler's plan works, it could provide a bit of salve for the city -- which is set to lose more than $4.5 million on a bad loan to the house's current owner. "We really want to see the building preserved and utilized for something that will benefit the whole neighborhood," said Tracey Nichols, the city's economic development director. "We don't want to take the risk of a sheriff's sale." For five years, the mansion has been sitting empty. The owner, a Ferchill Group affiliate called Stager-Beckwith Associates Ltd., owes more than $4.7 million on the city loan. Public records show Stager-Beckwith also hasn't been paying property taxes to Cuyahoga County. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/09/euclid_avenue_mansion_laden_wi.html

Upper Chester developer hopes to start work in early 2014 on $42 million, 177-unit apartment building CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After years of delays, debate and deliberations, the empty lots stippling the southeast edge of Cleveland's Hough neighborhood might see shovels soon. The Finch Group, a Florida developer with a foothold in Cleveland, hopes to start construction early next year on a 177-unit apartment building at East 97th Street and Chester Avenue. The $42 million project is the first step toward remaking Upper Chester, a broad stretch of land north of the Cleveland Clinic's main campus and west of University Circle. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/09/upper_chester_developer_hopes.html#incart_river_default

As someone who works in the entertainment industry, I would LOVE to see a film studio on the lakefront. Because of height requirements, etc. I don't know how much density you'd see on the lakefront anyway

The PD is a joke. I'm not a fan for various reasons (taking the "Cleveland" out of their name, garbage website, bad news coverage, horrendous political coverage, and yes, they are biased. Worked for a GOP campaign once, saw it firsthand). I wish some of the other regional newspapers would step into this market and compete more head to head with them. If I could get The News Herald today, I would. I'm just outside of their readership area in Collinwood. But I wish The News Herald would even just move into a piece of Cleveland proper. They'd kick the PD's ass. The Akron Beacon Journal is now doing home delivery to Cuyahoga County's western suburbs in the wake of the PD's decision, so I BEG somebody, ANYBODY to move in and give this major market some decent freaking news!

A-freakin-men

All these non-imaginative people here! (And don't use the tired "I'm just being realistic." That's what people without imagination say to justify their lack of imagination.)

People can call it "pie in the sky" if you want to, but I, for one, am glad to see someone in this town with the you-know-what's to go for the gusto. I get so tired of boring people who can't "see the possible", in the words of channel 3. Stop being so damn vanilla. Go big or go home!!

Really?! Intriguing. Can u reveal where u heard that from?

Just Hypothetical here - The Norfolk Southern parcel south of Progressive Field where 20 years ago they considered this parcel for the Cleveland Browns Stadium, Then Bart Wolstein considered this site for a Major League Soccer Stadium ( which he did not get any city support ) and then considered Northfield before he died. Is this parcel Big Enough to move Thistedown racetrack to and THUS incorporating it into PHASE 2 Hmm. I don't know but if it is, that would be freaking genius. Can tie it into Gateway AND have tons of machines and table games PLUS the stores and restaurants you were going to put into phase 2 anyway. I LOVE the idea. Someone get the idea to Horseshoe like ASAP

They are going to add more things to the Higbee building but they will still need to build phase 2 because the Higbee building alone is not big enough to hold ALL of the things they will need to fully diversify its income. I agree on the comment about Thistledown, by the way. If it was structurally feasible concerning the footprint, I would've much rather preferred it if they would've merged Thistledown with phase 2 and moved Thistledpwn downtown

You're right--I shouldn't be so cynical. But with their revenues failing to meet expectations (something the skywalk won't solve), my gut instinct tells me we'll be waiting a long time for Phase II, if ever. But for now, I'll keep my fingers crossed with everyone else and await the news. Take solace in the fact that they may have to build phase 2 just to compete and keep up with the Hard Rock. The stores and restaurants that are planned for phase 2 is needed to diversify their income. They're gonna HAVE to build it, because even taking into consideration whatever they add on different floors, the Higbee is only so big and they need income diversification

Um, are they losing revenue because of not having a sky walk or because the market is oversaturated? " Fitch Ratings' Bumazhny said the Cleveland Horseshoe should benefit from a proposed skywalk that Rock Ohio plans to build after buying the Higbee Building from Forest City Enterprises. The skywalk would connect to the casino parking garage and give older customers a stronger sense of security while visiting downtown, Bumazhny said." http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/07/casino_revenue_falls_in_number.html

Give it a rest!! Good lord. The Horseshoe is LOSING money without this walkway and that's a fact, whether u like it or not. I also believe the casino industry experts when they say a). Not having a walkway is making the Horseshoe lose business and B). That they will NEED the construction of phase 2 to compete with the new Hard Rock. (http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/07/casino_revenue_falls_in_number.html). Plus, I don't know how many freaking times someone has to say the same thing over and over again before you give the benefit of the doubt or at least take a wait and see approach (http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/cleveland_casinos_phase_2_in_d.html), instead of that damn old Cleveland cynicism.