The Observation Deck

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/lakewoodsunpost/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1152204350263110.xml&coll=3


Design delays project
Thursday, July 06, 2006
By Lisa Novatny
Lakewood Sun Post
Rumors surfacing about Rockport Square halting construction for good have been put to rest.

While the redesign of phase 1B, located on the former site of the Bob Fairchild car lot, has caused a delay, the project has not stopped. Construction was set to begin in April.

While we're behind on our original timeline, we're moving as quickly as possible to move this project forward, said Bob Monchein, president of Forest City Land Group, one of Rockport Square's project partners.

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Phase 1B is undergoing some redesign, but it is more technical than anything else, Monchein said. The scope and size of the project is not changing. We're just trying to improve what we had designed before and engineer the project to bring the right product to the targeted market.

While construction of phase 1B's loft homes and mixed-used space has been postponed, phase 1A, which includes 17 townhomes offered in four different floor plans, are almost complete and up for grabs.

According to Heather Muro, director of marketing for Rysar Properties, Rockport's urban residential developer, many of the townhomes have already been bought.

Of the 17 townhomes, which range in price from $250,000 to the upper $300,000s, one of the four Arthur units on Detroit Avenue have been sold. One of three Beach units, also on Detroit have been sold. One of four Clifton units, located along Hopkins Avenue, have been sold and all four of the Madison units on Newman Avenue have been purchased.

According to Tom Jordan, city director of planning and development, while phase 1B is under redesign, the rest of the project continues to move forward.

A permit was issued for the $1.8 million Cleveland Clinic commercial building, which broke ground a week ago, and the M-unit housing in phase 1A is under way.

The project has definitely not stopped, said Jordan. And it is typical of a developer to redesign up until construction.

This is a great argument for why we need independent sources of information and why sometimes those reliable whipping boys, the "MSM" , are just those sources.

Whether you accept the developers' explanations at face value or choose to engage in a little "spin detection", the fact is that things are not exactly A-OK at Rockport Square.

Yet you'd never know that listening to the endless pimping of it coming from city hall. Interesting that the city representative immediately changed the subject to the Clinic project, which is not part of Rockport Square.

(I AM mystified at the reporter's citing of "rumors" in the opening sentence. Reporting on "rumors" I'm told is not a standard practice in legitimate journalism)

We NEED traditional media, as well as the new kind.