or at least make neighborhood organizations and  downtown planners realize that people don't like trying to live, walk, and hang out on streets dominated by 6+ lanes of automobile traffic.  Needless to say much of downtown's streets aren't very pedestrian friendly.  We're seeing some nice progress in the opposite direction with this, east 12th, and euclid.

 

Agreed.  E.12 and W.6th in the same year--catering right to downtown residents!  I feel like the DCA has had a lot to do with all this momentum.  (on top of it all, Euclid Ave of course!)

Very good idea. It would be good to use a lot of indigenous plants to reduce the need for watering/artificial chemicals and other energy depleters. Maybe some "Cleveland's natural heritage" plants. Will be nice to see this finished---and most of all, I hope follow up is taken into account, as so many projects that involve small planters/trees, seem to lack the follow up, and they end up dying, or being trampled.

 

Word EC!  I especially agree on the functionality of the installed plants as well as sustainability in terms of maintenance.  We need to think really really green on this plant installation and see it as more than just a pedestrian restaurant row.  I'm especially interested in winter landscaping as the E4 install is rather disappointing in this regard.  Would be fun to get creative with growing food crops as well... 

Is Building Cleveland By Design being consulted for this project?

 

Who is selecting plants for this? They can contact Ohio Prairie Nursery and Ohio Wild Ones for consultation on a selection of plants that would actually offer a pleasant visible presence year 'round. It would be good if some of us wrote and suggested this. It is also just one small example of another way a city can go greener in terms of the environment..and not just spraying poisonous chemicals down keeping turf grass green all year-which is basically an eco-dead zone leaching nitrogen into the lake. I cannot even see lightning bugs like we used to in such places.

 

Someone at Ohio Wild Ones said to me.. "If the only thing in your yard moving is a lawn mower...then its time to start thinking about a more natural/native landscape"

or at least make neighborhood organizations and downtown planners realize that people don't like trying to live, walk, and hang out on streets dominated by 6+ lanes of automobile traffic. Needless to say much of downtown's streets aren't very pedestrian friendly. We're seeing some nice progress in the opposite direction with this, east 12th, and euclid.

 

not to mention the actual closing of another...east 4th

As I left my building this morning at 6:00AM they were working on the streetscape. In fact, it was clear that they had been working overnight...or at least EXTREMELY early. There were huge floodlights illuminating the St Clair to Frankfort block.

All who are excited about this will be pretty amazed at how much is already done.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/streetscape_projects_in_clevel.html

 

Streetscape projects in Cleveland's Warehouse District play central role in reviving pockets of city

by Michelle Jarboe/Plain Dealer Reporter

Tuesday July 14, 2009, 5:44 PM

 

 

CLEVELAND -- Wider sidewalks and roomier restaurant patios along a single block in Cleveland's Warehouse District could be the first taste of large-scale street improvements in the neighborhood.

 

On Monday, workers began expanding the sidewalks, widening planting areas and revamping West Sixth Street to make more room for walking and outdoor dining. The renovations are starting out small, on just the west side of the street between Frankfort and St. Clair avenues. But development officials hope to see similar changes, plus new plants, benches and tiny parks, spread throughout the district -- and into other city neighborhoods...

Wow. Next week?! That's great. I like this incremental approach. $60,000, one week, one block ... really highlights how simple these improvements can be done and what an impact they have. Exciting, too, that it sounds like the entire E. 12th renovation is slated to be completed this year, if that's accurate ... I was under the impression that only the northernmost stretch was going to be done.

 

And I know I give them constant sh*t, but I really have to say that I think the PD coverage has been improving lately ... nice stories about "urbanizing" Cleveland ... and not a single reference like "The sidewalk expansion is an initial step in revitalizing the downtown landscape of Cleveland, one of the poorest and fastest shrinking cities in the nation". :)

 

I'm confused by a few seeming discrepancies between the PD story, Crain's story and McCleveland's press release, though. Do the planters and the benches have dedicated funding? Is there a timeline for these elements as well (surely these are not going in within the next week)? Will the restriping be done this week as well? And the shared bike scenario seems a little vague to me as well ... Will there be signage to signify that the lanes are to be shared with bikes, or am I misunderstanding?

Good questions...

Great idea...All for it, but please, let's make it a going green effort and yet another small example of sustainability...get some interesting native plants in this thing...Not Home Depot stock. The natives could be a theme unto itself. ("Cleveland's Flowers") See www.prairienursery.com and look at what we could have that would provide an energy saving year 'round color scheme.

I believe these are your relevant parties to contact EC.

 

http://www.warehousedistrict.org/

http://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/Home/CouncilMembers/Ward13JoeCimperman/tabid/87/Default.aspx

Took a stroll by again today at lunch.  They were about 85-90% done with the new concrete.

FYI NEWBIES:  We like pictures with updates.  hint, hint  ;)  ;)  he he he he

did this section have granite curbs before?  i notice that the new work is all concrete.  but, i'm extremely excited about how fast this is happening. 

 

does anyone know how this is only $60k?  there appears to be 3 sewer moves, no electrical or water relocations, and just removal of road and pouring new concrete, but it still seems cheap and at this cost and speed, a lot should be a lot of street improvements accomplished downtown.

FYI NEWBIES: We like pictures with updates. hint, hint ;)   ;)   he he he he

 

I'd love to, but I can't connect any usb storage device to my work laptop (phones and cameras won't connect)

^Pretty sure they were concrete curbs before this update.  I can't imagine they would remove granite and replace with concrete...

Great idea...All for it, but please, let's make it a going green effort and yet another small example of sustainability...get some interesting native plants in this thing...Not Home Depot stock. The natives could be a theme unto itself. ("Cleveland's Flowers") See www.prairienursery.com and look at what we could have that would provide an energy saving year 'round color scheme.

 

You could also contact McKinight Associates with your ideas and questions, they are the landscape architect.

http://www.mcknightla.com/profile.html

 

^Pretty sure they were concrete curbs before this update. I can't imagine they would remove granite and replace with concrete...

 

They are granite curbs, they are being reused I'm sure, just moved out.  You can see it on the pic on cleveland.com

Great idea...All for it, but please, let's make it a going green effort and yet another small example of sustainability...get some interesting native plants in this thing...Not Home Depot stock. The natives could be a theme unto itself. ("Cleveland's Flowers") See www.prairienursery.com and look at what we could have that would provide an energy saving year 'round color scheme.

 

You could also contact McKinight Associates with your ideas and questions, they are the landscape architect.

http://www.mcknightla.com/profile.html

 

^Pretty sure they were concrete curbs before this update.  I can't imagine they would remove granite and replace with concrete...

 

They are granite curbs, they are being reused I'm sure, just moved out.  You can see it on the pic on cleveland.com

 

 

Thanks, I used all the contacts and sent them letters. If anyone wants to see the letter, email me on the side.

This may be a the winner of the fastest completed project in Cleveland. Ever.

 

:-D :-D :-D

You can see it on the pic on cleveland.com

 

Would you be able to fix the links on here to the pics on cleveland.com? I can't see them in the article you posted, and I really don't want to go there.

Quick pic while walking to my car. I didnt realize I was going to be over here today or I would have brought a good camera, so this will have to do.

 

That does just fine - shows that they're going to town pretty quickly!

I'm very excited for this project, I feel like quality streetscraping can really enhance the feel of an area and for all the diabolic haters that say nothing ever gets done (timely) in Cleveland, I say it sure looks like this project got off the ground quickly.

I walked by last night, and frankly, I'm amazed. It looks like it's almost completely laid now. Amazingly fast! What is also exciting for me is that they're working around the existing lamps and trees. I was so disappointed to see the large-growth trees go on E. 12th, so to see so much care being taken to preserve the existing landscape elements warms my little urban geek heart.

Does anyone know if they're going to replace the span between what they've already done and the buildings, or would that be too much of a hindrance for the businesses there?

 

I was there today, and aside from one small stretch between Nauti Mermaid and Starbucks, it was pretty much done. Nothing fancy but that extra square footage makes a big difference!

This really is an inspiring little project.  And for only $60K? makes me want to pass a hat around to fund another block somewhere else downtown.

Now they just need to fill in the parking lot on the east side of the street with compatible buildings

Now they just need to fill in the parking lot on the east side of the street with compatible buildings

 

You said it! Everytime I walk past that, I just grin and shake my head wishing something of quality could fill this in soon. Man, even if it was a huge park would be better than a parking lot.

Great idea...All for it, but please, let's make it a going green effort and yet another small example of sustainability...get some interesting native plants in this thing...Not Home Depot stock. The natives could be a theme unto itself. ("Cleveland's Flowers") See www.prairienursery.com and look at what we could have that would provide an energy saving year 'round color scheme.

 

You could also contact McKinight Associates with your ideas and questions, they are the landscape architect.

http://www.mcknightla.com/profile.html

 

^Pretty sure they were concrete curbs before this update. I can't imagine they would remove granite and replace with concrete...

 

They are granite curbs, they are being reused I'm sure, just moved out. You can see it on the pic on cleveland.com

 

Unfortunately, if there was granite there before (and I can't recall if there was), it appears to have been "value engineered" out of the final product, as what's there currently is slipformed concrete :-(. This makes me a sad 'DoG, but I'll deal...the overall result is a welcome improvement, and let me add my voice to those who were presently surprised at the speed with which this took place. As mentioned above, save for a small mid-block section, the new sidewalk has been reopened.

Great idea...All for it, but please, let's make it a going green effort and yet another small example of sustainability...get some interesting native plants in this thing...Not Home Depot stock. The natives could be a theme unto itself. ("Cleveland's Flowers") See www.prairienursery.com and look at what we could have that would provide an energy saving year 'round color scheme.

 

You could also contact McKinight Associates with your ideas and questions, they are the landscape architect.

http://www.mcknightla.com/profile.html

 

^Pretty sure they were concrete curbs before this update.  I can't imagine they would remove granite and replace with concrete...

 

They are granite curbs, they are being reused I'm sure, just moved out.  You can see it on the pic on cleveland.com

 

Unfortunately, if there was granite there before (and I can't recall if there was), it appears to have been "value engineered" out of the final product, as what's there currently is slipformed concrete :-(. This makes me a sad 'DoG, but I'll deal...the overall result is a welcome improvement, and let me add my voice to those who were presently surprised at the speed with which this took place. As mentioned above, save for a small mid-block section, the new sidewalk has been reopened.

 

I have not paid that close attention to the curbs, but if they did replace granite with concrete....  And if the granite was still in decent shape. Mistake. I always thought that streets and walks should be just as much a work of art as the buildings and not an afterthought.

So ... anyone been down and seen it in the past week? Is it all finished? Assessments?

I saw it Sunday during the Warehouse District street fest.  It looks good!  Sad to see they got rid of the granite curbs...  But Johnny's was already using the additional space to add more outdoor seating. 

 

It creates a better experience while walking down that side of the street.  They've also repainted the lines in the street to add a turning lane.

judging by this picture that was on cleveland.com I thought they were just reusing pre-existing granite curbs.  I guess not.  Maybe they are just pre cast concrete.  There is no way they wouldn't have recycled granite curbs, they do it all the time when possible (see east 12th street).  The WHD in general is a pretty mixed bag when it comes to granite curbs... some areas have it, some don't. This whole block doesn't seem to have them.  Shame, but I'm guessing new granite curbs would have significantly increased the price...

I wonder what's going to happen to the granite curbs? Anyone know where they went?

 

I hope they don't end up as part of a politician's pool patio.  :-P

Looks like there done... Also nice to see that they doing upkeep.

 

That ain't half bad, now if the city of cleveland could use more than one species of tree for every new planting (you know the one).

The streetscaping looks great!  I love the hanging baskets :)

It does look great....and they moved the parking meters back off the curb like Montreal, helps with snow removal I think

Just another shot - I didn't get a photo, but it looked like there were people at Johnnys Downtown reworking their patio:

 

It does look great....and they moved the parking meters back off the curb like Montreal, helps with snow removal I think

 

Just to clarify, they didn't move anything back off the curb.  They simply pushed the curb out.  Probably more of a cost saving measure than anything else.

It does look great....and they moved the parking meters back off the curb like Montreal, helps with snow removal I think

 

Just to clarify, they didn't move anything back off the curb.  They simply pushed the curb out.  Probably more of a cost saving measure than anything else.

 

It looks nice.  I like that.  In winter when there are no patios the positioning of the lights will still provide enough lightening on the sidewalks.

That's pretty sharp looking. Me likes.

It seems like the latest effort in the Warehouse streetscape is a big letdown.

 

I'm talking about the northside of West 6th, north of W. St. Clair. They've removed the decorative brick and replaced it with plain ol' concrete...

 

New look is a big MINUS.

Before was a PLUS.

 

Why would they do this?

Maybe something better's coming next Spring (i.e. planters,etc.), and this is just the prelude?

 

Let's hope

It seems like the latest effort in the Warehouse streetscape is a big letdown.

 

I'm talking about the northside of West 6th, north of W. St. Clair. They've removed the decorative brick and replaced it with plain ol' concrete...

 

New look is a big MINUS.

Before was a PLUS.

 

Why would they do this?

Maybe something better's coming next Spring (i.e. planters,etc.), and this is just the prelude?

 

Let's hope

 

what is so different, compared to the picture MayDay posted?  Do you have a visual to show us??

No picture...the sun had already gone down when I saw it...

 

The pictures from MayDay are of the other side of West 6th.

 

 

I'm talking about the part of West 6th with XO Steakhouse (where the patio is) , Barley House, Liquid , Sushi Rock, Blind Pig etc. etc.

 

Both sides of the street they tore out the brick. In one day it was done! One day!

It doesn't look right...

^Hopefully a prelude to something more, but I haven't heard anything about this other than the constant jackhammering late into the evening last night.

There were many bricks missing creating pretty big holes.  Many people were tripping over these 'potholes'. Hopefully something will become of this.

I know they have a big tailgat party on W6 this weekend for the OSU Toledo game.  Maybe it is in preperation for something for that.

any update on the street furniture that was supposed to be part of this project? 

 

perhaps they can borrow some from e12, where there are literally 100 chairs bolted to the sidewalk.

I was walking the dog down West 6th Street last night when I noticed the lights on at 1281 West 6th Street - a building that's been vacant for a while.    It's connected to 1277 West 6th Street, which is also vacant. 

 

Anyway, there was a building permit on the door that seemed to be authorizing the construction of a new wall between 1281 and 1277.  Because that could be (was?) one space.  The load wall in the center is not a load bearing one.

 

I took the pictures below with my cell phone camera so they're not of McCleveland quality.  :)

 

Anyone know the history/status of this space?  There's way too many vacant spaces on West 6th Street.  Those two, the retail floor of The Hat Factory building and that small spot between Blue Point Grill and Sin nightclub.  And don't get me started on Johnson Court...

 

 

I don't know... But I agree about the vacancies. When you theme any given area with too much of the bar/fancy bar theme, or any ONE theme, it eventually gets old, and people start to lose interest. There needs to be a mix. Perhaps more functional businesses that serve the needs of people who actually live downtown--anything that would eliminate the need to get in the car and drive somewhere would be a good rule of thumb.