Hts121

I don't agree that the plan is not friendly to pedestrians. It certainly isn't any less pedestrian friendly than what is there now. Regardless of how much you hate the plan, it does provide some street level activity to a corner that essentially has none at present. Sidewalk improvements too.

I also would have some doubts that such a garage could come in within budget. I'm not opposed to the concept, though.

Sears still does OK in online sales due to its heavy presence on Amazon, I would think. But the stores themselves are a dying brand for sure.

I'm not sure how much of the money for "McMansions" could have been re-directed to 'factory upgrades'.... at least not in this Country. Cuba, yes. Here, no.

Are you talking about the cyclists or the motorists? For motorists, I would agree. They take up the majority of the pubilc's ROW, they honk, they yell, they curse, and they pollute. They also cause massive damage to the roadways which we all, whether we drive or not, have to pay for. Dang elitists and their BMWs.

I agree, somewhat. I hate seeing new construction in my neighborhood. The last thing we need is MORE houses. Unfortunately, our nation's economy has become reliant on new residential construction and all the spin off jobs it creates. That said, I, for one, am not all that disappointed when I see reports on housing like the above..... although I am certainly not one of those who get downright giddy these days with glum reports on the economy.

Daffy Dan's?

Great pics. Kind of disappointed you don't see many/any younger folks enjoying these areas.

Northeast Ohio is picking up jobs as economy improves, Team NEO reports CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Northeast Ohio's economy is driving faster and gradually picking up jobs, according to a report due out today. Employment in the 16-county region was up by nearly 40,000 jobs during the first quarter, compared with a year before. That marked the first local first-quarter employment jump since 2007, according an analysis of federal statistics by Team NEO. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/05/northeast_ohio_is_picking_up_j.html

Wow. I wasn't expecting that out of the PD editorial board. I particularly enjoyed: "There are finally more people who want to live in downtown Cleveland than apartments for them." and "This is the message that needs to go out to the rest of the world: that Cleveland is the kind of vibrant, entrepreneurial, bike-friendly and opportunity-filled place that's fun and profitable to live in."

I feel pretty confident is predictng there will be 3 phases, with the high end residential coming in phase 3 (if it is built at all). They are going to have to establish a neighborhood first before even dreaming of building more high-end condos (as originally envisioned) than the rest of downtown combined.

I don't like the "?" sign. I get its purpose and functionality, but it looks tacky. Par for the course I guess with that corner.

A staging area for the bridge project is probably a good guess. That whole stretch of carnegie is in for some changes - http://www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/ClevelandUrbanCoreProjects/Innerbelt/Documents/CG%20large_10-21-10sm.pdf

Another walk-off homer! This is reminiscent of 1994.

Well... if you ever get nostalgic, you can still take a drive on google's streetview and see those buildings. From an aesthetic/architechtural standpoint, I would have been more concerned about ripping up the buildings on the other side of the underpass.

I'd say expanding the Trolley service would meet any demands and be much more appealing under a cost/beneift analysis. At least that is my opinion as of now. If momentum in Downtown keeps up, then I might change my mind. But if this is just another spur of development - a la the early-mid 1990's - then a downtown loop would probably be a massive failure and a money loser for RTA.

Sarcastic? I know the WHD is a 'historic district' and other places in and around downtown, but the Flats, at least the part that Fairmount leveled, was not a historic 'district', right? I certainly could be wrong. The parcel where the Ernst&Young building is going could probably be considered part of the WHD. But did they even demolish any structures on that parcel?

The structures came down before the lending crisis hit and before the project was phased down. So the 'historic district' was not converted to 'empty space' indefinitely for that reason and that reasons alone. If the lending crisis never hit, this is fair criticism. But since developers are facing unprecedented and unforeseen challenges, I am mindful to give them some benefit of doubt.

Sure... that is what your 20/20 hindsight allows you to conclude. What you fail to understand is the level of infrastructure work that was required to transform this area formerly occupied by warehouse clubs and waterfront restaraunts, into a mixed use neighborhood on the scale Fairmount planned. I just ask that you take the time to go back and read up on the timeline and quit trying to paint these developers as the devil. When you have successfully transformed an area as desolate as the Flats into a vibrant mixed use neighborhood, feel free to puff your chest out. Until then, maybe perhaps just consider the lengthy efforts Fairmount went through to first OBTAIN all of the land (which I realize is much easier to do on your computer when the whole city is yours for the taking). Think about the eminent domain cases... the holdout property owners... the efforts to attract tenants to secure financing. Then think how you would feel if, after all that, and you were just starting to move dirt around, beginning on the MASSIVE infrastructure undertaking of replacing 100 year old pipes, sewers, etc and then....... BOOM.... the economy tanks and all lending dries up. I am certain that you can find some fault, somewhere along the line, and when/if you do get involved in a project of this scale, you may realize that should not be unexpected. I also don't see how you are describing a riverfront boardwalk and a park as 'vacant lots'.... because that is essentially what we are getting (at least for the time being) in place of the structures which were demolished.

The PD editorial board has put in their two cents: The people have spoken on Ohio casinos: editorial Renovations on the former Higbee Building have ceased, idling some 200 skilled workers. Many more who were about to start doing electrical and mechanical work also won't be on the job because contracts for the new Horseshoe Cleveland casino are on hold. Down in Cincinnati, work on a casino being built from scratch also has been suspended. That means that projects with a combined budget of $1 billion are in limbo in this jobs-hungry state because a governor who says he is devoted to economic development and a legislature controlled by his supposedly pro-business Republican Party have created so much uncertainty that developers reasonably say they must reassess their investment. http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/05/the_people_have_spoken_on_ohio.html

You think it was razed "for vacant lots"? I guess I at least understand your confusion now.

So Mike Trivisommo, in his never ending 'Kasich is the best thing since sliced bread' meme, was ragging big time on Dan Gilbert yesterday. Apparently, the Toledo casino is not halting construction and he thinks that is definitive proof that Gilbert is a 'nincompoop'. I wish you didn't have to wait 3 hours just to hung up on after getting two words in or else I would have gave that a-hole a piece of my mind. How can you possibly compare a project the size of Toledo's with Gilbert's. Our 'temporary' casino is going to cost more than their permanent casino. Put together, phase I and phase II, plus a few side developments, will easily exceed $1 billion. Isn't Toledo spending a quarter of that, at most? Regardless, if Kasich doesn't come to his senses, a Toledo like casino is probably exactly what we will end up with. And the Toledo developers aren't stopping because they can just sit back and let Gilbert fight this fight for them.

A few shots from this morning: I wish my phone camera had a zoom, but you can still see where they tore the addition off of Public Hall. I have to assume that the exterior will be restored with terra cota? Sorry for the reflection on this one, but it shows the future site of the MM building. Note that dirt drive that is going from Ontario down into the 'tub.' This angle doesn't do it any justice, but that is actually quite a drop. And then the final one of Mall C. It seems as if base of operations is just north of Lakeside in an area that they have not really dug out yet.

+1. Like I said... complexities are involved that you don't run into in make believe land.

Which options did they not look at?