8ShadesofGray

To scale, this is roughly equivalent to not only Cleveland:Beachwood but also Cleveland:Westlake. So every time a Clevelander complains about Crocker Park or Legacy Village or Eton Collection trying to imitate a "downtown feel", it is approximate to the type of development occurring at Easton (with the aforementioned and very important distinction that Easton development is occurring within Columbus city limits). For other cities, developments occurring 8 miles away from the CBD would be equivalent to San Francisco:Sausalito, Chicago:Oak Park, Indianapolis:Southport, Boston:Quincy or DC:Bethesda ... all well within their respective metro areas but not necessarily considered central to the urban community and not incredibly visible to visitors or newbies.

Cleveland+ is a privately funded initiative - it is being championed by the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Partnership and TeamNEO, three nonprofit organizations that happen to all have a regional focus for their efforts.

There are some methods for multi-county taxation, such as a Joint Economic Development District (I believe Akron has one in place already) or joint Regional Arts and Culture Districts. The problem you face is political will. I think you face difficulty convincing voters as they reside further and further from whatever you're building, renovating, etc. It seems like these tax-sharing districts would work better for non-capital improvements, such as marketing the region to immigrants, grants for small business generation, etc., that could be captured by anyone in the district. Even with a sales tax not going to the voting public, I think you would have difficulty garnering the support of outlying county commissioners. These elected officials represent individuals who live in the exurbs because they want to avoid high rates of taxation and are not as enticed by urban amenities ... I can't imagine, for instance, a Geauga County commissioner, recommending that Geauga County increase its sales tax at all, let alone to support a medical mart in another county altogether.

http://www.vwrl.com/projects.asp?categoryName=PERFORMING%20ARTS&clientName=ST.%20IGNATIUS&alpha=1

No, Blinker is absent from that photo. The first guy is someone several forumers know, but I don't think he's a forumer himself.

What is JP doing? He looks thoroughly perplexed by something at the bow.

I'll be there on Thurs. I also heard that Cleveland Bikes will be offering half-priced tickets for people who ride to the festival.

^Haha ... Yeah, if you don't mind getting hit on by half a dozen guys for every girl you get an opportunity to hit on. Seriously, you would be surprised by how many straight guys do lurk at the gay clubs. I've had a number of friends hit on by guys at gay bars. Let me tell you what an ego boost it is to see your "hag" getting more action than you among "your people". :oops:

And until we can get that accomplished, we should have rolling letters to the editor from forumers. Every time we see a particularly incensing article in the PD, someone on Urban Ohio should be responding with a thoughtful, factual response so that we have those voices memorialized ... just make sure these responses are 200 words or less in order to reach their criterion for publication.

This explains what I like to call the Great Migration of the Mid-Twenties. During their early (legal) drinking years, people will put up with the random drunken Bloodhound Gang-inspired grinder. But by their mid-twenties, pretty girls will flee to the safety of the gay clubs ... and pretty gay men will flee to the safety of the straight bars in Tremont or Larchmere (or similar "mixed crowd" neighborhoods for those of you outside of Cleveland).

^^^ Depends on the woman. I know plenty of women who would either laugh or vomit if they saw a 7 driving a Porsche around. Actually, I know plenty of women who would laugh ro vomit at a 10 driving a Porsche around.

^^ Particularly once you've made it into that inner sanctum ... the women's restroom. If you get invited into a women's restroom, you can be pretty sure that you're going to hear the most honest relationship perspectives imaginable ... from women ... often ... for the rest of your life. Gay men know all ... well, except what the hell other gay men are thinking.

From the PD: Edwards calls for predatory lending law Posted by Mark Naymik July 17, 2007 13:26PM Presidential candidate John Edwards used the Cleveland leg of his "Road to One America" tour to call for a national predatory lending law. Edwards spent a half an hour walking the streets of Cleveland's Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, focusing most of his remarks on predatory lending. "This is why we need a national predatory lending law," he said as he walked down streets where the housing stock has been devastated by foreclosures ... ... More at http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/07/edwards_calls_for_predatory_le.html

Cleveland looks to lure Israeli technology businesses Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Shaheen Samavati Plain Dealer Reporter Eleven Israeli technology businesses with products ripe for commercialization will get the chance to strut their stuff in front of U.S. investors in Akron today. The idea is to get the foreign companies to set up offices in the state and to create local jobs, said Pat Valente of the Ohio Department of Development's technology division. The Ohio-Israel Innovation Forum for Advanced Technologies was organized by the state agency along with a committee that included the cities of Akron, Beachwood, Cleveland and Columbus ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-3/1184661444101160.xml&coll=2

Cool site ... Did anyone see the under $100,000 properties? There's a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,686 sq. ft. unit at Moreland Towers being offered for $39,900! What's the deal with that?! http://www.mlsfinder.com/oh_normls/jacoblohser2/index.cfm?action=listing_detail&property_id=2349932&searchkey=ceffbdbd-a56b-745d-0a22-563b21ca84ca&npp=10&sr=21

... a $2 billion vodka distillery adjacent to the Budweiser towers?

Could the big announcement have something to do with this? Ohio Lt. Gov. on secret trip to Russia Posted by Mark Rollenhagen (Cleveland) Plain Dealer July 12, 2007 17:32PM Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher slipped out of Ohio this week on a top-secret mission to Russia. He's there in his role as director of the Ohio Department of Development, trying to land a deal. "It is indeed a business trip and it could mean certainly a major, major investment for Ohio," said Kimber Perfect, a spokeswoman for the development department ... ... More at http://blog.cleveland.com/plaindealer/2007/07/ohio_lt_gov_on_secret_trip_to.html

West Park Story If the cops and firemen flee, the neighborhood's obituary will follow. By Lisa Rab Cleveland Scene Published: July 11, 2007 Most of the lunch crowd has already cleared out of The Public House in Kamm's Corners. A gray-haired waitress emerges from the kitchen with some bad news: "I have an announcement to make. There's only one piece of shepherd's pie left." Retired cop Ed Kelly, a wisecracking woman named Joyce, and two firemen have begun nursing beers and providing the afternoon's entertainment. Today's topic is a sore one: Cleveland's rule forcing its workers to live within city limits ... ... More at http://news.clevescene.com/2007-07-11/news/west-park-story/1

Homeowners to share predatory lending settlement (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Posted by Sheryl Harris July 12, 2007 13:39PM Categories: Breaking News Homeowners will receive letters this week telling them whether they are eligible for a piece of a $325 million, multistate settlement against Ameriquest Mortgage Co. and related companies, including Town and Country Credit Corp. Last year, Ameriquest settled predatory lending charges by attorneys general in 49 states. In Ohio, 12,200 homeowners are eligible for $7 million ... ... More at http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/07/homeowners_to_share_predatory.html

Before Cleveland, I was doing undergrad just south of Indianapolis. Cleveland was a pit stop on my way to a dream job on the Hill, a city proximate to Indiana that I moved to simply so that I could take advantage of an exceptional graduate program in urban policy and one of the most liberal congressional districts in the country. But along the way, I accidentally fell in love with Cleveland, scrapped my plans for DC and have been here for 5 years now. Let that be a lesson for you potential transplants ... this place gets under your skin :-)

Welcome to the forum, J. Rollins. Certainly, I think those are reasonable concerns to consider, not only for Cleveland but for any city you might be relocating too. That being said, I think there's a lot positive going on here that you would find of interest: - Amenities: As you've noted, Cleveland has a lot of great amenities and is working to capitalize on them. The city and state are becoming far more committed to preserving historic buildings. The city is working to create more access and use of the lake. The neighborhoods are being revitalized by a nationally renowned network of community development corporations. Housing is among the most affordable of any major metropolitan area in the country. And we have an incredibly diverse and large arts and culture scene. - Population: While it is true that the population of the city is decreasing and has been since the 1950s, the population of the region is remaining stable and has since the 1950s. The issue is that many people have elected to move out to the suburbs. We are seeing that trend reverse, with Cleveland now leading other municipalities in new construction. The new historic tax credit being offered by the state will also give the city-proper a market edge, as it will create a new market for historically rehabilitated space, which as you note, Cleveland has a lot to work with. Moreover, the city is becoming more and more savvy with its community development efforts both in and outside of downtown. While these neighborhood investments aren't showing up yet in population gains, Census numbers do show that educational attainment levels are slowly starting to increase. And we also have seen a large repopulation of the city on both the Near West Side and the University Circle area, with pockets of higher-income, higher-education levels moving back into Cleveland proper. That trend is likely to continue. - Job Market: Cleveland, like most of Ohio, has suffered from a slow recovery from the early 2000s recession, mostly due to declines in the manufacturing sector. This manufacturing decline has hit Cleveland pretty hard, as it was a huge component of our traditional economic base. But while the transition has been painful for the local economy, it is resulting in a stronger more diversified economy based on our existing competitive strengths. Cleveland is fast becoming a national leader in medical innovation and bioscience. We have built upon our strong technology infrastructure to encourage tech startups within the city. A group is currently working to co-locate design businesses in and near downtown, capitalizing on our outstanding industrial design capabilities. Foundations and municipal leaders are leading the way in building major capabilities in production and innovation around alternative energy. And recently, we passed a countywide tax that will generate $20 million annually in support of expanding and solidifying our powerhouse arts and culture sector. The economic position for Cleveland is definitely looking up. - Housing Market: Cleveland's housing market has slowed, but to date, we haven't been as affected by the national housing slump as much as many metropolitan areas. Properties are staying on the market longer, but our major development projects are still on line. Thousands of new upscale units are planned in our downtown, with feasibility studies showing that downtown could eventually grow to 25,000 residents (currently, estimates place the number at somewhere between 8,000 and 12,000, depending on how you define downtown); the West Side's largest housing development in decades is currently being built in Detroit-Shoreway in close proximity to the lake, Cleveland's EcoVillage and an emerging arts and culture district at Gordon Square; and University Circle has has plans for thousands of new housing units, backed up by a multi-million dollar investment by Charter One Bank, capitalizing on estimates that 10,000 jobs will be added to the neighborhood economy in the next 10 years. This is just a sampling of the rebirths occurring in Cleveland's neighborhoods ... I would highly recommend also checking out Ohio City, Tremont, Edgewater, Old Brooklyn, Asiatown, Little Italy and Shaker Square. All in all, the market is looking pretty decent, with the city poised for some considerable in-migration from the suburbs. - School System: Cleveland once had one of the best public school systems in the country. Over the last several decades, the system has declined considerably. That being said, state assessments have shown some marked improvements over the last several years, although the indicators are still pretty bad. A new superintendent is exploring opportunities for "academy"-type schools, district-wide requirements for school uniforms and a number of other reforms that may make a substantial dent in urban school problems, problems that I'm sure you're aware are not isolated to Cleveland. Cleveland is also home to a lot of innovation in school choice vouchers. These programs are controversial, but many have established truly innovative approaches to education. We also have a very strong private school system, including very strong parochial schools. At the collegiate level, the region is home to the nation's oldest and largest college access program (Cleveland Scholarships Program), as well as nationally competitive programs in urban policy, medicine, accounting, industrial design, fashion design, to name a few. Cleveland is also home to one of the most established philanthropic communities in the country (birthplace of Business Volunteers Unlimited, United Way and the Cleveland Foundation, the oldest and second largest community foundation in the country), and this group is making some considerable investments in improving the public education system. Recently, the foundation community has talked about investing funds in educational opportunities in University Circle in preparation for a large in-migration in that neighborhood. So move to Cleveland! I'm a transplant myself, and from my vantage point, Cleveland offers an outstanding quality of life that I simply could not afford in most metropolitan areas. Our city is far from perfect, we have lots of issues we are addressing, but I think you'll find it is a surprisingly amazing place.

All good points; I would just add that some people disfavor shelters not because of the restrictions but because of the abundance of drugs present (which can pose a serious problem for individuals who are seriously committed to getting clean) and concerns about property crimes. Sure, some individuals probably just don't like the structure (curfews, etc.), but others do have some legitimate concerns about living en masse with people with criminal backgrounds, mental health issues, etc. And if Public Square is not the appropriate place for the homeless (and I think a lot of people on here have made valid points as to why it is not), I would just hope that we would keep in mind the interest of these individuals when talking about where appropriate areas would be ... not just thinking about which areas will minimize tourist encounters with the homeless, minimize impact on new housing projects, etc., but also areas that are in close proximity to support services and that are walkable/transit-oriented to necessities. I don't think the Industrial Flats site that was proposed earlier in this thread would adequately fulfill this.

Okay, I take that back. I did find some information on the Ohio Historical Society in the form of the credit's rules (the joys of reading administrative code, rather than a nice, concise Q&A section). If I'm reading it correctly, there is a 45-day review period, after which point organizations are notified as to whether their application was complete or not. If it was not, they lose their place in line but are given an additional 45 days to complete the application. Organizations are notified by mail when they qualify for the tax credit; the credit certificate is issued only after the rehabilitation is complete, and rehabilitators are required to file annual progress reports for four years after the issuance of the certificate. At any rate, it sounds like we'll hear about the first credits going through within 45 days of the first applications (around August 15th), assuming that these applications were complete.

^ I've been wondering the same thing. I couldn't find anything on the ODOD website or the Ohio Historical Society website, even in the original press releases that basically indicated "first come, first serve" but not how the credits would be announced.

Cleveland Public Square may get curfew; homeless advocates upset Thursday, July 12, 2007 Susan Vinella Plain Dealer Reporter Cleveland City Council wants to ban late-night gatherings on most of Public Square, a move that one critic says targets homeless people. Legislation introduced Wednesday would permit only walkers to pass through from 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and would apply to three of four quadrants of the square. It would not apply to the county-controlled southeast quadrant, home of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1184229218289000.xml&coll=2