YABO713

To KJP's above point, I think there was nothing more than an acknowledgment that demand for a new HQ exists. But no, they had not really said anything explicitly. And from what I am hearing, there will be an additional 400-600 employees in Cleveland as a result of S-W's effort to move Valspar employees to Cleveland. Having said that, I am not sure how much of that staff will be research vs administrative; that dynamic will likely change how big the complex has to be and if it will or will not include the scientific wing of the company.

KJP - I think the time table will all depend on cash reserves. From what I understand, they bought Valspar almost entirely with their own money. Lord knows S-W has it, but it will be interesting to see how much they seek in financing or if they'd like to enlist the help of a developer and become part of a larger project - though I have heard that would not be S-W's preference.

Yikes

After today, I'm definitely in your camp again.

Yeah, I am extremely disheartened right now. Going to reach out to a friend tomorrow to see if they can tell me anything that would confirm or (hopefully) tell me my source is full of it. As of right now, Stark seems like the Div III college athlete that keeps talking about how he will make the jump to the NFL, but is conspicuously absent from team activities. I know Stark has a very impressive portfolio elsewhere and, on the whole, they are a great company to work for... I just do not know how I go from parking at 515 on May 1st and speaking to gentlemen with blueprints to a major setback. I really hope it is hearsay, and I believe that Stark has a great intentions with these projects; but between NuCLEus and Beacon, the frustration is becoming a bit much. :bang:

Heard some not great news today. Don't want to say more than that until it's confirmed but BLEHHHH.

They clearly need to try something, given the trash that has been inducted in years past over great bands/musicians. But my anger on that topic is a thread unto itself.

Tony Madalone could do great things for the city, if he builds the right team around him. Johnson and Reed have proven incapable of handling their own affairs and Jackson seems to be Luke warm, at best, with all segments of Cleveland. I am going to do my best to get backing together for him. Oftentimes we have to pick either "youth and forward thinking ideology" or "experienced in private sector", Madalone has both. Unfortunately, the only way I see Madalone getting the nod is through union support, because I do not see him doing particularly well in some Northeast neighborhoods where Reed and Johnson have surrogates.

One day......... Maybe.....

Typically, the bigger hits come to the smaller subs, as they usually need to clear a large portion of their schedule for these undertakings... which often means turning down business in the expected window. I am not well versed enough to speak for the costs to the developer, though.

Another concern, just given my profession... continuous delays after financing has been closed often results in litigation, especially on a project of this size where some of the subs have cleared their calendars. I'm being a pessimist, one of you PLEASE save me and remind me that I'm being unreasonable.

Just talked to a couple people at least nominally involved he feel duped, to say the least. If this is any indication of how Stark would handle NuCLEus, I wouldn't ever expect to see it in the sky. Hopefully, that's different, though, given the tenant commitments. As noted above, I know this is complex, but this is so unbelievably frustrating. Especially when you see the speed with which 25th and Detroit is moving (I know they're completely different developments with differing zoning requirements etc etc). Nonetheless, it IS possible for projects to move expeditiously in Cleveland.

For whatever reason neither the Crew, nor the Blue Jackets, have really caught on in Northeast Ohio. I'm actually friends with the Crew's brand ambassador, I should talk to him about this. It would be awesome to have CBJ and Crew play games in Cleveland sometimes. Anyhow, we should really have a larger soccer presence than what's going on currently. I had heard the Cavs and Jackets were VERY close to exchanging home Games ... and then Lebron came back.

Yeah, these same sources I had heard it from say that there has been staff to the site daily since May 1st. Nonetheless, would be nice to see the construction beginning, as finance is lined up.

And they are no longer here... Hence us starting lower. I do agree, though. It is not necessarily the fact that they play at a high school; rather, the fact that they play at a "suburban" high school. The soccer scene is big with the 20-40 year olds that love the idea of making the Anglo-pub walk to games. I think playing at St. Ignatius would be a perfect start. Establish a fan base, get a consistent crowd to games, get a fun atmosphere before the games, then use that feedback to figure out where to put a stadium, should expansion into a higher tier become a possibility. Cincinnati FC is doing well for their size. However, it is also noteworthy that Cincy has one less major sports team than Cleveland, and thus might not be the best comparison for AFC Cleveland.

I so badly want this to start. "Crane-in-the-sky" during the NBA finals (knock on wood) just sends SUCH a different message visually.

The ONLY downside to my trip to collision Bend was the two hour wait to get a table. But, I would rather see that then the place be empty

Like x 1,000,000

Such a cool and insulated little neighborhood. My only gripe with it is its relative isolation - but even that is really a stretch, considering the WSM is a 10 minute walk. Duck Island Club is a treasure, in my opinion, and the new homes fill in the neighborhood very well.

It would be lovely to see the top floor be sold as duplex penthouses, not unlike many residential towers in NY and Chicago

Spoke with some Stark employees (or at least agents to Stark, I'm unsure) in the 515 Garage. They all rolled their eyes when I asked how this was going :(

I may have misspoken. Forgive me, I am not overly familiar with the procedural aspects of construction. What I was told is that all of the players are in line, basically

^ can anyone more in tune with construction tell me what the hell a walk through is?

So, I parked in 515 today and walked an extra 800 feet to work. There were 4-5 men sitting in the bed of a pickup truck with blueprints and a GIANT yeti cooler, so of course I approached them. They stated that GC, CM, and subs were mostly in line and that they are using this week and part of next as a "walk-through" of each phase with all of them. Not entirely sure what that means, but it appears that preparations begin today but construction will likely not begin until after these "walk-throughs" are complete.

Are you sure? Bids were due two days ago... didn't think they have selected a CM yet. It was my understanding that the CM had been chosen before the bid deadline