The Observation Deck

michael gill wrote:Maybe they can leave the church standing, and turn that into the pharmacy!

Better yet, maybe they should turn it into something like this:

http://www.churchbrew.com/

That's a great place, Matt. Good food.

Closer to home, someone converted the former "Red Door" church on Euclid Heights Blvd. into condos.

And of course just a few blocks away from that at the top of Cedar Hill, Nottingham Spirk did a spectacular job converting the former church of christ scientist there into offices.

Seems like there are plenty of things to do with old churches, other than knocking them down to put up drugstores.

michael gill wrote:Maybe they can leave the church standing, and turn that into the pharmacy! The pharmacist and his checkout counter could be located in place of the altar. A choir could be retained so that when you get your Oxycontin doses, a heavenly sound would fill the nave.

Have we become comfortably numb?

All concerned, please attend the next Architectural Review Meeting.

I heard it was scheduled for 3/10 but the city's schedule shows 3/3.

http://www.onelakewood.com/Boards_Commi ... ssion.aspx

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Waste of land.

I've been to Boston, New York, Chicago, Seattle, all cities that have space problems, yet they manage to use the space they do have more effectively. Shops, hotels, offices, all sandwiched together, often in re-purposed "old" buildings. There is absolutely NO rational justification for taking that much space in an inner ring city and building a huge, one story building with space not fully utilized.

I think the new CVS will be a big improvement over what is there now.

I don't like the idea of losing an architectually significant church building but the church is not that unique. The big battle will come when they tear down St. James to build a new McDonalds.

The new CVS might force Drug Mart to close. If that happens what would be the best use of that space? The PLaza is half empty and in foreclosure. How about a new elementary school? or new medical building?

The market usually finds the right solution but I'm not all that opposed to offering some incentives for something better. I actually don't know what would be better. What type of retail could succeed, what would we do with new office space when we now have empty office space?

Personally, I like the idea of a new Tri-C campus overlooking Kaufman Park. The campus would serve the people in the Western suburbs. It would be in a densely populated area with a young population with easy acces by bike, public transportation or (heaven forbid) walking, across from the library and plenty of housing for students who like to live where they learn. Don't hold your breath.

On the other hand, if the City approached Tri-C with a plan and with some financing.... just day dreaming, even if that happened Tri-C would never agree. After all, we have a new Tri-C campus in Lorain County and a new Tri-C campus in Medina County (well ok, the new Lorain County campus is in Westlake but it is right on the border right in the middle of an industrial park far from its students and far, far away from public transportation.)

Meg Ostrowski wrote:All concerned, please attend the next Architectural Review Meeting.

I heard it was scheduled for 3/10 but the city's schedule shows 3/3.

http://www.onelakewood.com/Boards_Commi ... ssion.aspx

Oops.

Looks like the Architectural Board does meet on 3/10 at 5:30. The link above is to the Planning Commission which will meet on 3/3 at 7:00. Both have the proposed CVS on their agenda.

I know Rozi's had applied for a liquor license to gather some of their steam and the great ease for Lakewood
residents to shop for their party needs. but have not heard anything, I thought there was pullback.

Is this a full service CVS with beer wine and liquor?

FWIW

Funny

Once again we see the city standing back and getting ready for some massive battles over development,
and the way neighbors, businesses, and civic leaders see them play out.

Two of the plans will see the end of two other sets of plans that were in the works, and one will trigger like
dominoes falling a whole chain of development that seem to me to sell the entire area short.

We need leaders, that can think out of the box.


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The USSR had a whole series of 5-year plans. Perhaps we could recycle one of those.

Will Brown wrote:The USSR had a whole series of 5-year plans. Perhaps we could recycle one of those.

Will

Thank you, I needed that.

If a city has a chance to turn a $2 million dollar property into a $2.9 million dollar property should it?

What if it could turn it into a $200 million dollar property? But said no for personal reasons of a few?

What if it could turn something into a $300 million property for $15,000?

Just curious, as long as we are comparing Lakewood to the USSR.

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Jim O'Bryan wrote:
What if it could turn it into a $200 million dollar property? But said no for personal reasons of a few?
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Jim,

Sorry if I missed where this line was explained earlier in the thread.
Care to shed more light on this comment?

Jim O'Bryan wrote:
What if it could turn it into a $200 million dollar property? But said no for personal reasons of a few?
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Jim,

Sorry if I missed where this line was explained earlier in the thread.
Care to shed more light on this comment?

Dave Mechenbier wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:
What if it could turn it into a $200 million dollar property? But said no for personal reasons of a few?
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Jim,

Sorry if I missed where this line was explained earlier in the thread.
Care to shed more light on this comment?

Dave

Was not in the thread but has been brought up many times. The most successful
development in Lakewood's history is the Gold Coast. It has had zero negative impact on
the homes next to it. Why not extend it, instead of cluster homes that seem not to be very
fast movers in Lakewood right now?

The $300 mill would be a reference to the peninsula, where the city had to basically fund
50% of the study, and then 50% of the build out. With Bob Stark wanting at least half of
the property it would have been a winner out of the box.

Another idea never talked about is something that gives all Lakewoodites access to the lake
which one realtor said would add 10% - 20% values to all homes. I think that is more than
$2.9 million.

If we are going to develop our Lakefront, let's rock. I noticed a foreclosed home in
Clifton Park on the lake, what are we doing there? Why isn't Lakewood land banking this
stuff for lakefront development?

FWIW


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