Architecture Critic Discusses New Lakefront Development Plan

As sure as the sun rises on the east side and sets on the west side, Cleveland has yet another new plan for downtown lakefront development. This time it's conceived by the owners of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy and Dee Haslam. 

Sunday, the Haslam Sports Group unveiled it's proposal for an elevated park, which would be built over the Ohio Route 2 Shoreway, and would connect a pedestrian pathway between downtown Mall C, and waterfront entertainment like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center and of course, First Energy Stadium, where the Browns play. 

The $230 million proposal includes 30 acres of green space that wraps around the stadium and ties the other attractions together, along with new housing, retail and hotels.  

On The Sound of Ideas, we began by talking about the plan, and what chance it has of coming to fruition, when so many ideas that preceeded it have not. Steve Litt, Art and Architecture Critic for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, joined to give some insight into the plan.

Then, we met the first graduate of Cleveland's Say Yes to Education college scholarship program. And, ideastream's Jenny Hamel shared her experience going to a high school prom, in the middle of the pandemic. 

And finally, we heard ideastream Executive Editor Mike McIntyre offer his annual crowdsourced commencement speech.