NorthShore64

Fairfax Market and Innovation Square(2-25-23)

Addis View Apartments and The Lumos (2-25-23) Orr Park Park Lamont Apt. Building at SW corner of Lamont and 97th Park Lamont on the East side of 97th Looking south down 97th Park Lamont site at Woodward and 101st

South Residential Village Expansion (2-25-23) Woodhill Supply No movement on the 13 townhouses along Coltman yet Via 126 townhomes Casa d’Angolo site/former Primo Vino

Cleveland Metroparks to Buy Ironwood Golf Course in Hinckley Vince Grzegorek - Feb. 20, 2023 - Cleveland Scene "While the addition of another course to its portfolio, which currently stands at eight, will be welcome news to most regional golfers, the park system's interest is actually centered on environmental preservation: The purchase would allow the park to control more land along the East Branch of the Rocky River corridor."

I was in town on December 2nd and was able to get some photos of the fire. I didn't get around to posting them last year.

Kent (2-19-23) College of Business Administration / Crawford Hall Realigned Terrace Drive just south of Crawford Hall Aeronautics and Engineering Building Addition City Hall progress Masonry work starting on the Hasawi Building Building renovation at the NW corner of Summit and Depeyster - future site of Board and Bevy tabletop lounge The free outdoor Kent ice skating rink on Erie Street will close this Sunday the 26th. It opened for the season the week before Thanksgiving. Star of the West site

5th Highest attended College Hockey game of all time. 22nd Highest attended hockey game in the US. 32nd Highest attended hockey game ever. Multiple holes in the ice formed around the boards in the 2nd and 3rd, adding a decent amount of time to the game unfortunately. The 2nd intermission started with ~5 minutes left in the 2nd period so there would be more time for the hole to freeze over (never seen that at this level before). It was a nice day, just a little to warm and sunny for the ice. You can't do much about the weather, but a lot of the stadium ran out of beer and food by the 2nd which seemed preventable. FES's small lower bowl and height suited this type of event pretty well with the 300 and 500 decks having surprisingly good views of the rink. Despite a few hiccups, this was still a great event.

That is a good sign I’m happy to see! There is a pretty sizable soccer community in the region that would want to support a local club. There are many southern and eastern European migrants that have continued playing the game since they arrived in Northeast Ohio, along with thousands of newer arrivals from around the world. The game has also seen a broad rise in popularity nationally that doesn’t appear to be slowing. Unfortunately though, for many years no organization or ownership group has been able to build an organization above the NPSL level. I want this new group to succeed (as a soccer fan, and a Cleveland fan), and it certainly can if done correctly, it will just have a lower ceiling then what this city could support. This Cleveland team can work, it’ll just be in spite of, not because of MLSNP.

These development teams have been playing for years though. They even played in the USL for a few years: https://www.transfermarkt.com/new-york-red-bulls-u23/besucherzahlenentwicklung/verein/39815 Ya the Galaxy and Red Bulls 2 teams have been around for over 7 years. They average ~350 spectators, in the 2 largest markets in the country (while being directly affiliated with 2 of the longest running MLS teams). Toronto 2 and Orlando B (also ~7 years old) were averaging around ~200 in USL-1. New England 2 averaged 155 fans in Gillette Stadium while in USL-1.

MLS expansion in Cleveland is entirely out of the question (regardless of whatever non-MLS team we currently have in town). MLS is quickly running out of expansion spots, with only a few markets (and prospective owners) directly on their radar now. These include Phoenix, San Diego and Las Vegas. The most likely Northeastern/Midwestern markets left are Indianapolis, Detroit or Louisville. No pro sports league would put 3 teams in Ohio when there are a number of comparable or larger media markets without in state competition still open. Cincinnati and Columbus represent Ohio in MLS. Our other peer cities with clubs Louisville, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Detroit all play in USL-C. Their stadiums are all either built or renovated for soccer. They draw between ~10,000 - 4,000 in those stadiums.

Hey @KJP thanks for the article. A couple of small things, but I believe Rochester plays at Monroe Community College's stadium, not the purpose built soccer stadium in town. Of the 7 new clubs, the Galaxy, Red Bulls and Atlanta have the "Team #2" name for their development teams which have been playing for a couple of years now. Most share close branding to their MLS parent club, often using 2 or B, not the same name. Nashville's MLSNP team will be playing in Huntsville, going by Huntsville City FC (this will be the first MLSNP team affiliated with an MLS club playing outside of their parent teams market). Also may be worth noting that the USL-2 Cleveland Force play all of their games at Krenzler as well.

Most people that follow the Vikings and have seen their situation at Wolstein know this, but it's important to underscore how truly outmoded and oversized the current arena is. I made this chart a few years ago to demonstrate the issue: In the first 29 years of Viking’s Basketball at Wolstein, they have had an average attendance greater than ⅓ of Wolstein capacity once with 4,589 in 1997. They haven’t averaged above 25% of Wolstein capacity since 2000. They have never sold out Wolstein. Although they had improved last season to an average of 2,082 (after their 3rd NCAA tournament appearance), attendance has been trending downwards for years despite a growing on campus (and downtown) population. CSU women's basketball hasn’t averaged above 500. Only ~4% of NCAA Division 1 programs had a higher average attendance then Wolstein's capacity. One of the factors most negatively affecting game attendance isn’t Wolstein’s age, but rather its size. The fan experience and game atmosphere is significantly limited when there are always thousands of empty seats, even with a third of the arena curtained off. If the Vikings played in a ~4/5,000 seat venue, their attendance would increase above what they can draw at Wolstein. A smaller venue would also be better for the women's team, while potentially serving as a new venue for volleyball and wrestling which both play at Woodling. Construction on Wolstein started roughly a year before the successful sin tax vote for gateway/The Q. (This all happened years before I was born so I’m not entirely sure), but I assume Wolstein was planned and built at a time when they expected to be the only arena downtown for a period of time. Some of the early proposals for Gateway in the 80's didn’t include a separate arena, instead favoring a multipurpose dome. If The Q wasn't built, and the Cavs stayed out in the suburbs, then Wolstein's continued existence would be justified being the only large arena downtown. It losses over a million a year. Wolstein's existence hasn't been justified for a quarter of a century.

The development north of Chester looks great, but a pedestrian bridge across the avenue would be disappointing. It would be better to see more street level activity along Chester downtown/on campus. It also looks like they propose an extension of the Euclid bike lanes west of E 22nd to the end of campus (which would likely require something move invasive then paint to fit). Narrowing 21st and 22nd to 2/3 lanes with the addition of bike lanes is also a good addition. Nothing major, but they are small scale improvement to the campus area that would benefit the many cyclists that use the corridor. Also good to see that the first new development that "could start construction within 12 to 15 months" will be on Euclid next to the science building. With City Club, the last real "gaps" on Euclid are all on Campus. Filling this gap (with development on the area in front of Drinko hopefully coming next) will really improve the feeling of campus as most people experience it along Euclid.

A closer look at some additional slides from the the Nov. 17 broad Presentation:

Most MLSNP teams play on university soccer fields near their parent MLS club. Some play at MiLB stadiums or their MLS teams current/former stadium. Rochester, the only other "independent" team is MLSNP, plays at a community college. The NPSL Cleveland SS splits their games between BW, Lakewood High, and Krenzler. The USL-2 Cleveland Force played all their games at Krenzler. I would expect this new team to play at Krenzler as well. No MLSNP team builds their own stadiums, so a new facility would be unlikely in the coming announcement. Ideally there would be upgrades to Krenzler Field which was originally built in the mid 1980s, ~5 years before Wolstein. Krenzler isn't really mentioned in the CSU master plan presentation released today, but upgrades to the facility with the help of a private partner/shared tenant could fit within its framework.

Baseball comparisons to soccer do not work well. In a very broad simplification: The concept of a farm team or developmental team is pretty unique to baseball (and hockey) in America. If you want to watch any professional baseball in America (aside from the few independent leagues), you have no other choice but to watch MLB or one of their affiliated minor league teams. Successful minor league teams (Dayton, Columbus) have a hard ceiling that artificially limits their potential. MLB's now century long antitrust exemption has helped it maintain a tight grip on the game in the US. It is a closed system. This does not exist in the sport of soccer. The next "tier" of the professional game below the top league in countries around the world is made up of completely independent teams that are trying to win games, not develop players for another team up the pyramid. Successful independent 2nd tier soccer teams can look pretty close to the top tier. Soccer's fundamental structure is different to baseballs. It is an open system. MLS Next Pro is a closed system based on the uniquely American minor league structure. USL is a more open structure similar to the 2nd tier soccer leagues around the world (without the "promotion / relegation" system). If all of non-MLS soccer in the US followed the American minor league system (again something that doesn't really exist in soccer), you wouldn't see the tremendous success these independent clubs have had. Teams like Louisville, Pittsburgh, Indy, Detroit, Omaha and Madison are successful because they are allowed to be more than just reserve teams. TL;DR - There are no minor leagues in soccer. For a better baseball comparison in terms of community/fan engagement: MLSNP = Arizona Complex League/Summer Collegiate. USL-C/USL-1 = AAA/AA without a parent club or a hard ceiling.

(sorry for another rant here) ... Again I cannot stress how much of a disappointment MLS Next Pro is. Cleveland deserves better then a team in a RESERVE LEAGUE with no fan engagement outside of the most devoted MLS fans. Its is such a truly unappealing league in terms of fan experience when compared with the alternative of a USL-C or USL-1 team. The league is pretty close to irrelevant. Many of the soccer fans engaged enough to actually know about MLSNP think the prospect of developing independent teams is a joke. MLSNP isn't about growing the game in new markets through investments into the fan experience and on field product. This league is more likely an attempt by MLS to counteract the growth of the USL, it's only real competitor, by expanding into untapped markets first. If this ownership group was interested in creating a soccer team that could attract more meaningful community engagement and interest from fans in the region, it would've pursued a USL-C or USL-1 franchise. Choosing MLSNP instead could likely mean that this ownership group doesn't have the resources to invest in a USL team. The best thing an MLS Next Pro Cleveland team can do is stay out of the way of a group that wants to build an actual professional soccer club in the city. Hopefully its (in my opinion likely) failure to capture notable fan interest doesn't poison the well, justifying a lack of future investment in the game regionally.

Cleveland Pro Soccer announcement coming prior to USMNT - Wales game. Looks like it'll MLS Next Pro (was supposedly briefly in their bio, then removed).

In Cleveland, They’re Cooking Up a Gay Neighborhood From Scratch - Restaurants, kitchen classes and gardening are key parts of an effort to create a L.G.B.T.Q. district that can help lift the area’s economy. Erik Piepenburg - New York Times - Oct. 28, 2022 "The Fieldhouse is just the first phase of a much larger effort by private developers and local governments to build a complex of businesses and services that cater to L.G.B.T.Q. people — and attract them to visit or settle here. In effect, they aim to provide the hub for a brand-new gay neighborhood, at a time when many traditional gay enclaves — from Chelsea in Manhattan to the Castro in San Francisco — have lost much of that identity to gentrification and assimilation. Unlike those intentionally segregated urban neighborhoods, which blossomed in the years after the 1969 Stonewall uprising, this one is based on what its developers think locals need and will support in this solidly working-class city. That means amenities that are affordable and appeal to families, with an emphasis on food."

The Blakely (10-23-22) The Fairfax 71-unit apartment building, opening next month The Essex 78-unit apartment building And for a quick look at the current site conditions of 3 proposed apartment buildings by Preferred Living in the neighborhood: W. Fifth and Gerrard 208-unit apartment building 1138 Chambers Road 180-unit apartment building 1205 Chesapeake Ave 128-unit apartment building (GoogleStreetview) These 3 proposed apartment buildings, along with the recently built Essex and Fairfax developments, would add up to about ~650 units by preferred living within 1/4 mile of the Kenny and King intersection. All 5 developments are/would be built on the site of single story office or light manufacturing buildings.

8th and High development (10-23-22) Department of Theater, Film, and Media Arts Building Its nice to see this 3 block stretch of High (14th to 17th) with an open sidewalk/no fencing after 6 years of construction Lane without Harrison feels quite different Hamilton Hall/Health Sciences Complex Newton Hall Addition West Campus Natural Gas Power Plant West Campus Outpatient Care Building Carmack Road road, sidewalk, landscaping improvements Andelyn Biosciences Building West Campus Interdisciplinary Research Facility Lacrosse Stadium Buckeye Village demolition

The Morrison apartment building (10-23-22) The ~35 M/I Homes at Grandview under construction along Bobcat and Edgehill are the last of the dethatched homes to be built in the development. ~12 years after the start of construction, the only large lot left in the ~110 acre development in the one north of West 1st

The Triumph at 18th and Oak (10-23-22) 48 Parkwood Avenue renovation and apartment building development The Morgan Phase 3

(10-23-22)

Gravity 2.0 (10-23-22) (Former) West Side Spiritualist Church/McDowell Place site prep 2 small building renovations at Town and McDowell into retail and office space Mount Carmel activity