The Observation Deck

The City will need to generate $100,000,000 in wages to replace the $1.5 million lost due to the closing of Lakewood Hospital.

How likely is that?

How many used clothing stores and dollar stores are needed to generate enough earned income to generate $1.5 million in income taxes?

While there are a few doctors left in Lakewood they won't be here much longer. Who will replace them?

Avon and Downtown are eligible for substantial taxpayer subsidies. Lakewood is not. How will we compete?

Did anyone at City Hall or the Hospital Board think this through before they pushed to have Lakewood Hospital closed in 2016 rather than 2026?

Bill Call wrote:The City will need to generate $100,000,000 in wages to replace the $1.5 million lost due to the closing of Lakewood Hospital.

How likely is that?

How many used clothing stores and dollar stores are needed to generate enough earned income to generate $1.5 million in income taxes?

Bill

In the deal, the city is made whole on the lost income tax.

OH WAIT

The Clinic pays that money out, but it goes to one of the Foundations, not the city.

But you hit on a very good point, how do we make up the 1,100 workers, actually more if
we care to go back 8 years when it was healthier. The multiplier effect for figuring out the
real impact to the city takes in not just taxes, but money spent, housing, money in, money
out of the city, etc.

When you look at it over the course of a decade it can get very grisly. The loss of the Clinic
and possible fallout in residents, money spent, and maybe even senior centers, could be
very tough indeed.

I only see one option that has any chance of working.

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Jim O'Bryan wrote:I only see one option that has any chance of working.

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I agree.

Bill

Have you seen Jennifer Pae's analysis published in the PD today?

This is what we're dealing with. A city with NO CLUE what they are doing. Spewing out feel good "reports" that have no real study or facts behind them.

How do you decide to give away the city's largest employer with NO study of the consequences? That Subsidium paper was unreadable - full of the latest buzzwords used to cover the fact that they don't know anything.

And the city calls the loss of almost 2 million dollars a year, no big deal! Let's all remember that when we are faced with the inevitable increase in taxes due to this loss.

Finally, Pae parrots the "economic development" mantra - it will save us! We will have 4 acres to develop! My god, it's appalling! Shopping will save Lakewood? Or, how bout that dog park - that'll take in the dough, huh?

I'm getting more disgusted each day.

What about the fact that when you move over 1,000 employees, those employees may have jobs elsewhere but they will then be buying lunch in Avon, running errands and doing shopping there before/after work, etc - there is a lot of spending that will be moved out of Lakewood too. What might the impact of those employees, not to mention patients and visitors to the hospitals, be as they shop near the hospital they are in? The ones that feel that impact will be the existing restaurants and stores, it will hardly create any need for MORE of them.

The Jennifer Par "report" did not even mention all the collateral losses due to the closure. Her report was not an in depth study at all, yet it's sent out as if it were to reassure us that the hospital leaving is no big loss.

But again, we can "develop" all that land! I'll bet the income tax from those minimum wage retail workers will really make up for the loss of the doctors and nurses from the hospital.

Amanda, if you can see it, I can see it, Bill can see it, WHY CANT THE CITY AND THE TRUSTEES SEE IT??

Grace O'Malley wrote:Bill

Have you seen Jennifer Pae's analysis published in the PD today?

This is what we're dealing with. A city with NO CLUE what they are doing. Spewing out feel good "reports" that have no real study or facts behind them.

Grace

We have the report here too, but we are no "The Mayor's favorite reporter..." So screw buy
or support Lakewood...

But it is right here... http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13166

.

Yes, thank you for making it available for all to read. It is certainly an eye opener and an eye roller.

If or when Lakewood Hospital closes, why does the Cleveland Clinic have to remain in control of Lakewood's healthcare? Sure, I think the letter of intent states that no other healthcare facility can operate in Lakewood, but this applies only if the clinic retains control. We certainly can find another healthcare company that could handle a small emergency room and primary care. If the Hospital goes, I say the Cleveland Clinic goes too! Oh, and on their way out the door they can hand our city a check for the FULL amount of their remaining lease agreement for 2016 to 2026. We can bank the money and be free of the Clinic. I say "hey Toby, don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out of Lakewood". Then I would transport the son of a B to Metro so he could REALLY get some "World Class Care"!

Bill Call wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I only see one option that has any chance of working.

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I agree.

Bill

If we agree, what is it?

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Amanda Tabor wrote:What about the fact that when you move over 1,000 employees, those employees may have jobs elsewhere but they will then be buying lunch in Avon, running errands and doing shopping there before/after work, etc - there is a lot of spending that will be moved out of Lakewood too.

That's why Avon worked so hard to secure those 1,100 Lakewood jobs. I understand that. I don't understand why the City of Lakewood and the Hospital Board and Hospital Foundations worked so hard to help them.

I noticed that $5 million dollars was transferred from the City's general revenue fund to a Land Acquisition Fund. I wonder what they have in mind?

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Bill Call wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I only see one option that has any chance of working.

I agree.

Bill

If we agree, what is it?

I was tempted to annoy you with: You first. but..


I like the idea of locating the new family health center on land directly East of Beach and West of Hird stretching from Detroit to Clifton.

That would:

Provide space for a larger facility
that would provide a full range of services
with plenty of room for parking and expansion
located on Clifton and Detroit with easy access to public transportation that
would appeal to the 10,000 commuters who pass by each
day
which would attract people from Rocky River and Westlake and Lakewood and Cleveland
with doctors and specialists available after hours on Saturdays and Sundays
with no facility fee
that would serve as an economic anchor and stimulus for the Edgewater 117th neighborhood that would link with downtown and Gordon Square development
and revitalize Lakewood's East End
which would compete with Avon, Crocker Park and Downtown which is one reason it will never be allowed to happen.

Bill Call wrote:
I was tempted to annoy you with: You first. but..


I like the idea of locating the new family health center on land directly East of Beach and West of Hird stretching from Detroit to Clifton.

That would:

Provide space for a larger facility
that would provide a full range of services
with plenty of room for parking and expansion
located on Clifton and Detroit with easy access to public transportation that
would appeal to the 10,000 commuters who pass by each
day
which would attract people from Rocky River and Westlake and Lakewood and Cleveland
with doctors and specialists available after hours on Saturdays and Sundays
with no facility fee
that would serve as an economic anchor and stimulus for the Edgewater 117th neighborhood that would link with downtown and Gordon Square development
and revitalize Lakewood's East End
which would compete with Avon, Crocker Park and Downtown which is one reason it will never be allowed to happen.

Bill

You can't annoy me.

Well not to break this down, but your answer for 5,000 jobs is simply moving the Health
Center they are proposing East a half of mile?!

Is this based on a study you have, that a Health Center you are trying to stop is built East
will attract more workers?

Sorry, just trying to annoy you!

Housing, the only thing saving this city is housing. Develop the shoreline. I see nothing
bringing 5,000 employees to Lakewood, but perhaps we can get them on the backside as
residents, and that would really help to make up for the multiplier effect which is what is
going to hurt bad. Three new Gold Coast buildings to the west of the Gold Coast right up
to the new house on the Heidiloff site.

Then figure out a way to get the first three - five Gold Coast apartments down, or rehabbed
to attract the brightest minds in the area to move here, as we have great schools and a
great library.

Anything that moves us closer to the 70,000 residents of the 60s will go a long way to help
pay the loss off, and create thousands of new shoppers for our stores and restaurants.

Anything else I have seen is a loser.

We have an excess of office space, and the rec center is a loser we simply cannot afford.

.

PS -

It just occurred to me, you are off on your numbers. This administration and planning
department, or so the sign says, has been busy getting us more restaurants as their plan
for the future because 38 places per square mile is not enough.

However, the IRS allows food service workers to be paid 50% of minimum wage, so that
means this administration and planning department will need 10,000 food service jobs
to make up for the hospital leaving.

Perhaps this was the plan all along.

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