^I'm pretty familiar with NBI. (For the record, the LWCF isn't the same thing as the Conservation Fund that's buying Acacia. LWCF is a government program, CF is a private non-profit  CF bought NBI and the state used the LWCF grant and their own monies to buy it from them. Ohio paid CF $17 million for NBI.) The difference is that was a pristine island. Acacia isn't. And that's my point. From searching around for info about the Conservation Fund, the only golf course they've ever purchased was in Gettysburg so it could be added to the battlefield. They don't have a history of buying golf courses and re-purposing them into parks. It seems to me most of their purchases are in semi-rural areas protecting development, not buying in areas that are already fully developed. Acacia seems to be different than almost every project of theirs that I could find info on.

 

My other question focuses on the Metroparks. Would they even want to do this? It seems to me their focus is on connecting the Emerald Necklace to the lakeshore, not on buying slivers of random space. Do they have the money to take it over, convert it and operate it? If they don't want it, what happens to the property? I think those are fair questions. People want the mayor and city to be transparent but I believe the CF has that responsibility as well. So far, they haven't said anything publicly. They don't have to but I think the residents and property owners have the right to know.

The Acacia site if sold to the Conservation Fund (and my shareholder friend just hit balls yesterday....said it looks like a done deal ......members are going around offerring to help employees find new jobs) they woulld look for some governmental partner. It ain't gonna be Lyndhurst with current leadership. Maybe the County (ala Wendy Park) or the Metroparks?

 

This is good to hear.  As I said above, I'm skeptical about that $16 million number that the mayor threw out there considering city is still supposedly talking to multiple developers.  That number doesn't seem to be solid at all and sounds like it could have been made up to try to trick Acacia shareholders into voting down the offer from The Conservation Fund.

^^ The metroparks really won't have the money without us passing their levy again (not that it's not passed before but there is always worry).  They definitely do have their focus on connecting the lakefront now, trying to bring parks into the inner city.  That was one of the reasons they weren't involved in Oakwood.  That being said I personally don't want another stupid shopping center!  At least make it something fun like a Medieval Times  :-D (sorry, I'm in the mood for some jousting).

Well, the conservation group gets acacia!!

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/09/acacia_country_club_approves_s.html#incart_river_default

Im so glad to see this. as a new resident of this area, one of the things that really gets to me is the amount of already vacant retail. we dont need another shopping center for the same stores that are already here to jump over to. if we really need more space for new (to the area) stores, then redevelop or expand what is already here, such as the new cedar center thats opening. park space is much better, and will be great for the city of Lyndhurst. less traffic (than there would be) and increased property values to the existing houses in that area. also, maybe a greenspace open to the public will finally bring new life to the stalled housing developments that already surround Acacia

i would not characterize the vacant retail space in Cleveland as any more or less than the vacant retail space in any similarly sized town. Especially on the east side.

i would not characterize the vacant retail space in Cleveland as any more or less than the vacant retail space in any similarly sized town. Especially on the east side.

 

I would be curious to see if there are some numbers to back up this claim either way.  Because it certainly feels like there is an overabundance of retail/abandoned space in the inner- and second-ring eastside suburbs.

 

Regardless, there is a dearth of retail in the Chagrin Valley and plenty of potential land on which to build a new lifestyle center with all of the upscale stores that Northeast Ohio is supposedly lacking.  Maybe these developers need to look elsewhere.

Clevelander17: I'm a proud PIMBY - "please, in my backyard" - so if you want to send some developers out east, be my guest (though Eton's as far as any developer's realistically going - cause they all want to be as close to Acacia, er, Cedar/Richmond as possible. No changing that anytime soon).

 

As for upscale/trendy retaill "supposedly lacking" - you know we could go around on this one all day - but that is something that I've backed up with hard numbers on this site (which retailers are in which top metros and not CLE). My whole point is really  that big cities have certain amenities (a relative term to some), whether sports teams in the 3 major sports or non-stops to Europe or light rail/subway or a great arts scene or, well, certain stores and restaurants. 

 

So if you look at the largest 20 or 30 metros, you see a pattern as to what most big cities have. And if you're Pittsburgh, and don't have a basketball team or Columbus and don't have non-stops to Europe or Milwaukee and don't have passenger rail or Indy and (perhaps soon) don't have a full time orchestra or CLE and don't have an IKEA or a Burberry store - regardless of whether sports snd flights and rail and music and shopping matter to you personally, it doesn't change the facts. 

 

We all know that some companies have made location decisions based, to some degree, on international non-stops (Chiquita was most recently in the news...) or even passenger rail service to their location. And we know that sports teams are an enterainment perk for many companies and their workers - and lack of key sports (in Columbus, for instance) or the pride of a top-notch arts scene certainly isn't a plus for an area. So, why would the lack of certain retail or restaurant options (even something loosely "Upscale" as IKEA - which caters to young professional of exactly the type that CLE needs) - be considered a far less important amenity for a city, especially if peer cities have these retailers?

 

So, CLE is set with arts and sports and rail and is deficient in international flights and retail. Right, I know, it's only retail - but let's hope that batch of MBAs looking for a job this year don't need to furnish their apartment w/trendy furnishings at rock-bottom prices. They won't find that option here.

 

Clevelander17: I'm a proud PIMBY - "please, in my backyard" - so if you want to send some developers out east, be my guest (though Eton's as far as any developer's realistically going - cause they all want to be as close to Acacia, er, Cedar/Richmond as possible. No changing that anytime soon).

 

As for upscale/trendy retaill "supposedly lacking" - you know we could go around on this one all day - but that is something that I've backed up with hard numbers on this site (which retailers are in which top metros and not CLE). My whole point is really  that big cities have certain amenities (a relative term to some), whether sports teams in the 3 major sports or non-stops to Europe or light rail/subway or a great arts scene or, well, certain stores and restaurants. 

 

So if you look at the largest 20 or 30 metros, you see a pattern as to what most big cities have. And if you're Pittsburgh, and don't have a basketball team or Columbus and don't have non-stops to Europe or Milwaukee and don't have passenger rail or Indy and (perhaps soon) don't have a full time orchestra or CLE and don't have an IKEA or a Burberry store - regardless of whether sports snd flights and rail and music and shopping matter to you personally, it doesn't change the facts. 

 

We all know that some companies have made location decisions based, to some degree, on international non-stops (Chiquita was most recently in the news...) or even passenger rail service to their location. And we know that sports teams are an enterainment perk for many companies and their workers - and lack of key sports (in Columbus, for instance) or the pride of a top-notch arts scene certainly isn't a plus for an area. So, why would the lack of certain retail or restaurant options (even something loosely "Upscale" as IKEA - which caters to young professional of exactly the type that CLE needs) - be considered a far less important amenity for a city, especially if peer cities have these retailers?

 

So, CLE is set with arts and sports and rail and is deficient in international flights and retail. Right, I know, it's only retail - but let's hope that batch of MBAs looking for a job this year don't need to furnish their apartment w/trendy furnishings at rock-bottom prices. They won't find that option here.

 

First off, Acacia is now off the table and the thought of more retail coming to the Cedar-Richmond is now a distance pipe-dream.  Even if Beachwood Place is thinking of expanding, it's going to receive a huge battle regionally and particularly from Beachwood residents (who if you'll recall shot down a hotel at the corner Richmond-Chagrin just last year). 

 

Second, I agree with your arguments in principle re: amenities.  But as you present it, I'm seeing a larger trend, that being that no region, besides the 5-7 big boys near the coasts, is ever going to have EVERYTHING.  So while it may be a noble goal, I'm not going to lose sleep tonight over the fact that we aren't sacrificing quality of life for many residents in the Beachwood/Hillcrest area in pursuit of something that's never going to happen anyways.  I'll rest easy with the comfort knowing that Cleveland has a number of amenities (including undoubtedly some retail options) that a number of cities our size and even some bigger do not have.

I think, Clevelander 17, this is the first thing you've ever posted that I actually agree with.  It this a sign of the rapture?;)

^^Loved the last sentence of Clevelander17's post.

 

 

Let me also throw this out there.  If Lyndhurst residents want a park there, then the Cleveland Metroparks should be brought to the table. 

Good thinking, Clevelander17

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/09/cleveland_metroparks_could_acc.html

 

Cleveland Metroparks could accept donation of Acacia Country Club from the Conservation Fund

LYNDHURST, Ohio -- The Cleveland Metroparks could take ownership of the Acacia Country Club property in Lyndhurst, under a potential deal between the parks system and a conservation group set to buy the land in December.

 

Metroparks officials said Friday that they are considering a donation offer from the Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit group based in Arlington, Va. The 160-acre golf course would be one of the largest donations, by acreage and value, in the history of the Metroparks system.

......

This would be an awesome outcome.  I wonder if they would keep all or at least some portion of the golf course (isnt this considered a good course?).  The club house looks like its beautiful and fairly new.

 

I may be most happy because its so not what the mindless mayor would have wanted.  This should force him to think harder, or outside of the box even (or what would seem outside of the box for a mayor that thinks greenfield development and cannibalization is the only way to increase future revenue sources).   

Glad to hear this. I cant think of any better organization to run it. That being said, arent the Metroparks running on just barely enough to get by as it is? If they dont have the money to take over the lakefront parks from the state, where are they going to get the money to even run Acacia, let alone redevelop it into a public park?

 

I may be most happy because its so not what the mindless mayor would have wanted.  This should force him to think harder, or outside of the box even (or what would seem outside of the box for a mayor that thinks greenfield development and cannibalization is the only way to increase future revenue sources). 

 

Hopefully now the mayor can turn all of his energy for having upscale shopping into pushing for makeovers for some of the tired old shopping centers on Mayfield...

 

 

Its not necessarily that they don't have the money, but with the Lakefront Parks there is so much deferred maintenance that it would be a very bad deal to take as is and expect them to make the proper investments necessary to bring them up to par.  But yeah I think when you add in the flats projects, Acacia and the Lakefront they would certainly be spreading themselves pretty thin without some sort of infusion or levy for an increase in funds. 

Maybe the Conservation Fund will throw in some start up funds... 

Maybe now the mayor can focus on redeveloping that semi-failed development across the street... I mean Legacy Village.

Maybe now the mayor can focus on redeveloping that semi-failed development across the street... I mean Legacy Village.

 

Schneider and lyndhurst should have developed lv like an urban village and not like a exurban swath of land wasted on ground parking and one story buildings. And the east suburbs should stop stealing retail from each other. All a joke IMO and sadly I'm stuck dead center in the middle of all these things.

Also - I wonder how long until mayfield country club joins the ranks of "for sale land", after all, it straddles perfectly next to lv, Cleveland clinic (formerly trw) and acacia.

 

If the area needs more retail, then beachwood mall or lv would need to build a parking garage to free up land and then expand. Or someone should consider fixing university center, as the only other swath to develop anywhere remotely close is chagrin highlands along green. I'd rather see existing retail expand or renovate than the latter.

If the MetroParks is having financial issues, I have to wonder why they're running a park/golf course in Lake County where, as far as I can tell, residents don't pay a dime to support the organization.  That doesn't make much sense to me, especially considering an arrangement exists with Hinckley Township in Medina County where residents there have a park, but also pay the same tax rate to the MetroParks as Cuyahoga County residents. 

 

I honestly don't care if Acacia remains a golf course or if it becomes a full-fledged park.  I'm just encouraged by the idea that the MetroParks might be coming in and permanently preventing any developer from turning that land into more retail.

I don't think Mayfield CC is going away anytime soon. They got a surge in membership from the merge w/ Oakwood, plus they have the benefit of Sandridge, and last I heard, they were contemplating a plan to share membership with the Cleveland Racquet Club (in lieu of putting a bunch of money into their own courts).

 

Never say never, of course, but in this case, I'd say 'not likely'.

^All that plus it is one of, if not the hilliest courses in the area.  I know from double bagging it as a caddy on that course back in my early teens.  It would not be very suitable for any large scale development other than residential and I highly doubt any interest parties would want to build out that type of development in an area already flooded with residential.

^All that plus it is one of, if not the hilliest courses in the area.  I know from double bagging it as a caddy on that course back in my early teens.  It would not be very suitable for any large scale development other than residential and I highly doubt any interest parties would want to build out that type of development in an area already flooded with residential.

 

Actually, residential especially apartments are hot right now. With Beachwood's abundance of offices that could be a good location for luxury apartments.

There are already several new luxary apartment buildings in the owrks in the Beachwood area, I dont know that another could be justified right now. 

 

I think he was talking about Mayfield Country Club though. 

 

If grand plans for "luxury apartments" on a large swath of land failed to meet expectations in Beachwood (see "The Village"), then they are not likely to find success in South Euclid.

Its not necessarily that they don't have the money, but with the Lakefront Parks there is so much deferred maintenance that it would be a very bad deal to take as is and expect them to make the proper investments necessary to bring them up to par.  But yeah I think when you add in the flats projects, Acacia and the Lakefront they would certainly be spreading themselves pretty thin without some sort of infusion or levy for an increase in funds. 

Maybe the Conservation Fund will throw in some start up funds... 

 

Metroparks has been studying and studying and studying the financial side of all this expansion for a long time now. They know what they'd be getting into and they won't get into it without a solid financial outlook. Notice how they are considered a "potential" grantee of the land. The same goes for the lakefront parks and the deferred maintenance issue and the state's involvement.

If grand plans for "luxury apartments" on a large swath of land failed to meet expectations in Beachwood (see "The Village"), then they are not likely to find success in South Euclid.

 

The village area is actually where they are supposed to be building another phase... 

If the MetroParks is having financial issues, I have to wonder why they're running a park/golf course in Lake County where, as far as I can tell, residents don't pay a dime to support the organization.  That doesn't make much sense to me, especially considering an arrangement exists with Hinckley Township in Medina County where residents there have a park, but also pay the same tax rate to the MetroParks as Cuyahoga County residents. 

 

I honestly don't care if Acacia remains a golf course or if it becomes a full-fledged park.  I'm just encouraged by the idea that the MetroParks might be coming in and permanently preventing any developer from turning that land into more retail.

 

In Manakiki's case, the Metroparks bought it from the city of Cleveland for a dollar. The city got it from a donation. I'd imagine the Metroparks saw it as a savvy move since it is adjacent to a reservation, although you make a good point in that Lake County has their own parks system.

 

A bigger question for me is why are the Metroparks in the golf business to begin with? Its something I've found odd since I moved to the area and perhaps someone can give me a history lesson on it. If you look at pure acreage, many of the reservations offer more golf than they do green space. Golf courses are awful for the environment and expensive to maintain. Theres all kinds of run-off from them and Acacia certainly fits that bill since its in the Euclid Creek watershed.  Its my understanding the Metroparks haven't made a profit on golf since the beginning of the last decade. Why subsidize a declining sport? Is it worth it or should they allow the land to return to a more natural state?

 

Just to finish off on golf courses being converted into residential, part of the former Locust Grove in Mayfield Heights is being looked at for luxury apartments by Zaremba.  That land has been abandoned for well over a decade now since the prior project developer went broke.

If grand plans for "luxury apartments" on a large swath of land failed to meet expectations in Beachwood (see "The Village"), then they are not likely to find success in South Euclid.

 

The village area is actually where they are supposed to be building another phase... 

 

I never said they (FCE and its corporate web) did not build out The Village.  I just was saying that it did not live up to the goals of "luxury" living they were advertising when the concept was first announced.  Instead of "luxury apartments", what was built was crap...... stick frame buildings with an overabundance of siding (which was crumbling within a decade), brick veneer (which was hanging off the buildings in no time), and open-web truss flooring (which greatly contributed to the two electrical fires which completely destroyed two of the buildings within 3 years of each other).  Point being, if there was ever going to be a large scale "luxury apartment" boom in the eastern suburbs, this was it.  While FCE might have envisioned drawing residents from the I-271 corridor office parks and empty nesters, in reality they ended up with a transient population mostly of younger folk.  Another failure of the "garden apartments" model.

I dont think Ive ever really been back there to see them..  Maybe this next phase will be better.

 

The other place where they are supposed to be building upscale apartments is on yet another former golf course, but Im not really familiar with that spot (near/SOM Center)

In Manakiki's case, the Metroparks bought it from the city of Cleveland for a dollar. The city got it from a donation. I'd imagine the Metroparks saw it as a savvy move since it is adjacent to a reservation, although you make a good point in that Lake County has their own parks system.

 

A bigger question for me is why are the Metroparks in the golf business to begin with? Its something I've found odd since I moved to the area and perhaps someone can give me a history lesson on it. If you look at pure acreage, many of the reservations offer more golf than they do green space. Golf courses are awful for the environment and expensive to maintain. Theres all kinds of run-off from them and Acacia certainly fits that bill since its in the Euclid Creek watershed.  Its my understanding the Metroparks haven't made a profit on golf since the beginning of the last decade. Why subsidize a declining sport? Is it worth it or should they allow the land to return to a more natural state?

 

Just to finish off on golf courses being converted into residential, part of the former Locust Grove in Mayfield Heights is being looked at for luxury apartments by Zaremba.  That land has been abandoned for well over a decade now since the prior project developer went broke.

 

That's a good point, too, about taxpayers subsidizing the sport.

 

In regards to Manakiki (and even the northern part of the North Chagrin Reservation), even if the MetroParks got good deals on that land, it still costs money to maintain and, IMO, it's of little benefit to most Cuyahoga County residents because of the location.  It's just frustrating to hear of potential financial issues for the MetroParks yet know that it's holding land in an area where residents pay no taxes to support it.

So the Metroparks accepted!  Looks like they get some funding as well.  Good deal..

 

Cleveland Metroparks accepts Acacia Country Club property to develop as park land

By James Ewinger, The Plain Dealer

on October 11, 2012 at 10:20 AM, updated October 11, 2012 at 10:43 AM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Metroparks' three commissioners this morning voted to take over Acacia Country Club in Lyndhurst to convert it into a public park.

 

Shareholders of the club voted early last month to sell the 87-year-old course to the Conservation Fund, a private nonprofit based in Virginia. Sale price was $14.75 million.

 

The fund donated the 155-acre course to the Metroparks.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/10/cleveland_metroparks_accepts_a.html#incart_river_default

 

There will be a collective sigh of relief in my neighborhood.  Although my house was somehow spared, many instances of flooding occured for my neighbors when they paved over Legacy Village and the runoff created issues for those of us along the Euclid Creek veins.

ITS OFFICIAL!!

 

Cleveland Metroparks accepts Acacia Country Club property to develop as park land

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Metroparks' three commissioners this morning voted to take over Acacia Country Club in Lyndhurst to convert it into a public park.

 

Shareholders of the club voted early last month to sell the 87-year-old course to the Conservation Fund, a private nonprofit based in Virginia. Sale price was $14.75 million.

 

The Conservation Fund also will donate $300,000 to the Metroparks when the deed for Acacia transfers, which could happen in December. The park system will receive another $200,000 from the fund upon development of restoration plans.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/10/cleveland_metroparks_accepts_a.html#incart_river_default

 

EDIT: woops look like i took too long to hit the post button. beat me too it!

 

So, out of curiosity, what is the typical time frame to take a piece of land like Acacia and get it up and running as a park?  What kind of features might we get at this location besides the typical trails and athletic fields?

So, out of curiosity, what is the typical time frame to take a piece of land like Acacia and get it up and running as a park?  What kind of features might we get at this location besides the typical trails and athletic fields?

 

I talks about it in the article, but I dont think its been totally decided. 

 

It mentions a similar project in Geauga County: "A similar project begun by the Geauga Park District has already transformed the former Orchard Hills golf course into a 237-park in the span of five years. Park managers there say the work will continue for years".

 

Article this morning on potential model for the Acacia property:

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/10/post_58.html

So how do you turn a golf course into a park, as the Cleveland Metroparks want to do with Acacia Country Club in Lyndhurst?

 

Look no further for an answer than Geauga County, where the 237-acre Orchard Hills Park now stands on the grounds of a former golf course with a similar name.

 

The Patterson Fruit Farm family owned the course and turned it over to the county a half-decade ago. Already, what once were fairways are thick with wildflowers, and some remaining golf-cart tracks serve as trails.

 

......

 

Geauga Park District partnered with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to buy the land in 2007, for around $3 million. The Pattersons had other offers, but did not want the land developed......

 

Planning and surveying followed, said senior park planner Matt McCue. The heavy duty construction occurred in 2010 and 2011.

 

.........

IMO, Orchard Hills isn't a very nice park. It looks more like they built a big parking lot in the middle of a hay field. Then again, Geauga County's goals are different because everyone has a mini park in their backyard there. Orchard Hills is basically a really expensive party pavilion. The tree-planting is a good idea, though, so I hope it'll make the space look a little less shabby.

All of the i's have been dotted and the t's have been crossed.  Metroparks now officially owns Acacia

All of the i's have been dotted and the t's have been crossed.  Metroparks now officially owns Acacia

 

Great news, particularly for the residents of that immediate area!  Just kind of makes me more bummed about the Oakwood situation and what might have been.