zaceman

soo... a little bird told me that MVRDV will be coming to Cleveland to design some kinda CIA building... Steve Litt will tell us all about it this weekend...

just thought id share a shot i took over the w11th street pedestrian bridge right after the storm in the morning.

hahaha yep, im the guy in the blue suit!! this whole thing is definately starting to get popular here and other places. all of our shows bring in at least 50-100 people really curious about the whole idea. http://www.myspace.com/ddwilltakeyouhiger we have a ton of our performances on myspace

Next big thing? Key Tower. 200 Public Square. Could the oversized needs of Eaton Corp. and law firm Baker Hostetler spawn another downtown Cleveland skyscraper? By STAN BULLARD 6:00 am, February 12, 2007 Chances just got better for a new office building to climb skyward in downtown Cleveland, although it’s way too soon to count on seeing the city’s skyline change. Another huge, marquee tenant unlikely to find many alternatives besides staying put or going into a new skyscraper has entered the fray. Eaton Corp., the big diversified manufacturer based at the namesake Eaton Center office building, 1111 Superior Ave., needs about 300,000 square feet of office space and is circulating a request for proposals among developers that are pondering downtown projects. A tenant Eaton’s size is large enough to justify construction of a new tower, particularly if the same developer also bags the Baker Hostetler law firm as a 200,000-square-foot tenant. Insiders in realty circles say Baker was ready to sign a lease to take empty space at the 200 Public Square office building, but it recently has extended its search. Eaton spokeswoman Kelly Jasko said the company doesn’t comment on rumors. Baker also will not comment on the status of its talks. However, Pat Lott, senior vice president of office leasing at Forest City Enterprises Inc., said he has discussed Eaton’s space requirements with Robert Roe, president of Staubach Co.’s Cleveland office, who is handling the Eaton listing. Mr. Lott said he does not believe companies in Cleveland will pay rents high enough to justify construction of a new office building. However, he refused to say if Forest City would respond to the request for proposals from Eaton. The normally talkative Mr. Roe wouldn’t discuss the Eaton matter. George Elliott, a principal at Staubach’s Cleveland office who has fielded Eaton engagements for years, also declined comment. Jeff Cristal, a senior vice president and director of Grubb & Ellis Co.’s Cleveland office unit, recently has been predicting a developer by late 2008 would break ground on an office building in downtown Cleveland. “For any tenant over 100,000 square feet, a new building has to be considered, whether it’s Eaton Corp. or ABC Company,” Mr. Cristal said. That’s because such large volumes of empty floors in the same area can be found in only one building, 200 Public Square, the former BP Tower. Moreover, if Baker does commit to 200 Public Square, it means there is no other newer building to house Eaton. Eaton’s only shot would be to consider new construction or a massive upgrade at a Class B building — generally defined as a structure over 50 years of age. However, the latter scenario is unlikely, because it would be a step back from the 1980s-vintage tower Eaton currently enjoys. Just when Eaton’s lease expires at Eaton Center is unknown. Ms. Jasko said the company does not disclose such terms. However, the lead time for a typical downtown office building is a year to design it and two years to build it. It’s also possible that Eaton’s request for proposals from developers is a way for a tenant representative broker such as Staubach to create a stalking horse to drive a sharper deal at Eaton Center. Securing a tenant such as Eaton would help a developer obtain construction loans from lenders, which typically require a tenant for 50% of a building’s available space, although terms vary depending on the market and the financial strength of the developer . Developers with plans for downtown office towers in Cleveland include Richard E. Jacobs Group, which has a plan for a tower on Public Square; Robert L. Stark Enterprises Inc. of Woodmere Village, which has discussed a mixed-use project between Public Square and the Warehouse District; and Wolstein Group, which plans a $250 million, mixed-use project in the Flats. Retail and housing plans Wolstein Group and Stark Enterprises have laid out would get a big boost from the 500-plus people Eaton would bring to an office tower at their locations. Stark Enterprises and a spokeswoman for Wolstein Group declined comment. Richard E. Jacobs Group did not return two calls. Even with a modestly improving downtown office market, only the bold would undertake such a project. Grubb & Ellis reports Class A vacancy at year-end 2006 was 11% downtown, although total downtown office vacancy is still high, exceeding 20%. To construct a new downtown building likely would require a rent in excess of $25 a square foot; the average rent downtown is just below $21 a square foot.

wow that would be really great to hook up the city-prowl thing to all those big forum meets people tend to have in the summer time. like to somehow have a company linked to what i would consider grass-roots sort of city fans. if that hasnt already happened hah.

Lake Erie wind turbines proposed County task force suggests up to 10 turbines on water, research center on land Friday, February 09, 2007 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter .......

is this within the Stark-zone??? or is this another area downtown?? when are we gonna hear more info on this??

Wind turbine study recommended Cuyahoga County and northern Ohio could be a world leader in wind energy by erecting wind turbines on Lake Erie and establishing a research center for off-shore wind technology, a task force says. The Cuyahoga County Regional Energy Task Force is recommending that Cuyahoga County commissioners, businesses and non-profits pay for a feasibility study of erecting 10 wind turbines, at least three miles out on Lake Erie. The project could power up to 6,000 homes, the report said. The effort could spur a cluster of wind-related businesses and research, generating lots of jobs, the task force says. Led by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason, the task force was to release a six-month study of the wind proposal at noon today, at the Great Lakes Science Center. A wind turbine there generates a small portion of the center’s electricity. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson was expected to talk about city efforts to build wind turbines. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher was expected to address state support for alternative energy, including grants for on-shore wind turbines.

i could have swore i posted this already, but maybe i didnt

seems like it needs a thread of its own, if it doesnt have one already heh

^country or county?? because thats pretty amazing

Outward bound Clinic teams with Fairfax group to rejuvenate surrounding area By SHANNON MORTLAND 6:00 am, January 29, 2007 Much of the neighborhood surrounding the Cleveland Clinic is badly in need of surgery to repair its boarded-up buildings and crumbling housing — and the hospital system is ready to take an active hand in mending it. The Clinic is pairing up with the nonprofit Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp. and government entities in an effort to restore the old Fairfax neighborhood in order to make it more attractive to businesses, potential residents and visitors. The outreach initiative is being undertaken by the Clinic’s government and community relations office, which now is headed by noted attorney Oliver “Pudge” Henkel Jr. “We wanted to bring heightened attention to the community in which we live and work,” said Mr. Henkel, who was a partner at Cleveland law firm Thompson Hine LLP before joining the Clinic last August. “We want to change the complexion from being seen as an institution that looks inward to one that instinctively looks outward.” To accomplish that goal, Clinic CEO Dr. Delos “Toby” Cosgrove has identified three main functions for the government and community relations office — to work with local and state politicians to create health care policy, to raise money for outreach initiatives and the Clinic’s own projects in areas such as research, and to be more involved in the nearby community. In its efforts to fulfill that latter role, the Clinic is taking tips from the playbook of Johns Hopkins Medical Center, which has put in place a $1 billion plan to rebuild its campus and to revitalize the dilapidated East Baltimore neighborhood surrounding it. Mr. Henkel said the Clinic is working on plans with Fairfax Renaissance to improve the Fairfax neighborhood by refurbishing existing housing, building new residential units and recreating a once-vibrant retail strip along Cedar Avenue from East 79th Street to East 105th Street. The redevelopment initiative will be launched by the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, a planned, 60,000-square-foot research building that will be used to develop ways to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease. The Clinic recently received a $60 million state Third Frontier grant to build the center, which will be the state’s first Wright Mega-Center of Innovation. The Fairfax development group will develop, own and manage the building. The center will be the cornerstone of the Fairfax revitalization, much like Johns Hopkins is building a science and technology park to kick off its own efforts, Mr. Henkel said. Block by block Vickie Johnson, executive director of the Fairfax Renaissance group, said the cardiovascular center will be located on Cedar Avenue between East 100th and East 101st streets. Ms. Johnson said her group and the Clinic have identified those two streets as “model blocks,” where home improvement projects, landscaping, safety and security initiatives, wellness and construction will be a priority. The idea is to rebuild the community slowly. “At the end of the day, you can transform blocks and eventually a community,” Ms. Johnson said. Dr. Cosgrove said he hopes the neighborhood revitalization will entice new businesses to the area. “Look at Harvard. People would put their businesses right up next to it if they could. Nobody has done that here,” he said. “We think (the transformation) will enhance our appeal and enhance the community.” Dr. Cosgrove said the Clinic is dedicated to the project but would not disclose how much money the hospital system would contribute. Ms. Johnson said the Clinic’s contribution likely will depend on how much money comes from public and private entities, such as the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, a representative from which will visit Cleveland in mid-February to discuss the projects. The Clinic and Fairfax Renaissance are in talks with city officials and the Cleveland Foundation regarding their possible participation in the overall revitalization effort, Ms. Johnson said. Mayor Frank Jackson recently announced that one of his goals is to rebuild Cleveland’s neighborhoods. Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle Inc., said he’s glad to see what seems like a second attempt at public and private partnerships to rebuild Cleveland. The first such wave came in the 1980s, when various entities collaborated to revitalize parts of downtown. “It’s very important that this next wave is kind of neighborhood-based,” said Mr. Ronayne, whose nonprofit group promotes University Circle, the arts, education and health care district east of downtown Cleveland. Over the years, the neighborhoods surrounding University Circle declined, but the hospitals, cultural institutions and colleges couldn’t just pick up and leave, Mr. Ronayne said. Such situations occurred across the country, but there now are nationwide efforts to restore inner-city areas, he said. Going in circles The level of construction envisioned by the Clinic is likely to lead to more traffic, which is why the Clinic already is trying to address that concern by working with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority to create traffic circles at the Euclid Avenue intersections of East 89th and East 100th streets. The traffic circles will eliminate the need for left-hand turns in front of the Clinic and will slow down traffic, which is what the Clinic wanted, said Mike Schipper, deputy general manager for engineering and projects at RTA. The plans are being incorporated into the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project, a $200 million attempt to improve Euclid Avenue between Public Square and University Circle by constructing a rapid transit line. The traffic circles will have one lane of car traffic and bicycle lanes going each way on Euclid Avenue, with a bus lane traveling through the middle, Mr. Schipper said. “We’re in agreement on the concept,” Mr. Schipper said. “We’ve come up with a concept that meets RTA’s needs and fulfills requirements with federal transit.” The hospital system last year proposed detouring all car traffic off Euclid Avenue in front of the Clinic, but RTA shot down that idea, as well as an idea to put a traffic circle on Euclid Avenue at East 105th Street, Mr. Schipper said. The Clinic also at one time wanted left-turn lanes at all intersections along Euclid Avenue in front of the hospital campus, but new construction changed those plans, he said. “They came to the conclusion that they needed the campus to be more pedestrian-friendly and more campus-like,” Mr. Schipper said. The Clinic is footing the bill for the redesign of that portion of the Euclid Corridor project, but Mr. Schipper said he is unsure how much the change will cost because plans are still on the drawing board. If the design inflates the cost of the project, the Clinic will pay for that, too, he said. Policy matters matter Though cooperation seems ready to bloom in Cleveland, don’t expect it to happen within the federal government anytime soon, Mr. Henkel said. Last November’s election, which gave Democrats control of Congress, has caused the Clinic to shift most of its government relations resources to local and state health care policies because the Clinic believes issues such as covering the uninsured will be solved faster at the state level. “Health care reform at the federal level, as we saw in the Clinton administration, is very difficult because you’re dealing with difficult issues and it will take a long time for the government to do,” Mr. Henkel said. “We could probably make more headway with policy initiatives with the state of Ohio because the Legislature, although Republican, is going to want to work in a bipartisan way with the new governor,” Mr. Henkel added. Mr. Henkel said Gov. Ted Strickland will be turning to places such as the Clinic — which he described as “the 800-pound gorilla” — for help with issues such as covering the uninsured, health care disparity among ethnic groups and the bulging Medicaid budget. Though the Clinic always has been involved in policy making, Dr. Cosgrove said it’s time to do more, especially because nearly half the revenues related to the delivery of health care come from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. “We should have a seat at the table and can contribute” on policy issues, Dr. Cosgrove said. “We need to make (legislators) understand the issues from a physician, clinical and research standpoint.”

hah awesome

also to note that area of washington is a strange incline and w24th is a really steep bumpy side street

ooo the lobster bisque is my favorite, i love the Souper Market

oh jeez, that should be fun...

oh the first one is CIA, probably a view from the courtyard of Reinbreger Gallery's back exit and curator's office

thats a hilarious quote!

wow that looks so nice, even has a look similar to the pinnacle

are there any photos of these renderings available?

I thought stonebridge;s next phase was those townhouses on the cuyahoga.

oh yea, thats whats different, the bird chirping is gone. when i was kid going there during the holidays i always regarded it as a semi-outdoor place since it was cold in there and therefore once you got into one of the stores you were actually inside.

New tenant for Randall Park Mall: Mechanics training program 2:12 p.m. Ohio Technical College is putting the brakes on its massive campus expansion in Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. Owner and President Marc Brenner said the school, which offers automotive training and other modern mechanics programs, plans to move its large and fast-growing Power Sports Institute to Randall Park Mall in suburban North Randall by mid-Februrary... www.cleveland.com

id say start the trend now, yep

hah wow thats really interesting, and it took Columbus to point that one out heh