Another string of positive media stories on Cleveland (Lakewood, Euclid: living in, restaurant)

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by andrew61

So? Our parents and grandparents lived in different eras, where different expectations applied.

Heck, when my dad was a boy, my grandparents had no refrigerator yet -- only an icebox for which you had to constantly purchase ice. And no washing machine -- not even the old wringer variety yet... my grandmother washed all clothes by hand, using an old-fashioned scrub board.

We're living in the year 2017. Big difference.

Great stories

[october2007]

Originally Posted by Kamms

For being a mall, Tower City is still one of the best urban mall in terms of how it is set-up and integrated into an old train station with the atrium view of the Tower and the riverfront, it's a pretty unique place/setting. It needs a better tenant-mix though; perhaps Gilbert will finally do some upscaling of the place. Downtown's growing residential population should help and a growing employment base downtown as well would really turn things around.

Does it have a new owner? You're right...it is a fantastic set up and with some even better stores it could be a real centerpiece for the city.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by october2007

Are you talking about the gorgeous arcade building? I couldn't wait to see that after seeing it online but every time I go it's empty (I use the P.O. there sometimes).

If you mean my reference to The Galleria, no -- that's a shopping mall inside a modern glass atrium at East 9th and St. Clair, actually part of the Erieview complex.

I was working next door at 45 Erieview at the time it opened. It was a great addition to the immediate area. Before it was built, there were just some ugly fountains enclosed in concrete in that space in front of Erieview Tower... rather grim.

The Cleveland Arcade was at one time more bustling. Lots of eateries there back in the '80s and early '90s before I moved away. If you worked downtown, it was a great place to have lunch and peoplewatch. Now there are very few places to eat there.

Just a few weeks ago I was downtown having to transfer buses after 6 pm. I went into the Arcade to use a restroom, but the restrooms on the lower level at the Euclid end were already closed for the evening. I walked into the Hyatt and inquired, and they directed me to a rather nice lounge across from the hotel entrance. I got to use the restroom, but not without being panhandled while I was in there!

[october2007]

Originally Posted by andrew61

If you mean my reference to The Galleria, no -- that's a shopping mall inside a modern glass atrium at East 9th and St. Clair, actually part of the Erieview complex.

I was working next door at 45 Erieview at the time it opened. It was a great addition to the immediate area. Before it was built, there were just some ugly fountains enclosed in concrete in that space in front of Erieview Tower... rather grim.

The Cleveland Arcade was at one time more bustling. Lots of eateries there back in the '80s and early '90s before I moved away. If you worked downtown, it was a great place to have lunch and peoplewatch. Now there are very few places to eat there.

Just a few weeks ago I was downtown having to transfer buses after 6 pm. I went into the Arcade to use a restroom, but the restrooms on the lower level at the Euclid end were already closed for the evening. I walked into the Hyatt and inquired, and they directed me to a rather nice lounge across from the hotel entrance. I got to use the restroom, but not without being panhandled while I was in there!

Oh...I haven't seen the Erieview place yet. The Arcade is another great space that could really see better times again (I hope). In Seattle people are getting panhandled everywhere and homeless are using public bathrooms to clean up and in some cases shoot up, even in restaurants.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by andrew61

If you mean my reference to The Galleria, no -- that's a shopping mall inside a modern glass atrium at East 9th and St. Clair, actually part of the Erieview complex.

I was working next door at 45 Erieview at the time it opened. It was a great addition to the immediate area. Before it was built, there were just some ugly fountains enclosed in concrete in that space in front of Erieview Tower... rather grim.

The Cleveland Arcade was at one time more bustling. Lots of eateries there back in the '80s and early '90s before I moved away. If you worked downtown, it was a great place to have lunch and peoplewatch. Now there are very few places to eat there.

Just a few weeks ago I was downtown having to transfer buses after 6 pm. I went into the Arcade to use a restroom, but the restrooms on the lower level at the Euclid end were already closed for the evening. I walked into the Hyatt and inquired, and they directed me to a rather nice lounge across from the hotel entrance. I got to use the restroom, but not without being panhandled while I was in there!

The Arcade suffered a death from multiple wounds: 1) The BP Building (now 200 Public Square) and especially Key Center were massive Class A buildings that drained the tenants from the older buildings on East 9th St. (the East Ohio Gas Building (now 1717 East Ninth St. apartments), the massive Union Commerce/Huntington Building (now the 925 Building under mixed use redevelopment), the Ameritrust Tower (now the Metropolitan at the 9 and high-end apartments), Ohio Savings Plaza, etc.). 2) National City and Ohio Savings/Ambank liquidation/sales, Diamond Shamrock's relocation from Ohio, Eaton's relocation to the I-271 corridor, all drained jobs from the East 9th corridor. 3) The development of the Avenue at Tower City and the Galleria drained The Arcade's vitality; and 4) The conversion of The Arcade to a Hyatt saved the building, but made retail somewhat less viable given that often a whole floor is closed to accommodate wedding receptions, etc. In recent years, the successful redevelopment of the 5th St. Arcades and the Heinen's, not to mention Gateway and East 4th St., also have preempted whatever opportunities remain for The Arcade.

I suspect somewhere between 20-40k jobs, perhaps more, disappeared from the East 9th St. business district, many very high paying jobs. Of course, the redevelopment of Public Square and Tower City made possible the Warehouse District and East 4th and the Gateway District.

The convenience offered to suburbanites by Beachwood Place, Legacy Village and Crocker Park also had a major impact on downtown retail, not including the development of successful malls/retail centers in other suburbs, such as Mentor on the east side and Strongsville's SouthPark Mall on the west side.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SouthP...ngsville,_Ohio)

Mentor now has the sixth largest retail sales of any Ohio city, even though its population is less than 50,000 (I do wonder if Mentor is a massive retail bubble, but it has become a retail destination for much of northeastern Ohio including Lake, Ashtabula and Geauga counties and eastern inner ring Cleveland suburbs). Mentor claims over 320 retailers, including most big boxes, and 170 restaurants; its focus is more on the middle class than the higher end retailers at Beachwood and Legacy Village, and its retail footprint also is much, much greater than in 1990.

http://cityofmentor.com/wp-content/u...itorsguide.pdf

Mentor claims to have 3.3 million square feet of prime retail space. Mentor's K-Mart Super Center is closed, but is being replaced by a Meijers, a very likely upgrade. Mentor's JC Penney and Sears stores remain survivors, although I suspect the entire Sears chain (which includes K-Mart) has just a few years, perhaps even months, left before a bankruptcy filing. Mentor's Great Lakes Mall currently has Macy's, a double Dillard's (four total stories), JC Penney and Sears as major anchors, although a large Dick's Sporting Goods has been added. It will be interesting to see what replaces Sears at Great Lakes, if anything.

http://cityofmentor.com/wp-content/u...siness0416.pdf

Mentor, Lake County industrial market booming; retail, office demand slower

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Kamms

For being a mall, Tower City is still one of the best urban mall in terms of how it is set-up and integrated into an old train station with the atrium view of the Tower and the riverfront, it's a pretty unique place/setting. It needs a better tenant-mix though; perhaps Gilbert will finally do some upscaling of the place. Downtown's growing residential population should help and a growing employment base downtown as well would really turn things around.

I think as long as the downtown residential population continues to grow, the stores will follow.

[bjimmy24]

Just for the naive out there who think that retail shopping is a necessity for any city: it's not, the game is basicslly over, but we've barely seen anything yet.

The retail apocalypse has officially descended on America - Business Insider

[C-rob2727]

Originally Posted by andrew61

If you mean my reference to The Galleria, no -- that's a shopping mall inside a modern glass atrium at East 9th and St. Clair, actually part of the Erieview complex.

I was working next door at 45 Erieview at the time it opened. It was a great addition to the immediate area. Before it was built, there were just some ugly fountains enclosed in concrete in that space in front of Erieview Tower... rather grim.

The Cleveland Arcade was at one time more bustling. Lots of eateries there back in the '80s and early '90s before I moved away. If you worked downtown, it was a great place to have lunch and peoplewatch. Now there are very few places to eat there.

Just a few weeks ago I was downtown having to transfer buses after 6 pm. I went into the Arcade to use a restroom, but the restrooms on the lower level at the Euclid end were already closed for the evening. I walked into the Hyatt and inquired, and they directed me to a rather nice lounge across from the hotel entrance. I got to use the restroom, but not without being panhandled while I was in there!

I just got back from a weekend trip in Chicago. I was harassed by panhandlers more than a few times!

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by C-rob2727

I just got back from a weekend trip in Chicago. I was harassed by panhandlers more than a few times!

Chicago panhandling is bad...most cities have this issue though to varying degrees, but Chicago's is bad.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by C-rob2727

I just got back from a weekend trip in Chicago. I was harassed by panhandlers more than a few times!

Were you at any time panhandled in the restroom of an upscale lounge? That's what I was referring to.

I used to get panhandled at McDonald's in Chicago... but not inside anyplace that was really nice.