Do You Hear What I Hear?
Thursday, April 13th the historic Broadway Mills/Strong Cobb/Gillota building and its supporters go before the Cleveland Landmark Commission to plead its case for Historical Landmark status. This building at the end of the Central Viaduct in the vicinity of the Western Reserve Historical Society Fire Museum stands in the way of the construction of the northern span of the “signature” innerbelt bridge.
I understand that Baker & Associates has provided the paperwork showing that the building should not be eligible for Landmark status. This firm is the one hired by ODOT to design the innerbelt bridge. To me, this appears to be a conflict of interest. Would you agree?
This is not the first time that this firm has been in this position. Baker & Associates was the firm who prepared the paperwork showing that The Fulton Road Bridge did not deserve Landmark status. The city and the Landmarks Commission used the paper the firm produced as one of the reasons for denying Landmark status. Baker and Associates was the firm hired by the County to design the new “signature” bridge over the zoo valley. I have heard that ODOT was the voice behind the scenes saying that the Fulton Road Bridge needed to be destroyed and a new one constructed.
Strangely enough, ODOT Director Gordon Proctor used the “possibilty of landmark status” for the Walker Weeks building and the Juvenile Justice Center as reasons for closing the Carnegie exit in the plans for the ODOT “renovations”.
Oddly enough, the players in this new Landmark Status case appear to be the same, ODOT, the county engineer, the City of Cleveland, and Baker and Associates. I hear the sound of wrecking balls and heavy machinery unless we as a community stand behind the people wanting to save this landmark.
Please attend this important Landmark Commission meeting. They are open to the public. If you cannot attend send your letters of support to Bob Keiser at rkeiser@city.cleveland.oh.us. I would suggest sending a copy of your email to Ed Hauser at ed@reallinks.us or Norm Roulet at norm@reallinks.us
April 11th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
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April 13th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Ed Hauser wrote a letter to CoolCleveland, but it didn’t make it in to yesterday’s edition. The letter (as a PDF on BFD) is a call action to ask our public officials to get back on track with their public process. Here’s the link for anyone who wants to take action. http://www.neobridge.net/take_action
This morning Ed and a few of us went to the Cleveland City Landmarks Commission to request that they nominate the Broadway Mills/Strong Cobb/Gillotta Fuels Building for landmark status. It is take #19 for the northern bridge alignment and sits right at the end of the old Central Viaduct west of the Marathon Station. But guess what; they voted to table the decision to nominate the building for Landmark status because of an email from John Motl at ODOT that was forwarded to them by Debbie Berry — City of Cleveland Planning Commission. Sounds familiar, eh? ODOT wants to be able to address the Landmarks Commission. I don’t understand. We are not asking for a decision, but that they begin a process. What will ODOT say? It is not historic, not important?
Anyway, I am intrigued. The issue will be taken up again at the Landmarks Commission meeting on April 27 with ODOT there. I can’t wait to be there. In the meantime, ODOT officials were purported to have a meeting with City of Cleveland officials in the “red room” this afternoon. Who was invited to that meeting? There was no mention of it in the ODOT meeting schedule. What? More closed door politics?
Hauser’s letter outlines where ODOT has stepped away from a public process, so unannounced meetings in the red room are just par for the course, I guess. Maybe you guys who are “in the know” can educate me about this process where we are about to spend a billion dollars on a roadway…. I sure hope so. We can ask for edification from our elected officials here: http://www.neobridge.net/take_action