glutmax

Awe, the old home town! Nice shots.

Aren't there also issues dealing with permeable concrete and its ability to stand-up to NEO winters and seasonal swings? I thought I have heard some concerns about this in the past.

^^ You could always go to Mecklenburg Gardens, easy walk from the Vernon Manor.

Awesome, apparently there is not enough parking dowtown. I'm glad that this is one of the issues that Coleman is busy solving.

WTF.

Thought some update on this project, courtesy of the News-Herald, would be useful. Wondering if this development would have much of an effect on greater Cleveland as a whole, or not. Hope I beat grasscat to it ;) Dreams of Lakeview beginning to develop Story by Jeffrey L. Frischkorn and David S. Glasier 06/27/2007 Construction workers from Durocher Marine carefully place large rocks recently in an effort to reinforce the shoreline of the Lakeview Bluffs Development project. While still a gem in the rough, the massive Lakeview Bluffs project is seemingly on its way to being a cut and polished stone. Encompassing more than 1,100 acres in Painesville, Painesville Township and Fairport Harbor, the project ultimately will include an 18-hole golf course, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a marina, indoor sports complex, hotel, fishing lake, winery, vineyard and 2,200 units of residential dwellings, developers say. A nine-hole golf course might be added later. When redevelopment of the former Diamond Shamrock Corp. industrial complex began in 2001, the site, bordered by Lake Erie to the north and bisected by the Grand River to the south, had been in disrepair for about 30 years. It was classified as a brownfield by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA defines a brownfield as property needing remediation from chemical contaminants and other hazardous substances. Up to 250 people a day are working at the site now, including about 20 to 25 environmental consultants. Lakeview Bluffs has been awarded $3 million in voter-approved Clean Ohio Fund grants. When all is said, done and developed, the complex could cost up to $500 million to build. The ambitious project is going forward on a 99-year lease held by Hemisphere Corp. of Beachwood, whose president, Todd Davis, is an environmental lawyer specializing in reclaiming and developing brownfields. Progress made at the site has been striking in the last 15 months, especially with demolition of the old coke and concrete plants. "I would argue that this is one of the largest and most creative brownfield developments in the country," said Davis, who said he plans to be a Lakeview Bluffs homeowner. "We're counting on this becoming a template for other projects around the country." During a recent tour of the site with reporters, Davis explained that construction of Lakeview Bluffs is being done in 10 phases. The marina and lakefront amphitheater are scheduled to open next year. Home sites will be sold beginning next year, too. Barring unexpected delays, home construction will begin in 2009, Davis said. Davis has struck a deal with International Management Group of Cleveland, one of the world's leading sports management companies. IMG will design and operate the golf course and a multi-sport academy. Plans call for the golf course, Steelhead Run, to welcome its first players in the summer or fall of 2009. The academy could open in 2009 or 2010. Toxic past to green present Visitors to the site search for words to describe the emergence of Lakeview Bluffs on land formerly dominated by crumbling buildings, rusting vehicles and "soup ponds" laced with toxic chemicals. About 500,000 yards of material has been moved on the site with at least 1 million more needed, mostly for the golf course. Also, about 30,000 tons of concrete and stone from the site has been recycled and used as road base. Davis said the project is meeting its remediation goals. Developers and representatives of Ohio EPA have regular meetings to discuss the operation's progress. "It's amazing, isn't it?" said Terri Heer, Ohio EPA site coordinator. "It's proceeding well, and we're continuing to get documents weekly." Heer said the project has met with only a few snags, including concrete slab disposal that wasn't initially taken into account. "That's not an environmental thing, but it has slowed down the project a little," Heer said. Monitoring by Ohio EPA also has led to materials having to be removed from a couple of sites not included in the original remediation plan. "As things crop up, they've been able to deal with them," Heer said. "It's a huge project, and they've done an incredible amount in the past few years, removing a lot of soil and bringing in clean fill." Davis concedes that some people will have trouble getting past the perception that the property remains a highly toxic, dangerous place. "The history of this site is its history. We embrace it," Davis said. "The project is a challenge, but we want to do this the right way." Input will be sought from environmental groups to ensure that all operations at Lakeview Bluffs are environmentally friendly, Davis said. "We want to protect the river corridor as well as the lake," Davis said. Public welcome Some areas of Lakeview Bluffs will be reserved for use only by homeowners, sports academy participants and hotel guests. However, it will not be a completely private development. "There's going to be public access. I'm very, very sensitive to that," Davis said. The project will include a 1.25-mile publicly accessible trail overlooking Lake Erie. The shoreline currently is being "armored" by the installation of large stones and concrete pylons shaped somewhat like a child's jack. Davis said the new shoreline protection is designed to last 50 years. Hemisphere intends to work closely with Lake Metroparks in developing a walking trail and fishing access to the Grand River along a 2.5-mile stretch of the Grand River. When the project is completed, it will become a destination place for people seeking the river's "unique natural beauty along with exercise," said David A. Noble, executive director of Lake Metroparks. "Can you imagine having a river corridor trail stretching for 21/2 miles and holding together two of the river's best steelhead fishing holes - the Uniroyal and Pipe Bridge holes?" Noble added. The several baseball fields planned for Lakeview Bluffs might even be linked to the existing public fields on East Street in Fairport Harbor, Davis said. Joint effort Davis isn't alone on an island in the development of Lakeview Bluffs. He's received help from Lake County commissioners in obtaining the Clean Ohio Fund grants. Commissioners also have authorized trucking tens of thousands of cubic yards of clay topsoil to Lakeview Bluffs from the county's landfill for capping. Establishing the market value of the soil has enabled Hemisphere to reach the level of matching funds needed to qualify for Clean Ohio grants. "This is government at its best," said Raymond E. Sines, president of the Lake County commissioners. "We're doing whatever we can to keep this important project moving forward." Government officials in the three communities spanned by Lakeview Bluffs continue to monitor developments there with keen interest. Painesville City Manager Rita McMahon said she and Davis have had "really preliminary" discussions about the impact the project will have on her community during construction and after its opening. Painesville Township Trustee Jeanette A. Crislip said her community has similar concerns. "I've got my fingers crossed that it all works out and everyone is satisfied," Crislip said. Fairport Harbor Mayor Frank J. Sarosy said the fact that only 11 acres of the site are in the village is deceiving. "The gateway (to Lakeway Bluffs) is Fairport, and 80 percent of the homes planned for there will be in our school district," Sarosy said. So far, there has been no reported friction between Hemisphere and the four political entities with stakes in the development of Lakeview Bluffs. "From the very beginning," Davis said, "we've worked so that everyone wins with this project." AND, Lakeview Bluffs will be a sports mecca David S. Glasier [email protected] 06/27/2007 International Management Group is aiming high with its designs for the Lakeview Bluffs. If those designs become reality, by this time in 2010, the reclamation project spanning three Lake County communities will be emerging as a participatory sports mecca offering world-class opportunities for golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, basketball and possibly cross-country skiing. IMG, a prestigious sports management company based in Cleveland, has been engaged by Lakeview Bluffs developer Todd Davis to design, build and operate a sports academy and allied facilities on the 1,100-acre site in Painesville, Painesville Township and Fairport Harbor. "We wouldn't have gotten involved at Lakeview Bluffs if we didn't believe it ultimately will be an extremely successful enterprise," said Terri Bell, consultant to special projects for IMG. With its mix of indoor and outdoor venues, the IMG Resort Recreation Academy at Lakeview Bluffs will share some characteristics with IMG's sprawling sports academy in Bradenton, Fla. The major difference between the two academies, Bell explained, is that while the Florida location houses young athletes who might someday turn professional, the academy at Lakeview Bluffs will be geared to adults using participatory sports as part of an overall fitness program. Bell said that IMG's plans call for residents of the estimated 2,200 home sites at Lakeview Bluffs to have preferred access to the Lakeview Bluffs academy, golf course and various playing fields. "We want to establish this as a lifestyle community," Bell said. IMG also envisions Lakeview Bluffs as a draw for corporate outings and for guests of the hotel that will be built next to the main academy complex on a large parcel north of Fairport Nursery Road. The hotel and academy, slated for openings in 2009 or 2010, will have commanding views of Lake Erie. Among area golfers, there already is anticipation for Steelhead Run, the 18-hole, par-72 course that will snake its way around Lakeview Bluffs with frontage on Lake Erie to the north and the Grand River to the south. Using five sets of tees and playing at lengths from 5,000 yards to 7,300 yards, the course is the brainchild of Britt Stenson, director of design for IMG Golf. Stenson's long list of design credits includes championship-caliber courses in Las Vegas, Connecticut and the Tampa Bay area. He's also assisted in course designs by noted touring pros Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie and Mark O'Meara. Stenson said Steelhead Run will offer "an interesting journey around a pretty big piece of property." The course is being built on land reclaimed from the former Diamond Shamrock Corp. industrial complex. The land formerly was classified as hazardous by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. "By necessity, because of the environmental issues, you can't go down here to sculpt the course," Stenson said. "But that gives us the opportunity to do a genuine links-style layout where wind will always be a big factor. We'll use tall grasses, sand and mounding to give it shape." Work has begun on a loop of four holes north of Fairport Nursery Road. The third hole, a long and scenic par-3 routed north toward the lake, is already shaped and planted with the tall grass. The Steelhead Run clubhouse will be built south of Fairport Nursery Road. Adjacent to the clubhouse will be a double-ended driving range, situational hole, pitching station and putting green. Barring unexpected delays in construction, Stenson said he hopes to have the first players on the course in the summer or fall of 2009.

^^ Is that that community center on Eden and, maybe, Univeristy??

Is noodles a big sell in Cinci, didn't the place at Rookwood go belly up.

^^ Makes me think that a possible deal has already been discussed depending on the outcome of the trial. Who knows?

Those price points are also really low. Youngerish people could actually afford them.

Ran across this on cnn.com. Not bad publicity as far as recruiting new college grads to the area goes. Reverse the "braindrain", baby, :mrgreen: , yeah. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0705/gallery.great_for_new_grads.fortune/index.html?cnn=yes 20 Great Employers for New Grads Fortune teamed up with Experience Inc. to find companies that offer impressive perks to new hires just out of college - ranging from generous salaries to workplace flexibility, from enviable benefits to serious growth opportunities. By Christopher Tkaczyk 9 of 20 Key Bank Headquarters: Cleveland, OH 2006 Revenues: $4.6 billion Full-time employees: 20,000 Website: www.key.com/jobs Get quote: KEY Type of company: Bank What makes it so great? This financial-services company looks for motivated self-starters, who can expect 12 weeks of intensive training as they leave the gate. Last year it hired 58 new college grads to work at its Cleveland headquarters and paid them an average starting salary of $45,000. Not sure what area you'd like to work in? The first year includes rotational training between different businesses (from retail to small-business banking, loans, investing, and wealth management), helping to build the potential to transfer to other cities around the country, including Dallas, Boston, Atlanta, and New York. AND... 15 of 20 Progressive Insurance Headquarters: Mayfield Village, OH 2006 Revenues: $14.8 billion Full-time employees: 28,000 Website: www.jobs.progressive.com Get quote: PGR Type of company: Insurance What makes it so great? Just as its name implies, this insurer takes a different approach to its nearly 28,000-strong workforce, which is comprised of driven team-oriented individuals from all different backgrounds. Last year, 400 new college grads were hired. Jobs can be tailored to meet individual interests and there's a business-casual dress code. If you get tired of looking at your co-workers, there's also a 6,500 piece contemporary art collection decorating the 350 offices nationwide. And when you can't get away from the office, you can take advantages of conveniences like onsite health care, photo development, and dry cleaning, to name just a few.

And, all the way up to Buffalo. Ask them about the snow belt!

Having grown up in Painesville, I guess I would be the resident expert (no pun intended). Painesville proper is the county seat of Lake County, and is about a 25 min drive along Rt 2 to the E 9th street exit downtown, thats w/out any traffic. The city itself is centered around Veteran's Park, a New England type centralized square surrounded by churches, county offices, commercial buildings, and city hall. The older, and generally most pleasing, housing stock is mostly located on the thouroughfares and side streets radiating from the square and along Rt 20, the main "drag" through town. Depending where you live in Pville the lake is between 2-10 minutes away. Fairport Harbor and Grand River to the north are right on the lake, and I believe relatively new condos are built/being built in the area with lake and river views. Painesville City has a pop of a little over 15,000, and if you include the township (with all the crappy subdvisions) I think the pop is around 30,000. Pville is also easily the most diverse area in Lake County, I graduated from HS with a class probably 20% AA, 20% Latino, and 60% caucasian. There is a healthy Mexican population that lives in Painesville, having moved into the area in the 90s, because of the ornamental agricultural farms in western Lake County. There are numerous Latino run shops and festivals held in town and the area. Plenty of Parks and Rec in the area, also Lake Erie College is in town which has one of the nicest campuses in OH IMHO. Painesville does have a reputation in Lake County for having "crime", and it does have its rougher areas, but in reality I think it may have that rap due to the diverse pop and because anybody that needs county provided services has to recieve them in Pville (WIC, County Jail, Court, Welfare, etc.) If your not going to live in Cleveland, I would say definetely consider Painesville, Fairport, and Willoughby. Anyway enough of my shpeal, welcome to the area. Whats your husband doing in Concord?

What looks cheap about the materials?

Yeah, I hope the episode treats Cleveland well. Damn, funny show though.

should it be? I mean it is still trying to behave like a retail mall. Columbus is still trying to treat this as a retail center, correct?

I heart blueberrie's, its my favorite upper-middle class brand ;)

Holy Crap! I love this shit! It's like or own page 6..., Or whatever the f**k its called. yeahhhhhhh Lets go to Mcfadden's ;(

^ Albert Porter sits up in his grave and applauds, vigorously. :cry:

^ain't that the truth ;)

Found this in the Dispatch and thought it was kinda interesting. Yeah, for more kids around downtown :clap:

^With so much area available to redevelop, how would whats being discussed here (maybe not the densest, or most usual form of development) prevent additional development. If anything it would provide new sparks for unique types of urban development. And as far as vision goes, what types of development, exactly, are to be expected? Why not try something different. It's not like developers are just clammoring over one another to quickly redevelop this land, anyway. Let this start as a nidus, perhaps we start a Gravity/X Games type distict. Hell, who knows.

Sorry, I don't read Mexican ;)

My apologies.

^^ "In the Norwood case, blue-collar homeowners were ticketed to lose their homes because of vague, empty definition of a "blighted area" in a case where, clearly, the city was in bed with the developer to strong-arm these innocents out of their decent neighborhood to the obvious financial benefit of the wealthy developer" EXACTLY, in Norwood the city was basically taking away well-maintained residential properties from relatively non-affluent persons to provide a place for affluent persons in a neighboring community (Hyde Park) to do their shopping. The FEB is commercial/industrial that is 1) becoming primarily abandoned, 2) becoming more dangerous do to abandonment/illegal activities/and clientele at the remaining businesses, 3) located in a prime area for redevelopment for the city as far as parks/marina/civic activites are concerned. I think the park and marina may make the difference as far as the Ohio court system goes, as this will provide a modicum of "public good/interest" for the city. In the future, look for OH's municipalities to make extensive improvements in the specifics of their eminent domain laws to defend themselves from the "vaguity" accusations that seem to have swayed the OH supreme court.