Athens former retail space is available, and I have a meeting scheduled this afternoon with MRN and a potential tenant.  They are absolutely looking for uses complimentary to the Market District plan for that space and other storefronts under their control.  We reached out to Athens several times to get them to stay in the neighborhood, they were set on a building with parking immediately in front, something not readily available or desired in Ohio City, and it looks like they found a space that was exactly what they were looking for.  We would have been thrilled if they stayed in their existing space or found another space in the neighborhood that either fit their needs or worked for the land use plans of the neighborhood.

 

Thanks for the info and for shutting down the echo chamber in here!  I don't know how many times I've felt foolish for getting worked up on UO about some reported plans that didn't turn out to be quite right...but will it stop me next, time? Probably not :)

 

Interesting decision by Athens, especially considering MRN's intent to put in a bunch of parking right next to that space.  Hope it works out for them in there new space.  And I look forward to hearing about a new tenant in that space.

Approvals granted last night for a new urban farm commune behind the Riverview Tower on W. 25th on the land facing the river.  Sounds like it's going to be one of the biggest urban farms in the country, hoping to grow & sell the produce at the Market.

Approvals granted last night for a new urban farm commune behind the Riverview Tower on W. 25th on the land facing the river. Sounds like it's going to be one of the biggest urban farms in the country, hoping to grow & sell the produce at the Market.

 

http://www.ohiocityfarm.com/

 

 

Is this on the land that is considered unstable? 

If so, won't they have to pretty much bulldoze this farm when the money to stabilize the hillside comes in?

when the money to stabilize the hillside comes in?

 

Ha, aren't you an optimist!

^I'm pretty sure that the money would only go towards stabilizing the hillside.

Is this on the land that is considered unstable? 

If so, won't they have to pretty much bulldoze this farm when the money to stabilize the hillside comes in?

 

No behind.

Approvals granted last night for a new urban farm commune behind the Riverview Tower on W. 25th on the land facing the river. Sounds like it's going to be one of the biggest urban farms in the country, hoping to grow & sell the produce at the Market.

 

What kind of approvals (i.e. neighborhood, city)?

 

Nice project!

Is this on the land that is considered unstable?

If so, won't they have to pretty much bulldoze this farm when the money to stabilize the hillside comes in?

 

Bulldoze a farm?  They're not going to terraform the hill.  They're going to stop it from slipping more into the river.  I think the tomato plants will be fine.

IIRC, the way they are going to prevent a landslide was to remove a great deal of the earth from the hillside.  Do I have it wrong?

If they stabilize the hill, they are building on it.. bye bye sunflower garden.

There were several alternatives presented by the Corps of Engineers back in August 2009 for stabilizing the hill, some of which called for extensive excavating of the hillside so as to lighten the load further downhill. The option that the City is currently pursuing (by which I mean that they are seeking funding) would not include excavation but would instead rely on a series of anchored stability walls.  The properties currently on W. 25th Street would be preserved, but since only conceptual designs and cost estimates were developed, it is too soon to determine of new building would be allowed.

 

Given that the hillside mainly consists of ~100 feet of silt, fill, and sand on top of a thin layer of clay, I doubt that any new construction on top of the hill would be permitted, even after the construction of the walls.

^Thanks for that info.  It still amazes me home much time and money were spent on the HOPE VI plan a few years ago to develop the land on top of the hill given what we know now. 

 

Anyway, I'm guessing any hillside stabilization is at least a few years away, so even if some of the farm is lost to that effort, this seems like a great way to use the land until then.  I can't imagine they'll have to sink tons of $ into fixed, long term infrastructure for this.

Ewoops with a celebrity appearance!  Welcome back!

willow - looking great man!  i'm right around the corner from on W 42 and it's great to see that stretch of lorain cleaning up. 

 

also, if you're looking to book some oddball music acts i have some friends from outside the area as well - depending what you're planning on bringing in.  there is a great vibe coming out of san francisco right now of rock and roll and jam kinda mixed together.  great times and great people.  if you're looking to put on some small DIY shows, i'd def be interested.

 

anyone know what's happening on the corner of 41st and lorain?

^Thanks Punch!  The Ohio City Farms is an OCNW project to create a farm incubator behind Riverview that will sell to local restaurants and retail at the West Side Market.  It is part of our larger Ohio City Fresh Food Collaborative Initiative, which will eventually include a kitchen incubator component for value-added products as well.  CMHA's board just voted to allow them to enter into a lease with OCNW for the space, $10 a year for five years . . .

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/city_of_cleveland_approves_ven.html

 

great event for the food carts in ohio city last night . . .

^Thanks Punch! The Ohio City Farms is an OCNW project to create a farm incubator behind Riverview that will sell to local restaurants and retail at the West Side Market. It is part of our larger Ohio City Fresh Food Collaborative Initiative, which will eventually include a kitchen incubator component for value-added products as well. CMHA's board just voted to allow them to enter into a lease with OCNW for the space, $10 a year for five years . . .

 

$10 a year? Somebody needs a better leasing agent.

willow - looking great man! i'm right around the corner from on W 42 and it's great to see that stretch of lorain cleaning up.

 

also, if you're looking to book some oddball music acts i have some friends from outside the area as well - depending what you're planning on bringing in. there is a great vibe coming out of san francisco right now of rock and roll and jam kinda mixed together. great times and great people. if you're looking to put on some small DIY shows, i'd def be interested.

 

anyone know what's happening on the corner of 41st and lorain?

 

Thanks! I am looking into doing shows, right now I need power on the first floor though.

 

David Ellison has the building (was buildings) at 41st on the south side. He's moving his architecture firm there. Not sure where he is with things, I know money has been an issue (who-da-thunk-it)

So we don't want to see people with some challenges have opportunity and independence? I hope folks will learn a little about LEAP, the people the serve, and the successes they have had before making judgement. I loved Athens, but rather than be upset about non profits using empty space to provide a service to the community, I would ask why Athens had to move so far away to do business when this area is trying to promote itself as a culinary destination.

 

LEAP serves OUR near west community. Sorry that everyone would prefer to cast their rightous gaze on higher percentages of yuppies instead of seeing persons with disadvantage and disabilities have opportunities for employment. Given the threads around here lately it seems people would prefer to talk about people wanting welfare over opening their mind to programs that promote education and self sufficiency. Shame.live in Westlake.  rant over

 

It's nothing against LEAP or any other non-profit social services.  It's the view that they shouldn't ALL be in Ohio City (there are already plenty of other social service non-profits in the area).  And it seems a large proportion of people running and working at these non-profits DO live in Westlake.  They don't mind driving in to deal with the issues for an hour as long as they don't have to live near them.

 

Regardless, now that I now they are moving locations (not a newcomer to the neighborhood) and not taking first-floor retail space, I don't really care.

We have combined the Ohio City Developments and Market District Developments thread into one.  Going forward this will be the catch all for discussing any development within the Ohio City neighborhood.  This should also help make things a little easier to follow for the people at OCNW and interact when possible.

I loved the idea of the Market Square cluster, but now I'm really curious where these new businesses are going to fit in.

 

Well, to answer my own dumb question, I checked out the commercial drag of W25th over the weekend for the first time in a long while and for better or for worse, there appears to be plenty of empty storefront spaces for new businesses to move in.  So forgive me for sounding kind of out of it if this was obvious to everyone else.  In my rose-hued memory the strip had filled in over the past several years.

^well, at least three of those storefronts are already leased out and will have tenants soon.

^ Which ones?

one of them is new micro brew - dude from dogfish head is making his way back to team up with McNulty

 

http://www.marketgardenbrewery.com/

 

http://www.cleveland.com/taste/index.ssf/2010/01/noted_brewmaster_andy_tveekrem.html

^I totally forgot to take a close look at the construction progress on the brewery.  Anyone know how it's progressing?

 

Another one:

 

Yashar Yildirim, one of the owners of Anatolia Cafe in Cleveland Heights, recently signed a lease to open a Turkish restaurant called Alaturka in a former hookah bar space at 1917 W. 25th St.

 

From: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/planners_cooking_up_a_market_d.html

I read all this...but when I go by these places.. Am I missing something? I see little activity. Am I in the wrong place!  (Twilioght Zone maybe?)

I walked by the new brewery space the other day (on my way to drop off my recycling) and there is progress being made.  You cant see it yet from the w25th street side but if you walk along the alleyway between the market and the new brewery you can see they are incorporating both of the existing brick buildings into the new design and have constructed a large outdoor fireplace in the middle of what will be the courtyard.

I'm liking all this progress and sense of identity that in being created in Ohio City of late..

I walked by the new brewery space the other day (on my way to drop off my recycling) and there is progress being made. You cant see it yet from the w25th street side but if you walk along the alleyway between the market and the new brewery you can see they are incorporating both of the existing brick buildings into the new design and have constructed a large outdoor fireplace in the middle of what will be the courtyard.

 

From what I understand, they are basically building a new basement right now. They're doing a lot of work and hope to be open by the end of the year. I just wish they'd put up some "coming soon" signage.

Ohio City Run & Crawl to Mark Its Fifth Year on Saturday, June 19, 2010!

 

Runners throughout greater Cleveland will be pleased to know that the Cleveland area's most unique urban running event will once again be a fixture on the 2010 summer race calendar.

 

Join us Saturday, June 19, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. for the Ohio City Run & Crawl, an evening 5K run through the streets of Cleveland's historic Ohio City neighborhood followed by a pub and restaurant crawl featuring dozens of local establishments.

 

The Run & Crawl continues to grow in popularity.  Hundreds of runners are expected this year to fill the Ohio City streets and take in the sights, sounds and suds of the neighborhood.  More details on the event will be posted as they become available, so check this site often. 

 

To pre-register for the run, please contact Hermes Sports & Events online or call 216.623.9933.  For more details on the overall event or sponsorship opportunities, call Ohio City Near West (OCNW) Development Corporation at 216.781.3222

Has Ohio City ever been awarded a  Transportation for Livable Communities  Initiative [TLCI] Grant through NOACA?

http://www.noaca.org/tlci.html

 

The report completed as a result of the Tremont TLCI Grant is quite impressive

http://www.noaca.org/tremont.pdf

Yes, it is underway now.

 

ADD:  I've actually been involved in the process on a couple steering committees for some of these TLCI studies, so I am always pretty excited to see how they turn out.  That Tremont pedestrian and bike linkages plan may be the most impressive result I've seen thus far.  And I think if the Abbey Rd section can become a reality, it will have a profound effect on the Market District.  Because right now getting between Ohio City and Tremont is about as easy and fun as walking across hot coals in bare feet (unless of course you want to drive). These are two great neighborhoods that should share a seemless transition that currently might as well be separated by the grand canyon.  Different people believe in different things.  Personally I am a pretty big fan of the built environment inducing change.  We can either sit around with our crumbling infastructure as is, begging developers to help us out with a project here and there, so that eventually we can "justify" infastructure improvements... Or we can push ahead and create a dynamic urban infastructure, that makes people WANT to invest in our city.  It's a hell of a lot easier to sell the second.

 

 

Planners cooking up a 'Market District' around Cleveland's West Side Market

The city of Cleveland has budgeted $1.5 million to remake Market Square Park, a small public space across from the market.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/planners_cooking_up_a_market_d.html

 

 

I've heard a number as high as $1.7 million to renovate Market Square Park.  My concern is why this amount of spending and renovation is necessary for this park.  I could see spending roughly 1/3 of that amount on landscaping and perhaps the reconfiguration of a few brick seating walls, but this number seems awfully high for a park that is already quite a nice meeting/market/performance space.  I wonder if some of the money might be better spent improving the urban aesthetic of other parts of ohio city such as the Bridge Ave corridor and the parking lot behind the market.

Planners cooking up a 'Market District' around Cleveland's West Side Market

The city of Cleveland has budgeted $1.5 million to remake Market Square Park, a small public space across from the market.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/planners_cooking_up_a_market_d.html

 

 

I've heard a number as high as $1.7 million to renovate Market Square Park. My concern is why this amount of spending and renovation is necessary for this park. I could see spending roughly 1/3 of that amount on landscaping and perhaps the reconfiguration of a few brick seating walls, but this number seems awfully high for a park that is already quite a nice meeting/market/performance space. I wonder if some of the money might be better spent improving the urban aesthetic of other parts of ohio city such as the Bridge Ave corridor and the parking lot behind the market.

I have no idea why renovating this park has been made into a priority.

Planners cooking up a 'Market District' around Cleveland's West Side Market

The city of Cleveland has budgeted $1.5 million to remake Market Square Park, a small public space across from the market.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/planners_cooking_up_a_market_d.html

 

 

I've heard a number as high as $1.7 million to renovate Market Square Park. My concern is why this amount of spending and renovation is necessary for this park. I could see spending roughly 1/3 of that amount on landscaping and perhaps the reconfiguration of a few brick seating walls, but this number seems awfully high for a park that is already quite a nice meeting/market/performance space. I wonder if some of the money might be better spent improving the urban aesthetic of other parts of ohio city such as the Bridge Ave corridor and the parking lot behind the market.

I have no idea why renovating this park has been made into a priority.

 

Perk Park, the Mall, Public Square, now this one.  I'm sure there are others as well.  Suddenly we just can't redesign parks fast enough.  It's mangement by buzzword... "vibrant greenspace" is all the rage, so we're sinking our scarce monies into tearing up parks and rebuilding them slightly different.  Never mind the lack of functional urbanity around these parks, if we can just rebuild enough parks then crime and commerce and everything else will take care of itself.  Insane.  We need some turnover at the top around here. 

Sometimes nice parks create urbanity around them. More people want to be near them and so the density and mixed use increases. There's a really big park in New York City that's a model for this..... Central something...

Sometimes nice parks create urbanity around them. More people want to be near them and so the density and mixed use increases. There's a really big park in New York City that's a model for this..... Central something...

Well, of course that's true, but this park functions pretty well, I think.  I know a big point of the redesign was to create a better transit waiting environment, but it functions pretty well on that level too.  Also, I took my handle from that park.  Is that the right word, "handle"?  I'm not very good at interneting.

yeah one thing that always bugged me about that area was the difficulty of parked cars vs bus stops. drivers, walkers, bikers were all quite congested, and it didnt make for a very attractive place to use the busses. 1.7 seems very steep to me too though.

Sometimes nice parks create urbanity around them. More people want to be near them and so the density and mixed use increases. There's a really big park in New York City that's a model for this..... Central something...

 

Its not even about central park there are smaller parks like St. Nicholas, Morningside, near me that over the years have improved since people love outdoor space.

 

Apartments are so small the parks create a place, rather a gather spot, to interact with others.

When I think "handle" I think truckers with handles like Big Red.

 

The issue isn't whether parks are good, of course they are.  The issue is whether Cleveland should be spending this much money to tear up and rebuild so many of the parks it already has.  Seems to me that money could be better spent in other areas, given our current needs and deficiencies.  Cleveland has many deficiencies at the moment and parks aren't one of them.

 

 

But from what I read in the article, it doesn't look like all of the money going into the project is going to be specifically for the park. It mentioned things like: safety patrol, transportation guides, etc. I think that will benefit the park more at night when drunk people are walking to and from various bar because it may cut back on some of the of panhandlers who hang out around the bus stops and the West Side Market. But it is nice to read about how so many businesses are beginning to move into Ohio City! I tell people all the time about how nice the area is & how they should go enjoy it more.

 

:)

^ Yes, especially when there are so many prominant areas that could use a face lift (like the sidewalk being re-done, or a re-landscaped tree lawn) that would substantially improve an area.  I'd rather see the money go there than towards renovating a park that's already doing pretty well.

I'm not involved in this effort, so someone correct me if I'm wrong. But it seems like part of the effort is to better align the aesthetics of the Market section of W. 25th: a) in preparations for the celebration of the West Side Market's centennial and b) to brand the neighborhood as a local food corridor, which can then have immediate impacts on visitation, vacancy rates, etc. I agree that the park is not a bad gathering place, but I would hardly call it a "green space". I don't know that it really screams "home of the world-famous West Side Market" or "locally produced and sourced". Softening the edges of that park might help advance this idea. I believe (and again, I could be wrong here) that a substantial part of that redevelopment money is also set aside for public art components in and near the park, and from what I've seen of them, they're really interesting. Conceptually, I like the direction they're steering this project.

^ Exactly! I was just there two weekends ago by myself, walking around, and visiting my favorite stands inside the West Side Market. I wandered over to the park and there were so many people outside enjoying the music, kids dancing, parents playing instruments, shopping, etc. It was such a great sight to see considering I do see much of that in downtown Cleveland on the weekends. But, if they utilize the money right, they shouldn't have to put much into the park and they can focus on the surround areas and landscaping like you stated. All in all, I'm glad they are taking initiative to try and beautify the area. I can't wait to see what it looks like.

 

:)

this has been talked about for some time...will it ever happen?  redesign looks nice - lots of the barriers are removed opening up to market st.

 

http://www.clevelandpublicart.org/projects/completed/market-square-park

Redesign does look nice, an improvement over the park we already have there.  Point remains though... this city is laying off young teachers like there's no tomorrow.  But there is a tomorrow.  And the police force was already gutted a few years back.  I'm not against beautification, but when people are asked why they don't move themselves or their businesses to Cleveland they don't say "dammit the city just hasn't put enough money into Market Square park!"  Instead they say crime, they say schools, they say housing, they say retail.  We've got crises on multiple fronts.  I don't think the answer is more landscaping, I just don't.  If you want to help Ohio City... spend this money on retaining teachers in the schools that serve it.  How many teachers could be saved with $1.7 million?

But there's different divisions in the way our tax dollars are spent.  Like it or not, parks and rec gets a cut, the schools get a cut, the police get a cut, etc...  So seeing some massive shift from parks and rec to the schools just isn't going to happen.  There's a set budget for parks and they're going to spend what they're given.

You both have good points. But if they are going to get the money, at least they are putting in towards an area that attracts people and not all of the money is going to landscaping either. They are definitely going to be adding additional things to help the area out as a whole (better crosswalks, safety patrol, lighting, etc) so they are attract more people to come in the evenings so we Clevelanders don't get comments like: "I can't go into Cleveland at night due to the crime/carjackings/theft/homeless/panhandlers/etc." It's just one of those things we are going to have to wait to see how it turns out. :)

I agree w/ the thoughts of some posters that the park could be improved in terms of creating a connection between the WSM and Market Ave, but $1.5M on that alone seems to me, not only misplaced priorities, but a lot to pay for a  relatively little bit of work.  How many guys with sledgehammers would it take to knock down those brick walls?

 

Of the 3 drawings here, only one shows public art.

http://www.clevelandpublicart.org/projects/completed/market-square-park

It's a tower that acts as a high mount for decorative lighting and a water feature at the bottom.  I wholeheartedly agree we could use more water features in the City, but again, I am concerned about the expenditures on a single aspect of Ohio City; when there are several other areas of Market Square that could use improvement.  IMO, Public art is at its best when it serves a function.  The Blue Birds in Edgewater Hill serve the function of motivating people to explore their own own hood, but the stainless steel bus 'shelters' are nearly worthless.  What's the plan for public art in Market  Square?  I'm unsure how it connects to local food/WSM.