Regional Economy
The Saint Luke’s Foundation recently awarded a grant to the Hebrew Free Loan Association (HFLA) of Northeast Ohio to provide interest free loans of up to $5,000 to the residents in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood who are in need of home repair or funds to purchase side yards.
Qualifications include income that will allow repayment of the loan, a co-signer and quotes from an insured and bonded contractor. Loan checks will be written directly to the service provider. Perfect repayment of this loan will allow applicants to qualify for future interest free loans.
For additional information click here or call 216-378-9042.
Qualifications include income that will allow repayment of the loan, a co-signer and quotes from an insured and bonded contractor. Loan checks will be written directly to the service provider. Perfect repayment of this loan will allow applicants to qualify for future interest free loans.
For additional information click here or call 216-378-9042.
The YMCA's 40,000 square feet of premium health and wellness space is finally set to open at its new home in the Galleria.
Current members are invited to the two-story Parker Hannifin Downtown YMCA starting March 21, with a grand opening celebration slated for March 29, says marketing director Amanda Lloyd.
Amenities at the much-anticipated facility include over 70 pieces of cardio and strength equipment and a three-lane lap pool. Members can also enjoy group exercise studios, a spinning area, message therapy rooms, and a health clinic complete with an on-site physician.
Pilates, acupuncture, hot yoga and biometric screenings will be among the programming available, notes Lloyd. The new YMCA is expected to house twice as many fitness devotees as its current location at East 22nd Street and Prospect Avenue, which holds nearly 3,250 members.
The Prospect location will close March 20, meaning members won't have a delay in service, Lloyd says. The old building, sold to a Texas-based company last year, will be maintained as private student housing.
All of the YMCA's functions will move to the Galleria, where the gym will take up a former retail space. The organization has raised $7 million for a project budgeted at $12 million, with $3 million coming from Parker Hannifin. YMCA will tap grant money and individual donations for the balance of the financial package. The project is also set to employ 40 full-time and part-time workers, including personal trainers, lifeguards and housekeepers.
Membership enrollment will cost $50 monthly for young professionals ages 18 to 29, $65 for adults and $105 for a household.
YMCA officials believe the gym can be an anchor for a downtown population projected by Downtown Cleveland Alliance to balloon to 18,000 within the next two years.
"There are some vacant storefronts (in the Galleria), but around us there's a good core of corporations and people living downtown," says Lloyd. "Moving to this space seemed like the perfect fit."
Current members are invited to the two-story Parker Hannifin Downtown YMCA starting March 21, with a grand opening celebration slated for March 29, says marketing director Amanda Lloyd.
Amenities at the much-anticipated facility include over 70 pieces of cardio and strength equipment and a three-lane lap pool. Members can also enjoy group exercise studios, a spinning area, message therapy rooms, and a health clinic complete with an on-site physician.
Pilates, acupuncture, hot yoga and biometric screenings will be among the programming available, notes Lloyd. The new YMCA is expected to house twice as many fitness devotees as its current location at East 22nd Street and Prospect Avenue, which holds nearly 3,250 members.
The Prospect location will close March 20, meaning members won't have a delay in service, Lloyd says. The old building, sold to a Texas-based company last year, will be maintained as private student housing.
All of the YMCA's functions will move to the Galleria, where the gym will take up a former retail space. The organization has raised $7 million for a project budgeted at $12 million, with $3 million coming from Parker Hannifin. YMCA will tap grant money and individual donations for the balance of the financial package. The project is also set to employ 40 full-time and part-time workers, including personal trainers, lifeguards and housekeepers.
Membership enrollment will cost $50 monthly for young professionals ages 18 to 29, $65 for adults and $105 for a household.
YMCA officials believe the gym can be an anchor for a downtown population projected by Downtown Cleveland Alliance to balloon to 18,000 within the next two years.
"There are some vacant storefronts (in the Galleria), but around us there's a good core of corporations and people living downtown," says Lloyd. "Moving to this space seemed like the perfect fit."
Didn't Fresh Water just report on the benefits of the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit? Why, yes, we did. And then this pops into our feed from MoviePilot:
"They didn’t share any 'Captain America: Civil War' spoilers, but directors Joe and Anthony Russo told fans that 'Avengers: Infinity War' could land in Cleveland.
'It’s on the list,' said Anthony.
The reveal took place Saturday during a Wizard World Comic-Con Cleveland panel titled 'Let’s Shut Down Some Streets: Bringing the Avengers, Captain America and the Russo Brothers to Cleveland.'
The Russos, who grew up in Cleveland and graduated from Case Western Reserve University, were joined by Ivan Schwarz, director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. The trio discussed how the region could grow its production slate and how it could attract more features to Northeast Ohio.
The first step, said Schwarz, was getting the Ohio legislature to raise the motion picture tax incentive from $25 million a year to $75 million. That’s legislation will go before Ohio lawmakers this spring."
Get the whole story here.
A tip of the hat to Tom Tenant, who champions films and filmmaking in the Midwest - primarily Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit (but mostly Cleveland), for this great tip. Readers can follow his musings on Midwest Movie Maker.
"They didn’t share any 'Captain America: Civil War' spoilers, but directors Joe and Anthony Russo told fans that 'Avengers: Infinity War' could land in Cleveland.
'It’s on the list,' said Anthony.
The reveal took place Saturday during a Wizard World Comic-Con Cleveland panel titled 'Let’s Shut Down Some Streets: Bringing the Avengers, Captain America and the Russo Brothers to Cleveland.'
The Russos, who grew up in Cleveland and graduated from Case Western Reserve University, were joined by Ivan Schwarz, director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. The trio discussed how the region could grow its production slate and how it could attract more features to Northeast Ohio.
The first step, said Schwarz, was getting the Ohio legislature to raise the motion picture tax incentive from $25 million a year to $75 million. That’s legislation will go before Ohio lawmakers this spring."
Get the whole story here.
A tip of the hat to Tom Tenant, who champions films and filmmaking in the Midwest - primarily Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit (but mostly Cleveland), for this great tip. Readers can follow his musings on Midwest Movie Maker.
The Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit has created the equivalent of 1,729 full-time jobs since 2011 and generated more than $400 million in economic impact - and Northeast Ohio has had a starring role in all of it.
While summer may feel far away, college students will be returning home with their requisite manbuns and proclivity to wear slippers as shoes in a blink. They will soon join area high school juniors and seniors, who are already eyeing residential couches with plans to become one with them from June through August.
It does not have to be this way.
On Sunday March 6 and Saturday March 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Cleveland Metroparks invites those students, along with anyone interested in seasonal employment, to attend a job fair. The two events will be held at Stillwater Place, 3900 Wildlife Way in the Metroparks Zoo. Opportunities include food service jobs, camp counselor slots, maintenance positions and many others.
Complete details and registration information are available here.
It does not have to be this way.
On Sunday March 6 and Saturday March 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Cleveland Metroparks invites those students, along with anyone interested in seasonal employment, to attend a job fair. The two events will be held at Stillwater Place, 3900 Wildlife Way in the Metroparks Zoo. Opportunities include food service jobs, camp counselor slots, maintenance positions and many others.
Complete details and registration information are available here.
Joe Calabrese, CEO and General Manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) advocated for more transit funding in testimony on Feb. 16 at the Statehouse.
"RTA is the largest public transportation agency in Ohio. My employees, who reside in 16 of Ohio counties, serve approximately 50 million customers each year in Cuyahoga and several neighboring counties," said Calabrese in his address.
"Public transit in Ohio is a $900 million industry that supports many manufacturers, suppliers and jobs.
Public transit gets workers to work, students to school, connects important destinations, drives economic development and provides mobility to many Ohioans who have no other mobility option due to economic realities or disabilities."
Read his comments in their entirety here.
"RTA is the largest public transportation agency in Ohio. My employees, who reside in 16 of Ohio counties, serve approximately 50 million customers each year in Cuyahoga and several neighboring counties," said Calabrese in his address.
"Public transit in Ohio is a $900 million industry that supports many manufacturers, suppliers and jobs.
Public transit gets workers to work, students to school, connects important destinations, drives economic development and provides mobility to many Ohioans who have no other mobility option due to economic realities or disabilities."
Read his comments in their entirety here.
A multi-purpose trail planned for the City of Independence will serve as a connecting point with the Towpath Trail while also catalyzing the region economically, planners say.
Construction of Hemlock Trail is scheduled for the first quarter of 2017 following a $500,000 grant the project received from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Clean Ohio Trails fund. The money will cover a portion of the venture while Independence officials make plans to raise the remaining $1.1 million, says city engineer Donald Ramm.
Partner group West Creek Conservancy, which helped with the grant effort, has been approaching trail advocates for single donations. Meanwhile, the city will call on local foundations to garner additional dollars, says Ramm.
Urgency is the watchword moving forward, as the ODNR grant must be used within 18 months of signing. Engineering for the $3.4 million path began last year and should be completed by the end of 2016. Construction bidding will commence early next year, with work starting in spring 2017. If all goes as planned, the trail will open to the public in 2018.
When complete, the 1.7-mile Hemlock Trail will begin at the intersection of Brecksville Road and Selig Drive, ending at the Towpath Trail connection on Canal Road in Valley View. That linkage is significant for a population base that currently has no easy means of accessing the iconic 85-mile track, Ramm says.
"We're excited about it," he says. "Hemlock Trail will be a major link for our residents to get from the center of town to Towpath Trail."
The 10-foot-wide path, designed to cross through private, industrial and national park properties, will have room for both bikers and joggers. Four or five bridges will be built along the trail's snake-like course, along with space for up to 15 parking spots.
Giving Independence residents a new place to walk, run and bike can have a positive impact on local economic development as well, believe supporters. Officials view Hemlock Trail as one piece of an amenities package that can attract people from outside the region and bolster a downtown redevelopment plan now in the preliminary planning stage.
"As a community asset, the path is going to be significant to the city," says Ramm.
Construction of Hemlock Trail is scheduled for the first quarter of 2017 following a $500,000 grant the project received from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Clean Ohio Trails fund. The money will cover a portion of the venture while Independence officials make plans to raise the remaining $1.1 million, says city engineer Donald Ramm.
Partner group West Creek Conservancy, which helped with the grant effort, has been approaching trail advocates for single donations. Meanwhile, the city will call on local foundations to garner additional dollars, says Ramm.
Urgency is the watchword moving forward, as the ODNR grant must be used within 18 months of signing. Engineering for the $3.4 million path began last year and should be completed by the end of 2016. Construction bidding will commence early next year, with work starting in spring 2017. If all goes as planned, the trail will open to the public in 2018.
When complete, the 1.7-mile Hemlock Trail will begin at the intersection of Brecksville Road and Selig Drive, ending at the Towpath Trail connection on Canal Road in Valley View. That linkage is significant for a population base that currently has no easy means of accessing the iconic 85-mile track, Ramm says.
"We're excited about it," he says. "Hemlock Trail will be a major link for our residents to get from the center of town to Towpath Trail."
The 10-foot-wide path, designed to cross through private, industrial and national park properties, will have room for both bikers and joggers. Four or five bridges will be built along the trail's snake-like course, along with space for up to 15 parking spots.
Giving Independence residents a new place to walk, run and bike can have a positive impact on local economic development as well, believe supporters. Officials view Hemlock Trail as one piece of an amenities package that can attract people from outside the region and bolster a downtown redevelopment plan now in the preliminary planning stage.
"As a community asset, the path is going to be significant to the city," says Ramm.
From lumber to antique books and vintage guitars, local businesses share their secrets to success amid big box competition, financial pressures and changing times.
Well-educated millennials are living in Cleveland, but the city must adapt to their needs if we want them to stay.
Boot-camp style computer coding courses are rapidly growing alongside Northeast Ohio's tech sector.
The technology and software business startup accelerator Flashstarts will now offer a way for companies in the formulation phase a way to speed up the process.
Starting today, the organization will begin taking applications for Flashstarts Labs – a way for startups to prepare for the accelerator program.
“It’s a formalization of something we’ve been doing for the last couple of years, where we can work with teams before they are accepted in to the accelerator,” explains Flashstarts co-founder and CEO Charles Stack. “A lot of teams are missing something – skill sets, market validation, strategy, a co-founder – this will help them get into the accelerator program.”
The idea behind the Labs is to offer the fastest path between business concept and startup formation. Companies accepted into the three-month program will receive access to more than 40 mentors, consulting, business tools and office space in StartMart, Flashstarts’ 35,000-square-foot entrepreneurial co-working space in the Terminal Tower.
Stack explains that in Flashstarts’ three-year history, he has found that a lot of startups need help getting things organized. “We learned that a lot of people and ideas need a high-speed on-ramp,” he says. “Now we have StartMart, so we have a lot of space to bring in Labs. When a good idea bubbles up from the goo, we grab it and put it in the accelerator.”
There's room for 50 people in the Labs, and accelerator companies will be chosen from the Labs teams. "I don't know how many we'll pick for the accelerator, but we will pick from these teams,” Stack says. “We will spend a lot of time working with these teams.”
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Selection criteria will include uniqueness, market opportunity, team background, and likelihood of success.
Starting today, the organization will begin taking applications for Flashstarts Labs – a way for startups to prepare for the accelerator program.
“It’s a formalization of something we’ve been doing for the last couple of years, where we can work with teams before they are accepted in to the accelerator,” explains Flashstarts co-founder and CEO Charles Stack. “A lot of teams are missing something – skill sets, market validation, strategy, a co-founder – this will help them get into the accelerator program.”
The idea behind the Labs is to offer the fastest path between business concept and startup formation. Companies accepted into the three-month program will receive access to more than 40 mentors, consulting, business tools and office space in StartMart, Flashstarts’ 35,000-square-foot entrepreneurial co-working space in the Terminal Tower.
Stack explains that in Flashstarts’ three-year history, he has found that a lot of startups need help getting things organized. “We learned that a lot of people and ideas need a high-speed on-ramp,” he says. “Now we have StartMart, so we have a lot of space to bring in Labs. When a good idea bubbles up from the goo, we grab it and put it in the accelerator.”
There's room for 50 people in the Labs, and accelerator companies will be chosen from the Labs teams. "I don't know how many we'll pick for the accelerator, but we will pick from these teams,” Stack says. “We will spend a lot of time working with these teams.”
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Selection criteria will include uniqueness, market opportunity, team background, and likelihood of success.
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