Htsguy

^Is that the lot next to the Union Club? If so, I recall somewhere on the board it being mentioned that they are making a variety of impovements to their building and parking garage.

^Where the heck did that come from? First rumblings I have ever heard.

I always hear rumblings about Saks Fifth Avenue at Beachwood Place closing but usually don't pay them any mind. However I was cruising the web and learned that Saks is closing 7 sevens this years including those in San Diego, Denver, Portland, Mission Viejo, Charelston, South Carolina, Plano, Texas, Southhampton, New York and most recently announced the store in downtown Pittsburgh (leaving Pittsburgh without a Saks). This concerns me. Also the closing of the Pittsburgh store leaves their downtown with only one department store (they had 4 as recently as 10 years ago) and the remaining store, Macy's is downsizing from 10 floors to six (remember when Higbee's (Dillards actually) did that. When people on this board complain about lack of retail downtown, this is a perfect example of why "it ain't so easy", since we tend to look at Pittsburgh as such a success story.

I don't have a problem with the contrast, it simply sticks out like a sore thumb, and again completely ignores Euclid. I would have preferred more of a presence on Euclid, or at least something more interesting than that insipid ten feet of grass at the intersection with Cornell.

^^Either you did not read Litt's review or did not understand it. The major point is that the materials and design do not relate to the surroundings. I have always had a problem with the way the building relates to Euclid, or in my opinion fails to relate to Euclid. And the emergency room looks like a warehouse.

Believe Litt is spot on with both reviews. I personally love the VA. What UH did (cancer, garage and emergency) is just awful. Stick out like a sore thumb.

kinda sterile looking

^I believe you are thinking of Coffey. Shanker was bankruptcy and UCC (and a great prof....I kept my notes from his class for years)

This is absolutely wonderful news. Will benefit the region for years to come. By the way, I just happen to read the article a couple of hours ago on Cleveland.com and, while I almost never do it for obvious reasons, I peeked at the comment section. Amazing what these people can come up with in connection with just a simple positive and neutral article. I can only imagine what they come up with when the news or article is controversial. What really scares me are these people are allowed to have drivers licenses and even worst can vote.

^Yes for the simple reason that it would require a constitutional amendment (vote of entire state) as happen in Columbus which wanted to move their casino to the west side of the city from downtown after the first referendum. Things are not easy as they seem or you or others would like.

^Agree...I am curious if anybody can explain Atlanta given the above. I would imagine rents are pretty low there (this is an assumption on my part given how affordable owner-occupied housing is there) but they still seem to have built an extensive array of high rise housing over the years both in the city and more out lying areas. Possible factors I could think...more of demand given a young demo who might want such housing or just general cost of construction is lower.

^Do non-chains actually survive in Strongsville?

^Actually, I think Chipolte and Panera are more in line with the demographic (students and professionals looking for a quick lunch) than Cheesecake Factory and PF Chang, and would have been solicited first by Maron. For the more expensive demo (the dinner crowd made up of UC professionals, Heights residents or downtown office workers going home), I think they would be more interested in a Sawyer restaurant than Cheesecake or Chang.

Quite frankly, after reading the article I really don't have a problem with much of it, especially Fitzgerald's role.

^I don't know if I would want Forest City doing the actual UCI uptown project either for the reason you give...my point is that there are 4-5 relatively small developers taking a risk and finding success in the area, and you would think (hope) that FC could throw us a bone and committ to some sort of project (again given their resources) that would kept the momentum going. I see archangel's point...but maybe I consider University Circle the "special situation" you suggest given it is in their hometown and is the second most important area of the city (some might say the most important). And again, it is not charity...you could argue it would be a solid business move that could benefit shareholders. Other developers in the area seem to be doing OK (again with a questionable economy).

^I hate to be the dictator of the thread (or maybe not :wink:) but again, you're not suppose to make up your own project. It is suppose to be a project that is "out there", but right now has little chance of going forward.

I don't know, I am a little excited by that. Wish we knew more.

Rant of the day. I am so happy to see this project progress....but what really irks me is that a company like Forest City, with the ability to finance much easier than all these small developers working in the area, doesn't come in and committ to a project. I know they have shareholders to answer to but it seems as though it is becoming very clear that these many projects of varying size are going to be a success (and in a rotten economy). They seem to be willing to do mega projects across the nation (although they seem to be the kings of doing projects with public subsidies)...couldn't they do something for their hometown and say, buy that used car lot on Euclid around E 116th. and build a 20-25 high end apartment building (something I think would be very popular as there are not many of that type of apartment options in the neighborhood. Rant over.

^ I hope the elevators are faster in that one. :wink:

Thanks for the post. Wow...retail space 95% leased months before it opens. LETS START PHASE 2.

^Sigh...so when exactly was that proposed.

^My God, all these rule breakers. 327 you can only pick ONE project. Tough huh?

As I understand this project, redevelopment is an important aspect of it....but also a large part of it (and probably the reason it got most of the funding) was to tame one of the most dangerous intersections in northeast Ohio. In this regard, I am sure major traffice studies were conducted, and if sheparding traffic to side streets was going to be the result the powers that be would have had a major problem with it.

By the way KJP I thought you would have picked the North Coast Transportation Center (or maybe you think that is so far dead it is not even worth suggesting it for this exercise).

^OK KJP you broke the rules too. :roll: If you want an office tower on that Public Square lot it has to be the proposed Jacobs Tower...no making things up.