In particular, but I can think of 1/2 dozen more concert clubs within walking distance.  Might be the biggest concentration of them in the region.  Instead of promoting the Cudell rec center as a "popular destination" from W98th, maybe RTA should focus more on promoting the music scene.     

In particular, but I can think of 1/2 dozen more concert clubs within walking distance.  Might be the biggest concentration of them in the region.  Instead of promoting the Cudell rec center as a "popular destination" from W98th, maybe RTA should focus more on promoting the music scene.     

 

The clubs in Lakewood, you mean?  I know my brother's band has played them a few times, I haven't heard of any problems except the now notorious brawl when someone booked rival bands.

 

 

Now That's Class, Brothers, Phantasy and its sub-clubs, Spitfire, Bevy, the Foundry and Mahall's.  Some of these are more accessible via 98th, some via 117th.

 

Unfortunately Phantasy and Spitfire aren't long for this world.  Go enjoy them while you can!  Take the Rapid!

^I also think West Blvd-Cudell has a lot of potential, too.  It's surrounded by and accessible to a large population and is fed well by the No. 26 bus coming from Edgewater/Lakewood.  I wish that nearby recently cleared Trinity factory site could be redeveloped for more than the light industrial development planned.  Why not mixed use retail/apts?  Seems like this could be yet another lost opportunity for TOD.

 

... and let's not even talk about my favorite whipping boy: E. 116, one of the biggest wasted TOD opportunities in the entire RTA system.

 

I agree with Cudell--there are already quite a few recently rehabbed apartments there, and plenty more land to build new.  I feel bad for those pioneers on the other side of the tracks on Detroit--they need some neighbors!

 

Cleveland needs to get the crime and gang issue resolved around Cudell.  Transit riders exit at W 98th with Cudell across the street or I should say the now infamous Cudell.  I lived at 98th/Detroit several years and a major appeal was using the Rapid for work and night classes downtown.  Tons of Section 8 then so I can't imagine how bad it is around there now.

 

The area is being colonized by several related gangs.  I will transfer there when I have to, but it is very rarely IMO a pleasant experience, and not one I'd even attempt if I weren't somewhat able to take care of myself if necessary.

Now That's Class, Brothers, Phantasy and its sub-clubs, Spitfire, Bevy, the Foundry and Mahall's.  Some of these are more accessible via 98th, some via 117th.

 

Unfortunately Phantasy and Spitfire aren't long for this world.  Go enjoy them while you can!  Take the Rapid!

 

Foundry should last awhile since Billy Morris runs it, he's got a studio downstairs too.

 

If you're not street smart I don't recommend taking the rapid there at night, though.  It's about half a mile up W. 117th.  Plus it shuts down at midnight, IIRC.

^I also think West Blvd-Cudell has a lot of potential, too.  It's surrounded by and accessible to a large population and is fed well by the No. 26 bus coming from Edgewater/Lakewood.  I wish that nearby recently cleared Trinity factory site could be redeveloped for more than the light industrial development planned.  Why not mixed use retail/apts?  Seems like this could be yet another lost opportunity for TOD.

 

Beg to differ.  That area needs jobs a hell of a lot more than it needs stores or more residents.

 

Agree on E. 116th though.

 

Depends upon what type of jobs.  If you're talking about service/white collar, I would tend to agree with you.  But another plant-type or warehouse-ish factory, no.  I would rather not emulate, even roughly, the factory that was torn down.  But I would never thumb my nose at multi-unit housing; not in a city that has recently led the nation in population loss... This location has the bones to be a truly great walkable neighborhood.  Lots of multi-unit dwellings along with some side streets along Detroit east of West Blvd, with small lots, solid housing and even some walk-up apartments.  There are a number of Victorian/pre-WWI era terrace-row homes around Cudell as well; many recently rehabbed.  I know there is a feeling of a crime element in parts of the area, notably south of Detroit, and around Madison, but even that seems to be declining -- I don't know, personally, because I don't live there, but a drive through of this area last summer left me with the impression the housing stock, and even some of the small commercial areas, were in better shape and it seemed like things were on the upswing.

 

Of course north of the N-S tracks you enter the tony Edgewater area ...

Both those sites have direct rail frontage, which can be a good thing for industry but isn't so good for residential. 

Plus it shuts down at midnight, IIRC

 

Which is why I don't usually recommend the Rapid for nightlife.  Which is unfortunate, since that seems like a significant component of the Rapid's potential market. 

Plus it shuts down at midnight, IIRC

 

Which is why I don't usually recommend the Rapid for nightlife.  Which is unfortunate, since that seems like a significant component of the Rapid's potential market. 

 

Regarding the W 117th Red Line station, the last train to leave east bound is 1:28am & west bound is 12:55am

Both those sites have direct rail frontage, which can be a good thing for industry but isn't so good for residential. 

 

I don't see the problem.  The elevated RR tracks which, I believe, separate Edgewater from Cudell, have no industry at this immediate location, but apt buildings and housing adjacent IIRC. 

 

As we've seen elsewhere in town, noisy freight RR tracks may not be ideal for residential development, but do not completely thwart it.  The new, expensive FEB apts are a half block from the same busy freight tracks that I just mentioned.  Over at the new Little Italy/Univ. Circle Red Line station, there are 2 sets of elevated freight tracks (along with the 2 Rapid tracks) and, yet, trendy Little Italy is on one side and red hot Uptown is a few blocks away on the other, with the large Intesa mixed use apts/offices/retail development planning to rise soon right next to the tracks.

A large number of concert goers would be stranded if they relied on a train that quits at 1:28.  So they can't.  Me, I'm too old for shows that late.  But there are a lot of them.  Seems like Rapid service would fill a larger need at 230-3 a.m. than at 430-5 a.m. when it's actually running. 

There are definitely some problems around that station.  Additional police presence would be welcome.  I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station.  My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

 

I've stopped using the station to go to the airport.  Too many kids asking "whats in the bag?"  I figured it wouldn't be much longer until my laptop got jacked.... 

There are definitely some problems around that station.  Additional police presence would be welcome.  I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station.  My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

 

I've stopped using the station to go to the airport.  Too many kids asking "whats in the bag?"  I figured it wouldn't be much longer until my laptop got jacked....

 

Wise move because one day one of those 'hood rats is going to take your bag.  Who needs the harassment?  I've been harassed on the Red Line for no reason other than that I'm white.

Tonight on the Red Line:  there was a rapper face-off, between two white guys, and the winner was elderly.  The crowd loved it and dubbed him Santa Claus.

There are definitely some problems around that station.  Additional police presence would be welcome.  I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station.  My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

 

I've stopped using the station to go to the airport.  Too many kids asking "whats in the bag?"  I figured it wouldn't be much longer until my laptop got jacked.... 

 

Damn shame... Meanwhile, the RTA cops I've seen are deployed mainly at Tower City where groups of them are there mainly socializing with each other.  I can never understand this because Tower City is a controlled, safe environment, with turnstiles manned by RTA employees.  Some cops seem to go over to W.25 to check tickets when all the kids come through there in afternoons after school.  I have seen some spot ticket checks on Red Line cars occasionally.  Other than that, I hardly ever see RTA cops patrolling any other station.

There are definitely some problems around that station.  Additional police presence would be welcome.  I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station.  My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

 

I've stopped using the station to go to the airport.  Too many kids asking "whats in the bag?"  I figured it wouldn't be much longer until my laptop got jacked.... 

 

The RTA police presence at the main turnstiles down there is a bit too much.  There should be cops riding all the lines so we can see the''m more often instead of them thinking there's ''action'' when some out of towner or infrequent rider messed up their travel card purchase.  RTA should have installed more the Tower City turnstiles in its system or at least do more fare enforcement.  I recall a few years back though there was a problem because too many African American teens were being caught not paying, so RTA backed-off.  The reasoning was that these kids having a record of some sort was going to prevent them having futures.

 

Damn shame... Meanwhile, the RTA cops I've seen are deployed mainly at Tower City where groups of them are there mainly socializing with each other.  I can never understand this because Tower City is a controlled, safe environment, with turnstiles manned by RTA employees.  Some cops seem to go over to W.25 to check tickets when all the kids come through there in afternoons after school.  I have seen some spot ticket checks on Red Line cars occasionally.  Other than that, I hardly ever see RTA cops patrolling any other station.

There are definitely some problems around that station.  Additional police presence would be welcome.  I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station.  My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

 

I've stopped using the station to go to the airport.  Too many kids asking "whats in the bag?"  I figured it wouldn't be much longer until my laptop got jacked....

 

Wise move because one day one of those 'hood rats is going to take your bag.  Who needs the harassment?  I've been harassed on the Red Line for no reason other than that I'm white.

 

I wouldn't go that far...but I do fly alot and I noticed the same cast of characters eyeing me up.  Without my computer and gear I have no issues taking the Red Line. 

I remember eavesdropping on a loud phone conversation on the Red Line which ended with the guy threatening to come over and "beat the ass" of the person on the other end of the convo.

 

Only problem was after he hung. It was then he realized he didn't remember where the intended victim lived, so he had to call him back to ask for the correct address lol.

That's great stuff for this thread too:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,28983.0.html

There are definitely some problems around that station.  Additional police presence would be welcome.  I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station.  My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

 

I've stopped using the station to go to the airport.  Too many kids asking "whats in the bag?"  I figured it wouldn't be much longer until my laptop got jacked....

 

Wise move because one day one of those 'hood rats is going to take your bag.  Who needs the harassment?  I've been harassed on the Red Line for no reason other than that I'm white.

 

I wouldn't go that far...but I do fly alot and I noticed the same cast of characters eyeing me up.  Without my computer and gear I have no issues taking the Red Line.

 

Who are these cast of characters?  Not sure what ''go that far'' referred to but I guess after having lived in a big city with big city where grab and runs are common and I was harassed on the Red Line for being white, quoting the nasty-skanky black dude passenger.  Anyway, the garbage on the slope between the street level and station at W 98th can be incredible.  This being from the riders waiting for buses and whatnot above the platform.

 

Regardless, RTA cops need to patrol the stations, parking lots and be seen on the trains much more. 

There are definitely some problems around that station.  Additional police presence would be welcome.  I personally witnessed a large fight on the train that started at the W98th station.  My brother's band no longer plays in clubs nearby because there have been so many robberies outside them.

 

I've stopped using the station to go to the airport.  Too many kids asking "whats in the bag?"  I figured it wouldn't be much longer until my laptop got jacked....

 

Wise move because one day one of those 'hood rats is going to take your bag.  Who needs the harassment?  I've been harassed on the Red Line for no reason other than that I'm white.

 

I wouldn't go that far...but I do fly alot and I noticed the same cast of characters eyeing me up.  Without my computer and gear I have no issues taking the Red Line.

 

Who are these cast of characters?  Not sure what ''go that far'' referred to but I guess after having lived in a big city with big city where grab and runs are common and I was harassed on the Red Line for being white, quoting the nasty-skanky black dude passenger.  Anyway, the garbage on the slope between the street level and station at W 98th can be incredible.  This being from the riders waiting for buses and whatnot above the platform.

 

Regardless, RTA cops need to patrol the stations, parking lots and be seen on the trains much more. 

 

I still think they need to revert to the manned ticket takers, both as an alternative when the machines fail or can't be understood, and to keep the stations clear of those without a need to be there.

^I understand this sentiment but, of course, money is an issue for hiring personnel to man the 17 other stations than TC.  Also, even going back to the CTS days, these people went off duty after rush hours, meaning CTS/RTA had to run those dreaded 1 car trains with passengers lining up, single file, to pay their fares to the driver while the train car just sat there at each (non-Tower City) station until everybody was paid and on board.  No thanks!  Nowadays RTA runs 2-car trains as its base with a single driver; trains are, thus, faster and more efficient, and there's also more seating for passengers.... So if we went back to the pay-booth system, not only would trains be slower, less efficient, and often jammed with people but, in light of greater off peak travel, you would still have un-staffed stations during non-rush hour and into the night anyway.

 

So on this one, I think RTA got it right with POP.  I just think there need to be more cop presence at the stations, particularly at night.  And get them the hell out of Tower City so much, which is a waste of resources. 

PHS & KJP, take it to PM or knock it off. This thread is not for arguing. It's for news related to RTA.

People's experiences are all different, of course, so I can only speak for myself, but I am a white person who uses the park-and-ride at Windermere a few times every week. I walk from the parking lot to the train with a laptop in a shoulder bag and have never had anyone bother me.

Plenty of normal people get bothered, intimidated, harassed, even assaulted by anti-social types in all cities with public transportation. It's just part of the experience and reality of being confined to a space with people from dangerous areas.

People's experiences are all different, of course, so I can only speak for myself, but I am a white person who uses the park-and-ride at Windermere a few times every week. I walk from the parking lot to the train with a laptop in a shoulder bag and have never had anyone bother me.

 

Helps being a guy (I am assuming from your name) and helps more if you are larger and look neither very young nor very old.

 

The only reason anyone bothers me pretty much anywhere is if they think I am Mike Pettine.

People's experiences are all different, of course, so I can only speak for myself, but I am a white person who uses the park-and-ride at Windermere a few times every week. I walk from the parking lot to the train with a laptop in a shoulder bag and have never had anyone bother me.

 

Helps being a guy (I am assuming from your name) and helps more if you are larger and look neither very young nor very old.

 

The only reason anyone bothers me pretty much anywhere is if they think I am Mike Pettine.

 

But can you coach?  ... because, if so, you've got a serious leg up on Mike.

People's experiences are all different, of course, so I can only speak for myself, but I am a white person who uses the park-and-ride at Windermere a few times every week. I walk from the parking lot to the train with a laptop in a shoulder bag and have never had anyone bother me.

 

Helps being a guy (I am assuming from your name) and helps more if you are larger and look neither very young nor very old.

 

The only reason anyone bothers me pretty much anywhere is if they think I am Mike Pettine.

 

But can you coach?  ... because, if so, you've got a serious leg up on Mike.

 

He could coach.  Like me, he wasn't very good at office politics.  Scheiner and Farmer undercut him and he lost control of the team.

^Mike started off well, but the wheels really came off this season.  Johnny, Gilbert, Bowe, Erving and the boys undercut Mike as well; plus he had no answers...

 

... anyway, back to da buses & trains.

Did power outage shut down @GCRTA Blue/Green #rail lines tonite or did a Blue Line train derail at Shaker Square junction?

 

GCRTA tweeted this at about 7 p.m.:

 

Greater Cleve RTA ‏@GCRTA  3h3 hours ago

Due to a power interruption blue & green lines replaced w/ 67R btwn Tower City & ends of the lines.

 

But a person on the scene sent me this photo and said an RTA supervisor told him "an LRT derailed":

 

As a recovering newspaper reporter, it bothers me that a public agency can't tell the truth about what is happening. Someone has to, so I notified local media as I now have a second source at the scene who confirmed a train derailed. It happened on the new rail-to-rail crossing (called a diamond) installed less than a year ago at the junction of the Blue/Green lines. The eastbound Blue Line train derailed at the diamond at low speed. No injures were reported.

 

RTA still is not tweeting the actual cause of the power outage, saying only the following in its latest tweet:

 

Greater Cleve RTA ‏@GCRTA  37m37 minutes ago

Through end of service tonight, Blue & Green Lines replaced w/ 67R buses between Tower City & ends of lines.

^ I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a case of RTA being dishonest, but rather a lack of communication between their operations and media people. That wouldn't be the first time that that's happened

What's more interesting is that this is at the same rail-to-rail crossing GCRTA replaced in the spring of 2015 (see GCRTA photo below). Not saying the new crossing (called a "diamond") caused it, because excessive speed or a vehicle defect could have caused it. But it is ironic that THIS is the location where it happened...

 

First we have Calabrese not being completely forthcoming or transparent about the looming train car crisis -- he likely wouldn't have addressed it at all had not KJP/AAO smoked him out on the issue, with KJP correctly going further in noting we really need to have a public "conversation" about the future of mass transit in the region... And now we have this Shaker Square discrepancy: whether it's outright dishonesty or a failure of communication between the various layers of RTA, there's a very big problem here.  How can Joe Q/Jane Q Public have any confidence in the soundness of his/her transit operation or the veracity of its leadership. 

 

This is nonsense and Calabrese and his people need to be held accountable.

Apparently the wheels on the middle bogie left the rails. Seems those have a greater tendency to derail because they are unpowered wheels. And a diamond or a switch is a common place for a derailment. But the pantograph also became tangled in the overhead wires which caused a loss of power west of the Woodhill substation. Without the pantograph issue, GCRTA could have quickly rerailed the LRV and restored service to all lines before the end of the day Friday. Instead, service was restored shortly after noon today.

As a recovering newspaper reporter, it bothers me that a public agency can't tell the truth about what is happening. Someone has to, so I notified local media as I now have a second source at the scene who confirmed a train derailed. It happened on the new rail-to-rail crossing (called a diamond) installed less than a year ago at the junction of the Blue/Green lines. The eastbound Blue Line train derailed at the diamond at low speed. No injures were reported.

 

RTA still is not tweeting the actual cause of the power outage, saying only the following in its latest tweet:

 

Greater Cleve RTA ‏@GCRTA  37m37 minutes ago

Through end of service tonight, Blue & Green Lines replaced w/ 67R buses between Tower City & ends of lines.

I don't believe this happened at the new diamond.  The tracks that cross are for westbound Blue Line trains and eastbound Green Line trains.  Also, in the picture you posted, it looks like you can see the diamond to the left of where the train is.  It looks like the train was splitting off to the right before the diamond when it derailed, which would make sense if it was an eastbound Blue Line train.

Yeah, I'm told it happened at the turnout to the Blue Line, not the new diamond. When the car derailed, it hit a support pole for the overhead electric wires, causing the the outage. The last time a Breda car derailed and hit a support pole, the dented carbody could not be repaired and the car had to be scrapped. Let's hope that's not the case this time.

So at least RTA was telling the truth---there was a power outage affecting service, they just left out what caused it....

There wasn't much doubt from me that they weren't telling the truth about the power outage. Neglecting to say there was a derailment, however minor the derailment (no injuries, train stayed upright, etc.), is what bothered me. That's all. :)

And now we have this Shaker Square discrepancy: whether it's outright dishonesty or a failure of communication between the various layers of RTA, there's a very big problem here.  How can Joe Q/Jane Q Public have any confidence in the soundness of his/her transit operation or the veracity of its leadership. 

 

This is nonsense and Calabrese and his people need to be held accountable.

 

Aaaaand, now that the facts have come out everyone can take a breath and realize it's not a conspiracy after all.

And now we have this Shaker Square discrepancy: whether it's outright dishonesty or a failure of communication between the various layers of RTA, there's a very big problem here.  How can Joe Q/Jane Q Public have any confidence in the soundness of his/her transit operation or the veracity of its leadership. 

 

This is nonsense and Calabrese and his people need to be held accountable.

 

Aaaaand, now that the facts have come out everyone can take a breath and realize it's not a conspiracy after all.

 

Who said anything about a conspiracy?  RTA has not been forthcoming about its operation.  Feel free to put your total trust in Joe C's operation.  I choose not to.

Although it is a long shot to happen in the near future, a station that has tremendous TOD potential is the Superior station. Behind it is a large amount of neglected housing, bars and a high rise. In front of it you have an old white castle that can get torn down for residential or mixed use and an empty parking lot that can be built upon. Across the street from that you have two strip malls that if development interest was there could be residential with retail at the bottom and those apartments that sit on corner of Euclid and Superior (I believe those are being torn down though). More obviously could be done around those aforementioned areas to increase residential and transit numbers but even just those sites that I mentioned could be a big boost for the station. If that area ever could become a hot spot then it would be easy to build around the station, it is above grade, sits above a main street, is easily accessible and is highly visible.

Although it is a long shot to happen in the near future, a station that has tremendous TOD potential is the Superior station. Behind it is a large amount of neglected housing, bars and a high rise. In front of it you have an old white castle that can get torn down for residential or mixed use and an empty parking lot that can be built upon. Across the street from that you have two strip malls that if development interest was there could be residential with retail at the bottom and those apartments that sit on corner of Euclid and Superior (I believe those are being torn down though). More obviously could be done around those aforementioned areas to increase residential and transit numbers but even just those sites that I mentioned could be a big boost for the station. If that area ever could become a hot spot then it would be easy to build around the station, it is above grade, sits above a main street, is easily accessible and is highly visible.

 

Trying to push that area would potentially bleed off the growth of the Little Italy/UC area, and I'm not sure it would take off anyway because, to be blunt, it's East Cleveland.

 

If anything new nucleates at a station, I suspect it will be 105-Quincy.  That's almost a perfect storm for at least transit friendly development.

Although it is a long shot to happen in the near future, a station that has tremendous TOD potential is the Superior station. Behind it is a large amount of neglected housing, bars and a high rise. In front of it you have an old white castle that can get torn down for residential or mixed use and an empty parking lot that can be built upon. Across the street from that you have two strip malls that if development interest was there could be residential with retail at the bottom and those apartments that sit on corner of Euclid and Superior (I believe those are being torn down though). More obviously could be done around those aforementioned areas to increase residential and transit numbers but even just those sites that I mentioned could be a big boost for the station. If that area ever could become a hot spot then it would be easy to build around the station, it is above grade, sits above a main street, is easily accessible and is highly visible.

 

Trying to push that area would potentially bleed off the growth of the Little Italy/UC area, and I'm not sure it would take off anyway because, to be blunt, it's East Cleveland.

 

If anything new nucleates at a station, I suspect it will be 105-Quincy.

 

The key phrase was "long shot to happen in the near future." But McLovin is right, geographically speaking, the station does provide lots of potential. I have always loved the bones of the commercial strip just north of the station on Superior; it'd be great to see that area get new life one day.

And there is real contrast between that Superior station and Windermere, where the road pattern and surrounding land-uses are much less promising for eventual transit-proximate redevelopment.

I agree with McLovin's general point: there is so much untapped potential in East Cleveland by dint of having 2 heavy-rail, Red Line stations there.  And so many residents of the city don't have cars and ride the rails, it's amazing city officials all but ignore the Rapid.  Both these stations appear to be in rather good condition -- I'm less sure about the exact state of Superior, but I know Stokes-Windermere is, as of last summer, in tip-top condition.  In the cases of both stations, those little strip shopping plazas should be demolished and replaced with high-density mixed use housing. 

 

But it's going to take leadership, which has in recent decades been a rare commodity.  I will say that Gary Norton is probably the brightest light, mayor-wise, EC has had in decades and, at the very least, has urban planning experience and something of a vision.  The problem is whether EC's backward-looking city council can get out of the way... Norton btw expressed support for the Red Line extension to Euclid as well as having been a prime mover behind the Circle East town homes on Euclid... He's at least got a clue.

East 105th-Quincy is probably next, especially north of the station along 105th once the road is rebuilt and the new station entrance on 105th is added. But if the county swept up all that surface parking across Quincy from the Juvy Justice Center into a multi-level parking deck, the land between the deck and the station would be primed for development. That's the kind of project that GCRTA and the county could jointly foster with the new Subtitle F Railroad Rehab and Improvement Funds, now that their $35 billion in federal lending authority in loans and loan guarantees (offering an 80% match) has been expanded to include transit-oriented development.

 

And that, BTW, is the only hope that a Red Line extension has if it was financed out of that with revenue from industrial development in the Noble-East 152nd and the Euclid Square Mall area retiring those bonds. It would have to be led by a private developer building everything, including the rail extension, with GCRTA coming into the picture only at the end to operate the trains and maintain the rail line.

East 105th-Quincy is probably next, especially north of the station along 105th once the road is rebuilt and the new station entrance on 105th is added. But if the county swept up all that surface parking across Quincy from the Juvy Justice Center into a multi-level parking deck, the land between the deck and the station would be primed for development. That's the kind of project that GCRTA and the county could jointly foster with the new Subtitle F Railroad Rehab and Improvement Funds, now that their $35 billion in federal lending authority in loans and loan guarantees (offering an 80% match) has been expanded to include transit-oriented development.

 

And that, BTW, is the only hope that a Red Line extension has if it was financed out of that with revenue from industrial development in the Noble-East 152nd and the Euclid Square Mall area retiring those bonds. It would have to be led by a private developer building everything, including the rail extension, with GCRTA coming into the picture only at the end to operate the trains and maintain the rail line.

Exactly.  Plenty of jobs close by including many at the high end, lots of blight being emptied/demoed by the construction.

 

Cleveland's still at the point where growth rather than nucleation will be the primary driver of re-urbanization.  But it wouldn't take much growth for TFD in this area to merge into the existing boom area.

 

As for the parking lots, that's where it will grow, once it starts and gains traction.

I agree with McLovin's general point: there is so much untapped potential in East Cleveland by dint of having 2 heavy-rail, Red Line stations there.  And so many residents of the city don't have cars and ride the rails, it's amazing city officials all but ignore the Rapid.  Both these stations appear to be in rather good condition -- I'm less sure about the exact state of Superior, but I know Stokes-Windermere is, as of last summer, in tip-top condition.  In the cases of both stations, those little strip shopping plazas should be demolished and replaced with high-density mixed use housing. 

 

But it's going to take leadership, which has in recent decades been a rare commodity.  I will say that Gary Norton is probably the brightest light, mayor-wise, EC has had in decades and, at the very least, has urban planning experience and something of a vision.  The problem is whether EC's backward-looking city council can get out of the way... Norton btw expressed support for the Red Line extension to Euclid as well as having been a prime mover behind the Circle East town homes on Euclid... He's at least got a clue.

 

That's kind of like saying "best Browns quarterback since the hiatus".  Reality is it's probably going to take a merger with Cleveland to make anything happen.  East Cleveland is our East St. Louis, or Gary.

^Is there a developer (or developers) being induced to build on those sites?  What inducement can or is being used (TIFs?)?  Who would be the main party(ies) for offering such inducements?  The cities of EC and Euclid?  Is there ANY movement in the direction of such development and has the prospect of a Red Line extension to these sites being offered as a "buy-in" incentive?

^Is there a developer (or developers) being induced to build on those sites?  What inducement can or is being used (TIFs?)?  Who would be the main party(ies) for offering such inducements?  The cities of EC and Euclid?  Is there ANY movement in the direction of such development and has the prospect of a Red Line extension to these sites being offered as a "buy-in" incentive?

 

Nothing official. But a pretty well-connected urban redevelopment guy from Cleveland called me last week to pick my brain on what's in the new 5-year federal transportation law that could aid extending transit to more jobs, or bringing more jobs to within a short walk of transit, or ideally a little of both. To him, the Red Line extension fits that thought process. So I told him the new Subtitle F of the RRIF program is probably the biggest game-changer to aid it.