dwirthwein

If this land is so valuable for development, I wonder if a developer will make one last gasp effort.... Would $20MM change Acacia's mind? It sure would make if Interesting...

This will be a popular move on this board for many. Me? I'd much rather see a W Hotel, Roy's, Container Store, Von Mar, nice apartments, etc... With that said, rather than citizens complaining about more development they don't want, it's refreshing to see a group actually step forward with big bucks to put their money where their mouth is. I loathe their effort and applaud their effort at the same time.

Didn't Vision cancel all their Myrtle Beach flights from all 7 origination points, not just CLE?

In addition to their just-announced Red downtown, the owners of Moxie and Red are apparently seeking approval for additional parking so they can open a third, Asian-themed, restaurant at their already successful suburban office park location. Their restaurants are tasty - but that location, especially when their parking lots lights are mostly out as was the case all winter, is more than a bit unappealing...

Regarding DU - am I remembering incorrectly that the reports were this store was doing OK (even better than expected) - so much so that many of us on this board thought they were expanding next door? Wonder what happened...? Or wonder if this potential restaurant tenant that already seems likely for the space (Melt?) was interested enough in space that a gut-check was done of DU by the Marons - and they chose to fold rather than continue.

Austin has The Domain - which is Legacy/Crocker-like suburban lifestyle center - and features similar upscale retailers - so even urban hip/trendy Austinites like these types of developments.

That's one of the greatest buildings I've ever seen... inside and out... You can close your eyes a bit and see it in its heyday. Fantastic.

There are plenty of locations within 20 minutes or so - but really depends whether you want a more urban location or a more suburban one... Of the ones noted, Lakewood is more urban, Berea is more suburban... go further south and Strongsville is even more suburban, etc...

First casino visit last night and walked back by Chipotle and J Gumbo's spot - and didn't like the empty storefronts - and this will make a HUGE difference.. Hopefully, a full set of storefronts will help connect all business along there (Pura Vida and the former Cadillac Ranch seem isolated from rest and could use some more customers, too). Now - and this may be for another thread (Gateway) - but what's going on with same spots on Prospect? Almost totally empty blocks between E 4th and casino...

Tiffany's new prototype store is in the 3,500-4,000 sq ft range approx, so while this 3,400 sq ft Berger space is 1/3+ smaller than Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, it is the new norm (they say due to better use of space/better inventory flow) and is supposed to have full line of goods, not the lite (non-engagement ring, etc...) version they were building a few years back in the 2,000-2,500 sq ft range. Will require a total transformation of exterior/interior - so this will take awhile - late Summer/early Fall 2013.. They often have announced stores 9-12 months out - and no announcement yet... Also, I'm betting that that the B Spot signage on the awning over one of Berger & Silver's windows will now have to go... As it relates to the Fox8 story - Tiffany still didn't specifically confirm a store at Eton in the Fox8 comment - this is not the normal press release they send out for store announcements, which usually say something about the city, the existing customer based supporting them there, the great location they'll be in and how it will be perfect for Tiffany, etc... - and Fox8 didn't talk to the Stark folks who own the center. So this wasn't the offical Tiffany/Stark announcement, obviously - someone tipped them off and they had to say something...

It's very minor news - but stumbled across the as yet (I believe) unannounced name of Doug Katz' new CMA restaurant while looking through project info on the CMA site. In a late June PD article, Katz had said museum was not ready to announce yet... "Provenance" is the restaurant name. http://www.clevelandart.org/support%20v2/building%20project/the%20project.aspx

I'm critical of the Mentor Melt location - but also am of the Independence location... I'm not a suburban/sprawl hater - that's for sure - but dislike it more from a "what do you want your company to be" standpoint... Might make great business sense - but, as noted above, you go from edgy/urban hot spot to just another suburban eatery... With that said - I think B Spot's potential for screwing it up is even worse. Symon has an upscale brand to protect... And though B Spot was always suburban, Eton and Crocker Park are one thing... And Cuyahoga Falls - the next announced full service location - is quite another... (Even my Cuyahoga Falls native wife says, WTF? on that one...) What's next - a Rolling Acres mall location?

Google maps - have noticed many very recent aerial map updates in CLE area...

My favorite part of the CLEHts Melt is the giant bar...probably seats 40 - which is empty many of the times there, while folks wait an hour for a table... But families with under-21s are unwelcome at the bar. They'll throw you out if you sit there - even though Melt is definitively A) a restaurant first, bar 2nd B) A family draw C) a restaurant that is clearly choosing to not let under-21s sit at the bar, whether at 12 noon (not understood) or 12 midnight (more understood), to either ensure only paying drinkers get those seats, increase the perceived wait - or both - when the state liquor laws quite certainly allow under-21s to sit at bars and eat...

I think Independence (though nice enough new strip center) was a big step down from Lakewood/CHeights for Melt (which should have been in Cedar/Lee or Coventry, IMO on east side) - and Mentor an even lower rung choice (spoken by 10 year Mentor area worker/tax payer). The Mentor strip center this is going into is 2nd rate, maybe 3rd... Howe Road is probably next, then Brook Park Rd, maybe Massillon after that...

I'm used to paying $5-$8 for a beer and $8-$12 for a mixed drink when out to eat... and get multiples... This $3-$5 pricing I've heard about would seem to be a steal, in comparison. And airfare to Las Vegas to get free drinks would seem a lot more expensive than paying for a few drinks.

If Gilbert's team is involved with Somerset Collection - that's real good news - Somerset = one of the handful of best malls in the country. Great store mix...

"Are there an additional 3 million visitors per year "out there" to get to the 8 million visitor expectation for the two casinos combined?" If you put the Caesars name on phase 2, I think there are...

Tried Vero Bistro (opened in June at Cedar/Fairmount) last week based exclusively on Jonathon Sawyer's numerous positive tweets (and apparently a radio shout-out) about how good it was... Pizza - Sawyer said best of its wood fired type in town... For him, maybe... To us, it was fine... just fine... Crust good, toppings/sauce - so, so... - total effect = eh... Of the same type (not both wood-fired- but similar in idea) - Flour is much better... Bar Cento (Sawyer's own creation) is much better. Gelato was passable.. nothing more... Great upstairs loft seating area... reminds me of Europe... But odd, offputting - you-can-walk-into-it kitchen/pizza oven setup... Pleasant server. Limited beverages. No alcohol yet... http://verocleveland.com/

Love the shot of Disney's Boardwalk there.. One of my faves... with that said - the argument that will be made on boardwalk shopping is that in bad/cold CLE winter weather, no one will come. But if front side of boardwalk stores faced water/boardwalk - and backside of boardwalk stores were also accessible via indoor passage (from casino or Tower City, etc...) then you might have something that pleases both...

Imagine what $5M or $15M or $50M could do foe the orchestra or arr museum, too. Some high profile CLE donations in recent years have been $30M-$50M to hospitals... Arts organizations like CIA need it much more....

lafont - I'm calling massage place, eyebrow place "fillers" - because they are generally local service businesses doing little to remodel - just using vacant space - and likely on short term lease.. When a store moves into their space - they move down the mall to another vacant location (like the silly "Break Corner" at BP). They are not long-term, desirable, marquee retailers. If 4,000 square feet of Brooks Brothers is going unused - and rent isn't being paid by current tenant on that (regardless of whether Brooks still is) - then it's obviously to keep space filled until another real retaiiler comes along for all 8000 sf... Worse yet, they still have vacant spots not even taken by these fillers...

Beachwood Place: if Legacy/BP and Eton were combined - the store lineup would be impressive (though still lacking peer cities greatly...). However, between economic downturn (prior to which stores like Armani Exchange were announced and never came) and bankruptcy of parent company, GPP - plus competition with Eton/Legacy - there are some long-term vacancies that will go vacant another year unless something is announced soon for 2012 and stors that will remain filled with service providers, just to have rent coming in.. I wonder if problem is lack of proper sized spaces in best locations (new wing needed???) - for major retailers not here that should be in market, if BP is being too picky (there are some key,retailers still missing from east side - that have been at SouthPark, Crocker, etc... for years... abercrombie kids, Build-A-Bear, Brookstone, Urban Outfitters, etc...) inexplicably missing from BP/east - or if that's simply all they can do...

Just off the top of my head... Beachwood Place has these major vacancies... 8K sf McCormick & Schmick's, 5.5K sf Sony Style space (vacant 18-24 months...), 3-4K sf former Limited Too space occupied (loose term) by massage folks for 2-3 years as filler..., 8K sf former Brooks Brothers space - closed 2 years ago, announced closing 3 years ago - still only 1/2 occupied by local Urban Home & Garden (as filler..), 2 empty 1-2K sf spots in Nordstrom wing (1 of which has had temporary tenants for 3-4 years since luggage store closed and now has a convenience store of sorts as filler...), 2 other Saks wings spots either vacant (former Solstice) or with filler (eyebrow place), and 2 vacant Dillard's wing spot - including the former (left 2 years ago) Bose spot - which is in a highly visible upper spot in the center court... with so many major upscale retailers not in this market - they shouldn't have any vacant spaces...

Knew the Clarion at 271/Chagrin was being remodeled - but had not realized it is staying one part Clarion and becoming (the first in the area) a Hotel Indigo in the other wing... Interesting split personality hotel... http://beachwood.patch.com/articles/beachwood-hotel-to-revamp-wing-as-business-hotel