KJP

All of the land north of the railroad tracks was once Lake Erie and was reclaimed by the hand of man. It is not natural land. What is natural land is technically submerged here. Because it borders a foreign country, it thus belongs to the US government which gives management of it to the State of Ohio so only it, or state-chartered agencies can own it (plus the legally more supreme federal government) and be reserved only for public use (and thus, no sale to private entities). Cleveland believes it can own it, too, but can lease it to private users -- it has not tried to sell this land. Neither the USA or Ohio have empowered the city of Cleveland to own this land let alone lease it to others. So there is a legal battle that's been brewing here for a long time. More is here: https://www.tuckerellis.com/userfiles/file/Raker_Public Trust Doctrine_Cleveland Bar Journal_October 2014.pdf

Hopefully!

Except Amtrak apparently wants to the use the abandoned East 26th Yard that's between the northernmost track and South Marginal Road for a train layover/servicing facility for any future expansion of service here. And they own the land. But the city/ODOT wants to use the same land for a ramp for extending East 18th Street north to an intersection with a Shoreway-turned-boulevard. East 18th could be extended north without taking the past/future railyard...

It used to be "transportation" when it was an All Aboard Ohio tradename and it summarized TOD projects in NE Ohio. But it now refers to all projects contributing to the region's ongoing transformation.

During some planning work done by the airport five years ago, a concept graphic was created for building an intercity rail station at the airport with a walkway, new long-term parking garage and supportive developments. Unfortunately, this wouldn't work anymore with the construction of the Amazon distribution center. So any walkway would have to turn due east after leaving a new long-term parking garage...

No indication of that happening. Brook Park can offer the same legal/financial tools as Cleveland can -- tax abatement, tax-increment financing, bonds, etc. Brook Park falls short on the game-day public services (police, fire, EMS, trash collection, etc). Because the lakefront was reclaimed submerged land, it cannot be owned by anyone other than the city, the state or a state-chartered public agency. The Haslams can own and control everything in Brook Park and thus reap the financial rewards of everything associated with the stadium.

No it's not. They got funding because the land bridge is needed no matter what (see Dee Haslam's quote) and will be useful to more people without the stadium there AND if the stadium site is developed with dense, year-round uses. A stadium on the Brook Park site won't be under a flight path. Even if it was, so what? Ford Field sets new decibel record, really was as loud as a jet engine https://www.mlive.com/lions/2024/01/ford-field-sets-new-decibel-record-really-was-as-loud-as-a-jet-engine.html

Browns release statement

The reason why I don't think it is a leverage move is because no one from the city seemed to know about it. There was also no indication from city hall insiders that the mayor and his chiefs were scrambling to respond. Why make a leverage move and not tell anyone? I suppose anything is possible but it just doesn't sound like it.

Browns owners buying 176 acres in Brook Park By Ken Prendergast / February 8, 2024 The owners of the Cleveland Browns football team have reportedly reached a purchase agreement to acquire a large piece of land in the Cleveland suburb of Brook Park, leading to speculation that the Browns could leave the city of Cleveland for the second time in the team’s 78-year history. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2024/02/08/browns-owners-buying-176-acres-in-brook-park/

Buffalo!

The shuttered Central Terminal in Buffalo will be remade by a new development team. The Central Terminal Restoration Corp announced the $300 million plan Thursday. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/the-future-is-real-development-team-named-to-remake-buffalo-central-terminal/article_f6b61356-c45c-11ee-9060-d36c54ec41e4.html

Large metropolitan area percent changes in employment: "Percent change in employment for metros with a Census 2010 population of 1 million or more, from December 2023, not seasonally adjusted" https://www.bls.gov/charts/metro-area-employment-and-unemployment/large-metro-area-percent-changes-in-employment.htm

Morning. Just letting the night owls know.

😮

Interesting -- and mean. How dare he redact them!

My rankings (after I get past 5 or 6 it's really just a crapshoot).... 1. Blue Line to Cleveland Clinic 2. Blue Line to I-271/Harper 3. Green Line to Beachwood Place via John Carroll (ie: abandon Warrensville-Green segment) 4. Downtown Loop (with development along it, offers direct rail link between eastern suburbs and CSU) 5. Extend Blue Line to Downtown Loop 6. Red Line branch to Westlake P&R or Crocker Park 7. Red Line to Euclid (possibly only to Highland Rd) 8. Tower City-Playhouse Square subway 9. Streetcar on Pearl to Old Brooklyn 10. Streetcar on Superior to East Cleveland 11. Streetcar on Detroit to West Boulevard 12. Waterfront extension to Gordon Park development/arts district

In the absence of hard information, I tried to allude to a potential price point by referencing the million-dollar-homes at the top of the hill (including ex-MetroHealth CEO Akram Boutros' humble abode). And there are other homes in the works in Cleveland that will be worth $1 million+ at the outset, but the developer has asked me to sit on it for the time being. I told him I would prefer to sit in a million-dollar home than on one....

More info... Cleveland’s MLK Plaza redevelopment plans revealed By Ken Prendergast / February 6, 2024 During a rezoning hearing for the redevelopment of Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, 9300 Wade Park Ave. in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, the developer revealed her plans for the site. Those plans show the plaza would be demolished for a sizable, mixed-use development that could provide 142 residential units, both multi-family and single family, plus at least 15 leasable spaces for commercial tenants. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2024/02/06/clevelands-mlk-plaza-redevelopment-plans-revealed/

Amtrak awards Douglass tunnel contract to Kiewit joint venture https://www.progressiverailroading.com/amtrak/news/Amtrak-awards-Douglass-tunnel-contract-to-Kiewit-joint-venture--71201

Ah, OK. I tried to reach out to Avenue Partners to find out what they've got in mind there, but no reply. Then again, that was months ago. I'd forgotten all about them!

Joe Zagelbaum of Brooklyn, NY https://neo-trans.blog/2023/07/07/west-73rd-apartments-okd/