John Brennan wrote:Jim,
Fair enough. In any event, you did complain that Lakewood is competing with the longer term abatements--Hough and Woodland? I don't think that anyone who looks at a new property in Lakewood would look in either the Hough or Woodland areas. They are not competing markets.
Also, it doesn't matter that a good number of people in Lakewood do not take I-90. The possibility of cutting off both main arteries into the CBD at the same time affects the whole west side and would be foolish for the city (but possibly good for the west side commercial real estate market in general).
John
Maybe not today, but I have a friend that would have been a perfect Lakewood candidate and his wife works on W116 and Detroit, that just bought a fixer upper for $32,000 in East Cleveland. Had the house been 1/4mile south it would have sold for $500,000 - $750,000. Working what he could in grant money the house is nearly free. He is attracting a whole group of people from Case to buy and rebuild in the neighborhood.
I have to think East Cleveland could be the next "Ohio City." Especially as Case has nowhere to expand but east. I have been doing work in Termont and Ohio City and they are getting pretty active again with rebuilding, and as one local leader said, "Why is gentrification a bad word? It bring income, families, responsability, and life back to a dying community.
As I stood with Steve Davis, just a block south of Lancer's Bar, on what was one of the worst ghettos in Cleveland, and now completely redeveloped as far as the eye can see into "Crocker Park" style homes. I could not help but be taken with the wonderful view of Cleveland at night, while thinking it would be great to be walking distance of downtown if I was of that mindset again. 20 year tax abatements on $200,000 homes, in an area patrolled by two police services.
And that is just the beginning. Cleveland with acres and acres of land that sits empty, banked or occupied by lower income families will be redeveloped, and Cleveland can afford the tax abatements after all, if property is bringing in zero income now, it gives you plenty of movement on what you can give.
We have these groups providing homes to Ken's BoHos, a group Lakewood was attracting. It will also appeal to GenX on down as they all seem to want to move strictly based on lowest taxes. Then we have elders that still dream of Leakwood to thee west, Bay, Avon, and even North Olmsted and North Ridgeville. Lakewood has got to put together a very nice package to keep or attract. Something like what was spoken about at the very first LakewoodAlive meeting. Tax credits for fixing up Lakewood homes, declare the city a historic district this would give us almost 75% of any repair back as a tax credit that could be used over years. Respect for "neighborhoods" with very pro-active building department that not merely cites, but also jumps in with lists of programs to help and underwrite. Neighborhood groups and block watches that are even more proactive than right now. Possibly a revisit to the police levy, to build an overwhelming answer to crime, from inside the city and outside. Certainly a serious look at the arts, and not little art districts, but a full fledged city wide movement to SUPPORT the arts.
SAFE - CLEAN - FUN, it really seems simple enough. Many, many, many cities all over America are succeeding without abatements, but that is because they are very proactive with underlining and amplifying their history, and the "historical" neighborhoods. Another thing that could really work to help Lakewood is REAL access to the Lake. Speaking with on realtor I asked what a real beach with docks, and picnic area, that was private for Lakewood residents would do to Lakewood. She thought maybe as much as a 20% rise in home prices. Think of that, 20% across the board, and the ability to attract a completely new group of residents.
As for I-90, maybe I am just naive, but traffic downtown in the morning and back at night has never been as heavy as I have seen in other cities during rush hour. I have always thought that much of this is because Cleveland has not upheld then end of the deal. Then have not kept jobs in Cleveland. Had they taken the money wasted on conventions, and used it for attracting business, we would all be better off. Right now I see Cleveland as a sinking ship, that is offering very little. Imagine Cleveland without the Clinic? That is about where we are right now.
This is another thing that has caused me to rethink many things. In the "thought puddle" known as the Visionary Alignment for Lakewood, or VAL for short, featured in the wrestling story in Lakewood Observer V4 Issue 18. We had forecasted the price of gas pretty accurately. This would have brought people back to Lakewood as the commute from Avon to Cleveland would no longer be worth it. However I am not convinced that Cleveland is the work destination it once was. This throws a wrench into the whole deal.
Though iother groups think it is "Lakewood's Interest" to lump Akron, Canton, and Youngstown into the CLE+ region and you have added maybe 100,000+ acres of tax abatements, and places for industry to move that will have a negative impact on Lakewood as well. We are in for tough times for a long time.
That is, unless we make Lakewood SAFE CLEAN FUN, and we can attract people that can work from home, and enjoy and seek out wonderful walkable historic cities. At that level we only compete with a small handful of places in Northern Ohio. Throw in Lake access, Emerald Canyon, 3 golf course in 5 minutes, stables, trout and salmon fishing, boating, schools, library, good restaurants, and central location to the county, etc and Lakewood kicks ass.
It will be a fight, but it is a fight many of us think we can win, and win very easily if we do not loose site of the goal.
FWIW
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