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Cleveland Officials Shutter Westside Building Due To "Life-Threatening" Conditions Posted: May 16, 2009 12:34 PM EDT Updated: May 16, 2009 12:41 PM EDT Posted by Web Staff - email I think this the building MRN is rennovating. This doesn't sound good... http://www.woio.com/global/story.asp?s=10373833 CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - The city of Cleveland has deemed a Westside Building unsafe and potentially deadly. Officials say the building - on W. 25th & Lorain - isn't properly equipped in case of a structure fire and has been ruled to have "life-threatening" conditions. The building was damaged by demolition and renovations. It is unclear if anyone lives in apartments inside this building but it does, in fact, house offices

I basically go to the same 2 places downtown...Winking Lizard and Flannery's. Every once in a while I go to Johnny's Little Bar, best wings in town.

Downtown can be quiet on week nights when there isn't a ballgame but it's safe. The biggest saftey issue at night in my opinion is agressive panhandling but muggings/assaults are pretty rare. Also, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance offers free escorts at night. Just call 216.621.6000 and a safety ambassador will escort you free of charge.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/05/if_mart_is_built_on_administra.html If mart is built on administration building site, where will county offices go? CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County officials envision moving out of their downtown administration building either to make way for a new medical mart or other development. They contend that the footprint of their building at Lakeside Avenue and Ontario Street is ideally suited for a new hotel to complement the proposed mart -- a showcase for medical equipment -- and a new convention center...

I think Sin used to be Traffic.

I just have a hard copy, I couldn't find a link online. It's published by Scene so I'm sure it will be on their website soon.

The new "City Living" came out today and has a nice article about East 4th. It said that MRN is trying to attract a bookstore. Has anyone heard about this?

It's not the most exciting news but 125 jobs in this economy sounds pretty good Collectcorp plans call center in Middleburg Heights 12:53 pm, May 5, 2009 Another call center company soon will be turning on the phones in Northeast Ohio. Collectcorp, a Phoenix-based debt collections firm, plans to open a call center in Middleburg Heights in mid-July that will employ 125 and have a payroll of at least $3.1 million, according to Team Northeast Ohio, the business expansion organization. More at http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20090505/FREE/905059954

It's funny that you bring this up because I drove by jac's at about 10 last night and noticed that it was completely dead. Personally I think it's because people (myself included) think of it more as a resturaunt than a bar. When thinking of places to go out for a drink jac's doesn't come to my mind. Maybe if they marketed it more as a lounge/bar, people would go there for drinks.

^^ The rendering on the previous page isn't really a project; it was just a proposal for Eaton Corp. when they were looking for a new office. As far as I know, it never got past that point.

I think the Ignatius track is open to the public when there isn't a school event going on. At least that was the case when I was there. If the entrance on Lorain is locked, there's an entrance off Carroll ave which is 1 block north of Lorain.

The Gavel said the new courtroom will be on the ground floor of the old library where the clinic offices used to be. I never really venture over to that part of the building but wasn't it just rennovated?

Jacobs has a full page ad supporting the mall site. It's the same old arguments but I think it's great to have a private developer help counter all this Gilbert nonsense.

Sadly crime in Cleveland Heights has become a serious issue. My co-workers home was broken into and was basically wiped clean. Every item with any kind of value was taken. When my grandma lived in Cleveland Heights, her house was broken into and her car was broken into multiple times. She lived there for over 50 years but around 2001 things got pretty bad.

I especially love hearing the beeping noise late at night or really early in the morining...this is an awful idea.

The PR firm is moving to 1240 Huron. I was referring to 1224 Huron.

Some work is happening in 1224 Huron. It's the smaller building on Star plaza next to the "Center for Health Affairs." Does anyone know what going on there? Also, it looks like construction stopped on the new Kent CUDC on Euclid/East 13th. The Turner construction sign is down and I haven't seen any activity there in a while.

The DCA emailed a copy of the response they are sending in the PD... “If the plan works, downtown Cleveland might one day teem with people again. Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime with downtown workers and visitors, but the declining economy and departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren.” – Plain Dealer, Sunday March 29th To the Editor, Sunday’s article about the Medical Mart project implied that the city desperately needs this project since Downtown is essentially desolate and abandoned. Comments like “Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime…” and “departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren” would leave any reader with the impression that no one works or lives in Downtown Cleveland anymore and the sidewalks are empty during the day. These statements are baseless and simply untrue. Downtown is home to over 100,000 employees, nearly 10,000 residents and experiences over 8 million visits each year. Over $800 million dollars in new construction and historic re-hab is either currently underway (The Avenue District and 668 Euclid) or waiting for the economy to rebound (The Ameritrust Complex and 11 other historic buildings along Euclid Avenue). Cleveland needs this project because it adds to the investments that are currently being made, not because our city’s core is “barren”. The medical mart and convention center is a wise investment for MMPI and the citizens of Cuyahoga County because it builds on our assets. Tearing down the image of our city in order to make a point about the value of the Medical Mart is both careless and unnecessary. Joseph A. Marinucci President & CEO Downtown Cleveland Alliance

I emailed the Downtown Cleveland Alliance to see if they are responding to this and was told that the PD usually doesn't publish their letters to the editor. I understand the PD can't publish all of them but to regularly ignore letters from an important community group is unacceptable.

I just sent an email about that paragrpah before I saw this thread. I am so fed up with lines like that in PD articles. We have over 10,000 residents downtown and something like 100,000 workers. In addition to that hotels and suburbanites coming downtown for bars etc. That doesn't seem barren to me.

Crains basically has the same info.... http://crainscleveland.com/article/20090320/FREE/903209968 Weston to pursue development of key block in downtown Cleveland By STAN BULLARD 8:52 am, March 20, 2009 Despite the dire recession and sour real estate lending climate, real estate owner and developer Weston is continuing to pursue its plans to develop downtown Cleveland’s “super block” west of Public Square between Superior and St. Clair avenues. The Asher family, which owns Weston, plans to develop two mid-rise towers on the Superior side of parking lots it owns between West Third and West Sixth streets. Other buildings on the block would house a mix of condominiums, apartments and, on Frankfort Avenue in the center of the block, entertainment-oriented retail. The plan also includes a boutique hotel, perhaps of as many as 110 rooms. James Asher, Weston president, said the company’s focus is on attracting large office tenants who might want to expand downtown. If it is able to land one of those companies as an anchor tenant, it might proceed with the office component of the project, he said. The stalled Flats East Bank Neighborhood was the only one of four proposed downtown Cleveland office building projects to win anchor tenants before the onset of the recession and financial collapse. Such tenants were critical to winning construction financing prior to the downturn and likely will be even more important in the future when the lending climate improves. Weston has formed a joint venture with the Gilbane family, which owns the Gilbane Inc. construction firm, for the development, Mr. Asher said. He declined to say how much of the project each partner would control. Previously, Weston had partnered with Robert L. Stark Enterprises of Cleveland on plans for its site, but they parted ways last fall. Mr. Asher described Weston’s plans for the site as a master plan that could be adapted to market demand.

It doesn't make sense because the market for downtown apartments, one bedrooms in particular, is pretty hot right now and the condo market is far weaker. Granted, the market could change by the time this project is actually built, but given the success of recent apartment projects downtown like East 4th I think its reasonable to build more than 150.

I'm surprised by how few apartments this project would involve. Apartments seem to be the strongest sector in the downtown real estate market and they would only build 150. That doesn't make sense. Also, does anyone else think they are trying to get the 2 big tenants who committed to the flats? Other than Baker Hostetler I can't think of any other major tenants still looking for space, and since Baker in the National City Building I would imagine that they could easily stay put and expand.

^ I can sympathize with your situation. My fiancée teaches at Our Lady of Good Counsel which was recommended for closing by its cluster. It also submitted a counter proposal but I doubt it will do much good. OLGC doesnt have a huge membership but it does a lot for the community and it is financially solvent. It's really sad that Cleveland will lose so many churches.

Cleveland City Council looks to protect landmark churches' interiors Council seeks to shield buildings that are closed Thursday, March 05, 2009 Michael O'Malley Plain Dealer Reporter Faced with closings of Catholic churches in their neighborhoods, frustrated Cleveland council members Wednesday moved to toughen the city's historical-landmark law as a way to preserve the empty structures. Currently, the city's historical landmark law protects only exteriors of historic buildings, but a council committee voted to introduce by March 16 legislation to protect interiors of historical landmarks including closed churches. More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1236245629286480.xml&coll=2