RubberSoul

There's a lot going on in the East End area - especially since Babcox & Wilcox is bringing in operations from Barberton, Copley and even Charlotte, NC. The easy access to I-76 is very advantageous. Also - the Ganley Mercedes/Toyota dealership is nearby is transforming one of their buildings (currently for used cars) to a Maserati and Alpha Romeo dealership. I guess that tells you something.

Maybe their finances weren't as sound as they thought - and that became apparent with the projected move costs. Who knows? I can't imagine they cared much about negative press - if you're going to leave a town, who cares what their media thinks?

Yeah, TV adaptations can be crappy - but TNT new series based on The Alienist might at least be worth checking out. I just saw the promo last night and I will at least take a look.

I think the Whole Foods 365 will be a better fit, too. For those who weren't familiar with Whole Foods (like me) the thinking was that it would be almost a direct a replacement for West Point - which it clearly is not. The "365" concept is even further from this; far less "high-end" offerings, but more quality-at-a--fair price-focused, and with prepared foods, etc. as well. Hopefully this will complement what Mustard Seed and even Acme #1 has to offer. Regardless, folks in West Akron can't complain.

I think the restored winery looks great. Still... This was a "fort" at one time? I guess that explains why a wonderful patio has its potentially awesome view of the water mostly obscured by a high wall...

Not unwarranted. City Council member says financing for the project is still a problem for the new developers... even with the tax credits.

------------------------ These guys are really starting off on a pretty big scale - nothing in the story let on about how much brewing experience they have between them. That's a lot of space and equipment for a start-up. It may work out though - since R. Shea is also putting a production brewery at Canal Place, it could be the start of a little brewery district near downtown. It will be interesting to see if, over time, they can get another one down there - or maybe talk an existing out-of-state brewer to expand there, too.

The new Administration has certainly been a breath of fresh air when it comes to commercial and retail development opportunities. Food Trucks are a perfect example. I've had friends on City Council for years - and for the longest time, I could only ever roll my eyes at their ongoing excuses for justifying their inactivity or fear of trying anything new. Anything remotely "trendy" - whether it had been proven to be successful or not - was often brushed aside.

Having worked for a local charter school for five years, I was aware of the law, but honestly, that building is so big - and even though it is still functional to an extent (it was updated over the years) I doubt that any charter school organization would touch it - it just doesn't fit their needs, and would be too big an investment to maintain, heat. etc. I think someone, somewhere has a plan for it - which may be the only reason it's still standing. There was a nice recreational park around Blue Pond years ago, but it fell out of use in the 1930's after Reservoir Park was constructed. It was supposed that chemicals from Goodyear Research made their way into the pond later on, but the site is no longer on EPA radar, having been "archived" some time ago - which means that it poses no significant threat and that it's no longer subject to testing or monitoring. Work is currently underway to get Goodyear Heights on the National Register of Historic Places, which should be helpful in preserving the historic character of the area and encouraging housing investment. The neighborhood advocacy group has already reached out to IRG regarding the relationship between East End and the Heights (and Middlebury, too) so the connection there is well understood. There's even a preliminary action plan posted on the Goodyear Heights website.

The retail spaces fronting Market St. in the old Goodyear Hall will find tenants; there have already been special events held in the old bank building (which is a pretty spectacular space) and IRG says they already have a restaurant seriously looking at it. While it will be sometime before it approaches anything like a Highland Square, the area has a great advantage in that it is so quickly and easily accessible from I-76 - unlike The Square, which you have to drive [through] town to reach, especially now with the demolition of the Innerbelt. Down the road (sorry for the pun) this makes it more attractive for "destination" retail and entertainment. This is one reason why the square footage available at East End would be a great location for an eventual "Brewery District" for example. Whatever you do, you need that critical mass of something to pull regionally. It will take a long time to fill existing space in the old Goodyear Main Office & factory space; IRG already says they will now be using some of that (across from the Goodyear Hall apartments) for additional residential as well, since the response was so strong. This should increase retail opportunities even further. While the corridor along Market St. (to the east) is pretty narrow, the observation that the campus-like area along Goodyear Boulevard offers many possibilities is spot-on. I think APS may still own the school building, but I also think IRG has first dibs, and has already expressed an interest; the city own the YMCA building there, which is also empty. The large parking lots and ball field across from Goodyear Research could offer many uses as well - not to mention Blue Pond across the street, if it could ever be reclaimed for recreational use. Another interesting project in that area is the bikeway being planned that would run just south (along) I-76 parallel to Market, which would curve behind the old Goodyear Plant and use the raised RR trestle that crosses River St. - the idea is a bike-path version of NYC's High Line, terminating near the Market/Exchange area. I've also noticed a lot of work south , alongside I-76, where the old plastic/rubber mold factory and adjacent buildings have been demolished. The area is not only being cleared, but very carefully leveled - as if it's being already prepped for some construction. No need for parking lots, though :-D, so whatever is going on there is a mystery. Have heard nothing. ALSO: (for mods) the original post was not a news article, but a summary of information I have gathered on my own.

Of course, a lot of it has to do with the fact that Richard Florida is unrelenting when it comes to self promotion (he retweets every mention of his name or his book), but the nationwide wailing and gnashing of teeth that has accompanied his latest work, The New Urban Crisis is almost over the top. It's not his fault - most of the observations and data found in the book are solid and legit, but it seems that urbanists across America are ready to claim that the problems he outlines exist EVERYWHERE. It's now a regular feature of my Twitter feed. As I might point out - not so much in the Midwest. Many of our cities faced these issues over 100 years ago, when they were America's centers of growth. I doubt few of us in the Rust Belt are losing any sleep that places like Portland and San Francisco are growing more crowded, unaffordable and unequal. The cities that Florida characterizes as "left behind" today already experienced many of these issues long ago. When the pendulum eventually swings the other way - and it will - I think we will be well-positioned to take advantage of our climate and low cost of living to manage growth more effectively.

Development Continues at Steady Pace on East Side Things continue to move along at East End (former Goodyear Headquarters & Factory) on East Market and the surrounding area. Apartments in Goodyear Hall almost completely rented out, and business is booming at the Hilton Garden Inn. The hotel’s bar and restaurant has also proven to be a favorite meeting place, not only for guests and Goodyear visitors, but also for Eastsiders. The 2 concert venues are doing well, and IRG says construction may begin soon on a 3-unit retail building across from the hotel that will include a Starbucks w/drive-thru. Summa Health is moving a couple hundred employees into the renovated Goodyear Offices across Market Street, which hopefully will be the first of many businesses going in here. The street improvements on Market, with the East End sign arches, street parking and bike lanes look great as well. This, combined with the massive expansion of the car dealerships further East, have transformed the area between Market Street and Goodyear Boulevard into something very campus-like. Hopefully, IRG and the City will be able to preserve and find new uses for the old Goodyear Junior High School and the former YMCA. Further up the Boulevard, the effort has begun to get Goodyear Heights listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the local neighborhood organization has a new website promoting the area’s historic character, affordable housing and encouraging future investment. It’s taken a while, but hopefully this area of town will regain much of its former vitality, and some of these new efforts can take advantage of its easy accessibility from I-76, which is a real advantage.