February 12, 20232 yr Yes lakewood is getting more expensive, but that’s not all good news. Many families and non family residents are getting pushed out due to insane rents from greedy landlords. Schools enrollment continues to plummet, although they are solid. Not sure why anyone would self segregate into private schools ever, but especially when the schools in this case are above average.
February 12, 20232 yr 3 minutes ago, Clefan14 said: Yes lakewood is getting more expensive, but that’s not all good news. Many families and non family residents are getting pushed out due to insane rents from greedy landlords. Schools enrollment continues to plummet, although they are solid. Not sure why anyone would self segregate into private schools ever, but especially when the schools in this case are above average. I don't think school numbers have anything to do with people not trusting the school system. Lakewood has the largest percentage of millennial households in the region and none of us have kids.
February 12, 20232 yr Author There are a number of pending developments in Lakewood. It's not for a lack of activity or interest in the community. The problem is the city is so slow in acting on applications coupled with the high costs of materials, labor and interest rates. I can only hope that raised awareness of the slow approval process will help remedy it. Already, that article has gotten 4,300 views. Unfortunately, this meeting occurred last Monday. I was the first to report on it and hopefully others will too. I didn't even know about it until Friday when somebody sent me the link to the meeting video and told me Roundstone was leaving. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 12, 20232 yr 8 hours ago, metrocity said: Travelodge and Days Inn are like...hold the phone! 😉 Yeah, a rotary phone lol.
February 12, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, KJP said: There are a number of pending developments in Lakewood. It's not for a lack of activity or interest in the community. The problem is the city is so slow in acting on applications coupled with the high costs of materials, labor and interest rates. I can only hope that raised awareness of the slow approval process will help remedy it. Already, that article has gotten 4,300 views. Unfortunately, this meeting occurred last Monday. I was the first to report on it and hopefully others will too. I didn't even know about it until Friday when somebody sent me the link to the meeting video and told me Roundstone was leaving. Do you have any insight as to whether slow approvals have always existed? Is this something that has worsened under the George Administration?
February 12, 20232 yr 16 hours ago, Henke said: Gordon Square is part of Cleveland, the Lakewood border ends at W 117. I think Lakewood has been recently focused on developing itself as a desirable suburb for young families, and I’m not sure additional density is a part of that package for them. The young families are probably ok with additional density. From my experience in Lakewood, its the older folks who form the core NIMBY. The type that fill their driveways with junk cars then complain that they can't park on the street in front of their house whenever they arrive home.
February 13, 20232 yr On 2/12/2023 at 2:17 AM, jeremyck01 said: At least up until the housing market cooled with rising interest rates, Lakewood had arguably the hottest housing market in NEO. Houses would sell in mere days. My friends, who live on Elbur Ave., had a neighbor whose house sold after one day on the market last summer. Just because new buildings aren’t being built doesn’t mean that a city is stagnant. Years ago, I read someone on this forum say that Lakewood is the most dense community between NYC and Chicago. If that’s true, I don’t know, but it is very dense and there isn’t any land on which to build new unless something is knocked down and the empty lot developed. I don't think that statement is true anymore (if it ever was), but you can still massage the data to give a fun density fact... Lakewood is the densest city of 50k+ between DC and Chicago. You can see the list on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population_density If you try to use NYC you have to define things by MSA which disqualifies a lot of NJ (because it's in the NYC metro), and then you still have DC and Philly that are denser than Lakewood. You also have to use an "as the crow flies" definition because Miami Beach and Miami are also denser than Lakewood but lie west of DC. Boston is denser as well, but lies east of both NYC and DC so isn't included in the stat.
February 13, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, dastler said: I don't think that statement is true anymore (if it ever was), but you can still massage the data to give a fun density fact... Lakewood is the densest city of 50k+ between DC and Chicago. You can see the list on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population_density If you try to use NYC you have to define things by MSA which disqualifies a lot of NJ (because it's in the NYC metro), and then you still have DC and Philly that are denser than Lakewood. You also have to use an "as the crow flies" definition because Miami Beach and Miami are also denser than Lakewood but lie west of DC. Boston is denser as well, but lies east of both NYC and DC so isn't included in the stat. ^ i always heard just most dense in ohio, but looking further out all that makes perfect sense to me. so if we are going to get a bit convoluted, or broad with what we mean by community, then places like cle hts, western east cle (before the apt bldgs rotted away back to nature) and especially lakewood are actually just extensions of cle.
February 14, 20232 yr Lakewood, unfortunately has had terrible management for decades. It’s stability/stagnation is more attributed to its geography. Every mayor it has looks to sell the city out for personal gain.
May 5, 20232 yr For what it's worth, I have learned that Roundstone is going to build their new headquarters just over the border in Rocky River, taking over the property where Cravings Thai Cuisine is located and at least one adjacent property. The owners of that Thai restaurant were given one month's notice that their lease will be terminated at the end of May. :/
May 5, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, cleveman86 said: For what it's worth, I have learned that Roundstone is going to build their new headquarters just over the border in Rocky River, taking over the property where Cravings Thai Cuisine is located and at least one adjacent property. The owners of that Thai restaurant were given one month's notice that their lease will be terminated at the end of May. :/
July 26, 20231 yr Just curious, has anyone heard any updates on the project? I mean, this is taking forever to get this project moving. I realize that interest rates are up and so its probably impacting financing.
April 22, 20241 yr Author Incoming! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 23, 20241 yr Author New Downtown Lakewood plan, grocery store announced By Ken Prendergast / April 22, 2024 Sitting dormant since Lakewood Hospital was closed in 2016 and demolished in 2019, a 6-acre city-owned site in Downtown Lakewood has a fresh strategy and a new tenant to potentially and finally reactivate it. While that strategy and a new tenant, a neighborhood grocery store, was enthusiastically received by City Council members at a committee meeting tonight, it remains to be seen whether it can overcome financing hurdles affecting it and all other projects nationwide. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2024/04/22/new-downtown-lakewood-plan-grocery-store-announced/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 23, 20241 yr With the red tape and bureaucracy of Lakewood City Hall, this is likely to be completed by the next solar eclipse of totality over Lakewood.
April 23, 20241 yr I'm in Nashville for work and can hear the Lakewood NIMBY block club panties bunching up from here.
April 23, 20241 yr Just now, WindyBuckeye said: T Joes please That's what everyone on the Lakewood Facebook page is saying already but is Trader Joes really considered a "Boutique Grocer" like the article says?
April 23, 20241 yr 5 minutes ago, TDi said: That's what everyone on the Lakewood Facebook page is saying already but is Trader Joes really considered a "Boutique Grocer" like the article says? No...its not Ide rather see Pick n Pay
April 23, 20241 yr 4 minutes ago, B767PILOT said: No...its not Ide rather see Pick n Pay Or a Fazios? in all seriousness, I think Dave's does a good job in the "urban" format. They would do a great job in downtown Lakewood and compliment the Lucky's/Daves at 116th/Clifton.
April 23, 20241 yr I have it from a decent source at the cleveland clinic health center across the street that it is in fact at TJ’s. This person is in a position where they could actually know this info with 85% certainty. They also mentioned that the random lot behind the pit used by clinic patients and employees is going away soon. So a sign that things are maybe moving?
April 23, 20241 yr Based on my Googling, the hours of operation and square footage don’t match TJs. Seems unlikely. They also aren’t known for selling Ohio products, I don’t think. The comment from the council person already complaining about truck beeping at 3 am is super odd to me considering this location is a block from a highly used freight rail line that has trains blowing their horns non stop at all hours of the day and night.
April 23, 20241 yr I am happy to see something proposed once more as this really sounds like the closest a development for this site has come to shovels in the ground in quite a while. However, that 2017 Carnegie proposal... "he lives now, only in my memory."
April 23, 20241 yr 9 hours ago, TDi said: That's what everyone on the Lakewood Facebook page is saying already but is Trader Joes really considered a "Boutique Grocer" like the article says? Let's remember that just because the Planning Director stated it as a boutique grocer doesn't mean it is one. This could very well be Trader Joe's. I don't think any other grocery would work here honestly. It's a few blocks from Giant Eagle and Marc's.
April 23, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, freefourur said: Let's remember that just because the Planning Director stated it as a boutique grocer doesn't mean it is one. This could very well be Trader Joe's. I don't think any other grocery would work here honestly. It's a few blocks from Giant Eagle and Marc's. I was thinking the same but it also said local products, a bakery, cafe, community education etc. No Trader Joes I have been to has any of this. It sounds more like a Daves or the Meijer they just put in Fairfax. Edited April 23, 20241 yr by TDi
April 23, 20241 yr Author 19 minutes ago, surfohio said: I like what I'm seeing in the design plan. I should have better images posted later today. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 23, 20241 yr They said the Curtis Block is an apartment lobby right now, but could be redesigned for future retail. All I'm saying is that the building is the same size as the Mitchells Ice Cream in Rocky River and having an ice cream shop next to the plaza would be awesome! Or maybe Casto wants to open up a Jenni's scoop shop!
April 23, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, TDi said: I was thinking the same but it also said local products, a bakery, cafe, community education etc. No Trader Joes I have been to has any of this. It sounds more like a Daves or the Meijer they just put in Fairfax. My second thought would be Meijer's urban concept as well. I doubt Dave's would be involved since they own Lucky's which is fairly close to here.
April 23, 20241 yr Does anyone know why this development site -regardless of developer- always seems married to the "plaza" fronting Detroit? Is it simply because the old hospital had an equally unused green space there?
April 23, 20241 yr 5 minutes ago, gruver said: Does anyone know why this development site -regardless of developer- always seems married to the "plaza" fronting Detroit? Is it simply because the old hospital had an equally unused green space there? I think having the Curtis Block building on the site creates a challenge for site layout. also, i think a public plaza has been a concession to neighboring residents.
April 23, 20241 yr Author As promised. New graphics plus one extra added in the article.... 16 hours ago, KJP said: New Downtown Lakewood plan, grocery store announced By Ken Prendergast / April 22, 2024 Sitting dormant since Lakewood Hospital was closed in 2016 and demolished in 2019, a 6-acre city-owned site in Downtown Lakewood has a fresh strategy and a new tenant to potentially and finally reactivate it. While that strategy and a new tenant, a neighborhood grocery store, was enthusiastically received by City Council members at a committee meeting tonight, it remains to be seen whether it can overcome financing hurdles affecting it and all other projects nationwide. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2024/04/22/new-downtown-lakewood-plan-grocery-store-announced/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 23, 20241 yr ^ any ideas what's with those windowless walls bordering the pocket parks? That's a bad look.
April 23, 20241 yr Author Agree. That's a good issue to raise at the the upcoming public input meetings. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 24, 20241 yr 5 hours ago, KFM44107 said: It's very clearly a Constantino's. They check all the boxes. Constantinos already closed a store in Lakewood. I don't think that's it.
April 24, 20241 yr 11 hours ago, freefourur said: Constantinos already closed a store in Lakewood. I don't think that's it. My other thought was trader joes. But I don't think they have a bakery.
April 24, 20241 yr 2 minutes ago, Luke_S said: Wild card submission: Mustard Seed Would never have even thought that, but that's a good submission!
April 24, 20241 yr 3 minutes ago, Ineffable_Matt said: Guys, it’s a Rini-Rego’s and we all know it. It's definitely Fazio's
April 24, 20241 yr I hope its a Fresh Market. They're in growth mode, but typically are around 21,000 sq. ft.
April 24, 20241 yr I know it's not the most exciting answer to some, and may not be considered a "boutique" grocer, but everything listed sounds exactly like a Whole Foods. Their urban stores are fantastic. They check every box listed. Their average store size is the 30-40k sq ft number mentioned. Meat, produce, cafe, bakery, they have a lot of local products, and many of them offer classes and community events. They also announced last month they are looking to grow their number small format stores. https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2024/03/06/whole-foods-markets-to-expand-small-store-format-locations/?sh=7cb48d552023
April 24, 20241 yr Just now, PlanCleveland said: I know it's not the most exciting answer to some, and may not be considered a "boutique" grocer, but everything listed sounds exactly like a Whole Foods. Their urban stores are fantastic. They check every box listed. Their average store size is the 30-40k sq ft number mentioned. Meat, produce, cafe, bakery, they have a lot of local products, and many of them offer classes and community events. They also announced last month they are looking to grow their number small format stores. https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2024/03/06/whole-foods-markets-to-expand-small-store-format-locations/?sh=7cb48d552023 Just would seem odd with a large store down the street in Rocky River.
April 24, 20241 yr 3 minutes ago, WindyBuckeye said: Just would seem odd with a large store down the street in Rocky River. Ya it would be weird being so close. But if they are leaning into the smaller neighborhood stores, this is a great spot for one. Around 10k within a half mile walk, connected to a big new development, and close to the Lakewood work crowds.
April 24, 20241 yr 2 hours ago, freefourur said: It's definitely Fazio's You guys got bad info, I have it on good authority it’s a combo IKEA/City Target Edited April 24, 20241 yr by bumsquare
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