RyanScav

One reason at least, off the top of my head, is that they could be a safety issue in Urban areas. I still prefer them and I am sure there is a way to keep them trimmed and up off the sidewalk enough for Evergreens to be safer.

Now that is one gorgeous pun, seeing as the building has such a high-profile Brutalist masterpiece sitting right next to it. The criticism is well-deserved in my opinion. The county building is low budget, uninspiring and incredibly apologetic. This is cookie-cutter urbanism, a far cry from the WRL design seen floating around years ago. While I understand the budgetary concerns had to be addressed in order to save the Breuer tower logistically, I sincerely hope (but I'm not holding my breath) that this isn't a sign of things to come from Geis. This site should have been deemed too important for such banal vocon garbage. Oh well, it is what it is. *sigh*

@DM4 I love the proposal! I think for it to be successful it would have to be combined with KJP's option 5 from above. In order to gain some connection to the blue/green lines before you get downtown. Thanks!

I was prepared for it to be a lot worse, and I am pleasantly surprised. With a cursory glance, it compliments the normative height of buildings on the Mall. I hope they give the tall columns supporting the trellis a little more thought.

Just to add to that, they can't be operable by code. For sure on the hotel floors. But I think if they were to be operable on the residential floors they would probably need a little balcony or a french balcony (railing) due to code.. which would cause the building to lose any historic tax credits. The only opportunity for exterior space would be a shared public balcony per floor which would be cut out of the blank facade on the north, which connects directly to the elevator core. I would have done that at the very least.

Would anyone be able to help a graduate architecture student acquire autoCAD drawings for the complex? I am doing my thesis project at this site, and anything that could be of benefit would be greatly appreciated. PM me if you have any more information, THANK YOU!!!

I've lived in 6 different cities in 3 different countries. I can definitely understand the "inbred smugness" described in the article. Though it is a very harsh term... I am not from here and a lot of my friends are from somewhere else. But whenever I introduce myself as being from Cleveland I get rolled eyes which I understand to some extent, but my roommate from Boston also gets a smug reaction. Like the locals think we are here to take what is theirs or something. I can't really see people in Cleveland giving a person from Cincinnati a hard time, can anyone relate? When I bring my girlfriend, from Cinci, up to ctown people say "oh cool! Are you having a nice trip?" Or something like that. Also, in my experience, people in Cincinnati go out to bars with a group of friends (often high school friends) and they only talk to each other all night. This is definitely a Cincinnati thing. Even when I go out in Cleveland my group will get mixed up in conversations all throughout the bar! Hmm. Weird.

Just a little bump to this thread. If anyone is interested in the current condition of the complex. And to anyone who would want some details of this significant building, maybe for architectural research, these photos may prove invaluable!

There are preliminary floor plans in the presentation posted upthread.. thanks MurrayHill Looks like a fairly well-developed floor plan to me so far. Fire access is to code and every unit has some nice views. They also have developed plans for the Swetland building. I can't wait to tour some of these units!

If Westlake Reed Leskosky still gets this account, I can definitely trust the design will be of a very high quality.. where is the apartment waiting list? Condo's? :D

I really like this project. It will make a gorgeous renovation! I will definitely keep my eye on it.

http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2010/08/cleveland_planning_commission_grants_convention_center_preliminary_approval.html "Under the preliminary plan by Seattle-based LMN Architects and Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, the plane of Mall B would become a grassy slope rising more than 20 feet toward Lake Erie. Along Lakeside Avenue, beneath the apex of the hill, a low glass-fronted building would welcome visitors to the convention center below. And flanking the slope, tree-lined promenades would be lined with “urban rooms” — gardens or a dog park or whatever else Clevelanders dream up. About $16 million is devoted to reshaping the surface of the mall, and that won't cover the urban rooms, or any other “wow factor” enhancements, such as connecting the mall to the lakefront. That's up to a 15-member Group Plan Commission Mayor Frank Jackson appointed in June." So its boring because its not finished. In order to get the building open they are putting down grass now, but the final design will be funded and designed after. Hopefully sooner than later! And of course its sustainable, they are pursuing LEED silver. If you are interested in other aspects, see this: http://www.clevelandmedicalmart.com/clevelandmedicalmart/index.cfm/news/a-sustainable-effort-cleveland-medical-mart-convention-center-pursuing-leed-certification/

Good news. SORELY needed improvements!

Cool story about the extras on the DVD/Blu Ray of The Avengers and how Cleveland is shown and discussed in a good light. http://www.cleveland.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/09/blu-ray_extras_on_marvels_the.html#incart_river_default

In walmarts defense though, the severance store is AWFUL. It is old, small, dirty, and low on inventory. the worst in Cleveland along with eastlake. For a decent Walmart experience I drive to mentor, north Olmsted, or strongsville. If I can handle it, steelyard. Though I hate severance taking a hit, it will be nice to have a new clean Walmart to go to near univ circle where I live. :) I think all the Walmarts I've been to fit that description. That's why i spend my Big box dollars at Target. Walmart is rolling out new store concepts, one a little larger than A Walgreens, the other even smaller. They also have a concept for colleges. I think they believe they will have conquered the American suburbs once all their large stores are super Walmarts. Then they will be moving into America's inner cities and in some cases already have. They have also managed to put quite a few urban Wal-Marts here in Beijing, where it is quite popular... sooo yeah its not just America they are after! aaaaah! ok back on topic... I love nighttown!