Dru Siley to Talk About Millions in Development

[Jim O'Bryan]

Here are a few things I took from the meeting:

1) The housing market is strong in Lakewood. If I heard Director Siley correctly, one of the primary driving forces is the 19-35 year olds that are moving in and buying homes. The same is true in Cleveland which continues to renovate and revive their beautiful old neighbors, i.e.. Ohio City & the Gordon Square district. This renovation continues to spread further and further West on Detroit. The millenials are not interested in moving to the outer suburbs. This trend is very good for all of us. .

1,000 units with tax abated 3 blocks away...

http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/image ... 87bc13.jpg
2,400 more units abated.

Overlooking the lake and Edgewater Park, a sign that we need to develop our lakefront if we are to keep up? More people are saying, time to develop our lakefront.

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[Bridget Conant]

T Peppard wrote:

No plans were presented for the development of the 5.7 acre hospital site

I find it rather curious that for over two years they have planned to close the hospital and were giddy at the "development" prospects, yet it is strangely just sitting there with a hulking, empty "bricks and mortar" that they were so fearful of getting stuck with.

Where are the "national developers" that the mayor said were interested in that parcel? Surely, now that they know it's available, they'd be ready to unveil their plans for the site? Really, we are coming up on 6 months since the deal was signed and NOTHING is happening? No ideas, no plans?

I find that very telling. Sitting empty. No plans.

[Bridget Conant]

Thank goodness for the water bill arriving - now we have confirmation that, indeed, they have nothing planned for the site?

According to the insert that was in my bill today:

The city will begin the process of exploring those development possibilities this summer with the release of an official request for qualifications from interested parties.

Well I sure hope that means those national developers will finally reveal themselves!

[Lori Allen _]

Bridget,

I expect an announcement soon. It is quite possible that Lord is consulting with the "Company", to see whose friend is next in line to receive yet another part of Lakewood's history for their own personal gains, and more than likely, at a fraction of the value. It takes some planning to come up with a new LLC company and to find someone to register it with the Secretary of State so you won't be able to figure out who really owns it.

[cameron karslake]

I am sure by now all of you have heard that Dru is resigning his position at the city to take his brand of "development" elsewhere.

I figured he'd want to "see it through".

Nice time to abandon ship Dru!