seriously, have that many people ever been in a Popeye's at the same time?  Can we get together on some shared parking folks?!

Actually it is not as bad as the BK lot next door.

^and the Burger King takes the cake with their parking. Its huge. I wonder if the Clinic has considered this as a satellite lot?? 

 

If BP takes off and we see some other residential developments happen in the immediate area, I wonder how that will effect Detroit.  Maybe we'll see a Wendys come in as well! Hell, a boy can dream, can't he?

You guys aren't kidding!  I counted 50+ spaces for that BK!  I know one of the block clubs and DSCDO has talked with them about ceding some of their land along the western end of the lot for a pocket park or some other landscape element, but I'm not sure how that's gone.  I can't imagine they ever use even half of those spaces!

I never park my chicken, I take her in with me.

I never see anyone in that BK lot. I guess that people either walk there and go through the drive through. I wonder what that stretch used to look like before Big Fast Food walked, err, drove into town.

If BP takes off and we see some other residential developments happen in the immediate area, I wonder how that will effect Detroit.  Maybe we'll see a Wendys come in as well! Hell, a boy can dream, can't he?

 

Talk about dreaming, if you had a couple million $$$ and could acquire these three properties, what would you do with the corner of Detroit & Lake?  Nearly 2 acres and about 90% of it is asphalt.  It would be a fantastic site to explore...

 

I'd think outside of the box a bit and include that triangle gas station parcel as well. Then I'd put in a Johnny Mangos.

 

 

it is with great sadness I report that Popeyes has closed.

NOOOOOOO!!!  Well, I hope that BK's customers know that overflow parking is available just next door!

it is with great sadness I report that Popeyes has closed.

 

I hate when we lose the things that made us unique.

Wow thats a huge parking lot..

 

Anyway there are some drawings of the Near West Theater on the Landmarks Commission site, also some things for the Variety Theater on Lorain.  http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/photo/011008/index.html

 

 

Funny you should mention the renderings for the new Near West Theater. I used those same images from the Landmarks Commission and sent them for processing at Sun News. They should appear with an article in tomorrow's (1/31) West Side Sun News.

Looks like Richard Fleischman got his talons on Near West Theater.  He loves the "placing arbitrary lines on a slanted roof" move. 

At least it appears to be up to the street...

The guy who owns those Dorn Lofts buildings has been working on that concept for some time now ... glad to see it's off the ground. He also has some interest in the old American Greetings Creative Studios and manages a number of artist facilities in that complex. All in all, it's poised to be a grrrrrrreat arts stretch. As for the corner of Detroit and Lake, isn't Detroit Shoreway already planning on doing some community planning about how to improve that corner as a gateway to the neighborhood?

it is with great sadness I report that Popeyes has closed.

 

I wish there were similarly somber announcements about a few other conspicuously located fast food joints around town.

 

As for Near West: I'm not so sure how well that plaza is going to work (an outdoor cafe like the one in the rendering would be great), but I can understand how site and budget constraints made it impossible to avoid.  Overall, this project looks like an awesome addition to Gordon Square and a great filler for that empty lot. 

Wow... I'm still amazed that the NWT is planning such an ambitious construction project.  More power to 'em!

As for the corner of Detroit and Lake, isn't Detroit Shoreway already planning on doing some community planning about how to improve that corner as a gateway to the neighborhood?

 

Yes, my reference to them pursuing an agreement with BK to use part of the west end of their lot is directly related.  They're thinking of it as a "gateway" of sorts to the Edgewater Hill neighborhood.  They're working on banners and the like, in addition to landscape work at that intersection.

Wow... I'm still amazed that the NWT is planning such an ambitious construction project.  More power to 'em!

 

The $5 million cost of building of the new Near West Theater is actually less than the rehab of the Capitol and Cleveland Public theaters (each one is about $7 million).

^^ It would be really great if they could get some "world class signage" in there.  :-D

 

That Burger King is a real joke.  I almost never see anyone in there and I drive by it everytime I turn onto W. 76th.  Hopefully it will join Popeyes and the hotdog joint and get boarded up.  That would be a real nice block of land to turn into something.

 

I can't wait till the Capital Theatre is renovated.  I see myself going there at least every other week if not more often.

I'm excited about this neighborhood. The potential reminds me a lot of Bucktown/Wicker Park in Chicago.

^KJP, to me, $5M for a small, non-profit community theater is still very ambitious!  And I absolutely LOVE the fact that this neighborhood is being aggressive with its arts investments... many many kudos!

 

BK, I think the hot dog shop just reopened.  It could be cute, but as part of a super-block of drive-thrus, so I wouldn't shed a tear if it were gone.

MapBoy, But my point is that even the $5 million amount is being overshadowed by the other two theaters' plans.

re: "Dean's Hotdogs & Fish", I've seen people inside remodeling, I've seen one or two people inside eating, but I've never seen the place advertising that they are open.  maybe it's a money laundering operation?

"Dean's Hotdogs & Fish"

 

that is funny.

...I think the hot dog shop just reopened.  It could be cute, but as part of a super-block of drive-thrus, so I wouldn't shed a tear if it were gone.

 

I think most people's hotdogs needs can be met exceptionally well up on Lorain ave. Two, count em, two great places!

re: "Dean's Hotdogs & Fish", I've seen people inside remodeling, I've seen one or two people inside eating, but I've never seen the place advertising that they are open.  maybe it's a money laundering operation?

 

Then why didn't they go with the more obvious laundromat front?

 

KJP, I agree that the other two get more press.  I don't know what else to say on the topic!

KJP, I agree that the other two get more press.  I don't know what else to say on the topic!

 

Hopefully that will change after tomorrow's West Side Sun comes out.

I can confirm that Dean's Hotdogs is infact open.  Just drove past there on the way home and there were several people inside.  Believe it or not, the Burger King parking lot was perhaps 2% filled when I went past.....mostly thanks to a fedex truck. heh

As for Near West: I'm not so sure how well that plaza is going to work (an outdoor cafe like the one in the rendering would be great), but I can understand how site and budget constraints made it impossible to avoid.  Overall, this project looks like an awesome addition to Gordon Square and a great filler for that empty lot. 

 

If it looks at all like the rendering, and they land a café, I think it might look really nice.  I think a small fountain might be a nice addition- it would be something kind of unique for the area, and provide ambiance for the café.  It seems like something you'd find in Paris.

If you look closely at the Near West Theater rendering, you'll notice that there's a building missing, that being the building on the corner of W.67th and Detroit which currently holds SP Leathers. They have leased/occupied the building for nearly 10 years and I can tell you that the owner of the building has had no intention of selling this property and in fact has considered opening up a true Italian-style pizza shop within the location given the uprising DS area.

That Burger King is a real joke.

 

Even BK hates BK.

Who will be the new tenant for the Variety Theater? I didn't even know there was rehab going forward.

good point, BigD.  I guess I just assumed that they'd come to an agreement with the leather shop owner... no such deal?

 

Anyone heard of interested tenants in the recently rehabbed building next door?  Lots of retail opportunities there...

The tenant is the nonprofit organization (Friends of the Historic Variety Theatre) which is overseeing the Variety Theater's renovation. See:

 

http://varietytheatrecleveland.com/

Well, the people in SP Leather do not  own the building. They have been leasing the space for many years. There has been a sit down with the owner, Matt Zone and developers regarding the property, however no agreement or purchase offer has been made. Negotiations are in the very early stages right now, but as mentioned, there's been discussion about opening another area dining option in that space.

If BP takes off and we see some other residential developments happen in the immediate area, I wonder how that will effect Detroit.  Maybe we'll see a Wendys come in as well! Hell, a boy can dream, can't he?

 

Talk about dreaming, if you had a couple million $$$ and could acquire these three properties, what would you do with the corner of Detroit & Lake?  Nearly 2 acres and about 90% of it is asphalt.  It would be a fantastic site to explore...

 

 

If I can get SketchUp to work, I'll try to put something together. It's possibly the most aggravating and unintuitive program I've ever tried to use (the three times I've tried). When you copy something and go to paste it, the new object should be what? Exactly the same as the first! :x You left-brainers need to get with it!

Sounds like fun!

 

Did you do the tutorials???

Like I have time to sit for a whole tutorial and learn how to render a kitchen sink for a floorplan, when all I want to do is be able to render a variety of mixed-use buildings of varying height coupled with some townhomes, greenspace, and transit waiting environments! Tutorials - pffft!! :roll:

 

;-)

 

Seriously - once I can figure out how to adjust the perspective that's being rendered so that it matches the perspective on the aerial photo I'll be in business. But figuring out how that happens - thanks to the left-brained approach that SketchUp is based on, is next to impossible for someone who needs WYSIWYG as much as I do.

maybe you should write a letter  :wink:

BANNED!

Can you use Illustrator and use the 3D effect?

Thought about that but SketchUp seems like it would be a lot quicker for something like this. I may resort to that, though.

They have a simple one available at skyscrapercity.com ------>

 

 

This also works.... 

Ahh, Sketchup.  I've been trying to make it work as well, but I find it frustrating too.  It might deserve a thread of it's own.

Dang drafting tools are all a pain in the butt. :)

But figuring out how that happens - thanks to the left-brained approach that SketchUp is based on, is next to impossible for someone who needs WYSIWYG as much as I do.

 

If you need any left-brained assistance, I'm your man.

Dang drafting tools are all a pain in the butt. :)

 

I still like old school AutoCad 13, where one of the main ways to draw was by entering commands, rather than click-and-see.  I think the new versions are just fluff that doesn't help (at least when you need to be precise rather than visualize the entire picture).  But that's probably just the programmer in me talking.

Some news about Stone Mad, maybe St Patrick's Day!  From Scene:

 

Stone Mad (1306 West 65th Street), a paean to painstaking craftsmanship in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.  With extensive renovations happening on both vintage properties, the projects have evolved into long, slow labors of love.

 

If recent sneak peeks are any measure, the waits have been worth it.

Regarding Stone Mad, partners Pete Leneghan and Eileen Sammon's stunning pub, patio, and Irish-music venue, it's tough to know where to begin. The intricate ironwork? The exacting masonry? The handblown glass? There's not an inch of space or a piece of hardware in the three-year-old project that isn't a work of art.

 

Expect artful offerings from the kitchen too, under the direction of longtime executive chef Mike Fadel. Fadel says the 60-seat dining room will be home to a "meat-and-potatoes" menu of 12-ounce, hand-formed burgers; a fresh-daily fish; brisket; steak; and rotisserie turkey, carved to order in the open kitchen. In summer, freshly baked pizzas will emerge from the patio's charcoal-fired oven. Nothing on the menu is deep-fried, and nothing will top the $20 mark.

 

Expect Stone Mad to open in time for St. Paddy's Day.

 

 

^yeah, I heard that they would be open for St. Pat's............... last year

 

I have just learned not to ask when I am in town.  It will open when Pete says it is ready.