Luke_S

Brook Park hires Bricker Graydon to assist with the Browns Brook Park development plans and the selection process seems to be a bit odd. From the reporting Mayor Orcutt selected Bricker Graydon "after careful consideration" with his law director. There was no other mention of what other firms or how many other forms were reviewed before the selection. What's special about Bricker Graydon? They assisted Columbus with the Crew stadium development. It would have been nice if Cleveland.com had dug a little further to find out if the Haslam's were at all involved with the selection of Baker Grayson... It was also odd that the Brook Park City Council suspended their normal process the vote on hiring Bricker Graydon after one reading of the contract. I don't understand what the urgency is here, Haslam's plans don't seem to be far enough along that Brook Park would be in a position to need to play catch up. Maybe I need to take my conspiracy cap off, but taken together seems like there may have been some outside pressure to expedite the process and select this firm specifically. Brook Park hires law firm to assist with Browns relocation and domed stadium project Published: Dec. 27, 2024 By Maura Zurick, cleveland.com BROOK PARK, Ohio – Brook Park City Council approved hiring a law firm to represent the city in negotiations and planning for the Cleveland Browns’ potential relocation and the development of a new domed stadium. ... Ward 1 Councilman Tom Troyer, who abstained, also opposed suspending the rules to adopt the measure after just one reading. He explained during the meeting that he received the information packet shortly before the session and did not have enough time to review it thoroughly. ... Orcutt praised the firm’s track record, highlighting its work on successful public-private partnership projects, including the development of the Columbus Crew’s new stadium. He said Bricker Graydon will play a critical role in representing Brook Park’s interests as the city navigates the complex process of negotiating the Browns’ move, securing financing, planning the domed stadium and developing surrounding areas. https://www.cleveland.com/newssun/2024/12/brook-park-hires-law-firm-to-assist-with-browns-relocation-and-domed-stadium-project.html

First challenger to Bibb has announced her candidacy for the Cleveland 2025 mayoral race. LaVerne Gore announces run for Cleveland mayor in 2025 by Najee Hall December 26, 2024 Gore is a Cleveland native, born and raised in the Hough neighborhood. She operates her own consulting firm, LA Gore and Principles. She has also served as a recruiter for the United States Military Academy. She is no stranger to the political scene, having run her first campaign in 1993 for a seat on Cleveland City Council. Since then, she has run for multiple other offices. Most recently, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021 to represent Ohio’s 11th congressional district. She also ran for: Cuyahoga County Council in 2010; Cleveland mayor in 2009; and to be a Cuyahoga County Council Commissioner in 2000 and 2002. While she has managed to win two primaries, she has yet to hold political office. https://signalcleveland.org/laverne-gore-announces-run-for-2025-cleveland-mayoral-race/

Terry Coyne sounds cautiously optimistic about a continued trend in commercial real estate development through 2025, tho he sites the permitting process as a pain point. Commercial real estate construction doubled in Cleveland in 2024 Published: Dec. 27, 2024 By Megan Sims, cleveland.com Through mid-November, Cleveland’s permit-processing department recorded $2.3 billion worth of new construction in 2024 on commercial projects across the city, according to data from City Hall. That’s more than double what Cleveland saw in 2023, when the city logged a little more than $1 billion worth of construction on commercial projects, according to the city’s figures. ... headquarters building, MetroHealth’s Apex building, and various Cleveland Clinic projects -- contributed to the higher total but weren’t solely responsible for it, city officials said. Many of the gains are the result of smaller construction projects happening across every neighborhood in Cleveland, they said. https://www.cleveland.com/realestate-news/2024/12/commercial-real-estate-construction-doubled-in-cleveland-in-2024.html

Not much new information, but a decent synopsis of where the current projects stand. CVNP considering path improvement, rail service expansion December 23, 2024 by Dan Holland As Cuyahoga Valley National Park celebrates the 50th anniversary of becoming a unit of the National Park Service in December, officials are looking toward future improvements in the park, which stretches through the Cuyahoga River Valley for 25 miles between Cleveland and Akron. ... The conservancy recently received a $3.8 million gift from the estate of James Hower, who was an assistant fire chief for Bath Township. The gift was designated for improvements and maintenance of the 21-mile-long Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail that runs the length of the park. Park officials are currently discussing which methods to employ to preserve the historic trail, which consists mainly of a compacted limestone surface. ... The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency awarded a $450,000 contract in January 2024 to the engineering firm AECOM to study the feasibility of extending CVSR’s route 10 miles north from Rockside Road into downtown Cleveland using existing railroad tracks owned by CSX Transportation Inc. The Towpath Trail was extended north into downtown Cleveland in 2020. https://www.scriptype.com/2024/12/23/cvnp-considering-path-improvement-rail-service-expansion/

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad derailment under investigation Ideastream Public Media | By Zaria Johnson Published December 23, 2024 The train was operating on a siding track that runs parallel to the main track at the time of the derailment. The train had been operating on the siding in Peninsula during the ongoing riverbank stabilization project, according to the statement, and the track was cleared for use following an inspection last week. The railroad is now on winter break through January, said Jennie Vasarhelyi, a Cuyahoga Valley National Park spokesperson. But the need for long-term closures remains to be seen. ... The investigation, overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration, will determine the cause of the derailment, Vasarhelyi said. https://www.ideastream.org/community/2024-12-23/cuyahoga-valley-scenic-railroad-derailment-under-investigation

I was down in Peninsula yesterday,I should have stopped to chat with one of the workers but it was chilly and my fiance was with me so I doubt she would have entertained that for very long. Anyway, the train had the Lock 29 parking lot blocked and Mill St closed just past that. From what I could tell there was only one locomotive and 3 or 4 cars at the Peninsula Depot for ~2 hours, so they were clearly trying to work something out.

Thankfully no one was hurt! Hopefully they're able to quickly fix the issue. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train derails during North Pole Adventure Jordan Unger and Emily Smith PENINSULA, Ohio (WJW) – Crews are investigating after a Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train derailed while passengers were on-board Saturday night. According to a Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad spokesperson, the derailment occurred at 8:53 p.m. near Peninsula in Summit County. Three cars came off the tracks but remained upright, a press release from Cuyahoga Valley National Park said. https://fox8.com/news/cuyahoga-valley-scenic-railroad-train-derails-with-passengers-on-board/

Just as an FYI; there's been some discussion about this over in the Cleveland-Akron: Bicycle Developments and News thread. Not sure where this discussion best fits, probably here. The discussion there focused more on the changes to the planned bike lanes.

An argument could be made that for the warmer summer months the relationship goes the other way; for every tree removed you're decreasing pedestrian traffic. Also, if we are going to be removing trees from one side of Superior shouldn't it be the south side? The south side will get less light over the course of the year meaning less need for shade trees (tho most needed in the summer when the difference is negligible...) and more light for the growth of the trees.

It sounds like the parade organizers have already degraded the Superior Midway plan... Parade organizers and city officials have been meeting for close to two years now, resulting in some compromises. Along the parade route, for example, the city has agreed to not plant trees or bushes on the north side of the bike lane — making room for spectators. At least from the article, it's never made clear why the parade couldn't operate down slightly narrower streets. I'm totally in favor of preserving the St Paddy's day parade, but this response from the parade organizers seems more than a bit dramatic. I'm also a bit confused why their issue isn't with the median? It would seem that would be more disruptive to the parade route. It's been a while since I've looked at the Midway plans, but I would think the better design would be to have the bike lanes on the curb, not running down the center of the street.

I just got back from getting dinner there. Food was good; I got a hot Italian sub and my partner got the black bean and beat burger--both very good! Vibes in the bar were good too, decent crowd for early on Friday.

For anyone who thinks Jimbo is going to move the team out of Cleveland/Ohio, how do you square that with the investments he is making to the training facility in Berea?

Do you approve or disapprove of the job that Chris Ronayne is doing as Cuyahoga County Executive? Strongly approve Somewhat approve Somewhat disapprove Strongly disapprove Unsure County Executive Chris Ronayne has said he will not support the Cleveland Browns building a domed stadium in Brook Park, and he will only support a renovation of the current stadium. Which comes closest to your opinion of what County Executive Chris Ronayne should do about the Cleveland Browns Stadium? I agree with County Executive Chris Ronayne that the Browns should be renovating the current stadium I think County Executive Chris Ronayne should be supportive of either option because he represents all of Cuyahoga County Chris Ronayne should find a way to support the Brook Park domed stadium project because of the economic benefits it will bring to our region Unsure

Odds that the results of this survey are made public? As many have already pointed out the questions are extremely leading. I know we have our own little echo chamber here, but when I've checked in on the comments on Instagram it seems most are against the move to Brook Park. I think (hope) they're not going to get the survey results they planned to. Not that I think it will change any decision making... They build it and fans will still come...

I'm not a fan of Blaine; I think Cleveland has a lot of anti-democratic tendencies that he is more than willing to preserve, hiding behind tradition, because it means he gets to retain his hold on power. Two prominent examples of this; his resistance to allowing public comment at council meetings and resistance to even a participatory budget trial. I think this is a failure of Ideastream/SOI, knowing that Representative Mauer's issues with the redistricting process would a topic of discussion, to not also invite Representative Mauer so both of their perspectives could be fully represented. I wonder if a condition of Blaine coming on SOI was that he was the only guest...

2025 is shaping up to be an eventful year for soccer in Cleveland between the Messi coming to play The Crew in CBS and now MLIS championships. Nice that at least some of these games will be held downtown at Wolstein. Still disappointed about the NESL bid but hopefully this is momentum we can build in. Cleveland to host Major League Indoor Soccer postseason, championship games Published: Dec. 20, 2024 By Marc Bona, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – The men’s semi-finals and finals and women’s finals of Major League Indoor Soccer will be held in Cleveland in 2025, the Cleveland Crunch announced. ... A site to be determined will host a wild-card match Thursday, April 10, with the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. The winner will face the No. 1 seed in a semi-final match at the Wolstein Center. The No. 2 and No. 3 seeds will meet in the other semi; both of those games will be Friday, April 11. The championship is Sunday, April 13. For the WMLIS, the top two teams will face each other in the championship Saturday, April 12. https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2024/12/cleveland-to-host-major-league-indoor-soccer-postseason-championship-games.html

If only there were space for free response...

Thanks @Henke For anyone interested: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JBXHTWC?tag=A132382

Before I fall for a potential fishing scam; anyone get a text from GM polling to get survey responses about the new stadium. Anyone else get this and/or know if it's legit?

It is a bit of an odd one... My default is to assume value in preserving green space, but this seems like it may have been a better fit for North Royalton Parks & Rec to take on. If the Bennett Rd multi-use trail wasn't already complete I'd see the value in this being the impetus to creating another greenway connection.

Cleveland Metroparks to create new park at Ohio 82 & Bennett Road in North Royalton Published: Dec. 17, 2024 NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- Cleveland Metroparks will move forward with a plan to develop about 18 acres of parkland off the south side of Ohio 82 just west of Bennett Road. ... City Council President Paul Marnecheck, in a recent email newsletter to residents, said the park development can proceed now that the city has finished building an all-purpose trail on Bennett. That trail connects the 18 acres to Valley Parkway in the Metroparks’ Brecksville Reservation to the south. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2024/12/cleveland-metroparks-to-create-new-park-at-ohio-82-bennett-road-in-north-royalton.html

Hopefully this, and if the stadium still gets built, puts us in a better position for the next round of expansion.

Hopefully Terrestrial sees similar benefits from Brew Kettle's ownership that Lock 15 has seen. I guess I'm just glad they aren't going out of business after entering bankruptcy last year. Terrestrial Brewing Co. joins the Brew Kettle portfolio Jeremy Nobile December 17, 2024 Add Cleveland’s Terrestrial Brewing Co., a seven-year-old business that filed for bankruptcy last year, to the growing list of craft breweries that have joined The Brew Kettle portfolio of companies. Brew Kettle president Bryan Weber told Crain’s that he has purchased not only Terrestrial, in fact, but the marquee Battery Park property at 7524 Father Frascati — where Terrestrial is a tenant — which overlooks Edgewater State Park. ... That auction resulted in an asset sale to TBK Operating Co. LLC — Brew Kettle’s parent company — on Dec. 10 for $287,431, according to court records. TBK submitted the only bid. https://www.crainscleveland.com/retail/brew-kettle-acquires-clevelands-terrestrial-brewing-co

In other Akron development news: Why Cascade Plaza’s redevelopment may lure more residents to downtown Akron: ‘That drives investment’ Plan to open up downtown Akron’s Polsky Building to Main Street moves forward

Akron City Council approves funding for new Downtown development corporation Ideastream Public Media By Abigail Bottar Published December 16, 2024 Akron City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve funding for the new Downtown Akron Development Corporation. Its goal is to attract businesses, jobs and development to Downtown. The funding will build on the promise to start a Downtown community development corporation made by Mayor Shammas Malik during his state of the city address in April. ... The ordinance authorizes $150,000 to the Downtown development corporation over three years. https://www.ideastream.org/government-politics/2024-12-16/akron-city-council-to-vote-on-funding-for-new-downtown-development-corporation