Thanks!!

landmarks commission design review agenda for August 25.2011

 

Little Italy Historic District: Concept Plan 2/12/2009

RTA Cedar-University Rapid Transit Station

Cedar Glen Parkway

New construction

Ward 9 - Conwell

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2011/08252011/index.php

Feds provide $1.1 million for minority business center in Cleveland

By JAY MILLER

11:30 am, September 1, 2011

 

The Commission on Economic Inclusion today accepted an oversize $1.125 million check from the federal Minority Business Development Agency to kick off a local MBDA Business Center. The center will help minority businesses across Ohio raise capital and secure contracts with larger private companies and public agencies.

 

The center is housed at the offices of the Greater Cleveland Partnership at 1240 Huron Road in downtown Cleveland. The inclusion commission is a program of GCP.

 

The check, which represented a grant awarded to the new center, was presented by David Hinson, national director of the minority business agency. Mr. Hinson said the 48 business centers operating across the country last year generated more than $4 billion in contracts that created 6,000 jobs at minority firms.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110901/FREE/110909986

Western Reserve Historical Society's plans for Euclid Beach Carousel and Crawford Museum's renovations:

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/2011/09082011/index.php

Already posted in the University Circle thread....

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2977.msg576391.html#msg576391

why does the first page of this have DDR as the developer of flats east bank? 

Because Wolstein's primary development took the lead on it at that time.

And Developers Diversified re-named to DDR.

West Park station TOD update is here:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,1977.msg577323.html#msg577323

I was searching the web for project updates and found this hotel industry newsletter from June. It provides a nice round-up of projects downtown:

 

http://www.hladvisors.com/newsletter-june11.htm

 

....And I was not aware that the Huntington Building was being considered for redevelopment as a hotel. That would be a very large hotel! Perhaps only half of it might be redeveloped as such since it will be about 50 percent occupied by office users after Ernst & Young and the law firm move to Flats East Bank?

If the Courtyard by Marriott is going to open in the third quarter of 2012 like suggested then they better start digging.  Actually I had been curious as to what is going on with this project as there is nothing going on on site and no news in a while.

 

I guess the same can be said about Schofield and the Hartness Building.

What is the construction work that appears to be going on in that "Rudy Rogers Scout Park" area between the North Park/MLK down-hill and Fairhill, east of the railroad tracks? 

I was searching the web for project updates and found this hotel industry newsletter from June. It provides a nice round-up of projects downtown:

 

http://www.hladvisors.com/newsletter-june11.htm

 

....And I was not aware that the Huntington Building was being considered for redevelopment as a hotel. That would be a very large hotel! Perhaps only half of it might be redeveloped as such since it will be about 50 percent occupied by office users after Ernst & Young and the law firm move to Flats East Bank?

 

Optima raised the idea last year when they bought the building (http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/06/miami_investor_buys_clevelands.html) but there hasn't been any concrete news since.  It was also mentioned in a Crains article in August 2010 that is linked in the Cleveland Hotels/tourism thread.  That was the article that cited industry sources as saying that only a few of the six hotels then proposed would actually get built, so I'm not all that optimistic about one ending up in the Huntington.

If the Courtyard by Marriott is going to open in the third quarter of 2012 like suggested then they better start digging.  Actually I had been curious as to what is going on with this project as there is nothing going on on site and no news in a while.

 

I guess the same can be said about Schofield and the Hartness Building.

 

The Marriott at Akron Northside, next to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR's Akron station, was supposed to be under construction by now but isn't. Wonder if something is going on at Marriott that's slowing these projects? Hopefully "slowing" is the worst that will happen.

What is the construction work that appears to be going on in that "Rudy Rogers Scout Park" area between the North Park/MLK down-hill and Fairhill, east of the railroad tracks? 

 

That may have to do with the "Lakes to Lake" trail that they are building linking trails from the Shaker Lakes to Lake Erie trails.  They are also supposed to be putting in some sort of public art project at the bottm of the hill.

I was searching the web for project updates and found this hotel industry newsletter from June. It provides a nice round-up of projects downtown:

 

http://www.hladvisors.com/newsletter-june11.htm

 

....And I was not aware that the Huntington Building was being considered for redevelopment as a hotel. That would be a very large hotel! Perhaps only half of it might be redeveloped as such since it will be about 50 percent occupied by office users after Ernst & Young and the law firm move to Flats East Bank?

 

Wow, I've never heard anything about that.  That would be an AMAZING hotel... I'm not sure what the layout allows, just thinking appearance-wise.  Also, did anyone know there were such specific plans for the CLE Athletic Club?

 

"After restoration and renovations, The Cleveland Athletic Club is proposed to convert to a 180-room full-service hotel. The proposed hotel would occupy floors 2 through 10. The Cleveland Athletic Club would occupy floors 11 through 15. The development would also include a Trader Vic’s Restaurant."

 

 

 

 

Also, did anyone know there were such specific plans for the CLE Athletic Club?

 

"After restoration and renovations, The Cleveland Athletic Club is proposed to convert to a 180-room full-service hotel. The proposed hotel would occupy floors 2 through 10. The Cleveland Athletic Club would occupy floors 11 through 15. The development would also include a Trader Vic’s Restaurant."

 

 

Yes. It's been reported either in this thread or perhaps the "Filling in Euclid Ave" thread.

 

EDIT: actually, it's been discussed at a thread that was "quarantined" because it contained copyrighted articles that didn't meet posting requirements. I cleaned up that thread and reactivated it at:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,11817.0.html

What is the construction work that appears to be going on in that "Rudy Rogers Scout Park" area between the North Park/MLK down-hill and Fairhill, east of the railroad tracks? 

That may have to do with the "Lakes to Lake" trail that they are building linking trails from the Shaker Lakes to Lake Erie trails.  They are also supposed to be putting in some sort of public art project at the bottm of the hill.

 

Wow -- I think this plan was discussed in 2004 or 2005, I thought it had been forgotten.  Nice to see progress.  Looks like it will make getting up and down the hill much easier for the non-motorist.

Anyone have any idea what Marous Bros. is building at the corner of Neff and Bella in Collinwood?

 

Is this done yet?

 

In Tremont, I jokingly call this the "Malibu" house on University Road - ginormous, and out of scale for the surrounding neighborhood but at the same time - who'da thunk someone would spend this kind of money to build a place like this in Tremont? Not sure how I feel about it, but more and more this area of Tremont is becoming like Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh:

 

I go by it (well, a block or so away) each day and it looks like they've made progress but I haven't had time to stop and snap photos lately. Might be able to this weekend.

Cross-posted from the bicycling thread in the transportation section....

 

Cleveland council OKs 'Complete and Green Streets' legislation

Published: Monday, September 19, 2011, 8:18 PM    Updated: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 7:32 AM

  By Thomas Ott, The Plain Dealer

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland's streets are about to get friendlier for bicyclists, pedestrians and the environment.

 

City Council voted Monday to approve a law requiring that 20 percent of money spent on road projects go to features such as bike-only lanes, crosswalks, energy-efficient lighting and porous pavement. The law caps the extra cost at $1 million.

 

The Complete and Green Streets ordinance, effective Jan. 1, would cover all projects -- federal, state, county, city or private -- in the public right of way. An advisory committee can approve exemptions for safety, financial hardship and other reasons.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/09/cleveland_council_oks_complete.html

 

... Might be able to this weekend.

 

Thumbs up

Cuyahoga County Public Library begins $100 million renovation, construction project

Published: Sunday, September 25, 2011, 6:00 AM

  By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer

 

The Cuyahoga County Public Library, the fifth-busiest library system in the country, is preparing to handle more business.

 

It will spend $100 million over the next three years building and renovating 15 of its 28 branches. Six cities -- Warrensville Heights, Garfield Heights, Mayfield, North Royalton, Parma and Olmsted Falls -- will have new branches built.

 

The project won't cost residents any new taxes. The library system, which serves 47 communities, issued bonds and will pay for them from expected revenues. It also will use capital improvement funds that it set aside years ago and begin a capital campaign.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/09/cuyahoga_county_public_library_7.html

I apologize in advance, I wasn't sure where best to put this question,

 

Can someone please tell me what's going on at the Renaissance Hotel? For the entirety of the year and a half I have lived in Downtown Cleveland the public-square facing side of that hotel has been covered by scaffolding and a lift, but with no apparent work being done.

I know everyone's gonna be excited for this  :roll: : University Heights is getting a Mc Donald's. They torn down preexisting but vacant retail stores on the West side of Warrensville Center Road South of Whole Foods and Boston Market and have begun building their new restaurant.

 

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- Construction of the new McDonald’s restaurant on Warrensville Center Road is expected to begin this month, Mayor Susan Infeld told City Council Sept. 6.

 

Infeld said the McDonald’s Corp. has pulled a permit for demolition from the city’s building department and will begin tearing down the existing building next week. Demolition is expected to take about two weeks, she said.

 

McDonald’s has a 100-day construction schedule and hopes to be operational by the end of this year, Infeld said.

 

 

Read more:

 

http://www.cleveland.com/university-heights/index.ssf/2011/09/construction_of_mcdonalds_rest.html

I recall this being briefly discussed a while back with despair.  I would at least hope that UH made them build to the sidewalk mimicking what was there, but since they are so desperate for any type of development I doubt they pressed the matter (or if anybody at the city has the sophistication to demand such a design in the first place)

University Heights has terrible land use policies.  The stark contrast between the CH side of Taylor Rd and the UH side is striking.

 

Anyone have any idea what Marous Bros. is building at the corner of Neff and Bella in Collinwood?

 

Nobody?  Lots of earth neing moved here.  Doesn't seem like a resurfacing.  The structure immediately to the NW is now an ethnic (slovenean?) based assisted living facility and I believe they tore down the two houses beteen that and Save-a-lot to create a more *dramatic* entrance with ample parking in the front.  Hopefully, that opened the lot formerly used as parking for a better purpose?

Sherwin-Williams bringing 110 new jobs to Cleveland

 

Chalk up a few more jobs in downtown Cleveland to Sherwin Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW), which is adding to its roles here with a little incentive from the state of Ohio.

 

The Ohio Department of Development announced it has approved a $1.7 million job-creation tax credit for Sherwin-Williams in exchange for the company bringing 110 new jobs to the city. The jobs will come from the coatings company's business support units at its various foreign subsidiaries, which are being consolidated at Sherwin-Williams' headquarters in Cleveland. They'll be added to the 2,010 jobs Sherwin-Williams already maintains in Cleveland.

 

http://crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110927/FREE/110929843

They torn down preexisting but vacant retail stores

 

I keep seeing this comment in articles and comments everywhere.  The storefronts were NOT vacant until recently, when the city pushed them out because they announced they wanted to demolish the building.  The companies slowly vacated the building and then the city claimed the plaza was empty.  IMO it was only empty because they pushed for it to empty out.

 

Either way, the McDonald's is going to completely suck and definitely will be a factor pushing me to look elsewhere (CH or Cleveland) when I am looking for a different house.  Good job Mayor Infeld! :roll:

University Heights has terrible land use policies.  The stark contrast between the CH side of Taylor Rd and the UH side is striking.

 

I agree in this case, but you can't always just use one corner for comparison.  For example, I'm not a fan of much of the architecture in South Euclid, but I tend to think their land usage patterns are similar to or possibly as little better than University Heights's.  However, although the Whole Foods and Target/Macy's retail complexes are far from perfect, they'll shine in comparison to the junk that South Euclid is putting up on the north side of Cedar (the GFS complex), as well as the junk that's already there (Walgreens, Burger King).

University Heights has terrible land use policies.  The stark contrast between the CH side of Taylor Rd and the UH side is striking.

 

Anyone have any idea what Marous Bros. is building at the corner of Neff and Bella in Collinwood?

 

Nobody?  Lots of earth neing moved here.  Doesn't seem like a resurfacing.  The structure immediately to the NW is now an ethnic (slovenean?) based assisted living facility and I believe they tore down the two houses beteen that and Save-a-lot to create a more *dramatic* entrance with ample parking in the front.  Hopefully, that opened the lot formerly used as parking for a better purpose?

 

By upgrading nursing home, Cleveland's Slovenian community preserves the old world for its elders: Global Village

 

"The home broke ground on a $9-million renovation that will anchor the 150-bed complex on Neff Road in Collinwood for at least another generation. Work has begun on adding a rehabilitation center and building a new wing of 66 private rooms, which will replace outdated, shared rooms.

 

The aim is to compete with the new senior complexes of the suburbs without moving there, said Philip Hrvatin, vice president of the home's board of trustees. He said trustees considered several suburban locations, including building on land they own in Concord Township, before deciding on the old neighborhood."

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/08/by_upgrading_a_nursing_home_th.html

South Euclid has been bastardizing its land uses for quite awhile.  The Green-Mayfield intersection is a prime example of a gradual and steady shift from inner ring urbanity to outer ring suburbia.  I'm just waiting for the final nail in the coffin when they replace the strip that used to house Gerome's and Clevleand Sporting Goods with something you will need binaculars to see from the street.  I sometimes think if that City had its way, there would be a CVS on every corner.

What has SE done to Mayfield/Green?  Was there something different where Phoenix/Hungry Howie's is?  I know the NE and SW quadrants are still intact.

 

I really like how the ballroom dancing place is right up on the street and you can see in.  It gives it that community feel that most of the suburbs are lacking.

IIRC, that strip on the NW corner which has the dance studio used to extend out to Green.  The SE corner was cleared for a CVS with wrap around parking.  I believe there was originally a historical structure (an old schoolhouse) on that corner, but I also think there was another use between the time of that building's death and the invasion of CVS.  The keybank structure on the NE corner is the original.

The dance studio is on the SW corner, isn't it?  (And that plaza still does extend to Green with Krush, which is what used to be Cleveland Sporting Goods I believe).  The NW corner is a more suburban style plaza, but at least it has a Phoenix Coffee.  And they did put a little plaza on the NW corner for the bus stop, which is pretty nice.

Looked at the design for the new McDonalds. Its going to be their current brick rectangle with Single arc design surrounded by parking with a grass buffer between the street and the front of the building.

The dance studio is on the SW corner, isn't it?  (And that plaza still does extend to Green with Krush, which is what used to be Cleveland Sporting Goods I believe).  The NW corner is a more suburban style plaza, but at least it has a Phoenix Coffee.  And they did put a little plaza on the NW corner for the bus stop, which is pretty nice.

 

Yeah.  I confused the dance studio with Hillcrest Academy, which used to be in the sw strip when I was learning how to kick a$#.... I mean, defend myself.  I was talking about the nw corner and how, IIRC, it used to extend out to Green.

Looked at the design for the new McDonalds. Its going to be their current brick rectangle with Single arc design surrounded by parking with a grass buffer between the street and the front of the building.

 

Just about what I expected.  Is this what Lakewood will likely end up with as well?

No, Lakewood at least pressed somewhat for something "better".  It does come up to the street (street wall) and has outdoor seating.  Likely for a McDonalds isnt bad, but still. 

 

McDonalds knew it had to appease an angry mob of people in Lakewood.   

The only mcdonald's design I liked in this area was the one which was on Lee where Lemongrass is now.  Of course, they don't do those anymore (with the exception of downtown areas) because it doesn't afford the patrons the opportunity to get fatter while waiting in their car for the bag of foody grease to be handed right out a window

Wasn't sure what thread worked best (Development, Gateway, a new "surface lots" thread).  But came across this map while researching Lou Frangos (as a side research after looking up the properties along Erie Cemetery).  I shouldn't say I was surprised, but it's simply unbelievable when you look at what USA Parking owns and then look at the black holes of development in the city.  Isn't there anything the city can do to end the strangle hold that keep real entrepreneurs from developing these areas?  It appears he owns around 70% of the land in the area where that could feature the same mixed use technique as Wrigleyville.

 

 

 

http://thefrangosgroup.com/Properties-in-Cleveland-Ohio.html

What if the city created a large parking garage where parking was subsidized and cheap so it wasn't as profitable to run a private parking garage downtown and it made more financial sense to develop it?

 

Although that would take something the city doesn't have much of - money.

What if the city created a large parking garage where parking was subsidized and cheap so it wasn't as profitable to run a private parking garage downtown and it made more financial sense to develop it?

 

Although that would take something the city doesn't have much of - money.

 

Akron has taken this approach, somewhat.  The city owns a number of garages and offers incentives, free parking even at times, to drive business during evenings and weekends.

 

Cleveland seems to want to get rid of any garage it owns.  For instance, although the Gateway garages haven't been very profitable the past few years, as soon as there is demand - new casino - the city immediately sells the north garage for cash as soon as it can.  so, i don't think you'll see any sort of consolidated parking developed by the city any time soon.

any one know what happened to mister magic car wash at carnegie and e36?  it looked like it closed a few months ago and there was a dumpster out front for a while, but now it appears quiet.  downtown/nearby could use a good gas station and a good car wash.

What if the city created a large parking garage where parking was subsidized and cheap so it wasn't as profitable to run a private parking garage downtown and it made more financial sense to develop it?

 

Although that would take something the city doesn't have much of - money.

 

 

Didn't the city kind of do that a few decades ago with the Municipal Lot? Granted a huge parking garage is a different animal all together. This though would also discourage transit ridership tho. Those lots will remain lots until building something on them (Stores, towers, offices) will be more profitable than charging people $10 a day to park there. When that happens the city won't have to do anything, but watch the private market take care of this problem. For now the city has to work on getting to that point.

Granted a huge parking garage is a different animal all together. This though would also discourage transit ridership tho.

 

Not if the parking garage was a part of an urban loop.  If the RTA wasn't just a commuter rail but also a means of intracity travel a garage would be an opportunity for people to park and ride, or for downtown residents to park (long term) and use rail to get around town.

Granted a huge parking garage is a different animal all together. This though would also discourage transit ridership tho.

 

Not if the parking garage was a part of an urban loop.  If the RTA wasn't just a commuter rail but also a means of intracity travel a garage would be an opportunity for people to park and ride, or for downtown residents to park (long term) and use rail to get around town.

 

Well I'd argue that there is a rail line that serves the muni lot and nobody uses it. If the city built a huge new municipal garage where people wanted to be (Similar to the privately built Garage and welcome center across from the Terminal Tower) as opposed to on the fringes of downtown, you wouldn't need it to be on a dedicated rail line.

I agree if you had a large lot in a central area it would be used without any rail line connection.  The municipal lot is mostly useless though, why would someone drive into the city, get to the lot, then ride to Tower City, Settlers landing, or FEB (the only "downtown" stops) if they worked at CSU, or on E9th or near Gateway.

 

My point is that our downtown stations (really only Tower City) don't make for a convenient use of RTA rail that would trump simply parking at the closest lot to your building.  Until we have a downtown loop (similar to KJPs idea) that would allow someone getting on anywhere (be it Shaker, Brookpark, Windermere or parking at a rail connected Downtown Muny Lot) to get to within a few blocks of their office, surface lots and garages will win over transit and infill.

Here's my suggestion for reducing the demand for parking downtown:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,1977.msg579748.html#msg579748