Doubts about downtown development

[Brad Babcock]

Bryan,
I too have been thinking about the Lake Erie Screw Building that is still active. As an alternative to heavy industry, maybe there are better uses.
It is near the freeway and mass transit. Good for people in/ people out. Many colleges are opening branches: CCC's Corporate College, Tiffin in Lorain County, Indiana Weslyan. The building started life as the Templar Automobile plant. Think about CIA and the old Ford plant on Euclid Ave.
We have Virgina Marty, the infrastructure and neighborhood are well-suited, and education as an industry offers many benefits to the surrounding community.
Like retail, on-line education is a growing trend. In-person education is a long way from dead though. Any chance of courting a school to open a satellite in this building?

[Jennifer hooper]

To clarify some misinformation that has been written in this forum. The $100,000 for "planters" that has been mentioned is actually $93,750 of which only $18,750 is coming from Lakewood being split by the City and LCPI, not the businesses. The other $75,000 would come from a TLCI grant through NOACA (the regional planning organization). This grant is specifically for planning projects throughout the region. If we are awarded this grant, it would allow the City/LCPI to hire a consultant to examine the existing streetscape issues on Detroit. This would include, but is not limited to, an assessment of pedestrian access and aesthetics of the streetscape and specific recommendations for making Detroit more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. These recommendations could easily be replicated in other parts of the City. So yes the final result may be planters, but will could also be a complete reconstruction of Detroit, wider sidewalks, changing traffic patterns, reconfiguring on-street parking, building a bike lane etc etc.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Jennifer


We are running your story in this issue of the Lakewood Observer with the photos of Galion, Ohio and what a great job Mainstreet did there.

I was merely speaking about planters versus peninsula.

I know that you will add much to this discussion and hope you continue to explain through the paper, your plans.


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[john crino]

Idea! (Again).
More interesting would be to cobble together the Lake Area Screw land and buildings and GIVE it to someone like Hyundai or Toyota with the promise that they build a manufacturing plant there.

Again, the point is to bring some jobs to the city. The car plants are an example.
I read a great article in the Winston-Salem NC paper last year about how they pursued and landed a new Dell manufacturing facility employing 1400 people. Imagine if Lakewood pulled off something like that. Add to that all the peripheral business and development that would pop up around it.

[Gordon Brumm]

One advantageous kind of event that would be unique to the "downtown" area is a series of community festivals on Saturdays or Sundays during the summer -- Detroit Ave. blocked off to all but pedestrian traffic from Arthur to Marlow or Bunts; entertainment by a number of groups; representatives of city offices and civic organizations; shopping; etc. (I believe I described this in more detail in a post when the Observer was first getting started.)

[Jennifer hooper]

Gordon, That is an excellent idea and the exact type of activity the Main Street Promotion committee will be working on. I encourage you to participate in this committee. Our next meeting is on March 2 at 3:30 at LCPI/Chamber offices.

[dl meckes]

Sorry that this is long and rambling...

I'm a big proponent of regularly scheduled public events / parades / festivals / etc. that bring people to Lakewood.

Once they get here, what can they do?

Antique shopping in Lakewood can be a lot more fun than antique shopping on Lorain because there are a ton of places to stop and get a bite of lunch or a cup of coffee (or an Irish coffee). Offering our guests hospitality is one area in which we excel.

We've been looking for an organizer for a Lakewood Art Walk and have spoken to a few people about moving that idea forward. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to actually do that, but it's a great way to showcase Lakewood artists, Lakewood galleries, Lakewood shops, Lakewood restaurants and, of course, Lakewood itself.

We complain about parking. We are not New York city, of course, but tell me about how easy it is to park in that wonderful city, yet it is very easy to get around.

The Community Circulators are available, but (IMO) they seem to be infrequent, the routes are not widely known, they seem expensive and they are unattractive.

Ryan Costa, in another thread, mentions the attraction of shopping in "this year's mall" and the cachet of newness, but Coventry has been a destination in Cleveland Heights not because of what's new, but because of what makes that area unique. Ditto Larchmere. Ditto Tremont, although restaurants come and go and their newness does attract a large suburban population. But people go to Tremont to hang out in Tremont and see what's going on (it helps that there is a large concentration of artists).

We went out with groups of people twice in the past couple of days. One Lakewood couple wanted to talk with us about dining out in Lakewood and asked us advice about where to go to eat that isn't too expensive and isn't a "bar bar." We had a lot of suggestions. These folks have lived in Lakewood for many years, but don't want to audition places. We gave them a list and they were surprised by our suggestions because their perception was that some of the places are, shall we say, Flats-like.

Another couple were effusive in their love of Lakewood. They appear to have visited every place anyone ever recommended. They decided to retire here. They don't fit the usual idea of retirement because she works at least part time and he has expanded his love of gardening in a very unique way. They are very active and outgoing. As I listened to them discuss their interests and how they may act upon them, I was again amazed at the variety of activities Lakewood (and greater Cleveland) has to offer.

Both Gordon & I have complained about signs (I have the acquaintance who couldn't find a gas station, for instance). Some Lakewoodites know this city and check every place out. Some Lakewoodites have no idea what Lakewood commercial establishments are all about. If we have that dichotomy in residents, then what can we guess about how visitors feel?

And speaking of visitors, when I drive down Wooster Road in the summer, there's a small old commercial area where the business owners have hanging flower baskets. They are always simply gorgeous. I'm assuming they don't have a ton of foot traffic because they baskets seem unmolested by miscreants, but the ambiance they create is welcoming.

Light up Lakewood was wonderful and I mourned the temporary nature of lit storefront windows. Lights don't have to be holiday only decor, folks.

We know the young bar crowd can find us and soak up the Lakewood hospitality, but we need to clearly communicate to other demographics the amenities, vitality and opportunities of Lakewood.

I've spent too much time on retail, but when you rejuvinate the look of downtown Lakewood, then it seems like a more attractive place to open a new store or relocate your office.