KJP

FYI....

Rock Hall weighs options for expansion encore By Ken Prendergast / April 18, 2025 Construction is well underway on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s $150 million expansion at Downtown Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor. But after the new addition opens at the end of 2026, Rock Hall officials, in looking at their now-landlocked surroundings, are wondering where the museum might expand to in the future. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/18/rock-hall-weighs-options-for-expansion-encore/

I guess we'll find out -- if there's still a Census bureau or even a USA left in 5 years.

You mean like this awful conceptual site plan? (north is to the right)

You mean 2021! https://neo-trans.blog/2021/09/20/flats-east-bank-plans-reveal-84-million-project/ Yes, the project still has a pulse. It may grow taller but I don't know if it will move forward or not. If it does, I'll write about it.

Cleveland leads nation in home price growth By Ken Prendergast / April 17, 2025 Greater Cleveland led the nation in home price appreciation in March, but the metro area’s median prices are still far below the national benchmark. In fact, according to a new report, the Cleveland market has the lowest median sales price among the 40 largest US markets. But that might not be the case for much longer. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/17/cleveland-leads-nation-in-home-price-growth/

I smell a poison pill...... FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, April 17, 2025 Contact: [email protected] Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Takes Control of Penn Station Overhaul, Saves Taxpayers $120 Million Amtrak, backed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will lead the transformative revitalization of New York Penn Station, the nation’s busiest rail hub. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced today that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is taking bold action to protect American taxpayers by withdrawing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) from leading the Penn Station Reconstruction project in New York City. Instead, Amtrak, backed by USDOT, will spearhead this critical infrastructure initiative. As part of this shift in approach, FRA is also rescoping and slashing the federal grant to Amtrak for project development. This will save taxpayers approximately $120 million while still ensuring a safe, modern, and efficient transit hub for the nation’s financial capital. The Trump Administration determined that USDOT and Amtrak can together deliver a world-class Penn Station. Since Amtrak owns the station, which is an essential asset serving over 10 million Amtrak riders annually, there is no reason to delegate leadership of this important project. “President Trump has made it clear: the days of reckless spending and blank checks are over,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “New York City deserves a Penn Station that reflects America’s greatness and is safe and clean. The MTA’s history of inefficiency, waste, and mismanagement also meant that a new approach is needed. By putting taxpayers first, we’re ensuring every dollar is spent wisely to create a transit hub all Americans can take pride in.” The Trump Administration is also championing a public-private partnership model for Penn Station, harnessing private sector innovation and capital to minimize financial risk to taxpayers. This approach will drive efficiencies, reduce costs, and deliver results faster than traditional government-led projects. “Under President Trump’s vision, we’re restoring accountability to infrastructure projects,” said FRA Chief Counsel Kyle Fields. “By empowering Amtrak and leveraging private investment, we’re guaranteeing a Penn Station that’s safer, more reliable, and built to serve the American people for generations.” For more details, view FRA’s letter to the MTA regarding the withdrawal of the FY 2024 Federal-State Partnership (FSP) Program grant and FRA’s letter revising the Amtrak grant allocation. Background: The MTA’s $72 million FSP Program grant was awarded in November 2024 and intended for project development related to station reconstruction alone. With the reduced allocation in its separate FSP Program grant, Amtrak can pursue a master developer to examine both reconstruction and potential expansion of the station. The Trump Administration’s new strategy prioritizes fiscal responsibility, private sector expertise, and Amtrak’s leadership to transform New York Penn Station into a world-class facility while safeguarding taxpayer dollars. ###

No. I was under the mistaken impression that a "special announcement" that was to ID an end user for the National Acme site. Instead it was the inclusion of the former LTV/Republic Steel property next door into this lot assembly effort. He's referring to an announcement a couple of Fridays ago.

BTW, I'm surprised no one commented on the references to a planned development north of the East 79th Blue/Green Line station that would incorporate the historic church. I'd love to know more about it -- and apparently so would GCRTA!

A replacement for Beerhead was quickly found....

Agave Social restaurant to open in Flats By Ken Prendergast / April 17, 2025 It didn’t take long to land a new tenant for a highly visible restaurant location at Cleveland’s Flats East Bank. Just four months after Beerhead Bar and Eatery closed at 1156 W. 11th St., noted local restaurateurs Alex and Arturo Mendez Martinez have executed a lease for the ground-floor space at the corner of West 11th and Main Avenue. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/17/agave-social-restaurant-to-open-in-flats/

Warrensville-Van Aken station redo gets go-ahead

East 79th station rehab gets go-ahead....

GCRTA gives green signal to rebuild two stations By Ken Prendergast / April 16, 2025 Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) board members voted yesterday to hire a joint venture to rebuild Cleveland’s East 79th Street station on the Blue and Green light-rail lines. That follows last month’s board vote to hire another contractor to reconstruct the Warrensville-Van Aken Blue Line station in Shaker Heights. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/16/gcrta-gives-green-signal-to-rebuild-two-stations/

I reported it in my article posted earlier in this thread. Murphy said he is in negotiations with the city and county. BTW, here's a video shared by WPSL Pro.... https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wpsl-pro_clevelandprosoccer-wpslpro-buildinghergame-activity-7318237818235875328-ykIq?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADVW4gB9TCBTV-x0kWQxgql5L6VCOrA18k

The ask has been made. Check out the cost estimates for a stadium for Division 1 NWSL teams in Denver and Boston -- $200 million-plus. Starting out at that level is a really tall hill to climb. An expandable stadium is probably the way to do it here, and that's what CSG is doing.

West Side Market wins $28 million investment By Ken Prendergast / April 16, 2025 Cleveland Development Advisors (CDA) and Cleveland Public Market Corporation closed on a $28 million investment package on behalf of West Side Market’s transformation project. The package is the largest ever issued by CDA and will secure the remaining necessary funding for the West Side Market’s $53 million first stage of the project. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/16/west-side-market-wins-28-million-investment/

Cleveland is founding city in new pro soccer league By Ken Prendergast / April 16, 2025 A new women’s professional soccer league is due to launch in 2026 and Cleveland was named as one of its 15 founding markets throughout the USA. Launch of WPSL Pro, the newest professional league in the U.S. soccer organizational pyramid, was formally announced today. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/16/cleveland-is-founding-city-in-new-pro-soccer-league/

Here's what they said about it at this morning's GCRTA board meeting: .

The eastbound is due to leave downtown at 5:50 a.m., so 6:30 a.m. isn't very late at all. Now if it's the westbound, which is due to leave downtown at 4 a.m., then yes, that's almost three hours late. So train 49 had an interesting addition to its hind end Sunday night/Monday morning. Several executive cars including extra sleepers and observation car 10004 was hitching a ride westbound. This was at Hastings-on-Hudson Sunday evening.... https://www.facebook.com/share/r/15FdgyAUPB/

Lakewood church to become church again By Ken Prendergast / April 15, 2025 Only a decade old, the Lakewood-based King’s Church has acquired its first permanent home by purchasing the former headquarters of the Roundstone Insurance Co. after it relocated to Rocky River last fall. But that former HQ is going back to its originally intended purpose. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/15/lakewood-church-to-become-church-again/

What they say: Elon Musk on USA's passenger rail system: “kind of embarrassing” and “a sad situation.” Trump: “We don't have anything like that in our country. It doesn't make sense that we don't.” What they do: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-pulls-support-for-dallas-to-houston-bullet-train/ar-AA1CV6ta?ocid=weather-verthp-feeds

Row on Garden gets pushed and pulled by city By Ken Prendergast / April 14, 2025 Different departments of the city of Cleveland are stretching a Lakewood-based real estate company, ALMiCO Group, with orders to stop and go on different aspects of its multi-phase development in the city's Brooklyn Centre Historic District. Caught in this push-pull is a phase called Row on Garden, now planned as an 18-unit apartment building on Garden Ave. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/14/row-on-garden-gets-pushed-and-pulled-by-city/

@MyPhoneDead This.... https://neo-trans.blog/2023/09/07/university-circle-apartments-planned/

The previous one did.