From cleveland.com

...................

Historic Warehouse District to get $500,000 makeover

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Donna Iacoboni

Plain Dealer Reporter

Browning scrubby shrubs adorned with wind-strewn trash along St. Clair Avenue will become history in the Historic Warehouse District.

 

Next month, the district's community development corporation will begin a $500,000 streetscape project that will include benches, trees, stone planters, huge hanging flower baskets and flags.

 

More at http://www.cleveland.com

This is another small project that will help shape up Cleveland in the long-run. It's lots of small projects throughout that make a difference. I overheard a woman speaking last week to someone else about the Warehouse District. The woman was asking where it is and what it's all about. The woman seemed anxious to see it and said she is planning to check it out this summer. My point is that she obviously has never been there and has high hopes of visiting it now that she has heard so much good about it. While most of us Clevelander's on urbanohio.com probably go downtown and see the WD 50-100+ (or some of us who see it and live it 365+) times a year, this is good news that outsiders who were stuck in suburban neighborhood's their entire lives are now coming back into the city again because of its new "fun and safe" image that is emerging. I know a lot of people who used to fear downtown, but nowadays they have a new outlook on things. My brother used to work downtown in the early 90's and hated it. When I told him about all the stuff going on, especially with living in the WD, he didn't believe me and he still said there is no hope.. but when I sent him pictures and told him how things have changed, he was very surprised. In general, that image is slowly changing for those who used to dis-like the city into an image of opportunity for anyone who is willing to return.

 

-John

I was very happy to read this article in this morning's PD!  I'm curious to see what these "pocket park" look like, but I know from my experience in other cities that these types of additions (plantings, pocket parks, etc) can do WONDERS for a neighborhood's feel both to residents and visitors. 

 

Another thing I'm curious about is that this comes at the same time as Downtown business/property owners are considering establishing a Business Improvement District.  Greening and streetscape improvements are typically projects that BIDs engage in, so maybe this will set a good example of what a neighborhood BID can provide.  Also, BIDs have traditionally provided clean-up and maintenance crews that could be responsible for tending to various green elements of the Downtown area...a bit more glamorous than just sweeping up litter!

allll riiight tee now!

 

as mgd said, pocket parks downtown are where it's at! maybe one will be a dog run? also, they need to make sure they can lock'em up at night.

 

yay for small parks on your block!

Good for the WD!  This sort of thing definitely helps to make a neighborhood that's as "hard" as the Warehouse District work.  Right now those streets are a little sunbeaten and barren, and there is nowhere to sit and relax if you don't want to pay for a drink or a meal.  Trees and a couple little parks will definitely help that.

Do they ever mention whom to contact for corporate sponsorship??

The best news from this article is that they expect 10,000 to be living there in 10 years. Right now we are at 3,000 so I guess we can start hoping for some more large scale projects in the near future. The parks are a step in the right direction, and is definately going to make the place more attractive.

yeah, that's one of those optimist projection sort of things that doesn't really have an grounds in reality...they've probably been saying 10,000 since 1985.  Of course I'd love to see it, but we all know there are some big time hurdles to get over before that golden number is reached!

It could be one of those aim high, so if you hit half-way you are still happy things. But saying 10,000 by 2015 in 1985 is a lot different then saying 10,000 by 2015 in 2005. Either way it is awesome that 3,000 people live down there now.

some project renderings for the new corner parks

that's great!  anything that says "we care about our neighborhood" is great for residents, merchants and developers.  Now, to fill in those empty spaces around the pocket parks...

 

this is a great move for the CDC and it's great to know that this type of thing can happen from the neighborhood level, since it would likely take much longer if run out of City Hall.  it should provide a great example to others around Downtown and the rest of the city!

This is very exciting.  It will really give the area the residential look it needs.  A smaler scale developement but probably one of the more important in the city right now.  I think this bueatification will entice homebuyers.  Instead of looking like a "warehouse district" it will look more like a neighborhood.

This will give all the drinkers a place to pass out on a Saturday night after they leave the bars.

The Short North has also started building "pocket parks" along High St.  Is this an old concept that has regained popularity or is this a new concept for urban neighborhoods?

^pocket parks are old old news. good ideas as long as they are watched and maintained.

 

ps--the cheapo alternative to a pocket park is the much more informal empty lot casita, another good thing any of the neighbors can do and share.

I was hanging out on West 9th yesterday because my friend does valet parking for a few places. I was there for a few hours and I happened to walk from East 14th and it was 90 degrees outside, so when I got there, I was finding myself quite exhausted. I ended up sitting on dirty ledges in front of the Hart Condominiums at the Hart Building (since the only other place to sit was on the ground or a dirty garbage can). I kept saying, "Damn, I love sitting here watching the action from the street level, but I wish I had a place to sit!" And now from these renderings, I am very happy.. I can already see myself sitting at the pocket park at West 9 and St. Claire on a weekday night for several hours.

Where are the Hart condos?

this is nice now that the neighborhood is starting to mature and grow without the "purposed" advertising/Marketing.

 

Now lets hear some GOOD news on developments in PARKING LOT LAND!!

more of the above set of images at http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/photo/june092005/index.htm

^Has there been any progress on these pocket parks?  I haven't noticed that they've done any work, and was wondering if I'm just missing them or if the project has been put on hold.  Does anyone have any info on this?  Thanks.

this is too cool.  Think other neighborhoods will follow suit downtown?  The city should force all of the new developments to get in on this as well. 

 

I heard that there's a group trying to brand cleveland as the Green city on the blue lake.  Stuff like this surely helps that.

Cool idea..but I'm more in favor of central meeting points....urban plazas of sorts (know what I mean).  Dont get me wrong...this will be a neat thing for this extremely neat neighborhood, but it could be more urban to me.

What? No bike racks.

So sad.

 

 

I did not mean to sound negative.

This is really good.

 

 

I heard that there's a group trying to brand cleveland as the Green city on the blue lake

 

That is ecocitycleveland's tagline.  www.ecocitycleveland.org

http://www.greencitybluelake.org/

 

what about this website...?

I heard that there's a group trying to brand cleveland as the Green city on the blue lake

 

What ever happened to being "the Forest City", did the Ratners trademark it and steal it?

^Ya, and they gave the name to NYC. 

greencity blue lake is a project of ecocitycleveland.  i believe the site is currently being redeveloped to enable more community participation.  something along the lines of http://realneo.us 

does anyone have any word on when the parks are to be completed? it would certainly add a lot to the area, esp if they included bike racks! (i for one am tired of locking my bike to the trees)

  it looks like bike racks may be a standard for all future parkworks projects as their most recent project at e. 9th and huron has quite a few and employs them in an interesting way, almost as a sort of fence.

new site for the long proposed greening of the warehouse district

 

WoW in the Warhouse District promises lots of giant hanging planters, but as of yet, little else...

 

 

http://www.wowinwarehouse.com/

I got the following press release this morning...

 

Next week, on July 13th, Cleveland’s Historic Warehouse District will begin construction on a new streetscape.  The streetscape improvements will occur on West Sixth Street between St Clair Avenue and Frankfort Avenue will include widened sidewalks, pedestrian “bump outs” at the crosswalks , street furniture, seating, plantings, and historic markers.  The street will be restriped. It will include parking lanes, a center turn lane and two travel lanes designed to be shared bike lanes.  This configuration was designed to accommodate Warehouse District traffic.

 

Through the leadership of Councilman Joe Cimperman, the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation was able to work with District stakeholders to enhance the streetscape in front of their businesses.  Councilman Cimperman secure City funding through the Public Service and Economic Development Departments.  This funding solution has allowed the District to creatively implement ideas developed in the District’s Master Plan now as opposed to waiting for more complex funding strategies such as Federal Transportation Dollars.  Councilman Cimperman stated that, “It is important to put every dollar that we have toward the growth of the city.  Using this money for economic development will strengthen the businesses in the Warehouse District and bolster one of the City’s economic generators.”

 

This project represents one of the first steps toward implementing the Historic Warehouse District’s Public Realm Plan—a multi-year community planning process focused on improving the quality of life in the District through physical improvements.  The Plan, which was adopted by the Cleveland City Planning Commission in 2007, identifies opportunities in the District for amenities such as park space, public art, and a wayfinding system that provides information about the District and its history.

 

Rick Parker, architect for Brandstetter Carroll in the Bradley Building and Chairperson of the Historic Warehouse District Public Realm Committee stated, “With a mature, established residential district such as the Warehouse District, enhancing public spaces is essential to sustaining its vitality.  This project will act as a model for the rest of the District as we continue to implement the community’s plan.”

Wow, I was wondering when this was going to FINALLY happen...and it looks like only a baby step at that.  Glad to see that some progress is being made...as usual looks like $$$ was and is the big hold up.  Welcome to America.

I'm a little surprised they opted with going from st. clair to frankfurt first, as opposed to st. clair to lakeside.

Yeah .. me, too. I actually just re-read that and was just as surprised.

 

Maybe they want to help kickstart that stretch up a bit?

Maybe I'm missing it...what is the general timeline?

Johnny's, Crop, Metropolitan, & Starbucks are on that block right?  I could see them using the extra sidewalk to put in even larger patio dining options

yes... all the patios will be expanded... not sure on the timeline, but it starts today, I'm guessing it will take a while... this is a decent amount of work.

I'm really excited about this, actually. It's a "small" project, but anything that helps to give that neighborhood more of a sense of public space and energy is fantastic and can't be underestimated.

I agree... infastructure improvements can often have enormous impacts on places.

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.

I'm a little surprised they opted with going from st. clair to frankfurt first, as opposed to st. clair to lakeside.

 

I actually think the stretch of st. clair to frankfurt (west side) is the best stretch in the warehouse district.  It seems like every place has outdoor seating and there are very few gaps.  This stretch stands to gain the most out of this upgrade IMO.

By the way, how long will it take to see some noticeable changes?

From Crain's today

 

The wide West (Sixth)

City to begin work to spruce up street, accommodate pedestrians and diners; if pilot works, more could follow

 

By JAY MILLER

 

4:30 am, July 13, 2009

 

 

 

A widening of the sidewalk on a block of West Sixth Street that eventually might be carried through to the rest of Cleveland's Warehouse District is expected to begin this week, sprucing up a restaurant row that has lost its claim to the title of hot entertainment district to the rising East Fourth Street.

 

At street level, the strip of century-old office and warehouse buildings between St. Clair and Frankfort avenues is home to six eating places — from Metropolitan Café on the north end to Johnny's Downtown on the south end — all of which have space for outdoor eating and drinking.

 

City traffic engineering commissioner Robert Mavec said last week he expects construction workers will begin today, July 13, to tear up pavement and sidewalk on the west side of the street to extend the sidewalk space by five feet.

 

“It will allow for a clear walking space for the pedestrians and allow the businesses along West Sixth Street to expand their patios,” Mr. Mavec said. “We're trying to accomplish one block to see how it works” before extending the streetscape design to the rest of the Warehouse District.

 

The work “will give a whole different aesthetic to the street,” said Steve Schimoler, chef/owner of Crop Bistro & Bar on West Sixth. “It will give it more of a pedestrian feel.”

 

In addition to five feet more of sidewalk, the strip will be dressed up with planters and benches. It's all part of a plan developed by the Historic Warehouse District Development Corp. and approved by the city Planning Commission two years ago that established a design plan for the district's streets and sidewalks.

 

The work on the block from St. Clair to Frankfort will cost the city $60,000. The money comes from capital funds set aside for each City Council district that are spent at the council member's discretion.

 

Councilman Joe Cimperman, whose 13th Ward includes the district, said he hopes the whole project can be done “in a couple of years.”

 

No money has been allocated for the rest of the work.

 

Mr. Cimperman acknowledged that the Warehouse District, which began a transformation over 20 years ago from an ignored commercial district to a place with about 3,000 residents living in rehabbed historic buildings and a few dozen restaurants and bars, needs to stay fresh.

 

“The idea is to make (the restaurants) more competitive and say, "We're going to continue to reinvest in downtown,'” Mr. Cimperman said.

 

Tom Starinsky, associate director of the Historic Warehouse District Development Corp., said his group's “public realm plan” also envisions a better link to what one day is expected to be a revitalized Flats area to the west of the district.

 

East Fourth envy

 

Several of the restaurateurs welcome the redo, because they are feeling left behind in the rush to the next new thing on East Fourth Street, where the city created a pedestrian walkway by closing off the street between Euclid and Prospect avenues.

 

The New York Times, in a long, nicely illustrated story that ran last Tuesday, July 7, called East Fourth “the jewel of Cleveland's entertainment district.”

 

“They've done a great job of consolidating a lot of activity in one little space,” said an envious-sounding Mr. Schimoler of Crop Bistro. “The pedestrian-mall kind of feel promotes walking around.”

 

Mr. Schimoler said he hopes the work on his block will capture some of that same energy and fill the 12 seats he plans to add to his 22-seat patio.

 

A few doors north, the Metropolitan Café also plans to expand its patio and give the restaurant interior a new look at the same time.

 

“It's going to double our patio,” said Bryan Delisio, manager of the Metropolitan, which has seating for 18 outdoors. “It'll do the same thing for the whole street.”

 

Mr. Delisio said the restaurant, which is owned by the Hyde Park Restaurant Group of Beachwood, also will undertake an interior rehab.

 

“It's due,” he said. “We've been here eight years; it's time to freshen up the place.”

 

 

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?

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.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about upkeep.  They will be maintained by the DCA as this is within the downtown special improvement district.  I think they have done a great job maintaining the east 4th planters, the euclid avenue planters, and the hanging baskets in the warehouse district.  I see no reason they won't continue to do so here.

My pug is very excited. She always likes to visit those patios and obtain bribes from the patrons. From her perspective, more patio dwelling suckers means more crumbs and pets for her.

 

And don't worry about watering those trees. She is qualified and enthusiastic.

Also, the WHD is much more of a residential district. If things fall into disrepair, someone will hear about it.

Just walked by this area at lunch, and it looks like they're moving along quickly for this only being the 2nd day.  The street was cut in the proposed shape and debris removed/being removed.  There were also what looked like concrete forms set up on about 1/4th of it.

This will be great for the street.  It's good to see the success of East 4th make other parts of the city want an upgrade.

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.