When useful older buildings aren't retrofitted and reused, it's generally because of some major impediment. In Cleveland, the building code itself militates against extended revitalization of older properties and favors demolition and new development. This, in turn, is better for banks and developers but worse for those who want to be more fiscally conservative, but can't due to unreasonable code requirements.

When a building code works against common-sense preservation issues, it needs to be reexamined and retrofitted itself.

Waste not, want not. With all the waste that has gone on in Cleveland, it is no wonder that the city comes up short in so many ways.

 down euclid avenue on saturday and i said "oh look - its our new euclid corridor"!

her immediate reaction was "where are all the god damn buildings? they tore them down? they are SO STUPID! Thats one of the few things that makes cleveland great are its old buildings!" (we were at euclid and 50-70 something) and she went on about how stupid cleveland is.

 If this is around 58th and Euclid...these particular buildings have not been usuable for more than 40 years.

They basically weren't ever really salvageable in standing terms. One of the buildings has had no roof and had pancaking floors that have fallen onto of each other. The owners were foolishly using the first floor only for manufacturing with the notion that whatever happened above didn't matter cause they had quite a few floors before it would reach them. Enough of an earthquake would have meant utter devastation...we are in an Earthquake zone remember. It was the city that didn't insist that the buildings be condemned and torn down but instead left them up to become the last building in the area. That's strange

Very few building are able to be saved if they have structural or architectural problems. Not sure why folks beat the drum about this. These particular buildings have stood for so long in a state of disrepair and anguish that to now get teary eyed isn't worth your time.

If you folks want to get upset about planning you would need to find what was once called the "dumbbell plan" which dictated urban design in and around the 1940's. That was a basis for much of the syndrome which devastated the neighborhoods in this area, that and the CCF land contracts in the 1950's and the historical migration of Blacks in the 40's, 50's, 60's which was divisively botched on most social gov't levels. Those are the historical concerns then and it silly and distorting today to scratch ones head wondering what happened today once they tear'em down.

  From Metrohealth Campus to Midtown.  Moving the chairs on the Titanic...such an apt metaphor.

http://realneo.us/forum/whats-the-future-of-the-old-cleveland-psychiatric-institute