Htsguy

Thanks for the tour. Very interesting. It always amazes me how diverse Maryland is for such a small state. Compare these pics to the area around Baltimore, the DC suburbs, Annapolis and the Bay and shore.

^I cannot understand their thinking either unless they are getting a hell of a deal on the rent. Like CLEbertarian mentioned, the location in Golden Gate is just awful. And if they are worried about competition, they will be surrounded by many like styled restaurants in Mayfield Hts. I cannot imagine that the Cleveland Hts. space will be empty long. It has a great patio and was usually crowded during the summer even with CWRU being out.

^thanks

Seriously, Geis has hands down the worst renderings by a supposedly professional developer that I've ever seen. Those are unacceptable. W.28th...I am a bit confused? What is Geis' involvement with the restaurant?

^I was kinda thinking the same thing. That the PD rendering was just a generic Fairmount conceptual rendering for that site that has been around forever...probably well before Burell was ever signed up as a tenant.

^I was thinking the same thing.

I would consider th Heinz Field location right downtown and very urban....yes people cross the bridge on game day in droves.

Are you really kidding me. Progressive Field is two blocks from Public Square, a five minute walk from the rapid transit station with an indoor walk way to that station, a 2-5 minute walk from 5 hotels, surrounded by bars and restaurants and multiple housing units and right next door to a 20,000 seat arena. You can hit the new county office building with a baseball. What exactly is your definition of urban. Edit: Stupid me. I just re-read the original post and realized we are talking football stadiums and not baseball. First Energy Stadium does not have the amenities I described for Progressive Field but it is right downtown and soon will be surrounded by housing restaurants and offices. It is right next to a rapid station and 5-7 minutes from Public Square and 5 minute walk from the Flats east bank and numerous hotels (you could throw a football from the new Hilton going up). again urban

The decline of Randall Park Mall has taught me that all of us genius on this board should question whether we are able to predict the future no matter what "facts" are thrown in our faces currently. When I was in high school in the mid seventies I worked at Bonds Clothing Store at Southgate in Maple Hts., about 2 miles from Randall Park. At the time Southgate was one of the largest open air shopping centers in the country and it was thriving, serving a mostly middle class blue collar cliental (who at that time has a far amount of disposable income). It was huge but not in the least "upscale". It had three department stores (Sears, Pennys and The May Co.) and lots of national chains but also a fair amount of local stores (Richmond Brothers, Newman Sterns Sporting Goods (remember them...started by Paul Newman's family) and mom and pop type stores (I remember a really cool butcher shop). It was served by multiple bus lines that dropped you off right in front of the stores (almost like a downtown even though it was your classic shopping center of the time with huge parking lots). It was surrounded by lots of houses and apartments so many people walked to the center. When DeBartolo started developing Randall Park everybody said that was it for Southgate. It would be out of business in 2-3 years. Who would shop there now that there was a shiny new (huge) indoor mall two miles away that was also going to have a May Co and Sears and Pennys as well as Higbees, Hornes from Pittsburgh and Halles (although the Halles never did open)? Well it is now 40 years later. Southgate did take a hit and lost many of it's stores (all three department stores eventually), but it adapted, bringing in new stores and selectively demoing other sections of the center. It is definitely not what is was in the 70s and earlier. While copetition from other centers took its toll, a large part of its reduction in size and change in stores had more to do with shifting demographics, as the population of the inner suburbs that patronized it aged and move out farther, replaced by those with less disposable income. It is not a destination shopping center by any means but it still serving the area. Bottom line, Southgate, while not the greatest shopping center in the world, still survives despite the predictions back in the 70s and it is the shiny new mall that is now gone.

^I think you are being a bit optimistic. May Co. is still a big "if" according to the current developer so it definitely won't be done in the next couple of years (if at all). I don't think any firm plans have been announce regarding the Halle Building and still has many office tenants so again I doubt it can be completely converted in the next 2 years. In fact, I would guess only Schofield (since it is almost done), Cresswell and perhaps Garfield have any chance to be completed in the next two years.

^are you asking (I note no question mark) or telling us?

If I recall correctly cost factored into discontinuing the lighting of the federal courthouse (so everyone should be pleased that the government is saving us money :wink:)

KJP I would like to know where you got that number from? I did a quick google search and discovered that the population of the ENTIRE city of Toronto was 2,481,494 in 2001 and 2,615,060 in 2011, for an increase of 133,566. Impressive but nowhere like the 300,000 for just downtown alone you suggest.

The rendering shows the façade to be a lot lighter than the gray, but that huge featureless wall appears to be pretty much it. I have never like this building (I believe the consensus on the board) and the reality of it is making me even less of a fan. Hopefully it will look better finished.

^Had to laugh at that description of Phase 2...."Begin thinking about redevelopment of back quad".

I suppose thats what the old fuddy-duddies in New York were saying in the 1920's as the growth exploded. Oh the horror of the concrete canyons! I think I know what eastvillagedon is getting at. I am a big fan of Toronto but all the condos on the water front have seem to left a sterile street life. Has nothing to do with "concrete canyons"...just some bad development practices. Could have been done much better.

^I very much agree. With all that is going on with the lower levels I believe some sort of "statement" at the top might be too much. I would like to see some ideas, but I am liking the box.

^freethink...what is that from?

Interesting to compare KJP and Gotribe posts. One is overly optimistic and the other is overly pestimistic.

Women's General on Chester closed sometime in the early 80s

I am personally more interested in the projects street interaction than its effect on the skyline, especially in that neighborhood.

After reading that article and seeing that quote from the township trustee (which really made me boil) I realized what "type of people" this place is being built for and they are basically not the type I would want to be rubbing shoulders with (although it is of course easy for me since I live 4 hours away). I also noted the quote from the lady who is going to shop at the centers Dillards. She said she would never shop at the Kenwood Dillards since it so far away. So again, what makes them think that they are going to attract people from Hamilton county, even if they tout it as a regional shopping destination. It this lady does not want to drive to Hamilton county, what makes them think the reverse is going to happen, especially with the tenant line up which is nothing special. Maybe they can tout the "lack of crime".

^same question I have

A 'skyscraper' is typically defined as 500 feet and higher The Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats defines skyscrapers as anything above 12 floors/35 meters/115 feet. I had hoped May Day would have weighed in...in any event I personally consider the Federal Courthouse and E and W to be skyscrapers which means Litt is kinda blowing smoke. Actually I think his whole article was a bit "dramatic" given the issue he was discussing. Things must be slow.

Litt states in the article that this is the first skyscraper to be built in Cleveland in a quarter century. How tall does a building have to be to be considered a skyscraper?