MuRrAy HiLL

Seems like some disagreement here... All I want is some frikin residential on the Lakefront, that's it. I don't care if anything else gets built. Residential will create the needed neighborhood and core of new life of people there 24 hrs a day instead of 6-12 hrs a day. Cleveland's lakefront approach backward By KEViN PATRICK MURPHY 4:30 am, April 30, 2012 Most recently, Mayor Frank Jackson has proposed to remake the downtown Lake Erie shoreline with shops, restaurants, offices and a hotel — at a cost of approximately $2 billion. City officials expect most of the money to come from the private sector. Cleveland's backwards approach to encouraging investment has always been the fundamental flaw of its lakefront revitalization efforts. Good development is tied to good infrastructure. New York came to the realization that public investment in public space stimulates private sector real estate development. Baltimore grew to appreciate the power of exercising its governmental authority to support private development projects. Cleveland, on the other hand, has repeatedly attempted to function as a private developer, rather than pursue development partnerships with the private sector and other public-sector entities. To effectively develop the downtown shoreline, a lakefront development corporation — comprised of representatives appointed by the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the state of Ohio and key private sector and nonprofit players — must be established in Cleveland. Toronto's waterfront development corporation should be used as the prototype. It would be irresponsible to imply that lakefront revitalization alone can solve the major underlying problems that Cleveland currently faces, but it is an important step in what must become a regional growth strategy. By taking immediate steps to form a lakefront development corporation, and taking those steps with a sense of urgency, Northeast Ohio can begin to build towards a better future. To be sure, Northeast Ohio has seen its share of disappointment over the last several decades, but disappointment is not justification for capitulation. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20120430/SUB1/304309991

Cleveland State University, Northeast Ohio Medical University partner for better health care Published: Monday, April 30, 2012, 8:00 PM By Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State University and Northeast Ohio Medical University partnership to encourage minorities to become primary care doctors working in underserved Cleveland neighborhoods could become a national model, said Dr. Louis Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. "I am very excited about what's happening," he told several hundred people Monday at the official launch of the Health Care Education and Urban Primary Care Initiative. "You are breaking ground that we will be following around the country." CSU and NEOMED have devised a program meant to encourage Cleveland students, as early as middle school age, to consider medicine and other health care professions. They will be mentored and guided through high school and CSU. Up to 35 students will enroll at NEOMED each year. Qualified students will receive full tuition scholarships in exchange for a promise to work here for five years after receiving their medical degrees. In 2015, the program will move to CSU's planned $45 million Health Innovations Center, which will also house the university's College of Sciences and Health Professions. NEOMED plans to contribute $10 million toward the building, which will be at 2121 Euclid Avenue, the current site of the vacant Viking Hall dormitory. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/04/cleveland_state_university_and.html

Quick add: May 6: Lakewood Spring Stroll http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index.ssf/2012/04/downtown_lakewood_will_play_ho.html

Quick question -- who owns that parking lot? Forest City Enterprise, Asher, or the Casino??

^video of this talk. I'd recommend to start watching at about 15:48:

Another blurb about the proposed West Side Transit mixed-used Center: But perhaps one of the most exciting developments is the hope of a West Side Transit Center to mirror the East Side’s Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center. RTA’s plan to build atop one of the Warehouse District’s barren surface lots recently was approved by the neighborhood board and will soon seek potential developers with the help of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. The plan calls for 39,500 square feet of ground floor retail, 183,600 square feet of mid- to low-rise housing, a garage for 540 cars, and just 4,800 square feet needed for transit center operations. http://freshwatercleveland.com/features/allaboardtherta041912.aspx

EDIT: wait, we already seem to have a specific thread http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,23756.new.html But perhaps one of the most exciting developments is the hope of a West Side Transit Center to mirror the East Side’s Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center. RTA’s plan to build atop one of the Warehouse District’s barren surface lots recently was approved by the neighborhood board and will soon seek potential developers with the help of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. The plan calls for 39,500 square feet of ground floor retail, 183,600 square feet of mid- to low-rise housing, a garage for 540 cars, and just 4,800 square feet needed for transit center operations. http://freshwatercleveland.com/features/allaboardtherta041912.aspx

Thanks for all the interesting info and posts DeCapua!

Cleveland medical mart guide: How it began and how it has progressed Published: Sunday, April 29, 2012, 6:00 AM Updated: Sunday, April 29, 2012, 7:07 AM Plain Dealer staff By Plain Dealer staff The Chicago company building a medical mart and convention center downtown has hired a Clevelander to take over the project at the urging of concerned medical and government leaders. Jim Bennett, a business consultant who helped develop an online health care company, started Monday as an MMPI senior vice president and the third boss of the $465 million project since 2008. "When you're creating an institution that's the first of its kind in the country, that poses special challenges," said county Executive Ed FitzGerald. "It may mean that there's some course corrections. Hopefully this will be the last one." http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/04/cleveland_medical_mart_guide_h.html

Port authority to build highway maintenance complex for ODOT Published: Sunday, April 29, 2012, 6:44 PM Peter Krouse, The Plain Dealer By Peter Krouse, The Plain Dealer EUCLID, Ohio -- The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority will build a highway maintenance complex in Euclid for the Ohio Department of Transportation that will cost up to $5 million and will be sold to ODOT upon completion. The cooperation between the port authority and ODOT is the result of a state law, which took effect in September, that allows public agencies to engage in design-build projects, said Brent Leslie, the port authority's chief financial officer. The agreement was reached last week. If ODOT had taken on the project, it would have taken three to five years to complete, ODOT spokeswoman Amanda Lee said. With the port authority's assistance, it should be ready before the winter of 2013. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/04/port_authority_to_build_highwa.html

Did someone say they wanted color? Well the ugliest building in University Circle now has a splash of bright colors on both sides: 11717 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44106

New sign for Anthony's (at least I'm 90% sure it's new)

^Awesome. Grassroots project comes to fruition.

Snapshot of new Cleveland hotels: 2011: (COMPLETED) 1) Double Tree Hotel (University Circle) -- 11-story Tudor Arms (Circa 1931) Restoration -- (157 rooms) $22 million http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2010/08/tudor_arms_renovation_is_bring.html 2013: (OPENING SOON) 2) Courtyard by Marriott (University Circle) -- 8-story new construction -- (153 rooms) $27 million http://www.universitycircle.org/news/2012/01/university-circle-breaks-ground-on-courtyard-by-marriott 3) Aloft Hotel (Downtown/Flats) -- 8-story new construction -- (150 rooms) $48 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/clevelands_flats_east_bank_hotel_will_carry_the_aloft_brand.html 4) Westin (Downtown) -- 22-story Crown Plaza Hotel Renovation into 4-star hotel -- (472 rooms) $64 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/10/crowne_plaza_in_downtown_cleve.html 5) Kimpton Properties Hotel (Downtown) -- 14-story Schofield Building (Circa 1902) Restoration -- (161 rooms) $40 million http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2012/01/hello-cleveland-kimpton-headed-to-ohio.html 6) Le Meridien hotel (Downtown) -- 7-story John Brown Hartness (circa 1886-1912) Restoration -- (206 rooms) $55 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/11/investors_plan_55_million_hote.html Under Renovation: Hampton Inn (Downtown) (194 rooms) http://www.universitycircle.org/news/2012/01/university-circle-breaks-ground-on-courtyard-by-marriott Holiday Inn Express (Downtown) (166 rooms) $1.5 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/03/part_of_rosetta_center_office.html

Updated -- added Flats East Bank Phase II, Rosetta Building, and 1120 Chester Ave. DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND NEW RESIDENTIAL Under Construction: Cleveland State University Mixed-Use North Campus Apartments (308 units) -- $45 million http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/06/new_neighborhood_to_rise_on_cl.html In the pipeline: The Park Building and Southworth Building apartments (34 apartments) -- $21 million http://development.ohio.gov/Urban/OHPTC/documents/Round7ApprovedApplications.pdf Hanna Annex Apartments (102 apartments) -- $23 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/12/playhousesquare_to_sell_downto.html Schofield Building (24-30 apartments) -- $40 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/06/four_northeast_ohio_projects_i.html Planning Stages: Rosetta Center Building (85 apartments) -- $4 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/03/part_of_rosetta_center_office.html Flats East Bank Phase II Residential (140 apartments) -- $120 million http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/04/flats_east_bank_project_lines.html East Ohio Building at 1717 East Ninth St (223 apartments) http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/03/kd_group_plans_to_buy_redevelo.html Truman Building at 1030 Euclid (20 apartments) http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/11/with_apartments_full_developer.html Avenue District conversion into apartments at 1211 Saint Clair Ave (up to 62 units) http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110725/FREE/307259967 1120 Chester Ave (4-story building for apartments) http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/bza/agenda/2012/crr04-30-2012.pdf Proposed: Garfield Building (E.6th) Baker Building (E.6th) Arcade (100 apartments) http://crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=TOC When pigs fly: 515 Euclid Ave (240 units) http://www.desman.com/hotproperty/task,view/id,59/Itemid,168/ Huntington Bank Building at 917 Euclid Ave http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/11/huntington_moving_to_200_publi.html Standard Building at 1370 Ontario St http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/railroad_union_nhttp://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/Themes/default/images/bbc/glow.gifations_oldest.html Warehouse District mixed-used Transit Hub http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/post_536.html Lakefront Residential http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2011/11/new_lakefront_plan_from_clevel.html Playhouse Square parking lot across from Palace Theater http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/12/playhousesquare_to_sell_downto.html

italian cultural garden to celebrate installation of new dante statue in june THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012 After three years of fundraising -- and a generous last-minute gift from an anonymous donor -- a bronze statue of Dante Alighieri is now being crafted at Studio Foundry in Cleveland. It will be installed in the Italian Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park in June. "I view this as a Cleveland project," says Joyce Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation, who championed the project after discovering unfinished plans for the Italian Garden that included the Dante sculpture. "It brings back an urban space, and reflects the greatness of what Italy has given the world. We're all beneficiaries of what the Italians have done." The statue, which costs $135,000, was designed by Italian sculptor Sandro Bonaiuto, who was originally born in Cleveland. It presents Dante in his 30s, around the time he wrote the Divine Comedy, and was created with the aid of three-dimensional models pioneered by Italy's National Committee for Cultural Heritage. http://freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/italianculturalgardens041212.aspx

Euclid Beach Grand Carousel getting new lease on life Published: Monday, April 23, 2012, 5:43 AM Updated: Monday, April 23, 2012, 8:10 AM By Michael K. McIntyre CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Euclid Beach Grand Carousel will again ride in Cleveland. Workers last week broke ground in University Circle for an all-glass pavilion, attached to the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center, that will house the carousel. The $2 million project, including the 75-foot tall glass pavilion and renovation of the Euclid Beach Carousel, is expected to be finished by late 2013. The carousel is being restored at Carousel Works in Mansfield. http://www.cleveland.com/tipoff/index.ssf/2012/04/euclid_beach_grand_carousel_ge.html

A few more updates

WOW...so happy of the momentum and progress! The eastside is being rebuilt! Phase II??? oh yeah... nearing completion, circle east townhomes are 60 percent preleased THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012 As the Circle East Townhomes near completion, 60 percent of the units are pre-leased, and eight of the 12 leased units have been snatched up by University Circle area employees. This proves the viability of new housing options in the area, says Chris Ronayne, Executive Director of University Circle Inc. (UCI). "This is a great moment in time where the Circle is meeting East Cleveland," says Ronayne of the project, which features 20 townhouse-style apartments that are being developed on a former parking lot on Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland. "The fact that Circle area employees are leasing the apartments means that our Greater Circle Living program is working. Employees can get one month's free rent through this effort, and institutions and foundations are putting money into it." Circle East Townhomes are being built on 1.5 acres of land along Euclid between Lakeview Road and Auburndale Avenue. The $5 million project is being co-developed by UCI and the Finch Group, and partial funding comes from federal Neighborhood Stabilization Funds. The three-story units have 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and two car garages. Rental rates are $930 per month, and tenants can earn up to 120 percent of area median income (about $60,000) and still qualify. UCI and East Cleveland are now seeking planning grants for Phase II of the project, which would bring an additional 20 units to the site. Ronayne ultimately envisions a mixed-use housing and office development, including technology companies or services related to University Circle's anchor institutions. http://freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/circleeasttownhomes042612.aspx

What's cool about Cleveland's pop up complete and green street Submitted by Marc Lefkowitz | Last edited April 23, 2012 - 4:15pm Posted in: Arts & Culture Bikes A complete and green street demonstration went live in Cleveland over the weekend. If you are downtown this week, stroll or bike over to Rockwell Avenue (behind the Main Cleveland Public Library) and check out the handiwork of Cleveland Urban Design Center students. In all, this is the kind of creative spark Cleveland needs to see. It signals that streets are places of innovation; challenging what we assume is sacrosanct. The public right of way is not that hard to re-imagine as people friendly. With a few thousand dollars, a hard working crew given the permission (or not) can reshape the road even in the heart of Cleveland so that bikes, pedestrians and creative loafing (or ideation if you’d rather) belong. In addition to the launch event last Saturday, organizers will host a complete and green streets training session with local planning and transportation officials that includes a site visit to Rockwell on Thursday. Also coming up this week: The Cleveland Critical Mass Ride will roll out from Rockwell. http://www.gcbl.org/blog/marc-lefkowitz/whats-cool-about-clevelands-pop-complete-and-green-street

The Healthline gets another shout out from our neighbors in Detroit again today: Rep. Gary Peters: If Cleveland can do mass transit, why can't Detroit? Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 3:58 PM Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 4:06 PM By Ashley C. Woods | [email protected] Congressman Gary Peters (D-MI) advocated for more regional cooperation on mass transit at the Detroit Business Conference this afternoon at Motor City Casino. And he used the city of Cleveland's new transit system as an example for what he thinks Detroit can -- and should -- achieve. "This is not theoretical. You see it in cities across America," Peters said. "In fact, the most recent one with the bus rapid system, which is where we're looking to go, is the bus rapid transit system in Cleveland ..." Talk about throwing down a challenge. Rep. Peters was referring to a seven-mile stretch of the BRT (bus rapid transit) called the Health Line. The route connects Euclid Ave. and downtown to the Cleveland Clinic and hospital sector of the city, through areas of Cleveland which are economically challenged. The Euclid Ave. area has seen widespread economic development since the BRT opened in 2008. According to a Feb 24. MLive.com article, "the Health Line has generated $4.3 billion in economic development. Cleveland began operation of the Health Line bus rapid transit system in 2008 after finishing the project on time and on budget." "That's pretty incredible when you consider that it costs $200 million dollars to build that system, and it's been a magnet for $4.3 billion dollars in investment," Peters said. "Now, you don't need to be a math major to know that's a great return in investment. We know it works in Cleveland, and folks, if they can do it in Cleveland, we can do it here in the Detroit area." http://www.mlive.com/business/detroit/index.ssf/2012/04/rep_gary_peters_if_cleveland_c.html

Cleveland envisions a floating office park to lure the creative class Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 8:00 PM Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 9:15 PM By Robert L. Smith, The Plain Dealer Jon Stahl, a flip-flop wearing CEO, stood on the deck of his future office on a recent afternoon and drank in a boater's view of downtown Cleveland. "Being on the water. In a boat. Downtown. We love it," said Stahl, co-founder of a young and growing software company called LeanDog. One deck below him, construction workers were tearing out the guts of the former Hornblower's restaurant to turn a 19th century steamship into bright, open offices for computer programmers. The $600,000 project will create the headquarters of LeanDog and its collaborator, Arras Keathley, a marketing firm moving two dozen jobs up from Akron. The two companies will soon put more than 50 workers afloat off downtown. They hope that others will join them in a new, nautical business park that could lend a lakefront city another drawing card. The "office harbor" is a small but striking piece of Cleveland's $2 billion, 90-acre lakefront development plan, one envisioned to entice the creative class. Architectural renderings depict a small fleet of businesses moored just west of Burke Lakefront Airport, a frisbee toss from the USS Cod World War II submarine. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/04/cleveland_envisions_a_floating_1.html

Thanks. In that case... Tilted Kilt opens Wednesday in downtown Cleveland Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 2:41 PM Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 3:02 PM By Joe Crea, The Plain Dealer Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, the Celtic-themed modern sports pub featuring "sexy cast members" sporting short, snug plaid kilts and cropped tops, opens Wednesday at 21 Prospect Ave. in downtown Cleveland-- directly adjacent to the soon-to-open Horseshoe Cleveland Casino. Until early last December, the space formerly housed Fat Fish Blue. The kilts, along with Irish-themed fare like Gaelic Chicken and Shepherd's Pie (not to mention 24 brews on tap) are big attractions at the rapidly growing chain of restaurants, founded in Las Vegas in 2003. (Learn more about the restaurant at tiltedkilt.com). http://www.cleveland.com/taste/index.ssf/2012/04/tilted_kilt_opens_thursday_in.html

Sorry to be difficult, but isn't Tilted Kilt in the building next to May Company? Not technically IN May Company?

Who said anything about sending them home? The casino is 24-hrs. No alcohol from 2:30-6:30 AM I believe.