Firenze98

Wow that went down quicker than I thought it would.

Macy's demolition has started.

Sounds like it is becoming more of a reality. I'm excited about the potential for Johnson Ct. to become an E. 4th street type thoroughfare.

Yeah it appeared in the renderings that the glass and panels would take on a blue look, not murky green. Hell they should have been bright red to liven it up a bit.

I agree too! I wish the black and neon green were part of the final color scheme.

I also think the FLATS part of the sign is bit over the top. I'd be ok if Flats East Bank was all the same size but the size of the East Bank letters. I'm all for expressive images but not when they tend to dominate the building. Maybe with the giant Playhouse Square signage, this is all part of a larger way-finding scheme. Next up, massive OHIO CITY letters atop the WSM and a giant rubber ducky above the new duck island development.

Moving along quite well.

I read a post somewhere that mentioned they are starting abatement work in the building right now and then demolition will commence.

Another old City Hall view.

This would have been an awesome apartment building with that top floor as penthouse apartments.

Or they are just removing the protective film that typically arrives with the Alucobond or similar metal panel system.

I thought the only time a beach was involved was if Phase II didn't happen as quickly as it appears now. To finish off the acreage to the river they were to install a beach, volleyball courts and a large green area. Is a beach still in play but on a smaller scale still in play or maybe the website hasn't been edited recently?

A new bike-friendly plan for Lorain Avenue is the conceptual opposite of a bitterly disliked plan for a new McDonald's Lorain Avenue on Cleveland’s West Side is becoming a key battleground over clashing visions of the city’s future. Does rebooting a shrinking city mean allowing it to cater to automobile-oriented businesses such as a new McDonald’s? Or should Cleveland encourage dense and lively growth around re-emergent retail corridors that once carried streetcars, such as Lorain Avenue? On the suburban side of the question, developers are fighting for city approval of a controversial and highly unpopular plan to install a McDonald’s on Lorain Avenue at Fulton Road. Residents hate the idea with a passion. Dozens showed up last month at a City Planning Commission hearing to complain that it would dangerously increase traffic and harm Ohio City’s image as a wellspring of the region’s local food movement. The commission voted 5-0 to block the plan More: http://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2013/12/a_new_bike-friendly_plan_for_l.html#incart_river_default#incart_m-rpt-2

It sure would be nice if the apartments are leased quickly so PH 3 can begin and eliminate the giant parking lot hole between aLoft and the apartment building.

If rendering #2 is correct, it appears that an extra floor was added and maybe some larger apartments on the right that extended above the roof were reconfigured. Maybe that is how the number of apartments were increased?

So maybe they added more one bedroom apartments and scaled down in the size the larger apartments? I believe it was always seven floors.

Looks like a great project! Isn't this in Ohio City though or is it Tremont once you pass Columbus Rd?

He is a she. Although the author isn't named, I'm pretty sure the writer was Angie Schmitt. This reads like her usual rants. Since modified.

^I don't think so. The PD article said they still have refinements to make based on comments.

Is anybody surprised the design is all over the place? There was that public meeting a couple months ago where Cooper probably got all sorts of stupid suggestions. It must be modern, but fit in with the existing buildings. It must be tall, but not look out of place. Etc. The components of the base are like Jackson Pollock architecture. Just throw a bunch of sh!t at it and see what sticks. But maybe that's a bit unfair without fully seeing a rendering of all sides.

^While it is a negative piece, she makes good points. Plus I also think the skylift is a ridiculous idea....but that's for the skylight thread. ^^ Totally agree with dave68.

My 2 cents.... Don't mind the tower, it's contemporary and different than what Cleveland currently has. I thing the tower should have been either set in the middle of the base or towards Ontario. If in the middle people could still get a view onto the Mall (those views are probably why it set on a north-south axis). They should have had more of the podium rooftop facing the mall. Perfect for a rooftop bar/lounge with ability to mingle and take in great views of the Mall. At first glance the base seems to have too much going on. It would look better IMHO with a little less going on. Overall not too bad at all but I have to wait to see more photo realistic renderings to form a final opinion. Plus I don't know the full program and locations of different functions as the small rooftop facing the mall may serve as a rooftop lounge.

So who's bringing the name tags so we can wear our screen name as if we are at a renunion of sorts?

Count me in.

Time to think about closing a key stretch of West 25th Street by Cleveland'sWest Side Market: Mark Naymik CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Architect Ronald Sarstedt has a big idea for West 25th Street in Ohio City. To jaded and uninspired bureaucrats and planners who study the area, his idea might seem a little crazy. That's why I'm bringing it up. Anyone who's followed my columns knows I occasionally write about bold ideas that have been shunned. Blowing off ideas is the real curse of Cleveland. Sarstedt, a 66-year-old resident of Ohio City, wants to close to traffic a short stretch of West 25th Street, from Gehring Street just south of the West Side Market, to Franklin Avenue, a couple of blocks north of the market. Think about it. No belching buses, rumbling gravel trucks and snaking lines of cars. Just people and a few bicycles. Sarstedt says it makes little sense to keep expanding outdoor dining options and encouraging pedestrian interaction on this stretch if traffic and congestion isn't comprehensively addressed. He envisions the area becoming a bigger version of East Fourth Street, the small downtown restaurant and entertainment district that is closed to traffic. But unlike East Fourth Street, West 25th Street is a major artery so the challenges are far greater. http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2013/11/time_to_think_about_closing_a.html#incart_river_default