jmc8651

My guess is attendance increased since so many urban parishes have closed and people are looking for a new parish. Also it's somewhat popular among young Catholics to join an urban parish even if you live in the suburbs.

I saw a couple tweets last night saying the financing for West 25th street lofts closed Wednesday. I will try to track down a link.

A friend of my mine is seriously considering purchasing a unit in the Pinnacle downtown. He is a currently renting in the East 4th area. Does anyone have any thoughts or insight regarding the Pinnacle? Is noise from the West 6th bars an issue? Is the condo association well managed? Any construction defects? Condos can be a headache and I think the whole Stonebridge fiasco has made him a little hesitant to purchase a condo but he wants to stay downtown. Thanks in advance!

For the orchestra downtown last night RTA had a ticket vendor selling all days passes at Triskett. it was nice to see an actual person there to quickly sell tickets and answer questions. For the Cavs playoff games I routinely saw ten people in line at the machines. Little improvements such as this make riding the rapid a much better experience.

The stretch of Ontario between E 9th and PS is showing some signs of life. Also there is a new convenience store/ Mr. Hero in the former Alvies space.

Anyone know what is under construction on the second level of the 200 PS atrium? It's the north side of the atrium, about 3 or 4 retail spaces are covered with a black tarp against the glass.

It will be hard for downtown to retain some businesses which want to own their HQ. I believe the company that sold 75 Public SQ is also headed to Independence. Many suburban markets offer cheaper ownership opportunities. However I think a lot of the displaced tenants will remain downtown. Many of these tenants are small litigation firms which value proximity to the courts. Plus there is still a ton of space downtown at the $15-16 dollar psf price point.

very good news.. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20150317/FREE/150319877/metro-home-furniture-to-open-downtown-store-at-the-residences-at-1717 Metro Home Furniture to open downtown store at The Residences at 1717 By STAN BULLARD March 17, 2015 4:30 AM Mentor-based Metro Home Furniture has leased first-floor space at The Residences at 1717 to open a contemporary home furnishings and accessories store on East Ninth Street. The store will open about June 1 in 5,500 square feet Metro has leased at Residences at 1717, according to an announcement from K&D Group of Willoughby.

Thanks for all the help, i really appreciate it

I apologize in advance for the stupid questions but it's been probably a decade since I've been on the redline and I have a few questions. I plan on taking the rapid downtown for work soon and I don't want to struggle during my commute. 1. Are the fare machines really that bad? I've heard some pretty negative comments on this site. The last time I rode RTA I had a upass and didn't have to deal with the machines. 2. If I purchase fare cards from a source other than the machines where do I activate the cards? I plan on riding from Triskett or W117 to Tower City. Is there a machine at each station to activate? 3. At Tower City do I have to swipe to my fare card to enter and exit the redline? It looks like the redline is a proof of payment/honor system except Tower City. I used to ride the healthline frequently which was strictly proof of payment but it looks like the redline is a little different. Thanks in advance!

This is very helpful...thanks guys!

I have a co-worker relocating to Cleveland from Madison, WI. He is currently looking for an apartment and likes the Lake West building in Edgewater. 10507 Lake Avenue, Cleveland 44102. Any thoughts on the building? Also I've hear rumblings that the Edgewater neighborhood has seen an uptick in crime recently. Is there any truth behind that?

The cost of parking is THE issue for many people. I work is a suburban office and when we explored moving downtown the cost of parking ultimately killed the deal. If our employees paid the expense then they viewed it as a pay decrease. if the company picked it up then we would be adding a monthly cost of $150 per employee, per month. Also public transportation isn't a viable option when you need to drop off a child at daycare. No one in the office expressed concern over crime and many people were genuinely excited about being downtown. However the parking expense offsets the lower rents downtown. Also parking is getting very tight in some office building garages. Getting 1 space for every 1500 square feet leased is a problem. Obviously this is an issue in any urban environment but for a small company parking is largely viewed as an unnecessary expense/hassle.

The investor site below offers some additional news. It appears the development is moving forward with the help of EB-5 investors and this equity raise is more for "insurance" funds in the event of cost overruns etc. Hopefully we see some progress soon. http://www.vestor.co/Le-Meridien-Hotel

It may not be a conversion, I believe the developer was searching for a building to relocate his HQ or perhaps it will be a mixed use

Two small updates....work began on the Creswell Building on Huron behind the Wyndham. Also the Chesterfield is being renovated and re-branded as "Sphere." The sign on the building was vague it just indicated the building will be undergoing a renovation.

The conversion of these buildings could be a windfall for the East 9th Corridor. Many of these displaced tenants are litigation firms which strongly prefer to be downtown. I recently toured several buildings in this area with a broker and frankly was surprised by the high vacancy levels in some nice buildings such as One Cleveland Center and Erieview Tower. Granted the rents are higher but still a pretty good deal.

Also keep in mind that the Cavs attendance is paid attendance not actual attendance. A lot of corporate seats went unused during the last 4 years; my section in the lower bowl had lot of empty seats most games.

I lived downtown for 5 years (not in any of those buildings) and I second the above opinion. I knew numerous people who lived in Reserve Square and they were all unhappy. Basically they felt as if it was a CSU dorm. That was about 5-7 years ago so it may have changed. Also my friends at Huron Square seemed very satisfied. The location is close to bars etc but not directly on top of nightlife.

Lola is a good business lunch spot, the lunch prices are pretty reasonable. Saigon is also good.

I agree that we won't see a flood of conversions any time soon. However, I think some buildings will convert to condos. Your point about the Grand Arcade is well taken but living on West 6th is not appealing to a lot of people.

One factor is the federal historic tax credit program requirements. I believe the program has some claw back provisions whereby the credits are forfeited if the building is sold off before 5 years or so. Basically, buildings have to be rentals for a certain period of time.

A friend of mine moves into a suite on the third floor August first. He will be in the first group of residents.

Sounds like a good move for CMBA CMBA Announces Move to One Cleveland Center CLEVELAND – June 20, 2014 – The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) is pleased to announce it is moving from its current location in the Galleria to One Cleveland Center, on the southeast corner of 9th and St. Clair, on October 1. The new location may be familiar to some as the former Forum Conference Center. The space in the Galleria has been home to the bar association for the past 10 years. However, the new offices – which include more space, as well as updated facilities and technology – will allow the CMBA to improve its services and capabilities for members. Furthermore, the new facilities allow the association to open its doors to the legal and business communities for events, meetings, corporate trainings and presentations. “This expansion of service and space will help the CMBA to continue as a hub for the legal community,” said Bruce Hearey, president of the CMBA. “The legal climate is ever-changing and this bar association must be able to adapt to the needs of our members and the community,” said Hearey. “This move will help us to more successfully meet those demands and serve as an invaluable resource for our profession now and well into the future.” “Thanks are due to the many firms and individuals who contributed financially 10 years ago to our last move. Those contributions, the continuing support of our dues-paying members, and the prudent management of our finances have put the association in the position to make this move. I am glad that the executive committee voted unanimously to move forward with this endeavor and am looking forward to helping the association take advantage of its new opportunities,” said Joseph Gross, CMBA treasurer. The new offices will include three (3) small conference rooms/offices; seven (7) classrooms/meeting rooms and a nearly 400-seat auditorium. With the new space available to non-members, rest assured that CMBA members will continue to have access to reserve small meeting rooms at no charge or rent larger space at discounted member rates. “We hope everyone will share in our excitement as we look ahead to becoming a more flexible center for our legal community and the Greater Cleveland community at large,” added Hearey. Effective October 1, 2014, the new address will be: Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association One Cleveland Center, Mezzanine 1375 East 9th Street Cleveland, OH 44114 Phone numbers and fax numbers will remain the same.

I grew up in Bay Village and I am very familiar with the area and the schools you mentioned. I have a few thoughts... 1. The commute will be at least 45 minutes most days (possibly longer from Avon) 2. Both are nice communities. Avon is "growing" (suburban sprawl) at a furious rate since a new freeway exit opened last year. The congestion is getting fairly bad and is expected to increase. Westlake for the most part is built out with the notable exception of the crocker park/ american greetings development. I would avoid living in that part of westlake. 3. In terms of schools both are good districts. Westlake often gets a bad rap because it had some publicized drug issues in the high school (what school doesn't?). I volunteered recently in the westlake schools and I had a very positive experience. I don't know too much about Avon except that the district buildings are overcrowded and the community isn't too thrilled about paying for more buildings. It seems that families often move to the exurbs for lower taxes but then the school enrollment soars necessitating additional taxes for the schools. 4. If I were in your situation I wouldn't move further west than rocky river. Also, IMO river has the best schools on the westside.