The Observation Deck

Jim

What happened to the 6 story idea/design?

It is absolutely unconscionable to build a brand new ONE story office building in a city that is suffering due to the unavailability of suitable building lots/land.

Fair enough Valerie, my experience with GSA buildings has been with much larger facilities in major metropolitan areas, so YMMV on the requirements for this specific facility. I'm guessing that budget caused them to only be able to afford one major entrance and they decided that having it face the parking lot would allow the most people to easily use it.

Also, I'll just add that I'm an engineer, not an architect, so my opinion of what works and what doesn't might be a little different than yours. Give me a nice cube that I can work with and I'm happy!

I'm just glad they went with a brick facade and not some glass and EFIS blob.

To learn that the SS office will only have a back entrance is frustrating. If they could do both a front and back that seems the best design for Lakewood's mix of drivers and non-drivers. Similar to how both libraries have front and back doors. Not knowing how or why the decision was made I suspect someone who doesn't truly understand the dymanics of this great rare city has seen this type of setup work well somewhere else. For example, I've seen this sort of setup in Medina and Westlake. By auto only from a more main state route you turn into a long commercial park drive way. Look hard for the address because all the buildings look exactly the same. Once you find your destination you park and enter the only entrance. And only while inside of the building you see the man made pond through the window to the other side of the building.

This is a question to our Planning and Development office. Were your hands tied on this one? Goodness, I hope city administrators see the value in keeping life and activity on our commercial district streetscapes.

As far as the suggestion that a back entrance saves our seniors from having to pass a bad-mannered teen from time to time. Consider a more sustainable solution, if we could learn to encourage sidewalk traffic by all ages and walks of life the streets would be better monitored naturally by the rest of the 97% well-mannered people that could be walking our public sidewalks. Regular and diverse foot traffic of area residents can best ensure and monitor for safety better than police in a police car.

Mel Page wrote:This is a question to our Planning and Development office. Were your hands tied on this one? Goodness, I hope city administrators see the value in keeping life and activity on our commercial district streetscapes.

Mel

Have you seen the infamous streetscape plan for Detroit?

Was it all about getting buildings built backwards?

In other plans that have failed to get any traction I did see where the plan was to
create access zones to our thriving filled to capacity DowntowN area, and create that
wonderful "mall feel" that we all so desperately yearn for. With feeder streets both
north and south of Detroit?

Was the plan build building backwards?

That would seem to be almost another step in the slaughter of this city. Put the busy
parts next to homes, which alienate homeowners wanting them to move. Because the
owner cannot get a fair price compared to what was paid, as they now share windows
with Burger King/Dunkin Doughnuts/Wendy's/Taco Bell etcs order window? Now open
till 3am! That only the city and/or civic groups dedicated to economic development
to acquire as foreclosed or now abandoned?

This would seem a bit like self mutilation if it was a living person, not a living
community.


FWIW


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Just noticed this thread - after watching the fence guys and talking to them, who were putting up fencing around some houses behind the church to be tore down.
The guys said that 2 houses on each street behind the church are to be torn down also.

That is quit an enchroachment on to two residentuial streets.
Does that mean Springgarden and Roycroft are now zoned for business?
And is there going to be entrances and exits for cars onto these residentual streets?

I am slow on the uptake on this one. Just noticed what was going on.
Glad the fence guys could offer some insight.