blinker12

^The PD article from last weekend, in which Hagan seemed to imply the deal was dead, was largely to blame...

K&D is still in the game.

Cuyahoga County might pay back sales tax if medical mart project fails If a deal fails, county is in a bind Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Sarah Hollander Plain Dealer Reporter If plans for a new Cleveland convention center and medical mart collapse, what would happen with the pot of sales tax money collected for the project? One Cuyahoga County commissioner said he's researching the possibility of reimbursing residents through a temporary sales tax reduction or a sales tax holiday. "I hope for this community's sake that we can reach a deal," Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones said. "But if we can't, we've got to give the money back.".. more at: http://www.cleveland.com/medicalmart/

Bang and Clatter delays Cleveland opening by Tony Brown/Plain Dealer Theater Critic Friday February 22, 2008, 1:22 PM Construction delays have forced Akron's the Bang and the Clatter Theatre Company to push back the opening production of its new downtown Cleveland performance space, at 224 Euclid Ave., from Friday, Feb. 29 to Friday, March 14. The company, which specializes in new, in-your-face theater, is in the midst of a $700,000 renovation of a former shoe store in the East Fourth Street entertainment district. It will operate there and in Akron. The opening production of the Cleveland branch of Bang and Clatter is "Blackbird" by Adam Rapp. For details, call 330-606-5317.

Thank you shs!

I stand corrected on the UC library... Sorry

I'm thinking Downtown, Shaker Square, Ohio City, Cedar-Lee or University Circle. I don't think anyone has mentioned Downtown yet, strangely. Here, you'd be near scads of transit including all rapid lines. To be able to walk to both groceries and drug stores, I'd live in the E. 4th or Playhouse Square areas, as both downtown CVS's are inexplicably located on E. 9th Street. You'd also be within a mile of both Tremont and AsiaTown, two of the city's best art neighborhoods. The backyard thing would obviously be an issue in downtown, though. There's a movie theater right on Public Square in Tower City, although it's pretty mainstream. Shaker Square perhaps comes closest to meeting all your requirements, and if you are looking for a yard/garden, I would check for apartments on Larchmere -- a very cute street one block north of the Square that also has a great indie bookstore, restaurants and pubs. Shaker Square's main drawback, to me, is that it feels somewhat cut off from the rest of the city because it's 6 miles from downtown and surrounded on three sides by disinvested neighborhoods. Still, a great neighborhood. The movie theater, right on the Square, is independent and has been showing an increasing number of "art" films in recent years. Ohio City, meanwhile, has everything you want in walking distance except a movie theater and drug store. This neighborhood has the added benefit of being close (within a mile) to downtown. If you're serious about the food thing, you've got both the legendary West Side Market and Dave's Supermarket at your doorstep. There's also a 60-year-old community garden, the Kentucky Garden, where you can get a plot for the summer for $10. Ohio City has a nice, tight-knit, "old-city" feel about it. There's also a beautiful branch of the (amazing) public library, a great used bookstore, a place to rent videos, and lots of bars and restaurants. It has in my opinion the best transit options in the City outside downtown, with a rapid station and three or four bus lines. Cedar-Lee's got the movie theater and the library going for it, and it's also walking distance to a CVS and a very nice grocery, Zagara's. But it, too, is far from downtown and compared with the other areas listed here has poor transit options. In other words -- as a pedestrian you're set here as long as you don't ever have to leave. If you do, chances are you'll be driving a car. University Circle area, including Little Italy. You're within walking distance to a rapid station, a well-established (if somewhat down-at-heel) co-op grocery store, the Cleveland Cinematheque -- which shows great international and independent movies every weekend: http://www.cia.edu/academicResources/cinematheque/cinematheque.php -- and all the museums. Little Italy has a few galleries but they're more of the "gift shop" variety. You'd be lacking a drug store and a full-service traditional grocery store, as well as a local library branch. Detroit-Shoreway, around W. 65th and Detroit, is also worth a look but overall it's got fewer of your requirements than any of the above neighborhoods.

Anyone know: 1. How many residential units currently exist at Stonebridge; and 2. How much K&D has invested in the neighborhood so far?

I heard the architect report about a year ago that the developer who put the new facade on that building in the 60s/70s ripped off the entire original terra cotta facade and it couldn't be restored. You can see how the new facade is set back a little from the new facades on the other buildings; they basically lopped off all the old stuff. With 668 Euclid and the other Eli Mann buildings, the new facade was just tacked on top of the old, and the old is restorable.

Deadline nears for Chicago-based company's Medical Mart concept Posted by Sarah Hollander February 25, 2008 20:26PM Time is running out for the Chicago-based company that championed the Medical Mart concept. Cuyahoga County expects to know in about a week whether it has a deal with Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., Commissioner Tim Hagan said. There's still a gap between the company's offer and the amount of private investment required, said attorney Fred Nance, who is negotiating on the county's behalf... more at: http://www.cleveland.com/medicalmart/

And now that I've posted it, WTF? 3231, I heard the same thing as you yesterday but I thought that issue was more about other terms of the bid and not the loan. If the county has rejected K&D's request for a loan, I can't see why K&D would bid again, revised RFP or not. They seem to need that loan to make the numbers pencil. Who knows, I could be wrong though. Regardless, the level of ineptitude shown by our commissioners is truly staggering.

Here is the article. Cuyahoga County commissioners nix Ameritrust property deal Posted by Joe Guillen February 22, 2008 17:57PM Cuyahoga County next week will reject a private developer's offer to buy the downtown Ameritrust property, jeopardizing a grand vision for a $200 million complex of hotel rooms, residences, new office space and retail stores. County commissioners will re-open bidding for the property, but their $35-million asking price for the buildings at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue will not be reduced. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/02/cuyahoga_county_commissioners.html

This is very good. Ohio had been looking backward on this issue compared with neighboring states such as Penna (though I believe 12.5% renewable by 2025 is a lower percentage than some other states are requiring.) Now that the Republicans are backing it in a Republican-controlled legislature, we have a good chance of seeing this passed. Ohio Republicans push "green" energy proposal Posted by John Funk February 21, 2008 22:11PM Ohio could look like a green state if the Republican leadership in the Ohio House gets its way. The 40-year-old Dayton Republican unveiled legislation designed to make Ohio's big investor-owned electric utilities embrace wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable generation technologies -- or face financial punishment. These politically powerful corporations also would be fined if they did not help their customers cut their electricity consumption. Utilities would have to develop and finance programs to help consumers and businesses purchase more efficient appliances as well as high-tech heating and air conditioning equipment, lighting, insulation and other technologies. More at http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer

TB1000 answered some of those questions before: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,14743 As for apartment finders, you could try Howard Hanna, one of the bigger realtors in town.

Josaphat might be perfect for you, rockandroller! There is a kitchen there and it's a beautiful space. It's about three blocks east of Tastebuds. http://www.josaphatartshall.com/ Also, Great Lakes Brewing has a couple meeting spaces that might work for your group, including the Tasting Room on W. 26th for a big space and some smaller spaces in its main buildings on Market Ave. http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/

Got an e-mail back from APOC's Chris Kious that they're talking to Room Service in Detroit-Shoreway about carrying some of their product. That seems like a good fit, maybe a stand-alone store if they grow...

La Tortilla Feliz has more lives than a cat! Glad to hear it's coming back. Free Times Volume 15, Issue 42 Published February 20th, 2008 Bites The First Annual Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week runs from Feb. 24 through March 1. Almost every downtown restaurant will feature special three-course prix fixe dinners for only $20 or $40. The kicker: Parking is just $2 at participating lots. For more info contact the Downtown Cleveland Alliance at 216.736.7799. More at www.freetimes.com

It's kind of strange... the show opens in a little more than a week, and I haven't seen any info on how to buy tickets.

Any update on the landmark application for the Carnegie Medical Building?

What's their e-mail?

^Shouldn't that store, of all stores, be in the city? Sorry to be so grouchy, but I just got back from a trip to Pittsburgh and it's striking to me how much neighborhood retail they have compared with Cleveland. They don't have to drive to the suburbs to buy clothes and shoes -- amazing, huh? Even the Trader Joe's and Whole Foods there are in the city. Anyway, back on topic: APOC is very cool. I have one of their cutting boards, made from some flooring removed from the church next door to where I live.

Yeah, I too peeked in there today. It looked like most of the studs are up.

Hi Integral, I am 8Shades' roomie, so I'm also a denizen of the neighborhood. Just a quick word about the trains -- I live about a block and half from the tracks and I'm never, ever bothered by the train. The most I ever hear is a distant whistle blowing, which I find romantic (in a melancholy kind of way). As KJP said, the fact that the tracks are elevated means the train doesn't have to announce its arrival. LoftWorks is closer to the tracks, though, so you might hear more clattering from the cars going by. You'd be best off asking someone who lives there, I suppose. Other than that, 8Shades covered it all.

New Ohio poll shows Clinton well ahead of Obama, 56-39%... lots could change in the next couple weeks though: http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=d557457d-00cb-4628-9549-16029e76b808

I thought the Cicerchi project was for-sale condos, not for-rent? If so, why are they doing finishes at all? They should let the buyers specify. Also, what are they charging?