KJP

That's a former Howard Johnson's that opened in 1966. There was a developer a few years ago who was going to reopen it as a hotel, but 9/11 wounded the tourism economy and killed the hotel plan. If we can take long-abandoned warehouses and redevelop them into housing, why not a hotel with a great view of the lake and downtown?

The problem with that article, which has been floating around for a while, is that all one has to do is look at rate of new oil discoveries and then match it against the changes in consumption. Oil discoveries peaked in the 1960s and are now down to near nothing today. Meanwhile consumption keeps rising. While we aren't going to run out of oil anytime soon (if ever, because the last drops will be so expensive, no one will be able to afford them), there is a law of nature here than even an economist can't overcome. That is, the geologic reality of dwindling supply will bring shortages and higher prices. Granted, those factors will force reduced consumption. And since there no alternatives available (or even under serious active research) to replace oil, a reduction in consumption portends difficult times ahead. It won't take much to dehydrate our oil-dependent economy -- as Katrina and Rita showed.

Oregon seemed to want to clarify something the guy had said earlier, about how given two alternatives, some sort of regulation exists that states that if one of the alternatives infringes on a historic district, the one that does not should/must be used/preferred. The ODOT guy agreed and then Oregon tried to call him out, wondering why neither he nor anyone at any newspaper seems to have heard that; I hadn't heard that either, but would like to learn more. I had to take a pass on tonight's meeting, owing to a headache. A nap took care of that. Besides, the real meeting is tomorrow morning at 9 in front of Cleveland City Planning Commission. But, I would be interested in hearing more about what was said at the ODOT hearing.

By the way, I forget to post the link I'd promised in my previous message.... http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_brt007.htm

a relic of Cleveland's regrettable history I like that, MayDay, and it needs to be kept at the ready for additional usage!

Separate land uses are bad for the reason I stated -- it requires more driving than is necessary. Living next to an industry is an extreme example. And, what's wrong with living above a store or a restaurant? Lots of people do it here in Greater Cleveland. Some even live above bars, though I'm not wild about that myself, but people do live there. Imagine living in a neighborhood where you can get almost anything you want (groceries, post office, banks, restaurants, etc.) within a 1-4 block walk, 24 hours a day. And, anything that's not within that short walk, you could get by hopping a light-rail line or even a connecting bus route that fills the gabs between the rail lines. To me, that sounds like heaven, but you can do that kind of urban living in only one city in this state, and then, only on a limited basis. As Ohio cities strive to compete for young people who want to live in exciting cities, this is the kind of urbanity they are moving to (not an urban oasis or two measuring only a half-dozen square miles or so). Rail may be nostalgic to people who may not realize that electric streetcars preceded buses by only 20 years. If that's all it takes to be outdated, I certainly won't reveal my age here! BRT could be a first step, and sometimes it is. And, sometimes BRT is cheaper than rail, but not always. While I'm supplying this link below to a light-rail web page, there are links on that page to BRT websites to get more information if you're uncomfortable with the LRT vs. BRT information.

Wait until ODOT drops its manufactured bomb that, if it doesn't begin construction by 2009, it will lose the federal funds for this project. When that bomb blows up, watch our timid elected officials scatter. ODOT is saving a special weapon just for Frank Jackson -- that construction of the signature bridge on the southern alignment will mean that ODOT cannot afford the Opportunity Corridor. Jackson knows so little about this issue, he will actually believe it.

Good points about the Public Square parking lot. I wish they weren't true, but I'm afraid you're all correct.

Missed it.

Did anyone catch the discussion about the Innerbelt bridge on WCPN this morning? I missed it. Who was on? What was said?

Nice that the New York Times had the story, since the PD didn't bother mentioning it all -- even though LaTourette, the chairman of the subcommittee, is from the PD's coverage area. Geez, at least an abbreviated version of the story... Reminds me of the time the PD business page had a blurb about Singapore Airlines buying some 747s. Yet, a month later, when Amtrak ordered 100 new rail cars, the PD said nothing, even though Amtrak serves Cleveland and Singapore Airlines never will. If it was a question of informing the region's suppliers about an opportunity, a number of railroad industry manufacturers are located here. If it was to inform investors, I thought those who bought stock in Timken (which supplies Amtrak with ball bearings) would be particularly interested in the rail car order.

Who says it couldn't be? If all the DFAS employees and contract workers were put in the same building, we're talking something between 650,000 and 700,000 square feet. Here are several downtown buildings that are near that range.... The Tower at Erieview - E. 12th St. at St. Clair Ave. - 38 floors - 719,000 sq. ft. Justice Center - Lakeside Ave. at Ontario St. - 26 floors - 703,000 sq. ft. Eaton Center - Superior Ave. at E. 12th St. - 28 floors - 633,000 sq. ft. SBC - E. 9th St. at Lakeside Ave. - 16 floors - 596,000 sq. ft.

Yes, a while ago, in step with almost every city in the US. we are stuck with it now Why are we stuck with it? Gee, I thought human beings decided the form of their cities, not some force we can't control, like Mother Nature! We decided to promote dispersed urban forms more than 50 years ago, and what we got was an overreaction to the density that had existed. A highway is the antithesis of a rail line in terms of the kinds of urban forms it fosters, but has similarilities as well. A highway represents a long-term public investment investment with an easily identifiable route. And private capital will follow public investments. That's where the similarities end. Cars require everything to be spread out, and development incentives ensure it through interchange zoning plus other zoning codes which force separated land uses and make mixed uses illegal -- requiring people to drive everywhere. Numerous suburban office parks were founded on Ohio's lamentable tax abatement/enterprise zone policies. Bus rapid transit is a compromise that is little more than a feel-good attempt by skittish public officials to show they are doing something about transit. Problem is, it's still a bus, which I call "the shame train." It's still not going to draw riders having a wider diversity of incomes. If Cincinnati decides it wants to build a rail line and encourage density along it, then it will happen. Rail has the greatest capability among transit modes of fostering density because of its certainty of routing, extent of investment and message to developers that the rail line is going to be there for decades, if not a century or more. That investment can be enhanced through TOD zoning overlays, tax credits for developing vacant lots or redeveloping historic structures, establishing tax-increment financing districts along the rail line, and working with Fannie Mae and a local lender to provide reduced rate mortgages for structures within 1,000 feet of the rail line. These are things that many other cities have enacted with great success to shape their urban forms in more sustainable ways in terms of expanding their tax base, reducing traffic and providing greater accessibility to housing and job opportunities for people of all incomes. It is the opposite of effect of what we've seen from our highway-dominated urban forms over the last 50 years, when cities were hollowed out and people of different incomes became isolated from each other. That didn't happen through an act of Mother Nature or even the free market. It was bad public policy that created it, and better public policy can repair the damage.

I thought this was it?

I'm partial to the parking lot on Public Square. That a parking lot exists on the central square of a major city is a major embarassment to Cleveland.

Ah, screw it, John Roach's information is on the Internet, so here it is.... JOHN ROACH ROACH CONSULTING 721 OLIVE STREET, SUITE 1111 ST. LOUIS, MO 63101 PHONE: (314) 621-0800 FAX: (314) 621-1970 Email: [email protected]

Also, check out my post at: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5563.msg60414#msg60414 As for the water mains, if I remember right, they weren't that large. Relocating them into their own trenches shouldn't cost that much -- guessing $10 million to $20 million. I'd wager that the present value of the subway tunnel is worth something on the order of $50 million to $100 million. If that's used to leverage a 75 percent federal share, then you're talking $200 million to $400 million in federal funds. That's the same kind of thing that St. Louis did. Combine that capital investment strategy with a land use strategy to encourage density along the subway, and you'll get even better ridership. Plus, you'll draw more private investment into the urban core without increasing vehicle-miles traveled. As for what I've done today to help the revolution today, re-read this message and the one I posted earlier today. We need to share information about an innovative start-up mechanism that has already proved itself in a city that's very similar to Cincinnati in many respects. If it worked to get St. Louis its first light-rail line and build the constituency for building more light rail, it might just work in Cincinnati. Let me further help the revolution by providing to my Cincinnati friends the name of one of the people who came up with the idea in St. Louis -- John Roach of Roach Consulting. I don't want to post his phone number on a forum, but if you send a private message to me, I will supply it to you. Maybe designate a person or two to contact him so he doesn't get a dozen phone calls.

Let's see... 1,800 employees plus 400 contractors would require about 660,000 square feet of office space. The Federal Building has 990,000 square feet. Of course, the contractors can be located anywhere. But if the federal employees and contract workers were put in the same building, that would be one big building! See my message near the end of Page 3 of this string for comparisons.

Who knows, maybe someday it will have 1/20th the popularity as living next to a NYC subway station!

Hey Dan, how many times do you see inner-city "undesirables" waiting for a train at a suburban station while carrying a television they just stole from a suburban home? Probably as often as I've seem "them" at Shaker Heights stations.... NEVER! If "they" want to target you, your family or your suburban home, they could just as easily steal a car and come out from the city to make trouble. Unfortunately, I do see this in suburban police reports, moreso than "them" taking the bus to the 'burbs. If Cincy wants a rail line, use your existing subway tunnels as a means to get started at no cost to local taxpayers, just as St. Louis did. Build the constituency for additional rail lines.

Pope, Here's the best info I have on Chris. He started working for the county in its planning department. I don't know how he met Jane Campbell, then a state representative, but it was probably through her husband Hunter Morrison, then Cleveland's City Planning Commission director. I don't know whether Chris started working for Jane when she was a state rep (possibly as a legislative aide?), but he became her assistant when she won a seat on the Cuyahoga County commission. Chris has always been interested in urban sustainability issues, and he worked with me and others on writing a guidebook, "Car-Free in Cleveland" in 2000. When Jane was elected mayor, Chris went with her to City Hall, first becoming her director of planning and later as chief of staff.

That's funny. Just today, I called Chris at City Hall but was told "he's out and about." So I left a message for Chris to call me, but the call was returned by Bob Brown... Now I know why!

Feeling a little flat, was she? Wasn't yesterday windy? Could've been dangerous for her....

Rrrraid!

I guess Alsenas hoped ODOT would buy into it. Or, he might have wanted the process to play out before bringing in the big guns (ie: the county commissioners).