DO_Summers

Hey, this design shouts: International paint and coatings firm headquarters! Sufficient gravitas and just a little flair.

Ok, looks great...but Sheeez , anyway to remove the W3rd skybridge?

@KJPI believe I followed your advice. What i really wanted to do is call the skybridges "gerbil tubes."

I'm not an architect , but these are my comments that I just emailed to the commission. "My top concern is how SW will address the inclusion of surface parking on the lots that are reserved for future expansion. What if anything is the plan in the event that future expansion is not required for SW for many decades? My second concern is the elevated skybridges connecting the parking garage and learning / training center with the main tower. The design of these walkways is critical for how the public will perceive and interact with the exterior spaces - especially the auditorium building on the present Jacob lot. My concern is that the overall design at the street level will veer toward a "fortress" vibe and not create welcoming public spaces. My third concern is that the small amount of space of the "retail liner" allocated on the W 3rd side of the parking garage seems severely inadequate for a project of this scope. See #2 above. If one of the main stated goals of the project is to create an environment and public interface that will help attract the next generation of SW workers, the interaction of the design at the street level with Public Square and the Warehouse district appears to be unimaginative and backward looking rather than forward. Good luck as you incorporate public feedback into your design and congratulations to all for making the investment. Sincerely Yours, D. Summers

Psst: Maybe I have a false hope, but the folks that can articulate well their concerns about this plan, please don't forget to send your comments by email by Sunday afternoon to the Planning Commission of Cleveland. https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/SW/2021-07-20_CLE-Joint-Meeting-Agenda.pdf

Tsk-tsk...should have built it on the Jacob's lot 😊

Perhaps to exercise our rights of public comment, we can create a running list of concerns mentioned in the past by our fellow posters. If it reads well, we can ask for a volunteer to tidy it up and submit by email by July 18 per the notice to represent our collective UO thoughts. Anyone want to begin?

Thanks @KJP. I also thought a bit additional slope might make a more dramatic building. In the rendering it seems to me they just show enough vertical space to attach their logo. Personally, I like symmetry and these are definitely symmetric, but the roof design felt to me more like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the design profile. Fantastic that we can even have thus debate!!!

Thanks also to all involved bringing these renderings to fruition. I'm not as excited with the two opposite sloped roof design as some of you expressed. Maybe I'm just a slow adopter. Give me a clue or two how you see this design in terms of strong architectural merit. 😉

Can I add sickened to your list @dave2017? Maybe this will be a mistake his campaign won't recover from.

Giving credit to @Whipjackafrom back in January

Thanks a bunch, Ken, for sticking with your fantastic reporting here so long. This comment: "Each of those myriad of options was presented to the committee for review and elimination until only one was left." Maybe this was part of the process?

I assume they installed an under pavement drip system for these trees sites. I wonder if it was even functional. Too bad.

I once lived on the far south side of San Jose, CA and worked in a neighboring town to the north. One day I was surprised to see an express bus arrive nearby my job that I swore had left from nearby my apartment at the same time I drove by. So, I began to ride this bus that stayed solely on surface streets and traveled directly north through the center of downtown San Jose. I was amazed to discover that the trip actually took the same amount of time or, maybe, even a few minutes less than driving to work in a car on the highway. The major job centers in Santa Clara county are all concentrated outside of downtown San Jose and the bus could fly through the surprisingly open streets downtown. I discovered that when I needed to drive my car to work, I followed the bus route and it was a faster and less stressful trip. LOL.

Those are the rooms that your manager will meet with you to let you know not to expect any raise this coming year because SW spent it already building this beautiful new headquarters! Simple victories.

@Ethan Two weeks have past since I notified Sanna Julien of the picture you posted .. have you or anyone else noticed any activity that an arborist or landscaper working for the Group Plan Commission has stepped forward to care for the ailing trees, grass, and flower beds? Cheers. D.O.

Crazy picture, Ethan. Thanks for putting this whole topic up for discussion. I agree with the sentiment that the responsible arborists / landscapers should be on top of this and should not need a public discussion board to bring it to their attention.

UPDATE: Well, I am impressed. Here is a copy of the emailed response from Sanaa Julien, the CEO of the Group Plan Commission with just a minor edit to remove her email address. "Thank you for sending this feedback. I truly appreciate hearing from members of our community. I did read a few of the posts on the forum and would like to offer you some insight. First, Group Plan Commission works with three different arborist teams on the health of the trees in Public Square. Many things, as you know, can affect the health of the trees and we do follow up on questions or concerns from the public. If you are able to provide the location of each of the fourteen trees identified, I will be happy to reach out the team of arborists and get their opinions on the health of the trees. With regards to the weeds - many of the native plants that may appear as weeds are actually not, and were intentionally planted to create a feeling of an open field in the heart of the city. These plans were all reviewed by the many involved parties and it was decided that this approach achieved the architectural aesthetic that the community was trying to achieve. We do have our landscape team at Royal Landscape survey the area regularly. I will ask them to provide an update based on your communication. And finally, with regards to the lawn. We are aware of the situation on the green and are addressing it. We are trying to learn what caused the issue and how to fix it. Please feel free to reach out to me directly. I am happy to listen to your insights. Most Sincerely, Sanaa Julien CEO Group Plan Commission." Can @Ethanor someone familiar with the condition of the individual trees and gardens in question on the square respond to Sanaa Julien directly through the website or by email to help identify more specifics? I live out of state and was just hoping to get the ball rolling. Now, if we can get this sort of dialogue with similar officials representing other interested parties developing plans on the square (cough, cough. Hello future Paint Museum!), UO forum members can stand proudly of their civic involvement. DO

Thank you! As a means of a letter writing campaign, if a number of us register our concern perhaps it will catch someone's notice. I filled in the "contact us" sheet on their website and notified them that this topic was being discussed on this forum. Go team!

@Ethan Thank you for highlighting this important concern. I ask this only because I am an out of state resident, is there a public office or other means to contact the city to Cleveland to register this horticultural maintenance issue?

@NorthShore647Thank you again for posting this meeting. Wonderful presentation of his and the team's vision by Thomas Woltz. Best hour i spent on my Smartphone in a long time. We are fortunate that this talent was sponsored by the Haslam's organization. Let's take advantage of it!!!

Might be wishful thinking on my part, but my hope is that because this small harbor bridge is so ugly, that its hideous design becomes somehow a counter balance to the sleek architecture of the Rock Hall and Science center and ultimately ages well.

Just curious... did the Rock Hall not give permission to the NFL to use images of its building during the various broadcasts? I don't recall ever seeing it over the 3-day draft.

Looks like a nuclear reactor containment building. The NIMBY's aren't gonna like this.