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an annotated chronological list of links related to planning and development in Greater Cleveland

23 December 2008

2008 Cleveland Design Competition awards
The winners of the 2008 Cleveland Design Competition were announced today. First prize went to Nini Spagl and Gerald Haselwanter of Wein, Austria, second prize to Sylvain Delboy, Dimitri Boutleux, and Sarah Kassler of San Francisco, and third prize to Elise Shelley and James Roche of Toronto. The Design Competition posted images of the winning entries.

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Plans for historic Cleveland movie theaters
The Plain Dealer looked at the renovation plans for the closed Variety Theater on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland's West Boulevard neighborhood and the La Salle Theater on East 185th Street in North Collinwood.

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Ashbury Towers site auctioned off
The Ashbury Towers property was sold at auction last week. It was divided into two parcels, and a piece with 12 completed and uncompleted townhouses sold for $375,000. The other portion, the site of the former Joseph & Feiss factory, was sold to a second developer for $255,000. The two developers could resume construction of the stalled development.

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12 December 2008

PD: "Cleveland must not settle for half a loaf"
The Plain Dealer's editorial page again addresses the West Shoreway reconstruction plans, encouraging Cleveland and ODOT officials to collaborate on making the project a Cleveland signature.

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Variety Theater restoration
The City of Cleveland allocated $175,000 in CDBG funds for the purchase of the landmark Variety Theater on Lorain Avenue. The Friends of the Historic Variety Theater are raising funds for its restoration, and hope to install a new marquee in the spring.

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09 December 2008

Brookpark Road rapid station update
While RTA's 2005 plans for a transit oriented development and a new Brookpark Road rapid station did not come to fruition, the agency still plans to build a new station. However, it has been delayed because other projects are higher priorities.

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05 December 2008

West Shoreway plans back on track
The delayed plans to convert the West Shoreway to a boulevard are regaining momentum. The Ohio Department of Transportation has agreements in place, and plans to begin Phase I work (PDF) in 2010. Phase II construction is now scheduled to start no sooner than 2013. ODOT will hold a public open house on December 11 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

Update: a Plain Dealer graphic breaks down the plans.

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Update on the Pearl Road/West 25th St. Study
Work on the Pearl Road/West 25th Street Comprehensive Transportation Study is nearing completion.

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04 December 2008

Environmental lawsuits
The City of Cleveland sued Standex International, the former owner of the Trinity property on Detroit Road, and is seeking more than $1.5 million in compensation for the environmental cleanup of the site. Meanwhile, the Ohio EPA reached a settlement with the owners of City View Center in Garfield Heights. The developers agreed to make major infrastructure improvements (PDF) and pay a $1.2 million fine.

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13 November 2008

Dissatisfaction over Innerbelt Bridge plans
The Ohio Department of Transportation may drop its proposed two-bridge plan for carrying I-90 over the Cuyahoga River valley due to the rapid decay of the Innerbelt Bridge. One proposal calls for building a steel girder bridge under the existing truss bridge, which would require closing the bridge for two years. Meanwhile, a group of Tremont residents protested the continued closure of the West 14th Street entrance ramp to the bridge.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial says that shutting down the bridge "would be disastrous for Cleveland."

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07 November 2008

Kamm's Corners streetscape, phase 2
A groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday for the second phase of the Kamm's Corners streetscape improvement project (PDF). Work should be completed next year.

Update: the West Side Sun has more details.

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03 November 2008

West Side Market gets award
On Friday, the American Planning Association presented Mayor Jackson with the award designating the West Side Market in Ohio City as one of the country's Great Public Spaces.

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31 October 2008

Researching old homes
Research on the small house on Denison Avenue in Old Brooklyn indicates that it likely was built in 1853 by the son of one of Brooklyn Township's first settlers. Meanwhile, the North Olmsted Landmarks Commission may designate the Standen House on Kennedy Ridge Road as a historic property.

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International village complications
Including the proposed international village for West 25th Street in Cleveland's master plan is complicated by several factors, including disagreements between Councilman Santiago and Clark Metro Development Corporation, nonpayment of consultants' fees, and the lack of a recognized CDC for the area.

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28 October 2008

Fulton Road Bridge construction
The new Fulton Road Bridge in Old Brooklyn remains on target for its scheduled November 2009 opening. Construction of the new bridge will require approximately 18,345 cubic yards of concrete.

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24 October 2008

Applause looks at residential architecture
This week's episode of WVIZ's Applause visits three houses: the straw bale house on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, architect Robert Maschke's modernist home near the West Shoreway, and Tremont's Clarence Court townhouses designed by Dan Bickerstaff.

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4107 Denison Ave.
Cleveland Councilman Brian Cummins is looking for more information about a small house on Denison Avenue. It was built in the 1840s, but has been poorly maintained and could be demolished.

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15 October 2008

West Side Market a Great Public Space
The American Planning Association named Cleveland's West Side Market as one of the nation's great public spaces, including it on their 2008 list of Great Places in America.

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10 October 2008

Big Creek Trail and Neighborhood Connector alignment
The partners working on the proposed Big Creek Trail and Neighborhood Connector hope to select a preferred alignment next month. About 100 residents attended an August public meeting about the trail.

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28 September 2008

International village in Clark-Metro
Councilman Santiago will announce plans for an international village centered around the intersection of West 25th Street and Clark Avenue in Cleveland. His intent is to create a brand for the area.

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15 September 2008

Green office building construction
The new offices of Douglass & Associates on Grayton Road in Cleveland were designed to attain LEED gold certification.

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12 September 2008

Detroit-Shoreway news
This week in Cleveland's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, work started on Detroit Avenue streetscape improvements and on five green cottages in the Cleveland EcoVillage.

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Billboard discussion continues in Cleveland
On September 22, the Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals will again discuss a request to install an electronic billboard in exchange for removing five existing nonconforming billboards. A group of residents wants six additional billboards to be removed.

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03 September 2008

September Plain Press
The September issue of the Plain Press includes articles about housing code enforcement in Tremont, conflicts caused by construction at the Union Gospel Press building in Tremont, and the status of Ashbury Towers, the stalled redevelopment of the Joseph & Feiss site in Cleveland's Stockyards neighborhood. In addition, WCPN devoted this morning's Sound of Ideas show to a discussion of Tremont issues.

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27 August 2008

Big Creek Trail and Neighborhood Connector Plan
Several potential routes have been identified for the planned Big Creek Trail and Neighborhood Connector, and residents are invited to provide input about the proposals at a public meeting this evening in Brooklyn City Hall. The greenway would link the Cleveland Metroparks Big Creek and Brookside Reservations by running through Parma, Brooklyn, and Cleveland.

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25 August 2008

Project 2008: interPLAY
The Cleveland Design Competition announced its second annual competition. "Project 2008: interPLAY challenges entrants to propose active and passive recreation along an existing multipurpose path that connects Cleveland's west side neighborhoods to Edgewater Park and Lake Erie."

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15 August 2008

CPP waste-to-energy study
Consultants for Cleveland Public Power are conducting a feasibility study on the potential for establishing a waste-to-energy facility at the Ridge Road Transfer Station.

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Clark-Metro denied funding
The Clark-Metro Community Development Corporation is trying to reinvent itself as a provider of social services, and will no longer focus on community development activities.

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11 August 2008

Fifth Church of Christ Scientist plans
Although earlier plans to rehabilitate the landmark Fifth Church of Christ Scientist on West 117th Street fell through, Cleveland officials now plan to incorporate the building into a mixed-use redevelopment of its entire block.

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24 July 2008

West side school plans moved up
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District will accelerate plans for a new west side high school. The school is intended to relieve overcrowding at other buildings. A site has not yet been selected.

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18 July 2008

Tremont Pointe Phase II
Phase II construction of Tremont Pointe could begin as early as next month. The first phase included 102 units of market rate and subsidized housing, and the second phase will add 78 more units.

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Rethinking plans for the Memphis School site
The senior housing development proposed for the site of the former Memphis School in Old Brooklyn was not selected to receive tax credits through the state's Housing Tax Credit Program. Councilman Kevin Kelley said, "It's not likely that (housing project) will work out so we may be looking at other options for that site."

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17 July 2008

Train Avenue Greenway plans
The Plain Press describes the plans for the Train Avenue trail and greenway in Cleveland. Officials hope to obtain funding for the project through ODOT's Transportation Enhancement Program.

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14 July 2008

Fulton Road Bridge progress
Construction Digest reports on the construction of the new Fulton Road Bridge in Cleveland. The $45.9 million project is scheduled to be completed in November 2009.

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16 June 2008

18 month airport noise study
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport received an $880,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to study noise pollution issues. The funds will be used to place sound monitors in communities near the airport. If areas with noise levels that exceed federal standards are found, Hopkins officials will seek federal funding for soundproofing homes.

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NASA Glenn begins campus redesign
NASA Glenn officials are reviewing 11 proposals for a new 90,000 square foot central office building. They expect to award the design contract for the $28 million building by August. It's scheduled to open in early 2012. The construction is part of a $150 million redesign of the NASA campus.

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10 June 2008

Pearl Road/West 25th Street meeting
At the first of three community meetings about the Pearl Road/West 25th Street Comprehensive Transportation Study, Cleveland residents offered suggestions for improving the corridor. The work is partially funded by a 2006 TLCI grant.

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06 June 2008

Detroit-Shoreway discussions
The Regionally Speaking series of the Western Reserve Studies Symposium continues with a pair of conversations about the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.

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23 May 2008

Council members push for new high school
In a letter sent yesterday, six councilpersons from Cleveland's west side asked the Cleveland Municipal School District to build a new west side high school immediately. District officials say that construction may not begin until 2012.

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20 May 2008

Revised Cleveland school building program
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District's revised building program still includes plans for a west side reliever high school and a new John Marshall High School. The plans do not call for any school closings, but leave the future of over 30 schools to be determined later.

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16 May 2008

A conversation about Tremont
The latest conversation in the Western Reserve Studies Symposium's Regionally Speaking series is about the revitalization of Tremont.

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Treadway connector dedicated
The Treadway Creek Greenway Restoration & Trail in Old Brooklyn was offically dedicated at a ceremony at Harmody Park this morning.

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15 May 2008

Capitol Theatre groundbreaking
About 400 people celebrated the start of renovation of the Capitol Theatre in Cleveland yesterday. A Plain Dealer editorial says that the $7 million project "could be the star of a much needed revival of the down-on-its heels Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood."

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14 May 2008

Capitol Theatre renovation to start
The renovation of the Capitol Theatre in the Gordon Square Arts District will begin tomorrow, following a celebration this afternoon. It is scheduled to reopen next April as a theater showing art and independent films.

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09 May 2008

Hopkins expansion curtailed
Because of challenges facing the airline industry, Continental Airlines is scaling back and postponing parts of the $50 million Cleveland Hopkins expansion it announced last fall.

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30 April 2008

Valleyview Homes artwork preserved
Cleveland State University and the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority will share the costs of restoring three WPA murals that were salvaged from the former Valleyview Homes in Tremont. Two of the murals will be installed in the University's new student center once it is built. Another piece of art from the complex will be installed in a community center at Tremont Pointe.

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29 April 2008

Capitol Theater loan
Yesterday, Cleveland City Council approved a $1.5 million, 30 year low-interest loan for the rennovation of the Capitol Theatre at Detroit Avenue and West 65th Street.

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25 April 2008

Permission sought for wind turbine
The owner of Pearl Road Auto Parts in Cleveland wants to build a 168 foot tall wind turbine on the property near I-480. The zoning for that area limits structures to 115 feet, so a variance is required before construction can begin.

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08 April 2008

Gordon Square Arts District emerges
Saturday's Plain Dealer included an exploration of the Gordon Square Arts District in Cleveland's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. The initial quarterly Gordon Square Experience, a collaborative effort by the district, will be held this Friday and Saturday.

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27 March 2008

West Shoreway project delayed again
The Ohio Department of Transportation announced that the already-delayed West Shoreway reconstruction project has been pushed back even further, and that construction will not begin before 2013. The latest delay is intended to avoid simultaneous construction on the West Shoreway and the Innerbelt Bridge.

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14 March 2008

OBCDC leadership controversies
Three neighborhood associations want to see leadership changes at the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation. Their actions stem from the recent firing of OBCDC's code enforcement manager.

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28 February 2008

Walworth Run greenway
This evening, the Stockyard Redevelopment Organization will convene the first of three public meetings about a proposed Walworth Run trail. The trail would run along Train Avenue and connect the West Side Reliever High School and Zone Recreation Center to the Towpath Trail.

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22 February 2008

More senior housing proposed
The company that proposed building senior housing on the Memphis School site in Old Brooklyn also wants to build cluster homes for seniors along Denison Avenue east of Pearl Road. Both developments are outgrowths of the MetroHealth Senior Health and Wellness Center that opened last year at the former Deaconess Hospital.

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13 February 2008

Another West Shoreway editorial
A Plain Dealer editorial says that the Strickland administration's decision to delay or scuttle the West Shoreway reconstruction project "shows a stunning insensitivity to this community's needs."

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08 February 2008

Senior housing possible on Memphis School site
50 housing units for low-income seniors might be developed on the site of the former Memphis School in Old Brooklyn. If approved by Cleveland City Council, the NRP Group could begin construction by 2009.

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Redevelopment at West 117th St. and Clifton Blvd.
Retail redevelopment may take place at the intersection of West 117th Street and Clifton Boulevard, including the Fifth Church of Scientist building, given the impending opening of the Giant Eagle supermarket at West 117th Street and I-90.

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01 February 2008

West Shoreway editorial
A Plain Dealer editorial asserts that state and local officials must not let the Ohio Department of Transportation abandon the plans to reconstruct the West Shoreway.

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Gordon Square update
With several renovation and construction projects underway, Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone believes that "Gordon Square will be synonymous with other destinations like Soho, Dupont Circle and Greenwich Village" within ten years.

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28 January 2008

More West Shoreway disputes
Officials with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the City of Cleveland continue to disagree about implementing the stalled plans to reconstruct the West Shoreway. The bones of contention include speed limit changes, traffic congestion projections, and funding. Andy Guy identified similar disputes in other Great Lakes cities.

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24 January 2008

West Shoreway plans remain delayed
This week's issue of Scene looks at the continuing delays afflicting the planned reconstruction of Cleveland's West Shoreway.

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11 January 2008

Possible CPP waste to energy study
Cleveland Public Power may hire consultants to study the feasibility of building a waste-to-energy facility at the Ridge Road Transfer Station in Cleveland. They may seek grants to help pay for the study, which could cost as much as $250,000.

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21 December 2007

West Shoreway project still a priority
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said that the stalled West Shoreway redesign is one of his highest priorities. Construction has been delayed by several problems, including rising price estimates and a controversy about the design of its western end.

Update: Saturday's Plain Dealer has more details.

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14 December 2007

West 122nd Street extension
The City of Cleveland will extended West 122nd Street to Berea Road in order to provide a route for truck traffic to the Elmwood Avenue industrial area. Their old route was closed due to the construction of Target and Giant Eagle stores on West 117th Street.

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Subdivision updates
Updates on proposed residential developments:

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11 December 2007

Gund Foundation awards
The Gund Foundation awarded $6.5 million in grants, including $1.2 million to the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization for the Gordon Square Arts District and $1 million to University Circle Incorporated for the Bring Back Euclid Avenue campaign. The Foundation also gave $300,000 to Shorebank Enterprise Group Cleveland and $70,000 to Entrepreneurs for Sustainability.

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07 December 2007

Treadway Creek Connector opens
The Treadway Creek Trail in Old Brooklyn recently opened to the public. It links Harmody Park to the Towpath Trail, and will be formally opened in the spring.

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04 December 2007

Lower Big Creek Valley Greenway Redevelopment and Restoration Plan
At a public meeting late last month, residents provided input and ideas in the planning process for the Lower Big Creek Valley Greenway Redevelopment & Restoration Plan.

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19 November 2007

Riverside Park Estates expansion opens
Last week, CMHA celebrated the opening of 28 subsidized senior housing units at Riverside Park Estates in Bellaire-Puritas.

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23 October 2007

Variety Theater restoration plans
Plans for the restoration of the landmark Variety Theater on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland continue to move forward. Cleveland City Council recently approved a $170,000 loan to the Friends of the Historic Variety Theater, and a West Side Sun editorial says that "the plans are creating ripples of excitement in the West 117th Street area."

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Tremont Pointe opens
The grand opening of the Tremont Pointe (PDF) mixed-income community was recently celebrated. The first phase of the Cleveland development includes 102 units. Additional phases at the former Valleyview Homes site will add another 218 units.

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22 October 2007

Battery Park powerhouse renovations
The renovation of the former Everready powerhouse at Battery Park is scheduled to begin later this month. When completed next year, it will house a community room, a fitness center, and a restaurant.

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16 October 2007

New rapid transit station opened
The new RTA Red Line rapid transit station at West 117th Street opened at 9:30 this morning. Its official name is the W. 117th St.–Madison Avenue Highland Square Rapid Station. RTA officials also announced that bicycles will now be allowed on the rapid during rush hour.

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12 October 2007

HUD sells West Tech Lofts mortgage
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sold the mortgage on the West Tech Lofts to a Philadelphia real estate firm. Representatives of the company will meet with the property's owners to decide their next steps.

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West 25th Street reinvestments
Several redevelopment projects underway along West 25th Street promise to breathe new life into the corridor.

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28 September 2007

Capitol Theater renovation funding
Cleveland City Council is expected to vote on a $1.5 million Core City loan for the planned $6.7 million renovation of the Capitol Theater at West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue.

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25 September 2007

Airport updates
The Plain Dealer suggested that Cleveland's decision to keep Burke Lakefront Airport open was influenced by the City's desire to please Continental Airlines. Cleveland Director of Port Control Ricky Smith appeared on Monday's Sound of Ideas on WCPN to discuss airport issues.

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24 September 2007

West Shoreway project has phases
In an apparent effort get the delayed project started, the planned reconstruction and calming of the West Shoreway has been divided into two phases. Rising prices have created a $15 million funding shortfall for the first phase.

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19 September 2007

Continenal selects Cleveland for expansion
Continental Airlines announced on Friday that it will embark on a $50 million expansion of its Cleveland Hopkins hub. Ohio offered $16 million in incentives to support the expansion. It's expected to provide 700 new jobs, a 40% increase in capacity, and 20 new nonstop destinations. A Plain Dealer editorial called it "unambiguously fantastic news".

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18 September 2007

Purchase option for church to be renewed
Cleveland City Council is expected to renew a purchase agreement with Marous Development for the former Fifth Church of Christ Scientist building on West 117th Street. The property may become more attractive for redevelopment if the adjacent Giant Eagle store were to close when a nearby new store opens.

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11 September 2007

Feds approve $150 million NASA Glenn redesign
NASA has approved the $150 million redesign of the NASA Glenn Research Center. The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority will be the master developer overseeing the 20-year program that will transform the facility.

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07 September 2007

Big Creek Watershed Management Plan
With funding in place, work on the first phase of the Big Creek Watershed Management Plan is beginning. It's expected to continue through spring 2008.

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31 August 2007

Detroit-Shoreway house renovation
In work funded by Neighborhood Progress Inc.'s Strategic Investment Initiative, a 100-year-old home near Battery Park in Cleveland was renovated using green building techniques.

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24 August 2007

More trail news
Brooklyn officials obtained a $60,000 TLCI grant to help pay for a feasibility study for a three mile extension of the Big Creek greenway trail. In Middleburg Heights, work on the Lake to Lake All Purpose Trail will begin in September. The trail will link Lake Abram to Lake Isaac. In Shaker Heights, construction of the Shaker Boulevard median trail started earlier this week.

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20 August 2007

Delays in the West Shoreway project
Ohio Department of Transportation officials say that Cleveland's delay in making a decision about the future of the controversial ramps at the west end of the West Shoreway is raising the cost of redesign. Cleveland officials contend that ODOT has provided confusing and conflicting information about construction costs and traffic estimates.

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14 August 2007

Green building at Valleview Homes
Plain Dealer columnist Joe Frolik wrote about the mixed-income redevelopment of CMHA's Valleyview Homes in Tremont, and called it "a pioneering effort to bring 'green' construction principles to affordable housing". The first tenants will begin moving in next month.

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10 August 2007

NASA Glenn and Port Authority to work together
NASA Glenn Research Center and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority reached a memorandum of understanding for the development of a land use plan for the 350 acre NASA campus.

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06 August 2007

Kamm's Corners streetcape work on target
As phase one of the Kamm's Corners streetscape project continues, community leaders are meeting to discuss its second phase. Phase one remains on schedule for completion in November, and phase two should be finished by November 2008.

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27 July 2007

Historic West Park house to be demolished
Despite objections from preservationists and neighbors, Our Lady of Angels Church will raze the historic Mueller Estate on Rocky River Drive in West Park.

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20 July 2007

Trail updates
In multipurpose trail news:

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19 July 2007

Highway projects backed up
The planned redesigns of the Cleveland Innerbelt and West Shoreway are on indefinite hold while leaders attempt to reach consensus on some of the more contentious elements in the plans. Steven Litt presents the details and offers commentary in his new weblog.

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13 July 2007

Cleveland trying to recover Ashbury Towers loan
The City of Cleveland is trying to recover a $700,000 loan from financially troubled Ameri-Con Homes. The company defaulted on the loan after a fire destroyed a part of the Ashbury Towers development. The Stockyard Redevelopment Organization is trying to find another developer to complete the redevelopment of the former Joseph & Feiss factory site.

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12 July 2007

West Park's future
This week's Scene takes a look at Cleveland's West Park neighborhood and what may happen to it if the City's residency requirement law is struck down by the courts.

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06 July 2007

EcoVillage green cottages construction to start
Construction of the green cottages in the Cleveland EcoVillage will begin in August. T