cadmen

Maybe it would have been better to build the research center somewhere near the hq. Too bad. I see it as a missed opportunity. But then, l'm pro Cleveland, not necessarily pro SHW.

It doesn't have to be a sea of parking lots. It could be a combination of open lots and garages. Right now there is a ton of empty land between the stadium and river. This is a chance to pair some of it with lakefront development. If the Browns leave downtown who knows when something worthwhile will get built in the area. At the very least it will takes decades to fill in that land with things that will get people down there. We don't live in a thriving area. We also have some very expensive projects in the pipeline. Getting all of them done will be iffy at best. That's why l think this gives us our best shot at keeping the Browns downtown while at the same time creating a lakefront neighborhood. If we do it right we can balance everyones interests. Jimmy gets his parking (both lots and garages), we finally get a lakefront and new hillside neighborhood and we keep a major asset (Browns) downtown. Doing all this will inject activity and dollars into the heart of the region instead of contributing to more useless sprawl.

Funding. Who pays for what and where will it be built? Sure but really, it seems the whole thing boils down to parking. Jimmy wants the easy and low hanging fruit. The stadium is complicated because of the wrangling over who contributes what and that is contigent on the location. The surrounding entertainment district is complicated because who knows if there will be any patrons on non-game days. Doubtful, which makes it tricky to lease. But parking. That appears to be the key piece here. There may have been a cursory discussion by the pertinent parties over parking but if so l haven't read much about it. Could a solution that gives everyone something be as simple as finding a way to give Jimmy control of new parking lots around a new stadium on the lakefront? There is quite a lot of empty land down there right now. It's likely to remain empty too. Could the city/county work with HSG to allow them to turn that land into parking that could be used for all new development around a new stadium on the lakefront? If were talking billions for new development either in BP or on the lakefront it seems turning over land that is presently way underutilized for new parking for a massive new lakefront neighborhood is not too much to ask. Let Jimmy control it. Look at it as an investment by the city/county or leverage to get this done.

And one more thing working against us getting a Super Bowl even if we had a new dome. I don't know how many on here are Browns fans or just development fans but for those who are not football fans l'll add this to the equation. Apparently Jimmy pi**ed alot of owners off with his guaranteed $270 million contract for Watson. He would need those same owners to back a Super Bowl in Cleveland which is, at best, a long shot. Nothing says "No" like some pi**ed off owners.

Damn, that's an impressive use of the property.

When Mark King resigned as CEO the plans to move to Avon went out the door with him. Just goes to show how important ledership is. One guy wants to move to another city/state while another wants to stay. It can be capricious to say the least. Cleveland needs more champions. More Gilbert's and less Haslam's.

Oh jeez. Do you mean bad like Progressive is going to add another Progressive sign at Progressive Field or really bad like SHW got tired of waiting for their new hq. building so they're moving to Atlanta next week?

^ That is interesting because we were driving past it last night on the way to Playhouse Square and it looked awfully dark, like only a few units had lights on. And man, the Centennial corner was really, really dark. Those pics of it lite up by that very classy lighting Millennium had planned sure would have been nice. Too bad.

I think if you start with the idea that public dollars to the tune of billions for stadiums is a terrible idea and work backwards to no public funding, somewhere between those positions you come to a forced compromise. Which just might be this one. I think it does provide probably the best answer. In general l'm opposed to gambling because it's a suckers bet BUT, to each their own. I'm no prude. If people want to lose their a** that's on them. So, l think the best way to turn lemons into lemonaide is to tax it heavily and use the money to offset (partially or completely) public dollars used for stadiums which is also another rip off. If those dollars are the end of public funding here then l think that puts Jimmy in a difficult spot. If he wants his dome in BP he's going to have to use a lot more of his own money. But, if he stays downtown that opens up city/county dollars as well. Those additional dollars may be just the ticket to get him to change his mind. Personally, l would be onboard with that decision. Even though l don't like using public dollars on stadiums l also think those facilities DO add to the fabric of downtown. So if that's the answer count me (and my wallet) in. If it's BP, l'm still out.

Here's a thought. If Jimmy can't twist the arms of the public sufficient enough to build a multibillion dollar project in BP l think he should build a much cheaper version elsewhere. If l'm not mistaken there's a plot of land on the lakefront that has an old, out of date stadium on it that he could use for a new and cheaper version of a football facility. Build it there and then somebody could connect it to downtown by creating some type of bridge. Reconfigure the highway down there into a boulevard type thing. Why, you could even add a bunch of housing and some bars/restaurants. Some of them could even have a view of the water. People like water views. I don't know...it's just a thought.

Great news but we need more, alot more. We have not been nearly as successful in maximizing our resources as we should be. We have major assets here in the form of the Clinic and Case and to a lesser extent UH. The Clinic has a quantum computer. We need to create more partnerships with businesses, government and academic organizations. We have some nice lures. We need to do a better job reeling in bigger fish that can increase investment and employment in NEO. Anyone who has seen the success of the Research Triangle or even places like the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston will understand the economic benifits to their regions. We're not the manufacturing power we once were but we can pivot to a new and powerful future. The best way to accomplish that is to do a much better job of leveraging the assets we do have.

This kind of investment IS the future. Not just for scientific advancement but it elavates Case's profile as well as advancing the Cleveland economy. We need more of this, much more.

Groundbreaking in '26 and still no sign of funding. All the hats in all the discount stores in NEO sold out. Coincidence? I think Jimmy is going to flood all the highway on/off ramps and all the best corners downtown with panhandlers. Gotta get that money.

The solution to keeping the team downtown starts with dialogue and l don't mean in a court room. I know the Haslam's hope for a BP facility but, so far at least, there doesn't seem to be the public money. So keep the (friendly??) conversation going between all parties and who knows what will happen. I think time is on Cleveland's side so just keep offering the money for a downtown stadium, keep the dialogue friendly and who knows, it just may all work out in the end. Stranger things have happened.

I'm rather conflicted about this. Ever since my old hippy days I have not been a fan of corporations and l'm really not a fan of big corporations getting bigger with M&A. Hate it. I like to spend my money supporting small independents. Then again, l am a huge fan of Cleveland, then Ohio, then the Midwest. I hate it when we lose corporations to cities with brighter lights. Hate it. Corporations...can't live with'em, can't live without 'em.

Thanks for the link Ken. Obviously getting buyin from CSX could make or break it. At this point l'm just happy to see the momentum. It sounds more promising than ever.

As a retired CCF employee l can vouch for a pretty high administrative staff level. I think there is certainly some fat there. Separate from that l can also say that l knew many people who were swamped with work and others who had plenty of time to fiddle around - not really busy at all. That's probably true in any large company though. Some jobs you HAVE to bust your butt to keep up while others are just coasting. And salary often has nothing to do with it.

There's no question AI is going to have a deleterious impact on white collar jobs. And there's nothing people can do about it. Yes, there will be entirely new job catagories created that we can't imagine at this point but l expect the economy will see a net negative job growth. Somehow, someway society and the economy are going to have to figure out what to do with all the folks who have lost jobs due to AI. There is some talk, mostly among academics about a universal income that could be funded by an extra tax on companies that are making greater profits while employing far less staff because of AI efficiencies. But what do all of those people do with all that free time? There is something to be said about the positive impact the very act of working has on people. Work in and of itself can be good for the soul. At any rate, we are really entering a brave new world here. No one knows the outcome yet.

It does seem like all the momentum is now with Cliffs buying US Steel. I think it's very important to the local business community, the job market and our general psyche that at the very least Cliffs keeps its headquarters here and, at best, brings US Steel here as well. The last thing we want is Cliffs changing its name and moving to Pittsburgh. NEO business leadership must proactively come together and work to keep Cliffs here. I think the outcome is still up in the air. Now is the time for a little schmoozing not to mention some arm-twisting. Maybe it starts with the City Club forum.

Ah. Now l understand why a Geis rendering never looks good. They're a thousand years old.

I'm not a lawyer but l never thought the Modell law would hold up in court. If anything keeps the Browns downtown l think it will come down to money. Haslam wants half of 2.4 billion to come from the public plus another 2-3 million for roads around BP. I didn't think that was feasible then and still don't now. I know Haslam sees a big payoff for him IF he can pull off BP but if not, then a 1.2 billion stadium downtown, half of which would be public dollars makes by far the most fiscal sense. He won't like it but if he wants to keep the team here he may not have a choice.

^ Plus, being an affluent group who may be visiting for the first time tends to add weight to their presence. IF we can create a pleasurable experience that defies expectations they become ambassadors the next time sombody badmouths Cleveland in a random conversation. Changing expectations one mind at a time.

Affordable housing next to a rail stop plus a traffic calming street project? That's the way to do it!

Have't been inside yet but the outside is a work of art.

^ Yes but IF Haslam comes around things should pick up quickly. The stadium work would have to get started soon and the rest of the landbridge, road work and lakefront could get started as well. We could go from 0 to 60 before you know it. Momentum baby!