December 7, 20231 yr The new sign does not appear to be centered on the building...unless they are adding the word "The" in front?
December 7, 20231 yr I know someone who worked as a supplier to Tiffany for a number of years. That Tiffany-blue color and the font-color lockup are Tiffany registered trademarks. I trust the building owner has done his due diligence, although it seems unlikely given that he’s not spent a dime on the building in over 20 years. My hovercraft is full of eels
December 8, 20231 yr Author Some office development news.... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 10, 20231 yr On 12/7/2023 at 9:35 AM, roman totale XVII said: I know someone who worked as a supplier to Tiffany for a number of years. That Tiffany-blue color and the font-color lockup are Tiffany registered trademarks. I trust the building owner has done his due diligence, although it seems unlikely given that he’s not spent a dime on the building in over 20 years. My thoughts exactly, I know real estate lives and breathes hyperbole, but this seems like an invitation for a cease and desist. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
December 10, 20231 yr Author Cuyahoga County OK’s first microgrid utility in USA By Ken Prendergast / December 9, 2023 This week, Cuyahoga County has launched the first microgrid electrical utility in the United States. Cuyahoga Green Energy (CGE) has contracted with Compass Energy Platform to serve as the operator for the county-run utility. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2023/12/09/cuyahoga-county-oks-first-microgrid-utility-in-usa/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 10, 20231 yr Thought? I can see both sides. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2023/12/short-term-pain-long-term-gain-cleveland-chips-away-at-social-safety-net-in-pursuit-of-revitalized-city.html
December 10, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, newyorker said: Thought? I can see both sides. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2023/12/short-term-pain-long-term-gain-cleveland-chips-away-at-social-safety-net-in-pursuit-of-revitalized-city.html I can see both sides as well. At first I thought the article was just talking about standard TIFFs, but after it got into the meat of the problem I think there's a real tough problem there. On one hand, I think it's unambiguously clear that Cleveland needs infrastructure investments, so the stated goals for redirecting the funds seem laudable. On the other hand, it's incredibly easy to imagine these funds turning into a pork-barrel slush fund for projects (or developers) favored by the city. And there's also a good argument that the money should by default go to where taxpayers directed it. Ultimately, I think which side of the issue people are going to come down on depends on how much they trust the city to be a good steward of the funds. Put to good use this money could do a lot of good. Personally, I'll take a wait and see approach, and choose to be cautiously optimistic until the City proves me wrong. Though if I'm being honest, I kind of expect to be proven wrong, but I hope I'm not.
December 10, 20231 yr Actually, the less fortunate among us bearing the brunt of billionaire inspired development projects suggests to me that the true economic flow is "trickle UP."
December 10, 20231 yr 3 hours ago, newyorker said: Thought? I can see both sides. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2023/12/short-term-pain-long-term-gain-cleveland-chips-away-at-social-safety-net-in-pursuit-of-revitalized-city.html The TIF diversion will come from Cleveland's share of real estate taxes, yes? Cleveland's share of property taxes (note: NOT the CMSD's share) is vanishingly small compared to its revenue from income taxes. Last time I looked it was less than $40 million a year. Given the growth in employment and wage taxes, the TIF diversion is barely relevant to anything. I'm pretty certain any social program losses could be made up from income tax revenue gains. Further, since this TIF money comes from potential revenue on future development, I don't see how anything gets diverted from anybody today. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
December 10, 20231 yr This certainly feels like these TIFs are going to be extended in perpetuity. And unless I'm misunderstanding it seems like this is functioning almost like a land value tax in that property improvements are not being taxed which begs the question; why don't we just allow land value taxes? (Ohio Capital Journal -Tax the buildings or just the land? Ohio economists debate the benefits) Regarding diverting funds specifically from Metroparks I suspect it will be a bit of a wash. It seems that their current focus is improving their infrastructure and park connections on the east side, particularly connections to the lake. @Ethan, is that your impression as well? You stay on top of the Metroparks meeting minutes. If this is true I would bet they're the recipient of some of these funds for those projects.
December 10, 20231 yr 4 minutes ago, Luke_S said: This certainly feels like these TIFs are going to be extended in perpetuity. And unless I'm misunderstanding it seems like this is functioning almost like a land value tax in that property improvements are not being taxed which begs the question; why don't we just allow land value taxes? (Ohio Capital Journal -Tax the buildings or just the land? Ohio economists debate the benefits) Regarding diverting funds specifically from Metroparks I suspect it will be a bit of a wash. It seems that their current focus is improving their infrastructure and park connections on the east side, particularly connections to the lake. @Ethan, is that your impression as well? You stay on top of the Metroparks meeting minutes. If this is true I would bet they're the recipient of some of these funds for those projects. The improvements are still being taxed. It's just that the funds are being reallocated.
December 10, 20231 yr 40 minutes ago, Luke_S said: This certainly feels like these TIFs are going to be extended in perpetuity. And unless I'm misunderstanding it seems like this is functioning almost like a land value tax in that property improvements are not being taxed which begs the question; why don't we just allow land value taxes? (Ohio Capital Journal -Tax the buildings or just the land? Ohio economists debate the benefits) Regarding diverting funds specifically from Metroparks I suspect it will be a bit of a wash. It seems that their current focus is improving their infrastructure and park connections on the east side, particularly connections to the lake. @Ethan, is that your impression as well? You stay on top of the Metroparks meeting minutes. If this is true I would bet they're the recipient of some of these funds for those projects. I'm not sure I have any special insights, but I agree with that assessment. Zimmerman's quote in the article certainly makes things seem that way, "we expect the bold vision supported by the generated funds will champion many transformative public initiatives along our waterfronts, made possible through close collaboration of the many partners and agencies working together." That in combination with the article using Detroit Shoreway as an example makes me think that a good portion of these funds go towards Metropark aligned goals such as better connecting existing parks to residents through trails and bike lanes. I could very easily see the city using these funds in such a way that will benefit the metroparks at least as much as metroparks could do with there share of the money alone. Right now I think the City and Metroparks' visions regarding infrastructure are roughly aligned. If that continues you just have to assume competency and good faith on the part of the city for me to think this will likely be a wash to even a beneficial trade. Unfortunately, I'm not confident in either of those assumptions, but I am hopeful. Edit: @Luke_SSone quick math, from the article, the total pot of money is about 133 million, of that only 15 million is coming from the Metroparks. That's about 11% of the total. If this all ends up going to infrastructure my guess is that at least 15% will go to bike/pedestrian infrastructure, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's closer to 20%. Assuming that is the case I think it's fair to say the Metroparks will come out ahead as broadening the bike/walking trail network inherently aligns with the Metroparks goals This is particularly true if the City continues to develop the lakefront and follow the Vision for the Valley, as these two goals are high on the priority list for both entities and do a lot to keep them aligned. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I think there's a good chance more money will end up going to Metropark aligned goals than the 11% that would have otherwise gone to the Metroparks. This is without even mentioning that there are some things that both entities may desire that it will be easier for the city to accomplish. So, all in all, I'm optimistic with regards to the effect on the Metroparks.
December 14, 20231 yr @bwheatsthanks for sharing/breaking the news! What a great early present - I've been submitting countless feedback suggestions to Google over the past year (multiple accounts!!! haha) and they've FINALLY updated Cleveland 3D imagery (who knows if it sending feedback actually made a difference lol) For context: almost every major US city has imagery updated to 2022 except for Cleveland, which hasn't been updates since 2014 (sigh). It feels good to finally see the updated progress 8 minutes ago, bwheats said: Google maps 3D for Cleveland was finally updated and she looks great. Three new towers on Euclid plus most of SHW tower and the Hilton hotel is making a big impact. Downtown! University Circle! Ohio City! Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Geowizical
December 14, 20231 yr I also submitted a few feedbacks so maybe we got annoying enough to the Google team and they finally wanted to shut us up 🤣
December 14, 20231 yr Glad everyone could submit some feedback! - seemed like a no-brainer for them to update it 😎
December 14, 20231 yr @ryanfrazierTo answer your question here since we moved the discussion: the new imagery is from 09/06/2023. Taking that into account, it seems it took about 3 months to get the imagery processed and verified, which isn't too shabby given they updated essentially an entire city's-worth of data. Also, somewhere in google earth (either in the web version or the actual application), there's a timelapse or clock feature where you can turn back and view old imagery if you'd like to compare. Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Geowizical
December 19, 20231 yr America’s best example of turning around a dying downtown - Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2023/cleveland-downtown-empty-offices-transform/# Edited December 19, 20231 yr by CCC
December 19, 20231 yr In this screenshot of the lead picture in the Washington Post article linked above, I love the fact that you can see the shadow of the Sherwin-Williams crane on Key Tower. I also love that there’s an airplane in the upper left-hand corner.
December 20, 20231 yr Wonderful article - great to see Cleveland’s successes documented for a national readership in The Post - and Public Square getting some love. The Article did opine that “the one mistake Cleveland has made is still catering to some traffic in the square as the bus routes cut it in half. The road is unpopular and should be shut down.” Mayor Bibb’s support for the police and safety as his primary issue also noted. Edited December 20, 20231 yr by CleveFan
December 23, 20231 yr Remember those single unit houses proposed along Carter Rd. by Columbus Rd about 7 years ago? Well it looks like their back. Edited December 23, 20231 yr by freethink
December 23, 20231 yr Author I'm working on it, @freethink "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 26, 20231 yr Author Note that construction is one of the more robust employment drivers in Greater Cleveland... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 28, 20231 yr Couldn’t see a dedicated thread for this, maybe it should have one now… Construction fencing is up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame expansion. Practical upshot is that the northern sidewalk of Alfred Lerner way is now closed between the Rock Hall and GLSC and the walkway around the back of the Rock Hall to the GLSC is also fenced off, so you’ll need to use the new bridge to traverse the harbor. My hovercraft is full of eels
December 28, 20231 yr Author @roman totale XVII "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 2, 20241 yr Author Thanks as always for the pics, @Agreene! Cleveland development: what to look for 2024 — Downtown By Ken Prendergast / January 2, 2024 For many in the real estate investment community, 2023 was the year when few new big projects were financed. The projects that were already financed under better, prior market conditions saw their construction advance, making the real estate landscape appear rosier than it really was. Now, however, as we enter 2024, there is a light at the end of the tunnel with developers already reviving or making new plans. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2024/01/02/cleveland-development-what-to-look-for-2024-downtown/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 2, 20241 yr Great reporting Ken. 2024 may be the necessary pause as these projects solidify their plans as well as waiting for interest rates to begin to dtop. Looking forward to 2025 although patience is not my strong suit lol.
January 2, 20241 yr Fortunately we’ve got the culmination of some transformative projects to look forward to over the next number of months - just think SW all lit up for 24’s holiday season - City Club’s opening - and Irishtown Bend will make huge strides towards its unveiling -to name a few - and maybe we’ll get an unexpected “bomb” or two along the way. Edited January 2, 20241 yr by CleveFan
January 2, 20241 yr On 12/6/2023 at 9:10 PM, MyPhoneDead said: Regarding the jeweler (that I never knew existed until today) on why he picked the U.S Bank Centre "it offered the off-the-street feeling of intimacy in a busier building, with better visibility." So they want visibility without being visible, gotcha. Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk Some jewelers don't want street-level space; they want to avoid anyone with smash-and-grab temptations. There were a lot of jewelers and diamond sellers in the City Club building. They depended on reputation and word-of-mouth advertising and did very well. If you knew, you knew.
January 3, 20241 yr Perhaps a bit of a stretch to post this- but in "random news" - an article from ConsumerAffairs.com was published today (Jan 2, 2024) (to my surprise) indicating that Cleveland is among the 25 most dangerous cities in America for driving - based on its rank as the 11th worst in the country for drivers speeding. There's something for the mayor to work on.
January 3, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, CleveFan said: Perhaps a bit of a stretch to post this- but in "random news" - an article from ConsumerAffairs.com was published today (Jan 2, 2024) (to my surprise) indicating that Cleveland is among the 25 most dangerous cities in America for driving - based on its rank as the 11th worst in the country for drivers speeding. There's something for the mayor to work on. We have a Stupid lists thread that this would be perfect for. But it's completely off topic here.
January 4, 20241 yr I park at CSU's South Garage most days, and I noticed the abandoned building at 2200 Carnegie is being demolished. Haven't found anything online about the intentions, but it appears to be owned by ODOT. Probably new surface parking.
January 4, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, MKent108 said: I park at CSU's South Garage most days, and I noticed the abandoned building at 2200 Carnegie is being demolished. Haven't found anything online about the intentions, but it appears to be owned by ODOT. Probably new surface parking. That's at the Carnegie/Cedar/E 22nd intersection that is supposed to be reconfigured, although I haven't heard anything about it recently.
January 4, 20241 yr 2 hours ago, LibertyBlvd said: That's at the Carnegie/Cedar/E 22nd intersection that is supposed to be reconfigured, although I haven't heard anything about it recently. Side note, the text on this really matched the building - well, until glass block made an appearance... 2009 Streetview
January 4, 20241 yr 6 hours ago, GISguy said: Kind of a downtown residencies/business discussion, er something, but looks like Fitworks downtown has closed. The only gym you're getting if you're downtown is CSU on the periphery (or your apartment complex). I created a gym/fitness club and services thread in the City Life section to keep things on topic here. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
January 5, 20241 yr On 1/1/2024 at 9:20 PM, freethink said: Not sure what this involves but it sounds cool... Looks like this will be on the PC agenda tomorrow 1/5
January 5, 20241 yr Quick google search for Scherba Industries brings up a lot of custom inflatables imagery. I like these images on their Indeed page... Edited January 5, 20241 yr by Pleco
January 5, 20241 yr Author They're a Ukrainian-American owned company too. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 8, 20241 yr https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/blue-abyss-completes-purchase-brook-park-land Well, well, well.* 2024 start targeted. * This is a pun because they're digging a really deep hole and putting water in it.
January 8, 20241 yr 2 hours ago, LlamaLawyer said: https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/blue-abyss-completes-purchase-brook-park-land Well, well, well.* 2024 start targeted. * This is a pun because they're digging a really deep hole and putting water in it. All the best puns have to be footnoted.
January 9, 20241 yr ^^The depths of your pun are leagues ahead of anything else I could think of. Bouy you're clever.
January 9, 20241 yr blue abyss.. Cleveland magazine has an excellent article on Cleveland aerospace history, obscure NASA Glenn experiments (like the microgravity drop tower), and a deep dive into how brookpark beat Houston for the blue abyss project.. they also touched on space tourism with plum brook, NASA Glenn, and blue abyss... it was already on my to do list.. https://clevelandmagazine.com/cleader/business/articles/can-cleveland-become-a-leader-in-the-commercialization-of-space Edited January 9, 20241 yr by lockdog
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