8ShadesofGray

The last school levy (2005, I think?) was aimed specifically at this ... a sizable chunk of the funds were set aside to revive, offer and/or expand after-school programming for students, with the majority of this programming in sports and the arts. It failed pretty miserably on the ballot, though.

Haha. Yes. Kayak transportation. Open up some connectivity with Ohio City, Tremont and Duck Island, build in some docking stations, storage facilities and kayak-friendly mixed-use along the riverfront and lakefront and voila! I think that would be a highly visible distinction for the city of Cleveland, particularly as we rebrand ourselves as a green community.

Oh, one more question WW: Is the restaurant on E. 36th still on schedule to open this month?

Thanks Weepinwillow.

Ugh. I forgot one of my key programs ... a demand-side approach to increasing investments in alternative transportation infrastructure. While I think it's great to see investments in bicycle lanes, the Towpath, etc., I think some of these projects would move faster if there was a much higher concentration of people using bicycles, etc. So I would invest one-seventh of my money (change all my one-sixths to one-sevenths) in providing heavy discounts on bicycles and kayaks to residents of Cleveland, with particular incentives for residents of Ward 13. The goal would be to encourage the purchase of at least 5,000 bicycles and 1,000 kayaks by 2010. Discounted equipment would be coordinated through the Ohio City Bike Co-op and the Cleveland Rowing Foundation. I would have GPS tags embedded in the equipment (to prevent resale of the items and to provide an opportunity to research spatially where and when people are using this equipment to better inform decision makers about infrastructure decisions).

Should have explained more fully. I meant that owners might increase the palatibility for retailers interested in opening a store or continuing operations, given that they represent a longer-term commitment to the neighborhood than renters (even though many renters are in fact long-term residents) and therefore slightly less risk associated with upturns and downturns in the economy. They also represent an opportunity for new retail demographics (e.g. products that cater to a slightly older audience) and for owner-focused products (e.g. home improvement stores that might not be as appealing to someone who do not own their living space). Plus, even though downtown's renters are relatively affluent, buyers represent an even more affluent niche.

^ That's a great letter and sums up a lot of the angst us transplants experience ... why the hell don't locals value Cleveland's distinct nature?

Another highly important distinction is that retailers at the Avenue at Tower City and the Galleria have to be intentionally sought out, as they are tucked away in buildings with little street presence and are spatially dislocated from residential pockets (although E. 4th and the Park Building are closing the gap with Tower City). Pesht, meanwhile, intends to have highly-visible, highly-accessible ground-level retail and lies directly adjacent to a relatively large and relatively affluent residential population. I think in general, we can anticipate that retail throughout downtown should improve in the next few years, what with a dramatically growing downtown population (including a much larger concentration of owners v. renters), as well as notable in-movement/buzz in Tremont, Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway and Asiatown.

It is pretty crazy that there are 50 zip codes in the U.S. where median sales prices are $1.3 million! For an extra off-topic hoot, check out Nantucket, Mass. (#39, I think?) ... they show a TINY (and I do mean TINY) bungalow on the market for $975,000.

Good ideas, everyone, although jpop, I'll note that you wouldn't have to create the college scholarship program ... Cleveland is already home to the nation's oldest and largest college access program in Cleveland Scholarships Program. You would just need to infuse your billion into that organization. I play this game all the time ... it's amazing that my brain will take time to consider what I would do with lottery winnings when I don't play the lottery. At any rate, my answers change all the time, but here's the current list: -One-sixth toward launching co-housing projects that are theme-based (e.g. residents coming together in green in-fill, residents sharing a community school, a village of working artists, an urban alternative to the traditional nursing home or gated retirement community, etc.), attentive to the needs of existing residents and that connect areas that are currently thriving but isolated. The largest of these would be my dream development, Salvage City, a dense block of rehabs and new construction from materials salvaged from demolished buildings in Cleveland ... think ReadyMade magazine manifest in an entire neighborhood. The construction of it would also serve as a public Do It Yourself workshop series. - One-sixth toward integrating "web" social services into each of the co-housing neighborhoods. That is coordinating workforce development, housing, education, etc. to benefit the existing residents of the investment neighborhoods, as well as programming that builds social capital among all residents in the neighborhood, such as pot lucks and block parties. - One-sixth toward massive expansion of Emerging Cleveland, providing customized tours of all the city's exciting new projects to both locals and newly arrived transplants. Building in strategies for encouraging in-migration to the city proper, as well as increased engagement in civic affairs and a higher willingness to consume within the city. - One-sixth toward high-visibility neighborhood-based public art and arts-based beautification efforts that highlight and preserve the distinct character of each neighborhood and directly engages neighborhood residents in planning, designing and constructing the art. - One-sixth toward assisting artists in developing markets for their work outside of Cleveland, particularly increasing opportunities for mass production, integration into home furnishing products, etc. - One-sixth toward marketing and recruiting of artists throughout the United States (see http://www.paducaharts.com/ and http://www.pennavenuearts.org/video_f1.html for examples), specifically communicating all of the resources available to artists: market development (see the item above), health insurance assistance, grants, business training, networking, professional development, promotional opportunities and affordable space.

^ Nail on the head. I think so much of it has to do with the fact that, compared to peer cities, we have a very low rate of "population churning". Lots of natives stay in Cleveland their whole lives, and a relatively small portion are transplants. So I think in many ways the phenomenon is the result of a large chunk of the population being culturally insulated to a city that has been steeped in negativity for half a century. I am in total agreement with Pope's comment earlier ... transplants love it; it seems like we're particularly appealing to Midwestern and Northeast transplants, although I guess that is anectdotal. I have also found that people who grew up in Cleveland, moved away and moved back tend to be very positive about the city and very engaged in civic affairs.

Thanks, weepinwillow. I walked by the other day and thought the pedestrian bridge with the new pop coloring looked very nice, as did the little courtyard ... excited to hear there will be additional green over there. I live about a block from Tyler Village, so it's nice to see all of this taking shape. Great work! Any update on the ground-level retail ... either tenants or construction of space? What about the residential component? Is the plan still to delay the entire residential component until the end of the project? I would love to see some individuals moving in earlier in the process, and I know a number of individuals who have expressed interest in those spaces, myself included. Thanks again for all of the updates.

My hometown! Inkaelin, you actually caught the title agency my mom owns in one of the shots. I should note that, unlike all of you western Ohioans (and apparently even some Northeast Ohioans), I didn't get the Tom Raper commercials growing up. I guess we were in a blackout area b/c I heard everyone told me about them, but I didn't see them until I started undergrad. Imagine that ... living within the eye of the storm that is Tom Raper RVs.

No, my understanding is that CPT has had its eye on this building for a while. But the Parish Hall outfit was a distinct outfit that really brought a lot of younger people into the arts and culture scene. They put on an amazing array of shows, etc. and helped to shore up the evening street traffic. I hope they land somewhere else.

Well, this sucks: Parish Hall Cleveland regrets to announce that we will be closing as of October 1st 2007. Parish Hall Cleveland was started by a group of friends interested in presenting art, music, and performance to Northeast Ohio. Parish Hall was a collective of artists, musicians, and lovers of both. While in existence for just under two years the organization was supported largely through the individual and collective efforts finically and other wise of the operating members. The support within the community was strong, from not only the local media but also from an audience base that truly seemed to enjoy the space and programming, for which we are all gracious and thankful. The pressures of running a venue rooted in a volunteer staff took it’s toll. It was never easy, but at times greatly rewarding and fun. The Hall was just at the threshold of entering a new era, one of funding, a wider audience, and in some degree achieving the goal of becoming a monetarily self-sufficient entity. In the end, it is a matter of burning out to reach this goal, internally and individually the passion that made the organization what it was in many ways also sealed it’s fate. Our time and energy in making Parish Hall successful was not in vain though. We knew from the start Parish Hall was about something bigger than the individual or the group. It was about building a stronger artistic community, a potentially better Cleveland, and in some small way the people that came to the Hall, showed work at the Hall, or performed at the Hall felt that. That energy of trying to do something, create something from what was around with in the context of the immediate environment. We would like to thank everyone that made Parish Hall possible; everyone that showed up and everyone that participated. We hope that it made a difference even if just for a moment or provided a spark for someone to create, to start something, to reflect, or too just enjoy life. Here’s to the future and whatever it may bring.

Ugh. I know I whine about the PD all the time, but this was a particularly dense observation, IMHO. Transit-oriented development and mixed use are not some throwback to 1950s America ... they are and have been leading indicators of vibrant neighborhoods in urban areas nationwide. Even within Northeast Ohio, where we have often dropped the ball in terms of urban density, neighborhoods like the Gold Coast, Shaker Square, Cedar Lee, Coventry, the Warehouse District, E. 4th St., Little Italy, etc. highlight that transit proximity and mixed-use density are preferred by LOTS of people. I hate our newspaper :x

... the city where 8Shades was born. Zachariah, you've done a great job of capturing the cities where I've been born and raised ... it's kind of uncanny, actually.

Yeah, I don't think this complaint is unfounded. I've made some outstanding friends in Cleveland (after 5 years of living here), but a lot of people I've met are well within the "acquaintance" column ... people who evite me to their house parties but aren't likely to call me on a random Thursday. I think it's true of a lot of cities, though, and as has been pointed out, there are positives and minuses to living in a city with more transplants. I just think cities like New York (where such a huge percent of the population is transplants) and cities like Cleveland (where such a huge percent of the population is natives) tend to show the extreme positives and negatives. At any rate, jamiec, you might try the Cleveland Colectivo (www.clevelandcolectivo.org). It's a giving circle of 20- to 30-somethings. Unlike some of the other "young professionals" groups, this one isn't about schmoozing; the group pools funds and makes donations to grassroots efforts to improve Cleveland. Most members work for nonprofits and are very active in the community. And several forumers are members.

I would definitely say downtown is your best bet, although you might also check out Tremont, Ohio City and Edgewater. All of those neighborhoods have lots of outdoor seating, restaurants and bars, although downtown is your best bet for clubs. Ohio City is home to the West Side Market, which is a world bazaar of food. As far as healthy eating, there are a number of delis, etc. that specialize in healthy fare and vegetarian fare. Dish in Tremont and Global Dish Deli in Ohio City come to mind, but there are actually a lot of places like that. For groceries, Cleveland also has several organic groceries where you could get a variety of healthier foods. Unfortunately, none of these are directly in the neighborhoods that have been recommended. Your best bet would probably be Nature's Bin in Rocky River or the Co-op in University Circle ... other options are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods but those would be a little further out for you. Most of our groceries now offer some form of organic section (some better than others), but you could certainly find healthier foods at the Dave's in Ohio City or at Constantino's in the Warehouse District.

From the lyrics of one of my absolute favorite songs: What Led Me to This Town? by The Jayhawks Such a lazy afternoon, Eight shades of gray and I can taste the rain, Oh, how high the lovely have flown. What led me to this town? It's a little melancholy ... mostly about getting your heart broken (which is also unfortunately appropro for my life), but it's also about ending up in a city you never expected to. Seemed appropriate, as I never anticipated I'd accidentally fall in love with Cleveland and stay here.

Thanks again.

Thanks presOhio ... fascinating stuff. One more question (please excuse my ignorance on this topic): What role does the fact that buildings are residential play in obtaining tax credits? Does property have to be zoned commercial to avail the resource? And if so, are industrial buildings eligible (I would assume so, since several of the Cleveland apps are for rehab of warehouse space)? Does end use affect eligibility ... e.g. industrial or commercial buildings that are being converted to residential use?

A quad post? Jeez. At any rate, another reclamation program in Cleveland, ReStore, an initiative run by our local chapter of Habitat for Humanity as an income generator ... win, win, win: http://www.gchfh.org/Restore/index.htm.

This made me think of an additional resource. Chris Kious at St. Clair Superior CDC has started a deconstruction project, which reclaims materials from houses being demolished for other housing projects. I know some people who have used this service to incorporate historic doors, floorboards, etc. into their renovation projects. While this might not be the preferable form of preservation, it's nice to know that people in our city are thinking about sustainable reclamation when demolitions do have to occur. Find out more about the program at http://www.stclairsuperior.org/html/treasure_from_trash.html.

Ooops. Should have thought to refresh myself with the opening article before asking the above. Still, presOhio, which of these criteria are holding back communities from being eligible? While I understand that Cleveland may have a support infrastructure that makes applications for the credits easier, none of these standards seems exclusionary by any means.