Posted November 3, 200420 yr this oft forgotten gem of a hulking wreck at the mouth of the cuyahoga is the logical endpoint of the upcoming towpath trail. it's a beauty underneath the seagull guano and it would be cleveland's crown jewel on lake erie if it could get redone with the towpath march up the river and into the city. boat docks, outdoor seating, a restaurant, gift shop, surf style shop? can you see it? i think it's a treasure worth preserving. what do you think? here's some pix and info for downstaters: http://www.ohiotrespassers.com/coast/coastH.html
November 4, 200420 yr I agree it's worth keeping. About 10 years ago it was a restaurant, but due to its inaccessibilty it did not last. It is a beautiful structure -- maybe as Whiskey Island inevitably turns into a touristy area the Coast Guard station may come back to life.
June 27, 200519 yr It's about time they started paying attention to this! (this was my pick for the building I'd most like to see fixed up in my city...an earlier thread on the subject of unique structures with great redevelopment potential!) Official neglect for Cuyahoga gem Monday, June 27, 2005 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter The abandoned Coast Guard station on the western side of the mouth of the Cuyahoga River is a rotting landmark, a city-owned jewel tarnished by vandals and neglect. City officials say it's time for serious talk of a multimillion-dollar makeover of the three-acre compound, whose curving, white-washed buildings and six-story lookout have marked the river entrance since 1940. The site is linked by pier to Whiskey Island. More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com
June 29, 200519 yr I am so old that I actually went to the coast guard station the year that Jacob's had it open. you had to get on a boat somewhere over west of the old stadium. I remember the night we went was very windy and kinda scary in a small boat. the station was like a big outdoor clambake...bad food and cheap beer, but the sights were great. as I recall the society ( Key ) tower was under construction, with naked steel frame up about 30 floors. sure looked cool from that location. If there is going to be anything done out there, there will have to be access other than by boat!!
July 3, 200519 yr The following PD article is a report on the meeting that the City hosted to gain public input on what possible uses to promote at the old Coast Guard station...a conversation long overdue! It sounds very promising, from opportunities for funding to great ideas. http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1120037892306621.xml&coll=2 Planners peppered with ideas for decaying Coast Guard post Wednesday, June 29, 2005 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter Fans of the abandoned Coast Guard station on the western mouth of the Cuyahoga River looked past its decaying present Tuesday night to articulate a restored future, when it could reopen as a maritime museum, restaurant or "off the grid" showcase for renewable energy. About 40 people floated myriad possibilities at the Edgewater Yacht Club, where the Cleveland Planning Commission hosted a public meeting focused on the future of the city-owned landmark. The 65-year-old Coast Guard station is a headquarters, boathouse and service garage sitting at the end of a 1,000-foot pier linked to Whiskey Island. More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1120037892306621.xml&coll=2
March 3, 200619 yr From "Neighborhood News" http://www.nhlink.net/newsletters/adm/2006/030106.htm HISTORIC U.S. COAST GUARD STATION PUBLIC MEETING Thursday, March 9 from 6pm - 8pm at the Gordon Square Arcade, 6515 Detroit Avenue Mayor Frank Jackson, Councilman Matt Zone and the Cleveland City Planning Commission invite you to participate in shaping the future of Cleveland's Lakefront by sharing your vision of potential future uses for the historic U.S. Coast Guard Station on Whiskey Island. This landmark structure, located on the west side of the Cuyahoga River's mouth, is also adjacent to Cleveland's newest public space, Wendy Park. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Cleveland City Planning Commission at 216.664.2210.
March 6, 200619 yr Just a pic for sh!ts and giggles: clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
March 6, 200619 yr This could be a really cool house. I say it would be good for Real World Cleveland :-)
March 7, 200619 yr Maybe that would be the best use for it. We could probably find an excentric millionare to buy it and live there. Other than that, maybe it could be a boat-in B&B. It's not well suited for anything that needs much access.
March 7, 200619 yr the lack of access is precisely why it should be public use or educational use. a great lakes research center and canoe/kayak rental for csu/case/jcu students/alumni/guests would be a nice fit. it would likely begin to engender greater appreciation and understanding of our great lake
March 7, 200619 yr the lack of access is precisely why it should be public use or educational use. Huh?
March 8, 200619 yr lack of access makes economic development difficult, if not impossible. one business has already failed, that being a bid by the jacobs group to turn the coast guard station into a bar during the heydays of the flats. educational access, which i suppose is quasi-public, benefits from a lack of access so long as a sufficient reason (great lakes research, outdoor pursuits) justifies visitation. the reason seems more than sufficient in that none of the aforementioned universities offer greatlakes research or recreational opportunities. especially considering the current use of whiskey island/wendy park and the eventual (hopefully) reaches of the towpath. i may be wrong, but i see higher-ed as the highest and best use for this location.
March 8, 200619 yr If you want to say that it should be some sort of higher education or public facility that's fine, and a good idea, but I don't see how it "benefits from a lack of access".
March 8, 200619 yr In my opinion the coast guard station and whiskey island will only get successful when the towpath trail ends there. As is you need to go all the way back to edgewater park, to drive to whiskey; when your allready at a pretty good park, whats the point in driving to a smaller "crappier" park? If/when the towpath trail ends there, at least people from stonebridge and ohio city could have close access there, with the potential for anyone that goes the towpath route.
March 8, 200619 yr I think so! (We'll have to take a field trip over there soon...) The views are unique and amazing and the land is just a little rough, which kinda makes it feel like you're roughing it. There are still about a half-dozen volleyball courts and it's one of the few places in Cleveland (aside from Edgewater) where you can actually touch the lake. I think it's fabulous...
March 8, 200619 yr http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4319 id definately recommend going there in the summer. all you have to do is manage yourself around a locked gate and you can walk right up to the station. its a bit surreal to sit out on the concrete and watch the huge ore ships go by in front of you. especially without a railing...
March 9, 200619 yr Visions of an eatery and museum for abandoned Coast Guard station Thursday, March 09, 2006 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter The iconic, abandoned Coast Guard station at the Cuyahoga River's western mouth would be restored to glory -- and multiple public uses -- under multimillion-dollar plans that will be unveiled tonight. City planners envision the 65-year-old station converted to a restaurant and Great Lakes museum, with public docks and a promenade. The Cleveland Planning Commission will gather public comments on three versions of a restored station during a 6 p.m. meeting tonight at Gordon Square Arcade, West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue. Estimated costs on the three proposals range from $5 million to $9.2 million. The city has no money for the work but believes plans for a restored site -- it's on the National Register of Historic Places -- would draw tax credits and federal, state and foundation funds. More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com
March 9, 200619 yr Actually Wendy Park isn't that rough(terrain) anymore. They really did a great job of dong it up. There are more V-ball courts than before, and they are lighted. It is cool, you can go right up to the water, and a lot of the wild unsightly brush was cleared. You can't go wrong with the yearly "crusty's" party, and the bar at the marina is a great way to cap off the evening during warm weather!
March 9, 200619 yr I thought this was going to be more of a loose visioning meeting, but it sounds like they already have ideas. They all sound like good ideas, though, so I hope they can make some progress tonight. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has a chance to go to this event...
March 10, 200619 yr Activists seek repairs fast for Cleveland's abandoned Coast Guard station Friday, March 10, 2006 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter Lakefront activists called Thursday night for immediate repairs to the city's historic, but abandoned, Coast Guard station, an architectural landmark at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River that is rotting away. A rapt crowd of 50 shook their heads and murmured at slides showing the battered, windswept station. They gathered at Gordon Square Arcade, West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue, to view the city's visions of what a restored Coast Guard site would look like. More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com
March 10, 200619 yr This reporter seems to be taking this project under his wing. Especially for the PD, there has been some pretty detailed reporting on it over the last couple of days.
December 17, 200618 yr NE Ohio landmark endangered Old Coast Guard station rotting away after 3 years in Cleveland's care Sunday, December 17, 2006 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter A jewel of history and architecture sits at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, badly tarnished and open to another winter's pounding. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4695
December 17, 200618 yr Downstaters?! What, like it's Cleveland and then the rest is just downstate?! lol Wiskey Island--looks like a cool place :)
February 8, 200718 yr Guard site requires big bucks to repair Thursday, February 08, 2007 Tom Breckenridge Plain Dealer Reporter Cleveland's lead architect says up to a half-million dollars is needed to shore up the abandoned, city-owned Coast Guard station at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. The historic site has fallen into woeful disrepair, despite city codes requiring owners of historic structures to protect them from deterioration. More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1170927951283650.xml&coll=2
February 10, 200718 yr Its a shame this cool building has been left to decay. Lets hope all these new downtown residents are not only concerned about living downtown but are interested in protecting the unique things in and around it.
February 10, 200718 yr Let's hope, but remember we don't have any more power to fix this thing than anyone else. So let's hope that all the residents of the city and region are interested in protecting the unique things in and around all of us.
February 10, 200718 yr Let's hope, but remember we don't have any more power to fix this thing than anyone else. So let's hope that all the residents of the city and region are interested in protecting the unique things in and around all of us. AMEN
June 6, 200718 yr Coast Guard grounds could soon open to public Posted by Tom Breckenridge June 05, 2007 16:16PM The historic Coast Guard station site, isolated and withering at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, should soon be open to the public. The city and Wendy Park Foundation are close to an agreement that would allow a quick fix-up of the crumbling pier and new fencing around the station and nearby buildings, city planning Director Bob Brown said Tuesday. That means visitors to the county-owned Wendy Park could safely reach and walk the Coast Guard grounds. More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com
June 6, 200718 yr Very cool news. My kids have been begging me to get them closer to the station. Musky....I don't want read that you tried to push them in the water!
July 23, 200717 yr Hello Friends of Wendy Park, On July 25, 2007 Whole Foods will donate 5% of their sales to the Wendy Park Foundation. Whole Foods was Founded in 1980 as one small store in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market® is now the world's leading retailer of natural and organic foods, with 196 stores in North America and the United Kingdom. To date Whole Foods Market remains uniquely mission driven: We're highly selective about what we sell, dedicated to stringent Quality Standards, and committed to sustainable agriculture. When you shop with Whole Foods Market next Wednesday, 5% of sales for the day will go to the Wendy Park Foundation to assist in the acquisition of solar lighting & an irrigation system at the U.S. Coast Guard Station (A historic fusion of bold architecture and resilient nature). Recent efforts of the Wendy Park Foundation has made the historical site accessible for the first time in over 30 years, except for one summer in the early 90's when a restaurant operated out of the station. The Wendy Park Foundation hopes to work with the City of Cleveland and local residents and businesses to restore this important piece of Cleveland's history that is nationally registered! Whole Foods is located at: 13998 Cedar Rd University Heights, OH 44118 (p) 216.371.5320 www.wholefoodsmarket.com Thank you for your support and I hope to see you at Whole Foods on July 25th! Christine Bucknell Executive Director of the Wendy Park Foundation (216)-531-5870 www.wendyparkfoundation.org
July 24, 200717 yr Read between the lines!!! Is this the new grocery store anchor for Flats East Bank? They want to enter the area in high regards?!?! I still hope that Constantinos can survive based on proximity and convience to all the WHD units. Ok, first things first...
July 24, 200717 yr Cle2032 thats what I half heartedly thought. but now that you mention it, I wouldn't be surprised if they are looking at space in either the flats or pesht!
July 24, 200717 yr Not to get off topic but the central Cleveland area has to be able to sustain another Whole Foods or at least Trader Joes (more affordable). Anyways, back to Whisky Island!
September 12, 200717 yr This evening, I went to Wendy Park for the first time. I was pleasantly suprised at how well they cleaned up the area around the Coast Guard station. I knew that the pier was repaired, but I was still expecting something along the lines of the picture MayDay posted earlier in this thread, with lots of brush surrounding the building. The next thing, of course, is the redevelopment of the station building itself, but it's a good thing that it's at least semi-accessible (in that you can walk up to it) and not fenced off at a distance. Another thing that surprised me was that there were quite a few people in the park, even in the evening in the middle of September. Imagine how busy the place will be when a more direct access route from Downtown/the Flats gets built. :-D
September 12, 200717 yr The potential for Wendy Park/Whiskey Island is limitless- still needs a LOT of work but you can see it hapening. And the idea to extend the towpath there is a very very good one provided the trail through the city is regarded as safe. We will see the entire area benefit from continued investment into better lakefont access.
September 18, 200816 yr I had to use my necromancer powers to bring this thread back from the dead, but I do have some interesting information. My mother was in town yesterday and I was showing her around some places. I decided to walk to walk her out to the old Coast Guard Station. Usually there are just a handful of folk out there fishing, but this time there were at least a dozen "suits" climbing around the joint. They all had binders with a picture of the station and the word "restoration" on them. I spoke with a group of them that were there from the city and county. They were showing the site off to state and university (I didn't dig for specifics) to restore as a marine research or museum of some sort. One of the city guys said they were hoping some government funded project or a nonprofit would be able to do the work because they feared a for profit use would be doomed to fail because of the isolation of the site. Anyway, probably still a long time off till something happens, but it is nice to know the site is being shopped around.
September 19, 200816 yr ^Robert Brown was in Norman Krumholz class in Urban Planning last night and basically said the same thing. He didn't name any specific university that would undertake the venture though.
September 19, 200816 yr We should make it a high stakes casino... alot of rich dudes would love to piss away some money there. Maybe the autobohn society could create a bird watching site? Or maybe a musueum on great lakes ecology that incorporates bird watching, fish studies, maritime.... just brain storming.
September 19, 200816 yr OK FerrariEnzo, I know your love of fast cars but your spelling of the Audubon Society and the German Autobahn was amusing. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 19, 200816 yr Brainstorming has been done and they have plenty of ideas. There are 3 plans for the station posted on the outside wall with other information about the history etc.. I would highly recommend if you havent been to Wendy park and walked over to see in person to do so. The 3 plans range from using for "natural" kind of purposes (museum/great lakes ecology) to "highly developed" with restaurant/boat docks etc. A quick google search I only found lots of pictures, but Im sure the plans can be found. Again only concepts until they can get enough interest and/or find funding mechanisms to do something. edit: posts on the previous page mention these plans. Read post #22
September 21, 200816 yr KJP I was just mixing my love of birds and cars... and since Cleveland is a focal point for the national effort to bring the Peregrine Falcon back I thought it apt... that or I am an atrocious speller... haha
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