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selling cleveland: through its efforts, positively cleveland helps lure 30M visitors to region
Long a destination that appealed primarily to small-town families in search of "big city" fun, Cleveland has ripened as a travel destination. Today, it's not just trade shows that are drawing folks, but also the growing LGBT scene, Broadway-quality theater and high-profile dining. Thanks to the efforts of Positively Cleveland, the region's convention and visitors bureau, "Cleveland Plus" drew 30 million visitors last year, who supported 163,000 jobs and dropped $13 billion in economic impact.

dredgers union revives retail in downtown cleveland
Since opening Dredgers Union, a new apparel and home goods store on E. Fourth Street in downtown Cleveland, owner Danielle DeBoe has been surprised by the number of out-of-town visitors she's had.

"They ask if I have a location in their city, and then rave about the store and insist that I open one where they live," says DeBoe with a laugh. "I'm excited because we're providing out-of-towners with a more well-rounded retail experience."

DeBoe, who also owns Room Service boutique in Ohio City, launched Dredgers Union with clothing designer Sean Bilovecky to revive and update the tradition of shopping in downtown Cleveland. Stocked with sizzling dresses, snazzy suits, trendy lamps, bedding and a range of other items, the store functions as a smaller, more stylish version of the department stores that once thrived here.

A stroll through the store, which is about 4,500 square feet, reveals what DeBoe calls "vignettes," or discrete sections featuring lamps, bedding, kitchen items, perfumes and soaps, women's lounge apparel and even a children's section. These areas are housed on a raised platform that is separated by a railing.

Bilovecky's private label clothing line is featured at the rear of the store. The merchandise includes denim jeans, suits and casual button-down shirts he calls "wovens." So far, men's apparel has been the most popular store item.

"We create custom, made-to-measure suits, so instead of getting them shipped overseas, our customers can get them right here," says Bilovecky, who specializes in edgy, contemporary design and created the successful Wrath Arcane label. "People love the fact that they're designed locally and made in the U.S."

Dredgers Union will celebrate its grand opening with a big party on Friday, July 8th. The event will also kick off this year's "Made in the 216," an annual design show that DeBoe created several years ago to showcase local talent.

This year's 216 event, which takes place all weekend long in the expansive lower level of Dredgers Union, has added local furniture designers to the mix.


Source: Danielle DeBoe
Writer: Lee Chilcote

gardenwalk cleveland will highlight city's urban flowers, fruits & farms
Buffalo is better known for its long, snowy winters than its flowering gardens. Yet last year, GardenWalk Buffalo, a free self-guided tour that bills itself as the largest garden tour in America, attracted an estimated 45,000 people to 300-plus gardens.

After learning about GardenWalk Buffalo from a Plain Dealer article last summer, Clevelanders Jan Kious and Bobbi Reichtell decided to make the trek northeast. Walking around the city and talking to its impassioned urban gardeners soon changed their views of the city. They returned to Cleveland inspired to create a GardenWalk event locally.

Those seeds first sown in Buffalo will bear fruit this Saturday, June 25th, when the first GardenWalk Cleveland takes place. It will feature over 100 residential flower gardens as well as community gardens, urban farms, vineyards and orchards sprinkled throughout four Cleveland neighborhoods: Detroit Shoreway, Harvard/Lee/Miles, Hough and Tremont. Each community will have a headquarters where visitors can find car parking, bike parking, restrooms, water and maps.

In addition to highlighting Cleveland's efforts to create greener, healthier neighborhoods, organizers hope the event will also break down east/west and black/white divisions by bringing together people that love gardening.

Citing the diverse, grassroots group that came together to organize the event as a harbinger of success, Reichtell stated in a release, "This is a shining example of the connections that gardens and greening work create in Cleveland," she said. "Both Clevelanders and visitors from outside the city will love getting a behind-the-scenes look at gardens and farms in Cleveland's neighborhoods."


Source: GardenWalk Cleveland
Writer: Lee Chilcote














pittsburgh leaders envious of rta healthline, hope to duplicate its success
"A rare case of Cleveland envy is helping to fuel the latest proposal for improving transit service between Downtown [Pittsburgh] and Oakland," begins a recent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

What local officials in that town to the east covet in our own beloved town is the RTA HealthLine, which uses energy-efficient bus rapid transit vehicles to connect Public Square with University Circle and beyond.

Writing for the Post-Gazette, Jon Schmitz says, "Local officials who visited that city's HealthLine, a 6.8-mile bus route with many of the attributes of a light-rail line, want to build a similar system here."

His research pointed out that Cleveland's HealthLine trimmed a formerly 30-minute ride to 18 minutes, while boosting ridership and fueling some $4 billion in investment along the Euclid Avenue Corridor.

While Pittsburgh officials were skeptical that the BRTs would be a suitable (and far more affordable) alternative to light rail, they left Cleveland as supporters.

"This had the feel and the comfort of light rail," Allegheny County's development director Dennis Davin said in the article.

"We see this as a major regional economic development and real estate project," said Ken Zapinski, senior vice president for transportation and infrastructure for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

"This is really an urban revitalization project that happens to have buses involved," said Court Gould, executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh.

Read the rest here.


now open, pnc smarthome will inspire sustainable practices

The PNC SmartHome is complete at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and open to visitors who want to learn how to make environmentally-friendly improvements to their own properties. The 2,500-square-foot three-bedroom house uses 90 percent less energy than a traditional home, and it uses no furnace for heating and cooling. The walls are a foot thick and packed with insulation, while the windows are triple-pane glass -- both of which reduce heat loss. The home is heated and cooled with small heat pumps.

"The museum wanted to help people understand how they can dramatically reduce energy consumption," says David Beach, director of the GreenCityBlueLake Institute at CMNH. "We think the SmartHome will be the first home to receive passive home certification in Northeast Ohio."

Other features include hardwood floors made from 100-year-old reclaimed wood and artwork with environmental themes created by local artists. The landscaping features storm water management techniques to keep rain water on-site instead of in storm sewers.

So far, the home has been well-received. "People walk in it and go, 'wow,'" says Beach. "What they are reacting to immediately is what a beautiful home it is. Then they see they can learn things [to do] for their own homes."

The house will be moved to an empty lot on Wade Park Boulevard this fall and will go on the market soon. Beach says they've already received inquiries about purchasing the house.

Tours run Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 with museum admission, $3 for those who can't go upstairs. Children 2 and under are free.

Source: David Beach
Writer: Karin Connelly



more than 750 show up to officially welcome shaker launchhouse

More than 750 people turned out at the new home of Shaker LaunchHouse last week to welcome the business incubator and celebrate entrepreneurial business in the region.

Speakers included Senator Sherrod Brown, Shaker Heights Mayor Earl Leiken, author and entrepreneur Ratanjit Sondhe, Benoy Joseph and Dick Pogue. Brown is the author of the Business Incubator Promotion Act and has spearheaded efforts to reduce brain drain in Ohio. Sondhe, founder of Poly-Carb in Solon, spoke about the importance of entrepreneurial communities. He mentioned that he wished LaunchHouse was around when he was starting out.

Pogue announced that the first corporate gift from the Shaker Heights Development Corporation for the economic development work at Shaker LaunchHouse is $25,000 from New York Community Bank.

Thirty-five companies exhibited in the 23,000-square-foot renovated car dealership, including LaunchHouse's 12 portfolio companies as well as area entrepreneurs educating visitors on their endeavors. Companies included everything from Wow! Cookies!, a gourmet cookie delivery company, to Sunflower Solutions, which develops and manufactures renewable energy products.

"The huge turnout for this event goes to show that this region is ready to support entrepreneurial efforts," said Todd Goldstein, co-founder of LaunchHouse. "I saw a lot of introductions take place that night so the networking alone is going to produce some real opportunities going forward."

Guests were treated to a buffet of hors d'oevres during the event, and the Umami Moto food truck was also on site. SLH plans to host regular entrepreneurial events in addition to weekly educational meetings.

Source: Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karen Connelly


discover gordon square arts district (and then parade the circle)
This Saturday, June 11, the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood will be rolling out the carpet to visitors when it hosts Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day.

Taking place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Detroit Avenue between W. 54th and W. 69th streets, the family-friendly event will include live music, classic cartoons in the Capitol Theatre, performances by CPT and Near West, local food, beer and fun.

Also taking place in the neighborhood that day:

Collective Upcycle, a "pop-up" boutique offering handmade goods from 30 reuse artists, will open at the Near West Loftworks building (6710 Detroit). The temporary shop will be open every day but Mondays through Sunday, July 3.

The Urban Sustainability Village at Gordon Square, a workshop for Sustainable Cleveland 2019.

Local art and music from KSU Arch Digital Operations Lab led by Professor Jason Turnidge. Taking place at Grand Avenue Properties at W. 74th Street and Detroit

For folks who plan on attending Parade the Circle, there will be numerous trolleys making the round trip to and from University Circle throughout the day.

clinic children’s hospital ranked among nation’s best
In the 2011-2012 edition of U.S.News & World Report's "Best Children's Hospitals," Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital was recognized as one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country.

The hospital's Neurology & Neurosurgery program earned the highest ranking in Ohio for the fourth consecutive year, and ranked 7th nationally. Overall, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital earned national rankings in all 10 specialties evaluated.

"These rankings are a reflection of our unfaltering dedication to providing the highest quality pediatric care and placing the safety of children first," said Interim Chair Ricardo Rodriguez MD. "In the next year we will continue expanding and integrating our subspecialty programs across the Cleveland Clinic health system to offer individualized care to children facing the most complex pediatric conditions."

In the past five years, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital has added more than 156 physicians. A staff of 350 full-time pediatricians and sub-specialists sees more than 500,000 pediatric visits each year and provides hospital care for an average of 200 children each day.

Examine the rest of the report here.

the pubcrawl heard 'round the world
In a feature titled "10 Great Places to Bar-Hop Round the World," USA Today rounds up a list of the best bar-friendly neighborhoods across the globe.

Alongside cities like Dublin, Portland, New Orleans and Brooklyn is Ohio City, about which the article states, "This trendy neighborhood is a Midwest crowd-pleaser. Discover its appeal by hopping over to McNulty's Bier Market, a Belgian beer bar that houses Speakeasy, a prohibition-era cocktail bar in the basement. Then, hit up the nationally renowned Great Lakes Brewing Co., or for retro grunge and cheap beer try The Garage Bar."

Drink up the entire article here.
old brooklyn's pop-up pearl will help residents imagine a more vibrant future
Old Brooklyn has long been considered a hidden gem by its residents. Minutes from downtown and within walking distance of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the neighborhood boasts quiet, tree-lined streets and a bevy of independent shops and friendly taverns.

Yet neighborhood advocates are hoping it won't be a well-kept secret much longer. That's why they've organized Pop Up Pearl, a one day block party that will fill the empty storefronts on Pearl Avenue with shops, entertainment and food vendors, and invited their neighbors to join in the festivities.

The event, which is modeled after the Better Block project in Dallas, Texas, is intended to act as a living charrette that allows visitors, residents and property owners to imagine a more vibrant future for Old Brooklyn's downtown. They're also hoping to attract investment after the party is over.

Pop Up Pearl, which was spearheaded by the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation (OBCDC), takes place on Pearl Road between Wildlife Way and State Road this Saturday, May 21st from noon until dusk. It will include a "complete streets" demonstration, adding temporary bike lanes along Pearl Road. Entertainment from Progressive Arts Alliance and other groups also is planned.

Pop Up Pearl will also feature a youth arts studio with zoo-themed artwork from local nonprofit ArtHouse, artwork fashioned from recycled materials from Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, and a shop filled with 100 percent locally made goods from Crafty Goodness in Lakewood.

The Better Block project began when a grassroots group transformed a city street in Oak Cliff, Texas into an inclusive, pedestrian- and bike-friendly street. Better Blocks projects "increase the perception of safety in an area, stimulate economic activity in vacant or blighted corridors and help to implement 'Complete Streets' projects," according to the group's website.


Source: Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation
Writer: Lee Chilcote

new group plan recommendations to redefine downtown for next 100 years
When Cleveland's Group Plan was created a century ago, Teddy Roosevelt was President, Tom Johnson was Mayor, and the Rockefeller family still lived in town. Back then, architect Daniel Burnham envisioned a kind of outdoor civic living room that promenaded to the lakefront beneath gracious classical buildings.

Needless to say, much has happened since then. Today, Public Square and the Mall are often desolate spaces one must walk through to reach downtown's bustling centers of gravity -- the Warehouse District, East Fourth Street and the Gateway District.

Yet last year, Mayor Frank Jackson convened a group of civic, foundation, corporate and sports leaders to envision a new Group Plan for downtown. With $1.5 billion in physical development either planned or already underway downtown, civic leaders recognized that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity would be lost if the Medical Mart, casino and other projects weren't better connected via improved public spaces.

The Group Plan Commission recently released its recommendations, which include radical changes that if implemented would alter Cleveland's downtown for another 100 years.

Recommendations include removing Ontario Street as an artery through Public Square and allowing East Fourth Street and casino patrons to stroll through a new, signature public space; rebuilding the Mall so that it is transformed into a beautiful park for both visitors and residents; building a pedestrian bridge from the Mall's northern end to Cleveland's lakefront; and closing East Third Street between Rockwell and Superior so that it can become a green space and winter skating rink.

The Group Plan Commission is currently updating the plan and preparing to begin raising funds. To have your say, visit the public input stations at City Hall, Cleveland State University and Cleveland Public Library as well as this website.


Source: The Group Plan Commission
Writer: Lee Chilcote

'pedal for prizes' riders to cruise for loot through old brooklyn
Pedal for Prizes is a two-wheeled treasure hunt through Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood that will offer participants a chance to win more than $2,000 worth of prizes simply by visiting neighborhood businesses. The event takes place this Saturday, May 21st at Loew Park.

Here's how it will work: Upon check-in, bicyclists receive a map of 20 destinations and points of interest in Old Brooklyn. While exploring the neighborhood, riders make pit-stops at local landmarks like Michael's Bakery, Gentile's Imported Italian Foods, and Jack Frost Donuts, collecting raffle tickets at each one. They'll return to Loew Park in the afternoon to enter the tickets into a Chinese-style raffle.

Prizes include two new Trek 7000 hybrid bikes, a one-year membership to the downtown branch of the Cleveland YMCA, a $100 Honey Hut Ice Cream gift basket, a $50 gift certificate to Steelyard Commons, and gift certificates to area restaurants.

Organizers say Pedal for Prizes will not only promote Old Brooklyn as a bike-friendly neighborhood that is chock-full of charming local businesses, but also encourage participants to come back for a closer look.

"It gives neighborhood merchants a unique opportunity to bring hundreds of new people from throughout the region into their shops," says Old Brooklyn resident and event organizer Jeffrey Sugalski. "We hope that they'll return and become patrons in the future."

Pedal for Prizes is supported by Neighborhood Connections, a program of the Cleveland Foundation that provides small grants to grassroots community projects.

Loew Park is located at 3121 Oak Park Avenue in Cleveland. The free event begins at 12 pm.


Source: Jeffrey Sugalski
Writer: Lee Chilcote

murray hill market will expand indoor offerings to outdoor space
When Murray Hill Market opened in Little Italy in January, owner Michelle Iacobelli Buckholtz revived the tradition of the small neighborhood market that existed when her father grew up in the area.

This summer, Buckholtz will bring back another grand neighborhood tradition: the sidewalk cafe and alfresco market. Having obtained her peddler's license, she plans to add outdoor seating and sales displays this summer.

"We want to be different from Whole Foods and other grocery stores, and one way to do that is to offer a unique experience and personal service," says Buckholtz.

Buckholtz says that Murray Hill Market, which offers fresh fruits and vegetables as well as gourmet prepared foods, has been successful at reaching a wide audience, including students living in the neighborhood, older Italian families seeking to reconnect with their roots, University Circle employees and East Siders who work downtown. "People stop to pick up dinner on their way home," she says.

Buckholtz was inspired to create the market after a trip to New York to visit her son in college. After she observed the mouth-watering, fresh fare at every corner store, she decided to create a market in Cleveland. She knew it would work because there are no fresh, high-quality grocery stores in University Circle, an area that is on track to create 10,000 new jobs between 2005 and 2015.

Yet her international-flavored market, which Buckholtz describes as "Italian with a twist," does not seek to recreate the past. Although Little Italy's restaurant mix remains mostly Italian, the Murray Hill Market offers a contemporary mix of cuisine, including Jewish and French pastries, Middle Eastern dishes, and Puerto Rican rice and beans.

"This area is part of University Circle, and I wanted to create an international market with more than just Italian food," Buckholtz says.

Buckholtz regularly serves meatball subs with her mother's sauce, yet finds the older Italian women that shop here are often the toughest critics. "Everyone's mother makes the best sauce," she says with a laugh.


Source: Michelle Iacobelli Buckholtz
Writer: Lee Chilcote


judson's intergenerational program is semi-finalist for $100k eisner prize
Last year, Judson at University Circle tried something radically different. The nonprofit senior living campus gave two apartments to Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) students in exchange for their participation in Judson's intergenerational programs.

The students quickly found that any time they practiced their instruments in public, they attracted an appreciative audience. Over the course of a year, they developed friendships that spanned generations.

Now one of Judson's intergenerational programs, Community Partners, has been nominated as one of 20 semi-finalists for the prestigious Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence, a $100,000 grant from the California-based Eisner Foundation.

The Eisner Prize will recognize an individual or a non-profit organization that "excels in uniting multiple generations, especially seniors and youth, to bring about positive and lasting changes in their community," according to a press release. Members of the pulbic can cast their vote by visiting the website.

Judson created its first intergenerational collaboration with Ruffing Montessori School in Cleveland Heights 30 years ago. Today, Judson works with over 40 different educational and civic groups throughout Greater Cleveland. Judson's senior residents volunteer in local schools and communities, and in turn, students and adults volunteer at all three Judson facilities, Judson Manor, Judson Park and South Franklin Circle.

"Judson's intergenerational programs offer purposeful two-way learning opportunities that create meaningful relationships for all program participants," said Rob Lucarelli, Judson's Director of Communications, in a press release. "Using curriculum and arts-based programs that serve as a national model for connecting generations, we help to enrich lives and stimulate minds of all ages."

Individuals may vote for Judson once every 24 hours until May 15th.


Source: Rob Lucarelli
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Photo: Lonnie Timmons III


wsj calls playhousesquare 'model of economic viability'
Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Joel Henning, arts and culture reporter, calls Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare "a model of economic viability in the arts."

"Several Cleveland performing-arts and public-media organizations are in better shape than their counterparts around the country because they are part of PlayhouseSquare, a unique business model in downtown Cleveland," Henning writes.

PlayhouseSquare, the second-largest performing arts center in the country by audience capacity, boasts 10 performance spaces with a total of more than 9,000 seats. It attracts more than a million visitors to 1,000 performing-arts events each year.

What makes PlayhouseSquare unique, the article states, is that it not only renovated and manages the spaces, but also created a local development corporation that owns and/or manager more than 2.6 million square feet of office and retail space.

Next up, reports Henning, is housing. Quoting PlayhouseSquare's Allen Wiant, "We want to build 58 stories of housing in the next few years."

Unlike years past when few lived downtown, there are now 12,000 downtown residents and the residential occupancy rate is at 95%.

Read the rest of the playbill here.

new tremont parking lot uses bioswales to manage storm water
The Tremont neighborhood recently celebrated the opening of a new parking lot at Jefferson and Professor avenues that will not only help alleviate the neighborhood's parking crunch, but also help solve the region's storm water management problem.

The parking lot incorporates bioswales that will prevent rainwater from entering the sewer system. When rain falls onto the property, it runs off into carefully designed plant systems that gradually release it back into the ground.

The parking lot was developed by the Tremont West Development Corporation (TWDC), a nonprofit community development group that serves the Tremont neighborhood, in partnership with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), URS, and the City of Cleveland Sustainability Office.

NEORSD is currently working on a plan for regional storm water management that it hopes will spur more small-scale efforts like this one in the future. Storm water management solutions can help address the problems of flooding, erosion and combined sewer overflows or pollution, NEORSD says.

To acquire the formerly blighted parcel, TWDC partnered with local property owners and applied for funding from the Model Blocks program of Neighborhood Progress, a nonprofit that provides grants and technical assistance to CDC's in Cleveland.

Under the new fee structure that NEORSD plans to roll out next year, property owners can also earn credits for innovative storm water management solutions that keep rainwater out of sewers. For more information, visit Project Clean Lake.


Source: Tremont West Development Corporation, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Writer: Lee Chilcote

cleveland public library scores sports research center
On April 25th, Cleveland Public Library (CPL) will celebrate the opening of the Sports Research Center, where visitors can explore favorite moments in local sports history, learn more about the history of black baseball, and meet sports icons from past and present.

The Center lets sports junkies travel back in time to the Indians' glory days. And given the Tribe's current first-place perch in the AL Central, perhaps this isn't just idle daydreaming.

The opening reception for the new facility and its inaugural exhibit, "Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience," will be held on April 25th at 3:30 p.m. on the main library's 5th floor.

"Pride and Passion" tells the story of the African-American baseball players who formed the Negro Leagues after being barred from Major League Baseball in the 1890s. Some of baseball's greatest players, including Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron, played for the Negro Leagues in the early 20th century.

Negro League player Ernest Nimmons, who played alongside Hank Aaron for the Indianapolis Clowns in 1952, will be on hand to talk about his experiences at the event. Nimmons now lives in Elyria.

"Pride and Passion" is organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. It was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Additional highlights of the center's research materials include correspondence from Jackie Robinson, oral history interviews with 100+ baseball players, baseball fiction, boxing history and the Plain Dealer Historical Archive, an online sports news database.

The April 25th event is a partnership between CPL and the Cleveland Indians. The team's Vice President of Public Relations, Bob DiBiasio, and retired Indians player and 1980 American League Rookie of the Year, Joe Charboneau, will answer questions and sign autographs.

If you happen to miss the opening reception you won't have to "wait 'til next year." The Sports Research Center will be free and open to the public year round.


Source: Cleveland Public Library
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Photo: Lisa DeJong

defying retail trends, heights arts expands its gallery footprint
While Northeast Ohio's retail vacancy rate remains stubbornly high at 12 percent, a Cleveland Heights nonprofit is defying this trend by expanding its art gallery into an empty storefront, adding performance space, classrooms and offices to serve the community.

Heights Arts, which operates a 900-square-foot gallery next to the Cedar Lee Theatre, decided last year to make the leap into an adjacent storefront that formerly housed a Japanese eatery. The group has so far raised more than $60,000 towards its $100,000 fundraising goal. Renovations are expected to be completed this year.

The new 2,400-square-foot storefront will serve as a multipurpose arts space. Heights Arts, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, plans to host more poetry readings, concerts and art openings. The group anticipates that some events will spill out into the adjacent mini-park, a gathering place for visitors in the bustling Cedar-Lee district, aiding the group's mission of bringing art into the community.

Cleveland-based Studio Techne Architects designed the expansion. The George Gund Foundation and the Cyrus Eaton Foundation have provided lead grants for the project.

Since being founded a decade ago, Heights Arts has completed a bevy of art projects, including the Coventry Peace Arch on Coventry, three large-scale murals, and Knitscape, a project to brighten Lee Road and Larchmere Boulevard with crocheted 'sweaters' on parking meters and trees. The group also manages the selection process for the Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate.


Source: Heights Arts
Writer: Lee Chilcote
west creek metropark to receive $12M green makeover
West Creek Reservation, a 278-acre Metropark in Parma that originally opened in 2006, will undergo a $12 million makeover to be complete by fall 2012, including sustainable landscaping designed to reduce pollution and test a new national rating system.

Cleveland Metroparks held a groundbreaking March 7th for park improvements, including a new visitor center, picnic shelter and all-purpose trails. The visitor center landscaping will feature a natural storm water treatment system that will help keep rainwater in West Creek, preventing flooding downstream.

The Sustainable Sites Initiative, a new national organization that is creating voluntary design standards for sustainable landscaping, will monitor and test the project. West Creek was selected to participate in the program among 175 sites nationwide.

As part of this effort, the Cleveland Metroparks will measure how much storm water is captured by the visitor center and report that information to the public. The visitor center will feature hands-on educational exhibits about water conservation.

West Creek's new sustainable landscaping system will control how much water enters the stream by acting as a filter. As storm water reaches the center, it will descend into wetlands and enter bio-swales, or plants, landscaping and rocks that function as detention basins. As storm water is gradually released, it will run through stepped pools and wetlands before flowing into the creek.

The new visitor center will be built with environmentally friendly materials, including sustainably harvested lumber and carpeting made from recycled materials. The parking lot will also feature porous pavement, allowing rainwater to flow into the landscaping instead of the sewer.

The landscape improvements at West Creek were designed by Floyd Brown Group and Domokur Architects in Akron and Doty & Miller Architects in Bedford.

The Sustainable Sites Initiative will incorporate feedback from its 175 test projects into a final rating system that it hopes to have in place by 2013. The purpose of the rating system is to develop universal criteria for sustainable landscaping in the U.S.


Source: Cleveland Metroparks
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Video: Apollo Command Module Arrives At Science Center
Last summer, the Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module was moved into its new home at the NASA Glenn Visitor Center at the Great Lakes Science Center. How do you transport and install something like that? Here's how it was done.