Urbanophile

^ Thanks, KJP that's the one. Yes, a tower of that size probably wouldn't be big enough to account for all of their office space, but I'm assuming that the tower would still be connected to the Landmark building, which would allow S-W to upgrade to more modern & efficient office space, while still using their old building for back offices and such.

I think I recall old plans (from the 90s I think?) for a new Sherwin Williams tower on the narrow space between the giant Lebron Poster and Ontario Street. Currently, this space is essentially an open pit to the tracks below. If SW ever decided to build a new HQ, I think this would be a good place to do it.

I've heard in the rumor mill that a hair salon is looking to lease one of the long-empty Avenue retail spaces. Who knows if that will work out, though. I do think there is some serious potential in bringing more foot traffic to this area, but the lots SW and SE of St. Clair/E. 12 need to be developed with apartments.

That substation really is terrible though. What a horrible location for that. Is it too much to ask the Clinic to think about the surrounding neighborhoods in the slightest?

^^ Yeah and I don't see this momentum stopping. Developers are going to be buying up more and more lots in Ohio City. I hope the lot on the southeast corner of Detroit and W. 28 is next.

^ Good riddance! How could the gays let that eyesore be built in the first place?? So tacky and terrible.

I hate the CIMP and will forever hate the CIMP, and I'm actually kinda shocked how many people here seem to be okay with it. However, I think it's salvageable. The front yard is terrible, but the concept of green space in front of a building is not terrible in and of itself. If they could re-do the front yard as an urban plaza (reminiscent of Perk Plaza), then that space could work just fine. In it's current state, though, it's pretty bad.

Very stupid move by CMSD. It's a huge, oversized lot, and this is a shrinking school district. At the very least, they should divide the site in half, and sell half to a developer, and build a more vertical high school. There is absolutely no reason to hold on to the whole site.

Yeah, is this plan a possibility at all? I think it's the best possible plan for the mall.

^ Wow. I can't believe they made the back of the building look nicer than the front.

^ Didn't Cleveland used to have a similar law, but with Terminal Tower?

I also second Graffiti (though to be fair, I haven't had a chance to try most of the new restaurants). It's run by chefs, so the menu is very food-oriented and changes all the time. Everything I've ever ordered there has been delicious. Good cocktails too, and an awesome patio!

Let's look on the bright side, people! The Justice Center is now completely blocked when you're looking west on the Mall.

This photo makes me sad.

^ Yes, well put. I don't think they realize that. I had a conversation with one of the NIMBYs who was (and presumably still is) against this development. Their side of the argument essentially boiled down to "We don't want rentals here because if this area falls into a decline again, it will bring 'undesirables' into the neighborhood." That's some serious paranoia right there.

I don't think I'll ever be able to truly understand the people who are against this type of development. Ohio City NEEDS density. It's an urban neighborhood, and it's pretty close to downtown. Why would you move there if you were against density? There are already plenty of apartment buildings on this street - there is no precedence for only single-family. I guess I understand if you're opposed to the design, but really, it's not that bad. It's mostly red brick, and has a similar setback as the surrounding houses. It's also not much taller than the surrounding houses. I think it will work rather well on that site (which is currently an ugly industrial building that does the neighborhood no favors).

^ Now there's an idea. Maron did a great job with keeping the historic infrastructure on E. 4. Maybe someone should talk to him about looking at these buildings ;)

But would they even have to give up any of their private space? Couldn't the boardwalk simply be built off of their back patios, with a separation existing between the two? That way, we get the boardwalk, and the building owners still get to keep their patios (now with the added benefit of direct access to the new boardwalk).

^ Why would the owners of the buildings be opposed to that? It would only be bringing more potential customers nearby, with a direct link to the patios of the restaurants/bars.

It's good to hear that Jacobs will be putting some effort into developing the west bank, but it's disappointing to hear that they want to tear down the Harbor Inn building. Hasn't there already been enough destruction in this area? They should be working to preserve what little they have left. The building doesn't look great right now, but if they actually tried, they could make it look nice.

^^ You're absolutely right that FCE is the problem. A new developer could make a huge difference. I also think it's ridiculous when people accuse the RTA stop as having anything to do with the decline of Tower City. All urban malls experienced a quick decline in the last couple decades. It's well-known national trend. Remember Columbus City Center? Within a couple decades, the entire structure was leveled - and this happened in a city with a growing population. I think the RTA station is actually one of the reasons that Tower City never met the same fate as Columbus City Center.

^ Ugh, I hope not. I'm tired of going to Giant Eagle or Save-A-Lot. We need a proper grocery store.

So, no confirmation that it will change its name back to Hotel Cleveland? I really hope that's still a possibility.

I heard they are preserving the terra cotta stone from Watterson-Lake. Preserved for what, exactly? Will it be required that anything built on that site must incorporate the terra cotta? I hope that's the case, at least.

I'm not sure which parking lot, but I'm assuming it's the one that SixthCity pointed out. All I heard was they were developing their parking lot on W. 10. Sounds like they're trying to capitalize on the Flats East Bank momentum. But keep in mind, as of right now, this is just a rumor (from a semi-reliable source).