Oldmanladyluck

Nice postcards!

What a great looking neighborhood! Thanks for the pics!

Excellent photos! Never been to Phoenix, but maybe Airzona deserves a visit for the natural scenery. Thanks!!

That is GREAT!! That's the type of perception changing marketing I'm talking about. Positive images in the faces of people who see almost nothing about negativity each time they read the paper would help change the mindset of locals and out-of-towners alike. Of course the perception wouldn't change overnight, but it would over time.

If true, the public investment will be minimal when compared to the spin-off in businesses which would locate here. I guess we shall see...

Stall? STALL? WTF this thing has been sitting in its current state since I can remember... and the owners want to STALL demolition?

^That's actually a nice blog. I was thinking more of someone watching an experience from the view of the camera, at different venues around town. The most viewed video website would be youtube, though it could be in blog form.

I'm thinking about setting up a youtube account strictly for posting videos that positively reflect on the city. I'm not talking about news stories... but something like having a night out on the town, enjoying East 4th, the crowds, maybe a night on W.6th, or the energy on the streets after a Cavs game. "Is this Cleveland"? Better believe it.

The building looks great! A very nice frontal exterior! Is the building mixed-use, or just apartments? Any interior shots available?

If youtube can bring this guy this much attention nationwide, I wonder what an ongoing, online guerrilla marketing campaign would do for the city...

^My point is that the reason why he's getting the attention, is that this perception is one that is accepted by outsiders regarding the city, false or not. I think we have the right to get offensive with negative press. Lord knows we've had years of it. Time to hit back.

This is my personal opinion, but Positively Cleveland is a joke. The reason why I say that is that this town needs a good PR campaign, one that can put an end to all of the recycled misconceptions which the nation hears and read and hear about through our local (Plain Dealer), and national news media. I am amazed that this guy is getting this much attention off of the same bullsh!t negative news which has been perpetuated through this town for years. That is why I say that even stupid little Forbes stories that put this city in a negative light hold weight (even if they are false), because you rarely see this city in a positive light in news. Rarely is a positive story on this area printed in national, or even local news. Perception, to someone who doesn't know an area- is worth everything. We've had DECADES of negative press. Hell, the only thing, till this day that I hear outsiders talk about who don't know the city... is The Flats. "What happened to The Flats?" How many times have we heard that from out-of-towners? Then we explain to them what happened, and how entertainment is more spread out through downtown. The PERCEPTION of Cleveland through the 90s remains, but is buried by negative press which perpetuates time and time again both locally and nationally. I can't think of another city which would let it's nationally-known party district die... but that's another story (and another topic/thread). Think about how many times we've heard stories about someone who moves to Cleveland from out of state- the first question always asked, form LOCALS, is "why". Think about how many Clevelanders have moved away to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, etc. because of the "perception" that these cities have. Think about how many times we have had to defend this city- to both suburbanites and outsiders alike. Perception = $, and in my unscientific, unproven opinion, Perception = Tourism. What is Positively Cleveland doing in regards to the negative perception of the city? Or is the perception of our city a lost cause? The best perception that is given out is from US, when we have friends come from out of town and we show them that Cleveland IS a great city. I just don't see a concerted effort from any organization to change it.

I'll hope for the best with this building... peeling off that aluminum crap is like tearing the wrapping off of a present. We can only hope we like what we see :) I really think that the original facade of the building will bring a much more handsome look to that corner than what's there now. I'm hopeful that not too much needs to be done to the facade to bring it back to its original glory. I wonder if the boutique hotel plans are still on the table in some fashion, especially with the new MM/CC coming online in the near future.

^Oh, I didn't know that ;)

^It seems as though the city is concentrating more on getting something, anything, to current city residents regardless of design. I'm sure that the proposals for the businesses came before the CDC in the neighborhood, with no one objecting to the design of the buildings. The residents left in Fairfax who might care about the design are few (I would assume), but could have demanded better design standards for the chains along Euclid. If the constituents don't demand better, the political will just won't be there. I would assume that these businesses had to come before city planning, and probably the board of zoning appeals. These designs passed both. I think it all comes down to politics, and anything being built in a Cleveland neighborhood outside of Downtown, Ohio City, or Tremont could be considered "progress" (to a politician).

Great news! We need more positive stories like this one about the city. Perception, to those who don't know an area, is 9/10ths of reality.

I still don't understand how the desires of current Fairfax residents would lead to poor urban design. It's a separate issue from the mix of businesses in the area. Aldis don't have to have no door on the street, and CVS's don't have to be built mid-parcel. McDonalds has used many attractive and appropriate designs for its urban restaurants. For some reason, this didn't happen for Midtown Cleveland. Why? It would really surprise me to find out that Britt or her voters actively preferred this look for their McDonalds. You're preaching to the choir! :) I feel the same way as you do about the poor design standards which have been allowed along this particular strip of Euclid. Looking at the businesses mentioned, I don't think that building the Aldi's with an entrance facing the pedestrian right-of-way would have made much of a difference (it's still your typical Aldi's building design). Though it would have been more pedestrian friendly... it's still an Aldi's. Same thing for Burger King and McDonald's- those businesses could have been put elsewhere in the neighborhood, but were decided to be placed along one of the best urban corridors in the country. The design points to Anywhere, USA when this is Cleveland. Urban design standards in the city should be addressed, however it seems as though design comes second to getting "something" for constituents.

^I see your point about the suburban sh!t being built, but we must consider that Fairfax has more than just those homes. The neighborhood's demographics would come into play regarding the businesses that set up shop there, which explains the Aldi's, McDonalds, Burger King, etc. Pat Britt is the councilperson for Fairfax, and she has more than just the constituents which are housed in that suburban crap. Avoiding politics (she has to appease to both lower and upper income residents), how do we plan for future businesses (which will more than likely cater to higher income residents) while appeasing to current residents who are not upper-income? That's what's interesting about this situation. We know that the neighborhood will inevitably change in the future, but how do give residents what they want in the present?

^ ^^ I absolutely agree. The decisions made in regards to businesses in the area seem to favor the wants and needs of current neighborhood residents, not the future doctors and professionals which will occupy the area. So it is sort of a chicken-and-egg situation, and an interesting urban planning scenario. How do you satisfy the current population's wants, while providing the land needed for future businesses which will cater to residents with higher incomes? An interesting scenario. Any thoughts?

^Moe's isn't being torn down, is it? That building is the last building left on that stretch of Chester from that era.

I gotta say that after some of the good news that came out of this town yesterday, I feel better about the overall energy of this town and the direction that we are headed in. The medical mart deal between the city and county (which will be located in the best location for the project, THE MALL!!), is a project which builds on our region's strength as a health care mecca. The spin-off businesses (and future employment) which will be drawn to the city because of the medical mart will far outweigh the cost of actually building the mart and the convention center. Through all the hard feelings caused by a certain major news publication about this project, this is something that we can look forward to as a project which helps change the perception of this city. There is no silver bullet which will change the direction of our region, however continuing to build on our existing strengths is the best way towards future growth. All in all, I LOVE CLEVELAND!

WOW, this building is really moving along quickly! Great shots mayor!

What a great day for the city! Convention center/medical mart deal is complete (except for the vote from city council, which SHOULD pass), along with Bron winning MVP!! I couldn't be happier about this news!

It's official!!! http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/05/cleveland_commissioners_agree.html Cleveland, commissioners agree on $20 million deal for convention centerPosted by Jim Nichols/Plain Dealer Reporter May 04, 2009 14:00PM Plain Dealer fileCleveland's aging convention center will likely be sold. Cuyahoga County will use the downtown site for a new convention center and medical mart. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson formally announced a deal this afternoon to sell the city's downtown convention center to Cuyahoga County for $20 million, $2.5 million more than the final offer made earlier by commissioners. At a City Hall news conference, Jackson noted that the deal still must be approved by City Council if the county is to acquire the downtown site for a $425 million convention center and medical mart...

:clap: :drunk: YEAH!!! Through all of the private and political bickering over the site selection, we actually got it done right!! :-D