8ShadesofGray

^ Or they might just write a story about how housing and retail startups are creating a Quiet Crisis in surface parking availability.

I also appreciate getting to see the public space improvements they want made, particularly since it sounds like they're hoping to establish a TIF. Rather than focusing on the need for public funding solely because the project will have an economic impact, they are also showing direct benefits from public investment: better accessibility between the East Flats and the West Flats, as well as FAR better access to Whiskey Island.

The October issue of Cleveland Magazine rates Chinatown as Cleveland's most underrated neighborhood! Great foot, great art: Cleveland's Chinatown neighborhood, just east of downtown, is waking up like Tremont and Ohio City did a decade or two ago. Maybe the turning point came when artists took over the old warehouses and the city welcomed them by making their live-work spaces legal. Now, art-hops includ open houses out east at spots such as Convivium 33 on East 33rd Street, a deconsecrated church turned gallery. Meanwhile, Superior Avenue at East 31st Street has become a Little Saigon, with the trendy restaurant #1 Pho facing off against Superior Pho facing off against Superior Pho (formerly Pho Hoa), its friendly competition in the Golden Plaza next door. Older favorites such as the huge, open-late Chinese restaurant Li Wah at East 30th and Payne and Siam Cafe at East 45th and St. Clair still offer some of Greater Cleveland's best, most adventurous Asian food. Korea is represented too, by the out-of-the-way Seoul Hot Spot on Payne and Korea House on Superior. The neighborhood's art project this summer - cleverly painted ceramic dogs standing near landmark businesses, celebrating China's Year of the Dog - is only the latest sign that creativity is remaking Chinatown. St. Clair, Superior and Payne avenues between E. 30th and E. 45th Street. Elsewhere in its Best of Cleveland section, bubble tea is named Cleveland's best sipping beverage (the magazine notes its availability at Koko Bakery, Payne Avenue and 37th) and the sinfully delicious Town Fryer's (Superior Avenue and 38th) portable confessional booth is named the best place to sin and atone. Meanwhile, readers named Slyman's (St. Clair Avenue and 31st) the best corned beef citywide. Me thinks Cleveland has Chinatown on the brain!

Sorry, KJP ... I couldn't find it on the PD site.

CVSR is chugging toward downtown By Ken Prendergast, Staff Writer The Sun News Sept. 21, 2006 Sixteen Northeast Ohio organizations agreed this week to support the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's proposed extension of its excursion train route north to downtown Cleveland. Representatives of each organization signed a memorandum of understanding during a ceremony Monday at Tower City Center, held in conjunction with the triennial "Canal Adventure" ... ... More at http://www.sunnews.com/news/2006/part2/0921/ACTRAIN.htm

So, I was really looking forward to this event. One small problem, though: after walking the entire E. 9th/Huron footprint for half an hour, I still couldn't find it. Disappointing. Did anyone manage to find it?

I know they're far from ready, but if I were Wolstein or Stark, I'd definitely stick a shovel in the ground ... given the collective mass of Stonebridge and The Avenue, I think their respective projects are going to get overshadowed until something more tangible is presented. Stark may have an edge here, however, if he can secure some high-profile retail, which I imagine he is best positioned to get among the four development teams. Meanwhile, I think it's time we as a city start a more active in-migration effort. Given the relatively low prices of Cleveland units, coupled with our abundance of amenities, I really think we could draw potential residents from throughout the Midwest.

Long term, I think it will be interesting to see how upscale Stonebridge interacts with the almost adjacent public housing. Certainly not saying it won't work, as Ohio City and Tremont have enjoyed healthy housing values/retail starts in relative proximity to public housing, and I certainly hope it will work. Just think it's an interesting dynamic to have these footprints basically touching at about Mulberry and 25th.

Great news, downtowndreamer. Congratulations ... this project is going to be a great addition to the city!

I'm sorry, but I highly doubt that Jackson is leading an Eastside conspiracy to sweep murders AND new development on the West Side under the rug. Again, I'm not saying that Jackson couldn't be doing more regarding safety issues citywide, but I think it's ridiculous to suggest he's not treating it as seriously because these actions are occurring outside of Ward 5. I'm usually in such accords with what you have to say, jamiec, but Guiliani is NO urban savior. His radical takes on welfare reform, for instance, led to new financial hardship for thousands of New Yorkers. It is hypothesized that Guiliani's efforts may have actually increased the likelihood of crime by increasing economic desperation among the poor. Check out well-reputed author Jonathan Kozol's account in Rachel and Her Children: http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Her-Children-Homeless-Families/dp/0307345890/sr=8-1/qid=1158843142/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3936700-3033704?ie=UTF8&s=books.

The website for this year's Citirama (October 7-15) is up: www.hbacleveland.com/citirama2006.

Quote from: mxchris216 on February 14, 2006, 11:39:15 AM i was driving home from my job sun night (i work of St Clair down by E-105th) and i work nightshift and i was in between 71st and 73 and at a light i was approached by 2 people ask me if i needed drugs and of course i said i had no cash and right after that they yelled what the fuck are you doin down here and the one drew a gun on me , I dunno but i think this is a major problem that police need to adress i mean come on these guys walk up to anybody and try and sell them drugs What is Cleveland now Jaimaica Queens NY Wimwar's Reply Did they steal all your punctuation? Priceless.

I can understand why you might be inclined to do the construction at different time intervals, but is it really necessary to do the five design components separately? It seems like a great deal of time could be saved by simply designing the entire system concurrently. Meanwhile, if we do have to wait until 2014 for a completed trail, I would personally be a fan of starting from the lakefront and working southward, with neighborhood connectors being built concurrently.

Akron Beacon Journal September 19, 2006 16 groups aboard for rail plan Scenic tourist railroad wants to roll into Cleveland An agreement was signed on Monday by 16 parties to extend the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad into downtown Cleveland. ``We've been chasing this dream for a long time,'' said Doug Cooper, president of the tourist railroad that operates in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park ... ... More at http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/15553894.htm

Out of fairness, I don't think Jackson favors his old ward over the rest of the city. I'm not saying that he is being as vocal as he should, or that he's doing all he could to address public safety, but I think it's inaccurate to portray him as misappropriating resources toward Ward 5, to the disadvantage of other neighborhoods. If I recall correctly, his first high-profile anti-crime effort was to reign in prostitution, primarily along corridors on the West Side.

I think what I appreciate about the site most is that they don't try to make Cleveland something it's not. It seems like the coordinated, top-down marketing campaigns Cleveland typically enjoys (need I mention "but Cleveland is a Plum"?) tend to shy away from our city's blue collar heritage. I can't speak for all migrants to Cleveland, but having plenty of sophisticated stuff, coupled with the kitchiness of guns, bowling, pierogies, Amish country, etc. made Cleveland stand out to me. Let's ditch the sanitized campaigns to make Cleveland into Little Toronto or Little Chicago or Little New York and just concentrate on letting Cleveland be Big Cleveland.

I absolutely agree, but I'm speaking more toward a national demand-side campaign. Getting the word out to artists and arts-based businesses about the agglomeration that is occurring, coupled with the range of amenities available to local artists. Anectdotally, I have heard of a number of artists from both coasts who've been amazed with what Cleveland offers for artists, particularly given the cost to rent or own (much like the sentiments noted in The Times article above).

^ Sorry; that's what I get for trying to post news on the fly. I will sit sheepishly now, with my hands under my legs. :oops:

Downtown AT&T headquarters for sale Henry Gomez (Cleveland) Plain Dealer September 18, 2006 AT&T Inc. is shopping for a buyer for its 16-story headquarters in downtown Cleveland, but the telecommunications giant said it plans to keep all of its 1,100 local employees there. The 464,000-square-foot building, at 45 Erieview Plaza and 1180 Lakeside Ave., has been a hub for Northeast Ohio's largest telephone service since 1983 ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/business/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_business/archives/2006_09.html#184846

Not sure if this deserves its own thread yet but thought people might be interested to hear that Perkowski is now marketing units in The Bloch Building (2310 Superior Avenue), just down the street from Tower Press. http://www.tremontlofts.com/blochbuilding/. It looks like the building is more oriented toward commercial space than Tower Press or Hyacinth Lofts but still geared toward creative workers/businesses. I know I'm a bit of a broken record, but I really think the rehab of these warehouses along Superior, coupled with some considerable in-migration, is undercovered by the media. I would bet that at least three dozen warehouses within the Live Work Overlay District now have some artist presence in them. Time to market nationally?

College town 'poverty' exposed Low-income students help win grant money Stephen Koff and Bill Sloat (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Sunday, September 17, 2006 Bloomington, Ind. - This is the home of Midwest prosperity, a leafy Big 10 college town amid gentle green hills, with abundant intellectual life and a town square where you can get a $1.91 espresso or the latest Talbots classic fashion. That, at least, is how many of the townsfolk and Indiana University students see it. Yet there's another, much less charming view of Bloomington ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1158482022226180.xml&coll=2

It's always struck me as odd that there hasn't previously been residential development around Public Square, given its potential role as a connector of the Warehouse District and E. 4th, its striking views (as illustrated above) and recurrent concerns of civic leaders regarding downtown office vacancies. At any rate, this is great news; can't wait to see some renderings!

^^ Meanwhile, the issue gets more complicated when American car companies export a sizable portion of jobs overseas and higher-quality, equally affordable "foreign" companies start manufacturing in the United States. The vast majority of my is from Detroit, and after seeing the local auto industry's model of treating workers as dispensable, they've had enough and no longer support Ford or GM. When you start losing people who swore by "Buy American" for decades, you're in pretty big trouble.

Cleveland district to begin 2 initiatives Dropouts school, peer-tutoring planned Monday, September 18, 2006 Ellen Jan Kleinerman Plain Dealer Reporter The Cleveland Municipal School District soon will launch two initiatives to bolster academics: an elementary peer-tutoring program and a charter high school for dropouts. The district aims to begin both programs in October. More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com/education/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/115856852752870.xml&coll=2

I think the street address is 140 Public Square. But I didn't find anything on the auditor's site either. Anyone have a parcel map handy?