willyboy

I would agree with this. While I think it would be key for any units to be affordable in Slavic Village, I dont think that is the way it has to be with every project. I worry about every new project in the city being so affordable that it is the usual new and flimsy project that will likely look like crap in a few years. We looked quite a bit in the city and the best quality (least cheaply constructed) was Coltman and those are in that range (but certainly doesnt amount to a $2500 mortgage payment), but are also basically sold out. Everything else was vinyl and cheaply built. So there really is a niche for something of better quality and price in the right area, but certainly not Slavic Village. So Strangebrew, do we know anything about what the market would be for these? There is a real need to stabillize this neighborhood and anything that can help to to that has got to be a plus. How has the other new construction there done from a number of years ago? Is there any way they can be of higher standards and quality materials they we see in many of the projects? freethink, keep in mind that Cleveland is super affordable (pretty much the most in the country) even compared to Cincinatti (for various reasons), and I have heard more and more people that cant find the quality of place in the right area and have had to look in the suburbs to find...

But, clvlndr, Franks announcment today was meant to show him otherwise. :|

Or... "I'm not familiar with the Tubbs transit center mentioned above. Did that bring nearby economic development (as we should, as others mentioned above, use a Cleveland example in this town)?"

I think gottaplan and Westblvd might be saying that any development including the church was likely more feasable several years ago when it was more likely a large bookstore could have taken the space. Today that possibility is much less likely since the landscape is much different. So they would have to be pretty creative in their thinking... Although I love the library idea. Maybe Steve Schimoler would like to open another restaurant, Crop2 anyone..?

I show examples all the time when its something that can be compared in the same context (and then MTS ususally chimes in saying "thats like comparing apples to oranges" :lol:). I think most of us already know of the possiblilities for the Warehouse district. Your other statement: "And yes, access to public transportation has spurred economic development. That's not new". Of course it has... That goes without saying. I dont think anybody said that it hasnt or cant, I mean I live in DC!!! There are billions of dollars in construction around pretty much all of the metro stations here, with crazy costing housing due to the proximity to transit. This is due to many factors, of which Cleveland shares almost none of. But then again thats not exactly a bus hub either. The demand is there for development in the WHD, the bus hub is irrelevent to that, its a feasability issue. I think most of us would like to see Cleveland make make better use of its current transit situations in making transit and living succesful (O.C., Shaker, etc) and build on that. The growth in Ohio City has little to do with the rapid station thats there, in fact you can likely still buy a house for 20,000 within a block of this station (the low property values in such close proximity to Clevelands rapid stations indicates quite a bit here)... I think and hope many people are seeing the value of not having to rely on a car in Cleveland, but most of the factors that make this kind of thinking a necessity just do not exist there.

I think thats the right thinking Jborger. I’m equally skeptical as you and some of the others with many of the same concerns, but would also like to know more. As Clvlndr mentions it is basically being used as another tool to pull in some fed funds in order to jumpstart something in the Warehouse District (which unfortunately Cleveland tends to need in order to make a project feasible), but I’m not sure at what cost it would come at in this case, as far as possibly limiting future uses. Another good point Jborger makes is that people are quick to show where something worked somewhere else, but that is “somewhere else”, likely in a place with totally different dynamics than Cleveland has and arent necessarily based on the reality there. Thus my DC examples would not apply at all whatsoever to Cleveland.... Also somebody mentioned that the East side transit center is almost always nearly empty??? So is it even serving its purpose? Thus why your statement “Cleveland's current hottest neighborhoods did not become that way thanks to public transit”, is so important to remember (not that it couldn’t be that way, but the dynamics just don’t really support that).

Sapell's is a glorified liquor store. I think an expanded Constantino's would suit the needs of the neighborhood well, though. The space they're currently in could go back to being a Convenient or whatever it was a long time ago, which would be more appropriate for a building of that size. Exactly Sapell's is crappy and with the people in walking distance (including lots of elderly) I dont think its a bad idea to have an expanded Constantino's. I have a hard time of not thinking of the current Contstantino's there as a 7-11 as it is. Doesnt anybody remeber that they did have some pretty good mixed use plans for the site, with living above retail and with plans of townhouses facing Lake. This is what they are marketing now... Not good.

Well one would hope, and I wasnt clear that Cleveland didnt already have a regional sales office. Since the article is sort of a puff piece and since there is a lack of any real details (and by the tone they certainly would have mentioned details worth mentioning) I was sort of tempering my excitement until more details came out.

MD, do you know what that means? The article didnt really give much info, so I wasnt sure if it was acutally something to be excited about or not.

Yes, Crostatas is supposed to be great Neapolitan style pizza, although I havent tried it yet.

Exactly, or even something like a Constantino's. The neighborhood hasnt been the same with the lack of activity since the G. Eagle closed.

There was that little incident at the end of October that nearly wiped out Angelos. So Musky, dont you have a relative working there? (maybe thats why your pizzas may be greasy and the sausage give you heartburn) "He had to have been going 45 (mph) at least," said Nicole Muscatello, who was working at Angelo's when it happened. http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/articles/car-crash-nearly-takes-out-angelo-s-pizza

I could be wrong, but I believe thats one of their spaces in the basement along with the test kitchens etc. which would be used for special events and such. Wouldnt be for regular dining.

Yes thats the other thing. I was curious as to what the cost would amount to, and whether it covered all of the credits given to the whole Terminal Tower complex or just Higbee. Certainly if they were willing to shell out nearly 90 million for a lot....... at least maybe they would reconsider a tunnel unless it just isnt feasable.

Well that's their problem. I think considering their arrogance in the situation and all the bending over the city has done, they really didn't expect to have any road blocks, or obviously didn't forsee this. That's why I was laughing and sometimes crying, since I totally forsaw this would happen, thereby making that major piece of their plan (which involved tearing down the Columbia building) a bit pointless in the grander scheme of things.

They wont win the appeal. They never really overturn a decision like this.

Dont they mean "second of its kind" project?

Thats right. Nowhere near breaking ground on a project... Viking may come down sometime sooner though.

Well it went through design review and Landmarks at the beginning of the summer: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2011/06232011/index.php

It sounds like the school will likely come down sometime in December after some environmental abatement. I cant believe they completed an exterior renovation in 2002! This update from the Cleveland Restoration Society Perspectives Newsletter: Cleveland School of the Arts Demolition Scheduled The beautiful Cleveland School of the Arts building at 2064 Stearns Road in University Circle will soon face the wrecking ball to make way for a replacement school on the same site. Built as Observation Elementary School in 1910, it is one of the oldest school buildings in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The building is not listed in the National Register, although it is likely eligible. None of the buildings in Phase I of the district's demolition plan were landmarked and nothing could be done to stop their demolition, unlike the buildings in Phase II, which have all been landmarked. The stately, four-story orange brick building that houses the Cleveland School of the Arts is highlighted by three ornate terra cotta entrances. In 2002, the CMSD completed an exterior renovation through the "Warm, Safe & Dry" initiative that included installation of new nine-over-nine windows, cleaning of the terra cotta entrances and reconstruction of the entrance stairs. CRS toured the school in 2007 and urged the district to consider creative solutions through careful study of programmatic needs, the current facilities, and the Ohio School Facilities Guidelines for school renovation, which would enable the preservation of significant portions of the original school structure. We were very disappointed that the school officials were not at all open to the reuse of the current building. Environmental abatement of the building will begin in November and is scheduled to take one month; demolition will begin when that is completed. According to Cleveland Planning Commission staff, some of the terra cotta detail of the Cleveland School of the Arts building and the exterior artwork will be saved and incorporated into the interior of the new school.

While I think its pretty terrible that they apparently will be tearing down the Cleveland School for the Arts in front of John Hay on Stearns, the new one that they are proposing is actually pretty cool looking. And looking at the floor plan and amenities Im guessing that they are saying that the old building cannot accomodate these features and spaces. But certainly they can use the current building for something, and build the new one in a different spot..? This document shows some of the nice detail on the current building and some different views of the proposed one. (I wasnt able to post pictures from work). Going before the Euclid Corridor Disign Review Committee: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2011/11042011/image/CSA.pdf

But its been down since yesterday till about MTS post, has it not?

Its funny because noting about this story is anything new. I guess they just wanted to do a stupid poll. The quotes from John Sandor at the National Park Service are from months ago.

Its been advertised on Cleveland.com for a while now... But other than that, who knew?

Yes I was hoping the same thing, but if remember right everything was approved after only some minor modifications, which didnt do much to help its appearance. We shall see I guess.