Thanks to roadway improvements and striking new signage, University Circle is becoming easier to navigate all the time. Yet it's a grim joke among cyclists that navigating the spaghetti intersection at Stokes, Martin Luther King Jr. and Cedar is akin to taking your life into your hands.

This issue affects more than a small, insignificant sliver of the population: According to City of Cleveland Bike Planner Marty Cader, the number of bike commuters continues to rise each year. In fact, he says, the parking garages at the Cleveland Clinic are filled with bikes these days, many of which originate from points further east.

The City of Cleveland recently broke ground on a new trail which is expected to ease this life-threatening commute. The so-called Lake to Lakes Trail consists of a new 10-foot-wide trail and improved intersections that should be complete by the end of summer. The trail will better connect the Harrison Dillard Bikeway in Rockefeller Park with the bike paths at Shaker Lakes in Shaker Heights.

The project overcame huge design challenges by funneling bike traffic through existing public land in University Circle. The City of Cleveland is reconstructing several traffic islands and adding ADA ramps and pedestrian signals to help make road crossings safer. The trail will meander through the hidden gem of Rudy Rogers Park, where Doan Brook flows into a culvert before emerging in Rockefeller Park, and then head up Fairhill Boulevard into the Heights.

The project is being funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The trail also adds another leg to the city's Bikeway Master Plan, which is beginning to form vital connections between city neighborhoods. With the help of the Lake to Lakes Trail, cyclists will be able to easily and safely bike from Shaker Heights to downtown Cleveland along Euclid Ave., or out to the lakefront.


Source: Marty Cader
Writer: Lee Chilcote

What makes a neighborhood thrive? Is it a coffee shop? A fistful of chef-owned bistros? What about a grocery store and dry cleaners? When it comes to Cleveland's various neighborhoods, some seem to have all the pieces in place. Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit Shoreway… these budding burgs appear to have everything a resident could want and need. But do they?

LineStream Technologies, a Cleveland developer of control software for automated products, secured series B financing by U.S. Venture Partners. USVP will team up with series A investor Early Stage Partners to move the company forward.
 
“The funding we just raised allows us to find more customers,” says Dave Neundorfer, LineStream president. "It is a huge boost for us. This funding will drastically accelerate growth for our company and meet customer demand.”
 
LineStream Technologies was formed in 2008 as a spinoff out of research done by Cleveland State University’s Zhiqiang Gao, director of the Center for Advanced Control Technology, and focuses on commercializing and simplifying control software.
 
LineStream products increase efficiency, are easy to implement and therefore improve the performance of automated systems in everything from washing machines to medical robotics. Last year LineStream licensed its software to Texas Instruments for use in a chip platform in motor and motion controls.
 
Neundorfer says the funding will not only help serve its growing customer base, it will also allow the company to attract the right talent. “With this funding we can build a team and hire technical talent,” he says. “We’re attracting technical talent who are self-starters, adaptable, work hard and are willing to align themselves around the common goal.”

 
Source: Dave Neundorfer
Writer: Karin Connelly

To conduct an authentic test of what it's like to be a tourist in Cleveland, Positively Cleveland recently sent several Northeast Ohioans on all-expenses-paid trips to parts of the city with which they were unfamiliar. The outcomes of this "mystery shopper" test were revealing, if not exactly surprising: Safety, wayfinding signage and public transportation ranked among participants' top concerns.

Lexi Hotchkiss, Communications Manager with Positively Cleveland, says the "Tourist for a Day" effort was part of a larger, regional initiative to make Cleveland a more visitor-friendly destination. The "Destination Cleveland" project has been launched by Positively Cleveland and other civic-minded partners in anticipation of $2 billion in tourism-related development that is currently being invested in downtown Cleveland.

"Our new President and CEO, David Gilbert, started the process when he joined the organization," explains Hotchkiss. "We knew it was time to look at Cleveland in a different way, and really examine how we look, act and feel as a destination."

In November, Positively Cleveland held a summit with over 200 community ambassadors, ranging from government officials to hotel managers. This unprecedented, collaborative effort to take Cleveland's tourism economy to the next level resulted in 11 focus areas. Top government officials also signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to work together on this effort.

In a few days, tourism leaders are set to unveil and begin implementing a new, five year plan to improve Cleveland as a travel destination. Positively Cleveland and its partners are holding the Destination Cleveland Travel and Tourism Outcomes Launch on Tuesday, March 27th from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the House of Blues. The event is free and open to the public.

"Tourism is the fourth largest private sector economy in Ohio," says Hotchkiss. "One of the things we really want to do is engage locals as ambassadors of our city."


Source: Lexi Hotchkiss
Writer: Lee Chilcote

A new business in South Euclid aims to take advantage of Cleveland's growing reputation as a healthcare leader while also capitalizing on rising consumer interest in alternative medicine. The Heights Wellness Center, which is located at Cedar and Warrensville roads, employs chiropractors, herbalists, acupuncturists, Reiki healers and yoga instructors to create customized wellness programs for its customers.

Founder Sandy Lawrence points to the fact that the Center is located in a former internist's office as a sign of the changing times. Although she gutted the interior of the building during the custom build-out, she was able to reuse patient rooms for massage.

"Holistic medicine and wellness are in a growth spurt," Lawrence says. "This is something to help, not replace, traditional medicine."

The Center aims to create a wellness-focused community in the Heights area, a part of Cleveland's east side that is already rich in healthcare amenities. Lawrence, who previously ran her husband's medical practice for more than two decades, chose the Heights because of its rich diversity and interest in wellness.

Lawrence describes the Center's intake process as one that seeks to build a comprehensive program to help patients become well. The RN on staff can refer patients to doctors and hospitals for issues requiring medical attention.

The Center's practitioners believe that alternative and traditional forms of medicine can complement and aid one another. For instance, alternative medicine can help patients to heal after a traumatic event, and it can also keep patients from getting sick in the first place. The Center's ultimate goal is to empower clients to seek true health through nurturing their mind, body, spirit and emotions.

As insurance companies have become more accepting of alternative medicine, clients can often submit for reimbursement to their healthcare providers, too.


Source: Sandy Lawrence
Writer: Lee Chilcote

When Kelly Kandah walked to her job each morning at ABC News in Manhattan, she found herself gaping at the long lines outside of trendy cupcake shops like Crumbs and Magnolia Bakery.

It wasn't because she was hungry -- Kandah simply has cupcakes in her blood. Baking is a family tradition, and her mom has been baking cakes featuring Grandma Kandah's "famous" frosting recipe for years for family friends.

So, when the 25-year-old Kandah moved back to her hometown, it was natural for her to start baking with her mom again. She quickly realized that she'd found her life's calling -- baking delicious, king-sized cupcakes. Yet, within a few short months of taking orders, her four KitchenAid mixers weren't enough to get the job done.

Following the tried-and-true path of many successful entrepreneurs, Kandah decided to move the business she launched out of her house into a retail storefront. Her new shop, called Colossal Cupcakes, is set to open this Friday, March 16th -- just in time for an onslaught of hungry downtown visitors on St. Patty's Day.

"I wanted to bring Clevelanders the same thing I saw in New York -- an actual specialty cupcake store, always stocked with a large variety of cupcakes, that never closes early or sells out," says Kandah. "I thought, why not Cleveland?"

Colossal Cupcakes will offer generous-sized cupcakes -- twice as big as ones you'd find at a typical bakery, Kandah promises -- for $3.75. Visitors will have 40-plus varieties to choose from, including the Colossal Classic, a milk chocolate cupcake that has raspberry filling and is topped with almond butter cream frosting. Guilt-inducing drinks such as Red Velvet Hot Cocoa will also be available.

Other offerings include coffee, tea, cupcake shakes made out of homemade vanilla ice cream and cream cheese whipped cream to top off your steaming cup of hot chocolate. Looking for a low-cal option? Try the tasty vegan cupcakes.

Kandah built out her retail storefront at 530 Euclid Avenue to feature a French cottage-style theme. It also features reclaimed wood countertops.

Colossal Cupcakes will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday until 9 p.m.


Source: Kelly Kandah
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Garfield Heights historically has been known as the "City of Homes," yet Mayor Vic Collova wants to update that quaint image. The time is right to attract new businesses and development, he says, and the city's infrastructure, proximity to highways and business-friendly approach make it competitive.

"We haven't had a lot of new businesses moving here, and we're really trying to change our mindset," he says. "What we're doing is aggressive for Garfield Heights, but not for other areas that are more business-minded."

Like many inner ring suburbs that have a flat or declining residential tax base, Garfield Heights is now trying to diversify its tax rolls by attracting new economic development. The city has cause to celebrate a major victory this month, as the rapidly growing ebook and audio book distributor Overdrive recently broke ground on a new, $10 million world headquarters. The facility will immediate employ nearly 200 people, and could eventually employ up to 300 people.

Collova says former Governor Ted Strickland's administration was instrumental in keeping Overdrive in Ohio (the current facility is located in Valley View), and a package of incentives that included a 10-year, 100-percent tax abatement helped lure the firm to Garfield Heights. The Ohio Department of Development also provided a $200,000 grant to build a new road to service the facility.

In a competitive economic landscape in which cities and states are, for better or worse, bidding against one another to land new development projects, Collova says Garfield Heights "offered a package to meet Overdrive's needs." He adds that Economic Development Director Noreen Kupan "did a great job negotiating."

Yet Collova says regardless of incentives, the location near I-480 is becoming "one of the most sought after locations in the city" because it offers great highway access and more than 180,000 cars per day drive through the area.

The location once was home to Nestaway, a company that closed years ago and left behind a vacant building. When Overdrive moves into its new headquarters later this year, it will be one of the largest employers in the City of Garfield Heights.


Source: Vic Collova
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA), a civic education and engagement program, named 17 new city advocates for 2012. “It’s a chance to know the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and get the inside scoop on what’s going on downtown,” explains Laura Kushnick, DCA’s director of development and community relations.
 
The advocates serve a two-year term. They have access to DCA staff and community leaders to learn what it takes to facilitate civic change in the city. The advocates are encouraged to bring their own ideas to the table. Past projects have included happy hours and social events, building playgrounds and dog parks, and updating the city’s Wikipedia pages.
 
“There are a whole range of things people do,” says Kushnick. “We try to encourage people to be ambitious, but think about what they can do in small groups. We really view the program as an opportunity to learn what it takes to get things done.”
 
This is the fourth class in the program. Applicants come from all walks of life. “We cast as wide a net as we can” says Kushnick. “We put the word out through young professional groups. We try to assemble a strong group of people with a wide array of interests and professional backgrounds. Most of the advocates either work or live downtown.”
 
The 17 members were selected by a committee of DCA staff and board members who reviewed the written applications and interviewed a group of 30 finalists. They join 11 current advocates who are in their second year.

 
Source: Laura Kushnick
Writer: Karin Connelly

Cleveland-based Tremco Inc. recently earned the sustainable-construction industry's equivalent of an Oscar: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) Gold certification. The coveted prize, awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizes Tremco's outstanding performance in the 2010 renovation of its 40-year-old, 46,000-square-foot headquarters on (appropriately enough) Green Road.
 
Cindy Cicigoi, Tremco’s vice president of sustainable initiatives and facilities, acknowledges that traditional construction methods -- or simply relocating -- would have been less expensive. But Tremco never viewed the project so narrowly. “We did this, number one, because it's the right thing to do,” Cicigoi says. Tremco specializes in the development of high-performance, low-impact buildings.
 
But it was also the smart thing to do. After “buttoning up the exterior” of the building, as Cicigoi puts it, Tremco used about 55 percent less natural gas over the past year compared to the average of the previous three years. Solar panels and a wind turbine helped cut the electric bill by about 24 percent.
 
And the rehab project itself met its zero-landfill goal. Nearly all of the two million pounds of demolition debris was reused; for example, gravel from the old roof became the base for the new sidewalks. Blinds, plumping fixtures and other reusable items were donated to Habitat for Humanity. What couldn't be reused or recycled was burned for energy. Tremco even recycled materials from the I-90 resurfacing project to resurface its own parking lot after installing an underground cistern to store rainwater runoff.
 
That water is then used in Cicigoi's favorite part of the building upgrade: the vegetated roof. In addition  to being “gorgeous” in the summer, the roof is home to 40-plus species of native Ohio plants --16,000 in all -- including herbs that are used in the cafeteria.
 
The result of all this effort, Cicigoi notes, is a “showcase” for what Tremco, and other companies owned by parent RPM International, can do.
 
According to the USGBC web site, “LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.”

 
Source: Cindy Cicigoi
Writer: Frank W. Lewis

The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium, a major public initiative to help move Northeast Ohio towards a more sustainable, resilient future, will launch a public engagement process in the next few months. Young professionals are among the first constituencies being targeted in this effort to create a sustainability plan for the region.

"We're looking at how we are using land through the lens of sustainability," explains Jeff Anderle, Communications and Engagement Manager for the NEOSCC, which received a $4.25 million grant from the Obama administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities initiative and launched in January 2011. "We want to make Northeast Ohio more resilient to change, help our governments to be more collaborative and provide the tools for communities to engage in more sustainable planning."

The NEOSCC has five different work study areas: economic development, environment, communities, connections, and quality, connected places. Consortium members include city governments, planning agencies and other public entities throughout the 12-county planning area. According to Anderle, NEOSCC's members are working together because they realize it is in their self-interest to help ensure that the region's resources are used more sustainably.

"We're starting to see collaboration happening in government because resources are getting tight, and moving forward, we believe collaboration will become essential," he says. "People are waking up and coming to the table."

Over the next few months, the NEOSCC will publish an existing conditions report and begin public engagement. "We're partnering with the Civic Commons," says Anderle. "We want to empower people to become a part of the process."


Source: Jeff Anderle
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Cleveland State University (CSU) recently relocated its Department of Theatre and Dance to the Middough Building at PlayhouseSquare, a critical step in creating a multidisciplinary Arts Campus in the heart of Cleveland's growing theater district.

"The university's master plan is to move the majority of CSU's arts programs into PlayhouseSquare," says Joe Mosbrook, Director of Strategic Communications with CSU. "Our theatre majors will take classes 20 feet from the Allen Theatre. They'll build sets in the building, and then perform in one of the top college venues in the country. We're excited to be a part of one of Cleveland's largest arts centers."

Mosbrook says CSU is the only undergraduate theatre program in the country where students have the opportunity to work alongside a professional theatre company. CSU has formed an ongoing partnership with Cleveland Play House, and its productions are being staged in the new Allen Theatre complex.

CSU now occupies approximately 160,000 square feet on the second and fifth floors of the Middough Building. The refurbished space includes art studios, rehearsal space, photography studios, costume design studios and other facilities. CSU's Fine Arts programs also are now housed in the Middough Building.

In September, CSU plans to open an art gallery in the Cowell and Hubbard building on Euclid Avenue. The gallery will showcase student work, traveling shows, and work by alumni and faculty. The location was chosen to capitalize on PlayhouseSquare's foot traffic while adding to the revitalization of the area.

Over the long term, CSU also plans to move its digital and broadcast media programs, including its student radio station, into the Ideastream building. "There's a symbiotic relationship that occurs when students and professors work together with professionals in their field," says Mosbrook.


Source: Joe Mosbrook
Writer: Lee Chilcote

In this Fresh Water video, Cleveland chefs Jeff Fisher, Dante Boccuzzi and Zack Bruell talk about their culinary style, their restaurants, and their fondness for the farm-to-table movement. With decades of experience between them, they are able to put into context the dramatic progress the Cleveland restaurant scene has made over the past 10 to 15 years.

Shaker Launchhouse co-founder/marketing Dar Caldwell describes the business accelerator as a "thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem." That ecosystem will welcome 10 new inhabitants this coming fall thanks to funding from Ohio's New Entrepreneurs (ONE) Fund.
 
The $200,000 grant will be "a welcome addition here, allowing us to ramp up even more," Caldwell says. Launchhouse already provides dozens of member companies with all sorts of support, from office space to branding to patenting. Not to mention free coffee and wifi.
 
The ONE Fund grant will allow Launchhouse to seek additional tech start-ups from around Ohio, surrounding states and Chicago. Caldwell says the search won't focus on any particular industry; high growth potential is the key. He expects that Launchhouse will make a formal announcement of the search in April, but notes that the center -- at 3558 Lee Road in Shaker Heights -- has received a steady stream of applications since opening last spring.
 
Launchhouse's members are nothing if not diverse. Current portfolio members include freshbag, an online produce-shopping and delivery service founded by a Case Western medical student and some friends; Cell-A-Spot, which developed a system allowing cell phone users to cut their monthly bills by accepting targeted ads; and Railroad Empire, an online game for Facebook.
 
Operated by Ohio's Third Frontier initiative, the ONE Fund is a “mentorship-driven program [that] focuses on the professional development of young entrepreneurs with the necessary ambition to commercialize new technologies.” In addition to Launchhouse, the fund recently awarded grants to similar programs in Cincinnati and Columbus.
 

Source: Dar Caldwell
Writer: Frank W. Lewis

Business leaders who say that the resurgence of manufacturing is helping to lead Northeast Ohio out of the recession will find cause for optimism in Hedalloy Die Corporation. The tool and die maker in Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood is currently doubling the size of its 3,500-square-foot production facility to accommodate increased demand.

“We are seeing a shift back to U.S. manufactured products,” said Joe Susa, Hedalloy’s General Manager, in a release. “Customers are paying more attention to quality rather than bottom line prices. American made tools are getting noticed for their higher quality and longer life span. ”

Hedalloy has doubled its sales since 2009 and hired additional employees. Its expansion on E. 49th Street is expected to be complete next month.

In an era of global competition, Hedalloy’s ability to deliver its products in half the time of some of its competitors has also helped to boost sales. The company has clients in the automotive, military, medical, and aerospace industries.

Established in 1947, Hedalloy has been at its Slavic Village location since the early 1950s. The company had considered relocating to the eastern suburbs to expand. Support from Slavic Village Development and Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland, as well as a zoning permit granted by Cleveland, aided its decision to stay.

Hedalloy is a family-owned company. John Susa, Sr. began working at the company in 1960 and bought the firm in 1991. In addition to his son Joe, Mr. Susa‘s wife Eleanor is the bookkeeper and his son John, Jr. is the Vice President.


Source: Joe Susa
Writer: Lee Chilcote

OnShift Software, a leader in web-based staff scheduling and shift management software for the healthcare industry, closed $3 million in series B financing. The funding will help OnShift meet the rising demand to manage healthcare costs.

OnShift is experiencing fast, significant growth, having achieved a 400 percent increase in annual revenue in 2011. The company’s customer base has surged to more than 600 in the past year. The funding will be used to accelerate OnShift’s sales and marketing strategies and expand its presence in the healthcare industry.

“The healthcare market is under a lot of pressure to get costs under control,” says OnShift CEO Mark Woodka. “Our customers need to manage their labor costs in long-term care and senior living. That collection of customers is primarily doing it manually. This funding will allow us to meet the demand, accelerate our growth and continue to deliver world class, innovative solutions to our healthcare clients.”

With OnShift, providers control labor costs by preventing overtime, managing open shifts, and operating with appropriate staffing levels

OnShift has 36 employees and plans to grow to 55 or 60 this year.

 
Source: Mark Woodka
Writer: Karin Connelly

Tremont West Development Corporation has launched a new Storefront Incubator program that aims to help pop-up shops and startup businesses grow into permanent, bricks-and-mortar retailers, ideally right in the heart of historic Tremont.

Through a competitive process, Tremont West will select a fledgling retailer to occupy the 370-square-foot storefront it owns at 2406 Professor. The retailer will be offered three months of free rent as a sweetener. After the nine month lease term, the startup may renew for an additional three months, yet the goal is to help that business establish a permanent space elsewhere in the neighborhood.

"We've used our storefront successfully for pop-up shops, so this is really for someone of that quality who wants a longer-term run to see if their business is actually viable," says Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West.

As part of the lease agreement, Tremont West plans to work with the startup to help them grow their business. The nonprofit will links entrepreneurs with available financing, vacant space and other businesses in the community.

The long-term goal is not to compete with existing property owners, but to support new types of businesses, says Riordan. He cites service-oriented businesses as one gap within the neighborhood's retail mix.

Riordan says that supporting small startup retailers is one positive way forward for neighborhoods that are slowly emerging from the recession. "We can help create niche businesses that lead to neighborhood recovery."

Responses to the Storefront Incubator RFP are due by Friday, March 16th.


Source: Cory Riordan
Writer: Lee Chilcote