A tale of two- the Why- Land Of IZ not WOZ!!!

Part One– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/a-tale-of-two-city-houses-downing-of-quality/
Part Two– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/a-tale-of-two-continued-lorains-cast-offs/
Part Three – https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/a-tale-of-two-a-tale-of-woe-lorain/
Part Four- https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/a-tale-of-two-the-who-the-how-why/
Part Five- https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/24/the-tale-of-two-the-how-supporting-cast/
January 2013 Photo Lorain 365

1. We now know that a property 3620 Clifton purchased in 2011 after five years of being open to the elements was deemed bad enough to be issued a search warrant in Sept 2012-

2. Declared a public nuisance and uninhabitable – the property listed for demolition ( along with two neighboring properties ) Jan 4th 2013

3.Given a reprieve because the “Duo of Will Do” ( Barbee and Johnson) owners pleaded before the Demolitions appeals Board for more time a week later Jan 11th 2013 by that same board . A board that had doubts caved to the “give em a break mentality”

-” and apart from the President who had to recuse himself ( Fire Chief Brown) had previously stated:

” for the record I have personally toured the last two properties (3620 Clifton) and they are a public nuisance. …. these properties are deplorable “

and Chief of Staff Derek Feuerstein ( No vote) we kept 3620 as part of our housing s stock in the City of Lorain.

But to be fair the City of Lorain Building Inspectors were to follow through and make sure the Duo of Will Do” would.

Did they continue to inspect in those ensuing months and years? I asked for all notes, inspections and reports and I received nothing in that regard from April 23rd 2013 through 2016 ??? Did not Mr. Cantu ( now retired- 2017) ever do a cursory contact??? If he did I didn’t receive any documentation .

Lorain 365 blog has its reservations at the time and JUNE 16th 2013

https://lorain365.com/2017/05/14/3620-clifton-avenue-part-three/

Demolition Board of Appeals meetings are held during the week and are impossible for me to attend. At the meeting held February 28, 2013, the owners were given another month to continue their work on the property. They were granted this extra time because they had roofed and secured the house, plus cleaned up the yard.

Since then, 3620 Clifton Avenue has never been mentioned in the newspaper again. I’ve gone by there a few times over the past couple months, but never stopped to take pictures because nothing had changed. When I went by there two weeks ago, I surprised to see that the houses on either side had been demolished recently!

The pictorial tour continued on that Lorain 365 post and the unanswered question from Lorain 365

How long does the City have to let this go on? Are the owners now caught up in the cycle of permit perpetuity? As long as there’s a permit in the window, the City will continue to watch from the sidewalk

AND THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION LORAIN 365 IS YES!!!!!!!!

4.April 25th 2013 Mr. Ralph Cantu, the gentleman Building Inspector who first asked for the search warrant had a change of heart and on that date declared to the Demolition Board of Appeals that the roof was nearly completed and he had agreed they Duo of Will do ” were doing what they said they would”.

Mr. Nathanial Johnson – one of the duo declared 4 1/2 months after the initial Demo ruling

“We have only a four by four section left . We tore down the fence and put in three more windows .

Mr. Daniel Rodriguez ( Engineering) Can we make a motion to possibly remove this case from the Board demolition board?

and FAMOUS last words from Mr. Cantu Yes because we could cite him on property maintenance if he doesn’t continue to go on.

http://raunerlibrary.blogspot.com/2010/07/mark-of-hydra.html

” At least for another 4 years – you see 3620 was pushed to the back burner on the blogs – too many other issues with building and inspections reared their collective hydra heads

However in January 2015 this blogger asked Lorain 365 Blog to check out the property and GUESS WHAT , it was still as bad as ever and contacted Mr. Feuerstein as to what was happening with this property where it was in the system and the reply from Mr. Mason ( the then Director of Building Housing and Planning on February 9th 2015

LEON MASON ( no longer with the City of Lorain)
”

As it relates to the Clifton Avenue property (which I’m assuming is 3620 Clifton), it was forwarded to the County Land Bank to begin the foreclosure process. As you may or may not know, the process for demo has changed since the original program, and the county must take possession of the properties….

Due to statute of limitations being reached on some cases pertaining to nuisance inspections from previous years, the cases had to be dismissed. On that same note, the City can again issue notices as well as citations/summons for people to appear in court (e.g. tickets) for housing code violations.

I’m using the data as I type this email, to send letters to property owners whom are in violation of the Untenanted Property Registration ordinance, using the Vacant Property Report………There no longer exists a Nuisance Inspection Task Force; it is code enforcement with hopes on placing a strong emphasis on ENFORCEMENT.”

Sept 2016 and I started asking questions again and it looks like according to the public records request once again April 2016 -3 years after Mr. Cantu we can always inspect .. the property was before the Housing Court AGAIN!!!!!!
….
March 24th-2017 I contacted the Lorain County Auditor because 3620 Clifton had disappeared from their site…. demolished ??? but NO it was still alive and well and was then reinstated…… Can this tale get any better ?

How many heads on the Hydra….

1. a property that was deemed such a nuisance, a health hazard, on par with living in a 3rd world county for “insanitary conditions ” and ” according to Chief Building Official Klinar

This building has been deemed a dangerous building and poses an immediate danger to the public health and safety and welfare mandating summary abatement..

All fixed and abated because of a partial roofing and three windows – all the danger made to go away…. but it didn’t did it and the process starts all over again because according to one piece of paperwork hand written notes Chris Yates building inspector “nothing abated 7.18/16 and again 9/13.16 and still no change 11/22/16 …

May 16th 2017 the bloggers again went to inspect

Apart from this property still standing , the time the effort the frustration of 6 years of ownership with the Duo of Will Do and the 5 years before that … what of the waste of time, man power and sheer in my opinion lack of A decent “enforceable ” inspection process that is not equal across the system. This could be the reason this property on Lexington went from this in those same 11 years

to this

and why for the past 11 years we have had this at the “beginnings of Broadway???
This “expensive ” system to quality of life, to the taxpayers IS BROKEN

We are paying salaries for all these people,, INSPECTORS, JUDGES, FIRE DEPT, BUILDING AND PLANNING,SUPPORT STAFF,POLITICIANS ,AND HEALTHCARE AND MAINTENANCE , VEHICLES YOU NAME IT – THIS IS COMING FROM OUR POCKETS and there is a financial cost to us the tax payer…… and that will be the next item on the “AGENDA”

And we haven’t even touched upon 1348 W. Erie the poster child of Point of Sale

to be continued

The tale of Two – THE HOW-Supporting Cast

Original Image Scott Bakalar

Part One– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/a-tale-of-two-city-houses-downing-of-quality/
Part Two– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/a-tale-of-two-continued-lorains-cast-offs/
Part Three – https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/a-tale-of-two-a-tale-of-woe-lorain/
Part Four- https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/a-tale-of-two-the-who-the-how-why/
January 2013 Photo Lorain 365
Let us just have a quick reminder of the facts of 3620 Clifton.
Sept- 2012 Inspections galore prior to getting a search warrant to inspect the “inside and outside of the property The Health Dept., the Fire Dept and the Building Dept. inspections all agreed , it “constitutes a severe safety and health hazard to the community”.

January 4th 2013– The property came before the Demolitions Board of Appeals and all members present including the councilman Eddie Edwards for the area concluded it was a hazard, dangerous, and eyesore open to the elements filled with trash and vermin….

REMEMBER THESE PHOTOS OF JANUARY 2013 ( Lorain 365) AS WE CARRY ON DOWN THE ‘WAY OF THE 3620″

Because, after the glad handing all around and agreement this property should come down gave way to the “Duo of Will Do – Mr.Barbee and Mr. Johnson who owed at that time $431.00 in back taxes (twice what they paid for the property ) and to date they NEVER HAVE paid taxes

So in the months and yes it has been YEARS this property has been “dithered about the ” Duo of Will Do” DIDN’T and now well $2,964.19 OWED. How is this happening ??? well!!!! you might ask.

Mr. Joseph Barbee and Nathanial Johnson (Duo of Will Do) came before the Demolition Board of Appeals a week after their initial decision of January 4th 2013 to “take it down” and cried have pity pity please. And for 13 pages of testimony on that January 11th 2013 day . I have linked those pages at the end of this post. READ IT AND SEE HOW THE SYSTEM FAILS US-
Chief Brown ( who had to recuse himself) Derek Feuerstein ( Chief of Staff) who tried to pin them down the “missing in action Howard Goldberg ( Prudoff’s Community Development ) and Rey Carrion who pleaded their case very well the cast of characters all of whom had their say and they wanted a “plan” as to how the “$17,000 committed to the project would be spent-
Derek Feurestein at one point asked

DF- Can I ask a question does it really make sense to buy a house for $200?
N. Johnston – Because anything can be fixed- if it was a hazard why would you sell it like that ?
D.F We {City of Lorain} didn’t sell you the hazard – It was the COUNTY AUCTION)

ED> Note AH HA!!! and another character has entered into the story of 3620

Richard Klinar ( Chief Building Inspector was also at the meeting) also stated : The time frame on permits and inspections are controlled by the State of Ohio- the City of Lorain has nothing to do with it we can’t shorten or lengthen

Another cumbersome character the State of Ohio
The Duo of Will DO had a credit card limit of $17,000 for the property
and even Richard Klinar had his doubts
“Just a comment , I find it hard to believe you can replace , electrical , plumbing, heating , roof , siding, windows, doors, drywall and insulate for $15,000

I would have chimed “WHAT ABOUT THE FOUNDATION ISSUES” but by that time you could tell the way this was going the 2nd 2nd chance for the property known as 3620 Clifton As I sat in the audience that day hearing Ralph Cantu (Building Inspector) ask as we were leaving

” I don’t know why you people {bloggers} are so hard on George (Schneider) ( who had also been at the meeting appealing one of his “portfolio of properties coming down) he is such a nice guy!

NOTE TO SELF – maybe a building inspector should be required to inspect properties not like or dislike the property owner.hmmmmmmm

BUT the end result of that meeting the demolition was put into abeyance for another week………… and then from Lorain 365 blog who covered this property from the very beginning …

“It is my understanding that the owners of 3620 Clifton presented an acceptable plan to the Board and will have to bring proof of progress to the next meeting on February 28th.
I will be there.
The work started

Photo Lorain 365
The only way the Building Department knows if these serial second chancers are completing the work to code is if they report back to say the work is done and request an inspection. The Building Department can only drive by and look at the outside of the house from the public sidewalk or an adjoining property (with the owner’s permission).

As long as the outside looks good and the house is secure, there’s nothing else the Building Department can do unless they are invited inside by the homeowners. That needs to change. Stop the repeated prostitution of problem properties in Lorain. Break this vicious cycle before it completely breaks this city for good. It’s time, Lorain.

The pages of testimony
doc into
Doc1
Doc2
Doc3
Doc4
Doc5
Doc6
Doc7
Doc8
Doc9
Doc10
Doc11
Doc12

And four years later

To be continued………………

A tale of two- the WHO, the How- Why?????

Original Image Scott Bakalar

Part One– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/a-tale-of-two-city-houses-downing-of-quality/
Part Two– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/a-tale-of-two-continued-lorains-cast-offs/
Part Three – https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/a-tale-of-two-a-tale-of-woe-lorain/

We know these houses had to be enabled to end up in this deplorable condition – so just who enabled 3620- Clifton

The information requested on 3620 Clifton turned out to be very enlightening:

This property , according to then Councilman Edwards( January 2013) had been vacant for five years prior to the properties purchase by Nathaniel Johnson and Joseph Barbee for $200 ED NOTEno that is not a mistake two hundred dollars January 13/2011-

it was noted by Demolition Board member, 5th ward Councilman, and neighborhood resident Eddie Edwards that “Before the sale, the house sat empty for about five years, with its doors and windows open and generally falling apart…” and “The new owners also waited a year before taking action to repair it…”

Before this property ended up in “demolition mode “ a number of inspections were done and on September 4th 2012 a sworn affidavit before the bench of Judge Mark Mihok ( remember him)

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/you-be-the-judge-welcome-to-lorain-judge-mihok-and-george-schneider/

Ralph Cantu of the Lorain Building Dept signed the affidavit stating :

“The aforementioned premises presents conditions from the exterior that have become so dilapidated , decayed, unsafe, in-sanitary

(ED NOTE- ‘It is a disease of overcrowding, insanitary conditions and poor personal hygiene, and affects mostly children of developing countries.’ …”

or which so utterly fail to provide the amenities essential to decent living that they are unfit for human habitation…. etc etc.

The search warrant was granted and inspections took place : Three departments inspected this property ( inside and out) on (9/4/12) All three , building, health and fire, declared this property a public nuisance at that January 4th meeting and Chief Brown the President of the Board and all members voted unanimously to declare the property 3620 a public nuisance.

In fact Chief Brown stated on that January 4th meeting over 4 years ago

“Unfortunately , there are some really good neighbors in that neighborhood and they have asked for help in this endeavor. They have lived with this for quite a bit of time . These properties( 3618, 3620, 3628) are deplorable…..

Poor Councilman Edwards would soon have to swallow more than his words as he stated to the Demolition Board of Appeals
” Thank you for your diligence . This has been a problem and a nuisance out there for the last few years . I am glad to see you taking action ….. It has been a real nuisance”

Well the nuisance continued as will this tracking the “talk talk happy talk”

Remember this property had tied up Building, Health Fire Depts. with inspections, court hearings, back taxes , manpower for at least 7 years before this Demolition Board finding 1.4.13 – I wonder if anyone accounts for those costs? And YET May 2017 – it STILL STANDS “WHY???????

To be continued……….

A tale of two- continued Lorain’s cast offs

Original artwork Scott Bakalar

Part ONE – https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/a-tale-of-two-city-houses-downing-of-quality/

The tale of woe that has become Lorain’s deplorable housing , especially in the 44052 and 55 didn’t get where we are today by accident. So many years citizens, council people , newspapers and yes ‘Bloggers” pointed out there were situations needing to be followed through.

Multi- property owners going in 4 years from 34 properties to over 300 and the majority in poor condition, proofs those same people were trading properties back and forth to dump them ( so as not to be the registered owner when the Lorain Building Dept. came to call – the process had to start all over again. ). Then the “bank” dumps , unreachable predatory property LLC -majority being out of town- and so many reasons compounded to make the system broken BUT we also have ourselves to blame!

But first let me introduce you to Lorain 365 – Lisa Miller https://lorain365.com/ who wrote about one of the properties back in 2013 – in fact this property is the one we will be focusing upon — Let us start at the beginning: I was introduced to 3620 Clifton by Lisa on a winter’s day in January…..

Once upon a time in the Lorain

3620 Clifton Avenue – Part One
3620 Clifton Avenue – Part One
As Seen In Lorain: 3620 Clifton Avenue and the second chance
Posted on January 13, 2013 by Lisa

“Even though it was noted by Demolition Board member, 5th ward Councilman, and neighborhood resident Eddie Edwards that “Before the sale, the house sat empty for about five years, with its doors and windows open and generally falling apart…” and “The new owners also waited a year before taking action to repair it…” AND the Board went out to see this house for themselves AND took the Fire Chief with them AND talked to the unhappy neighbors – the owners have $17,000 and a plan and that was enough for the Board to grant them a second chance”

ED Note you will see

in the Lorain 365 post this was the original state of the home and was sold to the owners for 200.00 and it just gets better from there – this and the following post is a MUST READ, even if you just look at the photos included.

And then Part Two – a week after the first post as Lisa revisited the property that needed a roof and a few other things to stop it from being demolished .
3620 Clifton Avenue – Part Two

ED NOTE: However the one thing that always worried me ‘WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND ALLOWED THIS CARBUNCLE OF A TWO STORY ADDITION ON THIS LITTLE SLAB HOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! I am not an engineer or architect but to put this “weighty” two story addition on a one story slab home, “a cabuncle on the bum of pre blight” was not a well thought out “plan” – even I know this was so wrong and not just from an atheistic viewpoint.

3620 Clifton Avenue – Part Two

3620 Clifton Avenue – Part Two
As Seen In Lorain: 3620 Clifton Avenue and the second second chance
Posted on January 19, 2013 by Lisa

As Lisa questioned at the time 4 years ago :

I am amazed that this house, which has been inspected and re-inspected by TPTB (and then some), was deemed worthy of a second chance. Sitting exposed to the elements for at least five years, sold for $200 to two guys who let it sit untouched for two more years (sale date January 2011) – it meant nothing to anybody until the city came knocking with the wrecking ball

To be continued………..

Photos Lisa Miller – Lorain 365

The Scold – Lorain- the ducking/cucking stool

Time, people and trials in this town have left me in a sort of out here alone on a limb mode of thinking – the last of the “scolds”

Oh! I know there are others that share my thinking but could it be they are afraid of the “ducking/cucking stool ” which censors our opening of our mouths ( locally and nationally)? As if the bad mouthing, concrete crashing Neanderthals weren’t enough of a deterrent.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/windows-on-lorain-the-neanderthals-a-tornado-history/
I have seen it too many times over the years of advocacy and I seem to have come away from those years half drowned ,soaking wet and getting more and more weary of trying – life here can do that to you. So I now find myself walking away, not raising the volunteering hand – and have left most of the “community” – I just don’t fit in .

As I “escape” from Lorain and the world into the realm Roku watching murder, mayhem and mystery I supplement with programs such as “Escape to the County” and the land of my birth where there are still pockets of the idyll and people looking to find their dream in the country.

It was during one such viewing this morning and the town of Leominister
http://www.leominster.co.uk/ and the story of Jenny Pipes (1809) the last woman to be legally ducked. She pronounced a “scold” by her community and the magistrate passed sentence

“In the common law of crime in England and Wales, a common scold was a type of public nuisance—a troublesome and angry woman who broke the public peace by habitually arguing and quarrelling with her neighbours. The Latin name for the offender, communis rixatrix, appears in the feminine gender and makes it clear that only women could commit this crime.
….. being placed in a chair and submerged in a river or pond. Although rarely prosecuted it remained on the statute books in England and Wales until 1967.
Francois Maximilian Misson, a French traveller and writer, recorded the method used in England in the early 18th century:The way of punishing scolding women is pleasant enough.(ED NOTE spoken like a true man )

They fasten an armchair to the end of two beams twelve or fifteen feet long, and parallel to each other, so that these two pieces of wood with their two ends embrace the chair, which hangs between them by a sort of axle, by which means it plays freely, and always remains in the natural horizontal position in which a chair should be, that a person may sit conveniently in it, whether you raise it or let it down. They set up a post on the bank of a pond or river, and over this post they lay, almost in equilibrio, the two pieces of wood, at one end of which the chair hangs just over the water. They place the woman in this chair and so plunge her into the water as often as the sentence directs, in order to cool her immoderate heat.

Jenny Pipes came back from her ducking still “scolding” and her claim to fame of telling it like it was has outlasted the magistrate. http://www.jennypipes.org.uk/

“the idea of ducking was to curb the tongue of the offender; the ducking to continue until the culprit either gives up or was exhausted”

Of course where there is a pond there is also pond scum and “ducking the scold” does disrupt that “gathering and rising to the top” if only for a little while. I have noticed the pond scum usually multiplies!

I have seen the “cucking stool” happening (metaphorically speaking) locally so many times and THAT Lorain is one of the problems and the why the view we have is of this (rehabbed????) “cottage”
March 2017

and the duckers can’t say they weren’t scolded for 4 years from that first demolition appeals board.
June 2013

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/dye-abolical-goose-gander-inspection-process-pt-2-lorain/

Source- https://jonkanekojames.com/2015/05/13/the-cucking-stool/

To those who have been ducked, and lived to walk away and tell the tale _ you will be missed by those that got wet with you

-to those that have returned to the bank of the pond to join the crowd – it is understandable-

-to those that keep trying -may it only be your feet getting wet…..

for those of you still “piping up’ like Jenny Piper and facing the wrath of the duckers and the chair I will have a towel waiting for you and a different sort of chair in front of the TV!

No! No !don’t press enter/submit.. damn it!!!

I know you all have been there – you, who frequent the Twits, the Face and Snap, indeed any of the social media groups and comments on media -you want to add your thoughts and opinions, maybe make a difference or inform at the very least.

Yes! there are the dangers of “trolls” but I have found lately the danger lies in my peace of mind and maintaining energy for what should be important in my life. I used to jump in where angels feared to tread ( under my name) and when I tried, with documentation to back up my opinion, well let us say ( even on my blog) repercussions have been belligerent, vindictive and dangerous to health and welfare in my home.

It is no good to point out there is something rotten in Denmark anymore –

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” is used to describe corruption or a situation in which something is wrong.

This thinking of “factual” information , as the media have found out to their chagrin, under the Trump Month apparently it is like living with a – like a fart in a colander– for the USA readers ( You’re like a fart in a colander, not knowing which hole to come out of.”) and unfortunately try as you might you can’t contain a fart in a colander.

I used to be involved especially in the city/county I live- Lorain – nope not going there anymore. It is wearing to try to stop the rot from happening when the rot benefits the few who have the ear to government or a government that “doesn’t much care” – choosing their battles – and at the best “ignored” with smiling faces, placated with promises.

Well so be it ! And so once again this morning I sat not pressing enter or submit because basically the only action or non action taken is against MOI!!!

I congratulate myself and then OH NO! my good intentions go out the colander hole as I submit an opinion ….. and my little voice screams – WHY did you do that?? stupid woman the only difference it will make is to your peace of mind for the next hours……
but like all farts in colanders it dissipates into the air until the next “stink” happens and happen it will…. get out the gas masks

Photo Source http://www.goldbamboo.com/pictures-t3867.html

2006 – Lorain was dreaming lights on Broadway then and now

PHOTO- MARK TELEHA LORAINCOUNTYPHOTO BLOG

There has been much toing and froing ( even on this blog ) with the Broadway Building and a successful downtown.
http://www.chroniclet.com/Local-News/2016/10/11/Lorain-developer-hopes-to-have-fudning-estimate-by-month-s-end.html

http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20161010/lorain-city-council-public-voice-support-for-broadway-projects

I sat at Lorain City Council chambers last evening for the latest discussions as to what was going to happen at 642 Broadway ( United Way)
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/money-for-old-rope-a-taxpayers-question/
and the Broadway Building-

I have aged since Spitzer mothballed the Broadway Building 11 years ago BUT sitting there last night I lost 10 years because I was back in 2006. So here is a reprise of a post I wrote back then on the old WoM Blog when I said then Show me the Money….
Apologies the newspaper links from 2006 have disappeared from the web but at the time they were available – not written in stone apparently but they were there when the article was originally written

WoM Logo by Scott Baklar

Back in 2006……..
Loraine Ritchey: Vision to do = needs dosh
or Show Me the Money!

(** note concept drawings courtesy of City of Lorain)
Noun: dosh dósh [Brit] Informal term for money – boodle, bread, cabbage [US], clams [US], dinero [N. Amer], dough, gelt, kale [US], lettuce [US], lolly [Brit], lucre, loot, moolah [N. Amer], pelf, scratch, shekels, simoleons [US], sugar, wampum [N. Amer], moola [N. Amer]
We all have visions of what we would like to see happen in this city by the shore. We have a lakefront begging to be cherished by people with vision, expertise and cash to make it happen. The recent announcement of the Maritime Museum moving to the old Pellet site was a welcome vision.

but like everything in life the concept needs the cash needs to make it a reality.

NOTE: THE MARITIME MUSEUM DID NOT HAPPEN BY 2016

BACK TO 2006
The Baseball stadium and field of dreams is also a vision of some of the community

It has taken by the last count $240,000 to reach the stage where CSU baseball will come and play for a couple or three seasons, once the field is prepared to certain specification, which of course will take more “dosh”. It is hoped by the proponents of the stadium/ field that the ripple effect of having a college team play in Lorain will eventually lead to bigger things – possibly a stadium – professional baseball. Dreams, assumptions , wonderful visions – we have had them all throughout the years.

NOTE 2016 from Ballpark Reviews
http://ballparkreviews.com/template2.php?in_name=The%20Pipe%20Yard&in_city=Lorain&in_state=Ohio One has to wonder in 2016 how much this costs us to support in the last 10 years

The photos in the screen shot from Ball Park reviews were taken in 2007

Streets and Sidewalks Committee Meeting October 23rd,2006

GIVEN: We have not even advertised yet. We are hoping and basing our future on wishes assuming that will take place. We have had fifty years of assumptions that have not paid off in this town. We need to be very cautious otherwise we are mortgaging the residents’ future on a dream. It is one thing to look at things and make educated guesses but it is another to dream…

2006
Then we also have the Heritage Trolley planned to loop around our downtown district

photo Heritage Trolley.org

“In order to implement the restoration of the streetcar system in Lorain, OH a Community Improvement Corporation (501-c3) has been formed. This Lorain Street Railway Inc. will be made up of members from the Lorain Port Authority, City of Lorain, Mainstreet Lorain, Chamber of Commerce, Lorain County Metroparks, Developers, Civic Leaders and other persons knowledgeable in the field. The wide range of membership is an indication of the community support behind this project.”

2016 – call it a Street car in Desire only – never happened …….

2006
The Lorain Palace, the grand old lady of Lorain holds a special place in this community – saved from destruction by the vision of the “ladies who lunched”. The latest plans to annex her to the Eagles building with all the performance areas, classrooms for the arts, entertaining in conjunction with the Palace that could entail is definitely a vision close to my heart. The vision is there but very little money.

2016 We are still talking happy talk……

2006

Friday October 13th 2006 (the timing of that announcement didn’t bode well for those of us who are superstitious) found us reading the article “Lorain looks for bright future on the lakefront” Kate Giammarise (Morning Journal)

“Altogether, it’s about two to two and a half miles of waterfront property, amounting to about 100 acres, said Don Romancak, a planner in the city’s Community Development Department. The city and Port Authority say they are partnering to have more land to offer developers”

The Pellet site was home of the “ore piles” and the coal docks – someone else’s “vision” of waterfront development.

”It’s wide open,” Foltin said, adding the development could include condominiums or other housing, retail, recreation, hotels, a conference center, a baseball stadium — or even casino gaming. ”(Having casinos in Lorain) still is near and dear to my heart,” Foltin said. ”Don’t think that door is closed”

2016 NOTE: I should have taken that bet ! because that door hit us in the wallet on his way out of town

The City of Lorain is proposing marketing and requesting RFP’s ( Requests for Proposals) from developers, some locally already have the information (see Agenda packet October 16th – Lorain City Council). Other options such as advertising our acreage nationwide and beyond are on going.
For some the coming together of a vibrant, bustling community can’t come soon enough Chronicle Telegram, October 25th-2006 by Joe Medici

LORAIN — With a Woolworth’s, a J.C. Penney’s, restaurants, movie theaters and dozens of small shops lining Broadway, Lorain’s downtown was once the jewel of the city.

Today, business owners on the city’s main corridor are just looking for ways to keep their doors open
2016 Well at least that still holds true
The people of Lorain may not agree on whose vision is the correct one but there isn’t a single solitary soul in this community that doesn’t want to see “Lorain Alive and Well” with people, housing, entertainment, jobs. That is the “vision” upon which we all agree.
Now we just have to get someone with the creativity, expertise and the financial backing to take our visions, show what is ”do-able with the dosh available” and make them reality. “Oh Say can you SEE??????”

2016 and there we sit 10 years later still polishing our rose coloured glasses and dreamin’ ………..

ALL IT TAKES IS MONEY-
Source http://retown.com/