Buyback ready to pack up?

[Ryan Salo]

Looks like buyback may be leaving lakewood already. Wonder what will replace it... Any thoughts?

[Bill Call]

Looks like buyback may be leaving lakewood already. Wonder what will replace it... Any thoughts?

They are looking for someone to sublet to. I was always a bit skeptical that they could afford to pay the rent selling used DVD's for $2.99.

The building is for sale. As I recall they are asking $9 million. That would be about $4 million more than the Lakewood Center sold for.

According to my rough calculations that would leave a buyer with mortgage, insurance and taxes of about $100,000 per month. Retail is tough. That's why really smart investors look for the type of taxpayer subsidies that Crocker Park gets.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Ryan Salo calls it!


Buy Back Closed.

Ryan Salo proves the power of community reporting and rumor mongering.

When we set this project up, we knew that news, was covered, and City Hall would eagerly
report good news about themselves. But what about the rumors, the things that happen
behind the scenes, and out of the spotlight. We felt we could count on the residents, to
supply the smoke, that the rest of us could sort through. Over the past decade we have
thousands of reason to say we have proven our point. Here is another.

"What goes in next" Well with our "planning department" surely another burger place or
dollar store.

.

[Scott Meeson]

Ryan Salo calls it!




"What goes in next" Well with our "planning department" surely another burger place or
dollar store.

.

Jim,

Given your vast historical knowledge with the game board, what would you recommend for that specific retail location? (Seriously, just curious because of your resourceful thinking.)
[
Lakewood Monopoly Board, circa 1980.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Ryan Salo calls it!
Given your vast historical knowledge with the game board, what would you recommend for that specific retail location? (Seriously, just curious because of your resourceful thinking.)

Scott

Back before the Ed FitzGerald administration while the city would often dream and reach
so much farther than the last two administrations. $25 million dollar rebuild of schools,
which was not needed, but some had a vision for. A $12 million dollar library designed by
one of the greatest architects of our lifetime, with murals, by a current Michelangelo.

The past two administrations has fallen in line with County thinking, and CLE+ thinking
that we must succeed at only managing our decline. There is very little effort to dream big
for the community. Even now some talk of Rec Centers, but this is nothing more than
trying to keep up with the Burbs, and to finally take over Recreation so they can manage
the decline of Rec with the decline of the parks that are closed early for safety and
"nothing good happens in parks at Dusk" thinking.

But back in the day where we dreamed big, and even gave thought to the BS we were
being fed of "High End Shops" coming to DowntowN give us your tax dollar days.


In 2005 some of of us envisioned where the mall and two buildings sat in basic foreclosure, a Large historic
looking brick building, that would somewhat match with the era of Daniels. The REAL
historic Trolley Car City Feel, not the BS like the city claims of Family Dollar, and CVS.
The man sections from Massonic Temple to Christian Science Church, a gap, then
Take up with the same building, going to Lakeland. Retail only on ground floor, offices
for lawyers and such on 2 and 3, the 4th floor being 12' tall art studios.

High end shops in a high end looking building, across from the new classic style $12 million dollar
Robert AM Stern Library.

The park behind it that Councilman Juris sees more as a liability to crime that a tremendous asset
in the center of the city, could be easily turned into a "Cain Park" style venue that could also be
exploited by the library, the schools, and DowntowN events.


The Cain Park Amphitheater would fit nicely in Kaufman Park.

You would need to buy up the homes, on Andrews and Lakeland to the tracks, but with a flick of the
wand Lakewood could have delivered on A destination in Downtown, High End shops and offices,
and secure the Downtown area as THE PLACE to be.

Instead they took our millions and delivered Dollar stores, 5 Guys Burgers, and?

Now we get $7million from heaven, if that is where Dick went. And it is being talked about as a
parent would talk about $5 from grandma for confirmation. "Rainy Day" is the call of the day, and
perhaps it is better that way. The only thing I have heard of progress out of City Hall is, go figure,
"An updated website" to get our spin out to more people. Which also means while NOT having to
have actual dialogue that could raise questions.

I remember when the city had big dreams that benefited the city, not just these small dreams that
benefit Brickman, Foran, and a select few.

We all knows what happens when a "team" plays not to lose, and goes to defense.

They lose.

.

[Bill Call]

Radio Shack is closing 1,000 stores:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/05/bu ... &referrer=

Downtown Lakewood is going to need more than sandwich shops and local retail to thrive. One thing that would help is the customer traffic that you get from things like colleges, movie theaters and medical buildings. Some activity can come from office buildings but that market is struggling as well.

[John Palmer]

What about a hair salon or an antique store.....

Until Lakewood residents earn more income, I don't see how much will change. As the population continues to shrink, all we do is shuffle a dwindling pool of disposable income to different businesses. My daughter is excited that the Bob Evans is coming to town, but if I don't have more "disposable" income, I'm not going to go out more often, I'm just going to shift my restaurant "budget" from our current rotation of restaurants. We're just treading water as a city.

As someone who's had to re-invent myself professionally, the only way I could afford to do more, buy more, and as such, "invest" in my community, was to improve myself. As I improved my skills, education, experience, etc., I was able to improve myself materially. I continue that journey. And I know how hard it is. People need to continue to improve their own opportunities. Don't wait for someone else. This isn't a new story, or an easy one to sell, but it's the only viable one I see.

I've been in this town for most of my life, and I've heard this type of discussion time and time again. Visions and promises from administrations, ad nauseum. Living from grant to grant is not a sustainable plan.

John