You are wrong here Henry.  Some people may try to circumvent the City of Cleveland at all costs...it's almost a given, because of the corruption--but the owner of the bank buildings is not connected with any of the county politicos and you are going too far here based on what--ethnicity?

Yes, this is a neighorhood class struggle and a tipping point--one restaurant is getting the kind of scrutiny other restaurants got a pass GO on.  But, please focus on TWDC's machinations, focus on the demolitions...and misuse of police power in your neighborhood and ask why the inspectors who received the bribes in the PD story link above are STILL employed?

The inspectors, both employed by the Cleveland Building and Housing Department, are not named in court papers. One inspected electrical work and the other examined structural work.

 it is true things happen in Tremont rather strange.

I saw a 4bedroom, attached garage new build pop up on a 30' frontage -technically a non-buildable lot. According to county records they purchased the property in June '08 and broke ground August '08... so somehow they obtained variance in that short time. I might mention that when they dug the foundation they left it wide open for anyone to fall into and they never posted a single permit.

I think it is a legitimate question - how is it that some people get the "system" to shake them out a deal in no time flat, when for others its an ongoing burden? Desiree - maybe you could expound on part two of that....

These efforts to clean house are quite interesting - on multiple levels of system.  We've already seen and known quite intimately the FBI investigation of County officials and efforts - and just recently there has been some interesting breaking news involvng the FBI and Obama's Chief Technology Officer, Vivek Kundra and his offices.  This should be interesting to watch.

Cleaning house?

  No, Jerleen, there shouldn't be two sets of law...but please don't take out years of code abuse on one person.  I suspect that your situation with the parking will pan itself out, but please don't get so bogged down with the restaurant, especially since Giancarlo Calicchia has a track record of saving and restoring buildings, not demolishing them (and he is also one of your neighbors).  Stay focused on the SII/TWDC machinations underway.  And, please, continue writing for the Plain Press.  I really enjoyed your coverage of the Tremont elections in the March issue.  I see a career blossoming here. 

(GC will get in touch with you and Henry to discuss the permits...the permits have been filed...)

lmcshane

Saving and restoring buildings has absolutely nothing to do with parking and non-compliance.  I am focused and do have a copy of the SII Plan right on my desk.  As a matter of fact, it is referred to and quoted from in the next article.  That is why it is called an investigation - you never know where the next lead will take you or in what direction?

Mr. Calicchia may save hundreds of buildings but if he is doing such great things then why is he avoiding the building and housing department?  As I said before, many of these establishments have gone on too long without anybody asking any questions - now they are. 

Here's my focus, it is in the interest of public safety that proper inspections, i.e., sprinklers, fire alarms, etc.,  per pulled permits, be done. 

Also, Henry is being so kind and will be posting the photos for the backyard that Union Gospel Press destroyed later, I was unable to do so.

In adding to Henry's post, everybody is up in arms, got their kickers all in a twist because the "crap" is hitting the fan.  I don't want to get too deep into the details due to the Plain Press article but my research goes back nearly ten years and the way it plays out, and I did ask this question,  how do these high end restaurant/bars help the community?  Profit seekers come in, take advantage of storefront renovation programs, tax abatements, business loan programs, manage to get letters of support from committees/block clubs in the community to obtain permits, parking variances, (yet they fail to pull proper permits for inspections such as sprinklers, fire alarms, etc.), most don't even live in this area and at the end of the, they take their loot bags and go home.  Leaving the residents with the after math of cleaning up the left over trash, beer bottles, whiskey bottles, sidewalk puke, the smell of urine on tree lawns and fence posts, flowers, ets., and to top it all off, TWDC feels it necessary to buy a 10,000  mud hole labled for parking.   

Now wouldn't it make more sense, that these businesses be giving something back to the neighborhood, like buying  a spot and paving their own parking lot?  Somehow, they have this horse running backwards - the residents, long time homeowners, elderly, impoverished are being bullied into just backing up whenever and where ever one of these establishments needs more space.

The way it is working now, TWDC is buying business owners to move in and make money to take somewhere else. 

I'm honestly surprise to read the shallow insinuation that you posted on your follow the money post.

so, now, because dimora went to lockkepers to dine when my husband was the chef that puts him under federal investigation as well???? or makes him a mafia associate??????
do you know anything about  my husband career? did you ever hear of him being investigate or stuff like that??? check his website at www.danteboccuzzi.com

we moved to cleveland two years ago to open Dante in valley view not to associate ourselves with some kind of mafioso to get favours here and there. and no, we are not creating a restaurant in tremont with the help of any non legitimate source. You have a big ego apparently, a wanna be reporter of the hour, speculating and insinuating...... not so well done, sir.

Am i coming across angry? oh yes i am. I'm sick and tired of people like you, talking just because they have a mouth but no real brain.

This city is in  terrible shape, maybe instead of trying to bury another chef that is going to bring culture and good food to a town that really needs culture and good food you should try to get to know us. maybe by working together we will make everybody happy. What are you afraid of? That your rough neighborhood is going to improve a little??

Distintamente,
Monica Ferrari

  Any one who has met Dante, knows that he is a great, warm person. 

Monica, we have met and I made the same point you have made here. 

I think that this is all a terrible misunderstanding and that you will find that Henry is also a good person.  Unfortunately, your family is walking into a situation of mistrust that has evolved after years of bad blood between TWDC and the long standing residents of the Southside/Tremont neighborhood, and it may take some face-to-face interaction to overcome some of this initial suspicion.

This may not be the most welcome to REALNEO, Monica, but your reaction is a needed part of dialogue and I personally thank you for deciding to invest in Cleveland...it's not all bitterness here.  Also, this is as good a time as any to remind everyone that we need investment in my neighborhood.  But, Brooklyn Centre, be forewarned...from this Tremont experience, we should know to be careful for what we wish for, because parking sure can be one ugly affair.

Monica,

Good for you and I applaud your position! All the best to you guys and much success!

First of all, I think Henry is getting a bad rap here.  I was the one who started one of the rounds into the parking investigations due to my own bad experiences as a result of the parking overflow from the retail district.  Second, I don't know what all of the todo is about?  Asking questions is not a crime.  You know the dumbest question is the one  never ask. 

Next, researching public records can be an eye opening experience, especially at city hall you never know what you might find.  There's an old saying, "don't get caught with your pants down."  The parking machinations will be exposed. 

Now, as far as it being bad around here,  I'm just about tired of these new people coming in here and trying to tell us how bad is is,  Hell, we know how bad it was, we survived it.  Try living here 40 years.

Back to the Bank building, I don't get it, all the hoopla about nothing, go get the permits, and figure out some other parking arrangements other than the church lot in this residential area and you'll be ok.  The church parking lot is just plain out of the question.  Headlights, doors slamming, loud voices, people running up and down the street until all hours of the night just can't be.  We got enough problems.

Everybody is already complaining about their cars getting broken into around here.  Parking that many vehicles in the church lot will only invite more crime - I can see it now, glass broken all over the church yard., not to mention the left over garbage, beer bottles, urine smell and puke all over the sidewalks that we have to clean up after these high society folks that come here from other neighborhoods to patronize these high end establishments.  We've been putting up with that for years and to add more on top of that as well as the safety factor, no way.

Gonna be one big mess,  folks trying to sleep will be calling the police two or three times a week for loud disturbances and you know that after the third call, it's $100.00 a roll.   A mess, just a mess.

Tremont West signs off and endorses these business opportunists with a smile and the promise of what is needed to be compliant- in a now you see it now you don't deal- without validating any of the information, the letters of suppport gains the permits/parking variances and then when there's no compliance and questions are ask, the hair stands up on everybody's head and all at TWDC starts to yell, "not our business, not  our business."  Well, who in the hell's business is it?

Tremont does have a double set of standards.  If you're a poor working stiff barely hanging by a thread trying to pay the mortgage, with peeling paint on your beat up old house, the Moss and O'Leary  team will have your nose to the ground and have you saying "uncle" in a split second - while a new business seeker comes in looking for a renovated storefront, tax abatement, low interest business loan program and wide profit margin deal gets the deluxe package, all permits overlooked, the gustapo paid to go south for the winter while the shop keeper hangs his flag and uses "The Code" as a combination for the loot safe and "Buffer Catania" sits up at the big house acting like some kind of wizzard in charge.

I have no doube that Dante and his family are wonderful people.  When he came to the block club, I got the impression that he was super nice young man and would definitely be an asset to the community but there must be accountability and that is done by obtaining the proper permits.

Everyone screams make Tremont safe, proper permits equals proper inspections and proper inspection prevents disasters like fires that kill.  It only takes one fire - one oversite- to take the lives of many.  No matter how good your food is - if somebody should die who cares how good your food is?

Also, you talk about working together to make everybody happy, if working together to make everybody happy means rubber stamping, then I guess everybody ain't gonna be happy.  Central Tremont will no longer be rubber stamping.

I believe Mr. Senyak and Jerleen1 are very reasonable in emphasizing that any new business use must obtain a change of use permit - and other required building and parking permits - before the new business begins operation.

Recently on Realneo there was a discussion about the application, before  the City of Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals, for a new crematorium .    That BOZA process - which ultimately denied the crematoria variance - is quite similar to the process which every business in every Town (with zoning regulations) in America, Canada, Europe and elsewhere has to go through. 

Is this permitting process a burden on the time, wallet, and entrepreneurial  focus of the would-be new business?   Sure.  But it is also necessary in order to protect the public safety and the neighborhood from undesirable impacts of a new business.  The permitting process also benefits the business, because once successfully throught the process, the business, by complying with its use permit,can protect itself from overly crabby, complaining neighbors or from a lessor who tries to use a zoning violation claim to terminate a lease.

And, of course, the process by which the government exercises its ordinances must be open and visibly equitable.   One property owner / occupant  shouldn’t receive  treatment which is distinctly more lenient or more harsh that the treatment of another property owner.  

For example, long time Cleveland resident Frank Giglio shouldn’t have his house demolished through the obviously selective Gestapo-like “enforcement” by TWDC and the City of Cleveland for purported building code “violations”,  while another person/business merrily proceeds to establish a new business use without the necessary and required City building permits, change of use permits, and parking permits.   

People have the right to expect to be treated fairly, and according to the law.   In Cleveland - as elsewhere-  people aren't always certain whether everyone in their community is being treated fairly and according to the law.   I believe this open discussion on Realneo is a manifestation of a healthy community effort to find the answer.