OurCLE, a grassroots campaign initiative, has launched a Civic Commons petition to educate the public and advocate against the proposed Horseshoe Casino skywalk. A Facebook page (http://facebook.com/OurCLE) and Twitter account (http://twitter.com/OurCLE) are also live.
After receiving 100 signatures, OurCLE will send the online petition to Paul Loether, Chief Appeals Officer at the National Register of Historic Places, before the November 15th hearing on Forest City Enterprises’ request to build the bridge and still keep historic tax credits. We urge Mr. Loether to deny their appeal.
Supporters cite economic development as the primary reason for constructing a skywalk across Ontario Avenue into the side of Tower City. To the contrary: construction jobs would be temporary; the project adds no benefit to the surrounding downtown neighborhood; and planning experts say skywalks kill street life and contribute to the perception that downtown is abandoned. Attached is a letter that explains OurCLE’s objection in detail and the necessity for urgent action from key community leaders to step up and stop this boondoggle.
OurCLE also plans to go door-to-door this coming weekend to seek signatures for a second letter addressed to Mayor Jackson and Councilman Cimperman, supporters of the project, and to increase awareness of this important issue that could cause decades of irreparable harm to downtown development and return migration.
For examples of cities that have had second thoughts about their skywalks and are now demolishing them, visit http://ourcleveland.wordpress.com/skywalks.
For questions, comments or interviews, please contact OurCLE: ourcle1796@gmail.com.
Sign the new Change.org petition here.
5 Responses to “Petition To Save Cleveland’s Tower City”
bob
FIGHTING BIG $$$…FCE AND Whaz his face…TIMES,demands,etc.change…BRINGS $ in (well NOT sure on skywalk…)…U MAY win this one..WHY U say…SUPPOSED to be a OVER Ontario st.a SUSPENDED walkway connecting New garage to casino via second floor….for whutever reason THAT not done…NO idea if whole thing ran overcost,fab work taking longer or wha it is…if IF skywalk done..gonna be this plexiglass type deal…SOMETHING along lines of that one over GrandCanyone out west..NOT THAT elab…ACTUALLY Probably MORE like the deal in NYC…I CANT remember WHO or WHICH bldg there…ALMOST like this OVERsized window floral solar greenhouse type jobbie used to see peddled,sold in 1970s on…NOT a big thing..think like a std closet sized deal…
UNLESS SKYWALK IS that walkway….PUT IT THIS way…if didnt have sidwalk life BEFORE the casino even with sports thing,Warehouse DIst,Gateway,etc. HOW badly can THIS affect THAT…
bob
Foo thatz Iz didnt readz whole article…MY goof..SORRY….STILL..THINK bout it…BLOW MEGA $$$ in THAT parking garage UNLESS get the $ BACK via that credit to entice one down there to gamble,etc.
bob
U tell ME affect from PHASE 2 NEW casino along Cuyahoga River….?! NO idea if started YET….DOWNTOWN FCE sloping ramp off Huron WAS closed off like 6 mos.ago…NO idea if repairs or start of construction….been awhile since THAT way ….is a gamble of sorts…sure beancounters n mktg crew TRYING to determine wha gonna happen…but I aint gonna do their work for them….
bob
BY blowing mega $…meant the EX county garage sold to casino FOR valet,etc.parking…PRICEY deal..wha $15…unless do early bird,OFF day type visit…NOT sure bout THAT….YOU are the CITY,etc. U REALLllly want folks getting slaughtered trying do this mad dash across to the PromisedLand…
bob
Bet $5 a certain BIG local architectural n arts newspaper writer is somehow in this anti pile but to protect all concerned wont release that Name thou PUBLIC ENOUGH…heck HE had a big enough front page article…FOLKS waiting for MED MART to finally do WHUTEVER it is gonna do n ITS AFFECT overall on area…LUV the idea,etc. IN ACTUALITY the ‘perormance’ of THAT…?..U tell me..