CLEbertarian

Not to derail the thread, but I'm guessing you are referring to Super City Comics, Cards, & Collectibles. My buddy's father owned that place. Glad to see I'm not the only one who remembers it. Truly was an awesome store!

Clevecane just took both of these. One from the Terminal Tower, and the other while walking home. I highlighted where it appears the bricks are falling from. And to the question about wind: yes, he says it is extremely gusty down there right now. I think the last we heard construction was supposed to start in June. What horrible timing. I'm glad no one was hurt, and I hope this doesn't hurt the project at all.

I almost forgot about this one. Just checked the portfolio page on First Interstate's website, and I notice that the One University Circle rendering that was previously there has been removed. It's been replaced by... a stock photograph of some rolls of blue prints. I think we have to assume that means the project either has been sent back to the drawing board or is close to being scrapped altogether. And of course, being sent back to the drawing board in and of itself could end up being either a good thing or a bad thing. It thus appears that like the great Woody Hayes said about passing in football, three things might have happened to OUC and two of them are bad. FIP has made obvious and clear progress on the Legacy Village expansion within the past number of months, and yet we've had absolute silence about OUC for literally a full year now. Heck, many doubted that Intessa would ever come to fruition and yet we've seen and heard more progress on that than UOC. Come on FIP! We know you have people lurking on this site. Release some news - any news - to suggest that One University Circle isn't dead in the water. Your silence is deafening!

Understood. As mentioned, I'm not holding my breath. It just seems that between those two possible sites, one would be a cool location that's "in the heart of it all" and makes sense for the entire region while the other is... Northfield. Regardless, it was actually the Virgin Hotel at nuCLEus idea that just popped into my head today.

Fun Random Thought Of The Day Within the next five years we may have two new hotels opening near musically significant buildings. How cool would it be if the hotel flags were appropriate to both settings? I therefore humbly propose that it should of course be a Hard Rock Hotel opening on the lakefront near the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. But what to brand the hotel within nuCLEus? Given that it will neighbor the Harold and Record Rendezvous buildings on Prospect, it can't be anything other than a Virgin Hotel! It’d only be fitting that a hotel owned by one of the most historically significant record store companies of all time setup shop next door to what used to be one of the most historically significant record stores of all time. Note I'm just spitballing this... I'm not demanding it or expecting it. And I certainly don't have the resources or networking connections to make either one a reality. It was just a fun random thought that popped into my head that I figured I'd share. :-D http://www.hardrockhotels.com/ http://virginhotels.com/

I see what you are both saying. And I agree the piece doesn't have the most diplomatic of tones. That said, I liked the fact that she proposed numerous alternative policies and projects the Clinic could be undertaking instead of (or in addition to) the garage. That took it out of the realm of just criticism and turned it into constructive criticism, which is something we don't see nearly enough of these days. Was this perfectly written? Absolutely not. But I liked it enough that I'm about to forward it to a few family and friends that I've had similar conversations with. As for the Little Dubai part, that never occurred to me until you pointed it out. I've since reread it a few times and even now, I really don't see it as having racial connotations. She properly prefaces the comment by mentioning that it is a moniker used by her architect friends. Further, she goes on to describe exactly why they do so when she states that the Clinic campus is "a bunch of monolithic institutional buildings with a lot of dead space in between. It’s not really a community. It’s not really walkable. It’s not really an inviting or fun place to be." That adequately conveys that "Little Dubai" has nothing to do with people... let alone with their race, nationality, religion, etc. Instead, the name has everything to do with architecture and urban planning. Personally, I think both Houston's Energy Corridor and the Las Vegas Strip could share in most of that description. Each is also "a bunch of monolithic institutional buildings with a lot of dead space in between. It’s not really a community. It’s not really walkable. It's not really an inviting or fun place to be." OK, scratch the "not fun" part off for Vegas. :-) Regardless, should calling someplace a "Little Energy Corridor" or a "Little Vegas Strip" be taken with racist connotations? Of course not. Should either reference be avoided simply because someone could take them the wrong way? No. These days someone could be offended by almost everything. In my humble opinion, the author and her friends are using an apt nickname for the Clinic's campus, and she did a fine job of explaining precisely why.

Winking Lizard to Close Coventry Spot, Open New Location at Golden Gate Posted By Douglas Trattner On Wed, Feb 4, 2015 at 10:41 AM For nearly 20 years, Winking Lizard has been a fixture on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. It replaced Pepper Ridge Tavern, which replaced Turkey Ridge Tavern, two popular neighborhood watering holes. That legacy will end in early fall when the Lizard opens its next location, this one in Mayfield Heights. The company recently took possession of the former El Rio Grande (and Buca di Beppo) spot and have begun work to transform it into a Winking Lizard. More: http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2015/02/04/winking-lizard-to-close-coventry-spot-open-new-location-at-golden-gate Mods: I wasn't sure whether to stick this here or in the restaurant thread. I know this technically isn't about the Mayland shopping plaza redevelopment, but East Gate & Golden Gate developments have been repeatedly cited in this thread. So I figured I'd put it here. I apologize if you think the restaurant thread is more appropriate, and I then thank you for moving it. As for the article itself: I'm sure this location will do fine for the first few years, but I can't help thinking that this is a huge mistake in the long run for the following reasons: 1. Emery/Miles (Bedford), Chagrin (Beachwood), and Mayfield (Mayfield) are basically three consecutive exits along 271. Yes, I know technically they aren't consecutive since the Cedar exit and the Harvard exit are in between, but man are they close to each other. Considering that they have both a Winking Lizard and a Lizardville on Miles, this will result in having four locations within about a 7.5 mile stretch of 271. Seems like supersaturation to me. 2. The visibility and access to that spot within Golden Gate Plaza is atrocious. It doesn't matter whether you approach from Mayfield Rd. or Marsol Rd., either way you have to wrap around the half of the plaza to reach the restaurant. IMHO, that's the main reason neither Buca di Beppo nor El Rio Grande could survive there. Unless Golden Gate is willing to modify their abomination of a parking lot, I don't see why Winking Lizard will fare any better than its predecessors in the long run (once the honeymoon period ends.) 3. They are basically conceding that they cannot and/or will not compete for business closer to the urban core. Mr. Lane seems to be citing the development of University Circle, Ohio City, and Detroit Shoreway as obstacles to their success. Yet are they opening a location in any of these hot neighborhoods? Nope, their response is to shutter the inner-ring Coventry location and run out to Mayfield Heights. I'm not sure that I follow that logic.

Indeed it does. It is really quite a gorgeous connection as well. Marble everywhere.

^You appear to be thinking of the Eastgate Shopping Center. That's the plaza at the corner of Mayfield and SOM Center with Marc's, Microcenter, and Target. Golden Gate is a few blocks further west down Mayfield, with "anchor stores" including Marshall's, HH Gregg, and Jo-Anne Fabrics.

Extra height would be a happy bonus. Other than that, I honestly couldn't agree with you more.

Do we officially know that the Kimpton will be under the Hotel Palomar flag? For some reason I've always kind of preferred the Hotel Monaco name to the Hotel Palomar name. But I truly think all Kimpton properties should have their own individual names, like they've done with the Prescott Hotel, Argonaut Hotel, Hotel Triton, Hotel Solamar, etc. I was really hoping this would be called The Schofield...

Sorry folks. Have to self censor again. I would delete it if I could. That's all I can say.

As of now, I am not losing any sleep over the lack of progress on Phase II for a few reasons. First, if there is no development whatsoever on the riverfront property, I don't see how that land is worth anywhere near the $80 Million that Danny Boy paid for it. Which means that he made a very bad investment. Danny Boy may be a lot of things, but to my knowledge a piss poor investor is not one of them. Second, he likes to think of himself as a self made billionaire who owns multiple professional sports teams. In other words, he - like virtually all other sports team owners - is an absolute egomaniac. Now I've heard from a few people who've met him, and even had dinner at his house in Detroit, that he's a very nice guy. The type of guy I'd love to have a beer with. But he's an egomaniac nevertheless. He's also only 52 years old. Which suggests that he likely still has plenty of energy and desire left to continue "growing his empire." A youngish egomaniac with immense resources at his disposal isn't very likely to admit defeat. And again, to a guy like this, indefinitely holding a bad real estate investment is most certainly a defeat. So he "has to" either develop that land at some point or sell it off. Third, and most importantly, laws are not unchangeable. Even Ohio's Constitution is not unchangeable. Gilbert knows this better than anyone. If enough time goes by with no development on that land, "We The People" can always attempt to force his hand by modifying the laws that Mendo so graciously cited. We could go about this in a few different ways. We can propose that, if not developed by a certain date, the riverfront property be removed from the parcels a casino is allowed on. That lowers the future value of the riverfront property and makes his $80 Million investment an even more horrendous mistake. Better yet, we can propose that a second casino be allowed on different land in Cleveland... maybe somewhere along the lakefront. Given that most Ohioans recognize that the sky did not actually fall down after casinos opened here, I don't think it's too out of line to imagine eventually passing an amendment allowing a second casino in Cleveland. And although it's my least favorite option, as numerous folks have pointed out, we can always propose either to disallow gaming within the Higbee Building or even pulling Rock Ohio's gaming license altogether. Importantly, I'm not even sure any of these legislative options actually has to pass. It's entirely possible that just the threat of legislative action might be enough to force Rock Ohio to develop the riverfront land sooner rather than later. In summary, I still believe that we will hear definitive plans for a mixed use development including a casino floor on that land within the next 3 years or so, with a completion date scheduled for around 2020. But if not, as rich and powerful as Gilbert is, technically "We The People" still hold all the cards when it comes to casinos (pardon the bad pun.)

Sorry, I honestly couldn't. Almost all of the ones that I've been to, I haven't actually stayed at. I have been in the lobbies & public areas of all of them, and I've seen pictures of the rooms in each. But I haven't actually been inside the rooms of most of them, nor interacted with enough staff to truly gauge their level of service. I could probably subjectively rank the architectural beauty of their lobbies, and rank how friendly the receptionist or concierges was, but that's about it. I'm sure that is not at all what you were looking for. :lol: You see, I have a very odd habit of stopping into historic, luxury, and "independent" hotels (damn... I used that term) in any city that I visit. And I always ask for a pen with the hotel name on it (yes as in the writing instrument.) Why? Few reasons. 1. I collect hotel pens. 2. In my humble opinion, historic & luxury hotels (along with parks and often government buildings) tend to be among the most spectacular public spaces within any city. And hotels, unlike government buildings, are open 24/7. 3. It forces me to explore lots of different neighborhoods within the city, rather than confining myself to just the areas I'm staying in or visiting. I think it actually started off when my folks took me to The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL as a wee little tot. And in the 25+ years since then, I've amassed a collection of well over 1,000 hotel pens and pencils. I told you it was very odd!!! Typically, I just stop into the lobby and ask either a receptionist or concierges for a pen, and then wander around any public areas of the hotel that I can without trying to cause a disturbance. I also enjoy the brief interaction with the staff for a moment, especially over such an odd request as a pen. It gives me a very teeny tiny insight into their mindset. How friendly are they? How proud are they of their property and/or their city? A couple of times I have asked to see a ballroom or a hotel room, but not often. Sometimes I'll have a drink at the hotel bar or a meal at their restaurant, but again, not often. It's really more about the architecture for me... and the pens! Just one of my many eccentricities. Ask my bro Clevecane, he'll tell you... I'm a strange guy!

I wholeheartedly agree with you X, and that's exactly what led to all of the confusion above. The Tudor Arms would indeed meet Marriott's own definition of "independent" as cited by Devin. It would not, however, meet my personal definition of "independent." It fails my definition in two regards: 1. It participates in the Hilton Honors program. 2. MRN owns an additional hotel in the Holiday Inn Express. It seems that MyTwoSense uses a strict definition of independent, one probably very similar to my own. While TPH2, Devin, jam40jeff, and many others (including Marriott themselves) are using the more loose definition. And that's fine, I understand where both sides are coming from since there is no widely accepted true definition of the term. Personally, I try to refrain from using the phrases independent hotel and boutique hotel whenever possible. I just don't think either term does an adequate job of describing anything. But I won't jump on anyone for doing otherwise.

It seems like this is a debate over semantics, with the point of contention being the definition of "independent." A strict interpretation of independent at one time meant that the property was neither franchised, nor affiliated in any way, with a larger organization. But due to consolidation in the industry, this is now extremely rare among hotels, especially among larger 4 & 5 star properties. So it has become more common to use a looser interpretation of the word independent. It's widely accepted now to say that an "independent hotel" is owned by one company, and managed by either the owner or a third party management company, yet is still affiliated with a larger organization in some way, shape, or form. As this thread proves, this inevitably leads to confusion. Even more so nowadays, since it allows for considerable overlap with another completely ambiguous term that's sprouted up in recent years, the "boutique hotel." As an example of potential confusion: Is the Fontainebleau Miami Beach independent? It's owned by Turnberry Associates, run by their own in-house hospitality division, and is in no way affiliated with any national brand like Marriott or Hilton. Yet Turnberry Associates owns 8 hotels in addition to an absolute ton of residential, commercial, and retail complexes. So if their parent company owns 2,000 hotel rooms spanning 7 other properties... can the Fountainebleau really be called independent? Or, to put it another way, in what way are they truly more "independent" than The Metropolitan, which is (at the moment) the only hotel owned & operated by Geis Hospitality Group? Now surely Inn Walden in Aurora would qualify as independent. But at 27 rooms, I don't even consider Inn Walden a hotel. It's more of a large B&B, or as the name implies, an "inn." The term "independent" might lose whatever smidgen of meaning it has left if it is now being relegated to describing only B&B's. So obviously the term "independent hotel" needs to be more clearly defined. Unfortunately, given society's current infatuation with linguistic ambiguity, it's safe to say that this isn't going to happen anytime soon. Personally, I would propose that an "independent" be defined as a hotel of at least 100 rooms, that does not have any type of loyalty or rewards program, and whose ownership group owns no other hotels. I readily admit, however, that the number of hotels that fit this definition nationwide is very small. And again, when we narrow our focus to 4 & 5 star properties, the list becomes infinitesimally small. Hence, until I am provided with a good (and widely understood) definition, I'm OK with accepting the current loose interpretation of the word. /enddigressiverant All that said, using the modern loose interpretation, Marriott Autograph Collection hotels (at least here in the States) are technically "independent." As far as I am aware, none are owned by, nor directly managed by, Marriott International. They are independent franchises operating under a licensing agreement with Marriott International for marketing purposes. Mainly this means they utilize Marriott's booking system and they participate in the Marriott Rewards program. Most properties seem to be owned by companies that are big enough to have their own hospitality division (like Geis and Blackstone.) But it turns out that at least one is run by a true third party management company (Hotel ICON.) In any case, I've yet to find an Autograph Collection hotel that is either owned by, or even truly operated by, Marriott International themselves. Doesn't mean there isn't one... but I've yet to find it. The owners and/or operators of Autograph Collection properties that I've personally been to are: The Metropolitan (Cleveland) - Geis Hospitality Group & Greenwood Hospitality Group Turnberry Isle (Miami) - Turnberry Associates Union Station Hotel (Nashville) - Turnberry Associates (This property absolutely rocks. It is drop dead gorgeous.) The Lexington (NYC) - Highgate Hotels The Algonquin (NYC) - HEI Hotels Hotel Adagio (San Fran) - Evolution Hospitality Hotel ICON (Houston) - Crescent Hotels & Resorts (Wasn't impressed by most Houston hotels, but this one was kinda nice. Partially owned by Magic Johnson through Canyon Johnson Urban Funds.) The Cosmopolitan (Las Vegas) - Blackstone Real Estate The Henry (Dearborn, MI) - Greenwood Hospitality

Self censoring previous post. Sorry about this everybody. But it's the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, you may not be too far off geographically with your guess of Beachwood Place or Legacy Village. I'm hearing rumors that Pinecrest in Orange is looking to secure the Tesla dealership. This particular source tends to be right just over half of the time, so I'm praying this is one of the times he's completely off base and that downtown still has a shot at it. I love the Harley Davidson showroom concept too. That's a fantastic idea!

You may be right good sir, but I don't know that I've "badly" underestimated it. I had personally guessed the drop from Huron to the river to be approximately 120 feet. My bro Clevecane put his guess around the 150 foot mark. The closest factual data I can find is from articles from years ago, when MMPI was assessing this site versus The Mall for the CC & MM. Those articles all quote MMPI studies stating it is a "five story" drop off. Now I have no idea what they consider to be a "story." Despite this, I feel like my bro's guess makes for a fairly conservative estimate, and my own guess wouldn't be too wildly off base. Regardless, I guess I don't see even a 200 foot drop being an excuse for bad design and neglecting the riverfront. Already in this thread we've mentioned three possible solutions. You brought up stilts, MorningTheft mentioned a huge balcony overlooking the river, and I suggested a garage with retail, restaurants, etc. I truly believe combining MorningTheft's vision with my own would be the way to go. Think 515 Euclid in reverse. "Interaction with the river" doesn't always have to mean "interaction at river level." Let's stick the parking garage at river's edge, just as you and I both consider likely. But let the garage have a design VERY roughly similar to Frank Lloyd Wright's Monona Terrace in Madison, WI. And just like at Monona, the entire roof is a giant plaza overlooking the river. A plaza with trees, gardens, fountains, beautiful lighting, and plenty of seating. This rooftop plaza is then at grade with, and running all the way to, the casino "high up the hill" on Huron. And this river-facing outer edge of the casino itself has the mixture of retail, restaurants, clubs, etc. The evil greedy smoker in me hopes a nice cigar shop is included. :evil: Imagine having a nice Opus X while sitting and enjoying a 180 degree vista of both the river and the flats sprawl out 150 feet below you. SurfOhio and the rest of the "Boardwalk Club" may disagree, but I would very much still consider this to be interacting with the river, and opening up access to our waterfront.

Why do we perceive there to be a mutual exclusivity between developing pedestrian friendly retail on the river side versus the Huron side? Actual gaming areas in casinos tend to be windowless, and so are likely to be confined to the center of the building. That leaves the entire outer ring of the building for retail, restaurants, etc. I realize an additional parking structure will need to be located somewhere, but Rock Caesars bought quite a large lot. Moreover, 515 Euclid has shown us that retail and parking can peacefully coexist. Now most people I know have a natural attraction to water, even if it is just to sit and take in the view for a bit. The last time I held an in-depth conversation with a bunch of cars, however, they overwhelmingly voiced a proclivity to sit and stare at a Wayne Visible Gas Pump. In fact, one '57 Cadillac in my focus group claimed that given a choice, it would prefer to vacation at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop over Hawaii everytime. It therefore seems to be both a bad business decision, and a bad design decision, to leave the river front area of the lot for a bunch of sour grapes vehicles that have no desire to be there in the first place.

Hear, hear! Couldn't agree more about a boardwalk master plan. Reminds me of some daydreaming I did a while back. Yes, I turned the Columbus Rd Peninsula into Columbus Rd Island. I was inspired by the Fort Worth Trinity River Walk master plan. This would make navigating the river shorter and safer for industry, while keeping the Oxbow bend for recreational use by the Rivergate folks & Metroparks visitors. Yes I know the idea of rerouting the river here and at Scranton Rd Peninsula has been floated a hundred times over a hundred years. And yes I know it is extremely expensive with major environmental considerations to be worked through. Doesn't mean it's not a good idea though. Anyway I extended the walking path from FEB to Settlers Landing and added a pedestrian bridge. I wrapped the entire peninsula-turned-island in a boardwalk. Overlaid the renderings of Rivergate and the skatepark in their approximate locations. Added some greenery, plazas, courtyards, fountains, restaurants, etc. Overall, replacing what little is left of decrepit industry with an abundance of people. I know my "rendering" isn't exactly pretty, and the idea is just a tad far fetched. But hey, it was made on a phone and a guy's allowed to dream right? I'll tell ya: a bored man on a lunch break with an iPhone and photo editing apps can be a dangerous thing indeed!!

^ Some of what he says makes sense.... but I don't think the State has any vested interest in Cleveland's success whereas Ontario does think of Toronto as more than a step-child; that makes it difficult for a Lakefront plan to get $500 million from the state.

Good list MuRrAy HiLL. Our room count numbers jive with a couple of exceptions: 1. The old Crowne Plaza was 472 rooms. But everything I've found indicates the Westin, after renovation, will include 481 rooms. 2. You have the Tudor Arms DoubleTree at 157 rooms. I had them at 154. I ran a web search and it seems half of the Internet is listing 157, and the other half is convinced 154 rooms is correct. So I called, and the nice fella at the front desk said he "thought" they had 158 rooms. I can't find anything to support his "thought" but your number is closer than mine was. So your 157 wins out. I'll have to update my spreadsheet and map this weekend. So thanks for the fact check!

Thanks buckeye1. Both properties have been added to the spreadsheet as well as the map. For those that are interested in the seven county numbers so far here they are: Rating Total Properties Property % By Rating Total Rooms Rooms % By Rating Rooms Per Property Five Star 1 0.43% 27 0.10% 27.00 Four Star 11 4.68% 1,403 5.29% 127.55 Three Star 110 46.81% 15,678 59.13% 142.53 Two Star 97 41.28% 8,654 32.64% 89.22 One Star 16 6.81% 752 2.84% 47.00 Total 235 100.00% 26,514 100.00% 112.83

Hello UO! Clevecane mentioned his brother a couple posts ago. Well I am he. I’ve actually been lurking around here for quite a long time, just never got around to posting until now. First of all, I’d like to say thanks. Although I had never posted previously, I’ve found UO to be a highly informative and entertaining place. So thank you to everyone who contributes here. Secondly, sorry for making this so long, especially for my first post. I just wanted to be able to give those interested an idea of how I did what I did. I'm rather verbose to begin with, but I'll try to be much more succinct in future posts! Now onto the meat and potatoes… Just as an exercise in curiosity, I put together a spreadsheet of every major hotel in the seven county region. Included is the hotel name, number of rooms, address, and Walk Score for each location. I’ve also included a hotel class rating and price rating as best I could. These last two measurements are obviously somewhat arbitrary, but I’ve tried to glean data from the most reputable sources I could gather. Most hotel class ratings are taken directly from the latest AAA Guide whenever possible. If AAA was missing a property, I moved on to Forbes Travel (the old Mobil Travel Guide service). Next I’d use the TripAdvisor.com rating which is actually provided by a third party company named Northstar Travel Media. Finally, if I struck out with all three sources above on a property, I would “fudge” it as best as I could. This was done by looking at as many user reviews as possible at sites like TripAdvisor.com, Hotels.com, Expedia.com, etc. The new Aloft, Courtyard UC, Kimpton, Westin, and renovated Holiday Inn on Euclid are all included. Ratings & price range data are obviously unavailable for these properties, so again I just kind of estimated it by looking at same brand properties in similar markets. As an example, I looked at the Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh among others to get a feel for our new Westin Convention Center Hotel. My bro had mentioned that I wasn’t including B&B’s or tiny motels in the data, and for the most part that is true. But with some places like Geauga County not having a single true hotel that I could find, I broke down and eventually did include a few B&B’s and motels. I then ran a quick and dirty property analysis on each county as well as the seven county region. Just to get an idea of total room counts, average rooms per property, etc. all broken down by hotel class rating. I know this isn’t scientific in any way, shape, or form and I’m OK with that. Again, one could argue that even the best ratings systems like AAA are quite subjective. I just wanted a rough idea of where we stood as a region. My bro tried to aggregate the data into ArcGIS, but the results weren’t as “pretty” or interactive as I’d hoped. So instead I called upon the always handy batchgeo.com. Each property is listed with all the data I have on it, as well as its straight line distance from the dead center of Public Square. A link to the result will be below, as well as a screen print to give you a taste for how it turned out. If anyone is interested in the actual Excel data file, I’ve put it in my public Dropbox folder. I’ll include a link below. You are welcome to download and modify it as you see fit. So if you believe I am missing a hotel in your area, or I included one that you happen to know has since closed down, or if you just feel that my class or price rating was off base for a property… please feel free to go ahead and fix it! Additionally, if you have any ideas on other interesting ways to break the data down, I’m all for it. Sorry again for the long windedness. Hope you enjoy it, and find some creative ways to utilize and improve upon it! The Map: http://batchgeo.com/map/neohiohotels The Data: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9637795/Hotels.xlsx