Cleveland Development Discussions (Columbus, Lakewood, Westlake: woman, fabrics, conservative)

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by WRnative

RTA in its effort to raise capital apparently desires to sell part of its right-of-way for residential housing construction near the West 25th Red Line station.

https://www.cleveland.com/expo/life-...even-litt.html

Reading the comments to this article, a point that struck me is concern about the noise that will permeate any building adjacent to a rail rapid line. Can construction standards include sufficient sound-proofing as to make these residential units tolerable for residents? Will this be a requirement?

Would a much larger pedestrian/biker friendly park in that location enhance the neighborhood more than another residential building? An immediate park always is more desirable than a nearby park, a certainty not grasped by RTA or many of the posters in the article.

I don't see noise being a major issue here. Remember, there are only Rapid cars passing here (mainly 2-car electric trains without rumbling diesel engines). Consider other mid-luxury-to-luxury projects built recently near busy freight RR ROWs.

Flats East Bank apts, which would be considered high-end/expensive, is adjacent to that extremely busy freight-rail main line along the lake shore and over the Iron-Curtain bridge at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. Add to this the numerous Cleveland Cliffs long freighter ore ships blasting their horns as the creep along the river. Over in Uptown/Little Italy, the huge new Centric apt (277 units) in a mid-to-luxury building. 2 other quality multi-unit buildings are under construction: the Quattro condos and the Perotti mid-rise -- both adjacent to both RTAs Red Line double tracks and 2 sets of double tracks for busy freight RR lines (N-S and CSX) whose trains frequently pass and boom their horns.

The every 10/15 minute Red Line electric cars passing through the Red Line trench are mouse-quiet compared to the examples I noted.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Will a prominent building site in Cleveland Hts. receive a building worthy of the location?

https://www.cleveland.com/expo/life-...even-litt.html

This article raises the question of whether new development throughout Greater Cleveland lacks architectural inspiration and so is turning the region into an architecturally boring, if not depressing wasteland.

I used to live about a half mile from there. I still subscribe to the Cleveland Heights online newsletter so I saw this when it was first announced.

I have to say I was appalled. It appears they are trying to squeeze way to much in the space given. It also appears what's planned is the typical ugly urban-suburban architecture that passes for the latest style this days. Ugh!

Lakewood is proposing to replace the old hospital being torn down as we speak, by this same type of structure. A 7-13 story condo with surrounding upscale shops is proposed. Double ugh!

So many more useful things could be put in there.

We're catching up to the worst of what I left behind when I moved from Portland.

Just what Lakewood needs. Another gym, (one just opened a block away), wine bar, bistro and cafe.

http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-conten...07.05.2017.pdf

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I used to live about a half mile from there. I still subscribe to the Cleveland Heights online newsletter so I saw this when it was first announced.

I have to say I was appalled. It appears they are trying to squeeze way to much in the space given. It also appears what's planned is the typical ugly urban-suburban architecture that passes for the latest style this days. Ugh!

Lakewood is proposing to replace the old hospital being torn down as we speak, by this same type of structure. A 7-13 story condo with surrounding upscale shops is proposed. Double ugh!

So many more useful things could be put in there.

We're catching up to the worst of what I left behind when I moved from Portland.

Just what Lakewood needs. Another gym, (one just opened a block away), wine bar, bistro and cafe.

http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-conten...07.05.2017.pdf

This is really disappointing to read. I thought this is why Cleveland was different. This stuff is the kinda thing I want to get away from: the banality, the ugliness, the glass window everything, the IKEA/Bauhaus/one-size-fits-all mindset, the lack of any imagination, the sterility, the lack of sense of place, and perhaps most of all, the kind of people who love this stuff.

Really discouraging.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by TheProf

The every 10/15 minute Red Line electric cars passing through the Red Line trench are mouse-quiet compared to the examples I noted.

I agree that the noise is not a significant factor. Also note that the rapid is not a 24 hour service, so it won't disturb most people's sleeping hours. People easily learn to tune out noises near their home (airplane traffic, fire stations, freight rail as you noted, etc.).

The Blue and Green lines already run by many homes, apartments, and condos along Shaker and Van Aken. Maybe they're not quite as close to the tracks as the proposed development, but my wife and I could easily hear the rapids from our bedroom and living room in our last apartment. We kind of liked it actually.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

This is really disappointing to read. I thought this is why Cleveland was different. This stuff is the kinda thing I want to get away from: the banality, the ugliness, the glass window everything, the IKEA/Bauhaus/one-size-fits-all mindset, the lack of any imagination, the sterility, the lack of sense of place, and perhaps most of all, the kind of people who love this stuff.

Really discouraging.

When I first moved to Lakewood a neighbor drove me around showing me the different and interesting places here. When we passed by a brew pub she remarked how Lakewood is making progress and it's starting to catch up with the more popular cities.


This woman is in her eighties yet she's bought into the hype that every place must look the same in order to be considered as " The Place To Live."

I told her that's not progress, that's losing your identity when you look like everyone else. How many brew pubs, wine bars, coffee shops does one town need? Copycats all of them.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I told her that's not progress, that's losing your identity when you look like everyone else. How many brew pubs, wine bars, coffee shops does one town need? Copycats all of them.

I'm not really following your line of thinking here.

What would you prefer to see? I can understand being against large chains...but being against whole categories of business like "coffee shop" and "brew pub"?

[Unicorn hunter]

Thinking about checking out Lakewood myself. I think builders are trying to save money and attract millennials....I think that sort of minimalism/starkness appeals to them. In my opinion, one can never have too many wine bars or coffee shops...add in some independent bookstores and cafes, and it sounds pretty near perfect!

[RaisedRustbelt]

Originally Posted by Unicorn hunter

Thinking about checking out Lakewood myself. I think builders are trying to save money and attract millennials....I think that sort of minimalism/starkness appeals to them. In my opinion, one can never have too many wine bars or coffee shops...add in some independent bookstores and cafes, and it sounds pretty near perfect!

Millennial here, speaking for myself, bland/simple designs are not attractive to me nor are chain businesses that look like everywhere else. I like Lakewood because of its old character and its grittiness. It one of the reasons I love Cleveland so much. I look at a city that has a lot of this bland architecture and it feels soulless, Columbus is a good example of this.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by RaisedRustbelt

Millennial here, speaking for myself, bland/simple designs are not attractive to me nor are chain businesses that look like everywhere else. I like Lakewood because of its old character and its grittiness. It one of the reasons I love Cleveland so much. I look at a city that has a lot of this bland architecture and it feels soulless, Columbus is a good example of this.

Co-signed. I am 29 years old. The emergence of this Any Urban Neighborhood, USA trend is truly disgusting. Gone is any notion of beauty, craftsmanship, pride, locality. I walk around these areas (plenty in Boston- Seaport, Kenmore Square/Fenway, more and more parts of Allston, Kendall Square) and I just feel less human and more isolated.

Columbus is a prime example of a "successful" city that has just absolutely no depth to it.

[Unicorn hunter]

I apologize for lumping all millennials together! Was just generalizing from what I had heard from a few.....obviously every group is made up of individuals with various tastes. I hate it when baby boomers are all demonized as a group together!