Fulton Road Bridge to Come Down Soon

Looks like WTAM beet the other news outfits on this one. I can't wait to see the final designs on this. It should pretty nice.
HEY! ODOT!
This is the way to keep the public involved in a project. (even if it is going to result in the taking of portions of some residents property)

Fulton Road Bridge Bid Is Under Estimate

Demolition of 74-year-old span will commence this winter.
$45.8 million. That's the apparent low-bid for the Fulton Road Bridge contract in Cleveland. That's about 3% below the ODOT estimate of $47.6 million.

Bids were opened Wednesday morning from contractors who wanted to tear down the old bridge over the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and build a new one.

Once the bid from Kokosing Construction of Fredericktown, Ohio, is reviewed, it will likely be awarded within a week. A pre-construction meeting will then be held with all groups that have a vested interest in the project. ODOT's Michelle Proctor says demolition will happen this winter, when zoo traffic is at its lowest. Then construction will take two to three years.

The Fulton Road Bridge was built in 1932, and has been crumbling for years. It was built in 1932, and has been crumbling for years. There is even a protective cover over the zoo pedestrian paths. Two lanes of the bridge have been closed to traffic since March of 2004 due to structural issues.

The new bridge will continue the arch design of the current span. Funds from the state and federal governments will cover about 80% of the costs.

Click here for more information about the Fulton Road Bridge project.

Notice: The Fulton Road Bridge website has not been updated in quite some time - but it does have nice renderings.

In July, i took some photos of the crumbly bridge which you can see here.

CSU Recreation Center Ribbon Cutting

Over a hundred members of the CSU community gathered for the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new recreation center. Many people started using the facility right away. Below are a few of the pictures.
To see the whole set, go here.
I imagine there will be an article in the PD soon as there were at least three reporters present, including Architect Critic, Steve Litt.
My own impression of the building? I love it... most of it.
It's great that it is green (Silver LEED). But I am not happy with the way the building meets Chester Avenue. It is not a pleasant walk in the summer; I can't imagine what it will feel like in the winter, particularly where the ventilation system is - not well thought out.
And what's with the gravel where the trees are?
One other issue of concern is the free weight are on the third level and the cardio area right below that. It will be great for those who do that sort of thing to be able to do it with an incredible view, but what is it going to feel like at 5:00 on a clear day. The sun is going to be glaring right into your face. I have a feeling the staff will end up placing those shades restaurants have that will let you see outside but block some of the sun.
Besides those three things, the building is beautiful and I intend to take full advantage of it.
God knows I need it.

So You Missed the Fenn Tower Ribbon Cutting...

In case you missed the offical ribbon cutting from Fenn Tower this week at Cleveland State University, I have a large photo set on Flickr for you to view. Some of the photos are from early this year taken during constuction and a few are b/w copies from the last century.

Photo set is here.

The next official ribbon cutting will be for the new, LEED Certified, Recreation Center. That will be at 12:00 on August 28. The first 300 individuals to register for annual memberships will receive a complimentary goodie bag (a $75 value) including a long sleeve t-shirt, sport bag, four free guest passes, and a free instructional program pass.
RecFest will be held Thursday, August 31 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with free food, games, prizes, and events.

Possible Changes in Flats Traffic Patterns - and Other Flats News

From the Flats Oxbow Newsletter:


Patrol Officer John Hategan of the 2nd District presented a traffic plan for the West Bank. (Sergeant James O’Malley wrote the plan but could not be in attendance today.)

Purpose
During recent West Bank of the Flats details, heavy traffic led us to determine that the current traffic patterns may be outdated and in need of review. Gridlock is a common occurrence during busy weekends and special events and with the increase of residential properties in the area, we feel that if changes were made, emergency services could respond in an efficient, safe manner without the constant monitoring and street closing by law enforcement at key intersections. It is our opinion that some or all of the below changes could be effective:

Proposal:

1. Make Center and Main a four way stop intersection. This would assist in traffic flow and create a safe option for entering Main Ave. Several obstructions from parked cars and hills lead to a traffic hazard.
2. Place stop signs at Main & Elm, creating a three way stop intersection to assist in traffic flow.
3. Make Elm St. one way North from Elm to River St.
4. Make Center St. one way south from River to Main Ave.
5. Make Hemlock one-way East from Mulberry to Elm St.
6. Make Spruce one-way West from Elm St.

The addition of one-way streets would allow law enforcement to maintain a safe flow of traffic and would assist if street closures are needed.

Essentially, it’s easier to close and secure a one-way street than a two way street. Less officers and cars are needed. This allows other officers to enforce traffic laws and maintain police visibility in the area.

(NOTE: This type of closure is often utilized when traffic backs up so that emergency services can proceed to an assignment without undue interruption.)

Special Issues / Considerations

1. Parking on these streets would need to be reviewed. Permitting curb parking in areas previously restricted may be necessary.

2. The width of Elm and Center streets would need to be considered. They are basically wide streets when the curbs are clear. We would not want to create an opportunity for drag racing or illegal passing. Painting solid lines or lane markings to force “one lane” may resolve this issue.

River Street would need to remain a two way street due to the mines. NO OUTLET signs at Center and River may be needed.
Summary

These recommendations come after several years of maintaining traffic in these areas during heavy traffic times and would assist law enforcement in effectively maintaining a safe traffic flow for public safety and emergency response.

There were questions on how long it would take to implement the plan.

Commissioner Rob Mavec (City of Cleveland – Traffic Engineering) had a suggestion to limit the times to only late evening early morning. The majority of people in attendance agreed that it should be 24/7. Commissioner Mavec said he would meet with Sergeant O’Malley. This could possibly be in place by next weekend.
There was a request for speed limit signs on the viaduct.

Rhona Allen requested a Handicap sign for in front of her shop on Old River Rd. There will be a meeting at the Imrov on August 2, 2006 at 9am regarding the W. 28th/W. 25th/Washington/Division area by ODOT.

In other Flats news:

The Design Review Committee passed the façade & signage for Larry Flint’s Hustler Club @ 1041 Old River Road as originally presented on June 20, 2006 and approved it on July 5, 2006 when the applicant presented the additional information the Committee sought. The Design Review Committee further advised the applicant that any changes to the buildings on Front Street would be considered new submissions to Design.

And:

Scott Wolstein’s Flats East Bank project has a new partner. The redevelopment team will be working with Building Cleveland by Design to explore ways to incorporate art, park design, and sustainability into the $230 million project. Building Cleveland by Design, managed by ParkWorks and Cleveland Public Art, has been awarded a two-year, $440,000 grant from the George Gund Foundation to provide resources and expertise in these areas to regional development projects.

August Project Status Report for Cleveland State University

Cleveland State University Project Status Report

Recreation Center
o Punch list underway.
o FF&E delivery and install underway.
o Final inspections complete.
o Occupancy attained.
o Building opens August 28th.

Fenn Tower
o Furniture delivery and assembly in progress.
o Design of retail space moving forward.
o Building opens August 15th.

Parker Hannafin Administration Center / Hall
o Cast stone delivered and to be installed.
o Interior framing inside Parker Hannifin Hall underway.
o Brick façade work on the exterior of Administration Center continuing.

East Parking Garage
o Glass installation underway.
o West façade brick install underway.
o Electrical installation progressing.
o Elevator installation slated to be complete end of July/beginning of August.
o Bridge from Garage to Recreation Center to be installed the week of August 12th.

Main Classroom Stair Tower Phase 1A
o Foundation installation has begun.

Main Classroom Plaza Build Out Phase 1B
o Bid documents have been received and are being reviewed.

Student Center Phase II
o Schematic Design kicked off August 2nd.

African-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

This week in the Sun News, Ken Prendegrast broke the story that has been rumored for a while that there is a strong likelyhood of a new cultural institution coming to Cleveland

City could hit home run with sports hall of fame
By Ken Prendergast
Staff Writer

In a city already rich with cultural attractions, Cleveland could soon add another to celebrate sports legends. But a team of supporters coming together with the goal of building an African American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum doesn't simply want to create another attraction. They said they want a venue that also motivates young people to excel in life.

Hall of fame founder and Warrensville Heights native Lamont Robinson says the facility should do more than celebrate sporting legends' records of accomplishment on the field or court. It would also hail African American athletes for their accomplishments in their communities and across the nation.

"The story needs to be told," said Robinson. "A lot of the young kids today need to know about these athletes. They need to find out whose jersey number they're wearing. We're standing on the shoulders of these great athletes."

Cleveland was fortunate to have a number of African American athletes who fought great odds merely to play on the same fields as white athletes. Ultimately, their successes were enjoyed by Americans of all backgrounds.

During the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Adolf Hitler's so-called master race couldn't master Clevelander Jesse Owens in track and field. He won four gold medals and proved the Nazi's racist ideology was false.

In 1946, fullback Marion Motley helped desegregate professional football by joining the Cleveland Browns. The next year, Cleveland Indian Larry Doby broke the color barrier in baseball's American League. And, Satchel Paige, often considered the greatest pitcher in the Negro Leagues, joined the Indians a year after Doby. Both men helped the team win the 1948 World Series.

"It just makes sense to have it here," Robinson said. "There's a lot of history here. I've been thinking about it (the hall of fame) for a couple years now."

Robinson, who earned the nickname "Showboat" while playing professional basketball in the United States and Europe, is chief executive officer of the Harlem Road Kings. The touring basketball team combines comedy with life lessons to young people, emphasizing how important it is for kids to choose life, education and family over drugs, alcohol and gangs.

If built, Cleveland wouldn't have the only hall of fame celebrating African American sporting legends, however. There are the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., an African American-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in Oakland, Calif., and the International African American Sports Hall of Fame, in Detroit. But none is considered a national hall of fame for African American athletes.

Seven potential sites in downtown Cleveland and the near-east side are being evaluated by BMS Planning Consultants for the hall of fame. A 200,000-square-foot facility could include a museum, learning center, theater, gift shop, juice bar, sports bar, plus athletic facilities and possibly even a youth hostel.

Les Wolff, chief executive officer of Philadelphia-based Smart Marketing Group which is developing the hall of fame's marketing campaign, said he has received interest from another Midwestern city in landing the hall of fame. But he declined to identify the city and said Cleveland was the hall of fame's first choice.

In the spirit of full disclosure, three friends and I are responsible for the planning study and will continue working on the project until it is ready to go to bid for design, engineering and construction.

There have been a a couple of changes already since this article was published.
I can say that none of the sites mentioned in the study are likely to be in the running. A new site will be the focus of the next phase.
More on that as details develop.

A draft copy of the planning study is available here.

Here are some renderings I made.

July 21, 2006 Summary of the Cleveland Planning Commission

Cleveland Planning Commission Summary - 21 July, 2006

Present:
Lumpkin
Pinkney
Bowen
Cimperman
Small
Kuri
Brown

Absent:
Coyne

MANDATORY REFERRALS (approved)

1. Ordinance No. 377-06: Changes the use of parcels on the East side of West 117th Street between Governor Avenue and Thrush Avenue to a Local Retail Business District; also to change the use of parcels on the West side of West 117th Street South of Governor Avenue to a Two Family Residential District and a ‘B’ area District.

ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS (all approved)

1. Ordinance No. 1119-06: Authorizing the Director of Economic Development to enter into contract with Krather Place, LLC to provide economic development assistance to partially finance the historic renovation of property located at 4138 Pearl Road.
   
2. Ordinance No. 1124-06: To vacate a portion of Starkweather Avenue and portions of West 7th Street.
3. Ordinance No. 1125-06: To vacate a portion of East 109th St.
4. Ordinance No. 1172-06: Authorizing the Director of Port Control to enter into a Lease Agreement with Hopkins Partners for the lease of office space at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

SPECIAL PLANS

DRC 06-096: Fleet Avenue Transportation & Design Study. (approved with accommodation)

The purpose of this project is to study and address traffic and transportation problem on Fleet Avenue Between I-77 and East 56th Street. This is a full street replacement (building-line to building-line) that will incorporate stamped and colored concrete, bump-outs at most intersections, new sidewalks and bike lanes. There will also be new concrete benches and trash receptacles. This is Phase one of the process.
The next phase will incorporate funding and final design. The final phase will be final funding and construction. Currently they are working hard on funding. The street has not had any significant repair work done in nearly 15 years, so it is possible some city funds could be secured. It is estimated the cost will be upward of $7 million.
Some of the concerns include the removal of trolley tracks that still exists under the pavement on Fleet, and the learning curve that will take place as people begin driving under conditions that will be new to the Cleveland area.

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Extension (approved)

Resolution No. 07/21/06 In Support of Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Extension To Downtown Cleveland (See resolution below)

This asked for the endorsement of the plan and encourages the City Planning Commision to stay involved throughout the implementation.

DESIGN REVIEW (all approved)

DRC 06-090: 1600 Buhrer Avenue, Buhrer School K-8, New Construction, Conceptual Review

A K-8 & Pre-school near the Clark/Scranton interchange. It will hold 350 students within its 54,000 sq ft. It is mostly a one-story building and every room is proposed to have natural light.

The architect was encouraged to rethink how the north parking lot and the playground are located (the playground is proposed to be near the freeway edge). It was also suggested the designer think if he playground as more of an asset to the neighborhood and not just a function of the school.

DRC 06-080: 885 East 146th Street, Wade Park School K-8, New Construction, Conceptual Review

A K-8 & Pre-school at East 146 and 147th Street in the Collinwood neighborhood. The current building is said to be the oldest in the Cleveland School District. The original part of the building was built in 1890 with an addition built in 1920. The existing building is two and three stories with 42,000 sq ft. The new building will be two stories, be a total of 64,000 sq ft and house 450 students.
The proposed new construction will have off-site parking due to the lack of land. There will also be a portion of the building that will remain open for the public to use while maintaining security for the school portions.
Part of of the existing building will be retained for use in the new building as a result of citizen comments.

DRC 06-094: 7600 Wade Park, East Clark School K-8, New Construction, Conceptual Review

This new school in the Wade Park neighborhood will replace a building originally built in 1974. The existing building is very fortress like. The new building, which will house approximately 550 students, will create a more open feeling.

Lillian Kuri informed the architect about existing art pieces in the courtyard and would like for the design firm to either incorporate the pieces in the new building or return them to the artist.

DRC 06-095: 1240 East 9th Street, J. Celebrezze Federal Building, Plaza Modernization

This addresses the rebuilding of the plaza surrounding the federal building at the corner of East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue. Design work is being done through a collaboration of people from R. Fleischman, Olin Partnership and Westlake Reed Leskosky.

Directors Report

Regarding the Cleveland Clinic's proposal to close Euclid Avenue: We will work with the clinic to keep the street open.
Regarding the West Shoreway: The big issue is money. Currently the cost is approaching $70 million dollars. Concerns about the proposed options for the West 25th and 28th Street intersections.
Regarding Debbie Berry: Linda Henrechson and Scott Franz will take over her work.
Regarding the City Wide Plan: There will be a meeting at the end of July with all CDC's
Regarding Opportunity Corridor: The Mayor has OK'd a plan to work with ODOT.
Landmark issue: The rectory for St. Agnus will likely come down. The new developer for the land wants to build a CVS. The bell tower will remain.

---

CLEVELAND CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

RESOLUTION NO. 07/21/06

SUPPORTING CUYAHOGA VALLEY SCENIC RAILROAD AND CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK IN EXTENDING EXCURSION PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE TO DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND

WHEREAS, Cuyahoga Valley Preservation and Scenic Railway Association, d/b/a “Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad” (CVSR), is a private sector, volunteer supported, non-profit corporation that has operated excursion passenger rail service in the Cuyahoga Valley since 1972; and

WHEREAS, Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is Ohio’s only National Park and, with over 2.5-million visits per year, it ranks eighth among National Parks across the country in annual visitation; and

WHEREAS, CVSR operates in partnership with CVNP, which owns and maintains 26 miles of CVSR’s track and provides interpretive and other support to CVSR, including regularly scheduled service, educational field trips and special events through the Park; and

WHEREAS, CVSR and CVNP are essential elements of the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway, a National Heritage Area stretching 110 miles from Cleveland’s Lake Erie shore to Dover/New Philadelphia, with CVSR as the “Steel Spine” – one of three transportation connectors within the Canalway; and

WHEREAS, CVSR has grown as a regional attraction and as an essential element in CVNP and the Canalway, with ridership averaging more than 100,000 annually in the past 5 years; and

WHEREAS, CVSR and CVNP have invested over $30,000,000 in infrastructure, railroad rolling stock and related capital assets to create the capacity to move toward fulfilling the vision of CVSR as a heritage attraction and alternative transportation into and through the Park and across the Canalway; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, CVSR and CVNP worked in partnership with Akron Metro RTA to extend passenger rail service 25 miles from the southern boundary of the Park in Akron to Downtown Canton to provide a continuous 51-mile rail transportation route linking the National Park in Independence/Cuyahoga County to Akron/Summit County and on to Canton in Stark County; and

WHEREAS, CVSR and CVNP are working to extend service an additional 8 miles northward to Downtown Cleveland providing a one-of-a-kind regional asset in Northeast Ohio – excursion passenger rail service connecting three major metropolitan areas – Cleveland, Akron and Canton – and Cuyahoga Valley National Park; and

WHEREAS, broad community support is essential to accomplish the challenging task of extending CVSR’s excursion passenger rail service to Downtown Cleveland; and

WHEREAS, the City of Cleveland supports the concept of alternative transportation to, from and within CVNP, and is pleased to evidence its support for this effort.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Cleveland City Planning Commission:

Section 1: That the City of Cleveland hereby embraces the regional vision of connecting Cleveland, Akron and Canton with excursion passenger rail service and supports extending said excursion passenger rail service from its present northern terminus within Cuyahoga Valley National Park at Rockside Road in Independence, Ohio to Downtown Cleveland as alternative transportation to, from and within the Park.

Section 2: That the City of Cleveland shall work in concert with the Federal Transit Administration, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Department of Interior, Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Rail Development Commission, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, consulting parties and other local stakeholders to advance this project and work cooperatively with all parties to plan for and provide the final 8-mile long connection to downtown Cleveland, thus benefiting all residents of the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.

Section 3: That CVSR and CVNP be and they are hereby authorized to list the City of Cleveland as a supporter of this project, and can call upon the Director of the City Planning Commission for further assistance and evidence of that support.

Section 4: That the Director of the City Planning Commission be and hereby is authorized and directed to support the planning, design and implementation of extension of excursion passenger rail service from Cuyahoga Valley National Park to Downtown Cleveland in partnership with CVSR and the National Park Service.

Section 5: That this resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.

OHIOHUB.COM IS LIVE: "The light at the end of the tunnel might be a train."

For Immediate Release:

The Ohio Hub Website ... www.ohiohub.com ... is now officially on line, as are the Power-Point Presentations from our recent Ohio Hub Station Development Workshop.
Hope you enjoy it and stand by for more new things in the coming weeks.

Stu Nicholson
Public Information Officer
Ohio Rail Development Commission
50 West Broad Street
15th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/

High Speed Rail Arrives on the Web
Ohio Hub Debuts New Logo & Website

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Stu Nicholson
614-644-0513
stuart.nicholson@dot.state.oh.us

(Columbus / August 3, 2006) --The concept of fast trains needs a fast message in a wi-fi world. Now you can get on track and up to speed with the state’s major passenger and freight rail plan through the first-ever website dedicated to the Ohio Hub Plan: www.ohiohub.com .

As it advances through the planning process, it was decided that the Ohio Hub Plan needed both its own identity and a strong presence on the Internet. The design firm of Neil Motts & Associates developed a stylized high speed train logo that looks like it’s flying without leaving the ground. That logo is now part of the Ohio Hub letterhead as seen above. The design team also developed the website, which includes an animated home page.

Now, you can get on board with a click to see the latest planning updates, maps, meeting information and even an Ohio Hub video. Www.ohiohub.com also offers downloads of the plan itself, as well as Power-Point presentations on both the Hub Plan and by visiting experts in the field of passenger & freight rail development.

The website made its debut at the July 14th ORDC “Ohio Hub Station Development Workshop” and was well received by the over 80 invited guests from all over Ohio and four neighboring states. Among the attendees were representatives of city and county planning departments, metropolitan planning organizations, mayors, land use officials, transit authorities, engineering consultants and transportation choice advocates. The aim is to get community leaders and planning officials to begin thinking ahead about not only where Ohio Hub trains could make station stops, but if they are ready for the kind of rail-oriented development that grows around stations and along rail corridors.

Among the featured speakers were Scott Bernstein (President / Center for Neighborhood Technology), Patricia Douglas (Executive Director / Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority), Alex Metcalf (President / Transportation Economics & Management Systems), Phil Hanegraaf (VP / HNTB) and James Seney (Executive Director / Ohio Rail Development Commission). All of their presentations can now be accessed at www.ohiohub.com .

The 2006 Preservation Awards

The Cleveland Restoration Society annouced the 2006 Preservation Awards

On Thursday, July 20, 2006 the Cleveland Restoration Society announced the winners of its 2006 Preservation Awards at the "Celebration of Preservation." The awards recognize exemplary preservation projects and individuals who have made a significant, positive impact in Northeast Ohio.

This year the Society presented 12 awards:
Cleveland award recipients include the Bingham Building for Adaptive Use to Multi-Family Housing;
Josaphat Arts Hall and the Nottingham- Spirk Innovation Center for Adaptive Use of a Sacred Landmark;

the Idea Center at Playhouse Square for Community Revitalization;
John Hay High School for Historic School Building Renovation;
Shiloh Baptist Church for Sacred Landmarks Preservation and homeowners
Tony and Tracie Vitantonio for Neighborhood Home Preservation.

Projects honored outside of Cleveland include:
First Congregational Church of Akron for Sacred Landmarks Preservation;
the Brownstones at Derbyshire in Cleveland Heights for Adaptive Use of a Sacred Landmark;
Lorain Palace Civic Center for Ongoing Stewardship of a Historic Property;
and homeowners David and Georgiana Gray of Cleveland Heights for Heritage Home Preservation.

The Society's Trustees Award for Preservation Achievement was awarded to the Howard M. Metzenbaum United States Courthouse.

(Photo Courtesy of ClevelandSkyscrapers.com)

Happy Birthday, Cleveland Planner!!!

Has it been a year already.
Wow.
Happy birthday to me.

I would like to thank a couple of people who made this blog successful.
George over at BFD. He got me started - thank you.
And the folks over at the Cuyahoga County Weblog - You bring me lots 'o traffic.

And a big thanks to the 8,452 page clicks and 5,884 unique visitors.
You rock!!!

This cakes for you....

Graduate Urban Planning Program Survey for Students

I was asked to pass this on:

Dear recent alumni & current graduate students,

Planetizen, the leading news and information website for the urban planning and development community, is developing a comparison of Master's degree programs in urban planning. As part of this process, we are inviting current or recently graduated master's students in urban planning to participate in an online survey that will help us gain valuable insight regarding the most important criteria for evaluating graduate programs.

The link to the online survey is:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=58572270026

Responses to the survey questions will play a key role in helping us understand what students think makes a good master's program in urban planning.

Thank you for helping to improve the amount of information available about urban planning master's programs in the U.S. and Canada.

Sincerely,
The Planetizen Team

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Ben Franklin, "Historical Review Of Pennsylvania," In Politics

Fenn Tower Ribbon-Cutting

A letter from President Michael Schwartz states the CSU community is invited to the ribbon Cutting for Fenn Tower on August 15.

Dear Cleveland State Community Members:

Please join the Cleveland State University Trustees and me for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Fenn Tower Student Living on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. The ceremony to celebrate Cleveland State's future and honor our past will be held at the front entrance of Fenn on East 24th at Euclid Avenue.

A cornerstone of the University's $179 million campus master plan, Building Blocks for the Future, Fenn Tower has been restored to its original splendor and has returned to one of its original uses - student housing. The Tower's rich history links to the University's predecessor, Fenn College, and through the years has been used for a variety of purposes including dormitories, classrooms, dances, campus dining, a library and administrative offices. Now, in addition to housing up to 438 students in apartment style living arrangements, Fenn will have three classrooms, a theater, a computer lab, a fitness center, and retail space. It is only steps away from the new recreation center and promises to be a major attraction for students thinking about a first rate education in a metropolitan setting.

We hope you'll be able to join us for the celebration.

Michael Schwartz

Hope you can be there.
(All pictures: Scott Muscatello, 2006)

July 7, 2006 Summary of the Cleveland Planning Commission

Cleveland Planning Commission Report, July 7, 2006

Call to order – 9:08 AM

Roll Call –

Present:
Tony Coyne
Bob Brown
Lillian Kuri
Gloria Jean Pinkney
Rev. S. Small
Joe Cimperman
Larry Lumpkin

Absent:
David Bowen

Mandatory Referrals

1. Ordinance No. 980-06: To amend Ordinance No. 1255-05, passed November 21, 2005, relating to widening portions of East 116th Street.

2. Resolution No. 994-06: Declaring the intent to vacate a portion of Hamilton Court N.E.

3. Ordinance No. 1056-06: Authorizing a permit to St. John-Nottingham Lutheran Church to encroach into the public right-of-way of Nottingham Road with two banners to be attached to Cleveland public Power utility poles.

4. Ordinance No. 1057-06: Authorizing a permit to St. Clair Superior Development Corporation to encroach into the public right-of-way of St. Clair Avenue from East 30th Street to Ansel Road and Superior Avenue from E. 30th Street to East 55th Street with banners to be attached to utility poles.

5. Ordinance No. 1062-06: To amend Section 559.02 of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, OH, 1976, as amended by Ordinance No. 109-56, passed February 11, 1957, relating to the designation of the Cleveland Cultural gardens; and to enact new Sections 559.235 through 559.243 relating to future gardens.
This action will potentially create spots for nine more gardens. This is a conceptual approval of locations and expansion of boundaries. Specifically Site 5, the Azerbaijan Garden (which will be the first fully sponsored garden by a foreign government, and Site 8, which is proposed to be the Serbian Garden. This was approved with the addition of wording that will call for the expansion of landmark designation of the new garden borders.

6. Ordinance No. 1063-06: Authorizing the Director of the City Planning Commission to apply for and accept one or more grants from Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency for the Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative Program.
This is the second year of the grant program. Last year there were four recipients and this year there are three: V.A. Hospital (pedestrian friendly), Old Brooklyn (transit service along Pearl Road) and the Clark Metro area (bike path study along Train Avenue). The grants range from $30,000 to 75,000 and require a 20% match from the city. The appropriate CDC’s will administer each grant. They will be responsible for obtaining consultants.

Lot Split & Consolidation

1. 2129 Random Road, for Angie & Mary Sanders. This is a proposed lot split with an access easement (last tabled 6/16/06)
2. 2323 West 7th Street, for Daniel Hancock; split lot to be consolidated by Dave & Sue Kosyk

DESIGN REVIEW

1. DRC 06-091: Ansel Road (at Kosciuszko), CMSD, Willson K-8 School, New Construction, Conceptual Review of a Redesign
Brick construction from Robert P. Madison International, Inc. (Cleveland Browns Stadium, East 9th Street Rapid Transit Station, CSU Science and Research Center, Gund Arena, Associate Architects - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum)

2. DRC 06-092: Woodland Avenue (nr East 30th Street), Cuyahoga Community College, Metropolitan Campus, Center for Innovation in the Arts, Conceptual Review (Same Architects as previous)
This is a conceptual schematic design for the Center. It will also house the R&R Hall of Fame Archives.

3. DRC 06-083: 2075 Stokes Boulevard, John Hay High School and School of the Arts Campus, Fence
This is in regards to a new fence that will encompass a majority of the school campus in University Circle. The whole planning, design and construction process cost $1.18 million - the fence, $35,000. It was designed by local artist, Arlene Watson.

4. DRC 06-093: 526 Superior Avenue, Leader Building, Signs and Awnings.
The contractor will remove old paint, add awnings and add new lettering for signage above the awnings. The Sam Klein lettering will not be changed due to the perceived historic element it holds.

Director’s Report

-Discussed the Plain Dealer article regarding Burke
Coyne: What ever happened to the capacity study?
Brown: The city might be able to start a preliminary study. This can lead to a full study.
Due to lighter jets and new technology, there may not be a need for a full runway.

- The new director has visited the Planning Commission two times since he was hired. This is a good sign (ed. Mok was invited numerous times and never met the commission during his tenure).

- Briefly discussed the West Shoreway

- Innerbelt:
= Still in review
= There is a sub-committee for design currently meeting
= What if the feds say that the bridge cannot go in the proposed location? Then they start over

Scenes from iNGENUiTY 2006 - Saturday

Saturday was just as nice as Friday... if you went later in the afternoon when the sun had a chance to go down.

One of my favorite spots during the festival was defidently the East 5th Street Stage. Very cool spot. I hope somebody uses the space for more events.
My second favorite space was the vacant May Company building. This is where a lot of the technology display were kept . Way better then last years space inside the BP Building which was closed during the peak festival hours. I love this picture with everyone and their 3-d glasses.Mr. Bojangles gets the crowd going as he struts his stuff on the Family Stage.
The night scene down Prospect Avenue.
I wonder where they will hold it next year? A couple checking out the Catch 22 sound experiment in the Goldfish Building.
I asked the artist if there was a similar event going on in Seattle. He said no. The other end was in a university.I did nt stay for the Verb Ballet performance in the May Company Building parfornace stage. One, it was to crowded and, two, I had a feeling the performance, based on the events from 9/11, would be a downer... sorry, that's how it is.
The end of the night rocked with a performance by Dj Spooky, Rodaine (sp?) and visuals by local artist Kusami.
I think this person had too much fun.A total success, if you ask me.
I can't wait for next year.
If you would like to view the rest of the photos, go here for Saturday, and here if you missed the opening on Friday. Plus, there is a whole group dedicated to photos from iNGENUiTY at Flickr.

Windworks is Coming to the Science Center Wind Turbine

Cleveland Public Art has released a press release detailing the art component for the wind turbine located at the Great Lakes Science Center.

WindWorks

CLEVELAND, OHIO – Cleveland Public Art (CPA) in partnership with the Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) commissioned renowned New York artists Allan & Ellen Wexler to create a permanent educational public art installation surrounding the GLSC’s new full scale wind turbine at the museum’s lakefront location. Coined WindWorks, the installation will utilize art as a tool for educating, inspiring, and engaging the public while demystifying wind power and its potential for the Greater Cleveland region. Together, the turbine and artwork will make a powerful visual statement about Northeast Ohio’s growing commitment to environmental sustainability. WindWorks will be the first project of its kind in the United States. Construction of the artwork is scheduled to begin summer 2006 with completion anticipated in the fall of 2006.

After a national Call for Artists fall 2005, artists Allan & Ellen Wexler’s winning concept was selected based on their extensive experience in public art, architecture, and educationally-based art installations. The artwork will: make visual and personal the idea that our homes’ electricity can be created by the wind; turn attention towards the turbine’s function as a producer of clean energy; create an environment that invites and encourages exploration of the wind turbine; be intriguing when the artwork is viewed from above (City Hall, Cleveland Browns Stadium, blimp during football games); draw people to the turbine from the main street sidewalk and from the GLSC; highlight the connections between art and science, form and function; transform the turbine into sculpture before our eyes.

Specifically, WindWorks will create two pedestrian pathways whose forms are derived from the actual shadows of the wind turbine on the day of the equinox. Walking the "shadow pathways" will draw eyes upward to consider the beautiful form and function of the wind turbine. After walking one of the shadows, viewers will converge at a plaza ringing the turbine's base. Divided into 24 sections symbolizing 24 hours, inside the plaza they will encounter a series of sculptural seating arrangement created in cast concrete. The sculptural arrangements will be based on calculations of the average American's home electricity consumption, represented by the traditional one hundred watt light bulb. Based on calculations provided by the US Department of Energy, 4,167 one hundred watt bulbs, illuminated for a full 24 hours, is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of one American household. Artists Allan and Ellen Wexler’s “sitable sculpture” is comprised of 4,167 cast concrete bulbs. In addition, on the floor of the plaza, bronze text will be inlaid into the concrete to present related facts such as calculating wind direction and other environmental factors present on Cleveland’s lakefront.

For more information about the Wexlers and their past projects, please visit www.allanwexlerstudio.com.

Allan & Ellen Wexler were selected from 49 artists/designers from across the country who submitted to Cleveland Public Art’s Call for Artists fall 2005. The selection committee consisted of David Bergholz (Artist & former Executive Director, Gund Foundation), Val Davillier (Director of Exhibitions, Great Lakes Science Center), Don Harvey (Artist), Linda Henrichsen (Planning Commission, City of Cleveland), Kevin Madison (Architect, Robert Madison International), Tom Schorgl (President, Community Partnership for Arts & Culture), Jennifer Thomas (Director, Civic Innovation Lab, The Cleveland Foundation), Andrew Watterson (Sustainability Manager, City of Cleveland), and Ann Zoller (Executive Director, ParkWorks).

Current funders of the WindWorks project include the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners’ Arts & Culture as Economic Development Fund, the Ohio EPA’s Environmental Education Fund, The Dominion Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council (funding recommended, awaiting final approval), Forest City Enterprises Charitable Foundation, the John P. Murphy Foundation, FirstEnergy Foundation, Oatey, The Wolpert Fund of The Cleveland Foundation, the Billie Howland Steffee Family Fund, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, the Jones Day Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, and The George Gund Foundation.

For the complete press release, click here.

It has been about a year since the proposal to place a wind turbine at GLSC. When it was proposed, Lillian Kuri was the Planning Commission member who suggested incorporating some public art with installation. I seem to recall the issue being there would be this massive pole in the air and it would be nice if there some color to break up the blandness. So I was a little surprised to see the rendering showing all of the art components as ground based. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

According to the press release, there will be "...a series of sculptural seating arrangement created in cast concrete. The sculptural arrangements will be based on calculations of the average American's home electricity consumption, represented by the traditional one hundred watt light bulb." The whole piece is being billed as "sitable."

After looking through the artist's website, I noticed they have a very similar installation in Hanover, Germany called "In the Shadow of the Wind." Except their piece is not all at ground level (although some portions are because of the terrain - a mojority of the art as much as three feet off the ground), and it incorporates coal and tree trunks embedded throughout the structure.

I am dissappointed in this piece. Unless the other pieces from the compitetion were that inferior, I feel we are getting leftover art.

Scenes from iNGENUiTY 2006 - Thursday

The weather could not have been more perfect - well, the humidity was a little high.
There must have been close to 3,000 people (including percussionist) on Public Square for Halim el Dabh's "Symphony of 1000 Drums." With the help of Blake, the director, the crowd listen to el Dabh's tribalistic songs of peace and harmony. I'm fairly certain if this was happening in a more progressive city, the whole crowd would have been dancing... but not Cleveland residents.

After the 45 minute long set, the Shaw High School Marching Band led the crowd from Public Square to Prospect Avenue, the main street for the festival while Euclid Avenue is under reconstrctuion for the Euclid Corridor Project.

I have to admit, when I saw Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson walking down the street around 6:30, I thought "Here we Go!", but about an hour and a half later, he was still here talking to whoever wanted to speak to him... that was nice to see. I wonder if he will come back down any time during the rest of the festival.

The night time crowd was a little on the lite side, but it was Thursday. It was still nice to see the streets full of people.

I loved the WAVE East 5th Street Stage. What a cool, intimate place for bands to play. It was crowded, but that lent to the environment. All that was missing was a clous of second-hand cigarette smoke... or at least a smoke machine to give it that old club feel.

The last performance of the evening was in the May Company Building stage. (Wow, what an environment for performances!) Apotheosis gave the crowd a mind boggling mix of breakdancing, and video and audio Mash-ups. Very cool stuff.

I did not go on Friday - I knew it was going to be crappy out and did not want to deal with everyone running around trying to get away from the rain. I will most likely be there on Saturday and Sunday.
If you want to see al 42 pictures from Thursday, goto my Flickr set, here.

There is also a Flickr pool that has photos from last year and this year on it here.

June 16, 2006 Summary of the Cleveland Planning Commission

Cleveland Planning Commission Report, June 16 2006

Call to order – 9:12 AM

Roll Call –

Present:
Tony Coyne
Bob Brown
Lillian Kuri
Gloria Jean Pinkney
David Bowen
Rev. S. Small

Absent:
Joe Cimperman
Larry Lumpkin

ZONING

1. Ordinance No. 1002-06: To change the zoning of lands located on the north side of Spring Road, south of Gino Lane, and on the east side of Jennings Freeway from a One Family Residential District and an ‘A’ Area District to a General Industry District and a ‘B’ Area District.
This is for a construction landfill owned by Edgerton Holdings in the South Hills neighborhood of the city. The former owner did not abide by city rules and had there license revoked in 2003.
Area homeowners expressed concern about erosion and run-off in the area. Current owners are have discussed issues with the Army Core of Engineers and the feasibility of culverting the stream.

2. Ordinance No. XXXX-06: To change the Use District of a parcel of land located on the southwest corner of Rowley Avenue and West 11th Street from a Two-Family Residential District to a Local Retail Business District.
This is for the Christmas Story House museum. It will be separate from the original house. The bottom story will house the museum and a shop, and museum director will live on the second story. Currently, parcel are being acquired for parking.

ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL

1. Ordinance No. 984-06: Authorizing the improvement to Jennings road between Spring Road and the Jennings Freeway ramp.

2. Ordinance No. 985-06: Constructing on Lorain Avenue between West 150th Street and Fairview Hospital; Authorizing the Director of Public Service to enter into one or more public improvement contracts for the making of the improvement; and authorizing the director to enter into an agreement with the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company to pay premium charges for the installation.

3. Ordinance No. 986-06: Regarding Contract No. 63664 providing additional design services from Detroit Shoreway Community Development organization.

4. Ordinance No. 988-06: The public improvement to the Highland Park Golf Course, including but not limited to cart paths, fairways, bunkers, and drainage, and to make an additional appropriation of $600,000 of the Enterprise Funds.

5. Ordinance No. 991-06: To amend the title and Section 1 of Ordinance No. 2246-05, passed December 5, 2005, relating to the sale of real property as part of the Land Reutilization Program and located on Holmden Avenue to First Interstate Development Company Ltd.

6. Ordinance No. 992-06: Authorizing the transfer of the Trinity Building, located at 9207 Detroit Avenue to the Department of Economic Development for future redevelopment.

7. Ordinance No. 993-06: Authorizing the additional services needed to complete Phase II of the Midland Steel project, and to expand environmental services provided for completion of the project, provide security and to perform maintenance at the Midland Steel site located at 10615 Madison Avenue.

8. Resolution No. 999-06: Declaring it necessary to the public health and welfare that Euclid Avenue between Public Square and East 70th be improved by reconstructing or abandoning sidewalk vaults encroaching upon the public right-of-way.

Lot Split

1. 5113 – 5115 Herman Avenue (approved)
2. 2129 Random Road (Re-tabled)

Broadway BRD:
6542 Broadway Avenue, Key Beverage & Liquor: Demolition of existing 3000 SF building and construction of new 4800 SF retail store.

Midtown BRD:
7621 – 7711 Euclid Avenue, Erie Square Apartments, Monument Sign (oversized)

Design Review

1. DRC 06-081: 4315 West 140th Street, CMSD, Artemus Ward K-* School, New Construction, Conceptual Review
The new school will be 65,000 sq ft compared to the current 35,000.
Approved with the following conditions: Straighten out the portion of the building whose setback is at an angle, increase play area address learning garden location and add glass to the central stairwell. (per recommendations from design review)

2. DRC 06-082: 4550 West 150th Street, CMSD, R.G. Jones K-8 School, New Construction, Conceptual Review
The current building is a one-story structure with 42,000 sq ft. The new building will be 65,000 sq ft. Discussion led to recommendation of more collaboration between the school and park districts.

3. DRC 06-083: (Withdrawn) 2075 Stokes Boulevard, John Hay High School and School of the Arts Campus, Fence

4. DRC 06-084: 320 Huron road, N.W., Former M.K. Ferguson Building, Quicken Loans Call Center, Two business identification signs.
Manufactured by Brilliant Sign Company
The proposed sign letters will be backlit and gold in color similar to the Chase signs on Tower City Center. It was noted that the company M.K. Ferguson know longer exists and is now called the Washington Group

CSU Project Staus for July

With the summer construction season well under way, there is busy work all over campus - not to metion on Euclid Avenue. Here are the status of current state funded projects.

Recreation Center
o Interior finishes are near completion.
o Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology systems are being installed.
o Site work is underway.
o Final FF&E purchases are being completed.

Parker Hannafin Administration Center / Hall
o Roof on Administration Center is complete.
o Floors in the Administration Building are complete.
o Metal studs, ductwork, sprinkler lines and electrical rough-in are complete in the 2nd & 3rd floor
Administration Building.
o Administration Building exterior masonry has begun.

East Parking Garage
o Elevated decks are complete.
o Structural steel for stairs and elevators are complete.
o Brick and Masonry has begun.
o Glass and roof for stairs to start July 10th.
o Elevators to start July 24th.

Fenn Tower Residence Hall
o Punch list underway, suites on floors 9-17 complete.
o Cleaning of tower suites underway.
o Furniture delivery scheduled for July 5th.
o Window installation complete.
o Drywall installation, paint, flooring (carpet, vinyl tile, & painted concrete), cabinetry and plumbing fixtures
for floors Basement – 8th is 60% complete.

Main Classroom Stair Tower Phase 1A
o Demolition of quad lecture halls complete.
o Mechanical and electrical tie-ins are underway.
o Excavation for stair tower foundation to begin early July.

Main Classroom Plaza Build Out Phase 1B
o Design Development drawings are at 95% and are being reviewed.

Student Center Phase II
o Contracts have been approved.

Does Walmart Care About Your Town, or Money?

Now that Walmart's grasp on the region will be complete once it is open in Steelyard Commons, what kind of center should expect when it's doors open. Will it be the kinder and genler walmart the pr machine would have us think? Or, will it be business as usual (hear the sound of mom-and-pop store fronts shutting down with months after the grand opening)
Allthough this is going to happen anyway - people will always want to find the least expensive gadget's made in China - the press will have you think the company really does care about the towns, cities, and communities they move into.
Maybe it is real.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Wal-Mart Warms to Al Gore

Former Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore is planning to address Wal-Mart Stores Inc. executives next week at the retailer’s quarterly conference on sustainability, part of the company’s recent efforts to become an environmental leader, a Wal-Mart spokesman confirmed.

Gore will speak on global warming, the subject of his recently released documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” The conference is an outgrowth of Wal-Mart’s mission, outlined by Chief Executive Lee Scott last November, to minimize its negative impact on the environment. At the time, Wal-Mart committed to, among other things, reduce energy use in its stores, improve the fuel efficiency of its truck fleet and substantially cut down on solid waste produced by its stores.

Wal-Mart has seized on the issue of sustainability in an effort to bolster positive public relations at a time when its various business practices have been heavily criticized, from its worker pay and health benefits to its effect on smaller retailers. Still, the company has attempted to make changes. For example, it outfitted its trucks with an alternative power unit that uses 90% less fuel than its engines do while idling. The company created 14 internal networks to explore and implement more environmentally sound business practices. The 14 groups, made up of both Wal-Mart executives and outside experts, focus on different business areas, including operations and logistics, food and agriculture, textiles, global greenhouse gas and jewelry and mining.

Called the sustainable value network, the groups meet individually throughout the year. They also hold their own conferences. Last month, for instance, Wal-Mart held a two-day conference on sustainability and textiles. It brought together Wal-Mart executives, environmental consultants and members of nonprofit groups to discuss issues surrounding organic textiles, including certification and standards. Next week’s meeting, held at the company’s home office in Bentonville, Ark., is one of four where all the company’s internal groups working on sustainability issues get together to discuss progress, stumbling blocks and other issues. –Ann Zimmerman

This is one month after hiring the Rocky Mountain Institute as a consulatant. From the Benton County Daily Record in Arkansas.

BENTONVILLE — As the world’s largest retailer embarks on a mission to go green, the company has recognized a need to call in the professionals.

The Rocky Mountain Institute, a research and consulting organization based in Snowmass, Colo., has a consulting contract with Wal-Mart on two primary areas, according to Cory Lowe, RMI’s outreach coordinator. The company primarily provides consulting work to large companies and government entities.

In logistics, Wal-Mart is seeking to double the efficiency of its trucking fleet. "They have one of the largest trucking fleets in the country," Lowe said. "The best truck in their fleet gets roughly eight miles per gallon. We’re going to help them double it."

Besides moving product, Wal-Mart also wants to make its physical real estate energy efficient. "The second part is helping them to redesign some of their stores to make them more energy efficient," Lowe said. "They spend lots and lots of dollars every year on heating and cooling costs. By making (the stores) energy efficient, they’re going to cut down on their costs. They’re seeing it as a good business decision and an environmental decision."

That, in essence, is RMI’s goal — to show companies that going green can also be a good business decision. "Our mission is to help show people that they can continue to live sort of a modern and comfortable life but do it far better in terms of energy efficiency and cut down their impact," Lowe said. "We’ve been criticized a few times for working for Wal-Mart — but our CEO feels strongly that because Wal-Mart has such a large market share that if they can decide to do things better, it can really have a huge impact."

In the business world, everything comes down to the dollar figures. "We’re making a business case, especially to these big, big clients," Lowe said. "If we can’t talk in terms of dollars and cents and how it affects their bottom line, we’re not going to be effective."

The RMI Web site discusses community design and transportation solutions in Smart Growth development patterns. Smart Growth encourages walkable, compact, mixed-use developments.

A team of architects and designers are working on the nuts and bolts of designing green buildings for Wal-Mart, Lowe said — but they’re stopping there, and following their contract. "We’re presenting some ideas and showing Wal-Mart how they can do things any better," Lowe said. But the designers are not redesigning entire Wal-Mart sites to make them more Smart Growth-oriented or pedestrian friendly.

In traditional Smart Growth design, buildings are pushed up to the street, with parking in the rear. That allows pedestrians, cyclists and other transit types to safely function in conjunction with automobiles. "We’ve worked on some Smart Growth issues in other applications, but with Wal-Mart it really hasn’t come into play," Lowe said. With Wal-Mart, RMI is focusing on the components of the building, not the way it addresses the street.

Wal-Mart is often criticized for furthering sprawl, in which automobile-dependent development spreads out from city edges, gobbling acres of green land. If all customers are forced to drive to the stores, the impact on the environment could still be substantial.

RMI bases its consulting work on a concept called Whole Systems Design, which incorporates different realms of thought — engineering, environmentalism and architecture, for example — to solve a problem. The organization is a natural-resource think tank. The company is also well known for the book "Natural Capitalism," which was published in 1999 by the two founders of RMI, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins, and author Paul Hawken. "The basic idea for the whole book is basically that by addressing a problem, you need to address a lot of different areas, or areas of thought," Lowe said. "Problems don’t exist independently of each other." "As outlined in our book ‘Natural Capitalism,’ RMI knows that least-cost enduse includes the significant improvement of public transportation, as well as alternatives to actual transportation, such as intelligent community design, Smart Growth and telecommuting, among others," the company’s Web site states.

So will RMI try to influence Wal-Mart with its Smart Growth background? Probably not, Lowe said. "We haven’t addressed that with them at all," he said. RMI is staying within the lines of its contract. "We feel like if we overstep our bounds and make too many recommendations, we may not have the opportunity of working with them at all," he said. "The scope of this project has been fairly detailed in those two components," he said, referring to trucking and green construction. "We haven’t really spread beyond it at all."

The company probably won’t press the issue, according to Lowe. "Wal-Mart approached us and said, ‘Here’s what we think you can help us on.’ We haven’t reversed it and said, ‘Here’s what we think you can do better.’ It may very well be at the end of this project, Wal-Mart says, ‘ Hey, you did great work; what’s next, what do you think?’" he said.

One month before this, Walmart CEO Lee Scott met with the Seventh Generation CEO Jeffrey Hollender.
You can read Hollenders account here (it is long):
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/making_difference/newsletter_article.php?article=462&issue=71

Does this mean Walmart has decided to take a more sustainable approach to it business philosophy, or are they just concerned with the bottom line?
Maybe both.

Cleveland Planning Website Update

The web Page for the Cleveland Planning Commission has undergone a long due update.
Although not not a complete reworking, it at least gives easier access to the Waterfront and the mostly complete Master Plan.
It would be nice if there were bios ofthe commission and staff... put a name with the face.
The Interactive GIS Map of the city appears to be the same data from three years ago - it is still pretty functional and user freindly.
Check it out at http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/cpc.html