December 19, 200618 yr Will Cleveland get an MLS team with the stadium at least? Or is this some weird attempt to lure one away from another city?
December 19, 200618 yr Forget my last post.....I saw that they are talking about an 2009 expansion team.
December 20, 200618 yr Soccer stadium proposal dead Beacon Journal staff report A proposal to fund a $170 million soccer stadium in northern Summit County with a cigarette tax is dead. The Ohio Legislature has decided not to allow Summit County to place the cigarette tax before voters, and developer Paul Garofolo said that leaves his plans in "serious jeopardy.'' Garofolo, president and CEO of Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group, said the state decision could have an impact on efforts to win a Major League Soccer franchise. He said he was frustrated and puzzled by the state decision because it had appeared that the cigarette tax had the needed support. Garofolo's plan called for an additional $157 million of private development: a hotel, two retail complexes and a medical facility. But those plans were largely dependent on the soccer stadium, and Garofolo said he needs public financing to go forward with the soccer complex. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/ Looks like my letter via the stadium Web site paid off!!
December 20, 200618 yr Maybe they will try to find a place in the city. I sort of doubt it. This whole deal hinged on public funding of the stadium. I myself would like to see the team in downtown Akron, but they don't believe a team there is sustainable. It sounds like the whole thing was a package deal.
December 20, 200618 yr I didn't like the project, but I'm also pissed that the state is stepping in and saying "no" to this sort of economic development. If Summit voters want to vote for the tax, I don't see what business it is of the state's.
December 20, 200618 yr bah. wolstein's total assets was just walkin around money to lamar hunt. let some rich guy like that build it. i agree with x tho, the locals should be allowed to vote on taxing themselves to build it if they want to.
December 21, 200618 yr ^ Yep. I got nothing against the sport of soccer. In fact, I'd support an MLS team in Akron, but I don't think they need to build a new stadium in the middle of nowhere for this. Akron U. is working on creating a new football stadium. Why can't Wolstein team up with the university to share the cost in a downtown Akron location? I know why -- they want to develop vacant land. This is part of the reason I'm not excited by the Flats project.
December 21, 200618 yr I wouldn't consider the flats vacant land. They want to make it more vacant than it already is and redevelop.. I agree if you mean they like their slate a little too clean before they can develop. That annoys me too..
December 22, 200618 yr ^ Yep. I got nothing against the sport of soccer. In fact, I'd support an MLS team in Akron, but I don't think they need to build a new stadium in the middle of nowhere for this. Akron U. is working on creating a new football stadium. Why can't Wolstein team up with the university to share the cost in a downtown Akron location? I know why -- they want to develop vacant land. This is part of the reason I'm not excited by the Flats project. I thought part of the MLS attraction was building a 'soccer" only stadium. i think they should do this in Cleveland, attach it to say, the lexington ballpark. partner with CSU, Cleveland School district for a multi use - year round site. wishful thinking.
December 22, 200618 yr Cleveland was not interested in being home to the soccer stadium and Akron is too close to Columbus, home of the Columbus Crew team, Garofolo said. His company needed approval from the Columbus team to locate in Macedonia because the league prohibits teams from being within 75 miles of each other. Funny... Google maps says that Akron is 126 miles away from Columbus and Macedonia is 133...
December 25, 200618 yr MLS is a joke anyway. Good riddance, I say. :clap: AMEN! And while I'm at it, they can take the Columbus Crew away, too!
January 29, 200718 yr From the 12/20/06 PD: Without cigarette tax, stadium is just smoke, developer says Wednesday, December 20, 2006 April McClellan-Copeland Plain Dealer Reporter Macedonia - Plans for a multisport stadium and major-league soccer team in northern Summit County could be doomed for lack of a cigarette tax, the developer said Tuesday. Paul Garofolo, president and chief executive officer of Wolstein Sports & Entertainment Group LLC, said his plans hinged on state lawmakers approving a cigarette tax proposal Tuesday, before recessing for the year, but he did not expect them to do so. "We hope the deal is not dead, but this is a major milestone that has not been met," he said. More: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1166607456238010.xml&coll=2
January 29, 200718 yr Both from the 12/21/06 Nordonia Hills Sun: Up in smoke? Vote decision may sideline stadium Thursday, December 21, 2006 Nordonia Hills Sun Less than a month after formally unveiling their plans for a retractable-roof soccer stadium and athletic complex with retail and professional office space, developers could be on the brink of taking their ball and going home. A decision Tuesday night by the Ohio legislature to not allow Summit County Council to put a tobacco tax before voters has apparently put the entire project in jeopardy. Developer Paul Garofolo, president and CEO of Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group, said public financing was necessary to for the $170 million project, which would be located on 450 acres near State Route 8 in Macedonia and Northfield Center Township. MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/sun/nordoniahillssun/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1166723220238920.xml&coll=3 Commission advises against rezoning Trustees have final say on request for retail, residential change Thursday, December 21, 2006 By Pat Salemi, Nordonia Hills Sun NORTHFIELD CENTER Members of the township zoning commission have recommended that the Board of Trustees deny a request to rezone property owned by American Dreams Productions, LLC, along Twinsburg Road near State Route 8. The commission voted 4-1 to deny the application because the Summit County Planning Commission is against it, as are residents of the area. Trustees are expected to vote on the request following a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 2. The 51.32 acres are now zoned R-1. Developer Tony Olszko wants township officials to rezone about 10 acres fronting Twinsburg Road to retail and offices (C-1); 4.3 acres to park; and the remainder of the land to R-2, which allows condominiums. The Summit County Planning Commission recommended that local officials deny the development request because the area is a floodplain. MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/sun/nordoniahillssun/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1166722923238920.xml&coll=3
January 29, 200718 yr Also posted in a seperate thread in Ohio Business and Economy. Both are from the 12/22/06 ABJ: Outdoors store could anchor retail area Wadsworth tries to woo Cabela's Troubles for soccer-arena plan put city back in race By Bill Lilley Beacon Journal staff writer Bad news for northern Summit County may be good news for Wadsworth. At least that is what Wadsworth Mayor James Renacci hopes. Renacci is excited about the possibility of outdoors superstore Cabela's coming to Wadsworth. Plans to build a soccer stadium for a Major League Soccer team in northern Summit County are in jeopardy after the Ohio legislature refused to give Summit County permission to seek voter approval of a cigarette tax of 30 cents a pack to help fund a $170 million domed facility. While Renacci isn't interested in bringing pro soccer to Wadsworth, he wants a Cabela's to be the centerpiece of a shopping area on 260 acres at state Route 57 and Interstate 76. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16297518.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
January 29, 200718 yr From the 1/12/07 PD: Developers covet land in rural Boston Hts. Shopping, homes, hotel proposed Friday, January 12, 2007 April McClellan-Copeland Plain Dealer Reporter Boston Heights - This rural village of 400 residents could become a shoppers' paradise if officials approve plans to build three shopping centers and dozens of new homes and condominiums along Ohio 8 near the turnpike. This month, a pair of developers told Boston Heights they want to build a 1.3 million-square-foot shopping mall and hotel complex that would also take up a portion of Northfield Center Township and use 77 acres for a 400,000-square-foot retail development. Both come on the heels of - and are just blocks away from - two other pending developments: 100 single-family homes and a shopping center on an old country club site, and a major-league soccer stadium with a retail village that straddles Northfield Center Township and Macedonia. The influx of shoppers and new residents would bring urban hustle and bustle to a country landscape known for its wide-open spaces and wooded lots with mature trees. MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1168594452278740.xml&coll=2
January 29, 200718 yr ^^^ Hell. let's build an airport out there and call it Cleveron....Akland. I still blame that damn MLS for all of this. Gotta love Summit County planners though...if they can't build junk on one side of the valley (Richfield)...they just switch their plans to the other.
January 30, 200718 yr how is it possible that this community (NEO) can support this much more retail on the periphery of the region? According to some figures, NEO has the highest amount of retail space per capita in the entire US of A!
January 30, 200718 yr ^^ Correct.. There are at least 2 Targets, 2 Kohls, 2 Home Depots, and 3 Walmarts within 8 minutes of this location. Obviously a whole bunch of other stores that are always associated with these big boxes. How well served does a small township on the cusp of the Cuyahoga Valley NP need to be? Locations in case anyone wants to verify are Streetsboro on 80, Chapel Hill Plazas, Graham Rd in Stow, and Macedonia Commons. Its maybe 15 minutes from Montrose from this point as well. Also 10-15 minutes from Beachwood craziness. Apparently developers have never heard of oversaturation or care.
January 30, 200718 yr As disgusting as development can get. And it's one of the most beautiful parts of our region that they will be messing up, too.
January 30, 200718 yr That's easily as disturbing as the effect that it will have on creating more population and retail sprawl from the center city and inner ring. There are some things that you can't reverse.
May 4, 200718 yr From the 2/9/07 ABJ: Route 8 access road wins support State, federal money would pay for design By Kymberli Hagelberg Beacon Journal staff writer Summit County Council's Public Works Committee on Thursday recommended a resolution that would allow for preliminary engineering work for an access road off state Route 8 that was last proposed as part of the now-dormant plan for a 20,000-seat soccer stadium. If the full council passes the resolution, the county would receive about $728,000 in federal and state funding for the design work on the alternate road, which would run next to Route 8 between Hines Hill and Highland roads, through Northfield Center Township, Macedonia and Boston Heights. There is no cost to the county for the road design, which was conceived before the stadium plan, said Andrea Wlaszyn of the engineer's office. The road is part of a project to widen the state highway. A detour will be needed when the intersection of Twinsburg Road and Route 8 is closed by the Ohio Department of Transportation in June or July. That intersection will remain closed through 2008 while a bridge is built. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16660198.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
May 4, 200718 yr From the 2/14/07 Nordonia Hills Sun: District reviews new deal Developer amends proposal to schools while trying to revive stadium project Wednesday, February 14, 2007 By Pat Salemi Nordonia Hills Sun The Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group has submitted to Nordonia Hills City Schools officials an "amended and restated compensation agreement" regarding property along State Route 8 where it still hopes to build a sports/retail complex, according to Treasurer Christopher Wright. A compensation agreement approved by board members last April expired Dec. 31, Wright said. In December, less than a month after formally unveiling their plans for a retractable-roof soccer stadium and athletic complex with retail and professional office space, developers learned that the Ohio legislature would not agree to allow Summit County Council to put a tobacco tax before voters without hearing more details. http://www.cleveland.com/nordoniahillssun/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1171487295102320.xml&coll=4
May 4, 200718 yr From the 2/21/07 News Leader: Schools sought new tax deal on stadium plan by Eric Marotta Editor Nordonia Hills -- Without a stadium, would retail still come? That's a question school administrators were pondering while negotiating a new multi-million dollar tax agreement with the firm that wants to build a professional soccer stadium and shopping center along Route 8. However, it now appears the district will be offered a contract identical to one that recently expired. The Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group, which wants to build the stadium/retail center on 450 acres east of Route 8 in Macedonia and Northfield Center, pledged to give the district up to $8 million up front and up to $200,000 per year for 30 years, in exchange for allowing the Wolstein Group to use future school property tax revenue to finance the stadium's construction. But project plans stalled and the deal, known as a TIF (tax increment financing) agreement, expired Dec. 31. http://www.the-news-leader.com/news/article/1628331
May 18, 200718 yr Yeah.. build the soccer stadium in Summit county instead of downtown Cleveland.. great idea.. we all saw how well that worked out for the Richfield Coliseum..
May 19, 200718 yr how is it possible that this community (NEO) can support this much more retail on the periphery of the region? According to some figures, NEO has the highest amount of retail space per capita in the entire US of A! I see any investment into retail,a very risky investment. New housing,within the city is a less risk than retail. right now.[flash=200,200] [move]the leadership suck[/move]
May 19, 200718 yr You'd think with Wolstein putting some much money and effort towards the flats, that they'd want to bring anything downtown that could attract people to live in his apartments and shop at his stores.. But then again that'd be too logical.
May 19, 200718 yr ^ that problem is a real cart-horse quandry. someone has to step up and go first. either the realtors have to come out and collaborate with the developrs like wolstein and climb onboard and publically commit to going into new downtown developments....or the downtown development has to start actually getting built and the people have to move in first before the shops come. who knows what is going on behind the scenes? i think the best reality for new downtown retail will be some combination of necessary things like dry cleaners and drug stores and jamba juices ro whatever....along with some hip retail that is strictly unique to downtown that will also draw suburbanites (i.e., muji, uniqlo, etc.).
May 19, 200718 yr I have a friend who owns several Quizznos in the Cleveland area, his newest being in Steelyard Commons. And he has talked with the Wolstein Group about retail space in the flats, and of opening a store. That's always been a major question of mine, why there is no store front fast food in downtown Cleveland besides Dominos & Subway.. I mean in other major cities, McDonald's, etc have store front restaurants. I wonder if the Terminal Tower food court would complain about losing business due to new stores.
May 19, 200718 yr I think there's a few subways and a quiznos that have street front entrances and The Corner of 4th and Euclid Where corner Alley is now used to be a Wendy's remember? I also think the fact downtown Cleveland has two McDonalds and all those other joints in the Galleria and Tower city has something to do with it.
May 19, 200718 yr Where are the two McDonalds downtown? edit: Yech, I don't want fast-food storefronts. No matter what city you go to, they are the nastiest looking spots on the street. The McDonalds in NYC are heinous -- an affront to fine design and gourmands! Places like were born and made for the suburbs.
May 19, 200718 yr ^ ^ It does. Before Galleria & TC there were 2 McDonald's, Mr. Hero, Wendy's and Burger King between Public & PH Sq. All were street front on Euclid.
May 19, 200718 yr Where are the two McDonalds downtown? Tower City and The Galleria. I'd rather see the street front fast food joints over whats on 30th and Carnegie or pretty much any fast food spot in suburban Amerca, any day.
May 19, 200718 yr I'm not claiming store front fast food restaurants are the equivalent of beauty.. however.. if the flats are redeveloped and I'm to move into an apartment down there.. the big benefit is that I can walk places.. I don't want to have to go through Tower City or drive to McDonald's, I want easy access.
May 20, 200718 yr Where are the two McDonalds downtown? edit: Yech, I don't want fast-food storefronts. No matter what city you go to, they are the nastiest looking spots on the street. The McDonalds in NYC are heinous -- an affront to fine design and gourmands! Places like were born and made for the suburbs. well at least they sort of half-heartedly try to neighborhoodize some of them.... :roll: :-P mcchinatown mctimessquare & mctribeca mcdowntown ** but forget manhattan or half-azzed neighborhood conscious fastfood fronts, it could be worse than that. this one takes the cake. behold the "segregated" mcdonalds in that hotbed of progressiveness, riyadh, saudi arabia :x :
May 22, 200718 yr There are many McDonald's in Europe (there is one in Vienna that comes immediately to mind) and even in Puerto Rico that don't look like your typical McDonald's...come to think of it the one in Independence is not your typical Mickey D's. Point is, when they want to (or more importantly, when they are asked/forced to) they will come up with designs that are beyond the ordinary.
May 22, 200718 yr At this point I'm not concerned with the design like most are, I'm concerned with filling one of the many empty storefronts downtown.
May 22, 200718 yr I disagree. We've waited this long with empty storefronts. I'm willing to wait a little longer for people to do it right.
May 22, 200718 yr I disagree. We've waited this long with empty storefronts. I'm willing to wait a little longer for people to do it right. Who's to say putting one McDonalds (or other fast food joint) in on Euclid is doing it wrong? I don't want to see a whole block of fast food, but I don't think one or two should be a problem.
May 22, 200718 yr I disagree. We've waited this long with empty storefronts. I'm willing to wait a little longer for people to do it right. What are you refering to when you say "people to do it right"
May 31, 200718 yr bring on the two story payless shoes! Payless! Ugh! That was like a stake thru my heart!
May 31, 200718 yr bring on the two story payless shoes! Payless! Ugh! That was like a stake thru my heart! Mytwosense, Why pay more when you can payless? =) On a side note, there is apparently a war brewing today between Medina and Summit counties over locating a Cabella's store. Medina wants it in no other than Brunswick, while Summit wants it to be a major anchor near this proposed soccer stadium.
May 31, 200718 yr Thanks Mov2Ohio for getting this thread back on topic. I'm curious how this relates to the Bass Pro shop that Summit Co/Akron are trying to lure to the East side of Akron by the Goodyear HQ? People seem to be saying the same thing about that place that people will drive from 1000s of miles to go to a Bass Pro shop like its a Disneyworld. This sounds like its going to happen. Won't that affect where Cabelas would be located? Would Cabelas want to be 10 highway miles from a Bass Pro shop? Seems like Wolsteins running into all sorts of obstacles in Summit co. with his wacky soccer stadium. Too bad he can't just focus on the East Bank of the Flats instead of adding more sprawl to a sprawled out area.
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