cadmen

I hope NOACA and the city and county get on board and keep pushing CSX. If all sides were to work toward a reasonable compromise we could get this done. And l think Bedrock is missing a great opportunity here. What makes a project successful? Money and people using it. Not supporting and encouraging CVSR to expand through their development is incredibly shortsited. Christ, bringing a GREAT idea to fruition around these parts is like pulling teeth.

Damn. Those are some expensive rooms. A friend of mine winters in Sao Paulo Brazil. He rents an airbnb condo downtown in a very modern and luxurious highrise for $1200 a month. Who would have thought Cleveland is much pricier?

I think it's called drive and leadership. Some developers can be quite conservative in their approach and get stopped by enough roadblocks while others push on through. I hate to use Trump as an example because l detest the man but a guy with his drive does push through obstacles that would stop a lessor developer.

I think this is actually quite an important development. While a new tower usually gets all the buzz re-purposing a building like Erieview/Galleria can bring much needed life to that location. It's kind of a dead spot between the lakefront and all the foot traffic around the sports facilities, 4th St. and Public Square. Plus, l may be in the minority here but l was always a fan of the barrel vaulted Galleria. Bringing it back to life is very urban. And reading that the W brand combines hotel rooms with for sale apartments in high end cities makes me think Cleveland has joined a select group. If the project is successful maybe those rentals will be turned into for sale condos. We certainly need more of that downtown. All in all l'm very happy to see a project like this happening, especially getting done by such an unlikely developer as the Kassouf family.

If you know any inspectors or have gone through the inspecting process you'll understand that it can be quite subjective. One will zero in on something that other's miss but then miss something that other's will cite. I would imagine that an inspection on any project the size of the SHW building would be more variable than you would think, leading to errors which are usually just annoying but in some cases like this can be very upsetting.

Protecting Penn. jobs? What about protecting Ohio (Cleveland) jobs)? With Shapiro involved are DeWine and Vance asleep or just don't care? Instead of negotiating from a position of strength Goncalves appears to be giving away the store in his desire to acquire US Steel. If he does this he is nothing more than a carpetbagger.

Here's a thought. Maybe pay a little attention to where new trees are planted. Driving around and you'll notice young trees on a tree lawn planted under electric lines and across the same street there are no lines AND no trees! WTF. It's almost they don't care lol.

Wonderful news! I was in the "Not gonna happen" camp. Happy to be wrong. But out of curiosity, isn't this the first non-parking lot project by Kassouf?

Well if Jimmy gets his state money then l guess all the backdoor/insider stuff will have paid off. Always nice to be an insider. And what a great game it is. I donate several million to your campaign then you find me a billion from the taxpayer trough.

I'm sure a lot of those are the same people who are mesmerized by the shiny bauble that costs too much but they buy it anyway only to be suprised when the credit card bill comes. Some may even have a hint of buyer's remorse but by then it's too late.

Well malls WERE an important part of Americana as well as downtown offices. Of course, change is inevitable. My point was that the change seemed to be overnight. Maybe it's because l'm older and grew up in a time when most every downtown had a little New York in them, when the mark of making it meant a downtown office and now much of that is obsolete. And just as downtown once meant office space so did shopping mean going to the mall. Ironically, anchoring those malls were the same stores who started in downtown first. So yes, nothing changes like Ameeica but sometimes it's the speed of that change that can be a little unsettling.

Totally agree. Unless something gives l still don't see how Haslam gets the public funding to build his palace. I think he beats the Modell rule and then either there is some kind of compromise on location/funding or he ends up moving the team. He wins by beating the Modell rule. He wins if the local politicians agree to help fund it. He wins if he agrees to move to another city that throws money his way to facilitate the movement of the team. I think the owner still holds most of the cards and that's why the owner usually wins. Just like gambling, the house wins.

I'm the first to admit that had l the option l would have preferred a hybrid schedule. Something like 2-3 days at home. That seems to be the best approach. All WFH has it's downsides. It can be isolating and an employee can feel like simply a mercenairy worker and not a part of a company. All RTO also has downsides that's why l think hybrid is best. My stand is along the line of "Do as l say, not as l do." Hypocritical not doubt. The only reason l want RTO is my nostalgic (completely unrealistic of course) desire to see American cities become what they were and not what they are. Downtowns full of life. Active streets, restautants, stores and offices. A lifestyle that still exists outside the US other than NY. Chicago and maybe a few others. I am an urbanist. I despise sprawl. Love light rail, density. All that. And yes, you can't put the genie back in the bottle but as long as l'm free to desire something that will never be l'll continue to beat that flame.

At first glance, it does seem impressive, no?

Even with Jones Day l expect Haslam to win out. I think history favors the (billionare) owners. Hope l'm wrong.

As someone who thinks a vital part of any downtown MUST include a large number of office workers l am very glad to read that WFH may be receding. If cities can get back to even 85-90% occupancy l will consider that a win. But the war continues. The outcome is still to be determined. On one hand you have the traditional way of working in an office. On the other you have a new approach to working by a new generation of workers. That, coupled with changes in technology will ultimately determine the outcome. In this case, l'm on the side of tradition.

This is all good news of course but l will still retain fond memories of a Cleveland that was filled with little manufacturing plants dispersed among reaidential neighborhoods. Places where dad grabbed his lunchbox and walked to work to start his shift. What can l say...l'm old lol.

^ l read somewhere on this forum that it was still a go. As a huge fan of using light to enliven a city l can't wait to see what it will look like. And not to get too far in front of my skis but if it's as successful as we hope maybe it will kickstart another idea, namely lighting our bridges. I still say, if done correctly it has the potential of being a tourist draw and add more streetlife to downtown.

I can't seem to wrap my head around these bargain basement prices. Less than 11 million for a structure as beautiful as the Rose building? Sure, l understand WFH along with some other societal changes have greatly transformed the downtown office market. It's just that it's hard for an old guy like me to digest that much change that fast. Downtown used to be synonymous with offices. Companies HAD to be there. Now they don't. Shopping malls were THE place to be. Now they're not. I get it, things change but man, those two changes took place in a very short time period. There was an American way of life and then there wasn't. Almost overnight.

I'll never understand how a corporation can invest millions and millions into a project and then drop the ball on the last few thousands. What's that old saying, Penny wise, Pound foolish?

^ You are correct sir!

Exactly. We're going to water down the midway for a once a year event? Come on now! In order for this to work the way we want it to it needs to be enticing. That means a center path with an abundance of trees and bushes on either side. It needs a visual draw. Something that will attract people. If not then it will only be a partial success drawing only the hardcore bikers and joggers. It pisses me off that everytime we come up with a great design it immediately begins to get watered down so that by the time it's finished it's only a pale version and we're left wondering why it didn't work. Hello?? Do it right and people will come. Do it half-as*ed and they won't. Real trees and real landscaping properly nurtured are the draw, otherwise it's just painted concrete.

I'm not a lawyer but l can't believe the Modell Law would hold up in court. Sure, it may in a lower court but as it's appealed up the court ladder eventually it will be struct down in favor of the owner. It is interesting to me though that the city/county are going with Jones Day. Heavy hitters there. This should get ugly.

I know we're not getting sun belt numbers but it does seem to me that the city IS getting a steady little surge of new housing development's. Certainly more than in the past.

Ok, well it is a huge downgrade from some of the original proposals from years ago but since we weren't getting any of them anyway, l think this version is pretty good. Lakewood gets more needed density in the heart of downtown plus it adds more NEW housing which, speaking as the owner of a 1908 Lakewood home l think the city desperately needs.