LovesIt

But would Stark being going to all the trouble of attending the International Council of Shopping Centres convention just to have a Giant Eagle and a Taco Bell in his neighborhood? He wants to make it a unique experience to draw people in, not just to support a neighborhood. I normally wouldn't delude myself into believing that some great fashion retailers could be coming to Cleveland, but the excitement, prestige and scale of this project leads me to believe that Stark isn't looking for your everyday run-of-the-mill shops for his megaproject.

Downtown Cleveland isn't always the most attractive sounding locale for fashion retailers, despite the cetral location and the proximity to some of the region's most popular tourist destinations. So I think the most effective way to draw in those fashion retailers would be to somehow secure a major high-end boutique and then use that to boost the prestige and interest in the area. If Stark could score a Louis Vuitton or a Dior just imagine the excitement it would create and the interest from other retailers to be located near one of those stores. And while the average Joe isn't going to head down to Louis every time he needs a new pair of shoes, there is definitely a market for one or two super-luxury stores. There are enough spoiled brats, young professionals and old-money socialites to keep them afloat. Stark has to think big to really make an impressive, UNIQUE place to draw in both suburbanites and other retailers.

Ugh, Lorain County. Just leave it as it is; a rural wasteland.

I really wish they'd just get rid of the Eton shops. I went there on a Friday evening and I swear I was the ONLY person in the entire place. The people at Indigo Nation told me I was the first person to buy anything the entire week. Uhm, move them downtown!

Bahaha, Varvatos?! I guess I was right when I said the East Side was just OLD money. Seriously, though, I feel like I'm living in the Great Gatsby because of this East Egg/West Egg thing. The two sides may be totally different in attitude and style (we've got Indigo Nation, you've got Talbots), but the fact is there's money in both. And the only way to tap into the largest group of people would obviously be to build downtown. A major department store downtown would be like heaven.

Cleveland's economic output is much larger than any other region in the state.

I personally I think Cleveland AND Cincinnati should get a Bloomingdale's. They're so far away from each other that the markets would even come close to overlapping. The only reason I think Cleveland would get one first is because it's traditionally the largest and most important region in the state, economically and population-wise (whether or not those things are true today may or may not be true, but in the minds of many corporations Cleveland is the biggest Ohio market).

Greater Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati all have relatively similar demographics when it comes to wealth and income, but the fact of the matter is that Cleveland overwhelmingly has the largest market in the state. As previously stated, all three of the cities could probably handle a Bloomingdales, but Greater Cleveland having the biggest population would make it the most obvious choice. Additionally, regional draw isn't nearly as important as the number of permanent resident and that is what companies are going to look at when searching for a location.

Pshhh, the East Side can kiss my Louis Vuitton shoes :lol: But really, my dad always used to say "the worst thing in the world is hillbillies with money," and that's how a lot of the outer West Side is . The amount of new money out here is really shocking, which is why I think a central location for any high-end retail would be ideal.

Exactly. I'm the poster child for stranded West Siders who love high-end retail. It's too much of a trek to venture out ALL the way to Beachwood to get what I want, so I usually just order it online. There's a seriously untapped market of in Strongsville, North Royalton, Columbia Station, Bay Village, Avon and the surrounding areas that a Neiman-Marcus could definitely take advantage of with a central location. I live 15 minutes from downtown but too freaking far from Beachwood to shop there on a regular basis, even though I'd love to.

Ooo, I'd LOVE to see that.

Tower City would be nice for some South Park-like retailers to come in, but I don't think a traditional indoor mall is the correct place for upscale retail. That's why I'm thinking putting SOME sort of upscale shopping in an area with upscale residents, like the Avenue District, would be a better idea. Okay, so maybe I just want some good shopping for my own greedy purposes, but I think a gradual introduction of street-front clothing retail is something that the city <b>desperately</b> needs.

^^^ Yeah, I know they're trying to make the emphasis on everything being local, but I'm hoping this new influx of upper-middle class people will spur some retail growth in the area. I really think this whole project is going to do wonders for the Galleria, and it definitely needs it.

It's sad, we have the highest-ranked university in the state and yet we can't retain any of the graudates.

Does anyone know anything about the retail opportunities that Zaremba is talking about? I'm looking at the outside renderings and not seeing where they'd put any of this stuff. I'm excited for the housing but I think I'm even more interested by the other places that will pop up because of this pocket of population. The Avenue District will be semi-upscale so I'd like to see some much-needed shopping put in place there. Possibly an Armani Exchange, Coach or an Urban Outfitters. Maybe it'll spur some growth like this in the Galleria.

Yepp, originally. My mother grew up in Cleveland and went to CSU, though, before meeting my Toronto-based father. Personally, I like Cleveland better :wink: Haha, yeah, I was trying to get some better angles and the only way was laying down. I was really happy there was no one down there while I was in all of those crazy positions. Thanks for the warm welcome everyone, although I might just revert to lurking until my next set of photos!

I've been a very quiet lurker here for quite some time now, but after a trip a took downtown with my camera and a few friends, I've decided to come out of hiding and share a few photos with everybody :lol: All the attention was on the game at Jacob's Field so it was pretty desolate down by the lake. But it was really beautiful, hope you enjoy! Pay no attention to my dorky friends :roll:... Whoops, my foot's in the shot, haha... My favourite of the lot...