Sustainability : In The News

In a thoughtful piece on farm-to-table cooking in the Rust Belt, New York Times writer Julia Moskin covers the mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and chefs that has helped boost our region's image from dead zone to world-class food destination.
 
"Until recently, the American food revolution seemed to bypass this region, leaping from Chicago to Philadelphia without making stops in places like Toledo, Cleveland, Akron and Pittsburgh," Moskin writes. "Now, the region is linked by a group of educated, ambitious chefs who are building a new kind of network."
 
Greenhouse Tavern chef-owner Jonathon Sawyer is singled out for fostering relationships with area farmers -- specifically those growing in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park as part of the Countryside Initiative.
 
"Convinced that the relationship between chefs and farmers is one of the keys to bringing the city and the region back to life, Mr. Sawyer has cooked and coaxed a new local food system into being."
 
Read the rest of the tasty news here.

In a Pittsburgh-based NPR post feature titled “Pittsburgh and Cleveland Square Off Again… In Biking?” Nick Jovonovich explores the traditional CLE/PGH rivalry that includes the cities’ football teams and museums -- however, a different type of competition is brewing as they battle it out for the title of “Rustbelt Champion” within the National Bike Challenge.
 
Registering the most riders and logging more miles than the opponent will determine the winner.
 
“The free and friendly competition encourages all people to get out and ride, no matter their age or reason -- whether as daily commuters, weekend warriors or somewhere in between. Smartphone users can even download a free app to directly track and log trips for the National Bike Challenge.”
 
Discover more about the battle here.

In a The Atlantic piece titled “If Other Cities Are Demolishing Skywalks, Why Does Cleveland Want a New One?” Sarah Goodyear writes of Horseshoe Casino’s plan to erect a skywalk connecting the gaming center and the parking garage. This plan has the full support of the city and its administration but not from all of the urban dwellers.
 
In it Goodyear quotes local writer and Fresh Water contributor Joe Baur, a 26-year-old who moved downtown and has started a group called OurCLE to fight the skywalks.
 
"I’m not typically the activist type," says Baur. "I’m more a satirist. But this is like -- well, you may not like kids, but if you see a kid about to touch a hot stove, you’re going to stop them." Baur explains that in this analogy Cleveland is the kid and the skywalk is the stove.
 
The proposed skywalk would not only alter sightlines in the area downtown but also hinder local businesses due to the anticipated reduced street traffic. Also mentioned in the piece is Cuyahoga County's plans to keep and refurbish another skywalk at its new administration building.
 
Read the full argument here.

In a Canadian Globe and Mail feature titled “Why you should be hot for Cleveland,” local writer and Fresh Water editor Douglas Trattner details the splendor that is Cleveland while tossing around fancy spellings like kilometre and neighbourhood.
 
“While it’s no secret that Cleveland has experienced a large population decline since its peak in 1950, when it was the seventh-largest city in the United States, things have begun to turn around in a big way,” Trattner writes. “Oft-repeated jabs about burning rivers, blundering sports teams and infinite winters are giving way to reports of bike-friendly infrastructure and a world-class dining scene. Heck, city folk here are even allowed to raise chickens and bees.”
 
Trattner goes on to share his picks for what to see, where to eat, where to drink, where to sleep, and where to shop for members of both sides of the border.
 
Check out the full “international” story here.

In a Waste Management World story titled “Recycling and Waste to Energy Project Evaluated in Cleveland,” Ben Messenger explains how Cleveland is putting great effort into transforming the city’s waste into a form of locally produced energy.
 
“Cleveland has been investigating the use of municipal solid waste (MSW) for the production of energy since at least 2007,” explained Ken Silliman, chief of staff for Mayor Frank Jackson.
 
“Our goals, in part, are to reduce Cleveland’s dependence on fossil fuels, develop local energy generation capacity, and recover marketable by-products, such as recyclables, from MSW," he continued.
 
The story goes on to explain the vast scope of waste collection from 155,000 homes and a plethora of public buildings, including the West Side Market, fire stations, the Justice Center, and City Hall.
 
Learn more in the full story here.

In a Forbes list titled “15 U.S. Cities’ Emerging Downtowns,” the fine staffers rank our fair city at No. 15.
 
“Cleveland began revitalizing its downtown in the mid-1990s. Today, more than $3.5 billion is currently invested in furthering the area's redevelopment.”
 
The Global Center for Health Innovation slated to open this summer is mentioned as a huge boon for downtown, as well as a multitude of other recreational projects such as the finished aquarium and the up-and-coming recreation center.
 
Forbes also notes that downtown has seen its population nearly double over the last two decades ending in 2010.
 
“From fourth quarter 2011 through the fourth quarter of 2012, the number of housing units grew about 13%, according to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Another 715 units are expected to come online in 2013.”
 
Check out the full list here.

In an Architect’s Newspaper blog post titled “Cleveland Leads U.S. Cities in Bus Rapid Transit,” Chris Bentley shares that Cleveland was the only American city to earn a “Silver Standard” ranking from the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP). None made the “Gold Standard.”
 
Cleveland was praised for its HealthLine, which in turn has helped spawn billions of dollars in investment to the city’s economic centers.
 
“Cleveland’s HealthLine, formerly The Euclid Corridor, is a 9.2-mile transit corridor connecting Downtown, University Circle, and East Cleveland with 40 stops along the way. [The] hybrid articulated buses ferry passengers 24-7.”
 
Four American cities made the ITDP “Bronze Standard.”
 
Read the full post here. 

In a Huffington Post story titled “ It’s a Small (Business) World: The Benefits of Exporting,” Karen Mills, an administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, shares a story about Cleveland’s TLC Products and its success in exporting through the assistance of the program.
 
“I recently visited TLC Products -- a Cleveland business which manufactures live bacterial products used for environmentally-friendly water treatment in ponds, septic systems and aquariums,” Mills writes.
 
“The company credits SBA Express loans and other products with transforming their business. Today, they have export opportunities to eight countries and expect to increase sales significantly next year with additional sales to China, India and Mexico.”
 
Check out the detailed piece here.

In a Huffington Post blog post titled “Cleveland Start-Up Seeing Green,” Emily Sullivan explains how the Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI) is assisting Evergreen Cooperative’s latest venture, Green City Growers Cooperative, in operating a 3.25-acre hydroponic greenhouse and packing facility on Cleveland’s east side.
 
“The Greenhouse, and its employee-owners, will produce over 6,000,000 heads of lettuce and other leafy vegetables a year, all intended for local consumption,” Sullivan explains.
 
The choice for ECDI to support the cooperative was simple due to the fact its business model stood out.
 
“The opportunity to work with Green City Growers' cooperative provided the perfect starting point for ECDI to get involved in healthy food initiatives across the Northeast Ohio region.”
 
Read the full story here.

In a Yahoo! News feature titled “Hottest Cleveland Neighborhoods for 2013,” writer Paul Rados describes the improving real estate environment in Cleveland, while highlighting the Tremont and Ohio City neighborhoods as an area ripe with potential.

Both are popular, trendy neighborhoods that are a major draw due to their walkability and proximity to downtown, dining and entertainment.

“There is a friendly attitude everywhere you go," Sarah Urbancic of Howard Hanna explains. "People like being in the thick of things and also appreciate the fact that if your city is strong, the neighborhoods will be stronger. Everyone supports the effort to make each building [and] each block stronger and more welcoming."

In a New York Times feature titled “Locally Grown Gets Tricky in the Cold,” writer Dan Saltzstein discusses the difficulty chefs face when trying to keep their menus locally focused at a time of year when not a whole lot is being grown.

"Locally grown. Market-sourced. Farm to table: These phrases have become the mantras of the American menu, promising ingredients that are supremely fresh, in season and produced within a tight radius of the restaurant," writes Saltzstein. "But what can they possibly mean in the dead of winter, in northerly climes where farms are battened down and the earth is as hard as a raw cabbage?"

Cleveland’s Jonathon Sawyer takes the winter months in stride.

“We sort of look at winter the way an old-school chef looks at frugality,” said Jonathon Sawyer of the Greenhouse Tavern, in Cleveland. “We take more time with dishes because we have less to put on the plate.”

Saltzstein also mentions Sawyer’s “Sustainability Initiatives,” including the bottling of his own vinegar and pantry full of preserved items.

In a USA TODAY feature titled “Historic black neighborhoods climb from recession,” Melanie Eversley explores the influx of investments and resurgence of historically black neighborhoods including Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood.
 
“In Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood, where poet Langston Hughes once lived and where a 98-year-old theater launched his plays, a bank is investing millions.”
 
Eversely goes on to explain that as the country recovers from the recession, communities are calling attention to what made them famous to begin with.
 
In Cleveland, she explores the renovations of the Karamu House, the new Langson Hughes center, and others.
 
"One of the reasons that PNC [Bank] chose Fairfax was because there's such a rich culture there."
 
Examine the full feature here.

In a Progressive Railroading feature titled “Greater Cleveland RTA posts ridership gain in 2012,” the transportation mag covers the positive news.
 
"Ridership on the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) rose 4.3 percent to 48.2 million in 2012, marking the second consecutive year of growth, agency officials said in a prepared statement."

"Every service mode registered an increase, but the biggest gain was posted on the Red Line rail corridor, where ridership climbed 9.1 percent. The Blue and Green rail lines posted a 4.1 percent ridership gain."

"Customers are making a choice to ride, especially on the rail," CEO Joseph Calabrese is quoted in the piece. "With our recent increase in frequency on the Red, Blue and Green lines, and 8,000 free parking spaces at rail stations, we have room for more Northeast Ohioans to make the green choice and ride RTA."

Average daily trolley ridership rose 5 percent to 3,840 trips.

Read the rest right here.

In a Commercial Property Executive feature titled “Cleveland Metropolitan School District to Auction Off Headquarters in March,” Adrian Matties explains the history behind the district’s prime real estate and potential opportunities it affords the buyer upon its sale.
 
“The historic building was constructed in 1930. It stands six stories high and is located at 1380 E. Sixth St. The property sits on 1.75 acres in the heart of Cleveland, with 209,359 gross square feet of space. It is surrounded by development projects totaling more than $2 billion, among them the Medical Mart, the Flats East Bank Development, the Horseshoe Casino and numerous residential projects.”
 
For a district that is struggling to make ends meet after state budget cuts, the sale of the property should help to fill gaps remaining in the budget.
 
“This offering is a truly rare opportunity to acquire a property that is considered the centerpiece of Cleveland’s downtown lakefront redevelopment,” said Douglas Johnson, managing director of CBRE Auction Services. “The potential demand for truly unique hotel, residential, office and mixed-use space, as well as a growing parking need in the CBD, makes the CMSD site one of the most exciting redevelopment opportunities in Cleveland.”
 
Read the entire post here.

In an Earth Techling piece titled “Minimalist Cleveland Art Museum Seeks LEED Silver,” Randy Woods describes how MOCA is not only a uniquely designed building, but energy efficient as well.
 
“Designed by British architect Farshid Moussavi, the new 34,000-squaure-foot MOCA provides 44 percent more exhibit space than its previous home and is vying for LEED Silver status with a geothermal HVAC system, efficient LED lighting, a compact floor plan that utilizes virtually every square inch for exhibits and easy accessibility to rapid transit.”
 
The efficiency does not stop in design and operation alone: The museum's approach to art holdings is also "green."
 
“In true green fashion, MOCA is applying a minimalist aesthetic to its operational model, focusing not on acquiring permanent collections but on custom-made installations and community programming. By having almost no space available for storage, the museum relies instead on a rotating schedule of artists to create works that can incorporate elements of the museum’s design, including stairwells. This flexible model also makes the $27 million museum less costly to operate.”
 
Explore the entire piece here.