w28th

"This month, RTA opens Requests For Proposals (RFPs) for a $1.2 million design of a new station. Federal stimulus funds will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Design work should take about 13 months, and then construction will begin." Has this RFP already been announced? If so, how can one obtain the information, there isn't anything on the website.

Wonderous(!)...

"The project features a 2,500-square-foot main entrance building with a brick grand foyer, a rounded portico outlined in sandstone, and a smaller, secondary entrance on the residential West 154th Street." Another extruded Wendy's, much like the W117th Station, I'm assuming...

Yes, thank you for commenting on this subject. I will select my words carefully because I realize that I am pretty riled up about the demolition of these structures, and I suppose it is more of a commentary on the path that this city has taken over the past decades than Midtown Corp specifically (although I am highly skeptical of the uber generic master plan that was put together recently for this fulcrum point of the city). I question the developers that were approached for input on the poor feasability of reusing these once common structures on Euclid Avenue. I can't think of a building of this size that has no program that could be successfully executed within its shell. I know all of the concerns of the site, (adjacency to the rail road tracks, supposedly strange floor plates, structural integrity in relation to the Cleveland Canvas Goods, etc.) because I contacted someone at Midtown several months ago on this subject, but these are the buildings that create value for a city. I'm just very disappointed that this area, as seen in the photos by KJP above, have been completely discarded. This demolition, that has continued in the past five years in this area (remember the buildings across from the Bradley & Cobb buildings, and then the building across from Galluci's that was removed) even with the success we've seen in reuse of old structures in the Warehouse District, Ohio City, Tremont, and Detroit Shoreway, completely removes the possibilities the natural growth of the city and preserving the building stock that defined this city in its greatest years. The Midtown master plan that was put together recently shows basically all new structures for this area. Are we really supposed to believe that a major developer is going to take over several blocks of completely vacant land in a now faceless part of the city? It seems extremely unlikely at this point. However, as I stated above, if these older structures are allowed to simply exist and wait for the right time to be reused by a smaller local developer that is passionate about making an impact on our city as opposed to a 30% return on investment, you begin to sew the seeds of redensifying once relavent nodes within the city. That opportunity has been removed from this node of E55th and Euclid with the demoltion in recent years, and as the area's stewart I think Midtown Corp should be ashamed of themselves for not having the vision or wherewithall to realize what this neighborhood could have been with simply staving off demolition.

A real stunner(!)

Looks much better than having a building there. Sense the sarcasm. That lot will be empty for at least a few decades.

I can't think of a less apprpriate place for a mountain bike park. I have zero faith in the people that run Midtown Development Corp.

Personally I think bridging the railroad tracks and shoreway should be a project in itself, encompassing the land between W3rd and E9th at the very least. It could really become a dynamic public space that has connections to current and future infrastructure: new convention center, possible passenger rail station, RTA station, CBS, GLSC, & RRHOF access, while covering the railroad tracks and incorporating the Shoreway boulevard or covering that as well. Idealy this could all be looked at as part of the port site masterplan even though I dislike the firm that has been chosen to do that work. Really anything north of Lakeside could use some rethinking (obviously retaining City Hall and The Cuyahoga Courthouse though). Could be an interesting site for the 2009 Cleveland Design Competition.

There were several people over at E57th and Euclid snapping the funeral. I'll have some pics later today. Damn shame.

When structures of this size and smaller are demolished, they are removing the opportunities for small local developers from entering into the development field within the city. For instance; a small developer has the ability to purchased an abandoned or under utilized structure for usually less than its real value. A good example of this fact is Joshua Hall on Prospect. There is no way the company that developed that existing building recently, could purchase the land and built a comperable structure with 4 condos, office/retail, and indoor parking. But they can pick up a building like Joshua Hall ($250,000 in 2001, unbelievable I know) and turn it into a neighborhood gem. These are the size developers that have renovated and restored the Warehouse District (besides the Bingham), Ohio City, and Tremont, it certainly wasn't Forest City or the like. This is why nearly every surface parking lot has remained that for the past 40 years, it's too damn expensive for the little guys, yet the big developers won't do anything because their profit margin would be below 30%. All this without mentioning the fact of sustainability, aesthetics, and retaining historic structures. It's simply nonsense on so many levels. One way for this city to repopulate is to make it easier for the grass roots developers to get things done and STOP TEARING DOWN THE EXISTING BUILDING STOCK! R.I.P. the possibilities indeed.

The mural in the second last photo looks familiar, huh Clevelanders?

I really think the confusion of contemporary architecture as the modernist idea of "sculpture in the park" and one of "stark geometries" is one that needs to be challenged. The ideas of density, or lack there of on the horizontal plane, the demolition of supposedly inferior historic structures, were part of the modernist mindset, and for some like I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, they still are. The unfortunate thing is that this has come to represent contemporary design in the minds of some people especially in Cleveland. The fact is, many of today's architects and urban planners are concerned with densifying (or redensifying in the case of Great Lakes' cities) of the urban condition through mixing uses and bluring the line between public and private space. The fact that the port site is a completely blank slate and isolated from the existing urban fabric for the most part, frees it from the typical copying and recycling of motifs and fake cornices that are almost always included in in-fill projects. This could be viewed as an opportunity to DEFINE the correct way in which to instill contemporary ideals in planning and design to the urban public forum. Shying away from creating new solutions, when the opportunity to maximize a new situation exists (the center city density has never really engaged the water before), for preconceived ideals would be an acceptance of failure and proof of stagnation.

There's no reason that couldn't be accomplished through contemporary urban design. Just because something has failed in the past doesn't mean we should banish it from the vocabulary of American planning. Not sure if you realize this, but modernism died several decades ago, unfortunately IM Pei didn't get the memo. X, you and I agree on the outcome we want for the site, but for the direction to get to that point, I couldn't disagree with you more.

I just wonder why the port chose this firm. There is not a single thing that they have done in the past that is close to what Cleveland needs in terms of producing a transformative masterplan. I know some here would be apprehensive to have a Zaha Hadid, MVRDV, or West 8 type of firm oversee this development, but you cannot argue the fact that it would be something that would create an energy and freshness that this city needs. It would be a pronouncement that we are once again moving towards the ideals of our city, "Progress and Prosperity." Ha ha about the City Arch comment by the way...

I also have a problem with basing everything off of the word "experience." An "iconic experience?" This is the buzz word of retail developers and their architects.

Sigh. Another off the shelf design firm that throws up neo traditional structures that have little reinvention from project to project. I suppose anything is better than what is there currently. Creating iconic structures doesn't mean they have to be "monumental" like the mistakes of the RRHOF and CBS. Who says that iconic couldn't be an exciting composition within the the urban fabric of a densely built neighborhood? Europeans have been doing it for centuries. I hate to start off complaining about this but I am somewhat familiar with their work, and while the actual plan of the space may be successful, the architecture will probably be far from contextual or move the city's perception of what contemporary architecture can acheive.

After graduating college and looking for a job when he worked for Campbell, I wrote a letter to him explaining my situation and my view on the city and what it meant from my perspective. In a 3 page hand written reply, he stated that there were no positions available, but went on explaining what it meant to be a Clevelander and the pride that that entails, and wished me the best of luck. I hope he does eventually run for mayor and believe he is waiting his turn (even though I think he should run now).

The loss at E57th and Euclid Avenue completely eliminates the trace of a once dense and exciting urban fabric that stretched from Public Square to E107th. Now, from E30th east, there is little more than nothing. We should be embarrassed as a city at the loss of these once ubiquitous buildings. We are a lesser city without them. R.I.P. to the possibilities.

There is a garbage article on MSNBC.com about the city and the events this week.

400,000? That's what they get on St. Patrick's Day. I'm saying there will be close to 1,000,000. That's right, one million. Count on it. I can't think of a single person besides KJP & MTS that would not go to a victory parade. I see expats flying in from all corners of the country to come take part in the spectacle. Maybe 1,500,000. Once in a life time event.

This is a great article because it explains that investments that are made on things like museums and convention centers, while as an organization may not make much money or actually lose money, impact the restaurants, hotels, theaters, entertainment venues, etc, more than make up for what was spend with new incoming tax revenue. I would venture to say that Progressive Field and The Q bring in twice as much a year in spending, yet there are still these idiots that complain about spending money on such projects. Every opponent to the convention center and medical mart should read this article. This is exactly the type of reporting PD journalists should be doing, and obviuosly don't due to.... I don't know... maybe it's too positive?

I believe the Windsor Block at the SW corner of Euclid and E4th have 3 bedroom units.

God, it really would be something. I really can't decide if I'd rather be at the game or at a bar in the city watching it. And for the people that talk sh!it about the city to your face, just respond: "If I thought you knew what you were talking about, I might give a damn."

True.

That writer could have gotten the same experience going to any other metro area's outskirts looking for good wine. Way to showcase the "city" as an agglomeration of strip malls and gas stations. This was basically a poorly done version of Anthony Bourdain's Cleveland episode, which I liked. If the NY writer wanted generic stores and gas stations, he/she could have crossed the Hudson into New Jersey. I guess that's what happens when we get dopey suburbanites representing our city...