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CLEVELAND -- New hotels, a pedestrian bridge and better access to the waterfront are all part of $350 million development plan pushing ahead in Cleveland.
But there is another plan in motion that hopes to capitalize on the new attractions and renewed excitement over downtown.
But to find it, you'll have to set your sights high above the city and waterfront.
PHOTOS | Cleveland Skylift
"Sometimes these things are known as gondolas or aerial cable cars. But we named ours The Cleveland Skylift," says Jon Stahl.
Stahl is the CEO of LeanDog, a growing software company that's headquartered not in a traditional brick and mortar building, but afloat on the renovated barge that once was Hornblower's restaurant.
But it's what is outside his Marginal Road office that's attracting attention these days: a cable car purchased from a Grand Junction Colorado manufacturer and shipped here.
"We call it 'transportainment.' We have transportation and we have entertainment. And we think getting around the waterfront you should take in everything Cleveland has to offer," Stahl explains.
Stahl and a group of other "glass-half-full" thinkers see a way to capitalize on all that's happening right now by bringing a cable car system to Cleveland.
The Skylift would transport people to 11 different destinations along the waterfront, Metroparks and a number of downtown venues.
Each car would offer a digital experience, tailored to riders' interests. They could get an architectural tour of the Cleveland skyline or help finding the best burger joint or a preview of what's new at the Great Lakes Science Center.
"We strongly believe in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. There is a tremendous amount of energy right now," says Jim Hickey, president of Arras Keathley, one of the companies on board to make The Cleveland Skylift a reality.
Other public advocates include The Greater Cleveland Partnership, The Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Positively Cleveland, Port of Cleveland and the RTA.
Final numbers aren't available yet, but Stahl thinks the cost could fall somewhere near $200 million.
"We don't think that's unreasonable," he says.
Not unreasonable if you have a big event to tie it to, just as London did with its cable car and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Stahl sees a similar scenario here.
"Position this around something big for Cleveland. For example, let's use this to win one of the political conventions in 2016, or the Great Lakes Expo that we talked about bringing back.
2016 isn't far away, but Stahl and his team of Skylift collaborators believe that, for them, the time is right now.
"If we don't capitalize on that and we do it too slow, and if we don't bid on the waterfront, and the developers don't incorporate this into their design, then we just can't make it happen. So it's now or never in our opinion," according to Stahl.
A financial campaign is already underway to raise $500,000. This will bring in a team of architects and engineers from Switzerland, Austria and British Columbia to help put plans in place.
And the monies will help finance transporting the first cable car they've purchased, to presentations.
Stahl envisions a staff of anywhere from two to six employees at each station. And with two shifts, the Skylift could help create 100 new jobs in downtown Cleveland.
The Cleveland Skylift team is looking for public support. To learn more and find out how to get involved, click here.
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Cleveland Skylift website: http://www.clevelandskylift.com/.
To donate: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cleveland-skylift.
WKYC-TV
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