Luke_S

Akron’s Morgan Park opens following redesign, upgrades By Megan Becka, special to cleveland.com Published: Sep. 11, 2024 AKRON, Ohio – Morgan Park is now open following two years of redesign work and upgrades, the city announced. The first improvement for the park, located at 419 Morgan Ave., was the June, 2022 installation of a community-designed playground. The playground was made possible by a partnership with Kaboom! Recent park upgrades include: • Resurfacing three basketball courts and the installation of six new backboards and posts • Adding an asphalt walking trail with benches along the perimeter • A new pavilion with seating • Additional brightly colored furnishings that were chosen by the community • Native plant landscaping • A mural created by artist Dara Harper of Art Only Boutique https://www.cleveland.com/akron/2024/09/akrons-morgan-park-opens-following-redesign-upgrades-photos.html

Why not service both? They just bought two new locomotives so in theory, assuming they have enough rail cars, they could run two trains. And like I said, it's not actually a super practical service improvement but I think it would be cool. They definitely should run ski trains to Boston Mills.

Welty plots luxury apartment development for Akron's CitiCenter building Dan Shingler September 09, 2024 Welty Building Co. plans to build more apartments in downtown Akron, which it says would be adjacent — and complimentary — to its nearby big Bowery District development on the city’s newly renovated Main Street. Welty CEO Donzell Taylor said he plans to spend about $30 million to $40 million to buy the long-vacant CitiCenter office building, at 146 Hight Street, and convert it into more than 100 luxury apartments. ... If council gives its approval, Taylor said he plans to convert the building into a 100% residential development, with 117 units. Nearly all of them will be one-bedroom apartments, which he said have proven especially popular at the Bowery and other recent residential developments downtown. https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/downtown-akron-get-117-new-luxury-apartments Free write up from Signal Akron for those without a Crain's subscription: https://signalakron.org/akron-council-to-consider-selling-citicenter-building-to-developer-for-1-million/

I was looking around on Google maps the other day, as you do, and noticed a rail spur off the main line, east towards the old Jait Papermill site. Which got me thinking that if the rail line was still there it would be nice if CVSRR was able to restore this section and extend it a bit to Brandywine to run ski trains to Brandywine in the winter. I know this is just a fun little thought experiment and ultimately isn't at all practical; it doesn't lead to a year-round attraction or population center, and not only restoring the existing line would be expensive but extending the right-of-way would be more expensive. Led to a fun hike today though.

Akron wins again with more polymer cluster funding Dan Shingler September 05, 2024 In July, Akron won $51 million in federal funding to advance the cluster for sustainable polymer technologies and production. Now, the state of Ohio has joined in with more than $30 million of additional funding for the region’s polymer cluster. The money, which totals $31.25 million, will be used to fund the Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub project, led by the Polymer Industry Cluster developed by the Greater Akron Chamber. It will be augmented by $10.4 million from local partners, which include dozens of local companies involved in the sector, the chamber stated in announcing the funding. ... Backers and proponents such as Akron Chamber CEO Steve Millard hope the governmental support will drive another $68 million of investment in the industry, create nearly 2,400 jobs in the Akron area, and develop new resources for companies in the sector to share. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/ohio-investing-31-million-akrons-polymer-cluster

There's not a drug problem in Appalachia? There's a pretty strong correlation between health outcomes and control of state government. Medicaid expansion would help with the lack of rural health facilities, for example...

For Immediate Release September 4, 2024 ODNR Begins Construction of New Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area Visitor Center MCCONNELSVILLE, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction for a new visitor center for the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area. The visitor center will serve as the gateway to the great outdoors, providing an education experience that celebrates southeast Ohio’s incredible wild spaces. “Ohio’s Appalachian region is rich with natural beauty, history, and opportunity,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “A new visitor center will enhance what this area has to offer including a variety of outdoor activities for all Ohioans to enjoy. The visitor center will be a two-story timber building boasting indoor and outdoor space for visitors. Inside, educational and interactive displays will highlight the history of the region. Floor-to-ceiling windows will showcase a spectacular view from atop the hillside. The outdoor spaces, a 360-degree scenic ramp and an observation deck, will be a highpoint for visitors observing wildlife. “One aspect of this visitor center that will be unique are the spectacular views,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “Visitors will be able to see across the landscape and will be able to catch a glimpse of wildlife in their natural environment, including a herd of bison that we plan to introduce to a nearby site.” Bison were native to Ohio but wiped out in the 1800s. The Appalachian Hills bison herd will represent Ohio’s wildlife history and the importance of conserving land and habitats to prevent other species from being eradicated or extinction. Wild turkey and white-tailed deer hunting are among the region’s best prospects. Muskingum and Guernsey counties, two of the counties encompassing Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, ranked in the top 10 statewide for deer harvest in the 2023-24 season. Muskingum County also ranked in the top 10 for wild turkey harvest in spring 2024. “This facility will highlight the wildlife area’s important grassland, woodland, and aquatic habitats,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “This new space invites the public to enjoy the area’s beauty and explore further hunting, fishing, birding and trapping opportunities.” The Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area is unique as it surrounds and serves as a connection to Jesse Owens State Park. All these properties combined are approximately 60,000 acres of public land for visitors to explore. Along with the new visitor center, there are several updates taking place that will benefit all three ODNR properties. Jesse Owens State Park will feature an updated campground with RV hook ups, new cabins, regional waterline installation, as well as a wastewater treatment plant. These upgrades, coordinated by the Division of Engineering, will allow for improved access and additional overnight stay opportunities for visitors. “These projects are all about improving access and providing amenities for Ohioans,” said Division of Engineering Chief Jeremy Wenner. “We want people to enjoy these wonderful spaces and want to provide places and upgrades that make a day trip or even a weekend comfortable for anyone who wants to spend time at the park and wildlife areas.” Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area contains 54,525 acres of land in Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, and Noble counties.

Cleveland bids on 2030 Special Olympics USA Games Joe Scalzo September 03, 2024 [T]he GCSC and Special Olympics Ohio are asking Ohioans to pledge their support for the city’s bid by visiting SpecialOlympicsCleveland.com and committing to one (or all) of the following: volunteering, attending the opening or closing ceremonies and cheering on the athletes. That community support, combined with the city’s sports infrastructure and its reputation for hosting major events, will make up the foundation of Cleveland’s bid, which is due on Oct. 1. ... The Special Olympics USA Games are an eight-day event held every four years, with the 2026 Games scheduled for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The Games draw more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean, as well as 100,000 family members and attendees. The GCSC estimates it would bring more than $70 million to Cleveland’s economy. https://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-recreation/cleveland-bidding-2030-special-olympics-usa-games

With enrollment down, Lakewood considers how many elementary schools it actually needs Ideastream Public Media By Conor Morris Published September 3, 2024 After seeing its enrollment drop by roughly 1,600 students over the last decade, Lakewood City School District has established a task force to reconsider its building footprint. ... The task force's analysis will be combined with community feedback from public meetings from October to January on how the district should best use its [seven] elementary school facilities, the superintendent said. The district is not looking to close any school buildings, [superintendent Maggie] Niedzwiecki said. If an elementary school building isn't needed for that purpose, the district would use it for other means; expanded preschool offerings, for example. The district could use redistricting - shuffling where students go to school - to even out student numbers at the other buildings. https://www.ideastream.org/education/2024-09-03/with-enrollment-down-lakewood-considers-how-many-elementary-schools-it-actually-needs

Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival returns to downtown Akron Thursday by Brittany Moseley September 3, 2024 The [Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival], which kicks off Thursday evening and runs through Sunday, will feature 29 performances, five panel discussions and one film screening. Outside of headliner Aneesa Strings’ Saturday evening performance at the Knight Stage with Dan Wilson, all of the events are free and open to the public. Nine venues throughout downtown will play host to the festival, including the Knight Stage, Musica, BLU Jazz+ and the Akron Art Museum. A new addition this year is an outdoor stage on North High Street near East Market Street. ... While the festival is, of course, about the musical performances, a prominent educational component will be on display throughout the weekend. Between performances from Kent State’s Bobby Selvaggio and Sean Jones, Alex Hamburger and Hubb’s Groove, guests can sit in on sessions about psychedelics in music, navigating the jazz scene as a rising artist and preparing for touring. https://signalakron.org/rubber-city-jazz-and-blues-festival-returns-to-downtown-akron-thursday/ Here’s the lineup for the 2024 Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival - Susan Zake

Also, included in the article above, was the mention that Hello Cleveland was launched; "a new website which automatically aggregates show listings from throughout the region". I'm not sure why it took so long for something like this to be put together, but should be a very nice resource!

Well here it is, the political support I was hoping for. Ohio lawmakers propose liquor taxes to support live music venues at Rock Hall Ideastream Public Media | By Kabir Bhatia Published August 29, 2024 On Thursday night at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) unveiled plans to use liquor taxes to create a live music fund. If approved by the legislature, it would take alcohol taxes from venues of 3,000 people or less, create a fund administered by the Ohio Department of Development and allow venues to apply for up to $100,000 a year in rebates. The music program would be capped at $10 million. ... The majority of survey respondents - 76% - want to see Cleveland create an office of music economy similar to ones in Austin, Tulsa, Memphis and Nashville. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said that statistic “leapt out” at him from the report. During his brief remarks Thursday night, he teased such an idea. ... Both Watterson and Ronayne pointed to the success of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission as a model for bolstering the region’s creative sector. https://www.ideastream.org/arts-culture/2024-08-29/ohio-lawmakers-propose-liquor-taxes-to-support-live-music-venues-at-rock-hall

Is the solution to Burke to move ownership of the airports, Hopkins and Burke, from city ownership to county ownership? This would put Hopkins, Burke, and Richmond Heights airports under the same ownership allowing the shift of resources from Burke to Richmond Heights until it can replace Burke as Hopkins' reliever.

Nice to see some green shoots here. Would have been nice to hear the response of some of our elected officials. New music study puts Cleveland ahead of other cities, shows areas for improvement Ideastream Public Media | By Kabir Bhatia Published August 29, 2024 The Greater Cleveland Music Census had 2,768 musicians, club owners and industry professionals answer questions on everything from quality of life to quantity of work. The number of responses was about twice that from similar surveys in Columbus and Sacramento. ... The 24-page report was created by Sound Music Cities of Austin, Texas, with a $25,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation. The survey results show that the region is very livable for music professionals: 91% have health insurance and 66% own their housing. Yet, 54% of respondents were most concerned about a lack of music work. Musicians could also use support in areas such as social media and generating non-touring revenue. ... The majority of respondents support the [creation of a funding source for both music venues and comedy clubs, irrespective of tax status]. Even more, 76%, would like to see Cleveland create an office of music economy similar to ones in Austin, Tulsa, Memphis and Nashville. https://www.ideastream.org/arts-culture/2024-08-29/new-music-study-puts-cleveland-ahead-of-other-cities-shows-areas-for-improvement

I hope they're going to add umbrellas or a canopy! Looks hot! I saw another picture looking north-east from the rooftop, they really need to bury the utility lines... it's a real eyesore.

I found this slide deck from the July 2024 Area Master Plan Meeting. There's more on the Village's Area Master Plan site. There's a lot more to this slide deck, just pulling out the key planning slides; Glad to see streetscape improvements are a priority Pretty extensive expansion of multi-use trails, including additional towpath connections. The connection to Heritage Farms is interesting. Peninsula Quarry identified as a development area, along with the site that received the brownfield remediation grants, Die Casters, and what looks to be Ohio Hardwood Furniture's old space.

Were there any renderings? I'm all for public greenspace, but if there is a town that isn't lacking for it it's probably Peninsula. I think I'd rather see that lot fully activated in the say I mentioned above, though I'll hold my judgement until I can see what they have planned.

Campgrounds are desperately needed in CVNP, I'm just not sure I like the idea of them in Peninsula. I'm not sure where there is a parcel that is reasonably large enough within village limits for a camp ground. Maybe the Christmas Tree Farm off of Riverview if/when the owners decide they want to sell? I believe they already allow camping, so would be a natural progression. But the village itself is so small I'd rather see something like a hostel that caters to bikepackers and through hikers. The old Brandywine Golf Course is probably the most logical spot for a golf course, with most of the land relatively level already. Would just need a pedestrian bridge over the Cuyahoga to connect to the towpath.

I know that something of this scale is unlikely due to parking limitations in Peninsula, and is would be much larger than all of the surrounding buildings, but I would like to see a 3 or 4 story building with first floor retail fronting S Locust St and W Streetsboro Rd with apartments or a hotel above. You could put a lot behind the L shaped building with access on both Streetsboro and Locust. Generally, Peninsula needs a street redesign, with left-turn lanes and signaling update at the intersection of Streetsboro and Locust. Hopefully the opportunity is taken when water and sewer lines are brought into the village to redesign the street configuration. I also think a parking garage would be a good investment to relieve some of the parking congestion and allow for the development of some of the surface lots. Most obvious candidate would be Fisher's parking lot.

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad names Canadian exec as its next CEO August 28, 2024 Scott Suttell The nonprofit excursion railroad's board of trustees on Wednesday, Aug. 28, announced that Larry Stevenson will become president and CEO [of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad] effective Tuesday, Sept. 3. Stevenson succeeds Joe Mazur, who announced in May that he would retire after seven years of leading CVSR. Stevenson has "over 10 years of executive-level experience and 20 years of rail industry expertise," CVSR said in announcing his hiring. Most recently, he was CEO of the Island Corridor Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Vancouver, Canada. Stevenson in June stepped down from that organization, where he had worked since 2018. At the Vancouver organization, Stevenson "was responsible for the strategy, planning and day-to-day management of a 180-mile rail corridor," CVSR said. It added that his leadership there was "instrumental in revitalizing the organization and securing its relevance and standing with stakeholders, the public and government entities." https://www.crainscleveland.com/transportation/cuyahoga-valley-scenic-railroad-names-larry-stevenson-ceo

Summit County, Akron awarded funds to remediate contaminated land by Arielle Kass August 28, 2024 More than $840,000 in state money is coming to Summit County to assess the steps that should be taken to clean up five properties with hazardous materials in the soil — most of them in Akron. The funds are part of a $175 million annual allotment to clean up contaminated areas — known as brownfields — with $4.5 million statewide going to assessment projects such as the local efforts. ... 1594 Main St., Peninsula — $139,103 to assess a property that was used for commercial and residential purposes, including a service station and automotive sales/repair business from the early 1900s. The property, vacant since 2019, has potential contamination from petroleum or other hazardous substances. The assessment will determine the extent of soil contamination and prepare a plan for remediation, which might include removing the soil. The intention is to enable future redevelopment while maintaining the character of the area, a tourist destination near Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Once redeveloped, the project could create five new jobs. https://signalakron.org/summit-county-contaminated-land-funds/

Summit County, Akron awarded funds to remediate contaminated land by Arielle Kass August 28, 2024 More than $840,000 in state money is coming to Summit County to assess the steps that should be taken to clean up five properties with hazardous materials in the soil — most of them in Akron. The funds are part of a $175 million annual allotment to clean up contaminated areas — known as brownfields — with $4.5 million statewide going to assessment projects such as the local efforts. In Akron, gas stations and the site of an old rubber company will be evaluated to determine what needs to be done to remediate the properties. https://signalakron.org/summit-county-contaminated-land-funds/

Cuyahoga Valley National Park tourism contributes $225 million to local economy Published: Aug. 27, 2024 By Staff reports BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - A new report from the National Park Service shows Cuyahoga Valley National Park to be an economic driver for Northeast Ohio, attracting 2.9 million visitors in 2023 who spent $139 million in nearby communities. The economic impact, according to a press release, totals $225 million and supports 2,136 local jobs. ... The visitor spending analysis from 2023 compared to previous estimates based on 2015 data, shows that more visitors are staying overnight in the area and spending more money per trip. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/08/cuyahoga-valley-national-park-tourism-contributes-225-million-to-local-economy.html

I think it was posted in another thread, but Matthew Ahn called for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor immediately after the Bobby was charged because O'Malley received significant campaign donations from the George family. For a family as wealthy and well connected as the Goerges I'd guess O'Malley is trying to avoid any appearance of bias.

Right, I think the disconnect here is recreational riding v utility riding. @Ethan's original post seems to be coming from the recreational riding perspective, and I agree with a lot of the points he articulated there. The push/pull analysis seems reasonable for recreational riding, but those push/pull factors are going to change when people are riding to get from point A to point B. A big reason I don't bike to commute places is because I can't be sure the bike lane wont turn into a sharrow or end all together and I'm not a very confident cyclist in traffic. I do think the bike trails are, to some extent, unfairly derided here, but it seems that mostly comes from the frustration of those trails' failed promise. The way they seemed to be sold was a spine for safe, quick, and direct biking between two points that a network would be built off of. Regional leaders celebrate each new trail opening, but never do the harder work of opening the network of bike lanes afterwards. Where I narrowly disagree Ethan's original post is on protected bike lanes. Again, if I was confident there was a safe and complete network of bike lanes I would be much more likely to bike around town. But protected bike lanes don't have to have jersey barriers separating cyclists from traffic. We could take the same amount of street space and situate on-street parking between bike lanes and traffic, protecting cyclists from being pushed into traffic by open doors or cars pulling in or out of parking spaces. Cleveland's streets are overwide as it is, we should be able to do this. Narrowing traffic lanes would have the knock-on effect of slowing traffic, making biking that much safer.