- This sign will not be in Slavic Village. It’ll be closer to the Clinic.
Many like to tout the Opportunity Corridor’s benefits by emphasizing the first half of the name: Opportunity.
Look! Look at how many more people will be coming through your neighborhood! This road is going to bring jobs!
This is what you might say to the inhabitants of Slavic Village and Kinsman and Buckeye — the areas that will be affected by the new highway that will connect the East Side to the rest of civilization — in order to sell them on the idea of paving through their neighborhoods and displacing homeowners.
And you can say those things if you want, but don’t expect not to get called out by the people who live there. They’re not dumb.
This article appears in Oct 6-12, 2010.
I’m a west-sider, and I think residents are probably correct in recognizing this as a quicker route to the university circle area. But you know what? I’m also a frequent patient at the Cleveland Clinic who has sometimes skipped appointments there becasue I dread the sluggish and depressing drive over there. Worse; I’m one of those who remains almost entirely ignorant of all the goodies associated with the museums and areas like Cleveland Hts., also because I find the trip over there lengthy and cumbersome. And a lot of my Eastside pals feel the same way about slogging their way over to the nice stuff that exists in my Kamms’ Corner neighborhood. In short; I think what I’m trying to say is, I’m sensing that a whole lot more good is going to come out of this, than bad. And if there happens to be a decent grocery store, or a trendy restaurant or boutique along the way? Then I’m likely to stop in and spend some money.
I heard Terri Hamilton Brown speak during the primary campaign and admit that the original name of the process was “University Circle Access” but then was changed to “Opportunity Corridor” in order to whitewa …. well, actually, I think she said to more accurately project its potential. But I just rolled my eyes.