A TALE OF TWO SQUARES

Copyright (c) 2008. Mr. Mark Stueve. All Rights Reserved.

A crumbling movie theatre, formerly known as The Commodore, sits in a chronic state of distressed brick and mortar at the intersection of East 152nd Street and Lakeshore Boulevard, also known as Maher Square, testimony to a fallen splendor in a ghetto by the Lake Erie shores neighborhood known as North Collinwood on Cleveland's east side.

Across town the former Capitol Theatre is being renovated as a project worthy of saving, in the neighborhood known as Detroit Shoreway, also known as Gordon Square.

The project involving the Capitol Theatre includes a former arcade and market housed in a neighborhood easily assessable to downtown and fairly close, though not easily assessable, to Lake Erie waters.

Lots going for the corner of West 65th and Detroit where the Capitol Theatre exists. Across town, in Collinwood, is another story. North Collinwood has many public paths to Lake Erie via Wildwood Beach, Euclid Beach State Park, and numerous residential streets between East 140th Street and the city limits at East 185th Street which provide residents easy Lakefront access.

Here lies the quandary.

Detroit Shoreway has a nascent neighborhood on the upswing, noted by the 'Capitol Theatre' project. North Collinwood has a neighborhood in decline, noted by the profound lack of development and attention to a landmark theatre such as 'The Commodore.'

The Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, without easy adjoining Lake Erie access, gets the upgraded business district, anchored by Cleveland Public Theatre, and a number of new start-up businesses such as Bakeries, Coffee Shops, Restaurants, and Retail.

The North Collinwood Lakeshore Avenue neighborhood, with copious adjoining Lake Erie access, gets vacant storefronts, abandoned residential housing and red lined properties, and no new business start-ups, save the atypical liqour marts featuring a menu of individual 'ciggarretts and cigars,' forty ouncers, lottery tickets, and overpriced, and sometimes outdated, food stuffs.

What is wrong with this picture?

North Collinwood is the canary in the mine shaft for Cleveland's future. North Collinwood is Michael Polenseks' Ward for 29 years. Collinwood youth suffer the indignity of no Recreation Center to serve their needs.

Will this omission and contradiction be Polenseks' legacy?

Across town the Detroit Shoreway area is blessed with two City of Cleveland Recreation Center options: Matt Zone, at West 65th and Lorain, and Cuddell Recreation, at West Boulevard and Detroit.

Using a tale of two theatres and the urban squares they occupy as a measure, the disparity seems obvious.

Politics? You bet. Priorities? Downtown trumps neighborhoods.

Decades of poor city planning and imbecilic civic boosterism from the likes of Cleveland Now! to today's Positively Cleveland! serve as cheerleading sections to the massive Cleveland exodus to the suburbs and counties beyond, that has resulted in a reduction by half of Cleveland's population since 1950.

In April 2008 Cleveland City Council approved a 1.5 million dollar loan to improve the Capitol Theatre. The amount of $250,000 dollars was awarded the same month by City Council to study the proposal of a Collinwood Recreation Center.

Downtown Cleveland interests have given away our existing Lakefront to the likes of the NFL Cleveland Browns, provided the Cleveland Indians and the Cleveland Cavaliers with publicly subsidized sports arenas, though little thought is given to Collinwood youth and their recreational needs.

The Commodore Theatre awaits eminent demolition. Maher Square will lose part of its soul. Collinwood youth congregate on street corners without a voice or choice.

The Capitol Theatre in Gordon Square is currently being primed and gussied up for a new birth. Detroit Shoreway children are afforded ample recreational needs.

What will it take to change the priorities to afford both sides of Cleveland an equal share in the fraudulent pie?

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