ITakeTheRapid

The idea of the Capitol Theater is perfect- Funky old neighborhood theater with beer and a quirky layout. As a theater experience it totally sucks compared to any modern spot. The lower theater seats are unbearable, it’s dirty, empty, the concession stand closes before the movie is half over, and 2/3 screens are the same size as my home. I think it’s better off redeveloped as a neighborhood bar that shows flicks with rentable areas for parties and stuff.

The site is perfect for this stadium imo. Realistically what else would ever go there? And it’s still walkable to the core and parking. It seems a 10k stadium fills a void that we currently don’t have. Especially for smaller events and outdoor shows. Personally I’m excited that it could be expanded. If we ever get a big team, this location is great. I hope the footprint and quality will be consistent for a 20k stadium.

Impressive build (appears to be single family). This small corner of the neighborhood changed quick.

Today. These guys are cookin

I totally agree. I think it can become a long-term classic. I know there are always elements to optimize and new trends but I’ve been to a ton of stadiums and ours still stacks up well. The overall shape is great and the concourses (maybe other than behind the bleachers) are just fine, especially compared to classic parks. But the location- especially with the renaissance in Ohio City is just fantastic. You have plenty of parking options and easy access to the center of downtown. I make the trek over the Lorain Carnegie bridge all summer with my $49 pass. And this past summer the hoard of fans walking over after even weeknight games made it impossible to navigate a scooter. Pretty darn great atmosphere.

Starting to feel impressive as a pedestrian. It’s a wind tunnel though.

I cut through that stretch of Hancock pretty often when I’m wandering around and I don’t really think there needs to be a connection there with this project. The project seems to have good access from the other 3 sides and that road doesn’t really get you anywhere faster. Between these apartments and Voss I’m so excited. West 26th has been so sketchy for that stretch. A couple years ago I had an interaction back there where I really thought I was getting robbed, luckily it ended up ok.

Well said. This is exactly how I feel as well. Let’s be honest with the Super Bowl tonight. - Traveling to a warm destination and partying outside looks great in the shots from this weekend. Even if the league bent the “rules” Cleveland is a tough sell tonight. Brook Park, tho, is absurd. The logistics of such an event would be terrible.

Really not trying to be a jerk here and I’ve lived in the neighborhood for almost a decade. I’m one of its biggest fans. I said/meant “close”. As is in close to closing. I honestly go to these places pretty regularly and walk by even more. But I also travel a lot. And hot spots always have demand. Of course some cities are a lot easier. But if you’re lived here for any amount of time and you think Hansa is doing well (even compared to like a few years ago) I don’t even know where to start.

At the risk of coming off as a nut job I just walked by all 3. Hansa had 6 people at the bar with the rest of the restaurant dark. The front area of Proof had 2 at the bar and one 4 top. Choolah had 5 people talking at a single table all with sealed to go bags. I hope Boris at Hansa owns the building. The other 2 spots just had big buildouts- and in my personal experience this costs hundreds of thousands of dollars that they are paying for one way or another. There are plenty of places packed around town right now (Townhall sure was). At a minimum, a place like Choolah totally overestimated their store size. and back to SoHo- I didn’t stop in there tonight but they’re usually packed for Chicken Pickin Wednesday. They do a good business. I have experience doing a private event with them and their buyout price is impressive but fair. Chipotle, obviously, is willing to pay more for that space but the jobs they provide and what they bring to the neighborhood will be very different.

In Banter’s closing announcement they said their friends are creating an “amazing and unique concept”. So I think it’s something new. I wonder about the Tremont Taphouse space though.

I walk by Choolah multiple times a week and it’s rare to see more than one table occupied. I’m sure they’re doing some takeout (I usually do) but it’s dead compared to the others I’ve been to. And in the days when Karen Small’s rent across the street was going up to 11k I don’t know how they make that location work. But it seems the fast casual chains (or wannabe chains) are happy to go all in. Build the Pho, Greens Salad, now Chipotle…

Soho has magical vibes in that space. So many awesome memories there. It’s sad chipotle couldn’t get the project across the street done. Heck, if I were them I’d wait on Choolah- that place is always empty. I have loved living in the neighborhood but the food scene needs help. Black Pig, Flying Fig/Pearl St, Alea’s “temporarily” closed, Hansa and Proof seem close. I hope SoHo stays nearby. Aside from Amba new additions have lackluster, and definitely not the kind of places that raise up the food scene.

Mainly the reviews have been absolutely terrible since the reno and rebrand. The lobby and restaurant looks great imo but, to me, the rest of the building still feels old and stale. The rooms and layouts are average. The place is massive but it just feels like the Reno money didn’t do enough imo- at least in the rooms. I’ve been to so many cities where the beautiful old hotel bar is THE place to stop a grab a cocktail. And so many autographs just feel iconic and fresh. Hopefully they can get their operations in order. But the recent reviews, especially compared to all the other hotels downtown, are sad to see.

Late summer/early fall has been wild around here the last few years. Weddings, baseball, football, etc drive up the prices like crazy. Most wedding blocks seem to lock in around $200 even during those crazy times at least. It’s great to see the demand. A lot of the nicer properties (ie the 9 and Kimpton) are starting to feel a bit tired already. The Hotel Cleveland project seems to be a dud. I hope some of the newer unannounced hotels are on the premium side with full amenities. I still can’t believe the W is happening.

I live a block from the Voss lots and was shocked to see this pop up. I assumed it’d just be parking or outdoor amenities for the for the project across the street. Asking for the 60ft limit without a massing and site rendering definitely scared people. A 47ft building on 26th should be tiered down from Voss nicely though. I hope it can get done- I’ve had some sketchy experiences behind Voss. Whalen seems to be really plugged in to the neighborhoods here and its huge advantage. He’s said he’s lived in Ohio City and now Tremont. I hope he goes big with the hotel. It’s a no brainer. It’s great that downtown has 5 or so hotels in the works but I really believe the demand in that spot in OHC will blow them away.

The Modell law is specific to the facility, not the city. (Of course, if Haslam strikes a deal with Cleveland everything is on the table.) The way things are shaping up it seems the majority of public money will be coming from “taxes” on the new development. It makes sense- Brook Park has little to give up front. It’s hard to know how the math works out exactly but I can’t see a world where Brook Park makes out big. Jimmy owns everything, it’s going to be abated, and the public contribution will be siphoned off before Brook Park gets its cut. I was totally shocked to hear Griffin bring up a land swap early on in this process in a radio interview. Other than pride and maybe sucking some retail from the burbs there’s no benefit. The location isn’t helping out other Cleveland businesses either way. Usually in these deals the city kicks in big but with an isolated private island of a project like this why even take on the risk?

Downtown Cleveland can be a wonderful setting for big events. So many more hotels are coming too. And honestly, if a dome is built I think there will be a Super Bowl or Final Four no matter where it goes. There’s a reason why every other cold-weather dome is in a downtown though. Expecting travelers from around the country to fly into the airport, stay downtown, and travel to the Brook Park site for the event (in the dead of winter) is ridiculous. It’s just not a competitive location. I truly believe the Brook Park location will flop other than Browns games and the concerts we already get. I’ve been to a number of multi day drum corps/ marching band competitions in Indy over the years. Spectators and participants come and go throughout the day, and weekend for stuff like that. Multi day conventions are the same. It’s essential to be walkable to hotels and food. And 400 rooms aren’t going to do much.

So a 6 month closure? I wouldn’t be buying those gift cards…. I agree that more density and residents will help Cleveland. As a resident of Ohio City for almost a decade, I see where people are coming from though. Honestly I believe the future is overall really bright but traveling these days I’m getting jealous, especially considering where our scene once was.

As someone who lived in the Short North for 5 years I personally hope Ohio City can do better. Maybe I care too much about the local food scene but in my opinion it is getting passed up by a lot of comparable cities. Chains and developer-run spots are hard to compete with these days. In the last 5 or so years Cleveland’s chef-run spots have dwindled. Columbus and Cincinnati’s have flourished. Ohio City can be the local food-hub and with the way things are trending I think we need policies to help it. Other cities are promoting like crazy, paying the Michelin guide. We have empty storefronts all over with restaurants going out of business because the rent is too high.

Possibly. But thinking of the floor plan I can’t see how Pioneer is inoperable. I just feel if it were a small business owner they’d be scrambling to be open as quick as possible.

Yeah let’s see some proof. I bet they started with the Chick-fil-A Kiosk…. Maybe new paint or signage?

As a resident, it’s been tough seeing small local businesses close and chains and developer-run concepts take over. People are definitely worried about Ohio City Burrito. I guess overall it’s a good sign for the demand in the neighborhood. And honestly it looks to be a great renovation. Now, while we’re on the topic of neighborhood restaurants- Jaja and Pioneer have been closed for a suspiciously long time for a car crash in the back of the building. Pioneer never really seemed to catch on. I’m sure there’s insurance money involved but what the heck is going on?

As a Hyatt loyalist a Park Hyatt would be insane. Was expecting Dream to be the answer but it doesn’t fit the skyline piece I’m thinking it’s going to be a Thompson. Seems like they’re really pushing that brand and I’m all for it.