February 12, 20169 yr I love the clean and classic look of Cleveland's public mall, and I don't think it's wise to clutter it up with public art- especially public art that looks like a third grade school project or something. The one thing I found with the malls when I visited Cle last summer, though, is that they, coupled with the government buildings around them, do create a bit of a dead zone in terms of retail and activity. Rather than public art, I'd love to see some food carts ala Portland either along Lakeside or St. Clair. Something that will actually provide an asset for visitors and passers by would be great- visual clutter, not so much. Just my opinion. Creating dead-zones was the ultimate problem with the Burnham Plan, in all the cities that adopted this method. This is the latest, and best, reinvention of the Mall. The Mall C connection to the lakefront (the ped bridge) will help bring this area alive generally, making it more user friendly. This whole area is coming together. For starters, the new 600 room Hilton Hotel and the Drury hotel on the east side of Mall A.
February 12, 20169 yr I'd say the Hanna Fountains (when they worked) era was the best iteration of the Mall. Most active.
February 12, 20169 yr I'd say the Hanna Fountains (when they worked) era was the best iteration of the Mall. Most active. HANNAH FOUNTAINS ---- Here is the set in full size: https://flic.kr/s/aHsiPh6hpp
February 12, 20169 yr I'd say the Hanna Fountains (when they worked) era was the best iteration of the Mall. Most active. Good point. The Hanna Fountains were nice and attractive yet only active during the day for the most part. The area died out after working hours as all those government workers around the Mall headed home. I liked the Hanna Fountains but the current version of Mall B is better, imo. Mall A is also a good candidate for Mall hangout with the War Memorial Fountain. Done respectfully, this section should be more user friendly. Tables, some food options etc on the perimeters might work. Hopefully the Drury Hotel will have some outdoor space on its west side, along the Mall, set-back from the Mall, of course, to keep it respectful. The current version of the Mall with the hotels, convention center, ped bridge to lakefront, Public Square redo and the general downtown connectivity issues being addressed, should produce a more diverse, longer day use. The Mall will become the city's connection point to the lakefront. The Mall is truly a unique space and the current version of it, along with the overall upgrade of downtown, will be a success in the end.
February 12, 20169 yr I'd say the Hanna Fountains (when they worked) era was the best iteration of the Mall. Most active. The posted photos are great. I see the Engineers Bldg (currently Marriott) and an adjacent building facing Mall A. Looks like a great building, I only recall the parking lot it created after it was torn down, now Key Tower. The War Memorial is there so these photos are most likely late '60s-early '70s. Also, the Hanna Fountains don't seem to be people magnets, at least in these pics, and boy, did the city let them go into disrepair, along with the entire Mall generally.
February 12, 20169 yr The mall has definite potential. The last "Star Spangled Spectacular" the Cleveland Orchestra did showed what an awesome place the mall can potentially be. With the new hotels and more big events like that it will only get better.
February 12, 20169 yr Loved the Hanna Fountains, especially at night. That LAND test installation doesn't do it for me either, but it also looks like it's set next to a random metropark trail. Hopefully it will look better in a group against the backdrop of the malls/city. (hopefully better and not worse)
February 12, 20169 yr OMG when were the Hanna fountains there???? It looks like the 70's or 80's in the pics I found. They did at least say on Land Studios Facebook that that is not the final material, so hopefully it's just a super rough paper version.
February 12, 20169 yr OMG when were the Hanna fountains there???? It looks like the 70's or 80's in the pics I found. They did at least say on Land Studios Facebook that that is not the final material, so hopefully it's just a super rough paper version. Not sure when they were built but they were a big feature of '60s-'70s era downtown Cleveland. The War Memorial on Mall A, with its fountain, was dedicated in 1964. By the '80s, Mall A was a disgrace and the Hanna Fountains were in major decline.
April 28, 20169 yr Just yesterday I saw about 15 people playing ultimate frisbee on Mall B. Just a reminder that there is a value to having a simple grass field in a city. While some of the past (and proposed) art projects have looked nice, to some mall users they are obstacles that cause them to go elsewhere.
April 28, 20169 yr 15 people playing frisbee is a lovely thing, but for a block in the core of downtown that's almost no activity at all.
April 28, 20169 yr 15 people playing frisbee is a lovely thing, but for a block in the core of downtown that's almost no activity at all. You have valid a point. But the realization is that 80 percent of downtown just up and dies after 5pm. What stood out to me with these frisbee guys is that there's usually zero activity in that space. Maybe they're starting a trend?
April 28, 20169 yr One thing that Cincinnati does that works really well in Washington Park (which gets constant use so it's slightly different but the comparison works) is that it has a kickball league that utilizes the big green space they built in front of Music Hall. It's enough of a regular activity that it creates interest and people sit around and watch games even if they don't know anyone playing. That and the monthly flea market in the park, events like Lumenocity, and random festivals also help use that space, but something much simpler like a kickball league, ultimate frisbee league, etc. can go a long way towards activating a space and drawing random bystanders in.
April 28, 20169 yr It will be interesting to see how the Orchestra's 4th of July performance (though being held much later this year) works on Public Square. When it was held on the mall, I think it really showed the potential of the space. Everyone in attendance seemed to absolutely love having the concert on the Mall (which wouldn't be possible if the entire mall was landscaped or filled with sculpture, etc.), and it really was a perfect location to me. When large events are held on the Mall like the orchestra's concert and the interactive light show they did at the Gay Games you realize what a great space it is. I guess they just need to figure out how to utilize it better outside of the occasional large scale events.
April 28, 20169 yr It will be interesting to see how the Orchestra's 4th of July performance (though being held much later this year) works on Public Square. When it was held on the mall, I think it really showed the potential of the space. Everyone in attendance seemed to absolutely love having the concert on the Mall (which wouldn't be possible if the entire mall was landscaped or filled with sculpture, etc.), and it really was a perfect location to me. When large events are held on the Mall like the orchestra's concert and the interactive light show they did at the Gay Games you realize what a great space it is. I guess they just need to figure out how to utilize it better outside of the occasional large scale events. 100% agree. I wish the orchestra concert would be permanently moved to Mall B
April 28, 20169 yr The mall is perfect for concerts and there should be a lot more of that. Sports leagues would be great too, although that's a semi-exclusive use (others can't pass thru) and conducive to wear & tear. For those reasons, sports fields are often dedicated to that and only that. To me the ideal type of programming here would be shows or bazaars, where the public is invited in an open ended way.
April 28, 20169 yr Not to go too far off track, but I always thought athletic fields (and supportive greenspace) for spots leagues and open ended users would be a great addition to downtown in the College District. I don't think anyone believes the malls are the optimal sports-centric venue. With the right mix of programming and open use the malls would be not unlike the beach; organized concerts one day and unorganized "whatever" the next.
April 28, 20169 yr You have valid a point. But the realization is that 80 percent of downtown just up and dies after 5pm. What stood out to me with these frisbee guys is that there's usually zero activity in that space. Maybe they're starting a trend? pfff...I was playing frisbee on the Mall before it was cool.
April 28, 20169 yr You have valid a point. But the realization is that 80 percent of downtown just up and dies after 5pm. What stood out to me with these frisbee guys is that there's usually zero activity in that space. Maybe they're starting a trend? pfff...I was playing frisbee on the Mall before it was cool. :-) who could forget that famous pic of X down at the mall!
May 5, 20169 yr The area where Stacy Levy's "Sky Blossoms" public art installation has begun. From the Hilton Convention Center Hotel's webcam, the grass has been removed and the area is fenced off. This is one project I wish was not happening.
May 12, 20169 yr May 12 Landmark Commission Agenda Cracking Art placements on Malls A-B and CPL http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2016/05122016/index.phpadditional photos on website.
May 12, 20169 yr These are gonna look ridiculous, but to be honest I kinda want to steal one for myself...
May 12, 20169 yr These are gonna look ridiculous, but to be honest I kinda want to steal one for myself... Don't worry. Your theft is already accounted for in the budget so they won't mind.
May 13, 20169 yr As much as I hate this, I do kinda like them in the Library's reading garden. I think that's a more appropriate place. I don't even feel having them spaced out on the mall and on the historic library building. But the more I let this idea sink in, the more I can't stand having them aligned along the top of the Convention Center...
May 18, 20169 yr ^ Oh, cool! That actually looks pretty good. I hope they plan to incrementally add "buffers" like that along all the edges of Malls B and C.
May 19, 20169 yr This is part of the upgrades approved earlier this year. In your photo I am amazed the Browns' Stadium bridge is still standing since nobody is allowed to use it anymore. Does anyone know what will happen with this structure if it is to remain.
May 19, 20169 yr They seem to have redone the end of Mall C Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk That pic reminds me of what a gash the train tracks are north of Mall C and the Main Avenue Bridge doesn't help things either. Can't wait for the Pedestrian Bridge and, hopefully, some urban landscaping going on in and around the tracks-moat. And the Browns Stadium pedway is looking shabby as well, acutally it's pretty tacky looking for what is happening in that part of downtown now. The lakefront needs to be Cleveland's centerpiece.
May 19, 20169 yr Would be nice to see some tables and chairs around the space somewhere. Benches are ok but tough to use for lunch or coffee meetings.
May 20, 20169 yr You can't see them in this pic but there actually are metal picnic tables that match the metal benches already on Mall C. On food truck Fridays @ City Hall I've sat there and it is a nice feature. They could certainly can add more because they fill up quickly. Edit you can actually see one of the picnic tables, under the trees between the red flowers. There's like three tables on the city hall side, and three on the county courthouse side. Will be much nicer when the trees mature and offer more shade.
May 20, 20169 yr I really do not understand the Browns bridge. It has been closed for over a year. Either tear it down or fix it up. I really hope they fix it up, because it has been a pain walking to games without it.
May 27, 20169 yr ^ I'm not the biggest fan, but still, Huntington Convention Center has a much better ring to it than First Merit Convention Center.
May 27, 20169 yr If you try hard enough, you can almost pretend the new name is connected to Fort Huntington Park, and not from a big evil Columbus bank :-)
July 2, 20168 yr I took a walk to Mall C today and was able to see Stacy Levy's Sky Blossoms installation. I was pleased to see the large blue steel planters had been eliminated from the design. They are colorful but very little interaction around them and very little movement on a breezy day.
March 8, 20178 yr http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2017/03092017/index.php 5. Case 17-012 Mall Historic District Key Plaza West Mall Drive Landscaping, Outdoor Patio, Lighting Ward 3 McCormack Jayme Schwartzberg DERU Landscape Arch. Ellis Katz PMC I'm not sure I like the casual landscape. l liked GGN's formal tree lined promenades extending all the way through Mall A. I remember the matured trees surrounding the fountain on Mall A prior to the underground parking structure addition for The Key Center. The lighting seems inappropriate and should be cohesive with the other fixtures.
March 8, 20178 yr I agree. I like that Millennia is wanting to invest in this space, and while the current layout is vast pavement and pretty harsh, I don't think this is the spot for wildflowers and prairie grasses either. Although I might not be as opposed if it wasn't laid out so informally and a little more integrated with the rest of Mall A. Oh and good luck to them keeping cars off the path across the hotel drop off.
March 8, 20178 yr I'm a bit torn, but at this point, I'm OK trading adherence to the formality of the mall for even little bits of vitality. Very happy to see the dining terrace and some other outdoor seating. And even though it breaks the traditional geometry, the diagonal pathway at least makes sense- it's not gratuitous.
March 8, 20178 yr Wondering if Mayor Jackson will say this plan is unsafe and provides a clear path for terrorism! :-)
March 8, 20178 yr One nice thing about this is that there will be an outdoor seating area, which creates more activity facing the Mall after normal working hours. https://www.instagram.com/cle_and_beyond/https://www.instagram.com/jbkaufer/
March 8, 20178 yr A vast improvement, especially with whatever dining area they have planned. I think the quality of the renderings are not great though, I would like to see more detail. Based on the location of the dining terrace, they must be planning to re-arrange the layout of the Marriott?
March 8, 20178 yr With the debate and success of programming on the revitalized Public Square I wish the Group Plan Commission would reinvest the completion of The original Mall enhancements discussed over the years. The extra monies that was left over from the sales tax increase to pay for The Convention Center ,Medical Mart, and Hotel should be used for these enhancemnets rather than repurposed to pay for The Q renovations There was an article last year that explained much of the improvements were put on hold because they wanted to see how the new hotels changed any use on The Malls. From what i have seen not much pedestrian usage was gained and focus was all on Public Square The activities and amenities on Public Square shows what could bring life to The Malls. Once a week movie nights, farmer's market events set along the promenades. Food trucks on West Mall Drive, a splash fountain on Mall A, permanent restroom facilities , further shaded area plantings, and added curated public art. Many of GGN's plans included all of what we now see on Public Square. Time to reactivate and finish the design to it's full potential
March 8, 20178 yr I agree...when the orchestra's Star Spangled Spectacular was held on the mall that to me showed its huge potential. I still think that event should be moved there permanently. The wide-open nature and slope of the Mall is perfect for very large scale events, much more-so than Public Square. Each space has its uses, but right now it seems everything is being forced on PS... There are many events like the SSS that are better on the mall.
March 8, 20178 yr With the debate and success of programming on the revitalized Public Square I wish the Group Plan Commission would reinvest the completion of The original Mall enhancements discussed over the years. The extra monies that was left over from the sales tax increase to pay for The Convention Center ,Medical Mart, and Hotel should be used for these enhancemnets rather than repurposed to pay for The Q renovations There was an article last year that explained much of the improvements were put on hold because they wanted to see how the new hotels changed any use on The Malls. From what i have seen not much pedestrian usage was gained and focus was all on Public Square The activities and amenities on Public Square shows what could bring life to The Malls. Once a week movie nights, farmer's market events set along the promenades. Food trucks on West Mall Drive, a splash fountain on Mall A, permanent restroom facilities , further shaded area plantings, and added curated public art. Many of GGN's plans included all of what we now see on Public Square. Time to reactivate and finish the design to it's full potential All great ideas. The space is ripe for an outdoor plant, flower and landscaping expo there, perhaps even on a weekly basis. Invite the full spectrum, small florists, organic famer types and Home Depot/Lowes/ etc. as vendors.
March 20, 20178 yr Looking good to me: From today's PD. http://realestate.cleveland.com/realestate-news/2017/03/new_key_center_owner_plans_out.html Key Center renovations start with public spaces CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The new owner of Ohio’s tallest building plans to set out a fresh welcome mat at Key Tower’s front door. The Millennia Companies, which bought the Key Center complex for $267.5 million in late January, hopes to start an outdoor plaza overhaul in May. The landscaping project is likely to coincide with lobby renovations at the 57-story skyscraper, which looms over downtown Cleveland’s Public Square...
May 11, 20178 yr I thought this was quite interesting: http://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2017/05/cleveland_orchestra_announces_28.html#incart_river_home The Cleveland Orchestra's Star Spangled Spectacular is moving back to Mall B this year. In 2015 the event was held there while Public Square was being renovated. I, along with many many others felt this location was absolutely perfect for the large scale event. I know a lot of people think the mall is just a boring huge stretch of grass but this event shows the potential. It isn't a knock on Public Square either, its just that something like this is perfectly suited for the Mall. Having it back in the Square last year was ok, but seating and sight-lines were tricky. I hope more large events like this can be hosted on the Malls. Public Square has done a great job with programming since its renovation. The Malls need the same.
May 11, 20178 yr ^I think this plus the Cavs victory rally last June showed that the Mall is the perfect place for events like this. Was at the rally last year (here's to a repeat) and being about halfway up the hill it was still very easy to see the stage and the activity.
May 11, 20178 yr ^ ^^ Great points. I think the Mall along with PS give downtown two complimentary, unique options for these kinds of events. [edited for overuse of the word "great"]
September 14, 20177 yr There is some construction fencing up an the east side of Key Tower and some of the granite pavers have been removed. Could this be the landscaping project described earlier in this thread? (Sept. 12, 2017)
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