Luke_S

I get the benefit of being centrally located, but I actually think Cleveland is the better location for the main studio. Given our theater district we have a lot of people already trained in set design and construction, makeup artists, sound engineers, light technicians, ect. I think Cleveland would more easily be able to fill the job openings for a movie production than some of the cities.

Let's not get a second thread locked for the exact same reason. There's a SF thread that part of this story can be discussed in.

New and improved habitats open today at the zoo! CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO OPENS TRANSFORMATIVE SUSIE’S BEAR HOLLOW HABITAT Posted: August 25, 2023 https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/news-press/2023/august-2023/cleveland-metroparks-zoo-opens-transformative-susi

Some pictures I took from the event

Don Taylor is planning to convert the YWCA building at 146 S. High St in Akron to 114 luxury apartments. He thinks he'll likely apply for a historic tax credit for the project, which it sounds like he did for the Bowery project but did not end up using. Taylor also alludes to purchasing an adjacent, city owned parking deck and building over top of that. He also mentioned that the Bowery apartments have been very popular and has a waiting list, promoting this complimentary project. Given that, Taylor has been looking for other candidates for residential conversion, hopefully that means that the First Energy and Center Plaza buildings are converted relatively quickly. More downtown apartments planned for Akron Dan Shingler | August 25th 2023 "Welty Building Co. CEO Don Taylor recently told Crain’s, “I like being the voice of optimism for downtown Akron.” True to his word as well as to his recent history, Taylor’s backing that up with investment dollars. This time, he plans to spend more than $25 million turning the city’s historic YWCA building, known in recent years as the CitiCenter building, at 146 S. High St., into at least 114 luxury apartments. ... Taylor said Welty is working to buy the buildings from the city of Akron, which had been using part of the building’s 114,000 square feet of what was then office space before the pandemic. Since then, when the city vacated it, the building has sat vacant, Taylor said." https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/developer-hopes-again-tap-luxury-apartment-market-akron

Akron Beacon Journal's photos from Akron's PorchRokr festival in Highland Square this weekend. https://www.beaconjournal.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2023/08/19/porch-rocker-2023-photos-akron-highland-square-music-festival/70602203007/

So the target date for redistricting reform to be on the ballot is 2024. Regardless of how the lawsuits shake out new maps will have to be drawn under the current rules for the 2024 election cycle. Assuming this new amendment passes does the new redistricting commission take effect immediately? And if Republicans again draw maps passed along partisan lines the commission would draw the maps in 2028? If that's the case, Republicans would smart to maps only as gerrymandered as Democrats will accept so that they can maintain a favorable environment for 2 more years, through 2030. But under that scenario Democrats will have little incentive to accept maps that are gerrymandered to any extent to get truly fair maps as soon as possible. Could make for some interesting gamesmanship and produce fairer maps even before it's formally adopted.

Girl Scouts break ground on STEM educational center in Peninsula Ideastream Public Media | By Jenna Bal Published August 18, 2023 "On Thursday, the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio broke ground on a new center in Peninsula, Ohio that will teach Girl Scouts and local school children skills in science, technology, engineering and math. ... The STEM Center of Excellence will be located at GSNEO’s Camp Ledgewood, which is used by the Girl Scouts every day during the summer and on weekends during the school year. It will be available to schools during the week while school is in session. ... The center will have rooms dedicated to different areas of STEM including an environmental lab, technology space, hands-on workshop and multi-purpose room. Its campus will also house multiple outdoor activities such as a rain garden and beekeeping area." https://www.ideastream.org/community/2023-08-18/girl-scouts-break-ground-on-stem-educational-center-in-peninsula

Summit Metro Parks to be recognized on CNN for its transformation of former golf course Craig Webb Akron Beacon Journal Aug. 17, 2023 https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2023/08/17/summit-metro-parks-recognized-cnn-transformation-former-golf-course-park/70610275007/

In the article AEG says this is venue will compliment facilities they have in Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit and Pittsburgh, and allow smaller acts to grow into other venues AEG operates in Cleveland like the Agora and Jacob's Pavilion. I think there can be kind of a synergy from having a lot of concert venues in one place. If there was any sort of central planning for the West Bank I think it should fill in around the existing venues with smaller bars that host live music so people can bar hop and hear a bunch of different music. We don't really have a centralized place for that in Cleveland and it can make for a really lively neighborhood.

AEG Presents, Jacobs plan new concert venue on the west bank of the Flats August 18, 2023 MICHELLE JARBOE https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/aeg-presents-jacobs-plan-concert-venue-clevelands-flats

Lakewood is busy planting more than 600 new trees Aug. 16, 2023 By John Benson, special to cleveland.com "The city’s budding tree program continues to grow stronger. For the third time in the last few years, Cuyahoga County recently awarded Lakewood a $50,000 Healthy Urban Tree Canopy Grant. ... The Healthy Urban Tree Canopy Grant, which finds the city also contributing $104,000 toward the effort, will pay for the planting of 485 trees over the next year around the entire community." https://www.cleveland.com/community/2023/08/using-recently-awarded-grant-money-lakewood-busy-playing-more-than-600-new-trees.html

I saw someone on twitter/x claim to know why the jet was here and it would be obvious if you knew what hanger his jet was in. I don't know how you look that sort of thing up, @Cleburger? But from the commenter's suggestions it sounded like it related to routine maintenance so I'm guessing its sitting in the Constant Aviation hanger. EDIT: adding link to Twitter comment https://twitter.com/photowolfTV/status/1691255567749136384?t=Z1jIrxloXllQtrO94TI8eg&s=19

I'll add to Amanda and Brittany's recommendations; Sister Sandy playing at noon on stage 18. Plan your PorchROKR 2023 with Shuffle’s artist picks Ideastream Public Media | By Amanda Rabinowitz, Brittany Nader Published August 16, 2023 "Akron’s annual music festival, PorchROKR, returns for its 11th year on Saturday, Aug. 19 with a day of live performances on porches and outdoor stages. The festival’s footprint moves each year between four sections of the city’s Highland Square neighborhood. This year, PorchROKR performances and vendors will be set up throughout the neighborhood’s southeast section, bordered by West Market Street, South Portage Path and Crosby and Rhodes Avenues." https://www.ideastream.org/arts-culture/2023-08-16/plan-your-porchrokr-2023-with-shuffles-artist-picks

Where does revenue from garages and marking meters go? At the end of the article it says some of the revenue from the Westside Market lot will go towards capital improvements of the Market. I think it would make the most sense to go towards improving services and infrastructure so people have legitimate alternatives to drive, like RTA or actual protected bike lanes... Cleveland City Council to discuss possible increases in parking rates Kim Palmer | August 16th 2023 5:50 AM "Clevelanders soon could use an app rather than dig for quarters to pay for all on-street parking, if City Council passes a parking-fee ordinance that would also give flexibility to increase rates at city owned lots, garages and meters. The legislation will be considered at council’s meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 16. It would set in motion the rollout of an app that would allow online payments for on-street parking even before the old-school, coin-based meters are replaced, said Bonnie Teeuwen, the city’s chief operating officer. “If the legislation passes, it will advance the agreement with the vendor (ParkMobile) and we could see a parking app in place within about 30 to 45 days,” Teeuwen said." https://www.crainscleveland.com/politics-policy/cleveland-city-council-considers-increases-parking-rates

Start-up Breeze Airways, now a major player in Northeast Ohio market, will become Akron-Canton’s largest carrier this year Published: Aug. 14, 2023 By Susan Glaser, cleveland.com https://www.cleveland.com/travel/2023/08/start-up-breeze-airways-now-a-major-player-in-northeast-ohio-market-will-become-akron-cantons-largest-carrier-this-year.html

3) - The messaging for the August election was not about Issue 1 specifically, but cultural issues like abortion. The surprisingly high turnout for that election shows that these issues are incredibly motivating for people. I'm not sure we should be expecting normal off-year election turnout. 4) I'm honestly not even sure what you are talking about. This poll is only about support for the abortion amendment. I'm not sure if you're intentionally muddying the waters by brining issue 1 into the mix. I understand your point that of the 57% of August voters its likely not all will support the abortion amendment, but we shouldn't pretend we don't have any data points for support in Ohio for the amendment. And from what I've seen, the polling on this issue has been pretty stable.

Well, we do have polling we could look to instead of making numbers up... https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4115739-almost-60-percent-of-ohio-voters-back-abortion-rights-amendment-poll/

This isn't true. The bias for voters is towards the status quo, not voting an amendment up or down. So the question would then be is this amendment closer to the status quo than the heartbeat bill? I think voters will think it is.

Republic Steel's indefinite closure in Canton leaves hundreds jobless Ideastream Public Media | By Abigail Bottar Published August 11, 2023 "Republic Steel will idle steelmaking in Canton, leaving hundreds without work. Workers received no notice of the company’s intention to indefinitely shutter operations in Canton and Lackawanna, New York, and learned of the news through the media. These indefinite closures will end leaded steel production in the United States. Republic Steel is the only company in the country to produce and distribute leaded steel, which comes with many environmental concerns. The company had been under a court order since July related to the amount of lead it releases into the air." https://www.ideastream.org/economy/2023-08-11/republic-steels-indefinite-closure-in-canton-leaves-hundreds-jobless

Former Canton water waste plant site proposed for a new Stark park Ideastream Public Media | By Kennedy Gotham Published August 10, 2023 https://www.ideastream.org/environment-energy/2023-08-10/former-canton-water-waste-plant-site-proposed-for-a-new-stark-park

Cleveland Cavaliers receive OK for $24 million in publicly funded work at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse by Nick Castele https://signalcleveland.org/cleveland-cavaliers-receive-ok-for-24-million-in-publicly-funded-work-at-rocket-mortgage-fieldhouse/

Cleveland drops to No. 13 in ranking of Midwest cities for startup, VC growth SCOTT SUTTELL August 09, 2023 https://www.crainscleveland.com/economic-outlook/cleveland-falls-no-13-city-ranking-midwest-startups

Husted, Akron leaders promote new polymer hub DAN SHINGLER August 09, 2023 https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/ohio-akron-leaders-promote-polymer-innovation-hub

Though a good candidate for residential conversion like its neighbor, the First Energy building, Akron Center Plaza has an 85% occupancy and from the article it sounds like the tenants are frequently in the office. Major office building in downtown Akron hits the market DAN SHINGLER August 09, 2023 https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/major-office-building-put-sale-akron