Design + Build
A new development of luxury, green-built townhomes in Lakewood overlooking the Rocky River have beat the housing bust, selling 12 of 17 units before the curtains have even been hung in the model suite.
Abode Living, the developer of Clifton Pointe, held a groundbreaking ceremony last month and expects to complete construction on the spoken-for townhomes this winter. Buyers will be living in their new townhomes in time to take advantage of the Rocky River Reservation Metroparks amenities next year.
Developer Andrew Brickman of Abode Living attributes the success of Clifton Pointe to offering a high-quality product that attracts urban-oriented buyers.
"This is how people want to live today," says Brickman, who is also developing 11 River in Rocky River and 27 Coltman in Little Italy. "They're tired of urban sprawl and living in places like Strongsville and Avon Lake and Twinsburg. If you look around the country, there's a strong trend of people moving back to cities."
You can think of Clifton Pointe as an un-gated luxury community, Brickman says. The eco-friendly units will offer a communal kayak, onsite recycling program and sustainable landscaping that is low-maintenance and doesn't need extra watering.
For buyers who think they can't afford riverfront living, Brickman has a message: Do the math. With prices starting at $340,000, a 10-year tax abatement, and interest rates below four percent, purchasers end up with a monthly payment of about $1,300 per month -- less than the cost of a swank two-bedroom apartment, he quips.
"We're trying to open it up," he says. "This is what new urbanism is all about. We tore down three old houses and are creating a $10 million-plus new project."
Source: Andrew Brickman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Abode Living, the developer of Clifton Pointe, held a groundbreaking ceremony last month and expects to complete construction on the spoken-for townhomes this winter. Buyers will be living in their new townhomes in time to take advantage of the Rocky River Reservation Metroparks amenities next year.
Developer Andrew Brickman of Abode Living attributes the success of Clifton Pointe to offering a high-quality product that attracts urban-oriented buyers.
"This is how people want to live today," says Brickman, who is also developing 11 River in Rocky River and 27 Coltman in Little Italy. "They're tired of urban sprawl and living in places like Strongsville and Avon Lake and Twinsburg. If you look around the country, there's a strong trend of people moving back to cities."
You can think of Clifton Pointe as an un-gated luxury community, Brickman says. The eco-friendly units will offer a communal kayak, onsite recycling program and sustainable landscaping that is low-maintenance and doesn't need extra watering.
For buyers who think they can't afford riverfront living, Brickman has a message: Do the math. With prices starting at $340,000, a 10-year tax abatement, and interest rates below four percent, purchasers end up with a monthly payment of about $1,300 per month -- less than the cost of a swank two-bedroom apartment, he quips.
"We're trying to open it up," he says. "This is what new urbanism is all about. We tore down three old houses and are creating a $10 million-plus new project."
Source: Andrew Brickman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A healthcare industry vet and resident of Cleveland since 1982, Jim Bennett was hired in April by developer MMPI Inc. to oversee the $465 million medical mart and convention center. The complex is expected to draw 200,000 visitors annually, add thousands of new jobs, and generate about $50-$75 million in economic impact per year.
However momentous they might be, groundbreaking ceremonies typically are not very interactive affairs. Project leaders and public officials give speeches and take advantage of photo opportunities before they pose gripping the symbolic, all-too-clean shovels.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the first publicly funded leg of the Towpath Trail to be built in Cleveland promises to be different. Community members have been clamoring for this project to be completed for years, and trail backers want to give them a chance to participate in the grand occasion. So after the project leaders and public officials take their turn, it's a B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Shovel) event, and everyone is invited to join in.
The event is scheduled for Monday, July 30th at 11 a.m. at 1871 Scranton Road.
"We wanted to figure out a way to involve the many people who have anxiously awaited the project," says Tim Donovan, Executive Director of Ohio Canal Corridor, the nonprofit spearheading the effort with the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga County. "I don't sit on a boatload of shovels, but if you bring your own, then we can capture it. If you can't be there, send us a photo of you with your shovel, and we'll print them up and have them on site."
So far, Donovan has received photos of supporters with shovels from as far away as New Mexico. Those bringing a shovel will be eligible to have their names entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift certificate from Lockkeepers restaurant.
The .6 mile trail will follow Scranton Road from Carter Road south to University Road along the Scranton Peninsula. A portion of the $9.1 million total price tag will be used to restore 11 acres of polluted industrial land. The project will also replace a portion of decrepit river bulkhead with a more natural stone and plant terrace.
The project was funded by the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the State of Ohio, among other funding sources.
Source: Tim Donovan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The groundbreaking ceremony for the first publicly funded leg of the Towpath Trail to be built in Cleveland promises to be different. Community members have been clamoring for this project to be completed for years, and trail backers want to give them a chance to participate in the grand occasion. So after the project leaders and public officials take their turn, it's a B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Shovel) event, and everyone is invited to join in.
The event is scheduled for Monday, July 30th at 11 a.m. at 1871 Scranton Road.
"We wanted to figure out a way to involve the many people who have anxiously awaited the project," says Tim Donovan, Executive Director of Ohio Canal Corridor, the nonprofit spearheading the effort with the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga County. "I don't sit on a boatload of shovels, but if you bring your own, then we can capture it. If you can't be there, send us a photo of you with your shovel, and we'll print them up and have them on site."
So far, Donovan has received photos of supporters with shovels from as far away as New Mexico. Those bringing a shovel will be eligible to have their names entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift certificate from Lockkeepers restaurant.
The .6 mile trail will follow Scranton Road from Carter Road south to University Road along the Scranton Peninsula. A portion of the $9.1 million total price tag will be used to restore 11 acres of polluted industrial land. The project will also replace a portion of decrepit river bulkhead with a more natural stone and plant terrace.
The project was funded by the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the State of Ohio, among other funding sources.
Source: Tim Donovan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Are the dark days of mass demolition behind for the city of Cleveland? Thanks to progressive thinkers -- and historic tax credits and support from local and county government -- more and more architectural gems are being sustainably renovated to accommodate modern businesses.
Give Camp launches its third year in Cleveland this weekend, helping 24 nonprofit organizations develop websites, web-based applications, mobile apps, databases and all that is technical in a three-day whirlwind event at Lean Dog Software and Burke Lakefront Airport.
During the weekend, technology professionals, developers, designers, database administrators, marketing professionals and others donate their time to help area nonprofit organizations with a wide range of projects.
Give Camp began in 2007 as an idea by a Miscosoft executive as a way to give back to local charities in Dallas. Cleveland Give Camp has grown each year.
“The fact that we’re popular is one of the challenges we’ve had this year,” says spokesperson Amy Wong. “It was so great the last two years, people really want to be involved with the event.”
Last year's camp was valued at $500,000 and year one was valued at $250,000 worth of work performed.
Wong expects more than 200 people to turn out this weekend. Part of the reason Give Camp has grown in popularity is the fact that it’s a great opportunity to network. “There are so many diverse people, which is why it’s a great networking event,” explains Wong. “Companies come down as a team, independent tech geeks come down because they want to be a part of something cool.”
Organizers look at need, budget, and scope of the project in selecting the organizations they help. This year, Give Camp Cleveland is one of the beneficiaries. “We’re project number 25,” Wong says. “We need a new website. We joke we’re the cobbler who doesn’t have his own shoes.”
Source: Amy Wong
Writer: Karin Connelly
During the weekend, technology professionals, developers, designers, database administrators, marketing professionals and others donate their time to help area nonprofit organizations with a wide range of projects.
Give Camp began in 2007 as an idea by a Miscosoft executive as a way to give back to local charities in Dallas. Cleveland Give Camp has grown each year.
“The fact that we’re popular is one of the challenges we’ve had this year,” says spokesperson Amy Wong. “It was so great the last two years, people really want to be involved with the event.”
Last year's camp was valued at $500,000 and year one was valued at $250,000 worth of work performed.
Wong expects more than 200 people to turn out this weekend. Part of the reason Give Camp has grown in popularity is the fact that it’s a great opportunity to network. “There are so many diverse people, which is why it’s a great networking event,” explains Wong. “Companies come down as a team, independent tech geeks come down because they want to be a part of something cool.”
Organizers look at need, budget, and scope of the project in selecting the organizations they help. This year, Give Camp Cleveland is one of the beneficiaries. “We’re project number 25,” Wong says. “We need a new website. We joke we’re the cobbler who doesn’t have his own shoes.”
Source: Amy Wong
Writer: Karin Connelly
What if we viewed Cleveland as a startup? "The ingredients for a successful startup and a successful city are remarkably similar," argues tech blogger Jon Bischke. You need to build stuff that people want. You need to attract talent. And you need capital to get your fledgling ideas to a point of sustainability.
detroit shoreway nabs $50k nea placemaking grant
The National Endowment for the Arts announced its 2012 Our Town Grant Recipients, with $5 million going out to creative placemaking in 80 communities across the country.
Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization received $50,000.
"The Detroit Shoreway neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, is home to more than 14,300 residents. Revitalization efforts in the neighborhood focus around the Gordon Square Arts District, an emerging arts and entertainment destination.
"The Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, together with the City of Cleveland and several local arts and business organizations, is using the Our Town grant to design an affordable artist live/work space in Gordon Square. The 24 artist live/work units will be developed in the historic Templin Bradley Building, a site in downtown Cleveland that has been vacant for decades. When complete, the units will be inhabited by artists earning at or below 120 percent of the Area Median Gross Income. A 3,500-square-foot gallery space will also be created for residents and other local artists to display their work."
Read about all recipients here.
Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization received $50,000.
"The Detroit Shoreway neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, is home to more than 14,300 residents. Revitalization efforts in the neighborhood focus around the Gordon Square Arts District, an emerging arts and entertainment destination.
"The Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, together with the City of Cleveland and several local arts and business organizations, is using the Our Town grant to design an affordable artist live/work space in Gordon Square. The 24 artist live/work units will be developed in the historic Templin Bradley Building, a site in downtown Cleveland that has been vacant for decades. When complete, the units will be inhabited by artists earning at or below 120 percent of the Area Median Gross Income. A 3,500-square-foot gallery space will also be created for residents and other local artists to display their work."
Read about all recipients here.
Backers call it a win-win-win: through an innovative development arrangement with Midtown Cleveland Inc., the City of Cleveland is moving forward on a new Third District police station. Leaders say it will make the neighborhood safer, catalyze development and free up two prominent properties in University Circle and Midtown for potential future redevelopment.
The new $17.5 million facility is slated to be built on the former Ward Bakery site at Chester Ave. and East 45th Street. The first new police station to be built in the City of Cleveland in more than three decades, it would consolidate the existing Third District police station at Chester Ave. and East 107th Street and the administrative offices located at Payne Ave. and East 21st Street.
The new station in the heart of the Health-Tech Corridor would also make the neighborhood safer without negatively impacting response times to surrounding areas, leaders say. The long vacant site would be infused with new life that could catalyze development in the area. Finally, the first floor will feature a police memorial and a community room that can be rented for special events.
In a recent community meeting, Ward 8 Councilman Jeff Johnson promised that the project would help to break down barriers between residents and police by emphasizing community policing and offering a welcoming environment.
Midtown Cleveland, which can access grant funding such as New Markets Tax Credits that the city is not eligible for, will develop the property and gradually transfer it to the city. The building will be a green structure that is LEED certified (Leadership in Energy, Efficiency and Design) and will save the city money.
Source: Midtown Cleveland Inc.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The new $17.5 million facility is slated to be built on the former Ward Bakery site at Chester Ave. and East 45th Street. The first new police station to be built in the City of Cleveland in more than three decades, it would consolidate the existing Third District police station at Chester Ave. and East 107th Street and the administrative offices located at Payne Ave. and East 21st Street.
The new station in the heart of the Health-Tech Corridor would also make the neighborhood safer without negatively impacting response times to surrounding areas, leaders say. The long vacant site would be infused with new life that could catalyze development in the area. Finally, the first floor will feature a police memorial and a community room that can be rented for special events.
In a recent community meeting, Ward 8 Councilman Jeff Johnson promised that the project would help to break down barriers between residents and police by emphasizing community policing and offering a welcoming environment.
Midtown Cleveland, which can access grant funding such as New Markets Tax Credits that the city is not eligible for, will develop the property and gradually transfer it to the city. The building will be a green structure that is LEED certified (Leadership in Energy, Efficiency and Design) and will save the city money.
Source: Midtown Cleveland Inc.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
After 14 years in business, Blue Star Design founder Julia Briggs can tackle just about every type of project that comes her way. Business is booming and now she’s challenged with managing the tremendous growth the firm is experiencing.
A graphic designer by training, Biggs started Blue Star out of her house. Blue Star has doubled in size since January, growing from three to six employees plus a part-time sales/business advisor, and they outsource to 25 companies in Cleveland. Blue Star recently garnered the 250 votes needed to go forward in the Chase and Living Social Mission: Small Business grant contest. The votes earned Briggs the right to apply for one of a dozen $250,000 grants.
The money would allow Briggs to hire some additional people. First she would make the sales/business advisor a full time position. Other positions would include a graphic designer, an additional operations manager, and an IT development person.
“It’s been crazy,” says Briggs. “Last year at this time there were three of us. Our goal is to hire local, or help our partners hire local. We’re not quite sure what person will be needed at what time, but we want to do it smartly.”
Briggs will find out in September if Blue Star won one of the grants. In the meantime she is also applying for the Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. She is hoping the 11-week program will offer some useful insight into managing business growth.
“It’s the opportunity I was hunting for,” she says of the program. “It typically tends to be an expensive venture when you hire an advisor like that.”
Source: Julia Briggs
Writer: Karin Connelly
A graphic designer by training, Biggs started Blue Star out of her house. Blue Star has doubled in size since January, growing from three to six employees plus a part-time sales/business advisor, and they outsource to 25 companies in Cleveland. Blue Star recently garnered the 250 votes needed to go forward in the Chase and Living Social Mission: Small Business grant contest. The votes earned Briggs the right to apply for one of a dozen $250,000 grants.
The money would allow Briggs to hire some additional people. First she would make the sales/business advisor a full time position. Other positions would include a graphic designer, an additional operations manager, and an IT development person.
“It’s been crazy,” says Briggs. “Last year at this time there were three of us. Our goal is to hire local, or help our partners hire local. We’re not quite sure what person will be needed at what time, but we want to do it smartly.”
Briggs will find out in September if Blue Star won one of the grants. In the meantime she is also applying for the Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. She is hoping the 11-week program will offer some useful insight into managing business growth.
“It’s the opportunity I was hunting for,” she says of the program. “It typically tends to be an expensive venture when you hire an advisor like that.”
Source: Julia Briggs
Writer: Karin Connelly
peter b. lewis donates $5m to the cleveland institute of art
The Cleveland Institute of Art received a $5 million gift from Peter B. Lewis to support construction of a 91,000-square-foot building as the final component of the College’s campus unification project. Lewis is the chairman of Cleveland-based Progressive Corporation.
“We are thrilled to receive this wonderful gift, not only because it represents a strong endorsement of our vision for a unified campus from this nationally known philanthropist with deep Cleveland roots, but also because it acknowledges the efforts of our University Circle neighbors in developing the Uptown project into a national model of culture and commerce,” explains Grafton J. Nunes, CIA’s president and CEO.
The Uptown development is a complex of rental residences, restaurants, and retail anchored at one end by the new MOCA Cleveland and at the other end by the Cleveland Institute of Art.
In recognition of this gift, CIA will name the auditorium in the new building The Peter B. Lewis Theater.
In addition to the theater, which will be the new home of the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, the new building will house CIA’s nationally ranked design majors, its acclaimed biomedical art and digital arts programs, art galleries, and administrative offices.
Read the rest of the good news here.
“We are thrilled to receive this wonderful gift, not only because it represents a strong endorsement of our vision for a unified campus from this nationally known philanthropist with deep Cleveland roots, but also because it acknowledges the efforts of our University Circle neighbors in developing the Uptown project into a national model of culture and commerce,” explains Grafton J. Nunes, CIA’s president and CEO.
The Uptown development is a complex of rental residences, restaurants, and retail anchored at one end by the new MOCA Cleveland and at the other end by the Cleveland Institute of Art.
In recognition of this gift, CIA will name the auditorium in the new building The Peter B. Lewis Theater.
In addition to the theater, which will be the new home of the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, the new building will house CIA’s nationally ranked design majors, its acclaimed biomedical art and digital arts programs, art galleries, and administrative offices.
Read the rest of the good news here.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA) celebrated the completion of the stainless steel cladding being installed on its new home with a signing-off ceremony this week. The date when the glittering, gem-like new building opens its doors to the public is only months away, and that's when the true celebration will begin.
On a recent media tour of the building, the beautifully plotted details of the new museum were evident in raw form. A few of the finer points include the first floor lounge with coffee and free wi-fi that will function as an "urban living room;" the 1,000-square-foot store that will become a destination for visitors and residents alike; and an architectural emphasis on transparency that makes the museum a place where visitors can view the process whereby installations are created.
Other prominent details include the first floor lecture and performance space, windows offering great views of the Uptown District and a breathtaking fourth floor main gallery space with a vaulted ceiling and uninterrupted floor plan.
Source: MOCA
Writer: Lee Chilcote
On a recent media tour of the building, the beautifully plotted details of the new museum were evident in raw form. A few of the finer points include the first floor lounge with coffee and free wi-fi that will function as an "urban living room;" the 1,000-square-foot store that will become a destination for visitors and residents alike; and an architectural emphasis on transparency that makes the museum a place where visitors can view the process whereby installations are created.
Other prominent details include the first floor lecture and performance space, windows offering great views of the Uptown District and a breathtaking fourth floor main gallery space with a vaulted ceiling and uninterrupted floor plan.
MOCA's mission is to present the art and ideas of our time. The museum will open to the public Oct. 8.
Source: MOCA
Writer: Lee Chilcote
While many still believe that bigger is better, some innovative Clevelanders are taking green living far and away from the standard colonials, ranches and split-levels. Be they mini homes or those built from upcycled shipping containers, today's sustainable living options challenge core residential concepts and structures.
submissions wanted for cleveland design competition: transforming the bridge
The Cleveland Design Competition invites professionals, students, firms and designers to re-imagine the abandoned lower streetcar level of Cleveland’s Detroit-Superior Bridge -- aka the Veterans Memorial Bridge -- as a dynamic public space, performance venue and pedestrian experience.
Suggested design proposals include:
Define a comprehensive vision for the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge as a public bicycle and pedestrian connection between Downtown Cleveland’s Warehouse District and Ohio City.
Transform the vacant lower level of The Bridge into a dynamic public space and performance venue.
Consider connectivity to Downtown Cleveland and Public Square, the Flats East Bank, Flats West Bank, Ohio City, the Cuyahoga River, the future Towpath Trail, and future Canal Basin Park.
Consider complementary programming ideas. These might include (but are not limited to) landscaping, temporary experiences, art-related uses and recreational amenities.
Illustrate how a new vision for the lower level will interact with the upper level of The Bridge.
Provide improved access at each end of The Bridge to provide maximum accessibility and project impact. This could include addition of and/or reconfigured entrances at each end of The Bridge.
Registration deadline is September 10th, with submissions due October 5th. An awards reception will take place October 26th.
Mail or deliver entries to:
ATTN: Cleveland Design Competition
c/o Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
1309 Euclid Avenue, 2nd floor
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
For more info, click here.
Suggested design proposals include:
Define a comprehensive vision for the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge as a public bicycle and pedestrian connection between Downtown Cleveland’s Warehouse District and Ohio City.
Transform the vacant lower level of The Bridge into a dynamic public space and performance venue.
Consider connectivity to Downtown Cleveland and Public Square, the Flats East Bank, Flats West Bank, Ohio City, the Cuyahoga River, the future Towpath Trail, and future Canal Basin Park.
Consider complementary programming ideas. These might include (but are not limited to) landscaping, temporary experiences, art-related uses and recreational amenities.
Illustrate how a new vision for the lower level will interact with the upper level of The Bridge.
Provide improved access at each end of The Bridge to provide maximum accessibility and project impact. This could include addition of and/or reconfigured entrances at each end of The Bridge.
Registration deadline is September 10th, with submissions due October 5th. An awards reception will take place October 26th.
Mail or deliver entries to:
ATTN: Cleveland Design Competition
c/o Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
1309 Euclid Avenue, 2nd floor
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
For more info, click here.
Joddy Eric Matthews originally moved from Cleveland to Los Angeles to pursue his animation and filmmaking work. But after nearly eight years working for the likes of Sony, Pixar and DreamWorks, Matthews returned to Cleveland and created MadWerkz Studios in 2000, an animation and visual effects design firm.
Matthews and minority partners Rique D. Winston and Peter Li Cheung were glad to once again call Cleveland home.
“All of us had spent a good portion of time in L.A. and New York, but after a while the extreme workloads associated with working in Hollywood takes its toll," Matthews says. “We were all feeling a bit burnt out. It was time to come home to the people who love you.”
And Matthews has found the area is rich with design talent. “Now I get a chance to work on some pretty good films,” he says. “And there’s a wealth of talent here a lot of people don’t see. There are small teams of people here working on really big films.”
Matthews and his team of six full time creators have built a solid reputation through their work on commercials for Chrysler, General Motors and other companies as well as two films. They are currently working with a visual effects company in London. “We’re becoming more global and we didn’t have to be in L.A.,” he says.
While business is good at MadWerkz Studios -- from post production work to feature films -- Matthews hopes to continue to build on their services and keep promoting Cleveland as the go-to place for the film industry.
“It’s a lot of long hours and lots of hard work, but it’s pretty fun,” he says.
Source: Joddy Eric Matthews
Writer: Karin Connelly
Matthews and minority partners Rique D. Winston and Peter Li Cheung were glad to once again call Cleveland home.
“All of us had spent a good portion of time in L.A. and New York, but after a while the extreme workloads associated with working in Hollywood takes its toll," Matthews says. “We were all feeling a bit burnt out. It was time to come home to the people who love you.”
And Matthews has found the area is rich with design talent. “Now I get a chance to work on some pretty good films,” he says. “And there’s a wealth of talent here a lot of people don’t see. There are small teams of people here working on really big films.”
Matthews and his team of six full time creators have built a solid reputation through their work on commercials for Chrysler, General Motors and other companies as well as two films. They are currently working with a visual effects company in London. “We’re becoming more global and we didn’t have to be in L.A.,” he says.
While business is good at MadWerkz Studios -- from post production work to feature films -- Matthews hopes to continue to build on their services and keep promoting Cleveland as the go-to place for the film industry.
“It’s a lot of long hours and lots of hard work, but it’s pretty fun,” he says.
Source: Joddy Eric Matthews
Writer: Karin Connelly
The Virginia Marti College of Art and Design recently opened its new Couture Fashion Design Studio, a modern, light-filled space that it hopes will inspire Cleveland's next generation of fashion designers.
With large windows, light bamboo flooring and an open floor plan, the new space is a vast improvement over the old one, which was housed in the building's lower level without any windows or natural light. The Couture Fashion Design Studio houses the computer-aided drafting classroom for fashion design students.
Virginia Marti is a two-year college located on Detroit Avenue just west of West 117th Street in the City of Lakewood. The school offers five art-as-business programs geared towards helping arts entrepreneurs in their fields: digital media, fashion design, fashion merchandising, graphic design and interior design.
An exhibit of couturier garments from well-known fashion designers such as Giorgio Armani and Coco Chanel will be on display for several weeks in the new space. The garments are part of Virginia Marti-Veith's private collection.
Source: Virginia Marti College of Art and Design
Writer: Lee Chilcote
With large windows, light bamboo flooring and an open floor plan, the new space is a vast improvement over the old one, which was housed in the building's lower level without any windows or natural light. The Couture Fashion Design Studio houses the computer-aided drafting classroom for fashion design students.
Virginia Marti is a two-year college located on Detroit Avenue just west of West 117th Street in the City of Lakewood. The school offers five art-as-business programs geared towards helping arts entrepreneurs in their fields: digital media, fashion design, fashion merchandising, graphic design and interior design.
An exhibit of couturier garments from well-known fashion designers such as Giorgio Armani and Coco Chanel will be on display for several weeks in the new space. The garments are part of Virginia Marti-Veith's private collection.
Source: Virginia Marti College of Art and Design
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Westleigh Harper, Brian Bernstein and Michael Horton like to share their view of Cleveland through their designs. The three -- Horton and Harper are project designers and Bernstein is a landscape architect -- often work 16-hour days at their day jobs, yet they repeatedly find themselves working on public art projects in their spare time.
So the three formed Maker, a multi-disciplinary design studio to create projects that have a positive impact on the city.
“Basically, we’re just an entity to enter design competitions,” says Harper. “It’s something that the three of us get together and look at the city a little differently.”
Their perspective has made an impact of various sites within Cleveland. Harper lists their recent projects: “Over the past several years the three of us have collaborated on small projects that pique our interest, including a four-level live/work space on Prospect Avenue, an installation for the June 2012 Made in the 216 event, and a proposal for re-conceptualizing the Euclid Arcade as an emerging design-based incubator.”
Maker is currently working on a small public art project along W. 25th Street for MetroHealth Hospital's 175th anniversary. The project was the result of a conversation the three had with LAND Studio in March.
“The three of us expressed a desire to get involved with local community organizations that we felt aligned with our motivations to positively impact our city,” explains Harper. “We've found that there are a lot of other people out there that want to maintain the sense of urgency to keep the momentum going in Cleveland, so we proactively seek out those opportunities and hope we can add to it.”
Source: Westleigh Harper
Writer: Karin Connelly
So the three formed Maker, a multi-disciplinary design studio to create projects that have a positive impact on the city.
“Basically, we’re just an entity to enter design competitions,” says Harper. “It’s something that the three of us get together and look at the city a little differently.”
Their perspective has made an impact of various sites within Cleveland. Harper lists their recent projects: “Over the past several years the three of us have collaborated on small projects that pique our interest, including a four-level live/work space on Prospect Avenue, an installation for the June 2012 Made in the 216 event, and a proposal for re-conceptualizing the Euclid Arcade as an emerging design-based incubator.”
Maker is currently working on a small public art project along W. 25th Street for MetroHealth Hospital's 175th anniversary. The project was the result of a conversation the three had with LAND Studio in March.
“The three of us expressed a desire to get involved with local community organizations that we felt aligned with our motivations to positively impact our city,” explains Harper. “We've found that there are a lot of other people out there that want to maintain the sense of urgency to keep the momentum going in Cleveland, so we proactively seek out those opportunities and hope we can add to it.”
Source: Westleigh Harper
Writer: Karin Connelly
The State of Ohio has awarded $35.8 million in tax credits to 18 owners who are planning to rehabilitate 44 historic buildings across the state. Two of the projects, the Vincent building and the Truman building, are located in downtown Cleveland.
The Truman building, located on Euclid Avenue between E. 9th and 12th streets, will be renovated to include retail storefronts, office space, 18 market rate apartments and parking. Construction is expected to create at least 50 jobs.
The Vincent Tower, whose upper floors were refurbished for the digital marketing agency Rosetta, will be rehabbed to include 85 market rate apartments. The building, which is located at 629 Euclid Avenue, will receive a $7 million investment. The project will retain 400-plus jobs and create at least 50 construction jobs.
Both projects will feed the strong demand for apartments downtown. Currently, occupancy rates are at about 96 percent and many buildings have waiting lists.
Source: Ohio Department of Development
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Truman building, located on Euclid Avenue between E. 9th and 12th streets, will be renovated to include retail storefronts, office space, 18 market rate apartments and parking. Construction is expected to create at least 50 jobs.
The Vincent Tower, whose upper floors were refurbished for the digital marketing agency Rosetta, will be rehabbed to include 85 market rate apartments. The building, which is located at 629 Euclid Avenue, will receive a $7 million investment. The project will retain 400-plus jobs and create at least 50 construction jobs.
Both projects will feed the strong demand for apartments downtown. Currently, occupancy rates are at about 96 percent and many buildings have waiting lists.
Source: Ohio Department of Development
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Vocon, a Cleveland architecture and design firm, had been looking for a way to improve its partnership with BDG Architecture and Design in London. The two firms have had a partnership for a couple of years, but they wanted to take it a step further. So they sent Vocon project designer Lindsey Masarik to London for three weeks in May, while BDG associate Geoff Anderson came to Cleveland in a job swap.
“We discovered the firms had a lot of the same philosophies,” says Susan Austin, head of human resources and strategic marketing for Vocon. “We decided to do a swap to find out how we could do things better.”
The exposure to new cultures was highly stimulating for Masarik and Anderson. Both employees noticed that design is dictated by the amount of space available. Cleveland has more space, while real estate is at a premium in London.
“You’re working with a smaller footprint in London,” says Anderson. “It dictates the way you approach your design. It was interesting to see how the American market works.”
Both Anderson and Masarik say it was great experience. “We have the confidence we could work together, we approach things in the same way,” says Anderson. “If we have a joint project we could be in the same room and feel comfortable with each other. It’s an opportunity I hope everyone can experience. It’s very beneficial.”
Sources: Lyndsey Masarik, Geoff Anderson, Susan Austin
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We discovered the firms had a lot of the same philosophies,” says Susan Austin, head of human resources and strategic marketing for Vocon. “We decided to do a swap to find out how we could do things better.”
The exposure to new cultures was highly stimulating for Masarik and Anderson. Both employees noticed that design is dictated by the amount of space available. Cleveland has more space, while real estate is at a premium in London.
“You’re working with a smaller footprint in London,” says Anderson. “It dictates the way you approach your design. It was interesting to see how the American market works.”
Both Anderson and Masarik say it was great experience. “We have the confidence we could work together, we approach things in the same way,” says Anderson. “If we have a joint project we could be in the same room and feel comfortable with each other. It’s an opportunity I hope everyone can experience. It’s very beneficial.”
Sources: Lyndsey Masarik, Geoff Anderson, Susan Austin
Writer: Karin Connelly
Don Hayes has a new vision for Cleveland's fashion industry, and the design coop that he's building in a renovated factory on the near west side is helping to make it real by spotlighting young, local designers.
"The fashion scene in Cleveland has a lot of potential," he says. "There are a number of designers here, but people aren't necessarily aware of them."
Recently, Hayes launched Design Lab Inc., a fashion co-op consisting of three separate companies: Cloud 9 Boutique, Project Model Academy and Cloud 9 Event and Royal Wedding Planning. Cloud 9 boutique showcases 11 local designers.
In a former torpedo factory off of Clark and West 33rd with exposed brick walls and lofted ceilings, Hayes and another designer create and sell clothes on site.
"You can literally watch clothes go from the sewing machine to the rack," Hayes says of the 2,500 square foot space, which is at once a studio, office and store.
Hayes also partners with Collinwood High School to offer interns the opportunity to work in the fashion industry. "You don't have to leave Cleveland to be successful, and it's helpful to have a mentor on that journey."
Source: Don Hayes
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The fashion scene in Cleveland has a lot of potential," he says. "There are a number of designers here, but people aren't necessarily aware of them."
Recently, Hayes launched Design Lab Inc., a fashion co-op consisting of three separate companies: Cloud 9 Boutique, Project Model Academy and Cloud 9 Event and Royal Wedding Planning. Cloud 9 boutique showcases 11 local designers.
In a former torpedo factory off of Clark and West 33rd with exposed brick walls and lofted ceilings, Hayes and another designer create and sell clothes on site.
"You can literally watch clothes go from the sewing machine to the rack," Hayes says of the 2,500 square foot space, which is at once a studio, office and store.
Hayes also partners with Collinwood High School to offer interns the opportunity to work in the fashion industry. "You don't have to leave Cleveland to be successful, and it's helpful to have a mentor on that journey."
Source: Don Hayes
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Before a packed house at Severance Hall, Cleveland Foundation President Ronn Richard touted the city's accomplishments in becoming a hub of innovation and taking bold steps to address big problems at the foundation's annual meeting this Tuesday.
Waxing poetic on the gilded stage for a moment, Richard harkened back to the foundation's early days in the 1910's as a time of tremendous innovation in Cleveland. "I still wonder if the past might be prologue," he mused, noting that the foundation's centennial is just two years away. "Can we envision the spirit of a second renaissance in Cleveland?"
Richard also posed a challenge to civic leaders to remain focused on true economic development and social change within the city. "Physical development, as wonderful as it is, must be coupled with investment in people and placemaking," he said, noting that the building spree of the 1990s was too focused on bricks and mortar projects. "We need to invest in connecting communities."
Among the foundation's projects, Richard touted the Cleveland schools plan that recently passed the state legislature, ongoing investments in high quality urban education, economic development programs such as the HealthTech Corridor and the Evergreen Cooperatives, and programs to connect new audiences to the arts.
Richard also told the audience that later this year the Cleveland Foundation will unveil a new microlending program for entrepreneurs seeking loans under $50,000 to help spur job creation and assist the creation of startups.
Source: Ronn Richard
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Waxing poetic on the gilded stage for a moment, Richard harkened back to the foundation's early days in the 1910's as a time of tremendous innovation in Cleveland. "I still wonder if the past might be prologue," he mused, noting that the foundation's centennial is just two years away. "Can we envision the spirit of a second renaissance in Cleveland?"
Richard also posed a challenge to civic leaders to remain focused on true economic development and social change within the city. "Physical development, as wonderful as it is, must be coupled with investment in people and placemaking," he said, noting that the building spree of the 1990s was too focused on bricks and mortar projects. "We need to invest in connecting communities."
Among the foundation's projects, Richard touted the Cleveland schools plan that recently passed the state legislature, ongoing investments in high quality urban education, economic development programs such as the HealthTech Corridor and the Evergreen Cooperatives, and programs to connect new audiences to the arts.
Richard also told the audience that later this year the Cleveland Foundation will unveil a new microlending program for entrepreneurs seeking loans under $50,000 to help spur job creation and assist the creation of startups.
Source: Ronn Richard
Writer: Lee Chilcote