The Casto Project
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The Casto Project
During A Multi-Year Pandemic Of Historic Impacts, We Need And Want A Full Service Public Hospital. No Excuses!
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Re: The Casto Project
How Many Of You Actually Now Work From An Office?
Whatever the Lakewood Planning Department, the Planning Commission, and City Council are up to this remains an EPIC FAIL.
This plan is basically a retread of the original Mike Summer plan, now years obsolete and a disaster-in-the-making then; a fundamental misuse of public assets and future public incoming tax revenue.
My client hasn't been in their Class-A office space since 2019. Same with all the law firm lawyers that I talk with all week all over the country.
And, obviously, all of this has been planned on Zoom calls without material public participation; remotely.
What am I missing?
The Historic Curtis Block is now gone.
Whatever the Lakewood Planning Department, the Planning Commission, and City Council are up to this remains an EPIC FAIL.
This plan is basically a retread of the original Mike Summer plan, now years obsolete and a disaster-in-the-making then; a fundamental misuse of public assets and future public incoming tax revenue.
My client hasn't been in their Class-A office space since 2019. Same with all the law firm lawyers that I talk with all week all over the country.
And, obviously, all of this has been planned on Zoom calls without material public participation; remotely.
What am I missing?
The Historic Curtis Block is now gone.
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Re: The Casto Project
So, in just what universe do educated, intelligent individuals and organizations again plan and execute that which has already proven itself a known failure?
Why would anyone in Lakewood municipal government ever be thinking about a "do-over" of the failed plans of the Summers Administration.
Well, here we go....again!
Right on down to the same Public Relations crap.
Why would anyone in Lakewood municipal government ever be thinking about a "do-over" of the failed plans of the Summers Administration.
Well, here we go....again!
Right on down to the same Public Relations crap.
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Re: The Casto Project
Mark Kindt wrote:So, in just what universe do educated, intelligent individuals and organizations again plan and execute that which has already proven itself a known failure?
Why would anyone in Lakewood municipal government ever be thinking about a "do-over" of the failed plans of the Summers Administration.
Well, here we go....again!
Right on down to the same Public Relations crap.
For me, it's not about education and intelligence, but rather the lack of COMMON SENSE in certain individuals.
- Jim O'Bryan
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Re: The Casto Project
Mark Kindt wrote:What Is So Hard About Helping Ordinary People?
Mark
What has happened here was recently written about as what is wrong with Cleveland.
A good read for all - https://www.crainscleveland.com/opinion/personal-view-does-cleveland-have-ruling-class?
I have complained about the same thing here since the end of the Tom George administration.
We have a ruling class here that works the system 130% of the time. Residents, don;t have a chance.
And when one realizes it is wrong, as you have witnessed and felt, you are attacked for being "a thinker."
Lakewood has no future until it sheds itself of the ruling class here.
You can bet on that.
peace
Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident
"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg
"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Lakewood Resident
"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg
"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
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Re: The Casto Project
Ten Years Of Public Planning Wrecked Lakewood
Now ten years later, at the end of the day, Lakewood public planning winds-up with a massive taxpayer subsidy to the insurance industry to fill an empty hole where Lakewood elected officials, public employees, and so-called civic leaders destroyed and demolished our hospital right-down to the doorknobs.
Leaving $10 million (or more) in pollution clean-up costs.
[....]
With my own ears, I heard Mike Summers tell everyone how great this would all be. Those kinds of lies went on for years...
Is this really what community is all about?
Now ten years later, at the end of the day, Lakewood public planning winds-up with a massive taxpayer subsidy to the insurance industry to fill an empty hole where Lakewood elected officials, public employees, and so-called civic leaders destroyed and demolished our hospital right-down to the doorknobs.
Leaving $10 million (or more) in pollution clean-up costs.
[....]
With my own ears, I heard Mike Summers tell everyone how great this would all be. Those kinds of lies went on for years...
Is this really what community is all about?
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Re: The Casto Project
A few years later, I'm living outside of Lakewood and find myself thinking about one of the central claims of those who wanted to tear down the hospital to make way for "progress".
That is, Lakewood is but a short ambo ride to other hospitals.
Since moving out of Lakewood, I frequently avoid or postpone visiting because the city is so difficult and time-consuming to get in and out of via I-90. Whether on I-90 or surface streets to Fairview Hospital, it's the same clogged arteries.
The "ruling class" won the battle, but Lakewood lost the war.
That is, Lakewood is but a short ambo ride to other hospitals.
Since moving out of Lakewood, I frequently avoid or postpone visiting because the city is so difficult and time-consuming to get in and out of via I-90. Whether on I-90 or surface streets to Fairview Hospital, it's the same clogged arteries.
The "ruling class" won the battle, but Lakewood lost the war.
“Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Winston Churchill (Quote later appropriated by Rahm Emanuel)
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Re: The Casto Project
Even retreading the bogus arguments about the amounts, previously exploded, of tax revenues for the City.
Two kinds of tax relief:
1. Tax Abatement, and,
2. Tax Incremental Financing (TIFs)
A perfect example of private development that does not have financing and, but for taxpayer support, would never be built.
And some cash "gravy" for Roundstone.
And parking for CCF.
That's a quick cut at 60 pages of documents.
Price of real estate still to be negotiated as far as I can tell.
This seems to be a complete retread of the 5 or 6 years old concepts from the Summers team that "shit-canned" Lakewood Hospital with the help of "Build Lakewood".
However, I have nothing negative to say about the private parties involved in negotiations with the City.
This is just a straight-up retread of what at the time was then a stale concept that lost in the competition to the developer with the "insider" connections that ultimately bailed on the project.
Two kinds of tax relief:
1. Tax Abatement, and,
2. Tax Incremental Financing (TIFs)
A perfect example of private development that does not have financing and, but for taxpayer support, would never be built.
And some cash "gravy" for Roundstone.
And parking for CCF.
That's a quick cut at 60 pages of documents.
Price of real estate still to be negotiated as far as I can tell.
This seems to be a complete retread of the 5 or 6 years old concepts from the Summers team that "shit-canned" Lakewood Hospital with the help of "Build Lakewood".
However, I have nothing negative to say about the private parties involved in negotiations with the City.
This is just a straight-up retread of what at the time was then a stale concept that lost in the competition to the developer with the "insider" connections that ultimately bailed on the project.
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Re: The Casto Project
Without our hospital, without our health department, the Casto Project is both a sad and near tragic development during our third pandemic year.
Let us not praise this failure.
Each of us has a duty to expect better.
Let us not praise this failure.
Each of us has a duty to expect better.
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- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am
Re: The Casto Project
There Were Always Better Public Policy Choices To Make
Let us not delude ourselves and others that the City Planning Department has done something good here as recent media stories attempt to present.
As early as May 2018, the City's own retained experts issued a neighborhood-by-neighborhood health needs assessment study that identified a broad range of potential healthcare deficiencies in our city; all while Lakewood Hospital was actually being demolished under the guidance of the Planning Department.
The findings of that May 2018 Lakewood study mirror recent comments from the Director of the CDC in Washington (Dr. Rochelle Walensky):
"We know that this pandemic has been disproportionate in terms of who is affected. I think it's important to recognize that our racial and ethic minorities and socially vulnerable communities are more likely to have long COVID for numerous reasons. One is that they have poor access to health care in general. Second, they likely have higher rates of comorbidities that puts them at high risk of COVID itself. And then, thirdly, there is more disease in many of these communities in general, so you couple all of those things together and you recognize that long COVID is likely to impact communities that might have less access to health care." (Plain Dealer, April 6, 2022, p. A13)
Again, public assets and public income directed to private parties at the expense of public health care needs common to all in our community.
All now inexcusable given the impacts of Covid-19 on Lakewood.
Let us not delude ourselves and others that the City Planning Department has done something good here as recent media stories attempt to present.
As early as May 2018, the City's own retained experts issued a neighborhood-by-neighborhood health needs assessment study that identified a broad range of potential healthcare deficiencies in our city; all while Lakewood Hospital was actually being demolished under the guidance of the Planning Department.
The findings of that May 2018 Lakewood study mirror recent comments from the Director of the CDC in Washington (Dr. Rochelle Walensky):
"We know that this pandemic has been disproportionate in terms of who is affected. I think it's important to recognize that our racial and ethic minorities and socially vulnerable communities are more likely to have long COVID for numerous reasons. One is that they have poor access to health care in general. Second, they likely have higher rates of comorbidities that puts them at high risk of COVID itself. And then, thirdly, there is more disease in many of these communities in general, so you couple all of those things together and you recognize that long COVID is likely to impact communities that might have less access to health care." (Plain Dealer, April 6, 2022, p. A13)
Again, public assets and public income directed to private parties at the expense of public health care needs common to all in our community.
All now inexcusable given the impacts of Covid-19 on Lakewood.
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Re: The Casto Project
How Much More Will This Cost Us?
The missing data-point for me is exactly just how much the development team will actually pay for the former hospital site real estate in the deal.
I have read the recent reporting and this element seems to be entirely missing in the write-ups.
The missing data-point for me is exactly just how much the development team will actually pay for the former hospital site real estate in the deal.
I have read the recent reporting and this element seems to be entirely missing in the write-ups.
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Re: The Casto Project
The fact that public officials will not consider a health system baffles me. Healthcare spending is skyrocketing and the pandemic will only increase federal support. Lakewood should conduct a national search for a healthcare provider.
Why?
Cuyahoga County is bleeding residents and retail is dying. What’s Lakewoods plan? Subsidized development and shopping. Who assumes the risk? Residents hold the bag when the subsidies end and the businesses flee to the next corporate welfare island. This is called whack-a-mole.
This council is not making the hospital a big enough issue. It’s about jobs, healthcare, and a economic anchor to the heart of the city.
Why?
Cuyahoga County is bleeding residents and retail is dying. What’s Lakewoods plan? Subsidized development and shopping. Who assumes the risk? Residents hold the bag when the subsidies end and the businesses flee to the next corporate welfare island. This is called whack-a-mole.
This council is not making the hospital a big enough issue. It’s about jobs, healthcare, and a economic anchor to the heart of the city.
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Re: The Casto Project
Your wisdom, knowledge, and experience are greatly needed.
I have wracked my brain for several days trying to think of how there is any rational public justification for direct or indirect public subsidies to an insurance company to remain here.
We are paying more for these full and part-time employees beyond anything these 100 individuals will ever pay in taxes.
Always good to hear from you.
I have wracked my brain for several days trying to think of how there is any rational public justification for direct or indirect public subsidies to an insurance company to remain here.
We are paying more for these full and part-time employees beyond anything these 100 individuals will ever pay in taxes.
Always good to hear from you.
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