Shallow Plan For Public Square
By Roldo Bartimole

“The square is a ‘sleeping giant,’ according to downtown Councilman Joe Cimperman.” So writes the Plain Dealer in an article entitled “Civic leaders envision revitalized Public Square.”

Cimperman has gone from a promising, bright, young and aggressive freshman Councilman to a sadly predictable politician. He lacks even the possible charm of a charlatan. It’s not all his fault. Reporters look for quotes to fit a need and Cimperman’s too accommodating.

The Public Square article represents a model example of how certain people and interests get their personal agendas before the public. Their pitch may have little relevance in the extensive list of public need. Its only distinction regards its proponents’ mostly self-interested desires.

When a politician makes such a trite remark as Cimperman did, you know the bullshit is already knee high. Check your wading pants if you are going downtown.

The article tries to hit every civic responsibility button imaginable to sell its bill of goods. Please check your wallet pocket and pocketbooks.

Not until the final couple of 39 paragraphs (and 90 inches of space, including photo and drawing), does some reality find life in the piece by Tom Breckenridge. (I don’t blame the reporter as much as the editors who assigned and allowed this pie-in-the-sky reportage to find public exposure.)

Near the end of the drawn out propaganda piece we learn that even City Planning Commission chair Tony Coyne – typically eager to support downtown corporate interests – cautioned about the city’s tight budget. County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones, who also typically jumps aboard such civic propelled yearnings, also hit a bit skeptical tone.

However, the rest of the article smacks of a press release that should have been discarded on its way into the PD offices. News is not supposed to be someone’s PR dreaming.

That’s, however, what we get.

The project is described as making Public Square “hipper.”

Can you use a more un-chic phrase as “a hipper square?” That’s how this yearning is described. Someone is really reaching for superlatives to dress up a dog.

The article says, “A band of civic leaders says it is time to push for retail, dining and entertainment amenities that would make the square a destination.”

The names of proponents, however, indicate not “a band of civic leaders,” but a few of the same downtown trick artists: Ann Zoller, described as an “urban-park specialist, who once headed up ParkWorks, a worthy operation;” architect-developer Paul Volpe; and Joe Marinucci of the Downtown Partnership. These are people with a self-interest attached to their businesses and occupations.

The selling job is painful.

Zoller goes so far as to say in favor of redevelopment of Public Square, “You get people into public spaces, and the (homeless) problem takes care of itself.” Do they disappear into thin air, Zoller?

When you get that desperate for reasoning to do something, you apparently are into selling ice to Eskimos.

“A reconstructed square would generate nearly 4 million more visits a year, a 50 percent increase in use, the survey said. If every visitor spent just $5 at new businesses on the square that would spin an extra $20 million yearly into the downtown economy,” the article says.

How many times can you sell something tired downtown by claiming a doubling of visitors and millions of dollars in added revenue?

Please. This comes, it says, from a “study” of Case economics students. I’m told these were papers for credit by students. However, e-mails to the economics professor in charge for copies went unanswered. He may be on vacation, I’m told.

It also stated, “Residents would tolerate a county-wide tax of $10 a year, generating $5 million.” Well that’s easier said than done.

Volpe wants to be the big cheese for the project. Volpe is quoted saying, “We could do astounding things.” Public Square could be the “next big project,” he says.

He wants some $40 million in public investment.

What is Volpe proposing?

He suggests (remember on public land) retail business, a restaurant, ice rink and amphitheater. Does Volpe understand that Public Square sits in front of Tower City, which cannot keep its retail alive? We sure need to spend tax dollars for a restaurant to compete with all the downtown restaurants we already have. Another amphitheater? We have two in the Flats. Should we use public money to subsidize competition to them?

Does all this belong on public land, or as the article grandly calls it, “the iconic, nine-acre heart of downtown?”

Who is trying to fool whom with this?

Sounds to me as though Volpe wants another subsidized job.

Breckenridge - and the proponents - unfortunately, try to cover every possible base in the sales pitch.

Joe Marinucci of the Cleveland Downtown Partnership classically finds this exciting. That’s why he’s paid so well, $204,000 with some $18,000 in benefits and expenses in 2004. He worries about the lack of safety in the Square. So he proposes (with Cuyahoga County paying half of $300,000) “clean and safety patrols.”

“The ‘clean and safety’ program soon will hire a licensed social worker who will work to get homeless people off the streets. To discourage begging, the alliance will ask people to give to social service agencies rather than panhandlers, says Marinucci,” according to the article.

Now there is progress on the homeless program. Give your spare change to United Way.

A few years ago, the Plain Dealer tried to hold developers somewhat in check by demanding that assurance of financing accompany their grand announcements. Apparently, this policy is now kaput.

When you sell – and that’s what the PD is doing – these projects that may never come to fruition you simply undermine public confidence in the city’s ability to produce what it says it will do. When things do not happen though they get a big push off in the paper it damages people’s confidence.

What the Plain Dealer should be pushing around Public Square at this time is for Dick Jacobs to build the promised structures where the parking lot on the west side has sat unproductively for the last 15 years.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Roldo Bartimole roldoATadelphia.net (:divend:)