Saturday, September 1st, 2007
Veterans Memorial Bridge and Subway Tour
9am - 3pm
Free parking at the County Engineer's Bridge Garage
Free Admission
Way back when, before public transit studies were tied to population and development concentrations, before Cleveland was mostly paved parking lots and people came downtown to work, be entertained and well, get stuff done. Back when Cleveland's heritage was that of one of the 5 largest cities in the country without any playful exaggeration of city boundaries and glowering promises of regionalism there existed a simple and possibly beautifully efficient mode of transport through town called the street car. These simple passenger craft made quick transportation cheap and easy until the advent of the automobile gave people the solitude they didn't know they wanted.
Now, as lightrail systems pop up in cities like Portland, Or and Houstan, Tx and are even being considered for cities like Columbus, Oh, the County Engineers are kind enough to make public the old street car level of the Veteran's Memorial Bridge.
Typically I try to walk it at least twice a year and have yet to be disappointed. The views are amazing and it harkens back to a more prosporous time for the city. Perhaps even pointing out a way that cleveland can reclaim it's proper heritage.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Saturday, August 31, 2007
11am - 4pm
Cleveland Trust Rotunda
A while back I had posted something about how the County was unintentionally being ironic when it proposed tearing down the AmeriTrust Tower as part of a 'green initiative'. I got yelled at for that. Fine.
This whole thing makes me think the County isn't only corrupt and ironic but actually stupid.
Building on our Heritage is a celebration of sorts. A celebration of Cleveland's heritage, by showcasing the Rotunda building. A fine structure of historical design that celebrates a 'revival' period (City Beautiful) of Cleveland's history. By mentioning the revival period I am pointing out that the historical classicism of the Rotunda building is inherently false and that celebrating it whilst tearing down a building that properly reflected a current design philosophy and claiming the false one as a 'heritage' makes us all look like liars. No need to expand on that one, I think you understand.
Anyway, you can check out the County's flyer but I already created my rebuttal. I find the premise of the event ridiculous, the fact that it is being held in/near/around the Ameritrust Tower which the County wants to tear down to replace with a building of questionable design and merit and resonates the idea of how buildings can reflect our heritage insane. Downright friggin' insane.
I would appreciate anyone that goes to this mess to actually look around at the fabric of the city in the area and question how they would want their 'heritage' defined. Perhaps even makes some choices on whether you want to be defined by anything on that particular corner and what you may consider 'historic'.