On a related note: I notice this past weekend the new McDs is open in Lakewood already. Not sure when demo of the theater began.

 

I will never set foot in that space.

 

Better yet, I won't buy a thing from that store. The only voice I have in these matters is how I spend my money, or not spend my money.

Here's your chance to stop a demolition. Speak up!

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/bza/agenda/2012/crr11-19-2012.pdf

 

Board of Zoning Appeals

601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 519

Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1071

216/664-2582 - Fax: 216/664-3281

November 19, 2012

 

9:30 Ward 6

Calendar No. 12-154: 8601 Euclid Avenue Mamie Mitchell

Euclid Avenue Church of God, by and through counsel Kenneth J. Fisher, appeals under the authority of Section 76-6 of the Charter of the City of Cleveland and from a ruling of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission on July 12, 2012 to disapprove a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the structure located on the property at 8601 Euclid Avenue pursuant to Section 161.05 in the Cleveland Codified Ordinances. (Filed 8-28-12)

The City of Lakewood could have prevented that demo by employing an appropriate policy regime.  For example, they could ban new drive-thru operations on Detroit.  They could make an open commitment to historic preservation and walkability.  Whatever they choose to do, the city's leaders must be held accountable for their choices.  McDonalds Corp has no legal authority to plan or zone the City of Lakewood.

The razing of One, Two, and Three Commerce Park in Beachwood is complete, and debris cleanup is in progress.  The site is to become (at least) apartments.  Buildings Four and Five are unaffected, and still in use.  I was impressed by how large the exposed site really is.

FYI....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,925.msg648306.html#msg648306

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/bza/agenda/2012/crr11-19-2012.pdf

 

Board of Zoning Appeals

601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 519

Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1071

216/664-2582 - Fax: 216/664-3281

 

November 19, 2012

 

9:30 Ward 6

Calendar No. 12-154: 8601 Euclid Avenue Mamie Mitchell

Euclid Avenue Church of God, by and through counsel Kenneth J. Fisher, appeals under the authority of Section 76-6 of the Charter of the City of Cleveland and from a ruling of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission on July 12, 2012 to disapprove a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the structure located on the property at 8601 Euclid Avenue pursuant to Section 161.05 in the Cleveland Codified Ordinances. (Filed 8-28-12)

They are really trying to tear that down. That would be sad. Another Church gone on Euclid

They need to accept their vows of poverty and walk away from that church.

Am I reading that correctly, that the landmarks commission already said no and they're appealing it?

Am I reading that correctly, that the landmarks commission already said no and they're appealing it?

 

Routine.

And here she goes...

IMG_2858 by jjames0408, on Flickr

Good riddance.

Demolition of the retail strip along the north side of Clifton Boulevard, between West 117th and West 116th streets, is on the Landmarks Commission docket for Thursday, Nov. 29.

 

However there is a potential demolition that's not on the docket, but is referred to in a very preliminary site plan submitted as part of the retail strip demolition application. The potential demolition is for the former Fifth Christian Scientist Church, 11623 Lake Ave. The graphics, docket information and discussion are at:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,925.msg651572.html#msg651572

This church at West 117th Street and Lake Avenue is threatened. See the discussion and more photos at:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,925.msg651755.html#msg651755

 

Anybody see the house on the Southside of Clifton in Lakewood where they knocked down the house and saved the facade? It's a first for me to see that on a residential unit. I'll try to snap a picture.

Anybody see the house on the Southside of Clifton in Lakewood where they knocked down the house and saved the facade? It's a first for me to see that on a residential unit. I'll try to snap a picture.

 

I have seen it - I live around the corner. My belief was they were trying to save more than the facade because prior to Sandy coming through, there was much more construction and structural elements to it besides just the facade. My reaction was that Sandy destroyed that so now they are only working with the facade.

The battle to save the gem of John Marshall High school in the final hours:

 

http://thecivicartcleveland.blogspot.com/2012/11/another-treasure-about-to-fall-john.html

 

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2012/12/a_cleveland_mans_hunger_strike.html

The battle to save the gem of John Marshall High school in the final hours:

 

http://thecivicartcleveland.blogspot.com/2012/11/another-treasure-about-to-fall-john.html

 

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2012/12/a_cleveland_mans_hunger_strike.html

 

They've already started demolishing it from the inside out. The whole thing has been gutted and all the architecturally notable features were removed to be reinstalled in the JMHS.

Yep, "demolition is the same as revitalization." I guess when things are desperate, that's true. From an e-mailed press release.....

 

MEDIA ADVISORY:

December 6, 2012

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840

Lisa Hackley: 614-466-3840

 

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - On Friday morning, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine will join Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and officials from the Cuyahoga Land Bank at a demolition site to highlight neighborhood revitalization efforts by the Attorney General and local governments. Demolition equipment will be present.

 

Attorney General DeWine in February announced a Demolition Grant Program which will contribute more than $11.8 million in grants to Cuyahoga County, administered by the Cuyahoga Land Bank, and $75 Million across Ohio. Attorney General DeWine's demolition program helps stabilize and improve communities by removing blighted and abandoned homes with funds from the national mortgage settlement reached earlier this year.

 

WHO:          Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine

                      Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson

                      Cuyahoga Land Bank President Gus Frangos

 

WHAT:        Demolition of abandoned foreclosed property paid for by Demolition Grant

                      Program and local matching funds

 

WHERE:      6179 Morton Avenue

                      Cleveland, Ohio

 

WHEN:        December 7, 2012

                    Event Begins at 10:15 a.m.

 

 

- 30 -

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2012/12072012/index.php

 

City Planning Commission

Agenda for December 7, 2012

 

EAST DESIGN REVIEW

 

EAST2012-xxx: Demolition of Residential Structure

Project Address: 2932 East 116th Street

Project Representative: Ron O’Leary, City of Cleveland

 

NEAR WEST DESIGN REVIEW

 

NW2012-xxx: Demolition of Residential Structure

Project Address: 3308 Fulton Avenue

Project Representative: Ron O’Leary, City of Cleveland

Cross-posted in the Cleveland random developments thread......

 

Demolition to start Dec. 17 on John Marshall High in Cleveland

Published: Friday, December 07, 2012, 12:05 PM    Updated: Friday, December 07, 2012, 12:06 PM

  By Ken Prendergast, Sun News

 

CLEVELAND Exterior demolition of the historic John Marshall High School is scheduled to begin Dec. 17, according to city officials. It is due to start with the pool and annex buildings.

 

Demolition workers from Evans Landscaping Inc. have been on site for weeks, however. They have been working mostly inside the 80-year-old high school, 3952 W. 140th St., doing asbestos abatement.

 

Workers from the Cincinnati-based firm also have been removing and preserving some of the building’s notable architectural features. Some of those will be reused in the new $50 million JMHS, which will rise at the same spot.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/sunpostherald/index.ssf/2012/12/demolition_to_start_dec_17_on.html

The Stanley Building is coming down :-\ I think most of the blame should be directed at the owners who let the building deteriorate to this extent.

 

Stanley Block building in downtown Cleveland will be razed by the city, at $400,000 cost

 

By Michelle Jarboe McFee, The Plain Dealer

on December 19, 2012 at 9:00 PM, updated December 19, 2012 at 9:02 PM Print

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Frustrated with the lack of repairs to the Stanley Block building, the city of Cleveland decided this week to raze the historic downtown structure -- at a cost of $400,000.

 

Calling the building an "immediate danger to human life or health," the city's building department declared an emergency Tuesday and filed a notice with the Cleveland Housing Court on Wednesday.

 

More at http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/stanley_block_building_in_down.html

^what a mess.  Looks like the casino people are getting exactly what they wanted simply by waiting and waiting.  I feel for that poor contractor who is out over $300,000.00 due to no fault of his own and who was willing to buy the building in the foreclosure process and fix it up ( or so he said).  I do believe that the woman from the preservation society is correct when she said there are hundreds of buildings in Cleveland in worst condition and the city is not declaring an emergency in connection with them.  I could have probably counted ten or more driving down Carnegie today (one of them being the W & S Building)  I'm usually not that person, but something seems fishy here.

This building's death warrant was signed long ago. Delaying further is pointless.

 

Not sure the Casino got what it wanted - they had to build around it. I think the building owners were trying very hard to get a chunk of cash by forcing someone to buy the building. They failed, and they basically screwed everyone in trying to do so. What serious effort was ever made at restoration?

Demolition of the retail strip along the north side of Clifton Boulevard, between West 117th and West 116th streets, is on the Landmarks Commission docket for Thursday, Nov. 29.

 

However there is a potential demolition that's not on the docket, but is referred to in a very preliminary site plan submitted as part of the retail strip demolition application. The potential demolition is for the former Fifth Christian Scientist Church, 11623 Lake Ave. The graphics, docket information and discussion are at:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,925.msg651572.html#msg651572

 

I'm hearing this demolition has begun.  Any confirmation??

 

EDIT:  nevermind, question answered... http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,925.630.html

Another senseless pathetic loss of history.  Expanded parking coming soon!!

 

^I hope we do see the garage complex expanded, instead of just a hole in the streetscape.

Demolition on Saturday. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/stanley_block_building_in_down.html#incart_river_default

Isn't this new casino great? Its treating downtown like a soulless chalkboard....

^ Why blame the casino?  Blame the property owners for neglecting their space for 30+ years.  Still think the Columbia building was the bigger loss of the two, especially with E4th spilling onto Prospect.

^ Why blame the casino?  Blame the property owners for neglecting their space for 30+ years.  Still think the Columbia building was the bigger loss of the two, especially with E4th spilling onto Prospect.

Agree.  Now we can focus on saving the numerous other dilapidated buildings downtown and in Cleveland proper.  Thankfully the casino is forcing either the repair or destruction of several eyesores downtown.

Agreed. The true tragedy in this case was the deterioration over time of the property. There was no push to save or reuse the building before the casino, and the building was allowed to rot until the casino came around. Where were all the historic preservationists before the casino (and im all about the reuse of historic buildings in our city, so im playing devil's advocate) pushing for a reuse of a building built in 1870 in downtown Cleveland? Why wasnt it deemed important enough to save until 2010?

^ Why blame the casino?  Blame the property owners for neglecting their space for 30+ years.  Still think the Columbia building was the bigger loss of the two, especially with E4th spilling onto Prospect.

The Columbia building wasn't neglected for 30 years.  Once the casino had eyes on the property, it's fate was sealed.

 

 

Lets not forget that the casino has owned 50% of the building for the past few years, and have blocked every attempt to renovate or to sell to someone who wanted to renovate the building.

 

 

How many historic buildings in Detroit have been razed by Gilbert companies?

 

^I am sick of people saying don't blame the casino.  Lots of blame to go around (Maloofs, the city) and a good portion of it should be placed on the laps of the Casino Gods.  They WANTED it to be torn down and clearly plotted a strategy to see this result.  Again I feel for that poor contractor who was hoodwinked into doing 300,000 in emergency repairs thinking he was going to be paid and now has no recourse to enforce his lien and a judgment proof owner.

So good to see the Dan Gilbert hate is alive and well and so easily triggered. The fact that it remains so consistently on point assures me that the world will not end tomorrow  and things will remain the same.  I'm convinced that people need a bad guy, somewhere blame can be placed. It helps remove us from our own failed responsibility's. In the case of the Stanley placing blame absolves us from our part in watching over it's 30 years of decay.

^The City as a whole needs to crack down on deadbeat landowners.

Shouldn't Dan Gilbert's company and The Maloof's split the $400,000 demolition bill now being footed by the City?  I agree The Stanley Block was doomed all along.  Unfortunately another part of Cleveland is lost to the wrecking ball.

^the owner is a corporation with no assets whose shareholders are entities controlled by the Casino and the Maloofs.  Unless there is some provision in Ohio law that directly affects the facts in this case of which I am unaware, they would have to pierce the corporate veil to go after the shareholders for any $$$ due which is not an easy thing to do.

Interesting that Richard Flordia retweeted this.......

 

Patrick Staunton ‏@312Patrick

@Richard_Florida CLE casino bought 50% of historic building, blocked all efforts of renovation. Got the city to condemn it, for parking

 

https://twitter.com/Richard_Florida

Interesting that Richard Flordia retweeted this.......

 

Patrick Staunton ‏@312Patrick

@Richard_Florida CLE casino bought 50% of historic building, blocked all efforts of renovation. Got the city to condemn it, for parking

 

https://twitter.com/Richard_Florida

 

Simple. That's pretty much how I see it.

Boy that Richard Florida is everywhere.  But I would like to ask him what renovation he is referring to. Is he speaking of a current viable renovation plan that we don't know about? Or is he talking about the plan that the owners drag out every time they need to so they can lead people into believing they have only the best intentions. Because you really must be sincere about something you have owned since 1967.  Or much like the cold storage building has this building just stood to generate enough revenue for you as a billboard for long-term advertising and as a business loss, while never investing a dime in it? I find it curious that these same owners tried to hold up the gateway complex 20 years ago with their proposed renovation of their World Auto Parts property that stood within the gateway project. I am indifferent as to whether this building stays or goes, but I think it's clear as to the owners true intentions with this property. But it will be nice to see that Barbara Anne Bridal sign gone. I would have settled for just that.

Several people have approached the owners about buying and renovating the building for restaurants, apartments, etc.

Contractor fails in last-minute attempt to save Stanley Block building in downtown Cleveland

By Michelle Jarboe McFee, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

on December 21, 2012 at 6:09 PM, updated December 21, 2012 at 6:52 PM

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/contractor_fails_in_last-minut.html#incart_river_default

 

 

 

"The preservation of the historic Stanley Block building is an unusual circumstance that might favor intervention if it were accompanied by a credible plan to restore the building," Pianka wrote. "But it is too late to re-open this case without proof that the building's owner has the will to save it.

 

"With regret for the loss of the historic Stanley Block building, this court must deny the requested motion to intervene."

 

Built in the 1870s, the Stanley Block is a rare stone-faced structure at the edge of the city's Gateway district. Neglected for years, the building became the subject of a nasty ownership dispute when casino developer Rock Ohio Caesars LLC bought up surrounding real estate for a parking garage. The casino group also acquired half the shares in Macron Investment Co., which owns the Stanley Block.

 

 

I'm sorry to be the one to share this picture. There was also a guy down there video-taping the demolition. The northbound lanes of Ontario were closed today for this travesty....

 

I watched the demo for a few hours today.  It was fascinating and sickening all at once.  Watching the ornate stone facade fall and be crushed, watching the exceptionally strong wooden floors and roof challenge the modern hydraulic tools, watching the riveted iron beams that looked just like the beams in the NYC subway being crunched, watching the insanely massive wooden roof supports, likely made of old growth timber being crushed and pulverized by the tractors of the machines...yeah it was pretty sickening.  Why couldn't anything be saved?  The bricks?  The historic timbers?  I have a lot of video and photos, but I can't even watch them at this point.  Watching this demo was extremely disturbing and made me wonder a lot about all of the historic structures that have been demo'd before this one...  large swath's of the warehouse district, the original Union Terminal project, the flats, the group plan, East 9th street, yeesh... I'm left with the overwhelming feeling that we've destroyed everything that matters and replaced it with nothing that matters......

Good lord you guys are being overly dramatic

Hahahahaha!!! I agree. It's not like the building was in pristine condition.

Good lord you guys are being overly dramatic

 

Borrow someone's soul for a few minutes and maybe you'll understand what history, architecture and craftmanship can mean to others in a city. Maybe then you'll see and feel the difference in your body that tells you there's a difference between places like Streetsboro and Chagrin Falls....

 

EDIT: what building that was constructed in the 1870s is in pristine condition? The older the buildings get, the rougher around the edges they become. They also become better story tellers. In Europe, you can always tell the oldest buildings because of how imperfect and full of stories they are and that, like humans, makes them all the more lovable and worthy of preservation.

Cleveland has lost too many buildings for parking.

 

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/cleavelands-warehouse-district-1960s-vs-t

It is too bad this outcome could not have been predicted/assumed when the Columbia decision was made. Perhaps Columbia (which is much less cut off from a similar context) could have been kept if Stanley were out of the picture from the start.