Htsguy

@KJP, while I am sure he would not come right out in say it, after a few conversations with Ezra Stark does your spidey sense give you the feeling that he might glance at this thread every once in a while. If he does, I am sure knowing what he does, he gets a few good laughs from it.

Can a kid be a yuppie??

I am pretty sure that is a given. They plan on updating individual units as they become available.

Love the pic but best thing about your post is that you said you took it from "The Jake"

I am quite sure that would be a bigger fantasy.

Thanks for the blog post @KJP. Looking forward to seeing the conceptual renderings (although I would imagine they will be more than conceptual at this point in time). I have never been a big fan of parking pedestals but I guess they are inevitable (Chicago seems to grow them like corn). Fingers crossed for some good architecture.

You do know that everybody on this forums definition of "close" is "within the next hour" "

Update on the Dunham Tavern lawsuit. A couple of weeks ago the court ruled on the defendant's motion for judgment on the pleadings and ruled in defendant's favor dismissing the entire lawsuit. An opinion by the court has not yet been filed but is apparently forth coming. Of course the plaintiffs can still appeal which would continue to gum up the proposed property sale. I have a vague recollection that the Cleveland Foundation indicated in the past that the deal had to consummated by September of this year (why I am not quite sure) so an appeal would hamper that closing date if the reasons for a Sept. transfer are actually true and/or still in play.

I have done that before. Unfortunately it seems that most of the people that speak have already finished their six pack.

Don't want to get too far off topic but I can provide a personal story. In the mid 80's I was working for a small downtown law firm and wanted to make a change (a more dynamic environment and more $$). I applied all over town and interviewed extensively for a position with Progressive as my job search went on. I was offered a position that paid 60% more than my current salary and after careful consideration turned the offer down. At the time I did so I did not have any other job offers, although I did have a few irons in the fire. There were a couple of reasons I did not take the job but the primary consideration was I could not see myself going to work in a squat one story flex space off of Wilson Mills Road five days a week. A couple of months later I took a job with a larger law firm in the Huntington Building, The salary was about 20% less than the Progressive offer. Bottom line for me was that even back then I would rather work downtown for less $$ than in the far off suburbs. Never regretted the decision. It was a quality of life issue for me (of course a quality of life that may not appeal to others).

Wow. Come on team let's just get it together and get things moving

That is a good question. I don't know if this is sort of an "urban legend" as it relates to Cleveland (I am 100% percent sure it is the case for coast cities) which is promoted by all us urban crazies on this board as I have never actually seen any studies supporting this...maybe just some antidotes here and there. My gut is that these firms may not have a problem attracting local talent but do have more issues with attracting talent from east coast urban centers and MBAs and the like from the top schools where they do recruit. I am sure there are top people at Progressive who would like to move downtown, but keep in mind that they have a fiduciary duty to their share holders first and foremost and not the city of Cleveland. They have spent a huge sum of corporate assets the past decade building and expanding on the east side and they might have a hard time justifying the cost of building a new corporate headquarters. Also, it is very true that over the years they have built up a work force which is very happy to work close to their suburban homes and would probably have a hissy fit if forced downtown.

KJP I don't understand. Are you saying they are leaving a hole open on the ground floor in connection with the design review process or that they are going to go ahead and build the apartments with a shell for the library below which will be finished at a later date?

Library Lofts really seems to be dragging. At the initial appearance before design review Paul Volpe reflected they would be back in June for further approvals and I don't believe that happen. By the way...has the library portion of the development even been through design review or is it combined with the apartment building for this purpose? It has been 14th months since the library architect was picked.

Are you referring to another Franklin Circle project other than Dexter Place (which @KJP mentioned in his introductory paragraph and indicated that he was not discussing it along with State and Church since they both are already under construction-Church and State for more than 6 months and Dexter Place for over a month-there are some pics of construction in the Ohio City thread).

I don't know what I find more annoying when I watch the various programs on HGTV. The requirement that each kid has to have their own bedroom (growing up I share an large attic bedroom with my brother and sister and neither of us are currently in therapy) or the mandate that their be a total open concept so mom can see the kids at all time (our mom had no clue where we were and I think that was the desire of both kids and parents as long as we did not burn the house down). Of course I also rode the stage coach to school.

Thanks for the great research and reporting job KJP but this outfit seems very sketchy to me based on much of what you reveal in your blog post. Just a gut feeling.

Actually through the 60s and well into the 70s. They had their own distinctive fleet of trucks (at least Higbees's and Halle's did) and you use to always see them plowing through the neighborhood. My mom was a downtown "power shopper" (at least once every couple of weeks wearing her heels and gloves) and I was dragged along with the promise of lunch at the Silver Grill or Geranium Room. When ever she bought something the sales person always asked if she would like it delivered or would she take it with her. She would spend the whole day shopping and would hardly carry anythnig on the bus ride home. Then the next day or so the packages would arrive.

Thanks for sharing RandR. You truly are a gifted writer.

Take a peek at the Scranton Peninsula thread last week. Members of the board (as well as design review) did a pretty good job of trashing it on and on as well as cheering the fact that the project was withdrawn.

I think much of it was last week with significant follow up discussion on some projects.

I don't want to spin this off topic but I think you blanket statement about crime in Europe is pretty naïve. I have never experienced any problems while there but over the years I have had friends who were robbed at knife point in three different cities (Rome, Paris and of all place Dublin). Pretty clear they were targeted as tourists. Crime in every where to some degree,

Thank you for posting the article. I am always starving for news concerning this project. This has to happen and the sooner the better.

I would be more concerned if he lived in Dallas

For years and years.