July 27, 200618 yr Oops! Can't forget the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center! clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
July 27, 200618 yr ^ i was up on the 12th floor of one of the clinic buildings and looking down on the site is even more amazing, it covers a bigger area than i realized
July 27, 200618 yr http://www.cleveland.com/podcast_files/business/kroll.mp3 more about cleveland developments
July 28, 200618 yr Author I don't know if this belongs here in this thread... http://www.cleveland.com/sun/brooklynsunjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-0/115401888663090.xml&coll=3 Construction boom City still leading county in housing starts Thursday, July 27, 2006 By Ken Prendergast Brooklyn Sun Journal CLEVELAND _ When it comes to new housing construction in Cuyahoga County, there's Cleveland and then there's everybody else. Mayor Frank Jackson, who pledged to continue the emphasis on building new houses, apartments and condominiums set by his predecessor Jane Campbell, touted that Cleveland again is leading the county in new places to live. Results from the first quarter of this year were recently announced by Jackson, showing that Cleveland issued 50 new for-sale residential permits. The next-closest cities were Westlake with 27 permits and Oakwood with 19, according to Cleveland's Community Development Department and CRM Development Research Inc. At first blush, 50 permits appears to be a step down from the last two years, when more than 1,500 housing units were annually added to the city's housing stock. But those numbers included new rental units, as well as extensive renovations made to apartments and houses. Also, Jackson's figure is for the period of January through March _ typically a slow time of the year for housing activity. ........... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 31, 200618 yr Part one of two: YMCA getting $100,000 facelift The News Leader, 7/12/06 Beginning this week, the Longwood Family YMCA is making good on a decade-old pledge. Workers this week were scheduled to begin laying an approximately $100,000 brick facade to sides of the building now covered with metal siding. the brick was mandated by the city 11 years ago when the planning commission approved construction of the building, according to Jill Kolesar, Longwood YMCA executive director. City Engineer Fred Tufts explained the requirement for the brick facade - which the city requires for all new businesses - was originally waived for three years because the YMCA had plans to build an extension for an indoor pool. But after the extension wasn’t built and the three years expired, the YMCA took no action for various reasons, including the high cost of the brickwork, Kolesar said. THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/12/06 William and Arneatha Shannon stepped through the door of their new four-bedroom home in Elyria for the first time Tuesday. “As soon as they send over the key, we’ll be ready to move in,” said William Shannon, 34, a Ford Motor Co. worker. Their new home is one of 60 being built with federal tax money for low- to moderate-income families. The Shannons will pay $625 in monthly rent and will have the option to buy the home at a cost substantially under market value after 15 years, said Melva Tolbert, executive director of New Sunrise Properties Inc., the nonprofit agency behind New Riverbend Homes. Lorain Port Authority gets $25,000 to create plan for land development Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/12/06 The city Port Authority announced Tuesday it had received a $25,000 state grant to create a master plan for the development of one of the sites involved in the accidental land transfer case with the city. The grant will be used to develop a plan for the development of the Dyked Disposal Site, Port Authority Director Richard Novak said. The final plan will be developed in conjunction with the Lorain County Metro Parks. “”We’ve been working with the Metro Parks to come up with ideas for the property and now it’s time to put down a finalized plan,” Novak said. “It could be an IMAX theatre or an aquarium. We have had lots of talks, but now we need to come up with a finalized idea.” The news comes a day after the Port Authority learned that the City Council will entertain a motion Monday to return the disposal site and the Ohio Edison submerged land to the Port Authority. The lands were accidentally transferred to the city in 2004 through a clerical error, Novak said, and the Port Authority will not begin creating the master plan until after the property is returned. Land swap called off 149 homes still planned Twinsburg Bulletin, 7/13/06 After more than five months of discussion, a proposed land swap between the city and a local developer has been called off. The deal had called for the city to trade 7 acres, zoned public facility and located on Darrow Road about a mile north of Twinsburg Township Square, for 14 acres about a mile northeast of the square, owned by Twinsburg Four LLC and zoned residential. The city could have used the 14 acres to create a large environmental preserve, access to future home developments or extended bike paths, while the developer had planned to combine city’s land with its own for a residential development, officials said. Marc Strauss, managing member of Twinsburg Four LLC, asked Councilors June 27 to remove the swap from their agenda. According to Clerk of Council Cindy Kaderle, an item cannot be removed once it has been placed on the agenda, so Council went ahead and voted 7-0 against the proposed trade. What’s ahead for biz park? Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/17/06 The Lorain County Regional Airport and its industrial park are in a holding pattern. At least until a court case determines if county commissioners will take full control of airport from the Airport Authority Board that has long controlled the county property. A decision is expected in that case later this month. County Administrator Jim Cordes, who now serves as president of the airport board, said when the county takes over it will do what it must to make the industrial park viable. “Our plan is to bring in whatever is necessary to get more revenue at the airport,” he said. Transfer station approved by EPA Twinsburg Bulletin, 7/19/06 Officials in Macedonia and Twinsburg say they plan to file an appeal with a state review board after the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issued permits allowing the construction of a waste transfer station. In Twinsburg Township, where the facility would be built, Trustees are split over whether they will fight the state agency’s decision. Company president Keith Kimble said his firm hopes to begin construction on the Chamberlin Road facility soon, but does not have a construction schedule set. He called the proposed appeal “overreactive.” Stoneridge Place foes want issue on ballot The Sun Messenger, 7/20/06 Residents opposed to the Stoneridge Place home development are set to initiate a referendum drive to try and stop construction, but law Director Michael Lograsso thinks they'd be wasting their time. Residents got a city permit allowing them to gather signatures on a petition to halt the development. But on Tuesday, Lograsso informed some of the would-be petition seekers that Ohio law, in his opinion, would not allow for a referendum election on the matter. Developer Augusto Mastronardi's Stoneridge Place would have 16 homes and a road on 4.5 now-wooded acres just west of Trebisky Road. Neighbors oppose the development due to its density and potential flooding problems it might create. Council approved Mastronardi's plan June 26 after he spent months satisfying Planned Unit Residential Development (PURD) requirements before the Planning Commission. Old school in danger Brunswick Sun Times, 7/20/06 There is a sense of urgency at the Brunswick Area Historical Society. Its proposal to purchase and move one of the only remaining one-room schoolhouses in the community is in jeopardy because of Mother Nature. The idea of a place for students to study history and see how their predecessors studied was an idea discussed by society members for a couple of years. Then, Amber Dalakas, president of the Historical Society, and John Wasylko, communications director of the Brunswick City School District, were talking. Wasylko is responsible for taping the Brunswick Memories shows which are video histories of local residents. Wasylko learned that there were grants available for cooperative ventures between historical societies and schools for just such a purpose. Dalakas said she thought why not? So, with the blessing of the membership, she and Jane Meding, vice president, put together a plan to purchase the Schoolhouse No. 4 building on Pearl Road just south of Sleepy Hollow and to move it to the east of the existing Heritage Farm parking lot. Nursing home will bring jobs Parma Sun Post, 7/20/06 A new 54,000-square-foot skilled nursing facility on Sprague Road will bring more than 150 new jobs and further the city's reputation as a leader in health care services, city officials say. Toledo-based HCR Manor Care broke ground in April on its 120-bed state-of-the-art location near the existing Arden Courts Alzheimer's assisted living facility. Officials say construction at Manor Care of Parma is on schedule for a March 2007 opening. The facility will feature 24-hour skilled nursing care, a secured Alzheimer's wing and rehabilitation services including in-house physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy. HCR Manor Care administrator Sara Fielding-Russell says the facility will look to draw patients from all the major Cleveland hospitals and Parma Community General Hospital. Study: junior high OK on Sanborn Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/20/06 The Ohio Department of Transportation traffic study is complete and it looks like the new Lakeside Junior High School will be built on Sanborn Road. Superintendent William Licate said Wednesday he received the ODOT study and it stated the additional traffic can be accommodated at Route 84 and Sanborn Road. ODOT recommends an eastbound left-turning lane be installed, he said. The board says it wants the new school built just southwest of the new Lakeside High School. It plans to vote formally on the matter now that the traffic study is complete. The Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) requires about 22 acres for a new junior high school, including enough land for ball fields, which are already in place for the new high school. Only about five to seven acres will be needed for the junior high school, including the parking lot, Licate said. Halting retail strips The Sun Star, 7/20/06 Development of the south Pearl Road corridor isn't expected to get rolling until early in the next decade, but the city is already eyeing ways to put the brakes on runaway growth. A problem the city has been faced with are these strip centers coming in, said Bob Hill, the city's planner. We really don't need any more strip centers. He has recommended that the city adopt new zoning legislation to increase the minimum size of businesses on south Pearl to 10,000 square feet, noting that most retailers in strip center occupy spaces of 3,000 to 5,000 square feet. The thinking is, that would preclude a lot of these strip centers coming in, Hill said. City council earlier this year got its first look at a blueprint for overall development of south Pearl Road from Shurmer Road south to Boston Road. Fixing EHS an ‘urgent necessity’ Elyria Chroncile-Telegram, 7/20/06 Some areas of Elyria High School desperately need repair, but at what price? The school board unanimously voted Wednesday to declare “an urgent necessity” to spend more than expected on repairs that will have to be completed before school starts Aug. 28. The board voted to pay Mid State Restoration Inc. of Cleveland $61,967 for repairs that had been estimated at $50,000. The work entails shoring up the east stage wall of the auditorium, installing steel beams and shore posts in the elevator room of the technical building, taking down half of the boiler chimney and relocating a handicapped ramp by Sixth Street. Elyria Chronicle-Telegram: Elyria has stiff competition for school funds (7/18/06) ‘What do you want at Lakeview Park?’ Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/20/06 There is no ‘I’ in park. The Lorain County Metro Parks is looking for a team effort with input from the department and from the public as it plans renovations at Lakeview Park. “We need to hear what people want from their park,” Metro Parks Director Dan Martin said during a meeting Wednesday at the Lorain Main Public Library. “We need you to help us decide how to redesign this park.” A month ago, Martin held a similar meeting and asked residents to fill out surveys with questions about the park’s future. On Tuesday, he revealed drawings of how the Metro Parks plan to renovate the park. “This is all part of the process,” Martin told the small crowd at the library. “Take a look at the drawings and decide which parts you like and which parts you don’t like.” Commissioners show off new digs Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/21/06 Now when county officials talk, someone will hear them. County Commissioners on Thursday showed off the $2.1 million renovation at the Administration Building, including $300,000 of state-of-the-art technology built into a new hearing room for meetings. “The sound is, indeed, incredibly good,” said Elizabeth Rumics, a county resident who regularly attends commissioner meetings. The new audio visual equipment also includes video screens in front of commissioners to allow them to view tapes or other material, five, 40-inch TV monitors and a sophisticated system to prepare broadcasts of meetings for cable-access television. The audience area of the meeting room has chairs in front of tables so material can be spread out before them for presentations. The commissioners also renovated the fifth floor into offices for the Lorain County Growth Partnership, which has the goal of being a “one-stop shop” for economic development. Cranes help assemble Tannery Hill bridge Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/22/06 Two giant cranes spent Friday assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle that - - when complete - - will eventually help held restore traffic along Tannery Hill. Pieces of the new bridge over the Ashtabula River were deftly hoisted into place by workers with the Ohio Bridge Corporation of Cambridge. In less than one day, the crew placed the flooring and sides of the galvanized steel truss bridge. Ashtabula County Engineer Tim Martin expected the work would speed along once the pre-fabricated sections arrived at the job site. "They can put it together very quickly," he said. The basic assembly should be finished by the end of next week, allowing county highway workers to finish the project, Martin said. County crews will install the bridge deck, plus perform some minor highway realignment and paving work. Historic bridge undergoing repairs after bizarre blaze Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/22/06 The historic Dean Road Bridge had to be closed down after a car abandoned on it caught fire, damaging the wooden slats that form the bridge flooring. The car was ditched on the bridge last week and caught fire during the middle of the night, said Bill Holtzman, an employee of the Lorain County Engineer’s Office. The bridge has been closed since the fire. “The fire burnt through the wooden deck and we are in the process of ordering the material to get the bridge reopened,” Holtzman said “The slats are gone now, and we have placed concrete barrier preventing anyone from trying to cross the bridge.” Dean Road straddles the Lorain and Erie county line, separating Brownhelm and Florence townships. Lights turn on for Harbors lift bridge Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/23/06 Let there be lights and so there was Thursday evening on the Harbors Bascule lift bridge The Light the Lift Bridge Committee is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to install additional lighting to the bridge. Light Emitting Diode, (LED) bulbs were demonstrated by Sean Cunningham of Lighting Sales Inc., of Beachwood. "It was just spectacular," said Kevin Grippi, chairman of the Light the Lift Bridge Committee. ODOT was approached by the committee to add the additional lighting to fill in the dark spots and light the bridge more, Grippi said. ODOT is applying for a transportation enhancement grant in the hopes of paying 80 percent of the additional lighting cost. The committee plans to approach the City of Ashtabula and local foundations to help pay the 20 percent match of the cost, Grippi said.
July 31, 200618 yr Rockwell site one contender for slice of state grants By JAY MILLER 6:00 am, July 31, 2006 The Long Island-based developer who earlier this year purchased the hulking tech center on Rockwell Avenue in downtown Cleveland for $12.5 million is hoping the project lands a state economic development grant to help build a $29 million tech center and garage on part of the site. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have joined to support the efforts of Matrix Centennial LLC of Smithtown, N.Y., to redevelop the site. They have applied for a $5 million Job Ready Sites grant to make the project economically feasible. Job Ready Sites is a new state program that offers communities grants to assemble land, fund environmental cleanups and make infrastructure improvements to property.
July 31, 200618 yr Listen to Chris Montgomery, the PD's outgoing Real Estate reporter, talk about the big five development projects in Cleveland in the coming years http://www.cleveland.com/podcast_files/business/kroll4.mp3 That first part is a lot more interesting, but there is a second part to that audio in which Chris Montgomery says some interesting things about a new generation of developers, some nice things about Stark's vision, and anti-sprawl recomendations: http://www.cleveland.com/podcast_files/business/kroll.mp3 And a little blurb on the six projects mentioned as background for the audio on cleveland.com: Development in Cleveland Thursday, July 20, 2006 In this week's Weekend Diary podcast, former Plain Dealer commercial real estate reporter Christopher Montgomery discusses six major projects planned or underway in Cleveland. From The PD archives, here's more information about those plans. Forest City: West Quad Web site Proposed: 2003-2005 (plan evolved over time) Current status: Case says it is still talking to Forest City about the plan. Most existing buildings have been demolished. Bob Stark: Warehouse District Proposed: 2005 Current status: Stark has options on property and has been talking to retailers. Scott Wolstein: Flats East Bank County's site update Proposed: 2005 Current status: The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has purchased some land on Wolstein's behalf and begun eminent-domain lawsuits against other owners. Wolstein already owns a large chunk of the property. Mitchell Schneider: Steelyard Commons Web site Proposed: 2004 Current status: Construction underway; opening planned for spring of 2007. Rick and Ari Maron: East Fourth Street Web site Proposed: 1990s Current status: House of Blues and Pickwick & Frolic already open; more under discussion. Nathan Zaremba: Avenue District Web site Proposed: 2003 Current status: Apartments being reserved; construction planned for later this year.
August 1, 200618 yr would've put this somewhere else, but it was discussed here a few pages back: What's the deal with... The Terminal Tower Monday, July 31, 2006 The elaborate erector set capping the upperfloors of the Terminal Tower at Public Squareis not some swanky birdcage for the residentperegrine falcons; it is scaffolding, and lots ofit. The 52-floor Terminal Tower office buildingis undergoing a five-year renovation of itsfa硤e. Cleveland's grande dame is 76 yearsold and in need of a facelift. Every crack is beingrepaired and every loose stone removedand restored. - Allison Carey, Plain Dealer reporter
August 1, 200618 yr Part two of two: Port Authority one step closer to industrial park Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/24/06 The Ashtabula City Port Authority received and opened three bids Friday for the proposed industrial park located on the east side of Route 11, south of East 6th Street. The bids are for site work, such as clearing land, installation of sewer lines, water lines and roadways to prepare the site for future businesses. About 42.7 acres will be used for the estimated $1.3 million industrial park that is located within city limits, said Ron Kister, president of the Ashtabula City Port Authority. The bids received were from C.I.R. Inc., of Geneva for $1,664,266.35; Koski Construction Co., of Ashtabula for $1,324,888.65; and Clemson Excavating, Inc., of Chardon for $1,316,412.04. The port authority hopes to award the bid next week, Kister said. The port authority, received state and federal funding for the project, Kister said. It received a $375,000 grant and $375,000 loan from the states Rural Industrial Park and a federal grant of $300,000 from the Economic Development Administration. Once the bid is awarded the port authority hopes to begin work at the site soon, Kister said. Park plans intact Willoughby News-Herald, 7/25/06 The Geauga County Parks Board has decided to keep plans for Frohring Meadows Park intact, at least for the time being, despite recent protests from several Bainbridge Township residents. The Geauga Park District has begun preliminary clearing work on a 176-acre parcel that the late Paul Frohring left them in his will, to be an open, passive park. The land lies along Savage, Bainbridge and Chagrin roads. The District plans to clear the land of its existing non-native weeds and plant a prairie, complete with a variety of grasslands and flowers. They also plan to construct a pavilion, walking trails, restrooms and a parking lot for 43 cars on the property. Willoughby News Herald: Geauga Park District officials get an earful over park (7/14/06) Veterans Memorial construction begins Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/26/06 The walls of the long-awaited Veterans Memorial are finally going up, and a gala dedication and party in the park is tentatively planned for Labor Day weekend. The dedication is set for 11 a.m. Sept. 2. Hot dogs, hamburgers, cold drinks and candy for the kids will be served from noon to 3 p.m. The food is being provided by AMVETS Career Center on Middle Avenue, according to Veteran’s Memorial Committee member Gene O’Quinn. Fundraising is going well, and the committee has raised about $100,000 of the $140,000 target for construction and upkeep, O’Quinn said. Sheffield Lake to continue talking with plaza officials Lorain Morning Journal, 7/26/06 Sheffield Lake City Council voted last night to continue negotiating with the owners of the Shoreway Shopping Center on Lake Road until Aug. 15 in hopes of getting the run-down shopping center fixed up. Mayor John Piskura wants to see the center redeveloped and said the city will consider taking the property by eminent domain if no agreement is reached. After last night's meeting, Piskura said a special council meeting could be necessary to consider the action. The council went into executive session to discuss the purchase of property for public use and litigation. After reconvening into public session, they unanimously voted to continue negotiating with the shopping center's owners, the Levin Trust. After the city's July 14 deadline on a previous offer to purchase the center for $4.48 million expired, the owners responded that they are not in a position to redevelop and countered with a $6.5 million purchase price, according to Piskura. Lorain Morning Journal: City wants action on plaza (7/22/06) N. Royalton development plans are put on hold Cleveland Plain Dealer, 7/26/06 City officials, in the wake of recent flooding, have decided they won't consider plans for any new developments around Chippewa Creek for at least four months. Officials are preparing to appoint residents to a panel to study development, flooding and water quality issues in the area. "We were worried that somebody would rush in with plans if they heard the study was started," said Council President Bob Stefanik, of North Royalton. Mayor Cathy Luks called the council-approved moratorium a good plan to try to save land from future development. Cleveland Plain Dealer: Panel to develop management plan for flood-prone Chippewa Creek (7/20/06) Officials say new Lakeside not to blame for excessive flooding Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/26/06 Complaints from residents about flooding of yards on Sanborn Road has prompted school officials to review the new Lakeside High School site. On Saturday, after six hours of constant rain fall Ashtabula Area City School Board of Education member Michael Franklin made it to Sanborn Road to speak with residents, he said. The residents told Franklin flooding wasnt a problem in the neighborhood before the high school was built, Franklin said. Construction began two years ago. "It is my belief the high school didnt cause the problem," Franklin said. Already the district has been in contact with Project and Construction Services (PCS) and MKC Associates, the construction firm and architect for the project, he said. St. Wenceslas project hits a major roadblock Garfield-Maple Sun, 7/27/06 The parking lot at St. Wenceslas Catholic Church 17825 Libby Road won't become an apartment building for senior citizens anytime soon, as was hoped. A state agency denied an application by NRP Group, Garfield Heights, and Catholic Charities Housing Corp. for a tax break. When the project was proposed, the church's pastor said denial was a a very real possibility. NRP and Catholic Charities sought breaks from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. Competition was keen: 42 of 143 projects won approval. ... With denial, the St. Wenceslas project will have to wait until March to reapply. If approved, construction could begin 18 months from then. School levy on fall ballot The Sun Messenger, 7/27/06 A three-part school levy will be on the ballot in November. The Board of Education, led by new president Elaine Kolp, voted to put the levy on the ballot as a package deal. It's one issue, one vote. All or nothing, Treasurer J. Byrne said. The package includes an 8.2-mill bond levy to build a new school for grades 6-12, a 4-mill permanent improvement levy to update the existing elementary school, and a 5.87-mill operating levy. Lorain work started The Sun Herald, 7/27/06 A major resurfacing project is just beginning on one of the city's busiest streets, while work is progressing on another. Work began earlier this week on the Lorain Road resurfacing project. The road will be resurfaced from Canterbury Road east to the Fairview Park line and will be completed by mid-October. Most of the work will be done at night, between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., said Service Director Duane Limpert. The project, managed by the Ohio Department of Transportation, will be similar to one three years ago on the west end of Lorain, although curbs will not be replaced. Crews will remove several inches of old asphalt and then resurface the street with new asphalt. Limpert said drivers should be aware of lane closures and changing traffic patterns during the project. There will be access to all Lorain Road businesses during the project. Hospital comes tumbling down The Sun Courier, 7/27/06 It stood as a reminder of a bygone era. A relic from a post-World War I public works boom by President Franklin Roosevelt. It first served as Veteran's Hospital specializing in tuberculosis after the war. The state would take over the building and use it as a developmental center specializing in caring for the mentally retarded. Broadview Heights bought the property in 1996 at a good price and moved its operations to the site. A tour of the inside of the building an hour before demolition revealed a decaying building that was more of a safety hazard than an asset to the city. Inside plaster walls were collapsing, there were exposed rusted metal fixtures hanging from the ceiling, glass on the floor and other items that would be dangerous to any trespassers which the building has seen its share of that. Unfortunately, the repairs for the building were too costly to refurbish and it sat vacant for many years. There are rumors that it is haunted and that was not lost on the crowd that assembled to watch the ceremonial first blow. Court plan scaled down The News Sun, 7/27/06 The city's plan for a bigger court facility may not be what Judge Mark Comstock envisioned, but he hopes the municipal court has the city in its future. Comstock and Clerk of Court Raymond J. Wohl met with city officials last week to discuss Berea's scaled-down plans for a new court facility. Another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, where Comstock is expected to give his verdict on the design. They (the city of Berea) presented us with a plan that they thought would work for us, Wohl said. We will go through the floor plan they presented and see how it would be able to fit into what we have in the court. We will see where it goes from there. The current court area, which spans about 4,900 square feet in the upstairs portion of Berea City Hall, has been criticized for being overcrowded and dysfunctional. The new plan, said Mayor Joseph Biddlecombe, is a 23,450-square-foot addition to the current City Hall building. It is estimated to cost $4.5 million. City, port authority ready to act on lakefront cabins Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/27/06 No serious governmental obstacles apparently stand in the way of Conneaut Port Authoritys plans to erect a handful of cabins along a scenic spot of the citys harbor, officials said. Port Authority members recently learned the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has no real objections to the plan, designed to attract tourists to the area, said Denver Spieldenner, port authority chairman. "We were worried about permits we might need," he said. "We dont appear to need (special) permits." The port panel will confer soon with the state regarding the impact of the project on its submergedlands lease. City files lawsuit to purchase vacant, contaminated site The Sun, 7/27/06 An empty gas station and a heap of contaminated soil could become city property, provided an eminent domain lawsuit falls in the city's favor. The city has begun pretrial conferences in Lorain County Common Pleas Court in a lawsuit against the owner of the station at the southwest corner of Center Ridge Road and Route 83, hoping to acquire the small parcel for city use, Law Director Andrew Crites said. The bustling intersection is identified in the city's master plan as a future town center and the city would like to turn the gas station lot into a municipal park. I've wanted to do something about that corner ever since I've been in office, Mayor David Gillock said. Even if we can just clean it up, it will be an improvement. Land owner Donald Coen, of the Carlton B. Coen Land Co. in Canton, is fighting the lawsuit and filed a counterclaim, alleging that the city has prevented him from selling or developing the property by refusing to issue permits. Building project at halfway point Lakewood Sun Post, 7/27/06 First, the familiar landmark buildings turned to rubble, which soon gave way to holes in the ground. Now, the outlines of new Lakewood schools are unmistakably taking shape around the city. Hayes and Harding in the southwest. Harrison on the narrow streets of Birdtown. Garfield _ the most ambitious project, perhaps _ on Detroit Avenue's busy eastern corridor. Lakewood's first major school building project in 90 years is nearing its halfway point. About half of the money earmarked for construction of the new buildings has been spent. Completion of the buildings is just about a year away. Shortly after that, the first students will walk the halls of the new schools in August 2007. And, to this point at least, district officials are almost universally upbeat about the progress of the first major overhaul of Lakewood's schools in nearly 90 years. Official: New Y is up to you Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 7/28/06 More than 70 people gathered at an office complex off Park Avenue on Thursday to find out whether or not a new YMCA will coming to the city. They left without a concrete answer, but Greater Cleveland YMCA President Glenn Haley said if the support shown at the meeting continues, Amherst residents could have a new facility soon. “This is a good sign having this many people show up for a meeting that we only started advertising a week ago,” Haley said. “If we can get support like this, then it will be a no-brainer to put a YMCA in here.” Geneva moves ahead on revitalization grant Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/28/06 The efforts of city officials and local business owners has come to fruition with the approval of the citys preapplication for a $400,000 Downtown Revitalization Grant, Assistant City Manager Jennifer Brown said. "All our work is starting to pay off. This preapproval means so much because out of 13 communities, only nine were granted preapproval and only six will actually be awarded grant money," Brown said. Now the city and the Geneva Business Association is on the fast track down a long road toward the preservation and updating of its centuriesold buildings. Brown said the city and business association have worked together to develop a marketing and development plan, all of which were requirements for grant preapproval. School property brings $145,000 Ashtabula Star Beacon, 7/30/06 A torrential downpour just before 6 p.m. Thursday did not keep the curious or bidders away as the old Grand Valley High School property went on the auction block. It was a sea of striped umbrellas as some 35 people gathered at the N. School Street property to either bid or just find out who would buy the 10.026 acres where the school once set. In about 22 minutes of actual bidding between two people, Roaming Shores resident Ken Kovats ended up buying the land for $145,000. One other unidentified man was bidding against Kovats, but bowed out at the end as Davis and fellow auctioneer, David Rennolds tried to get the price up. GV School District Superintendent John Sheets before the sale decided to combine three parcels fronting on N. School Street into two parcels.
August 1, 200618 yr From KJP's article: At first blush, 50 permits appears to be a step down from the last two years, when more than 1,500 housing units were annually added to the city's housing stock. Plus, consider that only 33 new housing permits were issued in all of the 1980s! Much like the above number, I believe that only applies to new single-family home construction...but still!
August 2, 200618 yr Author Plus, consider that only 33 new housing permits were issued in all of the 1980s! Much like the above number, I believe that only applies to new single-family home construction...but still! That doesn't sound right. How many housing units were built at Riverbend Condos or the Triangle at University Circle (both in 1988). Those are just two major projects off the top of my head. Does that number include just one building, or all the units in the building? An interesting stat I once heard is that, in 1976, there 9 hew homes built in Cleveland. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 2, 200618 yr ^what about those condos that overlook scranton peninsula that one can see to the north as you'd pass the WSM and enter the lorain-carnegie bridge?
August 2, 200618 yr Dudes, like I said: "Much like the above number, I believe that only applies to new single-family home construction..." I don't think multi-family buildings are included in that list. Also, that was a number given to me during a lecture by someone in the industry who I believe is credible. However, his criteria could've been funky or I could've just dropped a digit in my notes!
August 2, 200618 yr Author Good question. I wasn't sure of the answer either. ^what about those condos that overlook scranton peninsula that one can see to the north as you'd pass the WSM and enter the lorain-carnegie bridge? While I was trying to write my earlier message, I spent 15 minutes on Google trying to jar my memory of the name of those condos. Alas it was to no avail. But I'm pretty sure those were built in the 1980s, too. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 3, 200618 yr The Cleveland Athletic Club Building on Euclid and 12th has a new tennant in a street level retail space that has been empty for a while now. It was formerly occupied by a beauty school. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it looks like an office since there are a lot of desks etc. being moved in.
August 3, 200618 yr While I was trying to write my earlier message, I spent 15 minutes on Google trying to jar my memory of the name of those condos. Alas it was to no avail. But I'm pretty sure those were built in the 1980s, too. I think they are called Grove Court.
August 3, 200618 yr Author THAT'S IT!!!! Thank you! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 3, 200618 yr ^City Year Cleveland is moving into the space in the athletic club building. They signed a long lease, I think for either 5 or 10 years.
August 3, 200618 yr ^That's good news. I didn't think they'd be renewed in the spot they're in now. Speaking of which, I haven't heard anything about Eli Mann's project (1001 - 1021 Euclid) in a while. Anyone else?
August 8, 200618 yr Not sure if this was already posted. what do ya'll think about trees, aka an "urban forest", at lakeside and e.9th where a lawn currently exists? i like it. dwntwn could certainly use a place for trees to reach a more mature state and it would also camoflauge the beauteous federal bldg. plus, it's on a bluff overlooking the lake. connections connections. me thinks evergreens would provide a better wind buffer in the winter months. i dont believe people are complaining about the breeze in the summer time. Federal Office Bldg. plan: lots of trees Makeover of plazas may cost $15 million Tuesday, August 01, 2006 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter A downtown forest could sprout around the Federal Office Building. A plan calls for dozens of trees, a serpentine walk and new lighting in the plazas that flank the building, which houses 4,000 workers at East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue. The urban-forest design, estimated to cost $15 million, would be a counterpoint to the open green spaces that dominate nearby malls. The General Services Administration is taking bids on the project now and hopes to have it done by late 2009. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4695
August 8, 200618 yr I like it...anything that shakes up the monotony down there along E. 9th street is fine by me! I agree with the point that our open space options downtown are fairly limited to places with light amounts of tree coverage. The one exception that comes to mind is Perk Park (Chester Commons) which is slated for redevelopment. A question: was this extensive rehab proposed before the DFAS issue was settled? What I'm getting at is the question of whether this is an additional windfall from the announcement that we'll be getting more federal employees, rather than less. I'm guessing the added investment and the impact on local contractors, etc. would have been much less if the DFAS realignment did not go our way!
August 8, 200618 yr I probably won't like the design of this shopping center and I'm not exactly sure of what they're taking down, but this article sums up a lot of what is important in arguing for the competitive position of core city neighborhoods in attracting retailers. I've bolded a few of the points that I felt were most poignant. From Crain's: Community group to try its hand at retail development By JAY MILLER 6:00 am, August 7, 2006 A community development group on Cleveland’s southeast side is testing its wings as a shopping center developer. The Union-Miles Development Corp. plans to break ground this fall on a $6 million rebuilding of an aging shopping corner at East 131st Street and Miles Avenue. The 70,000-square-foot Miles Shopping Plaza would include an expanded supermarket and nine or 10 new shops in an L-shaped plaza with parking in front. More at crainscleveland.com http://www.crainscleveland.com
August 8, 200618 yr Hmmm...so it looks like the site has a huge parking lot on it and several buildings that date to the 1920s. I'm hoping that the renovation of existing buildings will be targeting architecturally significant and appropriate structures and using them to build off of. I don't have any more information than what is printed above, though!
August 8, 200618 yr Theres an Old shopping center on that corner and I believe the only left is a Mr. Hero.
August 8, 200618 yr Unfortunately most of the things that were/are planned for that side of town seem to "suburbanize" the East side. Bigger houses, bigger yards, shopping plazas with front parking, etc It is unfortunate that the inner city seems to want to get away from density, and model itself after the burbs. (at least certain areas of the city)
August 8, 200618 yr ^ It's funny what freeways do to cities. 480 splits this particular neighborhood with Garafield Hts. about a half a mile to the south of it. It is almost like one area became the "wrong side of the tracks" and continues to fail and become blighted.
August 8, 200618 yr This area really and truly is one of Clevelands largest "deadzones". Nothing at all really going for it.
August 8, 200618 yr Thats true. This neighborhood however is a fairly quiet area. The crime is particularly concentrated in drug activity versus homicide and thefts. It's the employment opportunities in this section of Cleveland that particularly struggle. Alot of abondon industrial use here along Union and Harvard.
August 9, 200618 yr DAMN I love going into the cleveland.com forums and mixing it up with people who have no idea what is going on outside of their respective cul-de-sac.
August 10, 200618 yr Cleveland's Big Dig Juvenile Court Is Finally Moving. the Only One Smiling Is Sam Miller. By James Renner YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT REST $20 mil gone and construction hasn't started. Juvenile Court is falling apart. In the midst of record-breaking heat, the air conditioners inside the court's administration offices on East 22nd are failing. Some units are already dead. Others spark when plugged in and must be monitored in case they're set ablaze. Which is a problem, since many windows can't open. Downstairs, black crust that might be dried sewage coats the top of one wall below the commissary where the best deal of the day is a polish sausage that sells for $1.95. At least the elevators are finally fixed. Until recently, the only way to navigate the court was by stairs, so any hearing involving a handicapped person had to be moved to the ground floor. While the caseload for each of the court's six judges and 22 magistrates has grown, the spaces in which they are heard has shrunk. Magistrate Gail Nanowsky presides over a room so small that lawyers are sometimes forced to sit on AC units (which may explain why they break so often). The prosecutor's juvenile crimes office here has spilled into what was once a hallway. The media-relations person types her press releases inside an old bathroom. Slowly, everyone is being squeezed into the last workable areas as lower-level rooms are condemned. Everyone agrees: Juvenile Court must move. According to Commissioner Timothy Hagan, it will. After 22 years of negotiations, he says, the county, the city and the juvenile judges have finally agreed upon a single plan. Administrative Judge Joseph F. Russo is expected to make the announcement in the next few days, ending a last-minute attempt to force the commissioners to keep the court downtown. The new juvenile courthouse will be constructed atop a new juvenile detention center on a triangular piece of property on the southeast corner of East 93rd and Quincy. It's a deal that saves county commissioners some face. After all, taxpayers have already sunk over $20 million into the property.
August 10, 200618 yr Crazy story...I saw the mammoth building come down in the 1990s while commuting to school on the train and I've recently noticed some action on-site with heavy equipment and trucks moving stuff around.
August 10, 200618 yr I never really trust the Scene anymore (but sometimes I confuse their articles with those of the Free Times). I'm not saying that FCE did spend money to clean up the site, but I just don't know who really to believe about these things.
August 10, 200618 yr Ah, the first building block for Opportunity Corridor has been set. It is good to see this finally get going. "Councilman Matt Zone has uncovered the fact that at least 40 trains a day go past 93rd and Quincy. Some of the train cars carry styrene. It's a very toxic chemical. If there is a derailment — or God help us, a terrorist act — what do you do with the 150 kids locked up in that facility? It's just not in the right location." Seriously, if a train derails in front of City Hall, the current juvy center will still have problems. That was a poor argument. Maybe he really wanted to put in near the Stockyards Neighborhood.
August 10, 200618 yr Not sure what, if any, impact this has on Cleveland developments, but it seems relavent to the current topic of Forest City. Forest City completes NYC switch 2:12 p.m. Forest City Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: FCE-A) of Cleveland has finalized its deal to take full control of the Forest City Ratner Cos. operation in New York City from Bruce Ratner. The Plain Dealer reported last week that the deal was in the works. (Link: previous story)
August 11, 200618 yr Not sure if this video from the Greater Cleveland Partnership was ever posted. It talks about all of the proposed developments in the works for Cleveland. Nicely done-just hope it all happens. http://www.webcastgroup.com/webcast/window_new/frameset.asp?WebcastID=2190&reset=1
August 12, 200618 yr ^ Thanks for posting the video! It is great to see that so much is planned in Cleveland. On a side note it seems strange that a lot of people are talking about the condo's on top of the 515 garage except for the developers. I would really like to know where this project stands.
August 12, 200618 yr Cleveland's walls may be talking (and selling) Saturday, August 12, 2006 Susan Vinella Plain Dealer Reporter Get ready for a new look in downtown Cleveland, with City Council likely to give the go-ahead for advertisers to put six big murals on the sides of buildings. The murals could be large vinyl sheets, like the striking 10-story Nike LeBron James ad near Quicken Loans Arena, or flashy electronic signs like the one in Playhouse Square. Council will consider the proposal this fall. It is part of a settlement between the city and Eller Media - now Clear Channel Outdoor - which sued the city seven years ago after the city banned billboards that advertise alcohol in neighborhoods. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-5010 I wonder what the locations are, I would hope that 668 Euclid Ave is on the list.
August 12, 200618 yr Then there's this from the WCPN website: Social scientists have warned that core cities can act like black holes. If too much of the population spreads out to the suburbs, the city collapses and sucks down everything around it - including the suburbs. Cleveland seemed to be in that danger in the 1990s. But Mayor Mike White's administration began offering tax abatements to attract homeowners back to the city. Now developers are trying what was recently considered impossible: building new, profitable housing developments in the city. ideastream's Mark Urycki reports. There are a lot of White bashers on this forum, but even though I recognize his flaws, esp w/r to the budget and, yes, others will argue he was in Miller/Ratner's back pockets (he was also tight w/ Jacobs, too), but you can't deny the many, many things he did to stimulate growth in this town, like tax abatements -- downtown, and the thriving neighborhoods owe a whole heck of a lot to this man... When I came back to live here in the late 90s, I'd never in my life seen so much energy in Cleveland, esp downtown -- things were so upbeat. Things have slipped, but the synergy that came from that era still has kept momentum going forward.
August 12, 200618 yr Mike White started out fantastic, but he steadily alienated many of his supporters, and Cleveland supporters. By the end, the only friend he had was Sam Miller. The celebrated private-public partnership that started under Voinovich, and grew under the first term of White, was completely gone by the time White left.
August 12, 200618 yr ^yes & no. Yes, Voinovich started some public-private partnership activity, in particular in the groundbreaking Lexington Village housing project, the 1st sign of new life, housing-wise, in Hough since the riots. Yes, Mike alienated a lot of people. No, the P-P partnership attitude wasn't dead when Mike left office; indeed, it's still alive. No question Voinovich was desperately needed to turn things around after the disastrous Dennis days. While Voinovich certainly started growth, esp downtown, Mike got a lot of projects going/finished. I liken them to two MLB baseball pitchers: George was a set-up man; Mike, a closer. But I defy you name any mayoral era in Cleveland, since the 1920s, when Cleveland showed as much physical growth and promise as it did under White. No era/mayor comes close (and please, don't throw the 'he benefited from a strong economy' while, say, Jane didn't' argument -- as the WCPN blurb noted, Mike helped create the strong market while Jane (and so far, her successor) have done little to improve it). And most importantly under White, this town had something much, much greater than bricks 'n mortar: it had enthusiasm, excitement & pride as it hadn't had in 50+ years, and it hasn't had since. I remember one friend chimed -- with not total hyperbole -- that Cleveland, not Chicago, was the 'city that works.' Whether it was Gateway, or upgrading Ohio City (up to its growing self today), to Longwood, Beacon Square housing, to the R&RHOF (voinovich won it, but it stalled until Mike put a charge into leaders to get it finished)... we had victory after victory in this town for that brief window... Mike White wasn't the longest-serving mayor in Cleveland history for no reason; people understood a good thing when they saw it. Yes, he screwed himself with his personality and the Gray scandal... no doubt, if he hadn't shot himself in the foot in that manner, he'd likely still be serving today... Let's not rewrite history.
August 13, 200618 yr Author White started off decently, but the divisiveness he soon created at City Hall prevented anything from getting done. He played the game of Personality-based Politics and lost (as did Cleveland). Voinovich deserves much of the credit for getting the city out of the mud, but Kucinich gets too much blame. There is some excellent research by CSU on the mayoral administrations of Perk, Stokes and even much earlier (going back into the 40s) which shows the corruption, pettiness, and idiotic insanity that went on which politically gridlocked the city from getting anything done. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 13, 200618 yr I agree w/ much of your comments. Where I differ is about Dennis. I think he really set Cleveland back. And it wasn't simply because of his ideas, which in some cases, put him ahead of his time (IE Muny light). But where I really think he needs to be, and has, been taken to task was his presentation. He was just so vitriolic that he created a terrible atmosphere for business and growth in this town, and there were ripple effects felt even after he left. I know, I have many insider/contacts who were at Sohio/BP, for one, who said the British were well aware of Dennis' antics and wanted to do everything to lay the groundwork for the company to pull up sakes here. I am also aware of others in business who simply chose to stay away. In the 70s/early 80s we were #3 in corp HQs in the country -- many people don't realize this... Sure, Dennis wasn't the only knucklehead -- his arch enemy Geo Forbes as council prez led the charge against United Airlines re gate fees that led to them pulling out of Hopkins entirely... But Dennis led the charge and was the national anti-biz symbol, and he was Cleveland's negative representative in this light way after he left office. btw, I like Dennis a whole heck of a lot better these days since he's "grown up" and gone to Congress -- I share a lot of his national/international political philosophies. At home, he was heroic in saving St. Michael's hosp (I sure wish Stephanie T-J had done the same for St. Lukes and/or Mt. Sinai on our side of town); of course, I think Dennis stance on the Lorain commuter line sucks; he's failing to show leadership on this esp in light of the soaring fuel prices.
August 13, 200618 yr One good example of how bad things got at the end of the White administration was the fact that his finance director had no experience or education in accounting. The city was about to face a huge budget deficit, but no one knew how much money the city had or didn't. That is just one example, then we have airport directors under White who had no business being in the job as well. If History is kind to Mike White, they would forget his third term, and for Cleveland we should be thankful he did not have a fourth
August 13, 200618 yr ... but under White, we finally won the Hopkins lawsuit regarding airport expansion.
August 14, 200618 yr He made it once again to the Independence Day parade in Lakewood with his too-lovely wife. She towers over him.
August 14, 200618 yr While I understand that he's a politician, I'd still feel really weird if my girlfriend was walking around wearing a shirt with my NAME! on it.
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