Yeah, it looks great. I was there yesterday too and noticed the same thing also. Plus you could see there was a ton of work going on inside the building. Not sure how close they are to opening the restaurant, but things are definitely happening.

 

 

 

On their web site they post the plans for the restaurant ....

 

Deleted duplicate posts.

Just want to say that the planting and landscaping along E 12th has gone into overdrive the past few weeks. It's looking very nice along an otherwise desolate stretch.

It was all planned in conjunction with continued construction of The Avenues.  It's a shame it hasn't materialized.

 

Cleveland’s East 9th Street Gets an Artistic Makeover Thanks to a $100,000 Federal Grant

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 11:00 PM

 

East Ninth street in downtown Cleveland was laid to waste thanks to some fake movie mayhem during the Avengers film shoot, a few years ago. Now, that well-traveled corridor is due to get an artsy spruce-up thanks to some real money from Washington. ideastream's David C. Barnett reports.

 

Each year, the National Endowment for the Arts awards funding to community development projects across the country as part of a program it calls ”Our Town”.  The goal is to use art to inject some life into dreary urban or rural landscapes.  The NEA calls this “creative placemaking” and it can include such things as festivals, performances in empty storefronts, murals or other forms of public art.  66 national groups were awarded funds, this year, including a collaborative effort by Cleveland-based LAND studios and Ingenuity, which will get 100,000 dollars to promote an artistic makeover to East 9th street.  Artists and designers will be invited to submit proposals to transform the corridor into what the NEA calls “a livelier, pedestrian-friendly experience”.  The other Ohio grant award this year is 75,000 dollars for expanded space and cultural programming in the historic Westcott House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Springfield.

 

READ/HEAR MORE AT:

http://www.ideastream.org/news/feature/clevelands-east-9th-street-gets-an-artistic-makeover-thanks-to-a-100000-fed

More......

 

Curb appeal: NEA awards LAND Studio and Ingenuity $100,000 grant to enhance East Ninth Street

By Laura DeMarco, The Plain Dealer

on July 16, 2014 at 4:29 PM, updated July 16, 2014 at 5:22 PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - First the RNC, then LeBron, then the Cleveland Foundation grant for Public Square ... now there's more good news for downtown Cleveland.

 

The National Endowment for the Arts announced Wednesday its new grantees for the $100,000 Our Town Grant program include a joint project of Cleveland organizations LAND Studio and Ingenuity, with support from Positively Cleveland and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA).

 

The joint project, called "Curb Appeal," is a yearlong project combining public art projects with ongoing programming along East Ninth Street, from spring 2015 through spring 2016.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/07/more_good_news_for_downtownnea.html

This staff editorial by the PD could go into lots of different threads, but this one is general enough.....

 

Making downtown Cleveland more pedestrian-friendly must be a priority: editorial

By Editorial Board

on July 31, 2014 at 7:00 AM, updated August 01, 2014 at 12:16 AM

 

The money is pouring in for the proposed green makeover of Public Square in downtown Cleveland – nearly half the estimated $30 million cost has been pledged by the Cleveland and Gund foundations.

 

But when the greening of Public Square is finally completed, one thing we don't want visitors to hear when asking for directions is Northeast Ohio's version of "You can't get there from here."

 

A recent report commissioned by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance highlights ways to improve the links among downtown areas using bike lanes, walking bridges and other pedestrian-friendly means to address the critical element of the revitalization of the center city.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/07/cleveland_must_make_it_easier.html

Prospect Avenue gets spruced up in Positively Cleveland's first Curb Appeal project

 

By Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

on August 05, 2014 at 6:20 PM

 

Cleveland, Ohio – A lackluster stretch of Prospect Avenue got a facelift this week – with flowers, benches and public art, a sneak peak at a larger effort designed to brighten the spaces between the city's top attractions.

 

The initiative, dubbed Curb Appeal by Positively Cleveland, will eventually spread to other areas of downtown, part of a campaign to "connect the dots" – in this instance from the Horseshoe Casino to Progressive Field, the East Fourth Street entertainment district to The Q.

 

"It's an area that has tons of activity, but not a great feeling for pedestrians," said Tiffany Graham, project director at LAND studio, a nonprofit landscape design firm that developed the beautification plan for both sides of Prospect, roughly from East Second to East Sixth streets.

 

The components, she said, may not seem like much on their own. "It's that clustering and grouping that makes it worth your attention."

 

http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/08/prospect_avenue_gets_spruced_u.html#incart_river

 

 

While I applaud the effort to improve the street, the details appear temporary.  What ever happened to tree lined streets and benches which actually seat people.  The planter boxes look like something you would find in a children's playground. 

While I applaud the effort to improve the street, the details appear temporary.  What ever happened to tree lined streets and benches which actually seat people.  The planter boxes look like something you would find in a children's playground. 

 

The street is so underwhelming that the nice planters actually seem to make it all look worse.

^Agreed. They really do not fit into the street context at all, unfortunately.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/cleveland_bicycle_expressway_c.html#incart_river

 

Put Cleveland bicycle expressway where streetcars once rolled down wide streets, planners say

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A big, bold way to connect Cleveland neighborhoods, pump up businesses and add tree-lined bikeways to miles and miles of city streets is hiding in plain sight.

 

The paved-over tracks of Cleveland's once-extensive streetcar network left some of its main avenues far broader than needed for the traffic they're handling.

 

Bike and community advocates say that buried transit system can be transformed into "the Midway" -- a center-of-the-road, two-way bike lane protected on either side with boulevards, with a lane of traffic and a parking row on either side of that.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/cleveland_bicycle_expressway_c.html#incart_river

 

Put Cleveland bicycle expressway where streetcars once rolled down wide streets, planners say

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A big, bold way to connect Cleveland neighborhoods, pump up businesses and add tree-lined bikeways to miles and miles of city streets is hiding in plain sight.

 

Traffic signals would safely separate cyclist and motorist turns. Preliminary plans by Bialosky's Ted Ferringer -- the designer of numerous maps and renderings to explain how the Midway would work -- show the planted zones shrinking in size to allow left-turn slots for drivers.

 

Intersections would be carefully engineered and signaled to separate bicyclist and motorist turns.

 

 

Perhaps Mr. Ferringer could have given UO a heads up! Come on man!!

Since LRT doesn't seem to be an option anytime soon I think this is an excellent alternative, due to them being on bikes it would also in turn add a lot more feet on the street (eventually). Hopefully this would lead to redevelopment.

East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue Resurfacing Project

 

by Daniel Ball

 

On Monday August 18, weather permitting, work will begin on the East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue resurfacing project. This resurfacing project will be conducted in two phases and is scheduled to be completed on October 24, 2014.

East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue Resurfacing Project

 

Phase I (August 18, 2014 – September 24, 2014):

Phase I of the project involves the resurfacing of East 6th Street (Lakeside Avenue to Superior Avenue) and the resurfacing of St. Clair Avenue (East 6th Street to Ontario Street). On East 6th Street, traffic will be maintained in one lane, each direction, on the west side of the roadway, both northbound and southbound, during all construction on the east side of the roadway. Once construction on the east side of the roadway is completed, work will be shifted onto the west side of the roadway and traffic will be maintained on the east side.

On St. Clair Avenue, traffic will be maintained in one lane, each direction, on the north side of the roadway, both eastbound and westbound, during all construction on the south side of the roadway. Once construction on the south side of the roadway is completed, work will be shifted onto the north side of the roadway and traffic will be maintained on the south side.

Phase II (September 25, 2014 – October 24, 2014):

 

Phase II of the project involves additional resurfacing of St. Clair Avenue (Ontario Street to West 9th Street). On St. Clair Avenue, traffic will be maintained in one lane, each direction, on the north side of the road way, both eastbound and westbound, while construction is occurring on the south side of the roadway. Once construction on the south side of the roadway is completed, work will be shifted onto the north side of the roadway and traffic will be maintained on the south side.

Improvements to both East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue will include grinding and the installment of 3 inches of asphalt, base repairs, and upgrading ADA compliant ramps where needed.

 

http://clecityhall.com/2014/08/18/east-6th-street-and-st-clair-avenue-resurfacing-project/

 

East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue Resurfacing Project

 

by Daniel Ball

 

On Monday August 18, weather permitting, work will begin on the East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue resurfacing project. This resurfacing project will be conducted in two phases and is scheduled to be completed on October 24, 2014.

East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue Resurfacing Project

 

Phase I (August 18, 2014 September 24, 2014):

Phase I of the project involves the resurfacing of East 6th Street (Lakeside Avenue to Superior Avenue) and the resurfacing of St. Clair Avenue (East 6th Street to Ontario Street). On East 6th Street, traffic will be maintained in one lane, each direction, on the west side of the roadway, both northbound and southbound, during all construction on the east side of the roadway. Once construction on the east side of the roadway is completed, work will be shifted onto the west side of the roadway and traffic will be maintained on the east side.

On St. Clair Avenue, traffic will be maintained in one lane, each direction, on the north side of the roadway, both eastbound and westbound, during all construction on the south side of the roadway. Once construction on the south side of the roadway is completed, work will be shifted onto the north side of the roadway and traffic will be maintained on the south side.

Phase II (September 25, 2014 October 24, 2014):

 

Phase II of the project involves additional resurfacing of St. Clair Avenue (Ontario Street to West 9th Street). On St. Clair Avenue, traffic will be maintained in one lane, each direction, on the north side of the road way, both eastbound and westbound, while construction is occurring on the south side of the roadway. Once construction on the south side of the roadway is completed, work will be shifted onto the north side of the roadway and traffic will be maintained on the south side.

Improvements to both East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue will include grinding and the installment of 3 inches of asphalt, base repairs, and upgrading ADA compliant ramps where needed.

 

http://clecityhall.com/2014/08/18/east-6th-street-and-st-clair-avenue-resurfacing-project/

 

.....little by little.....

...and people scold me for posting an inquiry that might have been answered three pages back....  Last two messages identical, with different font.

I really hope that is a joke... The posts are identical because he/she quoted the other person...

Hmmm...I suppose this is as good a place as any. Stanley Block site set to get some grass and a sculpture.

 

"It's unclear whether the landscaping plan is a placeholder or a long-term solution for the tiny but highly visible downtown property. Part of a block that sits cattycorner from the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, the Stanley Block land is wrapped on three sides by a casino welcome center and valet-parking garage - constructed during the legal battle between Rock, the Maloofs and the Anters"

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/horseshoe_casino_cleveland_own.html

What the hell is this thing?

In my opinion, its adding insult to injury

Horseshoe Casino Cleveland owner plans park, gaming-themed sculpture on Stanley Block site

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/horseshoe_casino_cleveland_own.html#incart_m-rpt-1

No uglier than the BP stamp

^WAY uglier than the BP stamp

I see this as nothing more than a temporary placeholder.

Idk.  If they put a water feature and benches around it, it may work...

And this is in the Phase 2 thread why?

What a horrific looking POS.

Hopefully only temporary.

 

AWFUL !!!

Are these downtown's dice hanging from the proverbial  rear-view mirror?

 

The person that came up with this idea should be fired. Then re-hired so he/she can be fired again. I can't imagine anything that could possibly be cheesier. No class.

Amanda Harnocz ‏@AmandaHarnocz  1m

Horseshoe Casino's controversial 'dice park' proposal is withdrawn from #Cleveland planning agenda http://s.cleveland.com/qnFjH9E

 

Robert L. Smith ‏@rlsmithpd  1m

Speed of good taste in CLE impressive. Casino's 'dice park' proposal withdrawn http://s.cleveland.com/qnFjH9E  via @steven_litt

Good

Downtown could certainly use a lot more color. And be a little less serious. Maybe the dice could've grown on people, but my first reaction to this was "this is awful."

Downtown could certainly use a lot more color. And be a little less serious. Maybe the dice could've grown on people, but my first reaction to this was "this is GOD awful."

 

I fixed that for you.

Is there any chance that they would float this out there with no real intention of ever building it?  That way, whatever they actually end up wanting to put there is received much better by the public?  Now even if they put something there that nobody likes they will say "well at least it's not as bad as that stupid dice"?  Or maybe I am just a conspiracy theorist.

^I think you are over-thinking this.  Far more likely the casino people just have terrible taste.

^I think you are over-thinking this.  Far more likely the casino people just have terrible taste.

 

That would certainly be the most plausible explanation! :)

^I think you are over-thinking this.  Far more likely the casino people just have terrible taste.

 

Casino's and terrible taste really do go hand in hand.  Our casino looks mostly tasteful from the outside because it's a classic department store, not because of the casino owner's or designers tastes.  The dice thing was hideous, but predictable.

^I think you are over-thinking this.  Far more likely the casino people just have terrible taste.

 

Casino's and terrible taste really do go hand in hand.  Our casino looks mostly tasteful from the outside because it's a classic department store, not because of the casino owner's or designers tastes.  The dice thing was hideous, but predictable.

 

Which is exactly why I cringed whenever I heard the casino could be a Caeser's. The potential for the streetscape turning into Rome is truly terrifying.

It looks like the Larchmere streetscape project, as far as the walks, curbs, and street paving, will indeed be finished by the Nov. 6th ribbon-cutting ceremony.  What about the oversized chairs.  It sure would be nice if they're installed before winter, too. 

 

I'm sorry that more attractive, "district" streetlights were not included in this project, as they were in Gordon Square, Kamm's Corners, and Waterloo (though one side of the street only).  Would that require burying of the wires on Larchmere, or might this already have been accomplished?  It's all a matter of money, I suppose....

No idea how much Horseshoe is willing to listen but for anyone who wants to potentially impact what happens to the old Stanley Block space...

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1524768067772207/?fref=ts

So this is for traffic signal upgrade across the city. Hopefully a good majority of these will focus on the CBD and some of the popular neighborhoods. 4 mil dollars should buy a lot of traffic signals. Maybe this will replace a lot of the span-wire signals downtown with a more updated look. Idk I'm just quessing.

 

Citywide Traffic Signal Upgrade

Valuation: $4,000,000 Owner Type: Public

Location: OH (Cuyahoga)   Report #: 201000499431 v.

Project Type: Tower/Signal System   Type of Work: Alterations

Or even go back to a simple post style that does not hang over the street like most of the mag mile has in chicago..and I think shaker square still has.

$4 million seems pretty low for a citywide signal upgrade. The average cost to install a signal system ranges anywhere from $100,000 (basic 4-way with no turn lanes) and up.

 

Unless it's only counting signals that aren't part of any street improvement plan. For example they're about to break ground on a reconstruction project on Lorain Avenue from West 117th to West 150th, which includes replacing all the span wire signals with mast arms.

Moved discussion from the Residences at 1717.....

 

...but the effort to make that happen would have to be extraordinary and I just don't see it ever happening.  Guess we'll all just have to get used to the DEAD zone...

 

Wow, that sure was defeatist. So 500 years from now Walnut will look exactly the same? Something will cause it to change, and mostly likely it will be the result of human decisions. So why not start now?

 

Dear KJP, Let me rephrase so I don't sound so 'defeatist' to you, because I am not a defeatist, just a realist:  "In the foreseeable future, this deadzone will not be eradicated.  The only hope is that these poorly constructed garages will be demolished and replaced with something that includes ground level retail.  But really, in the big picture of all things Cleveland, the likelihood of this happening in my lifetime is very low.  So, my opinion is that I will have to just suck it up and deal with the dead zone."

Dear KJP, Let me rephrase so I don't sound so 'defeatist' to you, because I am not a defeatist, just a realist:  "In the foreseeable future, this deadzone will not be eradicated.  The only hope is that these poorly constructed garages will be demolished and replaced with something that includes ground level retail.  But really, in the big picture of all things Cleveland, the likelihood of this happening in my lifetime is very low.  So, my opinion is that I will have to just suck it up and deal with the dead zone."

 

My problem is the use of the term "realism" when describing the future. Please consider all the ramifications of how silly it is to use the term "realism" for something that isn't yet real. Perhaps you should find another term that describes your expectation that nothing good will happen.

 

As for priorities, I think anything that turns a dead street into one that's more lively should be higher than #134 on anyone's list. I do agree that enlivening Superior's side of these "Parking Deck Hallows" is a higher priority, but considering it's a federal route and a much wider, less intimate street, Walnut might be a lower hanging fruit -- so to speak. ;)

 

Guys, I'm just expressing my anger over the many parking garages in Cleveland that have created a very uncomfortable walking zone.  These 50 year old garages between 9-12/Superior/Walnut have me particularly frustrated because I have to live with them day to day [sadly, I park in one of them] and I see the effect on pedestrians.  It is dehumanizing and saddening, and I can't do a darn thing about it.  A - there is no demand for the retail, B - the cost to convert the street level space in a garage that was never designed for something like this is unrealistic.  It is just like the Old Arcade - the spots are narrow and extremely expensive to convert to modern retail/commercial. When these garages were built, street level commerce was the LAST thing the developers/architects had in mind.  All they wanted was to to park the most number of cars at this cheapest price.

 

This problem plagues nearly every parking deck in Cleveland and it saddens me.

 

Why can't you do anything about it? Why not reach out to a couple property owners, DCA and Councilman Cimperman to do a study to ID these parking garage dead-zone locations and then develop some design concepts, perhaps in conjunction with KSU's architecture school, on how to make them more attractive? I think it could turn into a really cool design competition and draw some increased awareness to the problem.

KJP, thanks for moving conversation, we did diverge from the original Residences at 1717 discussion.  :)

 

Your most recent question "Why can't you do anything about it?":  My answer, because in the scheme of things, it is just another minor irritation of urban life.  I'm an old man and trying to keep my family moving and I don't have the patience or will to push such and issue that I perceive as not being solved in my lifetime.  I see your point - KSU has done some really cool things - their Rockwell plan a couple years ago comes to mind.  Cool, but nothing ever came of it...maybe some seeds were planted. 

 

Ok, in the end, I guess I'm just complaining and I do not have the will to do anything about this issue.  Chalk it up as a complaint and lets move on.  We all have complaints and most of the time there is no solution.

On Monday, April 6, 2015, at 7:00 AM, weather permitting, the contractor will begin asphalt resurfacing operations on St. Clair Avenue from Ontario to West 9th Street. One eastbound and one westbound traffic lane on St. Clair Avenue will be maintained on the south side of the roadway for the duration of this phase and no detour is expected.

 

Access to all businesses, residences and side streets will be maintained during construction.  On-street parking will not be allowed during this phase of the project.  Advance notice signs will be posted to advise St. Clair Avenue traffic of construction activities.

 

The St. Clair Avenue Resurfacing Project includes asphalt roadway removal and replacement and is scheduled for completion by August 2015.

The parklet revolution is coming to Cleveland.

http://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2015/06/the_parklet_revolution_is_comi.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Now if we could just put a substantial building on the other side of the square so we no longer can see Iowa from there! :)

Now if we could just put a substantial building on the other side of the square so we no longer can see Iowa from there! :)

 

The Gold Coast of Iowa.

City of Cleveland moving to convert 67,000 street lamps to LED.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2015/07/city_of_cleveland_moving_towar.html#incart_river