Now that half of the people in the forum already know what is going in the space, its just silly not to inform the rest of us.  But...I'm sure I'm barking up the wrong tree.

 

Yep.

Some very intersting stuff in the agenda for the upcoming design meeting: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2010/040910/index.php

 

Just nothing on the E. 4th space....sigh...I don't know if I can wait two more weeks for this

Is it a traveling exhibit from one of the major museums like the Smithsonian or the geggenheim?

I mean Guggenheim

I still guessing MOCA-They will soon begin a public financing push for the new museum.  As soon as the money is raised for the museum, the uptown project, which Maron is a part of, will have better chances of getting financing.

Doesn't look like it made the Landmarks agenda, either. Sad ... face ... Oh well. From a PR perspective, it's probably better to delay the announcement for a couple weeks, as I have a feeling that the urban junkie crowd is going to be wholeheartedly focused on Uptown ... The reveal of this space's use might get lost in all of that.

 

Guess everyone's in bed here.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/human_body_exhibit_coming_to_c.html

 

Human body exhibit coming to Cleveland's East Fourth Street entertainment district in June

By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer

April 09, 2010, 12:01AM

 

"CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The newest tenant on East Fourth Street won't be searing steaks, frying frites or dishing out duck breast.  Rather, this upcoming addition to downtown Cleveland's restaurant row aims to serve up a meal for the mind."

Looks like TBideon beat me by a few seconds in posting the PD Article.  Exciting to see something going into that space, especially being such a visible location from both East 4th and Euclid.  The exhibit seems worth a visit, maybe just not before dinner (I am known to get a little queazy).

 

This kind of grosses me out.  I don't know how appropriate this is for a dining destination but whatever.  As long as you can't see them from the street I think it will be fine.  A dead body is probably the last thing I want to see before I go out for dinner.  If it draws people downtown then I'll take it.

I'll bet it will draw a lot of people to East Fourth!

 

But if I was a restaurant owner/manager in that area, I'd be emphasizing the vegetarian dishes while that exhibit is in town....

That museum is the only view I have in my apartment haha!

WOW, that's thinking outside of the box for temporary uses in an entertainment district!  There should be NO QUESTION that this will draw people to the district.  I like this!

Ah, finally the embargo on this news has been lifted.  Glad we didn't derail the entire project by posting about it here before it got on cleveland.com. :)

 

(on a side note, I'm surprised that The Plain Dealer publishes articles online before they reach the newstand or doorstep.  Glad, but surprised.)

 

Anyway, I think this is great news.  I agree with the other posters that seeing frozen human remains before dinner might make me shy away from getting a spring roll at Saigon, but the article says 270,000 people saw a similar exhibit when it was at the Science Center for five months.

 

Downtown needs unique offerings that the suburbs don't have.  This will be a destination exhibit.  It will bring people and families to East 4th that wouldn't otherwise come.  There isn't a giant parking lot in front of it, so people will park in lots and garages and walk down East 4th and Euclid Avenue.  It's definitely unique.

Well I can say I was pleasantly surprised by this. I won't say that it was the last thing I would of thought of, but I definately would have never guessed plasticized bodies. It's geeky, gross and cool at the sametime.

 

I guess the Corner Alley needs to stock up on eyeball bowling balls to cross promote.....

 

Well, I'm surprised, but I can't say pleasantly.  That's certainly....unique. 

meh

 

I think the anticipation and speculation got the better of me.  Not sure I would have been happy with most things at this point.

 

I saw this at Midway Airport a few years back. 

This will certainly get people downtown this summer.  I like it.

Opening in June? Just in time for the NBA finals. 

 

Too bad it is temporary.  I think it would be a good fit.  I wish a museum would stay in that spot...like the "red bull art" museum on south beach...that place is awesome!!

I wouldnt put it past Gilbert to throw that out there.  What does size matter? as long as it is filled up.  There is no hotel attached or antyhing...all they need is bodies in there...if there are too many people then you just create a maximum

 

Give that man a cigar!

I avoided this type of thing at Great Lakes Science Center and I'll avoid this on E. 4th as well.

I avoided this type of thing at Great Lakes Science Center and I'll avoid this on E. 4th as well.

 

Why?

Possibly the worst example of complementary uses I have ever heard of.  What were they thinking!  Maybe they can put a temporary crematorium next door!

 

It is definitely a weird location for something like that... in the middle of a restaurant row.

 

If they wanted something like that, how about a traveling exhibit of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum? (if such a thing even exists, but I doubt it).

Actually, a permanent wax museum right on Euclid or Prospect would be a great addition to downtown and would probably be a big draw.

 

 

One thing we may end up getting out of this are more "temporary" showcases along lower Euclid Ave.  If this space is getting filled immediately after this exhibit is finished as other on here have alluded to, then why not look at E.9th to E.12 for future exhibits/attractions downtown...even if they are temporary. (until retail can fill them in!)

 

This very well might be the start of paving the way for more downtown attractions.

I know this is my own opinion and many reasonable people will feel otherwise. But I just think it's in poor taste to put anonymous dead people on public display.

 

I avoided this type of thing at Great Lakes Science Center and I'll avoid this on E. 4th as well.

 

Why?

There's a poll on Cleveland.com right now on whether you will go to e 4th street and see the body worlds:    http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/will_you_go_to_east_fouth_stre.html

I know this is my own opinion and many reasonable people will feel otherwise. But I just think it's in poor taste to put anonymous dead people on public display.

 

I agree; it's degrading to the human souls who occupied these bodies.  I'm disappointed MRN would stick such an exhibit here just to grab a few shekels.

^^ I see it as his way of bringing more people to his neighborhood who may have never ventured down e 4th otherwise... Not necessarily to make more money off the exhibit itself.  Remember he's very particular who he will rent to in his commercial spaces. 

I have dissected a cadaver back in the day at OSU, but the person willingly donated their remains to science for educational purposes.  This article from the Seattle exhibition is troubling to me - the cadavers are unclaimed bodies bought from China, and these people did not grant permission for their bodies to be put on display to the world.  I think I'll pass...

 

Education or freak show? 'Bodies ... The Exhibition' cashes in on our own curiosity

 

By WINDA BENEDETTI

P-I REPORTER

 

Standing before a phalanx of reporters and photographers, he is more naked than most of us will ever be.

 

Not only is he positioned beneath a pool of light without cover of clothing, he is missing his skin and hair -- a man stripped to nothing but muscle and bone and sinew, a man whose stomach, liver and intestines perch like books on a shelf for all to see.

 

Nobody knows exactly who he is -- the man whose corpse stands among 20 other unidentified corpses soon to go on display in Seattle as part of a controversial exhibit of cadavers called "Bodies ... The Exhibition." What is known is that he was from China, and when he died his body went unclaimed -- unclaimed, that is, until the dissectors at a Chinese university took him into their care and the show's promoters took him on the road...

 

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/286689_bodies28.html

I went to the bodies exhibit in Rosslyn, Virginia and I thought it was very cool. But I never knew that they were unclaimed bodies bought from China...

 

Regardless, I guess it will bring some more people around to East 4th Street and it will leave a newly renovated building once it leaves!

I cannot wait for the Bodies exhibit to open! I saw the Body Works 2 exhibit when it was at the GLSC and I enjoyed it so much! It was such an interesting and educational exhibit! I am excited to see how it turns out and to see how the exhibit will bring more people into downtown and to enjoy all it has to offer!

People are entitled to their views and if it brings more "bodies" to E. 4th, that can't be a totally bad thing.  I just think the whole Body World's thing, while educational in a way, is also exploitative. This isn't the time nor space, but you really should check out exactly how and where these curators got these bodies.

My family runs a cemetery/crematory/mausoleum so maybe I'm just a little less sensitive to this, but I think it could be a cool exhibit.

 

Also you would be surprised as to the volume of unclaimed remains (which, obviously, were formerly bodies) that are at the cemetery.  It's not uncommon to have an uncliamed body that one might use for something of this nature.

it is going to be a museum!

 

Note: grammer correction.

 

Note, note: spelling correction? :P

No, it was grammer believe me.

 

I was joking because you spelled grammar wrong.

I was out and about this mid morning  :-)

 

1. DEAD BODIES ON EUCLID AVENUE!!!! AAARRRHHHHHH!!! DOWNTOWN IS SO UNSAFE!!!! RRRRRRUUUUUNNNNN!!!

2. One of the most unheareled developents of East 4th.  Anyone remember what the facade of the mcrory building used to look like? Now completely restored with about 70 apartments above the corner alley (about 105 people).

3. Might have gone unnoticed, but the greenhouse used to have exposed brick on the storefront which has been covered up with a black granite or spandrel glass material.  Also notice the (2) electrical boxes on either side of the storefront (about half way up), these originally were supposed to have these really cool metal cutouts of the greenhouse "tree" back illuminated.  Not sure what happened to that idea, would be very cool at night.

4. Work underway on Zocalo.  I'm pretty sure i don't remember this being black... we'll see what happens.  Notice the walkout to the front patio is gone with now just sliding windows (the old way violated code).  The porch will be expanded to the left and the door (where the take out window used to be) will be the entrance/exit to the patio.

5. Chinato (pronounced KEY-knot-OH).  Still working on getting signage approved.  They have to "prove" signage like the rest of e. 4th fits the historic context of the building...

Zocalo was not painted black last night. They must've done that all this morning.

I can't tell from the pics, but did Zocalo go out of business?

Too bad about the Zocalo walk out.  I thought that was a great 'sell' in the summertime for eating there, with the bar area flowing right into the patio.

Too bad about the Zocalo walk out. I thought that was a great 'sell' in the summertime for eating there, with the bar area flowing right into the patio.

 

The windows still open for the breeze, and you will still be able to "walk right out" to the patio from the bar via that new doorway.

 

I can't tell from the pics, but did Zocalo go out of business?

 

nope... just a little exterior remodel in process.

^Thanks

From what I've heard, if they don't get their sh*t together and start consistently serving good food, they won't be there much longer.  Lots of one-visit people who had a mediocre to bad experience who aren't returning is what I hear.

"Chinato (pronounced KEY-knot-OH).  "

 

I've heard Bruell pronounce it "ki-NAH-toh".  My understanding of Italian pronunciation is that it should be "kee-NAH-toh"

 

Nitpicky, I know, but it's interesting how people can't agree on the proper pronunciation of this place.

but it always appears pretty full to me when passing by....

^I agree... Zocalo I am not worried about.  It is the Vietnamese place right next door that always looks "half-empty" to me.

^ I'm surprised. I've eaten there twice and really enjoyed the food. Both times were for lunch, and the place was full each time. Have others had bad experiences?

I think their food is good too (or at least good enough).  I think their biggest problem is that they have no bar.  It's a single purpose entity.  eat. leave.  It appears they do a pretty good lunch business.  And I see people in there for early dinners... but aroun 7 when the rest of the street seems to be "ramping up" they become deserted.  The biggest disapointment and one that seems in trouble to me is wonder bar.  I have no idea what that place is supposed to be anymore.  i don't think they do either.  Which is really sad because that is one of the coolest "spaces" on the entire street.

I think their food is good too (or at least good enough).  I think their biggest problem is that they have no bar.  It's a single purpose entity.  eat. leave.  It appears they do a pretty good lunch business.  And I see people in there for early dinners... but aroun 7 when the rest of the street seems to be "ramping up" they become deserted.  The biggest disapointment and one that seems in trouble to me is wonder bar.  I have no idea what that place is supposed to be anymore.  i don't think they do either.  Which is really sad because that is one of the coolest "spaces" on the entire street.

 

I'm concerned/confused too.  Everything from the random-a$$ bottled beer selection that collects dust (there's no description what any of it is) to the lack of jazz and piano music from what I thought was a "jazz bar."  I've heard rap music out of there recently with what I thought was a DJ.  Did ownership change in the past year?  I'm pretty sure it's a woman now, and I thought it used to be a father and son(s).

I think the problem with Saigon is that unless there are people sitting outside it seems like its closed.  When looking for a place to eat I've had quite a few people say "is that place even open?"

^I hope someone at Saigon is paying attention to that... I really like the line-up of restaurants on the street as of now.  Hopefully, the struggling businesses are able to turn things around.

^I hope someone at Saigon is paying attention to that... I really like the line-up of restaurants on the street as of now.  Hopefully, the struggling businesses are able to turn things around.

 

"Struggling"?  Do you know something we dont?  Have access to their books?  I'm not clear as to where you're going with that statement.