Any large public investment should seek to maximize private investment.  FEB is shovel ready and breaks into areas of the City that planners have dreamed about utilizing for decades, imo

Any large public investment should seek to maximize private investment.  FEB is shovel ready and breaks into areas of the City that planners have dreamed about utilizing for decades, imo

 

Can you answer my question about the hotel?  See below.

FEB is shovel ready because of a somewhat tragic and poorly-timed swath of demolition.  That doesn't mean we have to put the first possible item there.  I liked the original FEB plan much better than putting the CC there.  I like FEB better than TC for a CC, but that would involve major drawbacks both for the CC and for the FEB which others have mentioned.  If possible, we'd like to redevelop both the flats and the center of town.  Combining the two projects takes away that opportunity and reopens the difficult question of what to do with the mall.

PeeDee today. Commissioners say the site has been selected and they will not reconsider unless MMPI asks them to.

 

"MMPI and Forest City are to meet March 10. Commissioners Peter Lawson Jones and Tim Hagan said Thursday that they won't budge from the mall site unless MMPI executives tell them to reconsider."

PeeDee today. Commissioners say the site has been selected and they will not reconsider unless MMPI asks them to.

 

Right, and MMPI says theyre still going to meet with FCE in March. Everything, one way or another should be settled then.

FEB is shovel ready because of a somewhat tragic and poorly-timed swath of demolition.  That doesn't mean we have to put the first possible item there.  I liked the original FEB plan much better than putting the CC there.  I like FEB better than TC for a CC, but that would involve major drawbacks both for the CC and for the FEB which others have mentioned.  If possible, we'd like to redevelop both the flats and the center of town.  Combining the two projects takes away that opportunity and reopens the difficult question of what to do with the mall.

 

Shovel ready as soon as they move the Port of Cleveland! LOL Which, by the way, the Port Authority has no inclination  to do any time soon.

FEB is shovel ready because of a somewhat tragic and poorly-timed swath of demolition. That doesn't mean we have to put the first possible item there. I liked the original FEB plan much better than putting the CC there. I like FEB better than TC for a CC, but that would involve major drawbacks both for the CC and for the FEB which others have mentioned. If possible, we'd like to redevelop both the flats and the center of town. Combining the two projects takes away that opportunity and reopens the difficult question of what to do with the mall.

 

Shovel ready as soon as they move the Port of Cleveland! LOL

 

Ah yes, that too.

Got it

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1235727036263410.xml&coll=2

Any large public investment should seek to maximize private investment.  FEB is shovel ready and breaks into areas of the City that planners have dreamed about utilizing for decades, imo

 

Again, all I'm hearing are buzzwords and quotes from a boosterish presentation - not specific answers to specific questions. We're not the unwashed masses or Nell from the country, we can handle a detailed and thoughtful response.

I guess my question to fountainhead about the hotel will go unanswered.  I believe the answer is there is only ONE hotel with 500 rooms planned for the FEB.

I'm really not sure what to say about the Wolstein proposal, other than I simply can't think of a worse use of prime lakefront property than a convention center. This land shouldn't be considered for anything except a maritime neighborhood or park.  We only get to fire the lakefront bullet once, fire it incorrectly and we miss the best opportunity we will ever have to reinvigorate the city.  Am I willing to sacrafice the lakefront to kick start river development?  No.  The Flats East Bank site is too valuable to lie dormant forever.  At some point it will be developed, either by Wolstein or someone else.

 

Regardless, it's a moot point.  As already pointed out, Wasserman simply isn't going to give them this land for that purpose, and on top of it, neither MMPI nor the commissioners seem too interested.

I'm really not sure what to say about the Wolstein proposal, other than I simply can't think of a worse use of prime lakefront property than a convention center. This land shouldn't be considered for anything except a maritime neighborhood or park.  We only get to fire the lakefront bullet once, fire it incorrectly and we miss the best opportunity we will ever have to reinvigorate the city.  Am I willing to sacrafice the lakefront to kick start river development?  No.  The Flats East Bank site is too valuable to lie dormant forever.  At some point it will be developed, either by Wolstein or someone else.

 

Regardless, it's a moot point.  As already pointed out, Wasserman simply isn't going to give them this land for that purpose, and on top of it, neither MMPI nor the commissioners seem too interested.

 

I completely agree.  I think it's ridiculous that someone wants to put a monstrous building on prime lakefront property.  Give that property to the city to turn into house, retail to support the expanding neighborhood and parks that can have year round events/programming.

I guess my question to fountainhead about the hotel will go unanswered. I believe the answer is there is only ONE hotel with 500 rooms planned for the FEB.

 

Sorry - missed your question in the flurry of posts.  The Hotel you speak of from the previous public release was 160 rooms - the current Hotel proposed is 500 rooms.  (So you are correct - 500 Rooms total in the initial phase).

 

With respect to your comment about "the worse use of Lakefront" have you studied Boston or San Diego as a point of comparison.  IMHO both examples show how public dollars created new private investments is areas deem "away" from the City Centre and created the access to the waterfront you appear to desire.

 

The Flats site is too important to lie dormant now.  It is the type of leveraged investments we should be seeking from all proposals for the use of public dollars.

I guess my question to fountainhead about the hotel will go unanswered.  I believe the answer is there is only ONE hotel with 500 rooms planned for the FEB.

 

Sorry - missed your question in the flurry of posts.  The Hotel you speak of from the previous public release was 160 rooms - the current Hotel proposed is 500 rooms.  (So you are correct - 500 Rooms total in the initial phase).

 

With respect to your comment about "the worse use of Lakefront" have you studied Boston or San Diego as a point of comparison.  IMHO both examples show how public dollars created new private investments is areas deem "away" from the City Centre and created the access to the waterfront you appear to desire.

 

The Flats site is too important to lie dormant now.  It is the type of leveraged investments we should be seeking from all proposals for the use of public dollars.

those two cities cannot be used as a model or comparison!

 

Boston's convention Center?  Surely you jest!  I laugh!  Seriously, I'm laughing.

 

San Diego's convention center is twice the size and didn't spur development the navy did and tourism did.  That tourism was a direct result of the over building in S. Cali, which has now come back to haunt them.  It's also grade seperated and completely blocks access to any city water front acess.  resident have to go AROUND the center to get to that one little park.

 

In addition, the "gas lamp" area is not a original as the WHD, FEB or Gateway area's and the walk up 4 or 5 is a burden!

 

You gotta come with your A game here on UrbanOhio!

 

Again...the mall site is the best site.

I think Boston and San Diego are both incredibly poor examples.  First Boston's CC is surrounded by virtually nothing but surface parking lots.  If we willingly develop our lakefront with that much surface parking, I'm moving.  Secondly, both of these cities have massive amounts of developed lakefront.  I guess it wouldn't bother me so much if we had miles of developed urban waterfront for neighborhood and public use... but last I checked we've got 110 acres to use on our lakefront, about a third of which would be used for a giant hulking box... to bookend another giant hulking box on the other end.  Neither of which give practically any benefit to the general public of Cleveland.  I stand by my statement.  I can't think of a worse use of our very valuable lakefront than a giant convention center.  Keep it where it is, centrally located, with plenty of development and expansion opportunities around it.

 

But like I said, it's moot.  Wasserman will never give wolstein that land.  Thank god.  I couldn't be happier that the two biggest players invovled in that decision (MMPI and Wasserman) aren't from here and don't care about the political pressures that taint just about everyone else in town.

Amen to that McCleveland!

I want to expand upon that a bit.  With so little lakefront land realistically developable to us in the next 25-50 years.  I just can't possibly imagine taking my family to "spend some time at the convention center" on a saturday afternoon.  I want to go down to a neighborhood on the lakefront that has restaurants, residents, retail, a waterfront (hell I don't even want to visit this place, i want to LIVE here, and I imagine many other young people would too)... We lose a third of a potential neighborhood like that with a convention center there... and on top of it, residents are cut off from the other side of it by a big box.

 

Regarding the flats I disagree that we need to be so desparate to develop it that we do it at the cost of giving away our lakefront.  That project grew from $200m to $500m almost overnight.  Why?  People were lining up to be a part of that because people love the water.  And that development would be in the air right now if the financing world wouldn't have come crashing down.  And when the financial dust settles... there will still be a huge demand for that site, and someone (Wolstein or otherwise) will most definitley develop it.  So no... I'm not interested in giving up the lakefront just to build a hotel (apparently not even the hotel 1 anymore), an office tower, and a movie theatre, with the entire rest of the neighborhood to be built "when the market improves".  I'd rather build it all they way it was originally envisioned "when the market improves"... and keep my lakefront.

I want to expand upon that a bit.  With so little lakefront land realistically developable to us in the next 25-50 years.  I just can't possibly imagine taking my family to "spend some time at the convention center" on a saturday afternoon.  I want to go down to a neighborhood on the lakefront that has restaurants, residents, retail, a waterfront... We lose a third of a potential neighborhood like that with a convention center there... and on top of it, residents are cut off from the other side of it by a big box.

 

Regarding the flats I disagree that we need to be so desparate to develop it that we do it at the cost of giving away our lakefront.  That project grew from $200m to $500m almost overnight.  Why?  People were lining up to be a part of that because people love the water.  And that development would be in the air right now if the financing world wouldn't have come crashing down.  And when the financial dust settles... there will still be a huge demand for that site, and someone (Wolstein or otherwise) will most definitley develop it.  So no... I'm not interested in giving up the lakefront just to build a hotel (apparently not even the hotel 1 anymore), an office tower, and a movie theatre, with the entire rest of the neighborhood to be built "when the market improves".  I'd rather build it all they way it was originally envisioned "when the market improves"... and keep my lakefront.

 

Hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!

I think Boston and San Diego are both incredibly poor examples.  First Boston's CC is surrounded by virtually nothing but surface parking lots.  If we willingly develop our lakefront with that much surface parking, I'm moving.  Secondly, both of these cities have massive amounts of developed lakefront.  I guess it wouldn't bother me so much if we had miles of developed urban waterfront for neighborhood and public use... but last I checked we've got 110 acres to use on our lakefront, about a third of which would be used for a giant hulking box... to bookend another giant hulking box on the other end.  Neither of which give practically any benefit to the general public of Cleveland.  I stand by my statement.  I can't think of a worse use of our very valuable lakefront than a giant convention center.  Keep it where it is, centrally located, with plenty of development and expansion opportunities around it.

 

But like I said, it's moot.  Wasserman will never give wolstein that land.  Thank god.  I couldn't be happier that the two biggest players invovled in that decision (MMPI and Wasserman) aren't from here and don't care about the political pressures that taint just about everyone else in town.

I want to expand upon that a bit.  With so little lakefront land realistically developable to us in the next 25-50 years.  I just can't possibly imagine taking my family to "spend some time at the convention center" on a saturday afternoon.  I want to go down to a neighborhood on the lakefront that has restaurants, residents, retail, a waterfront (hell I don't even want to visit this place, i want to LIVE here, and I imagine many other young people would too)... We lose a third of a potential neighborhood like that with a convention center there... and on top of it, residents are cut off from the other side of it by a big box.

 

Regarding the flats I disagree that we need to be so desparate to develop it that we do it at the cost of giving away our lakefront.  That project grew from $200m to $500m almost overnight.  Why?  People were lining up to be a part of that because people love the water.  And that development would be in the air right now if the financing world wouldn't have come crashing down.  And when the financial dust settles... there will still be a huge demand for that site, and someone (Wolstein or otherwise) will most definitley develop it.  So no... I'm not interested in giving up the lakefront just to build a hotel (apparently not even the hotel 1 anymore), an office tower, and a movie theatre, with the entire rest of the neighborhood to be built "when the market improves".  I'd rather build it all they way it was originally envisioned "when the market improves"... and keep my lakefront.

 

PREACH!!  This is it, people... this is the correct urban planning answer to putting a convention center on our waterfront!! San Diego's convention center, as I also mentioned before, is a HORRIBLE example of what to do with an urban waterfront.  It would be a HUGE planning mistake which we would have to deal with for the next 50 years.  I love this city, have lived in the region my whole life and want to see it succeed.  However, if a convention center were built on our waterfront, I would be organizing the mob to tear it down.

I think Boston and San Diego are both incredibly poor examples.  First Boston's CC is surrounded by virtually nothing but surface parking lots.  If we willingly develop our lakefront with that much surface parking, I'm moving.  Secondly, both of these cities have massive amounts of developed lakefront.  I guess it wouldn't bother me so much if we had miles of developed urban waterfront for neighborhood and public use... but last I checked we've got 110 acres to use on our lakefront, about a third of which would be used for a giant hulking box... to bookend another giant hulking box on the other end.  Neither of which give practically any benefit to the general public of Cleveland.  I stand by my statement.  I can't think of a worse use of our very valuable lakefront than a giant convention center.  Keep it where it is, centrally located, with plenty of development and expansion opportunities around it.

 

But like I said, it's moot.  Wasserman will never give wolstein that land.  Thank god.  I couldn't be happier that the two biggest players invovled in that decision (MMPI and Wasserman) aren't from here and don't care about the political pressures that taint just about everyone else in town.

I want to expand upon that a bit.  With so little lakefront land realistically developable to us in the next 25-50 years.  I just can't possibly imagine taking my family to "spend some time at the convention center" on a saturday afternoon.  I want to go down to a neighborhood on the lakefront that has restaurants, residents, retail, a waterfront (hell I don't even want to visit this place, i want to LIVE here, and I imagine many other young people would too)... We lose a third of a potential neighborhood like that with a convention center there... and on top of it, residents are cut off from the other side of it by a big box.

 

Regarding the flats I disagree that we need to be so desparate to develop it that we do it at the cost of giving away our lakefront.  That project grew from $200m to $500m almost overnight.  Why?  People were lining up to be a part of that because people love the water.  And that development would be in the air right now if the financing world wouldn't have come crashing down.  And when the financial dust settles... there will still be a huge demand for that site, and someone (Wolstein or otherwise) will most definitley develop it.  So no... I'm not interested in giving up the lakefront just to build a hotel (apparently not even the hotel 1 anymore), an office tower, and a movie theatre, with the entire rest of the neighborhood to be built "when the market improves".  I'd rather build it all they way it was originally envisioned "when the market improves"... and keep my lakefront.

 

PREACH!!  This is it, people... this is the correct urban planning answer to putting a convention center on our waterfront!! San Diego's convention center, as I also mentioned before, is a HORRIBLE example of what to do with an urban waterfront.  It would be a HUGE planning mistake which we would have to deal with for the next 50 years.  I love this city, have lived in the region my whole life and want to see it succeed.  However, if a convention center were built on our waterfront, I would be organizing the mob to tear it down.

 

I'm calling first dibs to be at the controls of the wrecking ball!

 

From a Cleveland City Council press release issued at 5:18 p.m. today......

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Council encourages quick movement on Convention Center and Medical Mart

 

Cleveland City Council Members Kevin J. Kelley, Ward 16 and Michael D. Polensek, Ward11; will be joined by several of their colleagues in introducing a resolution encouraging quick movement towards the construction of a new Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center. The resolution fully supports the Cuyahoga County Commissioners’ and Medical Mart Properties Inc.’s (MMPI) site selection. 

 

Council Members believe that a Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center would capitalize on Cleveland’s tremendous healthcare industry and further Cleveland’s position in the medical field as well as increase overall trade show and convention business.

 

With the money in place from taxes already collected and being collected on the quarter cent tax increase passed by Cuyahoga County and MMPI’s extensive research showing that the site of the existing convention center is the best location for this new project, Council Members believe it is crucial that the project continue to move forward and capitalize on current momentum.

 

Cleveland City Council is committed to being an active partner in the process to move forward with a new medical mart and convention center and encourages expedited, good-faith negotiations with the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners to move toward site control and construction.

I wonder if the press release was because of this story in Crain's this week.  Sorry I don't have an electronic subscription any more.

*See MTS this is an example of the city (even though not necessarily the mayor) taking some initiative even though it is a county project.

 

 

‘Unique’ mart process frustrates MMPI

Christopher Kennedy, the president of potential convention center and merchandise mart developer Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago, is growing frustrated with the slowness of the political process here.

I wonder if the press release was because of this story in Crain's this week.  Sorry I don't have an electronic subscription any more.

*See MTS this is an example of the city (even though not necessarily the mayor) taking some initiative even though it is a county project.

 

 

‘Unique’ mart process frustrates MMPI

Christopher Kennedy, the president of potential convention center and merchandise mart developer Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago, is growing frustrated with the slowness of the political process here.

 

Agreed.  However, as I stated earlier, they should have come out and said this earlier.

No doubt they should have, even though I thought you were saying that the city had "no reason to be a part of this... its a county project" and certainly got the feeling until a couple of weeks ago "the city was supposed to stay out of it", when the outcome was looking differently anyway.   

No doubt they should have, even though I thought you were saying that the city had "no reason to be a part of this... its a county project" and certainly got the feeling until a couple of weeks ago "the city was supposed to stay out of it", when the outcome was looking differently anyway.   

 

No not at all.  My feeling is - and always has been - that the county is the lead and the city must do whats best in regard to the sale of the the mall site.  At the same time, I've felt they should have come out and stated, even if it wasn't taken seriously, that the mall site was the cities first choice. 

 

This way, whatever the decision the county made, the city would have a stated it's position from jump.

I wonder if the press release was because of this story in Crain's this week. Sorry I don't have an electronic subscription any more.

*See MTS this is an example of the city (even though not necessarily the mayor) taking some initiative even though it is a county project.

 

 

‘Unique’ mart process frustrates MMPI

Christopher Kennedy, the president of potential convention center and merchandise mart developer Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago, is growing frustrated with the slowness of the political process here.

 

I gotta believe the two are connected...and this was probably exactly the kind of spark that Kennedy and MMPI were hoping to cause with this week's Crain's article.  I unfortunately do not have e-access either, but I did read it today and the gist of it seems to be:

 

1. Kennedy/MMPI knew coming into the project that it was going to be an ordeal dealing with the various powers-at-be in Northeast Ohio, but even still they are surprised/dismayed by the molasses-like progress.

2.  The numerous fiefdoms and not lack of leaders, but excess leaders, in NE Ohio is scaring away big-name national developers from entering/staying in the Cleveland market.

3.  Forest City's latest proposal is crap, but they will entertain it when FCE comes to Chicago on March 10 on the off chance that it could actually be a viable back-up. 

 

While Kennedy seemed frustrated, I didn't come away from the article thinking he was pondering backing out completely.  He still seems to be committed in spite of it all (e.g. the begrudging openness to FCE), which hopefully is attributable to the strength of the overall concept.

1. Kennedy/MMPI knew coming into the project that it was going to be an ordeal dealing with the various powers-at-be in Northeast Ohio, but even still they are surprised/dismayed by the molasses-like progress.

2.  The numerous fiefdoms and not lack of leaders, but excess leaders, in NE Ohio is scaring away big-name national developers from entering/staying in the Cleveland market.

3.  Forest City's latest proposal is crap, but they will entertain it when FCE comes to Chicago on March 10 on the off chance that it could actually be a viable back-up. 

 

While Kennedy seemed frustrated, I didn't come away from the article thinking he was pondering backing out completely.  He still seems to be committed in spite of it all (e.g. the begrudging openness to FCE), which hopefully is attributable to the strength of the overall concept.

 

Agreed on all, especially about too many leaders.  That's the root of most of our problems.  We shouldn't be arguing back and forth about county this and city that.

Probably more-so that nobody ever seemed to be on the same page (everybody had their own agenda). 

Ask and ye shall receive:

 

‘Unique’ mart process frustrates MMPI

 

Developer’s president: Back-and-forth with plethora of public officials, lack of decisive action inhibiting project’s progress

 

 

By JAY MILLER

 

 

 

4:30 am, March 2, 2009

 

Christopher Kennedy saw into the future better than he could have imagined.

 

The president of developer Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago knew 18 months ago that it would take time to strike a deal to bring a new convention center and medical merchandise mart to Cleveland.

 

 

PRINTED FROM: http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090302/SUB1/902279938/1071/TOC&P

Waiting on Osborn. I expect the contract with the County will be signed very "quickly". I'll take at wait see on "good faith" negotiations. That is, I'll believe it when I see it.

man. whoa.

 

i almost expected kennedy to say mmpi was going to walk away at the end of that article, but thankfully he didn't.

 

what's a shame is that his points are all so well known, but that nothing is ever done about it -- ie., shrink the council, strong mayor, gut the county commissioner office and/or regionalize, etc. something! but that's for another thread.

 

kennedy's patience is going to pay off well for mmpi. in the end cleveland is going have one hell of an impressive renovated convention center. i'm optimistic the delays and dithering around are almost over.

 

I'm tired of even wasting time reading up on this topic.

We should all just show up on the mall with shovels one day and start digging.

I'm tired of even wasting time reading up on this topic.

 

I stopped reading this thread or any medical mart articles a while ago (with the exception of this morning, just the latest comment)...Im done with this project until i read a headline that says they have started digging.

"The developer went so far as to suggest that the inability of public officials to unite to make quick decisions has been hampering real estate development in Cleveland for a long time."

 

I know many on here insist that Cleveland is no different than any where else but there a handful of people that I know here in DC that had worked for the city of Cleveland or in some development capacity there that certainly got fed up and had to leave.  They really love Cleveland but the city kept shooting themselves in the foot and never seemed to learn their lesson no matter how much they lost.  Ive heard many interesting stories! 

 

"The developer went so far as to suggest that the inability of public officials to unite to make quick decisions has been hampering real estate development in Cleveland for a long time."

 

I know many on here insist that Cleveland is no different than any where else but there a handful of people that I know here in DC that had worked for the city of Cleveland or in some development capacity there that certainly got fed up and had to leave. They really love Cleveland but the city kept shooting themselves in the foot and never seemed to learn their lesson no matter how much they lost. Ive heard many interesting stories!

 

I've experienced some of these issues too.  I don't want to get into specifics.  But there is a leadership problem here, big time.  When they keep coming from basically the same pool, due to the party-machine apparatus, it's fair to judge them on their long-term results... which are singularly awful.  If this community leadership here were an NFL team, it would be time to "blow it up" and start over with new blood. 

There just seems to be such indecisiveness and feet-dragging that it kills the chance of deals happening quickly and aggressively. I think this extends to the overall business environment in the government. I don't know what the deal is, but it's been a Cleveland trademark for quite some time.

it's not so much a leadership issue, as much as "too many cooks in the kitchen issue".  But you've got about 47 "cities" out there who refuse to reqlinquish any power what-so-ever.  And there is no entity that can force us to regionalize.  It will plague us until we do.  There are very few major metropolitan areas in the country set up like us.  It creates a lot of problems.

 

That being said, not all development issues are attributed to this.  Many have the exact same issues they have everywhere else.  But on major projects such as this... yes, it's a very big issue.

There just seems to be such indecisiveness and feet-dragging that it kills the chance of deals happening quickly and aggressively. I think this extends to the overall business environment in the government. I don't know what the deal is, but it's been a Cleveland trademark for quite some time.

 

The deal is fiefdoms.  The deal is keeping this segregated from that at all costs.  And, part of the deal is open bribery.  We have become so tolerant of conflicts of interest, secret meetings and shady land deals that we hardly remember what daylight looks like.  This is something we need to stand and face and fight.

Here we go off topic again.  Enter MayDay with the Ax.

Switch it to the local retail/development thread.  I posted a response there.

 

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/city_council_urges_quick_deal.html

 

City Council urges quick deal for med mart-convention center on downtown mall

 

 

Posted by Henry J. Gomez/Plain Dealer Reporter March 03, 2009 12:00PM

Categories: Business Impact, Cleveland City Hall, Cuyahoga County government, Medical Mart

CLEVELAND — City Council is wading deeper into the convention center-medical mart debate.

 

In a resolution passed unanimously Monday night, the council declared the downtown mall as the "most advantageous" location for the $425 million proposal.

 

The resolution also urged Cuyahoga County commissioners and private developer Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago to quickly finalize a deal.

 

The city owns the existing convention center on the mall site. Forest City Enterprises Inc. has pitched a site near its Tower City shopping center, and developer Scott Wolstein has offered space in his stalled Flats East Bank project. MMPI prefers the Mall site.

 

"

Monday night's council meeting offered an awkward moment, when Mayor Frank Jackson cornered Kelley on the dais behind Council President Martin J. Sweeney's chair. Sweeney, who normally sits at meetings, stood during much of the intense conference, as if to shield the mayor and Kelley from television cameras and other onlookers.

 

Other council members, including Polensek, believe that they were discussing the medical mart resolution. After the meeting, Kelley did not deny that the mayor expressed concerns about the resolution, but declined to rehash the conversation.

 

When asked this morning what the mayor thought of the resolution, his press secretary responded that she was unable to get a comment from Jackson at this time

 

I would love to know whats really going on inside Mr. Jacksons head. 

Gee I hope the resolution doesnt get in the way of him "looking out" for the people of Cleveland (and adding yet additional delays), with the mall site.  :roll:

I'm tired of this whole thing. What the hell is going on? I'm embarrassed to be a Clevelander after reading the Crain's article. Gee Wiz.......I mean an outside company wants to invest in our city, and we look like a bunch of bumbling idiots. Really think about it. An outside company wants to put something in Cleveland that is unique, and will build on our local assets. Sounds simple? No, the powers that be have made this the most complicated process ever. What is so hard? I'm sick and tired all the crap. I have always been optimistic Cleveland could change and eventually realize its potential, but after this debacle, I'm starting to wonder. Also, screw Forest City and their stupid plan. I don't even know why MMPI is even dealing with them. You lost! Take your ball and go home. Sorry for the rant.

Did I mention that Ol' Frank was going to be a problem, before? How about Cimperman and Pierce? The good news is other Councilman are feeling the heat from constituents and the Feds are looking hard at the whole situation in regards to corrupt practices and influence peddling.   

^^His boss, Sam Miller, is not happy with his performance lately

Come on folks.  Lets be fair and objective.  Before we make assumptions were any of you at the meeting???  Have any of you been involved in any of the discussion 

 

I don't think any of you would appreciate being belittled or having someone speculate about your decisions without having spoken to you.

 

Nobody likes snark/catty comments more than me.  He's a public official and will get his fair amount of critics, so I'm not being an apologist, but the personal attacks are not necessary.

 

Other than trying to steer the project to one of his biggest campaign contributors, can you speculate on a reason that the Mayor is working against the mall site?

Other than trying to steer the project to one of his biggest campaign contributors, can you speculate on a reason that the Mayor is working against the mall site?

 

I can't nor is there concrete evidence that he is personally steering it to the FC site.  If i've missed that somewhere please show me.

Other than trying to steer the project to one of his biggest campaign contributors, can you speculate on a reason that the Mayor is working against the mall site?

 

I can't nor is there concrete evidence that he is personally steering it to the FC site. If i've missed that somewhere please show me.

 

Scroll up.  He went to Chicago himself, primarily to pimp the FC site.  He's been pushing it hard publicly since just before the "final" decision was made.