Willo

After all of the iterations I am ready to accept it once they make the edits to the white cladding causing the tabling at the meeting posted above. I only saw the tall 16 or 17 story verison with the hotel on top as appearing iconic that would have triangulated well with Intro and Church & State providing the needed placemaking for newcomers and visitors. But the current version does fill a large void with one project and is complimentary to the equally tame and bland new buildings heading west on Detroit. It also seems to reflect the Western Reserve and modern '90s add-on on West 9th (and even a generic budget-minded nod to Michael Graves but without any of his whimsy). Admittedly, when you visit the new area coffee shops and businesses the youngins don't mind at all as we do and it is refreshing to see new street life they bring that had long passed us by. So more please. Plus there is enough vacant land for iconic landmarks once the economic conditions permit again - and when Irishtownd Bend park opens (when does the last eyesore billboard come down at the corner?). Speaking of needed whimsy above, If they only would engage experts (expertise they need to admit they lack) in activating the corner even with this stripped down model. For example, I was excited when reading Ken's story on the exciting Kiev design firm - Dion Art - who set up shop in Cleveland after the Russian invasion. If you look at their website of iconic and placemaking projects one wishes they would swoop in to activate and save the bland Bridgeworks corner plaza and roof (and save Geis from their economical design). Hopefully others will enage them and help activate our streetscapes (especially the new Irishtown Bend park design). https://neo-trans.blog/2023/03/24/from-kyiv-to-cleveland-art-firm-hq-moves/ https://www.dion.art/

If the behind-the-scenes power moves undeway do shut Burke for good the proposals to develop- short-term and long-term - could flood in. Already one by one "they" are starting to step out of the shadows in support: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/09/cleveland-chamber-chief-supports-urgent-closure-of-burke-lakefront-airport.html So as discussed by others above, a short-term paint and bondo rehab paired with the desired new dome construction and Jimmy NFL village next door (on just the western part of the giant footprint) could be irresistable to Jimmy as a wild card option. ..and dispersing Burke's functions does not necessarily need just one airport (Cuyahoga County). We have many in the 5 county region easiliy ready to go and would likely love additonal FAA funds. One of them is nearby east fom Burke as the crow flies along the shore - Lake County Executive Airport - is aggressivley growing and seeking business: https://ldauthority.org/transportation/airport/ https://www.news-herald.com/2024/09/20/lake-county-executive-airport-terminal-building-project-set-to-move-forward/ https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/02/cleveland-hopkins-lake-county-airports-awarded-millions-in-federal-cash-for-improvements.html

Let's just repurpose our big brother Chicago's plan and replace just Chicago stadium and nature preserve with Cleveland. Too easy yes? https://www.chicagoconstructionnews.com/bears-unveil-plans-for-new-lakefront-stadium-in-chicagos-burnham-park-project/ Which is across from their new Nature Preserve on former Mieg's field airport. These images should help our small-thinking politicians and community leaders who don't have the vision thing like most here do. We can dream in the interim...

I haven’t given up on Jimmy pivoting back to the lakefront with either a short or long term remodel with potential new dome and ancillary development on western edge of the site. Until Bibb, Ronayne, Dewine and Haslam say it’s done everything is on the table (plus Metroparks, Natural History and DC Delegation - what do Sherod or Bernie think). The me too rumblings this week from Hamilton county imply limited State $ will have to be split thereby tilting the odds to remodel on lakefront and hoping to get priority access to development in Burke site once closed. Plus Jimmy can watch from his Bratenahl window.

This comment may partially overlap with the Burke thread but...is it too soon to hope for similar same next door to a new/renovated Huntington Bank Stadium and associated development with nature preserve (jointly with Metroparks and Natural History Museum). Why not us too? See Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island (former Miegs Field a la our Burke situation) https://www.huntingtonbankpavilion.com/

There were also big personalities in play between Lewis and the erratic mayor at the time. By the time that mayor left to raise alpacas it was too late for others to resurrect the plan ( I believe Lewis also froze Cleveland out of his estate planning gifts for a while for a variety of reasons)

We have had developers foaming in past but not with the necessary political capital behind them. Remember Frank Gehry’s Progressive building for Peter Lewis? https://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/progressive-corporation-headquarters Things may be different this time?

Closing Burke with the current DC administration should be easy if done now and while the 2 reports are still warm, especially with Bibb’s purported contacts. 2025 could be problematic with a new administration. Also, the singular focus on Cuyahoga County airport will only galvanize opposition from those living in its flight path although they knowingly purchased homes next to an airport. Instead, where is the regional solution such as from NOACA representing the five counties and disperse Burke functions among all regional airports. Grace Galluci please join in.

Finally! Hopefully Mayor Bibb, having both reports in his hands long before today's release, gamed the next steps during his reported meetings with Pete Buttigieg. Bibb and Ronayne can't miss the narrow window now open to make this happen after 50 years of hoping. Though the area's DC delegation silence is deafening and needs to step up. Just shut it down like Chicago did! GoFundMe whatever may be owed 😂 Maybe Jimmy Haslam will see the reports as an opp to get his desired dome development on the western half and can even bring his bff Dewine on board to help. The rest can be ceded to Metroparks for a nature preserve developed slowly overtime and dovetail with E55-E72 plans underway. Also Cuyahoga and Lake County Executive both seem to be getting big FAA funded runway upgrades just in time.

I have been following the overall news in this thread for a while and had been wondering if starchitect Sir David Adjaye was still involved with the master plan since the negative headlines worldwide last year. It appears Sir David has stepped back out of the spotlight and instead named 3 CEOs as the outward faces (New York, Accra and London). https://www.adjaye.com/news/adjaye-associates-announces-studio-ceos/ Maybe KLP has recent news from his Bibb or Rock Ventures contacts...or even from Pascale Sablan, the new head of Adjaye Associates's New York office? I did see this very recent hopeful(?) nugget buried in the Q&A with Pascale Sablan in June 25, 2024, who gave a brief nod to Cleveburg (boldened added): ...What is the current work of the New York studio? We have an incredible project in Barbados that the team is excited about. We are almost done with documentation and will begin construction soon. We’re continuing to collaborate on a Cleveland master plan. The mixed-use development at St. Elizabeth’s in Washington, D.C., is also a powerful project that literally makes me cry in some of these meetings when the community talks about what the project means to them. You think I’m joking, but I’m serious. And we have the Studio Museum, which is a beautiful cultural institution that we’re continuing to work on. It’s almost done, and as a person who lives in Harlem, I’m really in love with it. Plus, our art museum for Princeton University will open in the fall. The pipeline is strong, and the projects are moving forward. https://www.archpaper.com/2024/06/pascale-sablan-ceo-of-adjaye-associatess-her-work-current-state-practice/ FYI - I see the story on Ms. Sablan hyperlinks to their Dec 2022 story on the initial riverfront news - always fun to see how our liitle town (always punching above its weight class) is portayed to the world... https://www.archpaper.com/2022/12/david-adjayes-riverfront-master-plan-gives-reason-visit-cleveland/