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04-04-2007, 02:30 PM
Aiding strip club move part of helping homeless (http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1175676028302590.xml&coll=2)
Cleveland taxpayers are likely to pay to find a new home for a strip club.
City officials said Tuesday they are proposing to move the "Stage 2" club as part of a plan to convert a motel at 1550 Superior Ave. into transitional quarters for homeless men who are working.
"Some people may raise their eyebrows about the city helping this strip club relocate," said City Councilman Joe Cimperman. "But we're taking 80 people off the street so they don't freeze to death. You do the moral math."
The strip club leases the ground floor of the 88-room North Point Inn, which the administration of Mayor Frank Jackson proposes to buy and convert to a shelter at a combined cost of $2.4 million.
The Cuyahoga County auditor's Web site lists the market value of the property at $843,900.
Ken Silliman, chief of staff for Jackson, said an appraisal done for the city values the property at $1.7 million. If City Council agrees, the city also plans to buy furniture such as beds from the motel and help the strip club with relocation costs.
"Obviously, relocation is something we're going to have to do here," Silliman said.
Cimperman, who represents downtown, said he's willing to help the club find another home downtown, perhaps in the Flats or in more industrial areas on nearby Hamilton or Lakeside avenues.
Club managers could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
The city is under pressure to find a new shelter quickly because the Federal Aviation Administration has reported that the former Aviation High School, near Burke Lakefront Airport, can no longer serve as an overflow site for the men's emergency homeless shelter at 2100 Lakeside Ave.
The deadline to move the men from Aviation High is Nov. 1, Cimperman said. The goal is to move about 80 men, who are ready for transitional housing, to the Superior Avenue site.
Cuyahoga County would help create and pay for programs at the new facility.
Ultimately, the county would like to see the site used as a permanent home for men who can't live on their own because of mental health or other problems.
"We believe the best use would be for permanent supportive housing," said Rick Werner, the county's deputy administrator.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=Fmm4oaSc</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=Fmm4oaSc) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=pL3W9Zj3</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=pL3W9Zj3) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=CnzZOHfE</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=CnzZOHfE) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=qkU5dZ1z</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=qkU5dZ1z)
More... (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Sxxxyorg/~3/106634855/aiding-strip-club-move-part-of-helping.html)
Cleveland taxpayers are likely to pay to find a new home for a strip club.
City officials said Tuesday they are proposing to move the "Stage 2" club as part of a plan to convert a motel at 1550 Superior Ave. into transitional quarters for homeless men who are working.
"Some people may raise their eyebrows about the city helping this strip club relocate," said City Councilman Joe Cimperman. "But we're taking 80 people off the street so they don't freeze to death. You do the moral math."
The strip club leases the ground floor of the 88-room North Point Inn, which the administration of Mayor Frank Jackson proposes to buy and convert to a shelter at a combined cost of $2.4 million.
The Cuyahoga County auditor's Web site lists the market value of the property at $843,900.
Ken Silliman, chief of staff for Jackson, said an appraisal done for the city values the property at $1.7 million. If City Council agrees, the city also plans to buy furniture such as beds from the motel and help the strip club with relocation costs.
"Obviously, relocation is something we're going to have to do here," Silliman said.
Cimperman, who represents downtown, said he's willing to help the club find another home downtown, perhaps in the Flats or in more industrial areas on nearby Hamilton or Lakeside avenues.
Club managers could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
The city is under pressure to find a new shelter quickly because the Federal Aviation Administration has reported that the former Aviation High School, near Burke Lakefront Airport, can no longer serve as an overflow site for the men's emergency homeless shelter at 2100 Lakeside Ave.
The deadline to move the men from Aviation High is Nov. 1, Cimperman said. The goal is to move about 80 men, who are ready for transitional housing, to the Superior Avenue site.
Cuyahoga County would help create and pay for programs at the new facility.
Ultimately, the county would like to see the site used as a permanent home for men who can't live on their own because of mental health or other problems.
"We believe the best use would be for permanent supportive housing," said Rick Werner, the county's deputy administrator.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=Fmm4oaSc</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=Fmm4oaSc) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=pL3W9Zj3</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=pL3W9Zj3) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=CnzZOHfE</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=CnzZOHfE) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?i=qkU5dZ1z</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Sxxxyorg?a=qkU5dZ1z)
More... (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Sxxxyorg/~3/106634855/aiding-strip-club-move-part-of-helping.html)