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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
rta healthline drives growth in cleveland, says urbanland
"Euclid’s role as an essential link between the central business district downtown and University Circle -- a hub of world-class medical facilities and arts and culture amenities -- rendered the corridor impossible to ignore," writes Jason Hellendrung for UrbanLand.
The resulting $200 million, 6.8-mile Euclid Corridor Transportation Project catalyzed a powerful transformation along the avenue. Since the BRT line opened in 2008, the corridor has attracted $5.8 billion in investment -- $3.3 billion for new construction and $2.5 billion for building rehab, together totaling more than 110 projects. Disproving naysayers and exceeding the expectations of supporters, the project has generated the economic growth that many thought could only be achieved with rail -- and at a fraction of the cost."
"Ridership has increased steadily over the years and now totals about 15,100 people per day. "
Read the rest of the article here.
The resulting $200 million, 6.8-mile Euclid Corridor Transportation Project catalyzed a powerful transformation along the avenue. Since the BRT line opened in 2008, the corridor has attracted $5.8 billion in investment -- $3.3 billion for new construction and $2.5 billion for building rehab, together totaling more than 110 projects. Disproving naysayers and exceeding the expectations of supporters, the project has generated the economic growth that many thought could only be achieved with rail -- and at a fraction of the cost."
"Ridership has increased steadily over the years and now totals about 15,100 people per day. "
Read the rest of the article here.
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.
Ohio Technical College, an automotive technology school at East 51st and St. Clair Ave., has grown its student population in recent years. As it has done so, OTC has continued to invest in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood where its main campus is located.
Recently, OTC purchased two corner bars that had been considered a nuisance by neighborhood residents. OTC also leased or purchased several other buildings, including the former City Desk, which is slated to house classrooms, offices and a visitor center. These efforts have removed blighted buildings from the area.
OTC's growth has been fueled in part by the innovative partnerships it has formed with automotive companies. In April, the school celebrated the opening of the new Edelbrock Academy, a partnership with Edelbrock Performance Products, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high performance, aftermarket auto parts.
OTC has also formed a similar partnership with Jasper Engines and Transmissions in Jasper, Indiana, which is one of the country's leading producers of engines and transmissions. For both Jasper and Edelstein, this kind of partnership is beneficial because the companies need mechanics who are familiar with their products.
Through these partnership, OTC is helping to educate the next generation of mechanics in the heart of Cleveland. Currently, enrollment is 1,200 at the main campus on East 51st and 300 at the Power Sports Institute in North Randall.
Ohio Technical College offers "a wide array of technician training programs in automotive, motorcycle, diesel equipment, collision repair and refinishing, classic car restoration, high performance and racing, alternative fuel vehicles, power generator systems, and BMW," according to the institution's website.
Source: Ohio Technical College
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Recently, OTC purchased two corner bars that had been considered a nuisance by neighborhood residents. OTC also leased or purchased several other buildings, including the former City Desk, which is slated to house classrooms, offices and a visitor center. These efforts have removed blighted buildings from the area.
OTC's growth has been fueled in part by the innovative partnerships it has formed with automotive companies. In April, the school celebrated the opening of the new Edelbrock Academy, a partnership with Edelbrock Performance Products, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high performance, aftermarket auto parts.
OTC has also formed a similar partnership with Jasper Engines and Transmissions in Jasper, Indiana, which is one of the country's leading producers of engines and transmissions. For both Jasper and Edelstein, this kind of partnership is beneficial because the companies need mechanics who are familiar with their products.
Through these partnership, OTC is helping to educate the next generation of mechanics in the heart of Cleveland. Currently, enrollment is 1,200 at the main campus on East 51st and 300 at the Power Sports Institute in North Randall.
Ohio Technical College offers "a wide array of technician training programs in automotive, motorcycle, diesel equipment, collision repair and refinishing, classic car restoration, high performance and racing, alternative fuel vehicles, power generator systems, and BMW," according to the institution's website.
Source: Ohio Technical College
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Several Cleveland-based funding organizations have gotten together and pooled their money to help small businesses that otherwise would not have access to the capital they need to grow.
Under the Economic Community Development Institute (EDCI), which officially announced the launch of its Cleveland office on July 17, the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Huntington Bank, U.S. Small Business Administration, Commission on Economic Inclusion, The Business of Good Foundation, and the Cleveland Foundation have committed $4.6 million in resources.
Micro-loans will account for $4 million of the fund while the remaining $600,000 will provide training and technical assistance for Cleveland small businesses. A 2011 study by Friedman Associates, a national firm specializing in microfinance, estimated a need of $38 million for loans under $50,000 in Cuyahoga County, with the greatest gap among minority-owned businesses.
“Neighborhood businesses who would not otherwise have access to capital will benefit from these loans,” says Daniel P. Walsh, Huntington northeast Ohio president. “These loans really stabilize neighborhoods with the capital to achieve the American dream. It will reinvigorate those neighborhoods that need reinvestment.”
The average loan is between $15,000 and $20,000. Eight area businesses have already benefited from loans through the program, totaling $163,000. ECDI started a similar program in Columbus in 2004 and has made $11.4 million in loans to 700 small businesses, creating or retaining 1,955 jobs.
The majority of businesses who will benefit from the loans are five employees or fewer, explains Bob Eckardt, executive vice president of the Cleveland Foundation. “There’s a pretty significant gap in this community and this will support a wide range of businesses,” he says. “We’re trying to do a big-picture thing. It’s important to support the entrepreneurs by getting them the funding they need to grow big or hire employees.”
Source: Daniel P. Walsh, Bob Eckardt
Writer: Karin Connelly
Under the Economic Community Development Institute (EDCI), which officially announced the launch of its Cleveland office on July 17, the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Huntington Bank, U.S. Small Business Administration, Commission on Economic Inclusion, The Business of Good Foundation, and the Cleveland Foundation have committed $4.6 million in resources.
Micro-loans will account for $4 million of the fund while the remaining $600,000 will provide training and technical assistance for Cleveland small businesses. A 2011 study by Friedman Associates, a national firm specializing in microfinance, estimated a need of $38 million for loans under $50,000 in Cuyahoga County, with the greatest gap among minority-owned businesses.
“Neighborhood businesses who would not otherwise have access to capital will benefit from these loans,” says Daniel P. Walsh, Huntington northeast Ohio president. “These loans really stabilize neighborhoods with the capital to achieve the American dream. It will reinvigorate those neighborhoods that need reinvestment.”
The average loan is between $15,000 and $20,000. Eight area businesses have already benefited from loans through the program, totaling $163,000. ECDI started a similar program in Columbus in 2004 and has made $11.4 million in loans to 700 small businesses, creating or retaining 1,955 jobs.
The majority of businesses who will benefit from the loans are five employees or fewer, explains Bob Eckardt, executive vice president of the Cleveland Foundation. “There’s a pretty significant gap in this community and this will support a wide range of businesses,” he says. “We’re trying to do a big-picture thing. It’s important to support the entrepreneurs by getting them the funding they need to grow big or hire employees.”
Source: Daniel P. Walsh, Bob Eckardt
Writer: Karin Connelly
Twenty teams came to LaunchHouse on July 18 to pitch their business ideas for a chance to be accepted into the inaugural LaunchHouse Accelerator program and a $25,000 investment in their businesses at the Tech UnConference.
LaunchHouse received a $200,000 grant from the Ohio Third Frontier ONEFund to invest in startups. During the Tech UnConference companies will present three-minute pitches to a panel of Cleveland-area experts. Following the pitch session, companies then had the opportunity to demo their internet, technology or mobile app startup company.
The judges will select 10 companies for the accelerator. More than 50 companies applied for the chance to pitch. The chosen companies will then participate in a 12-week program, in which they will have experience-based lab sessions with one on one mentorship, and opportunities to network with successful entrepreneurs.
The program curriculum is very customer focused, says LaunchHouse CEO and founder Todd Goldstein. “The companies we select have to be very customer-centric,” he explains. “The entrepreneurs will develop their companies with their clients, so at the end of the 12 weeks they’ve identified who is going to pay for their product and accelerate their business.”
Goldstein describes the accelerator as a formalized approach to helping companies. “Up to this point, admission have been on a rolling basis and very informal,” he says. “This is a formalization of the years we’ve spent helping companies.”
The 12-week program will conclude with a showcase day, when the businesses will present to investors and venture capitalists. The 10 companies will be announced on Aug.8, with classes beginning Sept. 4.
Source: Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karin Connelly
LaunchHouse received a $200,000 grant from the Ohio Third Frontier ONEFund to invest in startups. During the Tech UnConference companies will present three-minute pitches to a panel of Cleveland-area experts. Following the pitch session, companies then had the opportunity to demo their internet, technology or mobile app startup company.
The judges will select 10 companies for the accelerator. More than 50 companies applied for the chance to pitch. The chosen companies will then participate in a 12-week program, in which they will have experience-based lab sessions with one on one mentorship, and opportunities to network with successful entrepreneurs.
The program curriculum is very customer focused, says LaunchHouse CEO and founder Todd Goldstein. “The companies we select have to be very customer-centric,” he explains. “The entrepreneurs will develop their companies with their clients, so at the end of the 12 weeks they’ve identified who is going to pay for their product and accelerate their business.”
Goldstein describes the accelerator as a formalized approach to helping companies. “Up to this point, admission have been on a rolling basis and very informal,” he says. “This is a formalization of the years we’ve spent helping companies.”
The 12-week program will conclude with a showcase day, when the businesses will present to investors and venture capitalists. The 10 companies will be announced on Aug.8, with classes beginning Sept. 4.
Source: Todd Goldstein
Writer: Karin Connelly
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
The grassroots, pro-Cleveland music collective Cellar Door is launching a new performance space, Cleveland-only record store and office space in the Loftworks building at East 40th and Superior.
The creative space, which features antique wood floors, high ceilings and large windows, is intended to not only foster a "community among listeners" among local music fans, but also to reach people who are unaware of Cleveland's distinctive music scene.
"Local bands like Herzog are taking off nationally, but once you step outside of the in-the-know crowd, a lot of people have no idea," says founder Justin Markert, who has operated Cellar Door as a record label for years with his partner, Rick Fike. "We want to bring not-so-well-known artists to a bigger audience."
Markert says that Cellar Door will also be an eclectic, anything-goes art space featuring films, fiction readings, art shows and candid, behind-the-scenes conversations with emerging bands or artists. Cellar Door also manages a blog that curates the best of the local music scene.
A launch party featuring local bands is slated for Friday, July 27th at 7 p.m. at 1667 E. 40th Street, Suite 2G.
Source: Justin Markert
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The creative space, which features antique wood floors, high ceilings and large windows, is intended to not only foster a "community among listeners" among local music fans, but also to reach people who are unaware of Cleveland's distinctive music scene.
"Local bands like Herzog are taking off nationally, but once you step outside of the in-the-know crowd, a lot of people have no idea," says founder Justin Markert, who has operated Cellar Door as a record label for years with his partner, Rick Fike. "We want to bring not-so-well-known artists to a bigger audience."
Markert says that Cellar Door will also be an eclectic, anything-goes art space featuring films, fiction readings, art shows and candid, behind-the-scenes conversations with emerging bands or artists. Cellar Door also manages a blog that curates the best of the local music scene.
A launch party featuring local bands is slated for Friday, July 27th at 7 p.m. at 1667 E. 40th Street, Suite 2G.
Source: Justin Markert
Writer: Lee Chilcote
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.
On the heels of two successful biomedical job fairs, Global Cleveland, in partnership with NEOSA, will host a week-long online IT job fair August 20 to 24.
The demand for tech people is high. In a recent survey of area technology companies, 82 percent have current job openings and 73 percent expect to hire additional staff this year. The job fair is designed attract qualified technology professionals from not only Cleveland, but across the country.
“We are targeting 30 to 35 employers to each post a few jobs openings,” says Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “It’s great visibility in a short period of time.”
Officials at Global Cleveland have found the online jobs fairs to be an effective way to recruit. The biomedical jobs fairs in March and June attracted more than 9,000 people to the site, with nearly 1,800 applications filed.
The event is free for job seekers. Employers have two options: For $275 they can post up to three jobs and have unlimited internship postings on the Cleveland Recruiting Company, a private LinkedIn group of 1,200. For $525 employers receive additional access to Global Cleveland’s job search databases.
“In the world of recruiting, it’s a very inexpensive way to get the word out,” says Miller. “Every employer we have talked to has told us about the need for talented employees. It’s difficult to find the IT talent they need.”
If the IT job fair is successful, Miller says they probably will hold another one in a couple of months.
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly
The demand for tech people is high. In a recent survey of area technology companies, 82 percent have current job openings and 73 percent expect to hire additional staff this year. The job fair is designed attract qualified technology professionals from not only Cleveland, but across the country.
“We are targeting 30 to 35 employers to each post a few jobs openings,” says Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “It’s great visibility in a short period of time.”
Officials at Global Cleveland have found the online jobs fairs to be an effective way to recruit. The biomedical jobs fairs in March and June attracted more than 9,000 people to the site, with nearly 1,800 applications filed.
The event is free for job seekers. Employers have two options: For $275 they can post up to three jobs and have unlimited internship postings on the Cleveland Recruiting Company, a private LinkedIn group of 1,200. For $525 employers receive additional access to Global Cleveland’s job search databases.
“In the world of recruiting, it’s a very inexpensive way to get the word out,” says Miller. “Every employer we have talked to has told us about the need for talented employees. It’s difficult to find the IT talent they need.”
If the IT job fair is successful, Miller says they probably will hold another one in a couple of months.
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly
cleveland clinic, university hospitals score high on us news survey
Once again, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals performed well in the annual Best Hospitals survey published by U.S. News. Both had numerous nationally ranked programs.
The Clinic, however, snagged top honors in three specialties: cardiology and heart surgery, nephrology, and urology. Overall, the Clinic had 12 specialties in the top five nationally.
Meanwhile, University Hospitals had 12 nationally ranked programs.
Read all the ranking here.
The Clinic, however, snagged top honors in three specialties: cardiology and heart surgery, nephrology, and urology. Overall, the Clinic had 12 specialties in the top five nationally.
Meanwhile, University Hospitals had 12 nationally ranked programs.
Read all the ranking 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
The Cuyahoga Land Bank and Career Development and Placement Strategies, Inc. (CDPSI) have teamed up to create a pilot program to get formerly incarcerated fathers to work renovating houses. The pilot program, which began in November, puts participants through an intensive six-week program to teach them basic workmanship and professional skills. The participants then go into a six-month internship program with a supervisor in the field.
"The internships program is designed to assist men who are fathers trying to make a better way in their lives," explains Maurice Stevens, president of CDPSI. "They have displayed some interest in carpentry but have some barriers in transitioning to employments due to incarceration."
During the course of their internship the participants will earn $9 an hour and receive comprehensive training on the various aspects of home renovation. The interns will also receive entrepreneurship training focused on providing the basics necessary to start and run a renovation business as a sole proprietor. This training will introduce the interns to contract development, budgeting, mechanic’s liens, invoicing, insurance and bonding.
Once the interns have successfully completed the 560-hour training program, they will receive a Certificate of Completion, a recommendation from the general contractor that has been acting as their supervisor and will receive priority consideration from the Cuyahoga Land Bank for selected future renovation work.
“Our mission is to provide workforce and personal development training opportunities to our target population,” says Stevens. “Clearly, this partnership will create economic and job development for the Greater Cleveland area.”
Since November the program has hired four interns, two full-time supervisors and a general contractor. The goal is to renovate six houses and hire four interns a year through the program. One house on W. 157th Street has already been renovated and sold through the program, and two more are near completion.
Source: Maurice Stevens
Writer: Karin Connelly
"The internships program is designed to assist men who are fathers trying to make a better way in their lives," explains Maurice Stevens, president of CDPSI. "They have displayed some interest in carpentry but have some barriers in transitioning to employments due to incarceration."
During the course of their internship the participants will earn $9 an hour and receive comprehensive training on the various aspects of home renovation. The interns will also receive entrepreneurship training focused on providing the basics necessary to start and run a renovation business as a sole proprietor. This training will introduce the interns to contract development, budgeting, mechanic’s liens, invoicing, insurance and bonding.
Once the interns have successfully completed the 560-hour training program, they will receive a Certificate of Completion, a recommendation from the general contractor that has been acting as their supervisor and will receive priority consideration from the Cuyahoga Land Bank for selected future renovation work.
“Our mission is to provide workforce and personal development training opportunities to our target population,” says Stevens. “Clearly, this partnership will create economic and job development for the Greater Cleveland area.”
Since November the program has hired four interns, two full-time supervisors and a general contractor. The goal is to renovate six houses and hire four interns a year through the program. One house on W. 157th Street has already been renovated and sold through the program, and two more are near completion.
Source: Maurice Stevens
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.
Since its launch in February, eFuneral has steadily grown as a resource for families searching for the right funeral provider. Now founders Mike Belsito and Bryan Chaikin are taking the company, which came out of the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business' 10-Xelerator last summer, to another level.
eFuneral recently announced a partnership with Hospice of Dayton. "Ever since we launched, some of our biggest supporters have come from the hospice community," says Belsito. "When patients enter hospice and don't have a funeral home picked out, they rely on hospice professionals for advice, but hospice employees are not allowed to make recommendations."
While Belsito and Chaikin have primarily focused on tapping the Northeast Ohio market, eFuneral decided to approach Hospice of Dayton, which is the second largest hospice in Ohio and one of the largest in the country.
The company has thrived in the Cleveland area -- users can get seven to eight quotes from funeral homes within minutes -- and Belsito is confident they will have the same success down state. eFuneral has hired two additional employees this year, most recently a software engineer.
Source: Mike Belsito
Writer: Karin Connelly
eFuneral recently announced a partnership with Hospice of Dayton. "Ever since we launched, some of our biggest supporters have come from the hospice community," says Belsito. "When patients enter hospice and don't have a funeral home picked out, they rely on hospice professionals for advice, but hospice employees are not allowed to make recommendations."
While Belsito and Chaikin have primarily focused on tapping the Northeast Ohio market, eFuneral decided to approach Hospice of Dayton, which is the second largest hospice in Ohio and one of the largest in the country.
The company has thrived in the Cleveland area -- users can get seven to eight quotes from funeral homes within minutes -- and Belsito is confident they will have the same success down state. eFuneral has hired two additional employees this year, most recently a software engineer.
Source: Mike Belsito
Writer: Karin Connelly
Photo: Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer
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
With the aid of a $500,000 economic development loan from the city, a former cement company's headquarters in Cleveland Heights will soon be converted into a 120-person call center.
The Medusa Cement Company occupied the building on Monticello until the late 1990s. Founded 120 years ago, the company was originally called the Portland Sandusky Cement Company. It was later renamed after Medusa, the fearsome Greek gorgon whose gaze turned men to stone. Medusa thrived in the post-war building boom. It moved its headquarters to Houston in 1999 after a merger.
Medusa Holdings, LLC applied for a loan through the city's commercial revolving loan fund program. In exchange for receiving favorable, below market terms, the developer committed to creating 120 full-time jobs. At least 51 percent of those jobs must be made available to or held by low- to moderate-income individuals.
Two-thirds of the $500,000 loan will carry a 3.5% annual interest rate and a 10-year repayment term following a one-year deferral. Up to $200,000 of the loan may be forgiven at a rate of $50,000 per year for every year during which 100 full-time equivalent jobs are maintained at the call center prior to 2018.
"This is an exciting opportunity for the Medusa building to be rejuvenated into a call center," says Suzanna Niermann O'Neill, Acting City Manager for the City of Cleveland Heights. "The whole area between the community center and the Rockefeller building has been refreshed with new restaurants and new businesses."
Nierman-O'Neill noted that this kind of economic development will bring revenue to the city's coffers and that the call center will serve nonprofit organizations.
Source: Suzanna Nierman-O'Neill
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Medusa Cement Company occupied the building on Monticello until the late 1990s. Founded 120 years ago, the company was originally called the Portland Sandusky Cement Company. It was later renamed after Medusa, the fearsome Greek gorgon whose gaze turned men to stone. Medusa thrived in the post-war building boom. It moved its headquarters to Houston in 1999 after a merger.
Medusa Holdings, LLC applied for a loan through the city's commercial revolving loan fund program. In exchange for receiving favorable, below market terms, the developer committed to creating 120 full-time jobs. At least 51 percent of those jobs must be made available to or held by low- to moderate-income individuals.
Two-thirds of the $500,000 loan will carry a 3.5% annual interest rate and a 10-year repayment term following a one-year deferral. Up to $200,000 of the loan may be forgiven at a rate of $50,000 per year for every year during which 100 full-time equivalent jobs are maintained at the call center prior to 2018.
"This is an exciting opportunity for the Medusa building to be rejuvenated into a call center," says Suzanna Niermann O'Neill, Acting City Manager for the City of Cleveland Heights. "The whole area between the community center and the Rockefeller building has been refreshed with new restaurants and new businesses."
Nierman-O'Neill noted that this kind of economic development will bring revenue to the city's coffers and that the call center will serve nonprofit organizations.
Source: Suzanna Nierman-O'Neill
Writer: Lee Chilcote