SixthCity

La Strada was TERRIBLE.

Holy sh*t.

Regarding the employment trends cited in the report, it seems like they were relying on the erroneous BLS data for 2013 before revisions were made. Therefore, the metro employment picture may be more positive than the report makes it seem. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/04/cleveland_area_gained_not_lost.html

Interesting....why do you think that is?

Does this building have a State Historic Tax Credit award attached to it? The article does not mention that he will be applying for such or that his financing is contingent on them. If he can finance and profit from this project sans tax credits, that is an awesome sign. *Well, I answered my own question with google. PD article from 2011 says; "The Park Building and Southworth Building in Cleveland. Nearly $2 million in tax credits will help developer Matt Howells convert part of the Park Building and the adjacent Southworth Building, on Ontario Street, into 34 apartments. Most of the Park Building, at 140 Public Sq., houses condominiums. A jump in downtown Cleveland's apartment occupancy has developers searching for new rental projects to meet growing demand." I wonder if that award is split up and transferred with the sale?

Cleveland City Council OK's parking lot move to help planned Great Lakes Brewing Company expansion CLEVELAND, Ohio – Great Lakes Brewing Company plans to expand within the next year, Cleveland's economic development director said during a city council committee meeting Monday morning. The topic came up as a council committee discussed a move granting an option, if certain conditions are met, to sell a share of a city-owned parking lot to Ohio City Inc., the neighborhood community development organization. http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2014/06/clevleand_city_council_oks_par.html#incart_river_default Does anyone know details regarding the expansion? How big is "fairly large?"

Meh, not to be a jerk but without any new information there is no reason to get your hopes up for anything in the immediacy. The article says "Although he acknowledged Jacobs Group is not actively pursuing such a project..." Projects that require large office anchor tenants (have any laying around?) and a residential component (in a city who's rents don't yet justify new construction) don't happen by developers who are not actively working to put together a deal. These projects take years of immense concentrated effort and proper market conditions. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like it's at the top of Jacob's to-do list.

Probably the best coffee I have ever had - unfortunately, also the most expensive.

Thanks, and that's good news. But I was hoping you were saying that Jacobs' Parking Lot On Public Square might soon see development! Oh well, I guess I'll have to take the Public Square redesign as the consolation prize. ;) Seriously, the Public Square redesign may in fact spur Jacobs or someone else to do something with that f-ing parking lot sooner rather than later. Damn, I thought you were talking about the parking crater as well. Oh well, the PS reconstruction is great news. My mind will fracture and I will likely have to be removed from society the day something is actually confirmed for the warehouse district lots.

Can you elaborate on this?

There is also truth to your statement but I want to point out that Public Square IS available to all people but it is NOT available to all people's behavior. It is important to distinguish between the two concepts. I walk by Public Square everyday and unfortunately it is not uncommon for me to see screaming matches between people (witnessed last Friday), fights between kids (witnessed last week and many times in the past), and general rowdiness. To agree with DM4, I have also heard from women that it is not uncommon to be harassed when they walk through PS. PS is certainly not a total disaster but it definitely has more bad behavior on display than most people are comfortable being around. There is no doubt that the majority of people are just waiting for the bus and aren't harming anyone and I personally like the idea of the physical center of the city being a transit hub. I think if we are going to make PS a transit hub AND an inviting city center, we are going to have to police much more strictly than we do now. It would be great to have PS as selling piece for the City as it is a physical and psychological center. Unfortunately, I try to avoid it if I am showing out-of-towners around the City or trying to convince my suburban friends to move downtown. It would be shame to re-construct PS but be left with the same issues we currently have.

There is some unfortunate truth to this statement.

Apartments could rise on former Woodhill Supply site in Little Italy, under plans floated by Visconsi CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Apartments might rise on a blighted industrial site in Cleveland's Little Italy, a tightly packed neighborhood that offers few opportunities for large projects. Visconsi Companies Ltd., a family owned developer best known for retail investments, is studying a residential revamp of the former Woodhill Supply property on East 123rd Street. People familiar with the project say that Visconsi could build roughly 150 apartments - give or take a few dozen - on the land, at the northern edge of Little Italy near the eastern rim of University Circle. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/apartments_could_rise_on_forme.html#incart_river_default

That would make sense but the DCA needs to reconsider their sentence structure.

^ Which does not matter under the rule of law.

^ Yeah, that's heinously inconsistent.

This is bizarre - Is being bored seriously being advanced as a justification for attacking strangers? Does the public have an affirmative duty to entertain people or else they will attack?

Are you out of your mind? The things you mentioned above ARE a big deal and can be significant disruptions in one's life. The vast majority of people don't want to deal with random violence and will avoid it if they can - hence the urban/suburban split. The best way to deal with random violent crime is to"shrug it off"?

The politics of resentment run strong in the comments - Jeez....

Cleveland's Healthline prominently featured: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/05/importance-running-true-brt-through-downtown/9033/

From Donte Whitner's twitter: DonteHitner ‏@DonteWhitner 3h I defiantly see that Cleveland is making a comeback... Swear!!! And it's cooler than a lot of big cities... Trust me!

PREACH!

From the looks of their Facebook page, that interior is nothing like how the rooms will look. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Westin-Cleveland-Downtown/194026300740713 Gruver - what is your source for that picture?

I CAN'T WAIT for the day that an article about Cleveland doesn't start with that obligatory leading paragraph. One day, hopefully soon, we can talk about Cleveland without starting the article about a story of decline. When Cleveland's success can stand on its own without being juxtaposed with past problems, we can be sure we have arrived.

While it's certainly not the best aesthetic choice; it would be a hard case to make that the renovation, in its entirety, it not substantially better than its predecessor.