I came across a handbook from a conference held in 1992 about visions for the future of Cleveland.  It was interesting to see what was noted as developments and was has actually been constructed.  For instance, this noted a hotel at the corner of Huron & Ontario, where the main entrance to Gund errr the Q is.  Also, the rock hall was indicated to be behind tower city in a mega development with skyscrapers at each end.  Some of you may have seen this before.

 

Sorry for the quality...these are scans from a Xerox copy of the orginal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah that hotel was the Courtyard by Marriot IIRC. or was that to be accross the street on the west side of Ontario at Huron?

 

The RRHoF was initially to be built behind Tower city and mall was to include a neiman marcus.

 

 

I believe there were plans for a hotel on the east side of the Jake off Bolivar.  Is that what you were thinking of.

Bah... xeroxes! ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

damn you're good!!  I was looking for any thing on the originals on the web with no luck.  thanks.

look ma...no stonebridge!

We would have had a Progressive Insurance tower if it hadn't been for a certain mayor which shall remain nameless..

 

Instead they have a suburb campus heaven (actually hell) in Mayfield..

The "certain mayor" didn't help, but he wasn't the only reason the Progressive tower wasn't built. He wasn't the main reason it wasn't built, either.

The "certain mayor" didn't help, but he wasn't the only reason the Progressive tower wasn't built. He wasn't the main reason it wasn't built, either.

 

I agree with MayDay as this has been discussed before.

We would have had a Progressive Insurance tower if it hadn't been for a certain mayor which shall remain nameless..

 

Instead they have a suburb campus heaven (actually hell) in Mayfield..

 

I could of swore it was the progressive corporations board that decided to build in the 'burbs.

I think this view is even better.  :clap:

 

I see another building in there, but it's not on Jacobs' parking lot on Public Square. I thought that's where you proposed it.

ya i had to move it west on another empty lot....that way i don't eliminate the canceled Ameritrust building.  More scrapers the better.  One can dream huh

Almost all of this model is still in the attic of City Hall, although many parts of it have been scrapped for other models.

Almost all of this model is still in the attic of City Hall, although many parts of it have been scrapped for other models.

 

Does anyone know the whereabouts of a model that was nearly identical to this, but only included built buildings? It used to be showcased on the top floor of Tower City.

The model that was at Tower City had proposed buildings in it. I took this picture of it about 15 years ago......

 

 

And this was from a downtown magazine from 1989 that had lots of renderings and plans and optimism in it....

 

goodness, what the city would look like if we had companies to fill those towers.

 

I imagine two condos, one hotel and offices in the third tower.  FC...shame on you!

That river shor is blue! Now I KNOW we're dreaming!

So, what did people just start drawing buildings and sticking them in the city? It's like a Cleveland/Sim City mash-up! Where's the Cleveland Space Needle and Cuyahoga Pyramid?

I almost want to cry

I almost want to cry

 

Why?  would you rather have a downtown full of vacant office towers?  Ala Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, Houston where developers overbuilt and are now facing a glut of office space with more buildings than people employeed.

 

I would like to see Cleveland take a risk here and there, but I'm glad some of these projects didn't work out.

That's probably a good point. Still, it'd be nice. :)

I dunno, looking at the photo KJP posted - it looks like there were four unbuilt towers that were part of the Tower City plans. Two of them look to be about the size of 200 Public Square (over 1 million sq. ft), the other two look to be about the size of the Tower at Erieview (just under 1 million sq. feet). Given the history and how the economy has shaken out since 1990, had those towers been built, we could be looking at some truly horrific vacancy rates.

I know, but they'd be pretty to look at. :)

I dunno, looking at the photo KJP posted - it looks like there were four unbuilt towers that were part of the Tower City plans. Two of them look to be about the size of 200 Public Square (over 1 million sq. ft), the other two look to be about the size of the Tower at Erieview (just under 1 million sq. feet). Given the history and how the economy has shaken out since 1990, had those towers been built, we could be looking at some truly horrific vacancy rates.

 

I agree!  However, a hotel (or two) and a condominium instead of office tower, would probably have done wonders for the area and for towercity.  FC has never been one to help truly diverse the development with a mix of housing and lodging.

For some people on this forum, that's all that matters and anyone who even brings up anything approaching reality is part of the "can't do" camp. :roll:

Dude, you're taking that "can't do" comment from hell-if-I-remember pretty hard. I know some criticisms hit harder than most, and usually those are the ones that are deserved the least. Don't give a clueless critic relevancy.

 

I know, but they'd be pretty to look at. :)

 

Can we build for you a nice monument instead? Maybe a sky needle??

Sure. As long as it's PRETTY. :)

i have that book lying around somewhere, but I'm far too lazy to track it down for the likes of you people

Seeing how exited we get on this board for the likes of Pinnacle, the Avenue, Pesht, etc, can you imagine how bananas we would have gone when this was proposed, and it looked like it might actually be completely built??

Seeing how exited we get on this board for the likes of Pinnacle, the Avenue, Pesht, etc, can you imagine how bananas we would have gone when this was proposed, and it looked like it might actually be completely built??

 

you guys aren't the only city........

 

 

there's more if anyone really cares but i don't want us to get too off track....

Awww, coool!

They proposed a boat!

 

 

:-D

Seeing how exited we get on this board for the likes of Pinnacle, the Avenue, Pesht, etc, can you imagine how bananas we would have gone when this was proposed, and it looked like it might actually be completely built??

 

you guys aren't the only city........

 

 

there's more if anyone really cares but i don't want us to get too off track....

 

Ahh the big D. One of my favorites. That building on the far right was supposed to have a twin wasn't it?

 

Ahh the big D. One of my favorites. That building on the far right was supposed to have a twin wasn't it?

 

yeah its in more of the images, google "unbuilt detroit" it was a Free Press series back in late 80s....?

Remember this one - they almost got it. I wish the land bridge would have been done

 

that extension over the tracks and shoreway is exactly (well not exactly but you get the idea) what I envision for the current cleveland convention center.  It would give it access to NCH.  It can be done and we don't need it attached to Tower City.

Seeing how exited we get on this board for the likes of Pinnacle, the Avenue, Pesht, etc, can you imagine how bananas we would have gone when this was proposed, and it looked like it might actually be completely built??

 

Ha, I don't have to imagine,  I remember absolutely drooling over that glossy book when I was a kid!  I finally lifted one from City Hall in the mid-90s (shhh).

 

By the way, I'm much happier with the Gateway venues as built instead of the concepts illustrated in the model/drawings.  Some very competent planning and design.