Can The University of Akron Save Lakewood

[Jim O'Bryan]

I went back and was reading many of the stories put out by City Hall, the Downtown Business Alliance, and other groups when they scored a major deal and grabbed "The University of Akron" for DowntowN Lakewood. Many of the people deeply involved with the Hospital Debacle, told us how great and how big it was to finally have Lakewood as a college town. that, "soon hundreds of bustling and busy college students will fill downtown." was in one. "This could be a cornerstone for us, "The University of Akron, will work closely with the Cleveland Clinic and Lakewood Hospital." In fact, "University of Akron Students will be able to do much of their work in the make shift offices while taking medical courses at Lakewood Hospital."

In one presentation LakewoodAlive Version 1 said it was huge. Of course they said the same thing about 5 Guys Headquarters (regional county training center) and the rebirth of Lakewood with Quaker Steak and Lube. Many, if not a majority of the same names involved in the Hospital Debacle, and the new "Non-profits" told us that with a straight face.

While they knew Lakewood Hospital was closing! Stay tuned, I will link the articles.

Will "The University of Akron" now save us? I believe for the most part, what U of A called "a satellite store," will not be enough.

U of A led three parades, and many, many, many other things for the Mayor, all an illusion of make believe.

Lakewood, we have been played, big time.

.

[Bill Call]

I went back and was reading many of the stories put out by City Hall, the Downtown Business Alliance, and other groups when they scored a major deal .....

Lakewood, we have been played, big time.

The Mayor played a very clever game. He refused to engage the opposition and lied about every aspect of the Hospital issue. He was helped by neutered regulatory agencies, pliable judges and an indifferent media. We gave it our best shot and narrowly lost.

Most people don't seem to care but that is no reason to give up.

Why would the Mayor and his supporters be so hell bent on moving 1,500 jobs to Lorain County? Why are they so indifferent to the damage done to Lakewood's economy?
A clue can be found in Jennifer Pae's comment about the loss of those jobs. Said the loss of those jobs is not important because the region will not lose any jobs.

The political leadership in Lakewood is thinking regionally! Is there any other City where the political leadership is indifferent to the loss of jobs and economic activity in their City because the region will not lose any economic activity?

What would be the response if Mayor Jackson announced he is supporting the transfer of the Indians, Browns and Cavaliers to Columbus? What if the Playhouse Square Foundation announced that they were closing all of those old, outdated theaters and moving to Solon?

[Bill Call]

I went back and was reading many of the stories put out by City Hall, the Downtown Business Alliance, and other groups when they scored a major deal .....

Lakewood, we have been played, big time.

The Mayor played a very clever game. He refused to engage the opposition and lied about every aspect of the Hospital issue. He was helped by neutered regulatory agencies, pliable judges and an indifferent media. We gave it our best shot and narrowly lost.

Most people don't seem to care but that is no reason to give up.

Why would the Mayor and his supporters be so hell bent on moving 1,500 jobs to Lorain County? Why are they so indifferent to the damage done to Lakewood's economy?
A clue can be found in Jennifer Pae's comment about the loss of those jobs. She said the loss of those jobs is not important because the region will not lose any jobs.

The political leadership in Lakewood is thinking regionally! Is there any other City where the political leadership is indifferent to the loss of jobs and economic activity in their City because the region will not lose any economic activity?

What would be the response if Mayor Jackson announced he is supporting the transfer of the Indians, Browns and Cavaliers to Columbus? What if the Playhouse Square Foundation announced that they were closing all of those old, outdated theaters and moving to Solon?