AT LONG LAST......GENUINE PRESERVATION!

This is one of those rare posts that we really, really enjoy putting up -- the very rare "story-with-a-happy-ending".  Perhaps the most artistic feature to be found on any Victorian-era structure (excluding cemetery examples) in the Cleveland, Ohio, area -- the gracefully-curving, sinuous, Aesthetic-inspired staircase of the Wade Park Avenue bridge -- has been rescued from its severe deterioration and neglect.  Owned by the City, who could not have been compelled by anyone to take such an action, has done a very impressive job.  They either repaired or replaced perhaps as many as twenty of the individual stairs, plus anything needed along the staircase side-walls.  The City actually even hired an architectural firm!!  This is easily one of the most visually-distinctive and memorable 'constants' of Cleveland and it was nothing less than disgraceful that, initially, the only thing the City did was barricade the staircase -- something reported on this blog back in September of 2005 -- yes, six years ago.  We just can not imagine how this restoration/renovation project was even considered, much less executed.  Now, why can't this sort of thing happen once every six months??