^ So glad to see that awful neglected jungle hillside of invasive-looking vines will finally be a thing of the past. 

Is it safe to clear the whole hillside of vegetation at once? What's holding in place the topsoil now? Would it have made more sense to clear a smaller section right before it is stabilized?

10 minutes ago, KJP said:

Is it safe to clear the whole hillside of vegetation at once? What's holding in place the topsoil now? Would it have made more sense to clear a smaller section right before it is stabilized?

 

They just clear cut, the roots are still there to hold things together. For now.

 

I would assume this allows them to move more quickly with the stabilization work? Hopefully the courts move as quickly to resolve the George property issue and that doesn't delay work any longer...

10 minutes ago, KJP said:

Is it safe to clear the whole hillside of vegetation at once? What's holding in place the topsoil now? Would it have made more sense to clear a smaller section right before it is stabilized?

 

From my - albeit limited - experience with construction (worked concrete 7 years through HS and college summers), any vegetation, including grass, will actually do a very good job stabilizing a slope and assisting with drainage. I think there are still a lot of roots in the ground, and those should hold over until they're able to grade the slope again and get grass throughout. 

 

 

Nice to see work beginning.  Maybe the electric poles can come down next.

they'll probably use a method similar to underground mining, jack-hammering metal stakes in the ground to help stabilize and prevent landslide

21 hours ago, urbanetics_ said:

Progress!!

 

The scale of this park really is going to be something.

Yes, this is going to really transform the whole western perspective of downtown and might spur even more development adjacent to the park. . 
A truly wonderful project.  

20 hours ago, Foraker said:

Nice to see work beginning.  Maybe the electric poles can come down next.

Tom confirmed power lines will be buried in that Tweet thread. 
 

 

This park is going to have the best views of any park in Cleveland. That with the developments at the top of W25th will really make that area one of the hottest. I would expect more mid-rises to fill up W25th there once this park is finished. Any apartment building on W25th there would have totally unobstructed views of downtown and pretty guaranteed that won't ever change for a long time.

 

I'm hoping those parking craters will go the way of the dinosaur eventually to really connect Hingetown and the park to the rest of W25th by the market.

26 minutes ago, dwolfi01 said:

This park is going to have the best views of any park in Cleveland. That with the developments at the top of W25th will really make that area one of the hottest. I would expect more mid-rises to fill up W25th there once this park is finished. Any apartment building on W25th there would have totally unobstructed views of downtown and pretty guaranteed that won't ever change for a long time.

 

I'm hoping those parking craters will go the way of the dinosaur eventually to really connect Hingetown and the park to the rest of W25th by the market.

 

Don't forget - if anyone has a heart attack, broken bone, stroke, bee sting, cut, abrasion, hemorrhage, or any other ailment while at the park, they can walk right up to Bobby George's decaying structure up the hill and sample some bone broth from the springs at Lourdes and be instantly cured. 

On 6/1/2022 at 8:29 AM, KJP said:

Is it safe to clear the whole hillside of vegetation at once? What's holding in place the topsoil now? Would it have made more sense to clear a smaller section right before it is stabilized?

 

In Ohio, developers can only clear trees between October 1 and March 31 unrestricted.  Developers working on projects with federal funding or wetlands are subject to restrictions, limiting their ability to clear trees from April 1 through September 30 (a popular time for construction). If not considered early in a project, tree clearing regulations can often delay projects or result in unanticipated costs.

These restrictions exist because the Indiana Bat and the Northern Long-Eared Bat have special protection in Ohio.  Tree clearing restrictions help protect maternal colonies and promote species growth. The Indiana Bat and Northern Long-Eared Bat hibernate in caves in the winter, making October 1 to March 31 an ideal time to clear trees without harming the bats. Because bats roost in trees in the Spring and Summer, cutting down trees could harm their habitat and endanger survival.

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/06/port-of-cleveland-reaches-agreement-in-principle-on-settlement-over-property-holding-up-irishtown-bend-stabilization.html

25 minutes ago, Mogradal said:

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/06/port-of-cleveland-reaches-agreement-in-principle-on-settlement-over-property-holding-up-irishtown-bend-stabilization.html

Can anyone summarize or is there not much to the article other than what is in the first paragraph or so?

1 hour ago, cle_guy90 said:

Can anyone summarize or is there not much to the article other than what is in the first paragraph or so?

The article doesn’t say what the deal is. Reading between the lines, I would bet that Bobby George tried to milk every cent he could and backed off when he got what he thought was the best deal to be had.

I had a funny feeling a settlement might be in the works.  I have been monitoring the Common Pleas and Probate Court dockets on a daily basis ( I know...I should get a life) and the motion for injunctive relief had been pending forever without a ruling by the court despite the fact the three day hearing on the motion was held almost a month and a half ago.  Curious what the terms and amount of the settlement is.  I believe the settlement agreement should be a public record.  Don't believe it falls into one of the statutory exceptions.

 

That said, reviewing what has occurred since the multiple lawsuits (four in total) were filed beginning last October, I bet George incurred over $200,000.00 in attorney fees and the case was really still in its infancy.  Pocket change to him I am sure.   As always in a case like this, the real winners are the many lawyers involved in the matter and of course there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  God Bless America.

Thanks for your writeups and summaries of those court docs for us laymen @Htsguy. They definitely helped wrap my head around how this case was going. As someone very interested in this park becoming a reality it is much appreciated!

On 6/1/2022 at 8:29 AM, KJP said:

Is it safe to clear the whole hillside of vegetation at once? What's holding in place the topsoil now? Would it have made more sense to clear a smaller section right before it is stabilized?

I would be worried about the dirt runoff into the river! That’s a SWPPP nightmare.

 

On 6/2/2022 at 1:10 PM, scb0525 said:

 

In Ohio, developers can only clear trees between October 1 and March 31 unrestricted. These restrictions exist because the Indiana Bat and the Northern Long-Eared Bat have special protection in Ohio. 

They are both state and federally listed endangered species.

I didn’t see anyone post them, but the nearly complete construction drawings are here 🙂: https://www.portofcleveland.com/rfp-irishtown-bend-owners-representative-construction-management-and-inspection-service/

 

Much less mechanical stabilization than I expected; they cutting and benching the slope, then anchoring in the new sea wall.

8 minutes ago, Enginerd said:

I didn’t see anyone post them, but the nearly complete construction drawings are here 🙂: https://www.portofcleveland.com/rfp-irishtown-bend-owners-representative-construction-management-and-inspection-service/

 

Much less mechanical stabilization than I expected; they cutting and benching the slope, then anchoring in the new sea wall.

 

English plz. Thank you good sir.

1 hour ago, YABO713 said:

 

English plz. Thank you good sir.

 

 

Or 

 

 

Edited June 9, 20223 yr by Mov2Ohio

1 hour ago, YABO713 said:

 

English plz. Thank you good sir.

Thank you @Mov2Ohio! Yeah that’s exactly what they’re doing. Looks like they want to establish a more gradual slope. Benches (flat areas) and toes (notches at the bottom) help prevent slope failures from occurring.

 

On the bottom part of the drawing you can see where they will be driving anchors into bedrock to secure the new bulkhead. Interesting that the new bulkhead will be in the River compared to the current bank location.

Edited June 9, 20223 yr by Enginerd

Land-swap deal could resolve eminent domain fight atop Irishtown Bend

 

Quote

The preliminary settlement agreement would allow the Georges to keep a portion of their property along West 25th, attorneys said during the recent court discussion. Part of the building, a former Royal Castle hamburger restaurant, would remain standing, along with a large billboard on the roof.

 

The port would acquire the rear portion of the property, to the east, and would raze the rest of the structure. Through a land-swap deal, the Georges would receive additional property between the building and the Detroit-Superior Bridge, where a county-owned parking lot sits.

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/land-swap-deal-could-resolve-eminent-domain-fight-atop-irishtown-bend

Edited June 9, 20223 yr by Luke_S

Just now, Luke_S said:

Land-swap deal could resolve eminent domain fight atop Irishtown Bend

 

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/land-swap-deal-could-resolve-eminent-domain-fight-atop-irishtown-bend

Yuck. I hate that this is the resolution (although I certainly understand why those currently running things are settling for this).

I'd rather they push to get rid of that ugly-ass billboard.

I think the city should dramatically step up enforcement of building and health codes at their various properties.

19 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Yuck. I hate that this is the resolution (although I certainly understand why those currently running things are settling for this).

George is totally taking advantage of the desire to get this project going. It’s not like he is going up against a huge corporation. He is going up against the desire to stabilize the land and build a beautiful park for the community. No respect for this man as he is the Jeremy jam of Cleveland (parks n rec reference). But at least it looks like the project is moving forward. 

15 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Yuck. I hate that this is the resolution (although I certainly understand why those currently running things are settling for this).

 

This agreement still requires approval of the other parties involved the Irishtown Bend Park project -- i.e. the city, county, metroparks, ect -- so might not go through, but I think it's probably worth being able to get the project started. 

 

Also, it seems like this is not the best deal the Georges could have gotten given some of the other proposals I recall seeing, including being able to keep a billboard at the current location as well as receiving two other highway adjacent billboards -- if memory serves. 

So the billboard is staying?... ... yuck! I hate that. 

Edited June 9, 20223 yr by Ethan

Before reading the below, please set aside any feelings you may have about who owns the property.

 

The below outlined in red is what I'm speculating George will get in the swap, If so, that's a developable space. I think it would be fantastic If some development group could partner, or in any way possible, get their hands on this land and build something like the Bridgeworks development across the street!!!  Having two large buildings on either side of the Detroit Bridge as a gateway in and out of Downtown would be fantastic! I would much prefer that as opposed to only grass on that corner, it would give a much more big city feel on the edge where multiple booming neighborhoods collide. Plus, there is still plenty of space making for a massive park. It would also add a lot more residents to that corner, not only supporting the park but making a bigger case to extend a rail line back through the Detroit bridge. If this could happen I think it would be a huge win for the city as well as for us Urban/big city folks.

 

 

That's what the property is. As stated.....

 

The port would acquire the rear portion of the property, to the east, and would raze the rest of the structure. Through a land-swap deal, the Georges would receive additional property between the building and the Detroit-Superior Bridge, where a county-owned parking lot sits.

"We were successful in what will involve a land swap, to some degree, of property that I will describe as being on terra firma, closer to 25th Street," Tony Coyne, an attorney who is representing the port, said during the May 31 attorney conference.

 

EDIT: by the way, don't have dreams about the Georges building anything substantial here. They need the county-owned parking lot so they can get a building permit to redevelop the building with the billboard on top of it. They can't get a building permit for it now because it doesn't have the parking and the city won't give the Georges a variance.

Agree with above would be nice to have a new development on it but as far as size it doesn’t sound like it can be that big right? Sounds like if something of significant size went there the infrastructure wouldn’t be there. As the park doesn’t plan on putting in the infrastructure to even support what’s currently existing on the hill, unless they’re able to stabilize a new development just by going below it

16 minutes ago, NR said:

Plus, there is still plenty of space making for a massive park.

It's worth noting that most of this park will still be on a fairly significant slope. Sloped parkland is far less useful to the average resident than flat land. I envision most of the actual usage (beyond hiking/biking/walking through) of this park will be concentrated in a few fairly small flat areas. This corner would have been one of those areas. Now the only reasonably sized flat area on the W25 side will be near Franklin. Not the end of the world, and I'm still glad to see it moving forward, but I wouldn't consider this a positive development.  

6 minutes ago, Ethan said:

It's worth noting that most of this park will still be on a fairly significant slope. Sloped parkland is far less useful to the average resident than flat land. I envision most of the actual usage (beyond hiking/biking/walking through) of this park will be concentrated in a few fairly small flat areas. This corner would have been one of those areas. Now the only reasonably sized flat area on the W25 side will be near Franklin. Not the end of the world, and I'm still glad to see it moving forward, but I wouldn't consider this a positive development.  

 

I understand why you think that, but I think you're wrong in your assessment here. The design will allow for heavy usage areas at multiple levels along the slope. 

1 minute ago, YABO713 said:

 

I understand why you think that, but I think you're wrong in your assessment here. The design will allow for heavy usage areas at multiple levels along the slope. 

Are you referring to the areas where they moderate the slope? If so, we agree. 

I just want that ugly graffiti covered building and billboard gone. Would hate for a beautiful park to be ruined by that blight on the most prominent corner of the park. 

 

I'm still confused at the Crain's article about demolishing part of the building. Didn't realize you could partly demolish a building like this. I thought the whole reason to get rid of it was the hillside couldn't support it without an excessive amount of work.

Just now, dwolfi01 said:

I just want that ugly graffiti covered building and billboard gone. Would hate for a beautiful park to be ruined by that blight on the most prominent corner of the park. 

 

I'm still confused at the Crain's article about demolishing part of the building. Didn't realize you could partly demolish a building like this. I thought the whole reason to get rid of it was the hillside couldn't support it without an excessive amount of work.

 

The building appears to be in two sections -- a taller section closer to West 25th and a shorter section closer to the hillside. I would assume there's a load-bearing wall between them, given the proposed demolition.

Would be great if that was developed into some sort of cafe/ restaurant with a giant patio overlooking the park.  Same set up as the Harp overlooking the Lake and Shoreway.   Convenient for park goers to grab a drink or bite to eat.  

Man so when you drive down Detroit instead of looking across a beautiful vista of a park and seeing a skyline, you're going to see some billboard?  🤢

From Sunday.

 

 

Just a random thought, but I get really excited about the day when the rest of the country does a double take on Cleveland after seeing how amazing this park will actually be. Where SF has Dolores, Cleveland will have Irishtown Bend. 
 
Views of the city will be unparalleled. Nature in the city, good design, art, play, and street life will merge for a unique urban experience that will tug the heartstrings of long-time Clevelanders and newcomers alike - we will be seeing our city (and ourselves) again with fresh perspective. Alongside Canal Basin, continued development along West 25th / Detroit / Lorain, connected bike paths, boat launches, and the filling in of various Flats, the park will grow the energy and vitality in and around the valley by leaps and bounds, spilling over into quality of life improvements for the city. I swell at the thought of beautiful moments washing down the hillside for thousands of Clevelanders (and visitors too) - those ranging from quiet introspection and stillness to laughter, connection, and community. Our collective lung, mental, and inspirational capacity will grow. From conversations over sunsets during a warm summer night (or on a crisp winter's day stroll) to street musicians, community yoga sessions, flowers, and playgrounds dotting the landscape, this is the kind of stuff parks are meant for.
 
And as a newcomer to Cleveland, its this kind of stuff that makes me want to stay.
 
*waxing poetry over* 

Edited June 12, 20223 yr by ASP1984

maybe they can add an area for food trucks and such for that land swap, or perhaps... In-n-Out?

Views from Rivergate park from 6/13/2022

 

Edited June 17, 20222 yr by infrafreak

This park will be transformational.  It is jarring to see the hillside void of the usual overgrowth. I hope this project moves along quickly.   

I'm definitely hyped.

View from today while riding westbound on the RTA red line.  Sorry for the poor quality - had my 1.5 & 4 year olds on my lap.

Edited June 16, 20222 yr by Blimp City

I don't want to unload a HUGE photo dump on you guys, but I was aboard the brew boat this weekend and got a lot of shots of the hillside from the water.

Here's a dozen shots of many. I have many others from the old river channel at Channel Marina up to Scranton Peninsula.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hillside seemed a lot taller when it was covered with vegetation.

Come on now Infrafreak, you can't bother us with photos of our town. That makes us happy!