In a few weeks or so, just in case anyone wonders what is the work being done, it's a split-rail fence for to protect the future park site. Actual park work is a ways off but the hillside stabilization will occur sooner.

 

This was part of a Aug. 11, 2021 email from Bob T. Burichin of the Cleveland Metroparks to Karl Brunjes of the City Landmarks Commission posted on the Building Department website...

 

1 - It will be a minimum of 42" high.
2 - It will be treated pine and left unstained.
3 - It will be set 3' off edge of sidewalk to create a barrier between sidewalk and site.
4 - It will be flush to the building along West 25th as to that is the property line.
5 - This will be installed as a permanent fence until the Irish Town Bend Improvements take place. It my current understanding that this work is schedule for 1-2 years out. I am not sure what the master plan shows that is being created by Osborne Engineering.
6 - No gates will be at the openings. These are being put in for future public access as to there are plans for additional park improvements.

 

42 FEET?  Inches, right?

Some tasteful signage might not be a bad idea,  Most people, as well as out of towners of course, are not as clued in to this project as we are.

1 hour ago, Dougal said:

42 FEET?  Inches, right?

 

2 hours ago, Dougal said:

42 FEET?  Inches, right?

 

Thanks for catching that.

2 hours ago, Htsguy said:

Some tasteful signage might not be a bad idea,  Most people, as well as out of towners of course, are not as clued in to this project as we are.

Also wouldn’t mind a temporary mural or two across the fencing… 🤔

Edited September 4, 20213 yr by BJBaes

4 hours ago, KJP said:

In a few weeks or so, just in case anyone wonders what is the work being done, it's a split-rail fence for to protect the future park site. Actual park work is a ways off but the hillside stabilization will occur sooner.

 

This was part of a Aug. 11, 2021 email from Bob T. Burichin of the Cleveland Metroparks to Karl Brunjes of the City Landmarks Commission posted on the Building Department website...

 

1 - It will be a minimum of 42" high.
2 - It will be treated pine and left unstained.
3 - It will be set 3' off edge of sidewalk to create a barrier between sidewalk and site.
4 - It will be flush to the building along West 25th as to that is the property line.
5 - This will be installed as a permanent fence until the Irish Town Bend Improvements take place. It my current understanding that this work is schedule for 1-2 years out. I am not sure what the master plan shows that is being created by Osborne Engineering.
6 - No gates will be at the openings. These are being put in for future public access as to there are plans for additional park improvements.

 

A bit confused by item 6.  Is it suggesting that there will be temporary park improvements/usage while the permanent Irishbend Park is under construction (which would be strange and most likely unsafe).  If not, and "additional park improvements" are actually referring to the final park, what does it matter if there are openings for access since the fence is temporary and is not part of the final design.

2 hours ago, KJP said:

 

Thanks for catching that.

 

Probably didnt need catching.

 

Harbor Whitman Townhomes rising at 44th and Whitman

 

 

1865 W 45th St

 

Franklin West Apartment Building

Port Authority takes step to acquire key Irishtown Bend property; NOACA will vote Friday on awarding $12.8 million to stabilization, park project

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Two important developments this week could resolve critical property and financial issues related to the longtime effort to stabilize the Irishtown Bend hillside and build a 23-acre park on the slope overlooking the Cuyahoga River and the downtown skyline.

 

On Thursday, the board of the Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority voted unanimously to approve a “declaration of public necessity” as the first step toward acquiring a key property at the southeast corner of West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue, one of the last remaining pieces not under project control.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/09/port-authority-takes-step-to-acquire-key-irishtown-bend-property-noaca-will-vote-friday-on-awarding-128-million-to-stabilization-park-project.html

Wonderful news all around.  The best part was George having a hissy fit.  The only down side was the 3-4 year estimate for the completion of the stabilization.  That probably means 8-9 years before we will be strolling in the park.  I sure hope they can start park design work while the stabilization work is taking place.  That should speed things up although I would imagine they would need access to the land to complete this work (I'm no expert but I would imagine the park design work would require lots of surveying and soil testing among other things).  Maybe some of the engineering prep conducted as part of the soil stabilization portion of the project could be used for the park design work to expedite things.  Again no expert.  Also, if they are still 7.5 million short on stabilization (good to see it seems that will be worked out at least) funding for the actual park probably has a way  to go.

I hate how they cover it like he's a legit developer who purchased that building in good faith not knowing about the status of the building and plans for the area.  It was a cash grab, plain and simple.

 

 

Wow...this one is going to be a lot of fun.  Even more interesting than the Flats East Bank e.d. proceedings.

I'm not sure why the County continues to pick on the George family so incessantly?! They are the victim here. 

 

The County offered them 40% over their purchase price for the parcel even though no capital improvements had been made, and they're not supposed to take that as a slap in the face!?!?

 

For one - I'm happy the George's continue to fight the good fight, make purchases on insider knowledge, and then sob incessantly when anyone calls them on it. 

34 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

I'm not sure why the County continues to pick on the George family so incessantly?! They are the victim here. 

 

The County offered them 40% over their purchase price for the parcel even though no capital improvements had been made, and they're not supposed to take that as a slap in the face!?!?

 

For one - I'm happy the George's continue to fight the good fight, make purchases on insider knowledge, and then sob incessantly when anyone calls them on it. 

And the poor guy only has his state issued monopoly on cannabis, real estate holdings, and restaurants to fall back on. How do you expect him to survive on that? 

1 hour ago, YABO713 said:

I'm not sure why the County continues to pick on the George family so incessantly?! They are the victim here. 

 

The County offered them 40% over their purchase price for the parcel even though no capital improvements had been made, and they're not supposed to take that as a slap in the face!?!?

 

For one - I'm happy the George's continue to fight the good fight, make purchases on insider knowledge, and then sob incessantly when anyone calls them on it. 

I wonder if the offer of 40% over purchase can be used as evidence in the second phase (determining compensation after a finding in favor of a taking) in the eminent domain action.  I hope not and that it will just be a battle of experts over fair market value with their recent purchase price being a highly relevant factor.  Under normal evidence rules settlement negotiations are not admissible at trial but I don't know if that might be different in an e ED proceeding in Probate Court.

23 minutes ago, Htsguy said:

I wonder if the offer of 40% over purchase can be used as evidence in the second phase (determining compensation after a finding in favor of a taking) in the eminent domain action.  I hope not and that it will just be a battle of experts over fair market value with their recent purchase price being a highly relevant factor.  Under normal evidence rules settlement negotiations are not admissible at trial but I don't know if that might be different in an e ED proceeding in Probate Court.

 

I think prior offers in settlement are usually not admissible - but I've never been involved in an eminent domain case. 

21 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

 

I think prior offers in settlement are usually not admissible - but I've never been involved in an eminent domain case. 

 

I covered one in the late 1990s so my memory is a little hazy on it. As @Htsguy noted, there's a two-step process for an eminent domain proceeding. The first is to establish a valid public purpose for appropriating, or taking of the private property. It is determined by a probate court judge. If the judge determines there is a public purpose, then it proceeds to the next phase in which a jury determines compensation. Both parties view submitted evidence as to value, not to whether the private party should be appropriated. More than two decades ago, I covered the city of Fairview Park which was trying to acquire an obsolete, crime-ridden Lorain Road motel and, after negotiations failed, the city took the owner to court to appropriate its property, citing the motel's blight on the community constituted a public purpose for acquiring it. The probate judge reluctantly agreed. I say reluctantly, because the judge kept urging both parties to come to an out-of-court agreement. I remember it lasting weeks. The city came back to the judge and said the negotiations weren't achieving an agreement. The judge issued a warning to the motel owner and it did no good. So the judge found in favor of the city. I do not recall what evidence was allowed to be submitted in the second part to the jury to establish value. But I recall it happened very quickly and that the city was happy with the jury's decision on the price.

Super excited the Cha project got approved by BZA today.    Bring on the pizza.

12 hours ago, CleWestSide said:

Super excited the Cha project got approved by BZA today.    Bring on the pizza.

Never had Cha and just moved back in June. What type of pizza is it?

On 9/9/2021 at 4:19 PM, X said:

I hate how they cover it like he's a legit developer who purchased that building in good faith not knowing about the status of the building and plans for the area.  It was a cash grab, plain and simple.

 

They retained former Metroparks counsel, for crying out loud

4 hours ago, WindyBuckeye said:

Never had Cha and just moved back in June. What type of pizza is it?

 

It's an off-shoot of Neapolitan, but they have an unbelievable crust, with garlic bread crumbs on the bottom

 

It might be time to start a separate thread for Irishtown Bend Park since stabilization work is to begin in earnest soon.   All the posts regarding it are starting to get lost in the Ohio City thread.

It continues to be so frustrating that all these governmental bodies, agencies, non profits and in the future corporate entities are all collaborating to bring a fantastic asset for the city to fruition, a real game changer, and Mr. Cleveland Bobby George (at least in his own mind) can't see beyond his own selfish money making interests.

Edited September 19, 20213 yr by Htsguy

2 hours ago, Htsguy said:

It continues to be so frustrating that all these governmental bodies, agencies, non profits and in the future corporate entities are all collaborating to bring a fantastic asset for the city to fruition, a real game changer, and Mr. Cleveland Bobby George (at least in his own mind) can't see beyond his own selfish money making interests.

Eminent domain is now almost impossible for governments to use, the courts have really narrowed the exceptions.  But this is one of the rare cases where I think government actually has a good case to make for eminent domain.  If the hillside slides down and blocks the river, it will block a critical transportation link and could also take out a sewer line.  George's property is located at the point that is most likely to slide -- he may have an argument over what the fair value of his property is, but I don't think he's got much of a case that the government can't take it.  A judge could be persuadable to move the taking quickly given the facts, and leave the valuation to work its way through the courts as fast (or more likely, slow) as most civil litigation.   The various government entities involved should get together and move quickly to take control of George's property.

I could give George a small pass if he had owned the property for an extended period of time and had operated it as a going concern.  However he bought it knowing the park was coming with the simple goal of possibly hitting it big.  I have stated this before, although I am not an ED expert, but when it comes to step two of the process (as I agree with @Foraker that the step one "taking" is pretty much assured) when value is determined, I believe George's purchase a few years ago is strong evidence of Fair Market Value.  He might be entitled to slightly more due to inflation, but if that is the case, I hope all of that profit is consumed by attorneys fees.  Unfortunately I think George would be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees under the relevant statue.  I think I recall somebody posting that he had been offered 40% more than his purchase price.  I don't know if that is true but he should have taken it and ran.

Edited September 19, 20213 yr by Htsguy

The Hingetown Hangers are coming along! These are really cool and funky. I think they'll add another great and unique element to the neighborhood.

 

This could be cross-posted among multiple threads, but I'll leave it since much of the development angle of this is focused on Ohio City.....

 

 

West 25th transit plan to give development a lift
By Ken Prendergast / October 14, 2021

 

City Planning Commission approval is expected tomorrow for a comprehensive plan to enhance public transportation service along the busy West 25th Street corridor between downtown Cleveland and the Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

 

The proposed 25Connects bus rapid transit project would speed up Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) buses by 10-20 percent, tapping federal transit funds to redesign the street and create bus-only lanes similar to the HealthLine along Euclid Avenue. GCRTA is undertaking 25Connects with design assistance from Stantec Inc. of Edmonton, Canada and Seventh Hill LLC of Cleveland.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2021/10/14/west-25th-transit-plan-to-give-development-a-lift/

How does giving the buses a dedicated lane only speed up service by 10-20%? 

9 minutes ago, Ethan said:

How does giving the buses a dedicated lane only speed up service by 10-20%? 

 

I wish the city had the guts to give these BRT buses absolute signal priority everywhere they run.  They could tell disgruntled motorists that it's cheaper than raising taxes to build an underground right-of-way. 

15 minutes ago, Ethan said:

How does giving the buses a dedicated lane only speed up service by 10-20%? 

Just speculating, but giving the bus a lane doesn't eliminate traffic lights, just eliminates the traffic up to the light.  Having the buses trigger the traffic light would help speed things up, but would screw with cross-traffic, which is probably why the Healthline never had signal priority implemented.

If it were me, I would build a streetcar line. Not the BRT. Like Portland.

I've always thought the city should sell the surface lots on either side of W 24th and make the deal contingent on developer building enough garage parking to serve the WSM & W 25th St.  There would be some efficiencies with residential for parking times.  Also could put ground floor retial and 24th could become a cool little street.  

 

Same deal could be done with the Clinic

Edited October 14, 20213 yr by RMB

8 minutes ago, Dougal said:

 

I wish the city had the guts to give these BRT buses absolute signal priority everywhere they run.  They could tell disgruntled motorists that it's cheaper than raising taxes to build an underground right-of-way. 

 

I wish the city/county had the guts and sight to build a subway from the west bank of the flats, south, down W 25 street to at least the zoo.  If it continues further it can be street level rail like the shaker lines continuing into Parma/Parma Hts. or Seven Hills.

7 minutes ago, Foraker said:

Just speculating, but giving the bus a lane doesn't eliminate traffic lights, just eliminates the traffic up to the light.  Having the buses trigger the traffic light would help speed things up, but would screw with cross-traffic, which is probably why the Healthline never had signal priority implemented.

 

I think this was a City of Cleveland decision to no implement signal priority in favor of not inconveniencing motorists. Maybe a more progressive administration might re-think that decision. 

Please tell me a serious analysis of traffic flow/destinations has been undertaken as well.

 

Adding left turn lanes at 25th/Lorain would do a lot to facilitate better traffic flow. Now you get one car waiting for opposing traffic to clear that blocks the 20 cars behind it from going. 

 

Same for 25th/Detroit, there are 2 right turns that immediately merge on the bridge, and no left turn. Good luck getting to Hingetown or Gordon Square if you aren't familiar with the area. 

4 minutes ago, MyTwoSense said:

 

I wish the city/county had the guts and sight to build a subway from the west bank of the flats, south, down W 25 street to at least the zoo.  If it continues further it can be street level rail like the shaker lines continuing into Parma/Parma Hts. or Seven Hills.

 

Guts without money is empty bravado. Cities with far less than 500,000 people have no rational case to make to the FTA in order to secure federal funds. The city continues to lose population and employment density and traffic volumes are falling. BRT+protected bike lanes are a major investment for a small-time transit agency like RTA and for a city that doesn't have any protected bike lanes.

 

BTW, the transit investment debate is probably best left to the 25Connects thread in the transportation section. 

 

The development angle is quite interesting to me, although it's definitely ironic that any public funded parking garages and a prettier street that may result from this corridor-wide project will probably be the biggest incentives to more development.

Just now, KJP said:

 

Guts without money is empty bravado. Cities with far less than 500,000 people have no rational case to make to the FTA in order to secure federal funds. The city continues to lose population and employment density and traffic volumes are falling. BRT+protected bike lanes are a major investment for a small-time transit agency like RTA and for a city that doesn't have any protected bike lanes.

 

BTW, the transit investment debate is probably best left to the 25Connects thread in the transportation section. 

 

The development angle is quite interesting to me, although it's definitely ironic that any public funded parking garages and a prettier street that may result from this corridor-wide project will probably be the biggest incentives to more development.

 

I get all that.  It was merely a pipe dream rant.

34 minutes ago, originaljbw said:

Please tell me a serious analysis of traffic flow/destinations has been undertaken as well.

 

Adding left turn lanes at 25th/Lorain would do a lot to facilitate better traffic flow. Now you get one car waiting for opposing traffic to clear that blocks the 20 cars behind it from going. 

 

Same for 25th/Detroit, there are 2 right turns that immediately merge on the bridge, and no left turn. Good luck getting to Hingetown or Gordon Square if you aren't familiar with the area. 

 

As long as they don't make the automobile ROW's wider in what are heavy pedestrian areas.

Is there anything in this plan to make the expanded street/sidewalk space for the restaurants and bars near the Lorain intersection permanent? 

 

I think it was a positive change for the area, but for the Jersey barriers, it would be nice keep if done well.

I’ve long heard about the prospective development of the Lutheran Hospital lots, is the benefactor here the Clinic?  It seems they as well as the MetroHealth System are expanding beyond the hospital walls to build healthy neighborhoods (e.g. La Villa Hispana & Fairfax Meijer development).

3 hours ago, Sapper Daddy said:

I’ve long heard about the prospective development of the Lutheran Hospital lots, is the benefactor here the Clinic?  It seems they as well as the MetroHealth System are expanding beyond the hospital walls to build healthy neighborhoods (e.g. La Villa Hispana & Fairfax Meijer development).

 

If anything, the Cleveland Clinic is a barrier to development here. Not only does a developer have to build structured parking for their own uses, they also have to build structured parking for Cleveland Clinic employees to get their parking spaces out of the way.

That site would be an amazing location for a residential high rise-  imagine the views even from low floors- wow!! 

On 11/27/2019 at 11:21 AM, Htsguy said:

On the subject of Ohio City NIMBY's, does anyone know what happen at the Nov. 11th Board of Zoning Appeals hearing regarding the Knez townhouse project at 4705 Bridge Avenue?  I note that one of the block club members listed above (Steven Zamborsky) was one of the people challenging the Planning Commissions approval of that project.  Some people apparently have a lot of time on their hands.

 

4705 Bridge Ave project is back on Planning Commission's agenda tomorrow in the form an appeal. Since I live a few houses down, I would love to voice my support for this lot being developed as townhomes. I hate walking past the empty lot.

https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/designreview/drcagenda/2021/PDF/CPC-Agenda-WebEx-meeting-110521.pdf

15 minutes ago, downtownjoe said:

 

4705 Bridge Ave project is back on Planning Commission's agenda tomorrow in the form an appeal. Since I live a few houses down, I would love to voice my support for this lot being developed as townhomes. I hate walking past the empty lot.

https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/designreview/drcagenda/2021/PDF/CPC-Agenda-WebEx-meeting-110521.pdf

 

You should send a letter or email of support then.  I don't know how much a difference those always make, but it can't hurt, and I do think letters of support made a difference on Waverly & Oak.

 

18 hours ago, downtownjoe said:

 

4705 Bridge Ave project is back on Planning Commission's agenda tomorrow in the form an appeal. Since I live a few houses down, I would love to voice my support for this lot being developed as townhomes. I hate walking past the empty lot.

https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/designreview/drcagenda/2021/PDF/CPC-Agenda-WebEx-meeting-110521.pdf

Shot down again by planning commission. Up to the courts now... who knows how long this lot will continue to sit vacant. 

Edited November 5, 20213 yr by downtownjoe

9 minutes ago, downtownjoe said:

Shot down again by planning commission. Up to the courts now... who knows how long this lot will continue to sit vacant. 

 

Tony Coyne was P!SSED

1 minute ago, downtownjoe said:

Shot down again by planning commission. Up to the courts now... who knows how long this lot will continue to sit vacant. 

Just a crazy decision.  Developer presented a somewhat revised plan (by the way first plan was approved by PC) to meet the spirit of the new townhouse code which still has not passed council) to address some concerns.  They are still in court in connection with the old plan so if the developer wins in court the even worst plan will go forward rather than the slightly better new plan.  It looks like the developer could win in court since the old plan did meet the zoning code.  Hopefully if Knez does win in court they will still make the new changes.