Opening day for cleaner, safer downtown is April 7

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Christopher Montgomery

Plain Dealer Reporter

The home opener for the Indians on April 7 will also mark the start of something else: private safety patrols and extra maintenance crews working the streets of downtown Cleveland.

 

The new services are part of the rollout of the special-improvement district covering the heart of downtown. Property owners and Cleveland City Council approved the district last year.

 

More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com

Fantastic - can't come soon enough  :clap:

Great news!  This should make a world of difference! 

Cincinnati has this and it's been going strong for years.

  It's about time!  I have been to cities in Europe and it seems they do such a better job of keeping the urban areas cleaner than their US counterparts.  Cleaning streets at night, picking up trash, even using SCENTED water to clean the streets with!  I hope this makes a difference in downtown Cleveland! 

I really hope that this helps clean up Public Square. All the garbage there is a disgrace, especially considering the wonderful architecture in that part of downtown. Also, I wonder if these safety ambassadors will enforce the anti-panhandling law.

Great Idea and let's finish the day off with a Tribe V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

Good news for downtown Cleveland!  I've often thought that downtown was litter strewn, though I think that could be remedied with more garbage cans, the newly formed SID will solve the problem.

 

However, I perceive a far greater issue is the lack of landscaping, especially some sort of unified plan, for most of downtown.  This would seem to be a far more sustainable issue to approach as the results come in the form of continuously improving landscapes (as the planting mature) that provide not only beauty but improved moral and pride for those that live and work downtown.  I, for one, would really like to see downtown year round landscaping that is GREEN in the winter months as well.  More conifers, such as Norway Spruce (a beautiful light green that does well in relatively dry conditions) come to mind as well as shrubs like rhododendron, boxwood, and holly, to name a few. 

Imagine a row of spruces with a string of solar powered led's on a january evening...

i agree that this can't come soon enough.

 

in some ways though, it shows the lack of ownership for buildings/sidewalks/streets downtown.  it is kind of like the absent landlord who only wants to collect rent, but doesn't want to do any improvements.  In other cities (both large and small), I have seen much more attention payed to how one's business looks (whether they own the building or not).  I don't see that much downtown cleveland - the same unidentified liquid stains remain almost year round on sidewalks, trash blows freely, lights remain burned out, etc.  I guess now the owners are going to tax themselves for the work they couldn't perform.

 

there are obviously exceptions, as the major buildings spend major money maintaining their properties, but i think that a focus on these "broken window" issues can make a big difference.  For instance, if i would expect a store owner to sweep up broken glass from a car window or beer bottle as soon as i saw it.  i don't see that in cleveland as much as i would like.

 

i also agree with the landscaping, but this also applies to the "ownership" theory above.  For as much history as Cleveland has, the downtown landscaping certainly doesn't show it. 

The downtown cleveland improvement district clean and safe program started today

 

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51382

 

 

 

 

fantastic!  I've been asking around about this, but nobody had heard whether or not this had kicked off yet.  I can't wait to see them out there!

haha wow seems a bit cheesy, but im definately glad to see something like this going on.  theres a whole "diagram" of one of these workers in the free times' downtown cleveland living publication

I think that this will have a huge impact on the small quality of life issues that we deal with downtown.  I can't wait to see them on the streets.  I like how this ties in with the "ride for a smile" trolleys, as well.  It should make downtown seem much more friendly to visitors.

Wow, to think I might not hear another homeless guy call me a "faggoty-assed bitch" because they've already been shooed away by one of the BID crew!  Oh to dream... :-)

I think that this will have a huge impact on the small quality of life issues that we deal with downtown.  I can't wait to see them on the streets.  I like how this ties in with the "ride for a smile" trolleys, as well.  It should make downtown seem much more friendly to visitors.

 

visitors?  How about making it safe and welcoming for people who live and work there.  This isn't directed at you, but the mindset that we have to make everything "sterile" for suburbanites/tourist.

 

Cleveland has its own flare...lets embrace it and improve it for Cleveland.

Wow, to think I might not hear another homeless guy call me a "faggoty-assed bitch" because they've already been shooed away by one of the BID crew!  Oh to dream... :-)

 

Honey, I can't believe you would allow one of them to speak to you like that.  Homeless or not, you should not be disrespected in that manner.

Well given the source, I took it as a compliment - I mean, he did get the "bitch" part right  :wink:

Clean and safe' program comes to downtown

 

Workers to clean area, help visitors; mounted police return

 

Thursday, April 27, 2006

 

Christopher Montgomery

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Wednesday marked the launch of something new in downtown Cleveland -- "clean and safe" patrols -- and the return of something old -- the Cleveland Police Department's horse-mounted unit, on hiatus since city layoffs in 2004.

I think that this will have a huge impact on the small quality of life issues that we deal with downtown.  I can't wait to see them on the streets.  I like how this ties in with the "ride for a smile" trolleys, as well.  It should make downtown seem much more friendly to visitors.

 

visitors?  How about making it safe and welcoming for people who live and work there.  This isn't directed at you, but the mindset that we have to make everything "sterile" for suburbanites/tourist.

 

Cleveland has its own flare...lets embrace it and improve it for Cleveland.

 

Do I need to state again that I am a resident myself?  If you think that taking the gum off of the sidewalks is "sterilizing" the neighborhood for suburbanites, let me tell you it is really high on my list, as well.

 

The whole visitors-vs-residents thing is really tired.  This is downtown.  The visitors are a part of the neighborhood.  The sense of being the center of events and of being a front door and living room for the entire region is a part of this neighborhood.  It comes with the territory.

I think that this will have a huge impact on the small quality of life issues that we deal with downtown.  I can't wait to see them on the streets.  I like how this ties in with the "ride for a smile" trolleys, as well.  It should make downtown seem much more friendly to visitors.

 

visitors?  How about making it safe and welcoming for people who live and work there.  This isn't directed at you, but the mindset that we have to make everything "sterile" for suburbanites/tourist.

 

Cleveland has its own flare...lets embrace it and improve it for Cleveland.

 

Do I need to state again that I am a resident myself?  If you think that taking the gum off of the sidewalks is "sterilizing" the neighborhood for suburbanites, let me tell you it is really high on my list, as well.

 

The whole visitors-vs-residents thing is really tired.  This is downtown.  The visitors are a part of the neighborhood.  The sense of being the center of events and of being a front door and living room for the entire region is a part of this neighborhood.  It comes with the territory.

 

I think you misunderstood what i was say.  I wasn't directing my comment at you (as indicated) but the regional mindset that (some) people have is that we are "maintaining" cleveland as a surburbanites "playground".  A place they can party, work, commit crimes, etc....then in the same breath, complain about Cleveland, but leave and go back home without "any real voice" since they are not residents of the city of Cleveland.  There is always some sort of "hint" that if the city doesn't straighten up or clean up "suburbanites" and those from adjacent counties wont spend their money in the city proper.

 

I agree...it's tired and utter nonsense.  I think these "ambassadors" will provide a morale boost to downtown and a service to (city and regional) residents, those in Cleveland on business and tourist.

 

They are now unofficially cleveland's "front line employees". and a very visible, stable everyday reminder that the city is "open for business" and to me another sign that we're getting our act together.

 

I personally would like to know what type of training they got as an education on Cleveland?

"I personally would like to know what type of training they got as an education on Cleveland?"

 

Now that is an interesting question.  I wonder who's direction they will point people in when asked for a good restaurant or pub.

Has anyone seen them in action yet?

^ i've seen a bunch of them.  After the tribe game on Thursday, there was a ford escape parked in the shady section of lower prospect. 

 

I've also seen 1 man crews with trashcans and brooms and 2-man crews on bikes.  Seems good so far, but there have been a lot of people downtown this week with tribe, spiderman, jazz. 

 

I've already seen a difference on my street. One of the RTA shelters was constanly filthy and over the last few days it has been very clean. Hopefully they keep up the good work.

What else will be done with the $3 million budget?  I believe that the SID has plans beyond the yellow jackets.

 

The powers that be in University Circle are considering doing a similar thing.  The focus would be a little different in that they would aim to increase the police presence in parts of the surrounding neighborhoods.

There is a little wkyc bit that shows them in action. I found the clip a little amusing. It kind of portrays them as a team of superheros.

 

http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=22425

From the 7/13/06 PD:

 

 

Downtown group gives acting boss permanent post

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Christopher Montgomery

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

The board of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which oversees the new special improvement district and its "clean and safe" ambassadors in downtown Cleveland, has picked the group's acting president, Joe Marinucci, to be its permanent president and chief executive.

 

After a six-month national search, a board committee decided Marinucci, 52, was the best candidate because of his more than 25 years of economic development experience and deep local ties. The 21-member board, made up of downtown property owners and business and neighborhood group representatives, voted unanimously to support the committee's recommendation.

 

More at

http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/1152783306117180.xml&coll=2

 

If someone reads this from DCP:

 

Please update website and provide an email address for communication.  It is July 2006, not 1996.  Thanks.

I agree. the site needs serious help

Please post news, ideas, suggestions and critiques concerning the Downtown Cleveland Alliance here -- including their ambassadors, cleaning crews, strategic planning process, website, programs and other activities.

 

Frankly, I was surprised to learn today that DCA has a strategic planning process, and that at least one forumer is involved in that process. We need more transparency of the organization charged with making Cleveland's most prominent neighborhood more vibrant and this thread might be a good place to start that.

 

For me, I would like to DCA take the lead in having more events downtown and seek out sponsorships for them. I remember the Sohio Riverfest in the 1980s, and those were a great success to draw more people, attention and business development to the Flats.

 

IMHO, a wide variety of publicly engaging events are needed on a weekly basis downtown -- year-round. There are lots of great indoor spaces downtown that can be used for shaking off the winter blahs. We just need some organization to take the lead on bringing in multiple partners and sponsors for these, and the DCA comes to mind as the likely lead.

KJP, you're right - we should be hearing that they have a strategic planning process. But we should be hearing it directly from them, and not a leak through one of our forumers (and I am not taking anything away from MGD).

 

Let's see...

 

1. An updated web site. Updated press releases. Updated newsletters. That is, presuming they've actually done press releases and newsletters since 2005.

 

2. Email  listings for primary contacts. This is 2006. They have enough money to buy spam filters.

 

3. Instead of picking up cigarette butts from around the Board of Education building (which they seem to do EVERY day), the ambassadors could give the heave-ho to the homeless Yeti who uses the Rockwell Building's front as his kitchen and restroom. I really love having to hop over the stream that flows across the sidewalk.

 

4. On that same note, if for some namby-pamby reason he can't be vacated - powerwash his squatting point once in a while.

While I think that KJP's suggestions would be a good thing for Cleveland, DCA has no duty to communicate what they do to the public. It is a group of private landowners that tax themselves to improve their area. I do agree that it would be in their best interests to be more open (but not always). Oh, and the website is an embarrassment.

 

DCA is also taking the charge on trying to increase the greenery (more planters, trees,etc) on Euclid from Public Square to Playhouse Square.  Its the eleventh hour, but they called a meeting yesterday to see what they can do to improve lower Euclid. The Cleveland Foundation is willing to help out a little. (and yes, there is more than one forumer on these committees)

 

Actually, I don't know of anything newsworthy that has emerged from the sub-committees to this point.

They *absolutely* need more transparency.. A friend and I have tried on multiple occasions to learn more information other than the occasional snippet in the paper / Crains and failed miserably. Didn't they just essentially "fire" all their volunteers recently? I'd like to know the rationale behind that for example.

 

At the very least they should invest in more cool toys like this one --

 

 

I hear what you're saying regarding it being a privately funded enterprise wimwar.. But the fact that they are working on public space I think necessitates a more open forum. Plus, like you say, it's just good practice. Just my opinion.

 

Oh another thought -- as an update to the website, it'd be great if they could add a simple webform where people could report particularly dirty areas that need attention.. Not that they need to respond to *every* solicitation, but some simple tracking of requests would yield obvious hotspots that need more attention.

I am not sure how effective those snow mobile vacuums really are.  I watched one pick up broken auto glass in a parking lot and it scattered it as much as it sucked it up while taking at least ten passes to get the job done.  It would seem that a worker with a broom and dustpan could get the job done more effectively and likely at a lower cost.

 

good to hear about the greening efforts.  it is sorely needed at the western entrance to downtown along superior avenue. 

They look like asphault Zamboni's.

Dear DCA Crew,

 

Please don't spend all day and night hanging out at the corner of W. 6th and St. Clair - we don't need you on the safest and trendiest blocks - but thanks for the nice gesture. We need you to show more presence at and around Public Square. I can't help but notice many of you guys like to have 20 minute convo's with some of the business people who cross paths with you. Granted, they might be the ones who pay you, but please spend your time focusing on the removal of panhandlers. I am okay with the beggers, but unfortunately, a lot of the suburbanites aren't and until it stops, we can just continue to have a downtown reputation full of spite.

I agree, panhandlers are a big issue, especially in the WHD on weekends. I don't mind a guy asking for change, but there are some aggresive people out there that make coming downtown not a welcome experience for some.

 

For ex., I took the Rapid downtown to scope out the air show crowds, and there were two people going around asking for money, and when people wouldn't give them money, they started screaming and being threatening. This is uncalled for. I volunteer and donate my time to services for folks with problems, and I don't feel comfortable giving random people money, no matter how little.

I agree, panhandlers are a big issue, especially in the WHD on weekends. I don't mind a guy asking for change, but there are some aggresive people out there that make coming downtown not a welcome experience for some.

 

For ex., I took the Rapid downtown to scope out the air show crowds, and there were two people going around asking for money, and when people wouldn't give them money, they started screaming and being threatening. This is uncalled for. I volunteer and donate my time to services for folks with problems, and I don't feel comfortable giving random people money, no matter how little.

 

I'm sorry.. panhandlers/homeless people in downtown cleveland is nothing!

I saw a few when I was home, but nothing like NY.  I think the homeless in Cleveland stand out a little more because there are few people walking at certain times of the day. 

 

The homeless in NYC, Philadelphia or Newark are worse by far and out in greater numbers

^True, far more in those cities, but they make up a far greater portion of the people on the sidewalks here in Cleve-o. 

 

I wait for the bus on weekday nights on Public Square and see people (presumably out-of-towners) crossing the Square from Gateway/E. 4th to the WHD, which on paper looks like an easy hop-skip-jump, and a pleasant one at that!  However, they become targets for the panhandlers that decide that they're gonna walk with you for a few blocks.  And they probably won't be making that walk more than once.  Public Square is not a cheery place to be at night, even with the friggin Christmas lights on!

 

Trust me that Public Square is a huge priority for the DCA and its members.  But I agree with WimWar that it's not a public agency and is not accountable to the public in general.  That being said, it is also true that soliciting public input along the way is a bright idea.  The planning process is doing that in a manageable way, by bringing people who work, live, study and play Downtown onto these committees.  Like I said on another thread, I'm not sure how I got invited, but I represent a certain subset of the population as a CSU student and a frequent visitor to Downtown.  There are people who live on E. 4th, lawyers who work in the Civic Center, CDC folks, social service folks, City hall people, and so on.  So, I think it's a fairly representative group that they've assembled to do this first strategic plan.  If there are gaps, of course they need to be filled.

 

I do like your ideas about the website and having a comments spot where people can drop a line about a problem area or points of emphasis that are being missed.  They're still a small organization and obviously can't be everywhere and cater to everyone at once, but if they really want to make a difference...one that can ultimately benefit the property owners who pay for the DCA...then they need to know about these things and expand their efforts.  For now, though, the Clean & Safe is the concentration and will be for a while longer.  If that's not working, I'm sure they'd like to hear about it!  To that point, I believe they're doing an independent assessment of these efforts in the near future.  Not 100% about that, though.

I agree, panhandlers are a big issue, especially in the WHD on weekends. I don't mind a guy asking for change, but there are some aggresive people out there that make coming downtown not a welcome experience for some.

 

For ex., I took the Rapid downtown to scope out the air show crowds, and there were two people going around asking for money, and when people wouldn't give them money, they started screaming and being threatening. This is uncalled for. I volunteer and donate my time to services for folks with problems, and I don't feel comfortable giving random people money, no matter how little.

 

I'm sorry.. panhandlers/homeless people in downtown cleveland is nothing!

 

Tell that to those living in the suburbs.

Tell that to those living in the suburbs.

 

I think MTS is making a comparison vs. other cities. I do agree that this is an issue that those from the suburbs are concerned with.

 

My brother, sister-in-law, and family were aggressively pan handled on Public Square a few years back when visiting Tower City during the holidays. Now they will never go downtown no matter what.

Okay, this morning I have to give some very deserved praise to the DCA Ambassadors.

 

You know how in wintertime, the snowplows clear the streets and thus leave four-foot "hills" piled up at the curbs and crosswalks? This morning, for the first time in the ten years I've worked downtown, the Ambassadors were out clearing the crosswalks/curbs. No more trying to stretch and leap over the piles of snow, no more trying to find a solid spot for footing only to be up to my thigh in snow, and no more soaking wet socks all day.  As much as I used to love pretending I was ascending the Alps on my way to work, I'm so glad they were out this morning. Thank you DCA Ambassadors :-)

The homeless don't bother me, and most truly homeless aren't lingering around downtown. I don't mind someone sitting off to the side of the sidewalk, shaking a cup or holding a sign asking for help. I don't give them money, but at least they aren't obstructing traffic or harassing people.

 

What bothers me are the aggressive panhandlers who have 1. spit at me, 2. called me f@ggot (fortunately my friends held me back or I would have been hauled in for homicide) and other names, 3. followed me while I was on my phone.

 

"I'm sorry.. panhandlers/homeless people in downtown cleveland is nothing!"

 

As a 6'4" male, I'm sure it's easy for you to say that. Try being a single female wanting to live in Cleveland and feeling safe after dealing with the types of aggressive tactics I've described.

Try being a single female wanting to live in Cleveland and feeling safe after dealing with the types of aggressive tactics I've described.

 

^Funny, all this time I thought you were male!

 

On the topic of snow plowing, I'm sure they did something noticeable, but what about clearing out the major bus stop areas?  I don't know who's responsibility this is these days, but I nearly bit it getting off the bus on Superior this morning and I'm a pretty agile guy.  There were two older ladies with shopping carts and canes on the same bus and they probably didn't have such an easy time disembarking into a pile of slush...  There's only so much you can do, but this would help...

 

 

^Har dee har har... no, I just have some galpals who have had their own bad run-ins with aggressive panhandling.

Yeah, I have a couple of friends who were accosted by a panhandler downtown as they were getting into their car, he jumped in the backseat, threatened that he had a gun in his coat and basically tried to scare the scare the sh!t out of them to get them to hand over their money.  Nothing happened luckily, he was bluffing and eventually left them alone.

 

The worst that's ever happened to me has been being harrassed and followed for a while and called "stupid white

b!tch", etc.  Panhandlers are definitely one of my least favorite parts of downtown, though I certainly wouldn't let that stop me from going there, I just make sure not to walk alone at night.

I would like to see the DCA establish a tip line where people could report the location of aggressive panhandlers. I often see them just take over a corner and harass anyone who comes near them. With the Ford Escape patrol car they have the ability to respond quickly.

The CVS on Euclid/9th is a perfect example; panhandlers will just stand outside for hours and pounce on everyone who walks by.

 

 

^^ I wouldn't call that A-hole an aggressive panhandler..I would call him an attempted armed robber....he implied he had a gun, got in the car, and demanded money....I really hope she called the police.  I would love to give that jackass a tune up he wouldn't soon forget!