The Observation Deck

I just don’t get it. Why do we need a “mixed-use development” in the middle of Lakewood? Within a couple blocks of anywhere in “downtown” Lakewood there already exists a great mix of housing, retail, office space and public places. And a school. And a university extension. And a bank HQ. And….

There must be something I’m missing. Seems to me like Lakewood already IS a giant mixed-use development. Just without the grift that inevitably accompanies "planning." That’s one of the reasons my wife and I moved here 27 year ago. We liked that we could live really close to a lot of interesting and fun places. Putting a “mixed-use development” in the middle of Lakewood seems to me like putting a Putt-Putt in the middle of Pebble Beach….

This has certainly not escaped the thought process of those who have noted that Crocker Park is Westlake’s way of becoming more like Lakewood. The problem with Crocker Park is that it just isn’t big enough to offer everything someone might want/need to do/see in very close proximity, and without need of a car. Plus Crocker Park is contrived, though obviously there are those who don’t care about that.

Today’s recommended reading….

Millenitals Are Abandoning the Postwar Engines of Growth: Suburbs and Autos (click here)

To me the upshot of CHS’s thoughts are pretty clear. For one thing, perhaps the best bang for our scarce development dollars would be to bring the circulator back. Perhaps then we’d truly become a mixed-use city without even trying….

All else being equal, I'm in favor of combined residential and commercial space buildings where possible. (Mostly because, as I've written other times, the trend I see is toward knocking this down where it does exist, and replacing it with single-use.)

That said, you make a very valid point; "mixed-use development" is not some trendy new discovery that will introduce a new feature to Lakewood

Tim Liston wrote:perhaps the best bang for our scarce development dollars would be to bring the circulator back.

Agreed. I realize that Ohio makes transit difficult, but I don't see how grand plans for enhancing Lakewood as a vibrant urban model are credible without more thought toward improved transit.

A "circulator" that ran loops along Madison and Detroit would enhance the city and be beneficial to seniors, students, young families, and businesses along both streets.

I'll never understand how we lost the Circulator, nor why it didn't run up by the high school.

Better than the old and not-much-used circulator routes, would be a FREQUENT circulator up and down Warren Road, Lakewood Park to Winterhurst.

We already have good bus routes on Clifton, Detroit, Madison, Hilliard, and part of Lakewood Heights Blvd.

The circulators duplicated routes already served by buses.

And the transmissions on the circulator buses were AWFUL - they were horribly NOISY, and running every 2 minutes in one direction or another.

Get better buses.

Tim Liston wrote:I just don’t get it. Why do we need a “mixed-use development” in the middle of Lakewood? Within a couple blocks of anywhere in “downtown” Lakewood there already exists a great mix of housing, retail, office space and public places. And a school. And a university extension. And a bank HQ. And….

Tim

You have read the Deck since the beginning, you have been to the meetings.

They can only think in "mix use" terms.

Look at every damn thing they ran down our throats since the WestEnd Debacle.

"mix use" they believe it softens their wet dream of commercial economic development.

Strip Mall, put an apartment above it. Call it mixed use high end living!

Let's not forget many of the same players that brought us Marc's Plaza, and Dollar General.

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As I wrote previously, I'd rather see them try and attract a company with a significant number of employees. That would make me slightly less bad about how the land became available.

Focus on fixing up/enhancing all the mixed use we already have. As was pointed out, Lakewood was Crocker Park long before there was Crocker Park, but people around here have Crocker envy.

I'm still trying to visualize living in a building with those teensy windows.

Right now, thanks to our council and mayor, I believe Lakewood is a mixed up city.

I do not understand why the city is pushing forward with taking bids for the Lakewood Hospital site. The city is not permitted to sell this property or make "deals" concerning this property until the Lakewood Hospital Lawsuit is complete. I believe that Summers and Council are trying to give the citizens of Lakewood the false illusion that this is a done deal. I have noticed that judge O'Donnell hasn't even re-scheduled this case yet. In May of this year, it will be two years since the lawsuit was filed, and it has not even gotten past the pretrial stages. Is there a reason for the judge to drag this case out? What is his personal interest in this case? The loner he drags this out, the further Cleveland Clinic gets with building their Health Center. In other words, the Mayor and Council get to see their project completed. Are the judge's feelings about this case biased? Does he have a personal interest in this case? Is he being compensated in some way for dragging this case out? I suggest writing to the Supreme Court of Ohio and asking them to investigate this particular case as it appears to not be on the up and up.

As far as attracting a business to Lakewood that would employ a lot of residents, we had that. It was called Lakewood Hospital. Then the Mayor and Council allegedly made not only an illegal deal, but, more troubling, an immoral deal.

Lakewood deserves a new beginning with new leadership. Vote these traders out next election.