Wow they're really cruising on this bad boy

New riverfront renderings look sick! :P

Wow, that’s going up fast.

From Canal Road.

How come nothing new has been announced or shown up in the planning commissions about the "Rock and Roll Land" tower/complex as part of the next phase?

They cannot seriously be planning to call it that, can they?

8 hours ago, JohnSummit said:

They cannot seriously be planning to call it that, can they?

oooh yes they are —

https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2024/11/18/bedrock-riverfront-plan-17-story-hotel-and-music-venue

^ and i dk s**t from this, but its speculated to be shinola brand. 😂

From the Goodtime III this afternoon.

Just FYI, they ripped out the rails around the construction site- they're wiped out from Lorain Carnegie Bridge on.

10 minutes ago, GISguy said:

Just FYI, they ripped out the rails around the construction site- they're wiped out from Lorain Carnegie Bridge on.

Interesting - potential walking path? And do you mean from the bridge to the construction site? Or from the bridge the opposite direction?

Edited June 2Jun 2 by ASP1984

It's too bad some of these abandoned railroad tracks couldn't be used for pedal-powered rail carts or rail bikes. It would a great alternative to walking/running or conventional bicycling. It seems like a unique form of recreation that, for some reason, hasn't caught on in Ohio.

19 minutes ago, TMart said:

It's too bad some of these abandoned railroad tracks couldn't be used for pedal-powered rail carts or rail bikes. It would a great alternative to walking/running or conventional bicycling. It seems like a unique form of recreation that, for some reason, hasn't caught on in Ohio.

Does this have the connectivity to do something similar to Atlanta's Beltline?

7 hours ago, GISguy said:

Just FYI, they ripped out the rails around the construction site- they're wiped out from Lorain Carnegie Bridge on.

Darn, I was hoping to get the article written about this (and CVSR stuff) before anyone noticed.

On 6/2/2025 at 9:09 PM, KJP said:

Darn, I was hoping to get the article written about this (and CVSR stuff) before anyone noticed.

CVSR... I know i shouldnt get excited but I could use some good news on the rail side of things

On 6/4/2025 at 1:43 AM, FutureboyWonder said:

CVSR... I know i shouldnt get excited but I could use some good news on the rail side of things

I would love some good news also. I talked to a CVSR rep a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, he expressed serious doubt that we will see CVSR extended into the Flats. If I understood him correctly, there is a bridge owned by CSX(?) that CVSR would need to use to get to the Flats and it isn't likely to happen. I hope he is wrong. It must have been nice back in the days when RR were constructing bridges and tracks all over the place in CLE. It would be a major feat to pull that off today.

Clinic/Cavs development

The Thermal steam plant will be demolished.

A grant of $2.5 million was awarded for cleanup and remediation work at a former thermal steam plant along the Cleveland riverfront. That grant will support the demolition of the plant, which the state says will then be part of a $3.5 billion Bedrock development, along with public infrastructure improvements.

https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/cleveland-area-projects-win-18-million-brownfield-grants

^I was under the impression that another company owned it.

Downtown steam plant to be razed, redeveloped

By Ken Prendergast / June 5, 2025

Eight redevelopment project sites won a total of nearly $18 million from the Ohio Department of Development’s Brownfield Program so the sites can be cleaned up and, in some cases, their existing structures are to be demolished. One of those where demolition is planned is the former Cleveland Thermal steam plant, 2274 Canal Rd., in Downtown Cleveland.

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/05/downtown-steam-plant-to-be-razed-redeveloped/

While it would've been cool to repurpose I understand why it's kind of just in the way at this point in terms of a cohesive riverfront vision.

Getting more and more concerned that we haven't heard anything about the next Bedrock phase though...

25 minutes ago, Geowizical said:

While it would've been cool to repurpose I understand why it's kind of just in the way at this point in terms of a cohesive riverfront vision.

Getting more and more concerned that we haven't heard anything about the next Bedrock phase though...

29 minutes ago, Geowizical said:

While it would've been cool to repurpose I understand why it's kind of just in the way at this point in terms of a cohesive riverfront vision.

Getting more and more concerned that we haven't heard anything about the next Bedrock phase though...

Isn't the second phase slated for right on top of that thermal plant? Or was it north of it?

I know l'm in the minority here but glad to see the smokestack coming down. As l've stated before, love smokestacks but not in that very visible entrance to downtown.

28 minutes ago, KFM44107 said:

Isn't the second phase slated for right on top of that thermal plant? Or was it north of it?

The proposed hotel/entertainment venue footprint of the next phase (Phase 1B) is outlined in red in comparison to the Thermal plant:

I have no interest in seeing this building come down until I see the fully funded plan for what is replacing it. Even then it's dependent on the plan. It's easier to tear buildings down than to build new ones. We don't need any more intermediate parking lots.

Yea, keep the building, lose the smokestack.

15 minutes ago, cadmen said:

Yea, keep the building, lose the smokestack.

Hold on there. Just needs a little imagination. It’s definitely a mistake to tear this down, but ESPECIALLY the stack. This could/could’ve been a beacon for the whole development.

With its solid steel construction, it wouldn’t be too difficult to dress it up, add a crown, and vertical lighting up the sides. Do something in the style of Reunion Tower in Dallas. Could be a centerpiece and super cool landmark for the entire development, as well as the city skyline.

Let’s do this. Someone dial up Gilbert. Could even do the top as a round LED board, ala, a mini Vegas sphere. They could make it a basketball obvi, a baseball, Tim Misny’s entire head, whatever they want. Ad revenue that way as well.

The steam plant originally had three stacks; two were taken down around 2000. The trio of identical stacks so near to downtown were somewhat iconic, such as in this T-shirt image that was popular in the 1970s and '80s. (The image has been credited to local artist George Kocar, and I remember the original shirts being produced by Western Reserve Screen Printing. The below image is a later version from Daffy Dan.)

32 minutes ago, Quilliam said:

The steam plant originally had three stacks; two were taken down around 2000. The trio of identical stacks so near to downtown were somewhat iconic, such as in this T-shirt image that was popular in the 1970s and '80s. (The image has been credited to local artist George Kocar, and I remember the original shirts being produced by Western Reserve Screen Printing. The below image is a later version from Daffy Dan.)

I have a poster of that in my basement.

4 hours ago, marty15 said:

Let’s do this. Someone dial up Gilbert. Could even do the top as a round LED board, ala, a mini Vegas sphere. They could make it a basketball obvi, a baseball, Tim Misny’s entire head, whatever they want. Ad revenue that way as well.

I do feel like one thing we really lack as a city is a tourist-trap style observation tower.

Aand...now that I'm typing it out it sounds so sarcastic, I should clarify that it's not, lol! Something like this would be an awesome and relatively inexpensive addition to the skyline! Something bigger than the Knoxville Sunsphere but smaller than the Seattle Space Needle.

4 hours ago, marty15 said:

Hold on there. Just needs a little imagination. It’s definitely a mistake to tear this down, but ESPECIALLY the stack. This could/could’ve been a beacon for the whole development.

With its solid steel construction, it wouldn’t be too difficult to dress it up, add a crown, and vertical lighting up the sides. Do something in the style of Reunion Tower in Dallas. Could be a centerpiece and super cool landmark for the entire development, as well as the city skyline.

Love it but unless there is someone rich or some organization to champion doing something creative l'm afraid it just going to remain a smokestack.

5 hours ago, cadmen said:

Love it but unless there is someone rich or some organization to champion doing something creative l'm afraid it just going to remain a smokestack.

someone rich…. like maybe Dan Gilbert/ Bedrock? I hate to lose more of our industrial culture with seemingly no plan.

30 minutes ago, noname said:

someone rich…. like maybe Dan Gilbert/ Bedrock? I hate to lose more of our industrial culture with seemingly no plan.

Misny could finance this with endless rotating head ad buys.

Pretty disappointing to see that bit of our old industrial heritage come down. Cleveland of tomorrow will look a little more like just anywhere else.

9 hours ago, X said:

Pretty disappointing to see that bit of our old industrial heritage come down. Cleveland of tomorrow will look a little more like just anywhere else.

Here's the thing, we really don't have to "look like anywhere else".

I'm totally pontificating here..

Columbus is building a really nice looking neo-neo art deco structure, a suburb just outside of Chicago built their downtown area up with a good number of more stylistically traditional structures if i remember right. There are plenty more examples around the nation, im pretty North Charleston is a good one to check out.

We can build in a way that preserves and even expands our regional identity, i can't see why we have to have these modern, generally kinda ugly buildings antithetical to cleveland. I don't know what it looks like trying to pull together a bloc of public support saying "hey you, build like this!" , but it'd sure be cool.

As far as industrial structures, like the power plant that's being demolished, I've always wondered if we couldn't still have some of those decorative old school elements instead of grey boxes and only Grey boxes. I'm not asking for fake smokestacks, but I'm not saying no either.

Edited Sunday at 01:52 AM5 days by FutureboyWonder
Can't make wurdz

Cross-posted from the CVSR thread.....

I am thrilled that the smokestack is finally being removed. There is no way Gilbert would allow that structure to stay in the background behind his beautiful, modern facility that is being constructed. There are plenty of smokestacks in dilapidated buildings in Cleveland to look at.

Similar situation, but I've always really liked the "addition" of keeping the smokestack and repurposing it like they did with the old Municipal Power & Light building in Columbus. Looks awesome even when driving by on I-670 through town.

Different situation since that is probably the only smokestack in Columbus.

On 6/6/2025 at 1:46 PM, Quilliam said:

The steam plant originally had three stacks; two were taken down around 2000. The trio of identical stacks so near to downtown were somewhat iconic, such as in this T-shirt image that was popular in the 1970s and '80s. (The image has been credited to local artist George Kocar, and I remember the original shirts being produced by Western Reserve Screen Printing. The below image is a later version from Daffy Dan.)

I have one of those t-shirts. After moving 2x, it's somewhere ... I'm going to have to look for it this evening!!

Bedrock to add steam plant site to Riverfront plans

By Ken Prendergast / June 9, 2025

If you like what Bedrock Real Estate has planned for its huge Riverfront Development in Downtown Cleveland, expect more of it at the site currently occupied by closed Cleveland Thermal steam heating plant, 2274 Canal Rd. That’s what public records reveal in the application for Ohio Brownfields Program funding that was awarded last week. But not all of the steam plant may be affected.

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/09/bedrock-to-add-steam-plant-site-to-riverfront-plans/

Good spot for a train station.

While this article isn't specifically about Bedrock's development, it struck me how valuable the new hotel there could be for Towpath travelers.

How to turn Northeast Ohio’s Towpath Trail into an overnight destination for cyclists

There's really no convenient hotel downtown for cyclists finishing the Towpath at Canal Basin Park. Maybe the Aloft in the Flats and Hotel Cleveland are the closest? But Bedrock's hotel should be fully connected to Canal Basin by off-street paths, and as a bonus would be on the way to the eventual CVSR station for those that might want to ride the train the opposite direction.

1 hour ago, acd said:

While this article isn't specifically about Bedrock's development, it struck me how valuable the new hotel there could be for Towpath travelers.

How to turn Northeast Ohio’s Towpath Trail into an overnight destination for cyclists

There's really no convenient hotel downtown for cyclists finishing the Towpath at Canal Basin Park. Maybe the Aloft in the Flats and Hotel Cleveland are the closest? But Bedrock's hotel should be fully connected to Canal Basin by off-street paths, and as a bonus would be on the way to the eventual CVSR station for those that might want to ride the train the opposite direction.

Gilbert can somewhat easily help to create a more urbane version of Peninsula, OH right there along the river, except with far more potential for amenities. I honestly don't think most people realize the tremendous opportunity the Towpath represents for locals and travelers alike.

Recent drone shots from DRONE OHIO

On 6/7/2025 at 9:41 PM, FutureboyWonder said:

Here's the thing, we really don't have to "look like anywhere else".

I'm totally pontificating here..

Columbus is building a really nice looking neo-neo art deco structure, a suburb just outside of Chicago built their downtown area up with a good number of more stylistically traditional structures if i remember right. There are plenty more examples around the nation, im pretty North Charleston is a good one to check out.

We can build in a way that preserves and even expands our regional identity, i can't see why we have to have these modern, generally kinda ugly buildings antithetical to cleveland. I don't know what it looks like trying to pull together a bloc of public support saying "hey you, build like this!" , but it'd sure be cool.

As far as industrial structures, like the power plant that's being demolished, I've always wondered if we couldn't still have some of those decorative old school elements instead of grey boxes and only Grey boxes. I'm not asking for fake smokestacks, but I'm not saying no either.

i don’t approve of this, but well said i hear you.

if anything like that should have been saved in the area it maybe could have been a little more of the avon lake power plant structures, which i believe was largest of its kind for muni power plants when it was built. or maybe more of the cle lakefront power plant?

these old chimneys are a hell of a thing to fix up and maintain safely i am sure, but hats off to whoever can do it as it adds to keeping the uniqueness of the development.

This could be an interesting development:

cleveland

Stretch of Cuyahoga River given national trail designation

The Cuyahoga River is both a scenic and working river with access points for the public to experience it.

This new designation will help promote the 41-mile segment from Gorge Dam in Summit County all the way to the mouth of the Cuyahoga in downtown Cleveland. Most notably:

"It also makes the stretch of river eligible for federal and nonprofit grants, said Ryan Ainger, interpretive river ranger at Cuyahoga Valley National Park."

Maybe I'm misinterpreting but it sounds like future riverfront development could potentially tap into these federal grants then?

7 minutes ago, Geowizical said:

Maybe I'm misinterpreting but it sounds like future riverfront development could potentially tap into these federal grants then?

I think it would depend which component of the development. Given these 2 quotes from the article I assume Cleveland Metroparks boardwalk and Bedrock's boat launch would be eligible, but I don't think any of residential/office/retail development would be eligible.

The designation is part of the Interior Department’s network of National Recreation Trails. It doesn’t change ownership of the waterway nor how it’s managed. What it does do is promote the recreational use of the river and its heritage.

And

Making the designation possible is the addition of two access points for paddlers, one that is soon to open at Northampton Point in the park along Akron Peninsula Road and the other called the Zaclon River Landing beneath Interstate 490. The Spartan Alumni Rowing Association was the driving force behind adding the Zaclon site.

A National Water Trail cannot have interruptions that prevent it from being paddled, Ainger said. When the Gorge Dam is removed as expected, the park hopes to have the stretch of the river that goes through Kent and extends upstream to Lake Rockwell be added to the trail, he said.

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by Luke_S

Maybe the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad extension?

Hopefully l'm wrong but l thought l read somewhere that the demo of the Gorge Dam was on hold due to a funding issue coming from Washington. If not can you imagine how cool it will be to have a river in our backyard with Class 4 and Class 5 rapids in it? Instant tourist attraction and a nice little way to create eco-adventure dollars from scratch.