July 27, 200915 yr HoJo needs to GoGo. That thing is hideous and if it couldn't get re-developed in the early 2000's when banks were giving money away for half a heartbeat and a signature, it won't get redeveloped ever. Knock it down. Hopefully Cimperman and Cloud can get this done.
July 27, 200915 yr Corlett Building, facade once-removed, now the Cadillac Building? Soon to be no building! 7-27-09: <img src="http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx11/madachik2009/IMG_1766.jpg"> What is going in the place of this?
July 28, 200915 yr Press release just issued by e-mail from the City Council PR person.... _________________ Council Members Cimperman, Cloud urge court to take action on half-demolished Howard Johnson building Council Members Joe Cimperman, Ward 13, and Shari Cloud, Ward 8, are coming together again to express their outrage at the stalemate in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Richard McMonagle’s courtroom over the half demolished Howard Johnson building off of E. 55th Street at the Shoreway. Back in May, the Council Members expressed their frustration with Judge McMonagle regarding the issuance of a temporary restraining order on the already started demolition of the old Howard Johnson building. The temporary restraining order was issued at the request of property owners Lakeview 2006 LLC, who have since done nothing with the building, which has been a vacant, blighted, haven for crime for more than a decade. At a hearing today, July 24, 2009, Lakeview 2006 LLC was granted yet more time to provide evidence of a development project. Another hearing was set for August 20, 2009. Currently, Lakeview 2006 LLC has only committed to a construction fence by August 4th and submitted plans to repair the portions of the building that were damaged as a result of initial demolition activity. No further plans to do anything other than restore the building to its previously blighted condition have been made. Further, Lakeview 2006 LLC has paid the City less than half of the $200,000+ they were billed for the removal of asbestos and the demolition work completed. “I am sick and tired of big, out-of-town corporations coming into our communities, buying up land and leaving it to rot,” said Councilwoman Cloud. “Our residents are the ones left to live with the decay left behind by those with no stake in this community that are intent on contributing to its dilapidation.” When the Cuyahoga County Port Authority expressed interested in redeveloping the Howard Johnson property and surrounding area in order to relocate their operation, the proposal was overwhelmingly supported by the community. The continual delay in the demolition of this property impedes progress and stalls the promise of job creation and economic stimulus that the relocation of the Port Authority holds. “We now have building that people have long seen sit vacant and decaying further blemishing our skyline and waterfront because it has a big, gaping hole in it,” said Councilman Cimperman. “Continually delaying demolition is detrimental to our community and to progress.” “Lakeview 2006 LLC has demonstrated little visible progress in development of the building since acquiring it in April of 2007. During many months, the building has lacked security,” said Jamie Baker, Executive Director of the St. Clair Superior Community Development Corporation. “The building frames the gateway to the vista of the skyline from the eastern entrance to the City of Cleveland. It is an eyesore. We support the city of Cleveland in their efforts to remove this building.” Contrary to the jump-on-the-bandwagon popular belief that moving the port would be a good thing... Just one of many reasons I can point out, is that doing such would actually severely blight one of the last open green vistas of the lake within the city proper and prove one of the worst cases of shoreline abuse in this city's history. There are plenty of brownfields for them to prove their worth in an already under performing industry. If anyone wants to see some very good compelling professionally stated many reasons and arguments against it, and the many sensible alternatives for the port...pm me. Also, is that Cadillac Building destined to be another spectacular parking lot? Why do we tear this stuff down and leave crummy dime a dozen common red brick warehouses?
July 28, 200915 yr Contrary to the jump-on-the-bandwagon popular belief that moving the port would be a good thing... Just one of many reasons I can point out, is that doing such would actually severely blight one of the last open green vistas of the lake within the city proper and prove one of the worst cases of shoreline abuse in this city's history. There are plenty of brownfields for them to prove their worth in an already under performing industry. If anyone wants to see some very good compelling professionally stated many reasons and arguments against it, and the many sensible alternatives for the port...pm me. Why not just post it at the Port Authority thread? We can have a good discussion there. Also, is that Cadillac Building destined to be another spectacular parking lot? Why do we tear this stuff down and leave crummy dime a dozen common red brick warehouses? It's not being torn down for a parking lot. Look for the answer in the CSU projects thread. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 28, 200915 yr Oh come on now, folks - they have a SIGN in front of the old HoJo! Never mind that a good chunk of it has been smashed to bits, and thus brings into question the structural integrity of any future re-use, they have a SIGN! :roll: Now - I decided to dig around a little on the Ubiquitous Design site, and lo and behold - there are renderings of what the developers plan *cough*horsesh!t*cough* to do with the old Hojo. If this actually goes through to completion in the next two years, I'll reinstate every forumer I've ever banned. Fyi, Ubiquitous Design are the architects behind Clarence Court in Tremont and the Chicle Townhomes in Cudell. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
July 28, 200915 yr Oh, OK. According to the Cleveland Stater, the Corlett Building will be demolished for a parking lot -- temporarily (I don't know what that means either)..... http://www.csuohio.edu/class/com/clevelandstater/News110304.html My understanding was that this was to be the site for CSU's new visual arts center. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 28, 200915 yr Truth be told...that if someone were to actually do this renovation (Ho-Jo's)..... I would favor it instead of more demolition because of my concern for the environmental implications as Ohio receives enough of this crap in overspilling landfills. Do you think this demo material "just goes away?" No. I don't want my state looking like the landfill capital of the US.
July 28, 200915 yr I don't want my state looking like the landfill capital of the US. That would be New Jersey. :-D "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 28, 200915 yr Oh, OK. According to the Cleveland Stater, the Corlett Building will be demolished for a parking lot -- temporarily (I don't know what that means either)..... http://www.csuohio.edu/class/com/clevelandstater/News110304.html My understanding was that this was to be the site for CSU's new visual arts center. Another surface lot off of Euclid Avenue, nicely done CSU. I know theyve done a lot recently and i just graduated this summer from CSU, but hopefully this isnt a "temporary" lot for long.
July 28, 200915 yr Oh, OK. According to the Cleveland Stater, the Corlett Building will be demolished for a parking lot -- temporarily (I don't know what that means either)..... http://www.csuohio.edu/class/com/clevelandstater/News110304.html My understanding was that this was to be the site for CSU's new visual arts center. Another surface lot off of Euclid Avenue, nicely done CSU. I know theyve done a lot recently and i just graduated this summer from CSU, but hopefully this isnt a "temporary" lot for long. And such is an institution of higher education. What a joke.
July 30, 200915 yr Agggghhhh! I certainly hope CSU has a very detailed Master Plan associated with this (with this specific demolition, I mean ... since the only plan I know of was for the Wright Center space. What if the "compatible use" could have used the existing building stock?! The demolition of these two buildings, and the potential conversion of one into surface parking on Euclid Ave., seems so unnecessary barring a pressing development need. This seems like such a departure from the excellent work the university has been doing the past several years to better integrate into the neighborhood. Restaurant and park to highlight changes on Euclid Avenue BY VINCE FRATIANI, The Cleveland Stater The Best Steak and Gyros Building at 1910 Euclid Ave. will soon be converted into an urban park, adding green space to the development projects taking place north of Cleveland State University’s academic campus core, according to Ed Schmittgen, university architect and executive director of capital planning. Right next door, the Morse Graphics Building is slated to undergo some changes of its own ... ... For more information, please visit http://www.csuohio.edu/class/com/clevelandstater/Archives/Vol%2011/Issue%204/copy/News110403.html
July 30, 200915 yr Wait, what? Not sure what I think about this. Why tear up the urban fabric? What am I missing here? visual: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=1910+Euclid+Ave,+Cleveland,+Cuyahoga,+Ohio+44115&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=D6xxSqnrEIP8tgfJypiNBA&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=41.501442,-81.677066&panoid=ndkhhkMR4uXQwkhyl-8Vng&cbp=12,226.93,,0,5
July 30, 200915 yr I think the best steak building is utterly worthless. It was always coming down in accordance with the masterplan. It will be the main cut through leading to the "circle area" that college town is being built around. The original plan called for the building to come down and a new building (the wright center) to built on the western half of the parcel, with the eastern portion the cut through. I guess using it as park space in the meantime isn't the worst. And I have heard recently some good things on movement of more of college town, outside of the brothers printing work. If college town is pressing forward, this building has to go.
July 30, 200915 yr ^ Ok, makes more sense now. Thanks for shining some more light on this...I guess this being in "Demolition" thread instead of "CSU College Town" made me look at this in a different light. I won't stand in the way!
July 30, 200915 yr you can see how college town cuts through where this building is here... http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13086.0/msg,224368.html and now back to random demolitions :)
July 30, 200915 yr Why Euclid Avenue isn't the center of the so called development is a question. And MORE park space? 2/3 of the north side of Euclid is worthless tree lawns that people already don't use. Another part of the fabric gets tossed away. As to the worthlessness of the building itself Mc, I was just in Toronto a couple weeks ago, and many of the buildings along Yonge Street that house retail spaces are in worse shape than the Best Gyro building. The demolition of this city continues on. How utterly pointless.
July 30, 200915 yr I guess my point is just that CSU now owns the property. They very much are planning on tearing it down for the center of the new college town. Even if it takes 5 years until the economy recovers enough to the point that the new buildings of college town on prospect can move forward and the cut through is fully developed. No private business is going to invest money in putting something in that building knowing full well the building is going to be demoed in the near future. So you can either have some green space with outdoor seating for a restaurant... or a vacant 2 story building with broken windows sitting on the street. Now if you simply don't like the proposed layout of the new college town development and CSU's masterplan... that's totally different and a point of view you are completely entitled to.
July 30, 200915 yr It's also the shortest building on the block, so something with at least as much space probably could still be built on that western side.
July 30, 200915 yr ^ I think that's what they meant by "will search for a compatible use" for the space... now that the wright center is no longer in the plans.
July 30, 200915 yr Sorry for the meandering ... I forgot about the plan to break up the super-block. This is not so bad, assuming they can get a pocket park there shortly, particularly if there is indeed a restaurant across the street, like the article indicates. Demolishing the Corlett Building, however, and replacing it with surface parking along Euclid ... that seems ridiculous to me. I understand if they can't maintain or use the building, but a park and farmer's market seems sufficient; there is no need for parking right there.
July 30, 200915 yr So for demoing 2 buildings within a block of eachother, all we're getting for the foreseeable future are empty space and a less full streetscape. I'd rather see an intact vacant building than another needless park or parking lot (obvious). CSU's development plan for breaking up the block is also suspect in my opinion.
July 30, 200915 yr Demolishing the Corlett Building, however, and replacing it with surface parking along Euclid ... that seems ridiculous to me. I understand if they can't maintain or use the building, but a park and farmer's market seems sufficient; there is no need for parking right there. I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that the parking would be for handicapped users. Seems like there's a perfectly good garage with an elevator to serve handicapped students/staff/faculty though, so even if it the new parking will be "handicapped only" I agree that more parking is not needed right there.
July 30, 200915 yr i wonder if they are actually referring to the lot that already exists to the east of the building??
July 30, 200915 yr ^^ There is already a strip of parking in front of the Music and Communications Building, directly to the northeast of the Corlett Building, and the surrounding landscaping could easily be cut into if they need a few more spots. Meanwhile, 13 of the University's 26 (!) existing lots and parking garages have reserved handicapped parking, and Lot C (by the Chester Building) is reserved entirely for travelers with disability. Not trying to shoot the messenger or anything. But seriously ... Cleveland State! No more parking! ^ I can only hope that that is the meaning and that the actual footprint of the building will be the "grassy space" described in the article. Better green than gray. I can't imagine they would build surface parking right along the streetscape, and I cannot imagine that they would have been awarded a variance to do so this soon after the ECP's completion.
July 30, 200915 yr ^ There is already a strip of parking in front of the Music and Communications Building, directly to the northeast of the Corlett Building, and the surrounding landscaping could easily be cut into if they need a few more spots. Meanwhile, 13 of the University's 26 (!) existing lots and parking garages have reserved handicapped parking, and Lot C (by the Chester Building) is reserved entirely for travelers with disability. Not trying to shoot the messenger or anything. But seriously ... Cleveland State! No more parking! I fixed that for you.
July 31, 200915 yr What I really want to know is if this will lead to the creation of a thouroughfare for E. 19th St. It currently begins at Chester, goes south and dead ends past the main parking garage. It was once in the masterplan to extend E. 19th out to Euclid. Now that Corlett is coming down as well as the Best Steak Building, E. 19th could go thru to Euclid and continue down to Swingos Ct, and onto Prospect, or at a very minimum, some sort of sidewalk or bike path connecting College Town and the commuter station.
July 31, 200915 yr This block along Euclid is one of the few projects that is moving forward, regardless of the economy. They have been sticking with their plans - so I entrust them to tear down Best Steak and green it up. To those who think the land across the street, where Corlett Bldg. and park space currently sits, in front of the Law Bldg, that won't always be "useless green space". It will be replaced with the new visual arts/theatre that is proposed in the next 5 years. With Playhouse Sq. taking in The Playhouse in 2011, this will drive the need for CSU to build the proposed theatre.
July 31, 200915 yr The visual arts center has basically been scrapped because CSU is renovating the Allen Theatre for their use.
July 31, 200915 yr I'm under the impression that it will still be built as a CSU Performing Arts Building to replace the factory theatre on E. 22nd. If Corlett falls for nothing, then I would be upset.
July 31, 200915 yr From the Cleveland Stater (http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:Gn-D_BghmxUJ:www.csuohio.edu/class/com/clevelandstater/News110304.html+cleveland+stater+corlett+building&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) ... Sorry for the weird link; I couldn't get the page to work, so this is the cached content. The primary building proposed for that plot of land is a new visual arts center to improve the art department’s amenities and give them a higher profile on campus. With the recent deal with Playhouse Square to renovate the Allen Theater to house the theater arts program, the potential use of the visual arts center has changed. The amount of performance area would be reduced, Schmittgen said. “However the project is still very viable programmatically [as a] fine arts, dance, exterior and interior performance venue,” Schmittgen said.
July 31, 200915 yr ^ 8Shades, out of curiosity, what was the date of that article? I didn't see it when I clicked the link.
July 31, 200915 yr If you scroll around the history of the CSU Developments thread, you'll see some renderings of the proposed facility. It's amazing and could be a contender for most unique architecture in the city, alongside the RNR HOF (IM Pei) and PBL Bldg. (Frank Gehry)
July 31, 200915 yr ^ 8Shades, out of curiosity, what was the date of that article? I didn't see it when I clicked the link. I'm not sure, but it just showed up on the County Planning Blog a couple days ago, so I assume it's pretty recent.
August 4, 200915 yr Links to Cleveland Stater articles go bad after a week or two, so you need to link to the archived version in order to get a permanent link. The Corlett Building article was from the July 8 issue.
August 12, 200915 yr Looks like they aren't bothering to save any of the Corlett building's facade (someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong): clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
August 12, 200915 yr wow...too bad indeed. Also noticed the old podiatry building at Cleveland Clinc was fenced off yesterday with some equipment nearby....anyone else know anything? :(
August 12, 200915 yr I believe I read somewhere (perhaps in this thread) that they are planning on saving six or seven "architecturally significant" components of the building. But it wasn't clear if that was doorknobs or an entire portion of the facade. A real shame. I believe the Podiatry Building has been slated for demolition for some time now. IIRC, for surface parking until they identify any need for new construction.
August 13, 200915 yr I believe the Podiatry Building has been slated for demolition for some time now. IIRC, for surface parking until they identify any need for new construction. hold up here is the cell towers on the roof. waiting for company to relocate before demolition can begin.
August 14, 200915 yr Looks like they want to finish off tearing down the building that they removed the front of when working on the Euclid corridor. Dunham Tavern wants to expand into the space.
August 14, 200915 yr I actually would not be unhappy to see those buildings go. They should have been demolished in their entirety to start. Or, even better, left completely alone.
August 21, 200915 yr This is really a heartbreaking demolition. Always loved that building, and as they peeled the building back and revealed new intricacies of the facade, you couldn't help but wish it was a renovation and not a demolition :(
August 21, 200915 yr I'm a little late to this Corlett Building discussion, But exactly where was the Corlett building located?
August 21, 200915 yr Demolition of Cortlett without saving the facade is a discrace. The Dunham tavern plan is brilliant. This is green space I can approve of.
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