Crosswalks over the streets?  Any bridges being considered?

Work begins on Nord Family Greenway linking University Circle, Hough

 

http://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2017/03/work_begins_on_nord_family_greenway.html#incart_river_home_pop

 

Good article. I wondered where Steve Litt was. He hadn't published an article in two months.

 

He's been pretty active on Twitter, however:

 

https://twitter.com/steven_litt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great photos!

I've never gotten an answer to this.  Does anyone know the situation when the Greenway crosses Liberty Boulevard?  I assume no pedestrian bridge is planned, because I have never seen it mentioned, but is there to be a traffic light or nothing?  The light would be unpopular with all the fast drivers on the Boulevard, and it would be unexpected and be considered a nuisance and probably it wouldn't involve that many pedestrians on an average day.  On the other hand, it seems strange that a Greenway that's supposed to attract the public and pedestrians would expect everyone to walk far away just to get from one side of the Greenway to the other.  Even a crosswalk with the bold "crossing" signs and no traffic light could be very hazardous for any pedestrian to depend on - with the way many drive there.  :oops:

 

^Is there still a Liberty BLvd?  Didn't get changed to MLK Blvd and then MLK Drive?  I haven't heard "Liberty" in over ten years? Is part of it still 'Liberty?'

 

Here is an explanation from http://www.judsonsmartliving.org/blog/whats-new-with-the-nord-family-greenway/ for traffic on MLK and 105th:

 

"University consultants performed traffic studies for MLK Boulevard and East 105th Street, with slightly surprising results: “We discovered the volume of traffic wouldn’t concern us, but the speed of traffic along there was an issue,” he said.

 

Those streets were actually designed so that cars could get through the intersections quickly; the roadways are wide and there are no traffic lights to slow down the vehicles on them. The primary solution at MLK and East 105th is creating an extra-wide crosswalk, new curb cuts and striping, and installing a traffic light.

 

That way, Lowenstein said, “cars will have to stop for pedestrians.”

 

MLK also will be narrowed in the area of the greenway to eliminate parking lanes where stationary cars might obstruct drivers’ views of pedestrians (or pedestrians’ views of moving vehicles). This portion of the roadway also will feature pedestrian-activated warnings.

 

“With just two lanes in each direction, it will be a fairly narrow street,” Lowenstein explained. “That will slow cars and, with no parallel parking, make for better visibility for pedestrians.”"

^^and from what I found, Liberty Blvd. was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Drive back in 1981 (changed to a boulevard sometime thereafter).

^^and from what I found, Liberty Blvd. was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Drive back in 1981 (changed to a boulevard sometime thereafter).

 

When I was growing up, it was Liberty Boulevard.

When I was growing up, it was Liberty Boulevard.

 

When you were growing up, it was the Erie nation's hunting and fishing trail. :)

Thanks for rhe response.  It's funny how some say MLK Drive (as street signs do) yet many call it "Boulevard" (the Cleveland pattern). I recall now many were not happy about dropping the "Liberty" name - on account of what it was named for originly.  The original bame was "Lower Boulevard" (or was it "Drive?").

Thanks for rhe response.  It's funny how some say MLK Drive (as street signs do) yet many call it "Boulevard" (the Cleveland pattern). I recall now many were not happy about dropping the "Liberty" name - on account of what it was named for originly.  The original bame was "Lower Boulevard" (or was it "Drive?").

 

I remember Liberty Boulevard from when I was a very small child.

I'm generally not a fan of naming roadways after people, partially because it leads down the slippery slope of naming every road, sidewalk, interchange and notable landmark after some politician or figure. The names also become very dated.

 

Case in point: West Virginia and Kentucky have a strong habit of naming bridges - down to generic overpasses and culverts, after soldiers. The vast majority (99.99%) will not know who the soldier is, or their significance, other than that they served. Or political figures. Does anyone remember much about Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia now that he's long dead? What about in 25 years? (Amusing: http://weheartwv.com/2015/11/06/this-is-everything-in-west-virginia-named-after-robert-c-byrd/)

 

There was the case of a tiny bridge being named for a soldier in Kentucky - and just two years later, being given a new designation for another soldier because bridge name records were not kept and the sign had been blown over and destroyed.

Bad comparison. Bird is as famous as Washington or Jefferson in West Virginia. Besides, Byrd hasn't been dead that long. He served in the US Senate for something like 40 or 50 years. So it's hard to forget a person who had become an institution like him.

Reminds me of these POS politicians that want to rename roads after Don King: ""He is always uplifting people of color." (despite him being a murderer)

 

http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2016/04/cleveland_renames_stretch_of_s.html

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/09/portion_of_cedar_where_don_kin.html

I wonder if some of you are just as upset with the renaming of the  lorain carnegie bridge...  and who is this bob hope guy...?? 

Or the naming of Cleveland's two airports.... :)

Actually, yes.

 

The IATA codes (along with the FAA codes) generally cannot be changed, and to prevent confusion, the name should be as simple as possible. Cleveland International Airport is CLE and Burke Lakefront Airport is BKL (I believe that is the original designation as it opened under the name of the then-Cleveland mayor Burke).

Yesterday in the mail, I received a donation request for upcoming Case Western Reserve athletics infrastructure projects.

 

In order of priority:

 

1) Wyant Phase II Field House (Wellness and Athletic Center) -- Indoor multipurpose building connected to DiSanto Field.  Here's what I think is an older rendering: http://athletics.case.edu/information/athletic_giving

 

2) Adelbert Gymnasium (Armory)-- Renovating the soon-to-be 100 year old (2018) gym.  Seating, locker rooms, coaching offices, and new entrance.  Originally part of the building was built in 1888.  https://case.edu/its/archives/Buildings/adlgym1919.htm

 

3) Racket Center -- indoor courts, restrooms, locker rooms, and meeting rooms.

Nord Family Greenway on Saturday, June 3. More construction fencing is up, much of the land has been reshaped, and significant cement work at the Doan Brook culvert is finished.

 

Looking South along MLK Blvd.

 

Regrading the land below the Maltz Center.

 

 

Looking East towards the Art Museum. Much brush has been cleared from this area.

 

Work on the Doan Brook Culvert.

 

Detail of work at Doan Brook culvert.

 

Land grading, looking East toward the CMA.

 

Looking SE, University Hospital visible in distance.

Yes, Byrd was a famous U.S. politician nationally. If someone wants to know something about someone a street is named after, it's extremely easy to look them up on the Web, unless they have a very common name.  Even  so, one can probably find them by plugging in a city, or whatever you think of that might narrow the options. Anyway, it might be worth more particularly when a name has been forgotten by the general public. the person was known forcsomething positive in his or her time, and maybe people should learn about that person again.

General problem with these forums: Not everyone following University Circle news is going to know there's an Upper Chester forum.  Hence the post should be in both places.

General problem with these forums: Not everyone following University Circle news is going to know there's an Upper Chester forum.  Hence the post should be in both places.

 

Not everyone (cough me) knew that Upper Chester was an actual place.

It's not so much a "place" as in a neighborhood, but the name of the large scale development that's planned and partially built/under construction by the Finch Group.

Plans for the Gund Building, previously owned by Cle Institute of Art, may be moving forward now. I've heard of some early design meetings taking place and Steve Litt brought it up in his article featuring the director over the weekend. What I've heard is that the museum library would be moved over to the Gund Building to open up additional gallery space and it will serve the educational needs of the museum and house a joint program between the museum and CWRU. This joint program is for the Art History department. There was talk of a subsurface tunnel that got rejected. Not sure who the consultants are on this project.

 

In collaboration with Case Western Reserve University, the museum will plan new facilities on 4.1 acres of land at 11141 East Blvd., directly east of its building, which the museum bought with CWRU in 2013 for $9.2 million from the Cleveland Institute of Art.

 

here is an article detailing that purchase and early plans. http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2013/01/the_cleveland_institute_of_art_1.html

^In addition to CMA's library, it would reallllly cool if there were some housing (apts/condos) and a cafe, a bar/tavern, a restaurant, and a few retailers (art supply store?) on that giant site as well. UC--even with CWRU--still needs a little more street-life and it certainly needs food places by the museums that people can hang out at before or after going to the museum like you can in other cities in the world (other than the food hidden INSIDE of these institutions--actually WRHS has no restaurant, not sure about Botanical Gardens; Natural History does have food--and its good).

 

Do the current plans call for any of this?

Plans for the Gund Building, previously owned by Cle Institute of Art, may be moving forward now. I've heard of some early design meetings taking place and Steve Litt brought it up in his article featuring the director over the weekend. What I've heard is that the museum library would be moved over to the Gund Building to open up additional gallery space and it will serve the educational needs of the museum and house a joint program between the museum and CWRU. This joint program is for the Art History department. There was talk of a subsurface tunnel that got rejected. Not sure who the consultants are on this project.

 

Does anyone know how many square feet the Ingalls Library currently occupies in the museum? Could we expect a significant increase in gallery space if it moved?

 

 

Edit: Answered my own question. Eyeballing it makes it look like the Ingalls Library takes up around 20,000 square feet on the second floor. So a 15% increase in gallery space solely from moving the library.

Snapped last night from LI station deck. 2 more floor, right?

^Interesting.  Seeing more and more of this around town (Snavley project on Detroit and apartments as Pinecrest for example)...concrete and or steel base with wood framing for the upper floors.  However, first time I can recall seeing it for a building of this height.

 

Curious if any engineer or architect can provide some input on this form of construction, especially for Centric.

^Interesting.  Seeing more and more of this around town (Snavley project on Detroit and apartments as Pinecrest for example)...concrete and or steel base with wood framing for the upper floors.  However, first time I can recall seeing it for a building of this height.

 

Curious if any engineer or architect can provide some input on this form of construction, especially for Centric.

 

At the end of the day, wood is about $3/sf cheaper than cold-formed frame, and substantially cheaper than a steel or concrete frame. However, there are height limitations. For the low-rise buildings with only 4-6 levels of apartments, it makes sense to use wood.

Yeah, I thought there were code issues with 5-stories of wood frame over a podium like that. I guess they got around that... or maybe I'm mistaken.

I used to work at the Gund Library of the Cleveland Institute of Art, which has moved to the Uptown building.  I wonder if what had been that library could be incorporated intoto a new Ingalls Library, which it would seem would require at least the entire second floor if they are to include all the storage and offices they have now.  I wanted to see either the good 1956, Bauhaus-related building maintained, or a highrise luxury apartment tower, though when some people speculated that may be the way CWRU and the CMA may go, plans were not intact for One University Circle. That highrise for now may consume all the demand in University Circle for that sort of building.

 

However, I can't really see anything commercial in the CIA building.  There are plenty of restaurants right on Euclid, in fact a particularly diverse variety - from the hospital almost to the RR bridge.  And this is besides the big hub in Little Italy.  There's the coffee house-cafe on Juniper (formerly Magonolia), but it's in the former residence and have a discreet appearance from the street.  I think East Boulevard should be reserved for institutions - our "museum street," so to speak.  I know, commercial space could be incorporated into the CIA building, but it would seem there should be better uses, such as for a library and classrooms and/or studio space.

^Interesting.  Seeing more and more of this around town (Snavley project on Detroit and apartments as Pinecrest for example)...concrete and or steel base with wood framing for the upper floors.  However, first time I can recall seeing it for a building of this height.

 

Curious if any engineer or architect can provide some input on this form of construction, especially for Centric.

 

At the end of the day, wood is about $3/sf cheaper than cold-formed frame, and substantially cheaper than a steel or concrete frame. However, there are height limitations. For the low-rise buildings with only 4-6 levels of apartments, it makes sense to use wood.

 

Isn't Centric supposed to be eight stories? I can't see it here, but are two of the lowest levels comprised of the steel/concrete? Thus the top six floors supportable with the wood framing?

^The most recent Centric article on Cleveland.com (from December) shows 7 floors in the renderings (5 residential over a 2-story retail/office podium)

^^btw, the new Van Aken Center is currently building a similar low/mid-rise apartment building with wood-frame construction above the base level.  As noted, Snavely is using it too on Detroit @ W. 25th.  Apparently this is a state-of-the-art technique... and as noted, it likely saves a bunch of $$ which is the bottom line.

New historical marker on Case Western Reserve campus regarding its abolistionist history.  People may not realize, but Western Reserve College was enrolling multiple African Americans pre Civil War as early as 1832 (predating even Oberlin, who tends to brag about it's own abolitionist origins in Ohio).

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/pashulman/status/900745952931303424

 

But still missing that East 105th and Euclid first traffic light Historical Marker... :/

Construction begins on the Nord Family Greenway

 

Dalia Zullig and Lyndsey Cole • August 25, 2017

 

As students move into their Residence Halls before the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, they will notice an expansive construction project underway on the west side of campus. While construction is nothing out of the ordinary for Case Western Reserve University students, this project is particularly unique.

 

When completed, the Nord Family Greenway will stretch from the Tinkham Veale University Center all the way to the newly renovated Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center, located along E. 105 street. This will provide a pathway for students, along with other residents of Cleveland, to walk from Uptown to Hough.

 

http://observer.case.edu/construction-begins-on-the-nord-family-greenway/

 

I don't know why this line cracked me up...  "This will provide a pathway for students, along with other residents of Cleveland, to walk from Uptown to Hough." 

The headline makes it sound as though it just started.  This project started months ago.

True, but it's the campus paper starting off the new school year.

I don't know why this line cracked me up...  "This will provide a pathway for students, along with other residents of Cleveland, to walk from Uptown to Hough." 

 

That is pretty good. And its not even from hough to Uptown or "between Hough and Uptown", rather "from Uptown TO Hough"!

They will walk to the Maltz, but that will be the day when they actually "walk to Hough!"

Technically the Greenway crosses 105th, which means you've walked to Hough.

 

You can go back home and tell your friends you walked to Hough all the time. Street cred.

Technically, the Maltz is in Hough, but even though parts of Hough was still considered upscale in 1923 (it was in decline as such), I'm sure the leaders of Tifereth Israel very conscientiously wanted their new edifice to be considered a University Circle Institution and thus in a most prestigious location.

 

Since East 105 was just mentioned, I know I've asked before about crossings for pedestrians who will want to cross the streets that run through the Greenway, and someone here was kind enough to offer in detail various safety-related ideas that had been discussed, but what is the CURRENT plan - particularly for MLK, where the drivers typically race through?  One crosswalk with bold signage indicating a pedestrian crossing?  I can hardly picture many drivers really noticing - as they don't on quieter streets - let alone stopping.  An actual traffic light?  What about East 105th?  Now that I see the Greenway is extending over East Boulevard, how will that street be handled?  New traffic light at East Boulevard and Belflower?

I don't know why this line cracked me up...  "This will provide a pathway for students, along with other residents of Cleveland, to walk from Uptown to Hough." 

  Maybe Hough will be the next Hunting Valley....

Perhaps I'm putting this in the wrong neighborhood thread :)

 

Check out #35:

 

http://www.newsmax.com/t/newsmax/article/809233?section=BestLists&keywords=top-religious-landmarks-america&year=2017&month=08&date=23&id=809233&aliaspath=%2FManage%2FArticles%2FTemplate-Main&oref=com.google.android.gm

 

Technically, the Maltz is in Hough, but even though parts of Hough was still considered upscale in 1923 (it was in decline as such), I'm sure the leaders of Tifereth Israel very conscientiously wanted their new edifice to be considered a University Circle Institution and thus in a most prestigious location.

 

Since East 105 was just mentioned, I know I've asked before about crossings for pedestrians who will want to cross the streets that run through the Greenway, and someone here was kind enough to offer in detail various safety-related ideas that had been discussed, but what is the CURRENT  plan - particularly for MLK, where the drivers typically race through?  One crosswalk with bold signage indicating a pedestrian crossing?  I can hardly picture many drivers really noticing - as they don't on quieter streets - let alone stopping.  An actual traffic light?  What about East 105th?  Now that I see the Greenway is extending over East Boulevard, how will that street be handled?  New traffic light at East Boulevard and Belflower?

 

The last I heard there were going to be two speed tables for the MLK crossing but I don't know if that is still the plan.

I don't know why this line cracked me up...  "This will provide a pathway for students, along with other residents of Cleveland, to walk from Uptown to Hough." 

  Maybe Hough will be the next Hunting Valley....

 

It's already was. It's where the private and exclusive University school, now in Hunting Valley, was once located. It was a middle- to upper-class neighborhood 100 years ago.

Perhaps I'm putting this in the wrong neighborhood thread :)

 

Check out #35:

 

http://www.newsmax.com/t/newsmax/article/809233?section=BestLists&keywords=top-religious-landmarks-america&year=2017&month=08&date=23&id=809233&aliaspath=%2FManage%2FArticles%2FTemplate-Main&oref=com.google.android.gm

 

 

they have a bunch of stuff on that list which doesn't even compare to St. Theo in Tremont.

Technically, the Maltz is in Hough, but even though parts of Hough was still considered upscale in 1923 (it was in decline as such), I'm sure the leaders of Tifereth Israel very conscientiously wanted their new edifice to be considered a University Circle Institution and thus in a most prestigious location.

 

Since East 105 was just mentioned, I know I've asked before about crossings for pedestrians who will want to cross the streets that run through the Greenway, and someone here was kind enough to offer in detail various safety-related ideas that had been discussed, but what is the CURRENT  plan - particularly for MLK, where the drivers typically race through?  One crosswalk with bold signage indicating a pedestrian crossing?  I can hardly picture many drivers really noticing - as they don't on quieter streets - let alone stopping.  An actual traffic light?  What about East 105th?  Now that I see the Greenway is extending over East Boulevard, how will that street be handled?  New traffic light at East Boulevard and Belflower?

 

The last I heard there were going to be two speed tables for the MLK crossing but I don't know if that is still the plan.