BuckeyeNative

It’d be nice if Bedrock laid out a more specific vision for Tower City itself, not just in relation to the riverfront development. Do we know what type of retailers, restaurants, etc. they’re looking for? In my opinion, the best use for Tower City would be a blend of services tailoring to downtown residents and tourist attractions that make Tower City itself a destination, not just a waypoint station for people passing through/coming to work downtown. We live in Kansas City now, and the Union Station here has a variety of exhibits that are always open to the public. They include a science center + planetarium, multiple theaters, and rotating exhibits (Disney is here currently). Why can’t Tower City do that and more?

This is a very good point. I think back to what the mall inside DC’s Union Station is (or at least used to be). Good combination of shops, restaurants, and services that tailored to people passing through. That’s why I believe it’s so important for Tower City to get Amtrak back there as well as the CVSR (wishful thinking at this point?.) That, combined with an increased population downtown near Tower City, will go a long way towards bringing it back to life. What can I say, I’m an eternal optimist. 🙂

We stayed in downtown Indianapolis this weekend and, like Tower City, they have a mall (Circle Centre) which has seen much better days. However, they replaced vacancies from Nordstrom and Bon Ton with TJ Maxx and Burlington, both appealing to downtown residents. As Tower City begins its revitalization, I once again believe they should look to attract retailers such as those, along with Target, etc. Heck, Indy has a Whole Foods and a Kroger downtown… maybe they can bring a second grocer downtown? I’d love for the mall to return to its heyday, but that could be the best way to go as the city makes efforts to increase downtown’s population.

Interesting. It sounds like it’d closely resemble the placeholder that was used for the stadium renovation in the final lakefront development plans. I’m guessing the Browns shared those plans with the North Coast team:

I read that as "it wouldn't be feasible to build a domed stadium and entertainment district at Burke," not that closing Burke isn't an option altogether. I think the former makes sense given what we've heard in the past about the inability to build on what's essentially a landfill. Edit: Also, since there have been talks with Mayor Bibb and the FAA about closing Burke, I'm assuming the Browns aren't willing to wait-and-see if Burke closes and, with it, the removal of the FAA restrictions to build a domed stadium on the current stadium site.

Funding aside, I really like the renderings released just now. How many stadiums can say they're directly accessible by plane, light rail, and Amtrak? If you're going to place a stadium in the suburbs, this is likely the best way to do it. I also like the stadium design itself. It looks different than the modern "cookie-cutter" designs (Raiders, Bears, Titans, potentially Chiefs), and the stands appear to be designed to accommodate numerous types of events. The continuous fan section in one of the end-zones that is uninterrupted by suites (akin to a European stadium) is a really nice touch... I'm guessing that'll be the new Dawg Pound? As for the rest of the site's development? We'll see. 🙂

That's what I was envisioning when I mentioned that "green space" in my original post. When I concocted this aquarium idea, I kept thinking of the setup that Atlanta has in their downtown. They have the massive Georgia Aquarium located next to their Centennial Olympic Park, which they use for concerts, events, etc. frequently. Additionally, what I like about this final lakefront plan are all of the intentionally "active" spaces around the stadium; having an open green space where the stadiums sits today, which would have flexible usage and drive organic interactions, would be a great complement to those plans.

Here's a crazy idea: assuming they'd like to move forward with this lakefront master plan without the Browns being involved, what if you replaced the Browns stadium with a massive new aquarium, similar to the one that was supposed to be on the lake at one point. It could be on the far east end of the plot (near the GLSC) so that it's connected to the land bridge, and it'd still provide the lakefront with an "anchor tenant"/attraction. Maybe the rest of the remaining space could be used as more greenspace given the development already planned for the lakefront?

Good idea!

I’d love that. Long-term, it could even be a connecting station to the impending W 25th BRT line. If that ever happened, I’m assuming they’d just re-dig the submerged passageway that they previously filled in?

That’s a good idea. I know they mentioned in the approval implementing “events and recreation” into the project, but I wonder if there’d be room small businesses like that?

I would’ve posted my question if I knew that thread existed… my apologies!

As much as I can’t wait for this project to kick off, I do hope they consider safety when undertaking the study. There are a load of benefits with creating a separate throughway that’s removed from vehicles, but will people (females in particular) feel safe with walking or cycling on the ‘Low Line’ at night with little outside visibility? Did they look at this issue in previous studies? Perhaps they can look at what NYC and even Philadelphia did with their High Line/Rail Line projects to address this. Maybe I’m overthinking it and a simple Cleveland Police/RTA Police presence would alleviate any concerns.

I think the fact that she was a finalist for a major AAU institution such Minnesota should be a good sign for Cleveland State I didn’t mean to drag us off-topic, but I was curious because what’s happening there is one of the most important developments happening in Cleveland over the next 10-20 years. A major public university to go along with Case Western could not only reverse the brain drain, but bring even more talent to Cleveland from other parts of the country (and world!).

I know this thread is about development-specific news surrounding Cleveland State, but does anyone know if they’re planning on expanding research or making more investments in the academic programs to complement the campus master plan? I’ve had trouble finding any releases on that subject since they released their plan two years ago.

My pie-in-the-sky idea would be to connect the CSU BRT and the Health Line (Lakewood to Public Square to University Circle) via streetcar and open up the low line for its initial purpose…. One can dream, right?

Couldn’t find any specific threads on this, but perhaps we might need one soon with this development… looks like the ‘Low Line Park’ dubbed by Chris Ronayne is close to becoming a reality:

Although I like the other ideas floated, I agree that working with Cleveland State on this is a good solution. Ideally, you’d have multiple parties (NWSL, MLS Next, CSU) involved and then the additional event hosting opportunities would create for a strong return on investment. In fact, a stadium of this size/caliber could allow Cleveland State to host a multitude of NCAA postseason events in addition to concerts, etc.

I think the current trend is approaching 10,000. Here in Kansas City, the Current are building the first ever women’s soccer-specific stadium that’ll seat about that much. I drive by it every day for work and it reminds me of the proposed USL stadium site. You could build a venue that size with all the bells and whistles (e.g., suites, club area, overhang) and be able to host events that might be too small for the Browns’ stadium but still want to be outdoors.

I apologize for this being off-topic, but do you (or anyone else) know where I can view the Riverview Tower remodel/renovation that was referenced in the slide deck? I’d be interested in seeing those.

Something else that I was thinking about: both Irishtown Bend and Bedrock's riverfront development are planning to build amphitheaters. These are in addition to the nearby Jacobs Pavilion, although it hosts a wide variety of events. It begs the question: Is it viable to have that many outdoor venues within that close of a vicinity? Perhaps one (likely Bedrock) can host larger attractions while the other can serve more as a community gathering area? Just some food for thought.

Wow, those look really nice. Here's to hoping the finished product looks like the designs. On a side note, this also gets me really excited for the proposed pedestrian/bikeway path on the subway platform of the High Level Bridge that Ronayne is pushing for. I believe that would make this park much more accessible for people who work/live downtown, and vice versa.

I agree with this due to the lakefront's most recent (and scaled-down) development plan. As some have alluded to in this thread, it seems like they're putting all of their "residential/retail" eggs into the Bedrock basket while tapping into the lakefront's nature assets, which I think is smart given the progression that the riverfront plan is already making. It's also smart to focus the residential developments around Bedrock's plan if they want Tower City to unlock its full potential as being the central hub of downtown Cleveland. Just my opinion, though.

This is a great point. I think that the entire portion of Tower City along Huron could see an overhaul when the development finally begins. For example, isn't the food court supposed to be ripped out and opened up as part of Bedrock's plan to create "the porch" as they describe it for their 'Huron Plaza?' If they're doing work there, I'd hope they refresh the passageway as well. Heck, I hope they give the theater entrance an enhancement if/when it opens up again.

The one thing that popped into my head because of its prominence in these pictures (which are great, by the way!) is the walkway... has there been any word about whether that'll be impacted by potential development along the riverfront? Where it juts out is right where a mixed use building is supposed to sit, which some have speculated in this thread to be a casino/hotel. Not sure how they'd be able to build around that.