Downtown - ODOT Innerbelt Reconstruction

Project: Large interstate reconstruction of the "innerbelt", connecting exchanges, and Cuyahoga river bridge.
Estimated Cost: ~$900 Million
Estimated Date Completion: ~2017

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has a number of major projects in the works for Cleveland. There are at least 4 large transportation projects under way that will change the way we get from one place to another. The most significant is undoubtedly the innerbelt reconstruction and Cuyahoga viaduct proposal.

Cleveland's innerbelt (I-90) is a below grade interstate (meaning it's in a big ditch) curving around downtown from the east lakefront to the Cuyahoga river bridge at Tremont. This road serves as an obvious physical boundry for Clevland's downtown. At present this is one of the more dangerous sections of interstate in the state. The Cuyahoga viaduct is also a choke point for interstate traffic from I-90 west and I-71 to downtown resulting in regular delays.

The plan at present has four major pieces. First is flattening out "Deadman's curve" where I-90 takes a sharp turn from north-south to follow Lake Erie. Traffic here is forced to slow down to 35 mph and collisions or tipovers of trucks are a common occurrence. Few Clevelanders anywhere will complain about this improvement (except perhaps for a building owner or two in the area affected). I can't imagine anyone actually likes this turn.

The second improvement is simple general reconstruction of the roadway, street bridges, walls, etc. Not much to complain about there.

The third improvement which is causing some localized opposition is the proposal to reduce the number of interchanges off of I-90 (and rebuild the remaining ones). This opposition should be expected as any business owner would be upset if a major road was moved away from his business. In my opinion, the proposal is generally a good one however. Traffic would definitely move better and major traffic corridors would evolve with fewer interchanges.

The final piece to the puzzle is the one that's bringing out the boo birds from their roosts. The single biggest expense in this project is the construction of one or two new bridges over the Cuyahoga river. Once the general public got a good look at ODOT's first set of plans, and once they thought a bit about the signature bridge being build over the Maumee river in our nearby city of Toledo, the local outcry was heard.

The first plans for the bridge involve an even more curved roadway close to downtown. Perhaps most unfortunate were the highly pedestrian bridge designs proposed for this span or spans. There is nothing exciting in them whatsoever. Opponents to this plan claim that a bridge can be build flattening out the curve in the road, which would have the added effect of increasing the area of downtown hemmed in by the interstate. Perhaps their major complaint involves the bridge type, however. There is much outcry for a signature bridge of the Boston, or even Toledo, type. If we're going to spend half a billion (with a B) dollars on a bridge, let's make it a good one they say. I agree on that aspect. If you're going to build big, you should always try to build beautiful. Construction projects like this have a way of lasting much longer than people anticpate and defining the region for decades to come (if not longer). ODOT may say that the bridge will be in use for 50 years, but in my opinion no one should rationally believe it won't be here a century from now.

The biggest obstacle to the alternative route provided by the ODOT opponents appears to be a rather mundane (albeit *VERY* significant) concern. ODOT does not believe it could keep the bridge open while working on the southern route alternative. It does believe it can keep traffic flowing for its proposal. If true, this absolutely ends the argument. No one in Cleveland can afford to have its most major interstate shut down for 2 years right at the gates of downtown.

If the opponents can disprove this argument, than you can count me in among their supporters. The southern route of the bridge certainly seems to make more sense.

See www.innerbelt.org for the ODOT proposals. See http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/bridge/ for how the oppositions alternative plans have gelled.

Near South/Tremont - Steelyard Commons

Project: Mundane, modern shopping plaza anchored by three big-box retailers (WalMart, Home-Depot, and Target). Notable for redevelopment of ex-steel factory brownspace along major interstate into downtown Cleveland.
Estimated Cost: ~$90 Million private funding
Estimated Completion Date: ??? - Local opposition to project scared off Wal Mart

Steelyard commons is one of the silliest development conundrums facing Cleveland in recent years. When I first moved to Cleveland my first impression of the areas south of downtown was sheer horror. I couldn't believe there could be such degradation in a major American city. The sooty black remains of Cleveland's once mighty steel industry stood rotting along the Cuyahoga river from south to north. Surrounding was a large expanse of Cleveland's poor neighborhoods. As a group of my friends called it: "Cleveland's urban deathscape".

Cleveland has made much noise the past few years about attracting residents to downtown and the near downtown neighborhoods. Certainly when I examined living options downtown in the past, the lack of shopping (along with a number of other considerations) weighed heavily on my decision to stay away. I doubt that a single shopping plaza would correct the overall dearth of options, but it would be solid, significant start.

Much more important in my mind is the redevelopment of the reeking scar of a former industrial zone right in the heart of the city. Even a boring, mundane WalMart would be a vast improvement. Most important is the effect that the addition of a WalMart would have on the shopping choices of the thousands of poor in the (relatively) nearby neighborhoods. Even a small decrease in the cost of living for those on the border of poverty is a good thing, a morally good thing.

However, opposition reared its head as the project began. I heard voices shouting WalMart isn't union! WalMart will hurt the local businesses! WalMart is satan! My personal response to these arguments involved a great deal of slack-jawed dumbfoundery. My heavily liberal leanings were put to the test by such statements. I ask those that have seemingly tanked this project: Have you seen the business corrider that is Carnegie Avenue? Are you worried about the quicky-mart in Tremont? You're *really* trying to make an anti-union fight on a degraded brownspace in the heart of our city? Try instead fighting Target or WalMart in the ever expanding sprawl that is covering up farmland in Twinsburg instead. I'll back you on that one.

Monetarily, the opposition has probably cost the city and county around a million a year in lost taxes if this project truly fails. This is pure speculation on my part, but I would hardly be surprised if we someday discover that certain individuals opposed to this project are themselves receiving some amount of undisclosed income from competing (established) business interests. Ah, local politics.

In this fight, I oppose my liberal brethren. Bring on the beast that is WalMart and chain it near Cleveland's front door. It really will be an improvement. At present, WalMart has pulled its plans to build at this location. Hopefully they will change their minds (or another more palatable retailer will take over the fight).

See below for project webpage:
http://www.steelyardcommons.com/main.asp

Do a search on Steelyard Commons opposition for dissenting viewpoints, including the Cleveland AFL-CIO, as well as a number of my yuppie brethren hoping to fight the good fight against a giant corporation.

University Circle - Cleveland Museum of Art

Project: Renovation and expansion, creating a looped floor plan for easier navigation through collection, w/ increased gallery and public space.
Estimated Cost: ~ $260 Million
Estimated Completion Date: 2011

The main focus of growth in Cleveland is the University Circle/Cleveland Clinic area with a number of cultural, commercial and residential projects in various stages of completion. The Musuem of Art (CMA) has been a feather in Cleveland's cap for many years. No, it does not have a focused or general collection on par with the major European galleries, or the Met in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, or the National Gallery in Dc. It does have a notable second tier collection, however. Perhaps the highlight being a recent addition of Apollo Sauroktonos, a lifesize bronze sculpture by Praxiteles (likely). If you're unfamiliar with the name, he is one of the greatest names in classical composition. Some of the most famous sculptures in the Vatican collection, or London's National Gallery are Roman copies of his work. A potential original such as this is an extremely rare find anywhere, and especially for a smaller museum such as CMA. This, other major works (such as Picasso's La Vie), and the single largest endowment of any art museum in the United States (~ $700 Million) certainly give CMA the potential to grow into a world renowned cultural instition.

To this end CMA surged ahead with its expansion plans (despite the loss of its Director and CEO in the midst of the project). The design called for adding additional space on the east side of the complex, creating a loop of galleries around a refurbished, glass-roofed courtyard. The project is intended to significantly increase space, to add a new focus for the entire museum in the courtyard, and to create a more viewer friendly flow to the galleries. Those of us familiar with the old museum will certainly attest that the old layout isolated the main European collection from the public areas. Even worse, the excellent Asian collections seemed almost hidden away in a basement.

While happy that this expansion is taking place and excited about the new courtyard, especially after having seen the extraordinary glassed-in courtyard of the British Museum, I can't help but be let down by the designs released to the public. I had hoped that this preeminant cultural institution of northeast Ohio would take this opportunity to build a landmark. Instead they just seem to be making a nice little musuem. There is little exciting about their design, and my first thought is certainly that this seems to be an opportunity missed. However, and I stress however, it must be noted that this opinion is given before the game is over. Construction is ongoing and the museum is currently closed. There is still hope that I and the rest of Cleveland will see something extraordinary when CMA opens its newly renovated doors to the public in stages over the next few years.

In the end, whether we see a bold architectural achievment, or simply a nice addition, the renovated CMA will contribute to a better Cleveland.

For (much) more information see the Cleveland Museum of Art website.
http://www.clemusart.com/