freethink

^ Yeah his name is Phil....Phil McCrackin :-D

Link to some nice photos of Pura Vida. http://www.bialosky.com/projects/pura_vida.php

If you haven't lately go to the innerbelt facebook page and check out the new ariels on the photo wall. Looking at them helps to understand the scope of the project. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clevelands-Innerbelt-Bridge/158130137575685

^ Almost an hour after my post, huh. I had you coming in at about 20 minutes or less. Verrrry disappointing.

Mrnyc-I really look forward to your updates on the Highline. As I have expressed before I think this project is brilliant. To me it is what "urban" is all about. I would love something like the Highline or The Dequindre Cut in Detroit to wind its way thru downtown Cleveland one day.

Agreed. But this isn't SimCity.

So I am going to look on the positive side of this and stay away from the emotional doom and gloom that some of you are projecting. As I see the area right now it is mostly devoid of any pedestrian traffic and a place most people avoid at night. In about a year and a half people will be walking in, out and around the perimeter of that block. Also three surface parking lots will have been replaced, a century old building will be brought back from the dead and it will be lit up like a christmas tree at night. I fail to see the downside. Maybe it's just me.

I vote we delete this thread and the American Greetings thread. I mean do we really need to watch the progress of these. Sorry but it just pisses me off to no end. I wish I could just block them from the forum. And I hope PNC runs into the same roadblocks when seeking financing for there own project as other developers face when they come to PNC for money.

You may be, but I'm not. Besides the first properties for E4th were being acquired about 12 years ago, FEB was announced in 2002. Things take forever to become reality. But despite the economy Cleveland has somewhat of a roll going on. And soon we will be welcoming a lot of new visitors, we cant let things sit in disrepair as we have done in the past. The developer said all things being considered they have explored all options, I think we have to believe them at this point. They have alot at stake. As investors they are taking a big chance. And oh yeah they are saving the Stanley! So at the risk of turning this into another locked casino thread, that is my view.

^What I am thinking is nothing will change. I can only go by past history and the lack of interest in those properties. IMO any investment in these structures will be like pulling teeth because no one is lending money, no one. I bet we are talking 5 years before anything happens again.

Sorry but I feel those who all of a sudden have taken an interest in the Columbia are being somewhat disingenuous. I usually try to stay optimistic about these type of dealings but I fear these delays jeopardise this project. And I fear that in 5 years I will be heading down Ontario and I will see the same horrid landscape that exists today. The Stanley will still be vacant and in worse shape, the Columbia will have ForLease signs all over it, nothing will have been built on the riverfront, the hole at the corner of Huron and Ontario will still be there and the Higbee building will be struggling. I hope those involved can find a common ground very soon.

I believe in a few years that area will be the place to go during the summer, it will be a huge draw much like the Flats of old. And just imagine a boardwalk and bulkhead like the one in the rendering from the old coast guard station to up and around the Scranton peninsula. It would change this city. I have been one to slam Wolstein in the past but I appreciate the vision they are putting forward with this.

It might be forming the walls for an escalator area as you would go down from Lakeside to the convention floor. Just a guess.

Since we are all guessing I will say Dick's.....or a really big dollar store ;)

Great Post! lol on the UO banner being towed. Also does anyone know at what point in time was the side of the old NCB building painted white, or is that paint? I've always hated that.

^I will miss nothing about this building. The only reason it has lasted this long is because it served as an ugly ass dilapidated canvas for advertising. So some rich dude can collect a nice check every month while we got to enjoy the view. Why are they deconstructing. Why no implode.

I believe the last person we should blame for this is Dan Gilbert. Yes a developer has some responsibility to the community in regards to a proposed development but it is not Dan Gilbert's responsibility to right the wrongs that we have commited as a community. We are the ones to blame for the state of the Stanley and we should not look to someone to come in and repair what we have negleted. Gilbert just wants to build a garage for his customer, he should not be burdened with the added responsibility and cost of the Stanley and the Columbia. The Stanley has been an eyesore for about 30 years and very few up till now have given it any thought. Besides this deal with the city is about the sale of GatewayNorth and the chance to get out of a very large debt associated with it. I love the Columbia, but the chances of anyone investing in them at this point are not good. They would likely remain vacant for another 10 years. And with the anticipation of added visitors coming to town we cannot let them sit in the condition that they are in any longer. I am not saying we should give Gilbert a free pass but like others in this town he chose Cleveland and not Westlake or the Chagrin Highlands to invest in.

American Greetings' new headquarters to cost tens of millions of dollars Published: Monday, May 16, 2011, 7:12 PM Janet Cho, The Plain Dealer The nation's second-largest greeting card maker still hasn't decided where to build its new world headquarters, but said it expects to spend tens of millions on the project. I wish I could believe that secretly behind the scenes Frank Jackson and the city of Cleveland are quietly working behind the scenes to make AG an offer that they can't refuse. But I thînk we all know that probably is not the case. This Mayor just does not have that type of personality. I know AG has stated they have ruled out Cleveland but that should not reduce us to a sideline observer. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/05/american_greetings_new_headquarters_to_cost_tens_of_millions_of_dollars.html

Here is a blurb from google dated 6/26/10 announcing Liberty receiving tax credits for the Union Building. The Union Building The state awarded nearly $3.3 million in credits to Liberty Development Co. of Westlake, which has a contract to buy the largely vacant property at 1836 Euclid Ave. from developer Gordon Priemer. Liberty envisions an $18 million project, with 71,000 square feet of updated offices, 6,000 square feet of retail and indoor parking in the two connected buildings. Construction could start in the fall, and renovations would take a year. "We think that there are a few areas in Cleveland that are very dynamic. This is one of them," Liberty President Tom Kuluris said, pointing out the building's proximity to Cleveland State University. Kuluris would not identify his potential tenants.

^And welcome. Idealists and freethinkers :-) are always encouraged. I like the positive vibe from a new citizen.

So we had an official groundbreaking on Thurs., break out dem golden shovels. http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-innerbelt-bridge-construction-groundbreaking-kf-2-txt,0,1539912.story

You don't have a Droid you have an LG Optimus running the Android OS. The LG Optimus is free with Sprint for a reason. Its running at 600 MHZ tops. Which is not enough to run the most recent upgrade of froyo 2.2. So it runs a shitty version of it. Lay out some $ for the EVO or the Shift and your problems will go away.

If you haven't been check out the community page on the MM website. There is a series of short videos about the people and companies behind the scenes. It is mostly PR stuff but you can get a good sense of the effort being put forward. http://www.clevelandmedicalmart.com/community/endorsements/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CLE-0163_sales_CL-5805-10-73%20(1)&utm_content=

Thanks for that. It would seem that they might try to pitch it as a TOD project. I know that hasn't worked for them in the past. You would think one of the parking lot companies would be interested in a combined facility. Should be interesting.

Any feedback from this? Did anyone go? Public Meeting Notice - West Side Transit Center Development Plan We need your input, ideas, and thoughts! Come join the Historic Warehouse District, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, and GCRTA to discuss a plan for a mixed-use development with integrated transit center within the Warehouse District: Wednesday, April 20, 2011