Urban Sophistication - The Uptown Project

[Jim O'Bryan]

Bill

Well one form the east was unveiled yesterday.

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/07

This is just one of many developments planned for the University Circle area. The University Circle District is growing as well to include; Little Italy, East Cleveland, Hough, Glenville and some of Cleveland.

So with thousands, and thousands of new, "cool" housing in hip districts along with 30 year tax-abatements. Lakewoood must work its ass off to be marketable.

Or we take on the homeless, bottom out and rebuild in 20 years.

FWIW


.

[Bill Call]

Or we take on the homeless, bottom out and rebuild in 20 years.

Thats the County's vision for Lakewood, except for the rebuild part. Why do you think there is such intense behind the scenes opposition to a simple idea like reconfiguring Clifton?

We are on our own.

Does the City leadership realize this?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Does the City leadership realize this?

Bill

This is why I posted "Slaughter of Cities" Council should invite Kenneth Warren in to discuss this and other items.

One of the reasons the "Visionary Alignment For Lakewood" was put together. To stave off the slaughter of Lakewood.

We have been under attack for years, those that speak of regionalism, are speaking of the slaughter of Lakewood, River, Bay etc.

Developers by nature must develop. To develop they need to buy low, and there are many ways to buy low. The easiest, to drive down prices. Some developers and people realize it, others are just so eager to grab the $$$$ they do not see the picture. Others, see it, plan it and work it.

I could look back at the past 20 years in Lakewood and say, "Oh it all just happens..." but it does not. Much at work here, much mischief afoot.

To the point one needs to ask, are the posts by "Lakewoodites" on This Old House, Cleveland.com, and the crime site, accidents? Or part of the organized effort to run down Lakewood and kill our prices? Or are they just the fools and pawns of others? I was talking to one property owner that was seriously looking at going after these "block busters," for the financial damages they are doing.

For the record the now infamous evil VAL has been able to pull off about 60% of what was on the table 5 years ago. Without help from schools, city hall, or most business groups that exist. All of it is very positive, and I would credit much of it for the fact the city is holding its own. I only wish that City Hall, schools and business groups would have jumped in.

The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce advertising CLE +, and working for other "regional goals" while taking businesses to Mentor for a fun night out, was not something we saw as a plus.

We have some people bringing in "refugees" with no back-up or future assimlating for many. We have another group pushing for more Section 8. All of this done to appeal to various groups that are trying to help, but in fact being used by larger groups. It is not an accident that Dr. Jones is speaking to the Association of Catholic Engineers and Scientists. Catholic Charities is one of the largest movers of humans and human engineering.

I would hope that council, wakes up and sees the wave coming.

We can beat this.

.

[Bill Call]

Catholic Charities is one of the largest movers of humans and human engineering.

I would hope that council, wakes up and sees the wave coming.

We can beat this.

.

Catholic Charities is the new block buster. They are moving refugees into Lakewood, signing them up for whatever welfare benefit is available and then cutting them lose.

I normally stay out of dog fights but on my list of most important things to do banning pit bulls is down there somewhere with doing nothing at all.

Now that we are saved from the pits perhaps there will be time to deal with development.

Clifton Avenue is a 5 minute walk from the Library, the Hospital, the grocery store and some really great restaurants. It's a development opportunity in the middle of a real city with real neighborhoods. The County and others are fighting tooth and nail to make sure it stays as nothing more than the Rocky River Freeway because the success of Lakewood is the failure of regionalization.

Does the administration realize that this is a war of survivial?