Cleburger

There is a Doubletree that is not exactly city center but is usually very affordable (I've stayed there for rates in the low 100's routinely). It's also kind of cool because it's an old, round apartment building so every room is a small suite with balconies. Some have great views of the Museum, etc.

Why wouldn't he flush the $85 mi awayl if he is guaranteed on making HUNDREDS of millions in a short term from a property that requires far less of a substantial investment? I just get the feeling that the Higbee building will be THE casino for the foreseeable future. But if you could double your money by having essentially two casinos, why wouldn't you? Giving up the opportunity to make hundreds of millions of dollars ON TOP of the hundreds of millions of dollars you'd make in the Higbee building is stupid. That's bad business. And people can say what they want about Dan Gilbert, but you don't become a billionaire by being bad at business unless you were born a billionaire. I get the skepticism, but if you think it through, it doesn't make business sense to not build phase 2 especially after 1) you paid $85 million dollars for the land (I know few businessmen that would willingly and deliberately waste that kind of money. Businessmen just don't think that way) and 2) you fought with the state to get the exception in order to keep both casinos open anyway. That makes no sense. You just got what is tantamount to a legal loophole where you're gonna get to have (basically) two casinos when you were only allowed one, and you don't think they'd take advantage of that? Of course they would. Any good businessman would. You were just given a legal loophole on a silver platter. They will use it. Whether they build a new casino or relocate Thistledown and make a racino, I don't know. But they will build something gaming related on that land. Didn't the constitutional amendment specifically state that the riverfront behind Tower City would be the location of the casino, then Gilbert fought for the Higbees temporary location as rider to the deal? In this case the $85 million saves him $400 million if he doesn't have to build a new structure in a market where casino business is way down and now a dime-a-dozen throughout middle America. It also placates the long-term power brokers of Cleveland (aka Forest City). THAT, is $85 million well spent and Gilbert remains the smart business man.

Why wouldn't he flush the $85 mi awayl if he is guaranteed on making HUNDREDS of millions in a short term from a property that requires far less of a substantial investment? I just get the feeling that the Higbee building will be THE casino for the foreseeable future.

Governor Kasich applied to upgrade service on the NYC-Boston cooridor ;)

Am I the only one on here that finds this not at all surprising. All of it. Every last piece of the puzzle. The "temporary casino." The gerbil tube. Tower City Amphitheatre as a parking lot. All of it could have been predicted long ago. The only mystery to me is Gilbert's $85 million purchase--but I am willing call it a pay-off to the FCE machine. He knew all along that was the cost of getting the deal done. Even if it says the worlds most expensive parking lot....

F*ck. :( I find this most displeasing. Where is our representation? Why does it seem like Cleveland and NEOhio always get the shaft on these projects?

During my tenure at CSU I lived at both the Chesterfield and later the Statler, both on E 12th St. Very convenient location and as safe as any urban area gets--just need to stay smart after dark.

Now here's an idea--we push for an amendment to allow slots ON the CVSR train and have (I'm speculating here) the nation's only gambling train. The casino-goers from the south can continue to feed the slots on the way back down to Akron. Win-win (at least for the house).

I hear what you're saying CLEJoe, but as MD88 often points out, 70% of CLE customers are 0/D passengers. Only 30% are actually changing planes here who go away with bad impressions. For those of us who are road warriors and base out of CLE, I have few complaints, especially now that the god-awful carpeting is coming out and tile is going in! Going back, I wish they would have put the money for Concourse D into an expanded and rennovated Concourse A, but even that isn't as bad as it could be.

I am an airline pilot. DO NOT; I REPEAT DO NOT, EVER LISTEN TO AIRLINE RUMORS FROM ANY CREW MEMBER FROM ANY AIRLINE FROM ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!!!! lol CLE losing hub status is the "converntional wisdom" right now. There is nothing to support that point of view other than than off-hand remarks of UAL's Smisek a few months back. I think Smisek should spend a couple of bad weather days in O'Hare like I have over the past couple months--he may reconsider and see the value of CLE's friendly open runways and lack of congestion! Their Ops could certainly recover much quicker at CLE than ORD after a bad weather epsiode!

I've had great luck with Gilmore. Call a guy named Allen there. He is local and will come right out to give you an overview. No high pressure sales to try to get you to add bells and whistles. Tell him what you want and he will get it done.

I'd check your math on that. The British were so broke they had to give away their empire to finance weapons aquisitions. For instance the US received new bases in return for World War I era destroyers via the Lend Lease act. Much of the defense spending was domestic. The problem today is we have never stopped spending on defense, so a good war doesn't even help our economy.

Not to go off on a SB-5 political tangent here...but this is one thing I hate about the union mentality of some of our government employees. They have guys who cut grass. That is their job description. If they come upon a downed limb they go around it. Because that's what they do. There is no picking up or moving limbs in their job description (let alone reporting them). Grrrrrr....

This is horrible. Have you reported it to park authorities?

Seriously? Whats goin on in Lakewood, i love the place, but in the last year chains have moved in in droves. I wont complain, better than empty. Given the economic prerequisites that these chain restaurants place upon opening a new franchise or location I'm happy to see this growth in Lakewood. If you think about it the Chipotle was an early pioneer in the Cleveland market. And the Blockbuster up the street is going to be the last standing at the rate they are closing stores nationally!

Is there a happy medium on the speed limit issue? Chicago's Lakeshore Drive is 45 mph. Maybe we can split the difference and go for 40 mph. Will make the bicyclists, joggers and roller bladers a little less intimidated to use the new roadside paths. :clap:

I wouldn't be surprised if the shopping mall just becomes a part of the casino, with the riverfront development significantly downsized. In this town you have to allow for plenty of surface parking (even upscale surface parking under the former Tower City Amphitheatre tent!)

I'm with you KJP. Our fabulous planning commission will look the other way and focus their efforts on harassing homeowners in "historic districts" about what kinds of windows and shutters they put on their houses (while the neighborhoods crumble around them). The entire midwest needs to reinvent itself and clean out the old leadership who still think in 20th century terms. The irony of Dan Gilbert's hometown of Detroit is not lost on me. I have been a vocal supporter of putting all of our politicians on a bus trip to Detroit for a night out to see exactly what casinos have done for that once-great city. So far no takers.

Good idea Joe Pepper. This is a great opportunity to link downtown, Lakewood (where many employees live) and Westlake.

Division I Football. Tailgate Saturdays. 30,000 kids living downtown spending Mom and Dad's money. Highrise dorms borrowed from Soviet Bloc designs. I'm with you Hoot!

We all can debate this until the cows come home...but the fact of the matter is it's a good thing for Cleveland. Our image here in flyover country is one of an uneducated, overweight and decidedly unhealthy population. Sometimes the long term perception of these sorts of laws do more than the laws themselves. With this being said, I join with 327 in wondering what council does on a daily basis. Let's get some work done on permitting, housing code and attracting JOBS to Cleveland. It often feels like some of these guys want to be Dennis Kucinich (more worried about their picture in the paper than getting anything done for the area).

I just can't wait to see all those city employees trudging up Lakeside for their smoke breaks 150' from city property! Should be a big cloud around E9th and Lakeside! How long do you think before THEY are ticketed?

I don't understand either, however I have to disagree on the long term parking ramp always full. I'm in it at least once a week, and other than level 3 (where the bridge is) the other levels are never an issue to park. Short term garage always seems to be pretty full at least when I walk by it. I find it funny that someone will save $2/day to park at one of those off site lots like Park Place and take their notoriously unreliable shuttles instead of just using the long term garage and walking to the terminal.

I agree. Probably a topic for another thread, but I've always thought it would be nice to have a modern, wide road connecting the 77/490/Broadway area through the Flats to the mouth of the river for the express purpose of funneling heavy truck traffic to that area without putting them on our city surface streets. I'm sure the truck drivers would support this route as well, especially on event days at Gateway! The area around Ontario/Huron and W25 sees an incredible amount of truck traffic going to/from the Interstates to the river docks. Worse yet most of these trucks are the super-heavies hauling stone, salt etc that definitely tear up our roads. Anyone who makes a left from Huron onto the Detroit-Superior Bridge can feel the effect of these trucks constantly going through there!

I'll keep cheering for Division I football at CSU to grow the residential aspect of the campus and use the stadium a few more days a year!