This Saturday a crew was removing aluminum siding from Aragon Ballroom.  No real news forthcoming other than Councilman Cummins confirmed the name of the owner and the company (A2Z) working on the building.  These photos were taken on Saturday, March 9, 2013.

Ali Faraj, the owner of the Aragon has hired Walter Clark's company, they have permits for stabilization and clean-out.  They've worked on the back partial roofs and although I've not seen what they're doing today, they generally are stabilizing and eliminating potential for any more damage.  There architect will be showing us plans soon which are being prepared for Design Review.  They can work with the police in terms of traffic flow.

CV 12 794741    Case Title:   Ali Faraj  vs.   Hamdi Qasem

Foreclosure      $350,000

Hamdi (Sam) Qasem Indicted in Cuyahoga County Corruption Case

Posted by Vince Grzegorek on Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 3:00 PM

 

•  
• Sam Qasem

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2011/09/15/sam-qasem-indicted-in-cuyahoga-county-corruption-case

Qasem, 55, spends most of his time in Florida but still owns a house in Westlake and some commercial properties in Northeast Ohio. For years, he owned several gas stations and food and beverage stores in Cleveland. He also spoke out on the need for closer relations between the city's Arab and Jewish communities and the dangers that convenience-store owners face.

Qasem is a good friend and business partner with Samir Mohammad, a top aide to County Auditor Frank Russo. Russo, who also employed Qasem's son Haddi for eight years, and County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora are prime targets of the federal investigation.

 http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/sam_qasem_says_feds_quizzed_hi.html

Ali Faraj also owns several businesses, gas stations and stores.  One is on 43rd and Clark.

•  
• Sam Qasem

* My blogs expressing my Freedom of Speech Rights, especially on matters of public concern, are my opinion and not the opinion of my friends, family or employer*

 THE CITY RECORD

By Councilmen Lewis, Melena, Cimperman and Patmon (by departmental request).

An emergency ordinance authorizing the sale of real property as part of the Land Reutilization Program

and located at 5820, 5816, 5810 Superior Avenue to Hamdi ÒSamÓ Q a s e m .

Approved by Directors of Community Development, City Planning Commission, Finance, Law; Relieved

of Committees on Community and Economic Development, City Planning, Finance.

The rules were suspended. Yeas 21. Nays 0. Read third time in full.

Passed. Yeas 21. Nays 0.

Ord. No. 172-01.     http://www.dln.com/cr/index%202001/february%2028,%202001.pdf

•  
• Sam Qasem

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2011/09/15/sam-qasem-indicted-in-cuyahoga-county-corruption-case

Qasem, 55, spends most of his time in Florida but still owns a house in Westlake and some commercial properties in Northeast Ohio. For years, he owned several gas stations and food and beverage stores in Cleveland. He also spoke out on the need for closer relations between the city's Arab and Jewish communities and the dangers that convenience-store owners face.

Qasem is a good friend and business partner with Samir Mohammad, a top aide to County Auditor Frank Russo. Russo, who also employed Qasem's son Haddi for eight years, and County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora are prime targets of the federal investigation.

 http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/04/sam_qasem_says_feds_quizzed_hi.html

So, how many folks are going to get commercial properties via the same route for the new Hispanic Village - which is the same as the old "Hispanic Village" ??

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/la_copa_controversial_clevelan.html

It was an EMERGENCY to sell Sam Qasem land bank property...

Don't let this council person and non-representative CDO foist liquor deal and parking nightmare on our neighborhood - I am as nostalgic as anyone to see something positive in the neighborhood, but the duo of Ramsey-Cummins is a pitiful charade.

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/developers-of-the-15-million-aragon-ballroom-project-discuss-plans-with-west-side-neighbors

From Henry Senyak:

Please review the attached letter. Kent Minshell is the legal representative for the Aragon Ballroom, he is handling the aspects of the liquor permit transfer.

As you can plainly see he also represented the last rendition of a troubled nightclub on Clark Ave. La Copa Nightclub. La Copa was ran by Raed Sadik, three time felon who was convicted of selling drugs near a school.

Councilman Cummins is very familiar with the Sadik / Iwais family. Marvin Deli, T's Urban gear. So is the Second Disctrict, they have been busted and convicted again of selling nock-off's at Ward 14 businesses again, many of these businesses are on West 25th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After decompressing tonight's public meeting controlled by Councilman Brian Cummins and Jeff Ramsey from Detroit Shoreway CDO. Some thoughts and questions?

Why was such a critical resource as Susan Bungard, Liquor Attorney for the City of Cleveland not incorporated into the meeting? Why was I the only individual to request her to answer a question?

No representatives from the Police Department or Public Safety were present, even though community residents requested the presence.

No Representatives from the Traffic Engineering were present either. I will provide a separate posting showing Councilman Cummins misrepresented and twisted the truth and facts about Traffic Engineering's involvement.

Trevor Hunt from City Planning helped out the cause by making inaccurate statements in reference to a need for a Dance Hall Permit, stating Chief Building Official Vanover advised him a Dance Hall Permit is not needs for this application. Chapter 690, is part of the Safety Code section of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances. This is not a Building Code or a Zoning Code matter. Yes, B&H does have involvement with the inspection process, but so does Fire Prevention, Health Department, and Div. of Public Safety. This process is under the control of the Division of Licenses and Assessments. They application is made with L&A, they then send out requests to the subservient department heads.

Councilman Cummins and Jeff have now dragged Henry Weber into the fray, they claim HJ Weber will allow parking and they are in negotiations. Mr. Weber has a for sale sign on his property, do you think he will sign a five year lease agreement for parking spaces when he is trying to sell his building? HJ Weber has long disrespected the community by not painting over graffiti tagging on their property.

Lincoln West parking lot is not available till 6pm, and is not allowed to self park, it has to be valet services 
City code states for this facility parking is based on Square footage of the facility, multiplied by 3. Round off the square footage to 17,000 multiply by 3 equals 51,000 of parking area. This needs to be available at all times, not just at night. 51,000 divided by (180 SQ. Ft. legal parking space) requires a parking area with a minimum of 283 parking spaces. PRO regulation that reduce parking by 1/3 does not apply to a assembly hall because its not a retail business. The question also is what happens when Lincoln West has sporting events or other after school activity's that fill up the parking? Councilman Cummins also stated construction will start in one shape or form at Lincoln West in 2018 or 2019. How do you park when the building is being demo 'ed or rebuilt?

The Dollar Bank lot that runs from Clark to Prame was also shown as potentially leased out. This lot is currently used by multiple businesses. Cuyahoga County Auditors page and City GIS maps show this area as individual lots. So is this a legal parking lot? Plus it looks like shit, is full of broken bottles and used prophylactics from area prostitutes and johns from the close proximity strip clubs.

So here is the newest bombshell! Is this business operation going to discriminate against handicapped people? Will Councilman Cummins and Detroit Shoreway not protect the rights of the handicapped?
It is clear no onsite parking is proposed. You need 1 handicapped parking space per 25 parking spaces. I estimate 11 or 12 handicapped spaces needed. Will they try to say Valet is a solution for the handicapped? 
Its a full curb, will they make people in wheel chairs get out in the middle of West 25th Street? What happens in snow and ice? Look for the team to file a request to not provide accessibility via the Building Board of Standards after the BZA hearing is politically pushed through by tricks and smoke and mirror tactics.

If you feel that this is a potential issue? The US Department of Justice will like to hear from you, you can follow the link here to file and register a complaint. One must wonder if they incorporated the building's front entrance to be handicapped accessible? Since the building is being rehabbed it must meet these requirements. Councilman Cummins how are you stating this will be state of the art and discriminate against the American with Disabilities Act.?

Do not stand by and allow these individuals to intimidate you, or stop you from speaking out. I actually like Mr. Faraj, but his design team, consultants, and legal team are not varsity caliber and should be replaced.

Councilman Cummins and Detroit Shoreway staff have not expressed the level of opposition to the plan as proposed. No doubt three or four people actually publicly stated support, 90% of attendees remained silent, especially after Jeff Ramsey disrespected my ability to point out his inaccurate statements to the people in attendance.

http://www.ada.gov/ada_title_III.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Email sent to Rob Mavec, he is the Commissioner of Traffic Engineering for the City of Cleveland. I also copied The Director Of Public Works, and Councilman Joe Cimperman.

Tonight Councilman Brian Cummins again stated he has been in contact and working with Traffic Engineering for some time on the Aragon project to determine placing of the Valet and loading zones for the project. Unless he only meant he has been working with TE after 4/2/15, I would state we caught a politician at what they do best in Cleveland. LIE.