prime–adjective
1. of the first importance; demanding the fullest consideration: a prime requisite.
2. of the greatest relevance or significance: a prime example.
3. of the highest eminence or rank: the prime authority on Chaucer.
4. of the greatest commercial value: prime building lots.5. first-rate: This ale is prime!
6. (of meat, esp. of beef) noting or pertaining to the first grade or best quality: prime ribs of beef.
7. first in order of time, existence, or development; earliest; primitive.
8. basic; fundamental: the prime axioms of his philosophy.
9. Mathematics. (of any two or more numbers) having no common divisor except unity: The number 2 is prime to 9.
I just wanted to remind the community in general, Cleveland in specific, about the accurate definition of the word "prime" as it pertains to land. All too often projects in the city are halted, slowed or generally sidetracked due to the consideration that the work about to be done does not fulfill the potential of the site selected (see Med. Mart). Another obvious argument is that land should sit unused, barren, contaminated, filthy and arguably dangerous because to develop it prematurely would devalue the potential value of the site in some distant future (see Howard Johnson Building, Scranton Peninsula, the Flats, Public Square surface parking, etc).
In a booming economy and in an urban context of which there is a large amount of immigration and need for expansion these arguments could be good economic advice, to hold dear with the ability to sell high. In region that is hemorrhaging citizens and jobs holding on to blighted properties with the hope that eventually some sort of windfall profit will be made is not only in poor taste but also actively hindering the ability of adjacent properties to become more appealing, raising in perceived value, increasing property value and spurring further development. With the large amount of undeveloped land in the city, unless a major influx of event occurs to increase the appeal of these sites whether through development, job generation or other, these sites are destined to continuously sit underutilized and unattractive. I can think of a far worse fate for the city then to be short of potential construction sites for various projects, speculative, government or other, especially considering that the infrastructure of the city was designed to handle a much larger population then it currently has to serve. I am not necessarily saying that growth is the only option for the success of Cleveland, rather I would like to argue that good stewardship of properties that may currently be considered excess would greatly increase the beauty and image of our city potentially attracting a stronger population.
So before the word "prime" gets bandied about as an excuse not to act, think on what the other option is.
Billboards are the answer to empty storefronts. It is just like a movie set. The downtown has seemed eerily vacant as of late. Even rush hour traffic is less. Have we been "left behind"?
