yanni_gogolak

Cleveland loan program helping turn vacant property into productive space By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer March 17, 2010, 4:28PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A brewpub in Ohio City. A business park at a former truck plant. The U.S. headquarters of an Irish biomedical company. A concrete plant relocation. An eclectic array of projects is finding support from a little-known city of Cleveland loan program. Since fall 2008, the city has approved more than $21 million in loans through its Vacant Property Initiative, which aims to help property owners revive empty lots, vacant buildings and little-used structures. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/03/cleveland_loan_program_helping.html

http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2007/09/regional_transit_authority_unv.html

That's my understanding. The retail building, on the actual triangle, is supposed to be the site of the new MOCA.

Do they have a sign up or you have just heard that? It's this place, right? http://brickhousetavernandtap.com

True, there has been a lot of local negativity surrounding the takeover. No manufacturing jobs and the church doesn't pay property tax since it's a non-profit. NPR had a story on it last week: http://www.wksu.org/news/story/25018

New Key Bank, Downtown Akron, apparently inspired by Tetris Renovated and relocated historic Howe House New U of A-Polymer Innovation Center "All-America Bridge" next to Quaker Square, old bridge demolished currently

Faith Family Church opens new home in former Hoover plant By Colette M. Jenkins Beacon Journal religion writer JACKSON TWP.: Nearly 4,000 people showed up Sunday at the former Hoover Co. Industrial Park Plant to witness its transformation as a megachurch. http://www.ohio.com/news/87621117.html Park center gets natural look District to celebrate reopening of refurbished Seiberling building By Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer Welcome to the brand-new Seiberling Nature Realm, the nature center operated in Northwest Akron by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County. http://www.ohio.com/news/87554412.html

I think somebody mentioned there was a burrito place that just opened. I looked a couple pages back but didn't see it. docbroc mentioned a couple places here: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,11359.240.html

Ha, yea well, that's why you don't drive through there. If you need to get somewhere quick you don't go through the hardest part. It has been revived in the sense of activity and retail. That's what makes a city, not how many cars can get from point A to B in a certain time.

I applaud your initiative to walk. Unfortunately you only find a handful of people willing to do that and half of them are on this board. I will however disagree with the fact that "the primary purpose of a street is utilitarian. It is to get people from Point A to Point B efficiently" In most areas, this is true; most are arterial streets. I would not consider urban streets to serve this purpose, which is where measures like this would be proposed. Urban streets are part of the composition of the urban setting as a whole. These thought as a "whole" is what activates downtown areas. That sense has been lost in most and is why downtowns in general are dead. A good example is Cleveland which is on the way back up with the major improvements that have been made to Euclid Ave. As a side for others, I came across this article printed today on Philadelphia implementing bike lanes: Urban cycling jumped 48% in the past decade: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/03/11/ST2010031100069.html

I think it would be a shock to most people at first. Americans don't know how to operate w/o their car. The idea is to make areas more friendly for pedestrians. Most people don't walk b/c either there are no sidewalks, they feel the areas are unsavory, or are lazy or in a hurry. Fact of the matter is how much time do you really save driving somewhere that you could walk? Until you get in your car, go through stops, find parking. I don't mean downtown even, I'm talking at a strip mall or something. The main idea is to get people to start using public transportation and walking; therefore ACTIVATING the area which promotes business and livability.

Traffic planner touts benefits of slimmer streets By Katie Byard Beacon Journal staff writer Jason Schrieber wants us to think narrow — as in narrower streets. That was just one of the suggestions Schrieber, a transportation planner, gave at a presentation Tuesday on creating a better balance between cars and other ways of getting around in neighborhoods. Slimming down streets by adding turn lanes and bike lanes and extending curbs can have the effect of ''calming'' — or slowing — traffic, Schrieber said at the Urban Innovators Speaker Series. http://www.ohio.com/news/87282382.html

Some national attention, basically same story though: At Cleveland Mall Green Market, Sustainability Is the New Hot Topic BY Ariel SchwartzTue Mar 9, 2010 Yesterday, we reported on the Cleveland Galleria mall's plan to build a massive urban greenhouse where retail shops once stood. The real story, it turns out, is what the two people behind the Gardens Under Glass project have planned for tomorrow. An urban wasteland is being transformed into a green paradise. http://www.fastcompany.com/1576976/cleveland-galleria-mall-greenhouse-gardens-under-glass?partner=homepage_newsletter

Nobody posted this yet? Galleria mall is giant greenhouse, raising organic crops in Cleveland By Sarah Crump, The Plain Dealer ...This place looks like a giant greenhouse. Now Vicky Poole, the Galleria's marketing and events director, who worked on her grandpa's farm as a child, expects that by late spring or early summer, there will be fresh tomatoes for sale among the shops and galleries at the downtown Cleveland mall. Very fresh -- as in vine-grown in bags and troughs hanging from steel stair banisters and ceiling beams in the shopping center that stretches between East Ninth and East 12th streets. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/galleria_has_gardens_now.html

I drove by last night, didn't go in, but from the looks of it that's a perfect example of how to do it WRONG. Very boring interior. That might work somewhere else, but there are 3 places just across the street that are much more inviting; RJ's, Lizard & Fortis

I was just admiring the "early bird parking" sitting at the light yesterday. that and the fence it's on create quite an entrance to the city.

Nothin wrong with the Liz my friend.

Yea, and that's always a guesstimate, who knows if it will ever get there.

Correct, there are a lot of people pushing for Regionalism right now, but we are about 10 years behind the curve on it.

This story goes nicely with the Forbes "rating". Ohio earns top nod for economic development from magazine By Paula Schleis Beacon Journal business writer It's March. It must be time to recognize Ohio as the No. 1 state for economic development. For the fourth year in a row, Site Selection gave the Buckeye State its Governor's Cup, saying it rose to the top in corporate expansion the previous year. http://www.ohio.com/business/86423057.html

Wow, 350 jobs? I wonder if that's at the start or at the peak?

I was wondering that myself. They are resurfacing it, but no sign outside. They have also started some work on the one on the hill in Montrose.

That material will last for a lot longer than most other building materials, and to some it looks better. What would you rather see? Vinyl siding like they are putting on the CSU dorms?

Agreed, the renderings are showing way more people than will ever inhabit the space w/o some sort of event. And what is that kiosk for? I'm glad you don't make any design decisions.

That is a great adaptive re-use for the building. I can't believe that they haven't done any better renderings. If I'm not mistaken those are more than a couple years old. Probably wouldn't get paid for them though...I guess.