Perhaps it requires the diligence of an unconnected outsider to muddle through the necessary logic and intent to chose a proper siting for a large project for this (and perhaps any) city. No one can fault Forest City for wanting to capitalize on underused properties. In fact the arguments which centered on the connectivity of the site were understandably strong however the proximity of the Mall site (.4 miles, 6 minutes walk by indirect path from Tower City) makes locating the new convention center and adjacent mart based upon "connectivity" alone one difficult to argue. I would like to see the Cuyahoga River developed (not in the fashion of creating large, imposing cliffs of "architecture" along it as shown by the Tower City Proposal), in fact I would rather see Riverfront Development take precedence over any lakefront development as the Cuyahoga is distinctly Cleveland and sets us apart historically and allegorically from any other competiting city.
While the plan of using the new convention center/medical mart as an impetus to invigorate seemingly unrelated industries is honestly overreaching the intent of developing the necessary entertainment/hotel industry to support conventions will set aside the chicken/egg argument (between residential program and its necessary supportive infrastructure) by first strengthening Cleveland as a destination and hopefully providing the necessary infrastructure (transit/entertainment/lodging) that will then allow an increase in desirability for residents and increase Cleveland's population strengthening tax base and enlivening the city
The site has finally been chosen, one I personally endorse and think was the better decision. Situated in a more public location with access to public transit, Burke Lakefront Airport and our burgeoning passenger rail (yes, the Amtrak station that most Clevelander's understandably couldn't find on a map is to the north of the Mall Site - hint follow the tracks) the proposed site is part of Cleveland's Group Plan developed by Arnold Brunner, John M. Carrère and Daniel Burnham with the intent to create a grand civic space for the "progressive city of Cleveland".
The next steps will seem both stubbornly slow and uncomfortably rapid as spatial and formal programs are developed and studied, connections to existing districts/regions are studied and strengthened and as funding is arranged and dispersed. My excitement at the project is not limited to simple site selection. I will not agree that this project alone can save the city but I do feel that it will reinforce what we already have and create job opportunity that we can harness and evolve into a more educated workforce backed by specialized manufacturing.
I beg that vigilant attention be paid to the project, to keep transparency high, to keep decisions informed and to make accountability for success or failure possible. This is a great case study for our city, one with tendrils further reaching and more permanent than the entertainment complexes of stadiums and arenas, one that can capitalize upon public spaces and movement to create an integrated and succinct solution that can become a strong positive image for our city; because in the end to succeed that is what the new Medical Mart and Convention Center has to become, a strong positive image that can impress upon the large volume of visitors that will be attending these functions. So that we (Cleveland) can make the flourish and statement of a city rising back up to reclaim its older glory of a vibrant metropolis, an exciting place to live, a fruitful place to work and a grand address to locate a business or industry.
resources:
Cleveland's Group Plan - Proceedings of the Eighth National Conference on City Planning, Cleveland, June 5-7, 1916 - a surprisingly still relevant read.
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