Downtown Development Community Conversation, February 15th at 7:00 p.m.

[Meg Ostrowski]

"The city is hosting a community conversation to discuss the multiyear process to redevelop the nearly 6-acre development site in the heart of Downtown Lakewood."

Details can be found at http://www.onelakewood.com/event/downto ... versation/

Mark Kindt's article "Field of Dreams" offers some solid guidelines for this conversation.

You can find it at http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2016/0 ... -of-dreams

[Brian Essi]

Ms Ostrowski,

You must have been reading my mind. Here is one passage from Mr. Kindt's article:

"Innovation. The second guideline would be that any redevelopment concept should embrace the innovative. Beyond public and civic benefit, we have the opportunity to create a major “center of excellence” that would showcase the City of Lakewood in a truly national leadership role. Imagine a campus of specialized science and technology centers pursuing high-end research in Lakewood. Columbus has one with Battelle. Why not Lakewood? An easy reach would be to establish a public-private partnership to build a facility for technology and business incubation. Here’s where all the proposed private foundation money can help. On the easiest-side of innovation, we might want to ensure that any buildings on the former Hospital site serve as model examples of green infrastructure and energy efficiency."

Here is a public record that was provided to me on February 10, 2017:

From: Donley, M.D., Brian
To: Summers, Mike
Cc: tpoole@landuseimpacts.com; Sylvester, Bryce; O"Neill, Peter
Subject: Re: market study- Lakewood Hospital site redevelopment
Date: Sunday, November 13, 2016 7:14:00 AM
Todd
I want to connect you to Pete O'Neil via this email. Pete is Exec Director of our Cleveland
Clinic Innovations. He will be best contact for you to talk with.
You two could arrange a time for a phone call.
Brian

On Nov 11, 2016, at 10:18 AM, Summers, Mike <Mike.Summers@lakewoodoh.net> wrote:

Todd,
Re: Todd Poole, 4Ward planning Inc market study Lakewood hosp site.

My assignment from our last conversation was to connect you to the market
development folks at Cleveland Clinic. (CCF). My understanding is that a potential
occupant of a developed site could be a medical technology enterprise of some sort.
CCF has an innovation center, as well as strong relationships with the technology
transfer group called Bio enterprise.
Brian Donley, MD, is chief of staff for the entire CCF. He awaits your call to speak
directly with you to better understand the information you are seeking. Email noted
above, business tele# [Redacted by Essi]
\please contact him.

Michael P Summers
Mayor, City of Lakewood, Ohio
216-529-6600
Mike.summers@lakewoodoh.net


Does anyone think that one of the Clinic for profit technology companies will actually do business in Lakewood as a consolation for ripping us off?

CCF's Brian Donley just passes off the inquiry.

Why didn't Summers negotiate for this to begin with?

[Meg Ostrowski]

Does anyone think that one of the Clinic for profit technology companies will actually do business in Lakewood as a consolation for ripping us off?

All we can hope for is a consolation. The hospital is gone and it is a shame.

Although the RFQ asks respondents to consider "benefit to the community, job creation and tax revenue generation," no mixed use development will replace the positive impact of a three shift operation/full service hospital.

Here’s what you missed if (like me) you were unable to attend.

http://www.onelakewood.com/DowntownRFQ/

In the second video you’ll see the audience during the Q&A portion of the evening. It is smaller than what I expected, consisting mostly of city leaders, Build Lakewood supporters and professionals who might benefit. I thought there would be more interested citizen spectators.

It was emphasized how fortunate we are that the city owns the land and has control over what will ultimately exist there. There was even mention of long term leasing to a developer so as to maintain ownership beyond its next occupant.

[cmager]

Had the developer cabal won the West End vote, would that have satiated their hunger for land development in inner-ring Lakewood? Instead, having lost that vote, and not satisfied with McKinley and Sloane Clifton Pointe, did they then amplify their efforts and target the city's anchor and #1 job/revenue/taxpaying entity Lakewood Hospital (whoa 5.7 acres!)?

As the cabal kills and clears land in built-out Lakewood, look at the portfolio they are amassing: Lakewood Hospital (5.7 acres!). Sloane Nature's Bin, Hilliard Square, and maybe the Board of Education, Franklin School, and the Post Office. They would take the land across Franklin from Lakewood High, and Kaufman Park if they could. Instead of inflicting all this devastation, too bad the cabal didn't instead get infatuated with Lorain or Medina counties where, hey, there is developable land.

It's as though Zombie Developers have taken over City Hall. Must. Eat. Land. Don't. Stop. Must. Destroy. Livable. Lakewood.
Be ever vigilant, follow the money.

[Brian Essi]

Does anyone think that one of the Clinic for profit technology companies will actually do business in Lakewood as a consolation for ripping us off?

All we can hope for is a consolation. The hospital is gone and it is a shame.

Although the RFQ asks respondents to consider "benefit to the community, job creation and tax revenue generation," no mixed use development will replace the positive impact of a three shift operation/full service hospital.

Here’s what you missed if (like me) you were unable to attend.

http://www.onelakewood.com/DowntownRFQ/

In the second video you’ll see the audience during the Q&A portion of the evening. It is smaller than what I expected, consisting mostly of city leaders, Build Lakewood supporters and professionals who might benefit. I thought there would be more interested citizen spectators.

It was emphasized how fortunate we are that the city owns the land and has control over what will ultimately exist there. There was even mention of long term leasing to a developer so as to maintain ownership beyond its next occupant.

The public knows that their "input" would be ignored.

Given how poorly City Hall "managed" the hospital it owned, I would say holding on to some control likely would be a negative. We've already lost $100M+, lives have been lost and are at risk.

There are no magic beans to plant. There is nothing to build upon. The dirty deal is done.

[Dan Alaimo]

I listened to it all and then got busy with a family crisis, which hopefully is now over.

I found it ominous that the Mayor started by alluding to the project that eventually culminated in "Marc's Plaza," not a shining example of Lakewood development. I also wondered about his reference to lessons they learned recently, and whether that means more or less openness and transparency.

What they talked about seemed like a sound approach to filling a vacant block in the center of our city. The problem is the way it came to be a vacant block - trading away the hospital when at one point they had another offer (Metro) that would have kept it going. So to my mind the bar is set pretty high for the eventual project. A "mixed-use' development doesn't seem as though it will clear it.

This is easier said than done, but I'd rather see significant commercial development by a single major company/employer, ideally in the medical field. We have plenty of mixed-use already - that's what our City has been all about from the beginning.

Of course the highest use of the property is a hospital, but I'm afraid that ship has sailed.