Cleveland Development Discussions (Campbell, Ohio City, Fulton: Mexican, year round, libraries)

[bjimmy24]

https://neo-trans.blog/2023/03/08/tw...eFRwdMvX1okc10

I am so glad to see this little piece of Cleveland Heights getting some attention. I've long loved the buildings on Taylor and Superior Park, but also thought the contrast with the other side of the street was shockingly bad. See what I mean:

Lovely tudor apartments, classy: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5069...7i16384!8i8192

Directly acrross the street, terrible suburban strip mall set way back from the road: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5073...7i16384!8i8192

The strip mall always totally ruined it for me. But with new development here I can see this being pretty desirable.

[SlideRules99]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

https://neo-trans.blog/2023/03/08/tw...eFRwdMvX1okc10

I am so glad to see this little piece of Cleveland Heights getting some attention. I've long loved the buildings on Taylor and Superior Park, but also thought the contrast with the other side of the street was shockingly bad. See what I mean:

Lovely tudor apartments, classy: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5069...7i16384!8i8192

Directly acrross the street, terrible suburban strip mall set way back from the road: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5073...7i16384!8i8192

The strip mall always totally ruined it for me. But with new development here I can see this being pretty desirable.

This is an exciting project for Cleveland Heights, and, as noted in the article, part of a larger vision to complete build-out of the Stadium Square Historic District. From the developer’s original bid proposal:

<<As it was originally planned, the Tudors were to provide a commercial hub in this important Cleveland Heights neighborhood. This proposal “completes” the original vision for what was to become Stadium Square, nearly 80 years later. We believe a successful vision for this district will address its important role in connection with its immediate surrounding assets -- the Taylor Road Synagogue, Cain Park, the enduring and diverse Stadium Square neighborhood, and its strong Jewish heritage.>>

Part of the vision is apparently to buy out the Taylor Road Synagogue (mired in back taxes and penalties, as noted in article) and convert it into community space + concert/ entertainment venue, to complement the Cain Park music venue. The entire corridor would be pedestrian friendly.

WXZ (developer) bid pitch proposal attached here. You’ll want to advance to foil #37 for specifics.

https://www.clevelandheights.gov/Doc...-121021?bidId=

This becomes a balancing act, IMO…build out an exciting new mixed use corridor, but take care to not drown out the cultural richness of what is currently a unique, heavily Jewish Orthodox neighborhood and community. To the developer’s credit, they’ve made this an explicit consideration.

There is no RTA here (to my knowledge…), so transit is unfortunately a challenge.

But yes, good riddance to that horrible Taylor Commons strip mall.

[216facts]

May be a $250M addition coming to Brookpark, this is in support of NASA research. Apparently the company, Blue Abyss from the UK, is in the process of purchasing the land now. From NEOTrans:

https://neo-trans.blog/2023/03/26/bl...h-center-here/

"Cleveland-area facilities will include 164-foot-deep diving pools, microgravity suites, astronaut training centers and private lodging"

Would be nice to have this investment, certainly builds upon the facilities already there on the West side and at Plum Brook.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by SlideRules99

This is an exciting project for Cleveland Heights, and, as noted in the article, part of a larger vision to complete build-out of the Stadium Square Historic District. From the developer’s original bid proposal:

<<As it was originally planned, the Tudors were to provide a commercial hub in this important Cleveland Heights neighborhood. This proposal “completes” the original vision for what was to become Stadium Square, nearly 80 years later. We believe a successful vision for this district will address its important role in connection with its immediate surrounding assets -- the Taylor Road Synagogue, Cain Park, the enduring and diverse Stadium Square neighborhood, and its strong Jewish heritage.>>

Part of the vision is apparently to buy out the Taylor Road Synagogue (mired in back taxes and penalties, as noted in article) and convert it into community space + concert/ entertainment venue, to complement the Cain Park music venue. The entire corridor would be pedestrian friendly.

WXZ (developer) bid pitch proposal attached here. You’ll want to advance to foil #37 for specifics.

https://www.clevelandheights.gov/Doc...-121021?bidId=

This becomes a balancing act, IMO…build out an exciting new mixed use corridor, but take care to not drown out the cultural richness of what is currently a unique, heavily Jewish Orthodox neighborhood and community. To the developer’s credit, they’ve made this an explicit consideration.

There is no RTA here (to my knowledge…), so transit is unfortunately a challenge.

But yes, good riddance to that horrible Taylor Commons strip mall.

I'm very excited about the Stadium Square development. The grand Tudor structures along Taylor are gorgeous and that same quality architecture extends westward along Superior Park Dr., with Tudor apt buildings and houses to where the street beautifully abuts the northern edge of Cain Park. This has always been a super Cleveland Heights-y character commercial district -- one of several, of course -- but these old beauties had declined and gone into serious neglect in recent years along with that God-awful strip shopping across Taylor.

As for transit, it sure would be nice if RTA could extend the no. 37 bus line south to the Van Aken Rapid (Blue Line) and the Chagrin/Kinsman turnaround where it used to go before it was Calabresed/Next-Gen'd and cut back to traveling no farther south than Severance. Stadium Sq would be better connected to neighborhoods south along Taylor to Fairmount (whose stub intersection has a small, neat collection of shops and a restaurant) as well as the Blue and Green Rapid lines.... Seems to make sense (too much for the current RTA brass I'm afraid).

[216facts]

Nice to see the RRHOF expansion get approval

https://www.crainscleveland.com/real...-iconic-design

Say what you will about the architecture, I think the RRHOF has proved its value to downtown: "Since the Rock Hall's opening in 1995, it has generated more than $2 billion in economic impact to Northeast Ohio, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the museum said."

this is from the News5 article: https://www.news5cleveland.com/enter...and%20concerts.

[216facts]

Originally Posted by TheProf

I'm very excited about the Stadium Square development. The grand Tudor structures along Taylor are gorgeous and that same quality architecture extends westward along Superior Park Dr., with Tudor apt buildings and houses to where the street beautifully abuts the northern edge of Cain Park. This has always been a super Cleveland Heights-y character commercial district -- one of several, of course -- but these old beauties had declined and gone into serious neglect in recent years along with that God-awful strip shopping across Taylor.

As for transit, it sure would be nice if RTA could extend the no. 37 bus line south to the Van Aken Rapid (Blue Line) and the Chagrin/Kinsman turnaround where it used to go before it was Calabresed/Next-Gen'd and cut back to traveling no farther south than Severance. Stadium Sq would be better connected to neighborhoods south along Taylor to Fairmount (whose stub intersection has a small, neat collection of shops and a restaurant) as well as the Blue and Green Rapid lines.... Seems to make sense (too much for the current RTA brass I'm afraid).

Agree on both points. We used to live in CH (Cleve Hts Blvd area across from Severence) but the wife worked on Taylor. It was our first introduction to Cleveland over 30 years ago. We go back often. The Heights continues to punch well with all of the development along Cedar and now this project. It has a bright future as development in University Circle continues to take off. Total gem of a city that prides itself in welcoming all.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by 216facts

Agree on both points. We used to live in CH (Cleve Hts Blvd area across from Severence) but the wife worked on Taylor. It was our first introduction to Cleveland over 30 years ago. We go back often. The Heights continues to punch well with all of the development along Cedar and now this project. It has a bright future as development in University Circle continues to take off. Total gem of a city that prides itself in welcoming all.

Cleveland Heights -- already a classic, walkable, character-old suburb -- is on a serious roll. The announcement of Stadium Square comes just as the city is polishing off the massive Top-of-the-Hill development at Cedar-Fairmount and the (just this week) groundbreaking of the equally exciting Meadowbrook mixed-use residential development in the heart of Cedar-Lee. The good is getting even better in the Heights.

[Cleverfield]

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/...nt-dreams.html

This is really exciting for the future of the downtown lakefront, and I think has great potential to yield real results! A new entity that can tackle what’s apparently a very complicated problem and can exist across administrations is a great idea. I’m liking that some of Bibb’s talk of big ideas is translating into action, and actions based on actual research of best-practices in other cities. It gives me some confidence in his decision-making.

[kpl1228]

Litt is a nationally-known planning and architecture writer. Cleveland's lucky to have him. Excellent article.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

Litt is a nationally-known planning and architecture writer. Cleveland's lucky to have him. Excellent article.

Agreed. Steve's the best.