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At the end of last year, Indian-born entrepreneur Radhika Reddy launched Ariel International Center, a one-stop shop for international business development in Northeast Ohio. Located in the former Leff Electric Company building on E. 40th Street, the 100-year-old warehouse with solid brickwork and rough-hewn wooden beams is being refurbished to support this decidedly 21st century venture.
“We offer shared international services for companies that want to locate here and do business globally, and we also help local companies with global potential,” says Reddy, who arrived in Cleveland 21 years ago with little more than a visa and $20 in her pocket, yet has since adopted Northeast Ohio as her home.
The successful businesswoman is one of three women behind Ariel Ventures, an economic development finance firm with $1.5 million in annual sales. Reddy says she wants to grow Cleveland's economy by helping businesses to gain global reach.
“We want to help them with business growth and act as their back office,” she says. “Services that we offer include accounting and finance, international business development, tax advising and export and import documentation.”
Ariel International Center, whose new, four-story home has large windows offering views of downtown and Lake Erie, will also host a fourth floor event space that is geared towards Cleveland’s immigrant community. Once renovations are complete, Reddy also hopes to land an international-themed restaurant that will become a destination spot for the downtown lunch crowd.
“Entrepreneurs like me are always thinking of what’s not there,” she says.
The project received support from the City of Cleveland’s Vacant Properties Initiative as well as a low-interest economic development loan from the city. Reddy says that it is approximately 50 percent self-financed by Ariel’s partners. The 100 percent women-owned firm will move its offices here by February 1st.
Source: Radhika Reddy
Writer: Lee Chilcote
“We offer shared international services for companies that want to locate here and do business globally, and we also help local companies with global potential,” says Reddy, who arrived in Cleveland 21 years ago with little more than a visa and $20 in her pocket, yet has since adopted Northeast Ohio as her home.
The successful businesswoman is one of three women behind Ariel Ventures, an economic development finance firm with $1.5 million in annual sales. Reddy says she wants to grow Cleveland's economy by helping businesses to gain global reach.
“We want to help them with business growth and act as their back office,” she says. “Services that we offer include accounting and finance, international business development, tax advising and export and import documentation.”
Ariel International Center, whose new, four-story home has large windows offering views of downtown and Lake Erie, will also host a fourth floor event space that is geared towards Cleveland’s immigrant community. Once renovations are complete, Reddy also hopes to land an international-themed restaurant that will become a destination spot for the downtown lunch crowd.
“Entrepreneurs like me are always thinking of what’s not there,” she says.
The project received support from the City of Cleveland’s Vacant Properties Initiative as well as a low-interest economic development loan from the city. Reddy says that it is approximately 50 percent self-financed by Ariel’s partners. The 100 percent women-owned firm will move its offices here by February 1st.
Source: Radhika Reddy
Writer: Lee Chilcote
tribe's snow days a hit with washington post reporter
A writer for the Washington Post files a post about Cleveland Indians Snow Days, which takes place at Progressive Field from Thanksgiving to mid-January. The family-friendly attraction is a festival of winter sports, with ice skating and tubing facilities installed in a place that typically sees a different sort of sliding.
"My husband and I have been making annual summer pilgrimages to Cleveland for several years now to visit his family, and the trip always includes a baseball game," she writes. "Thanks to his grandmother, we’re treated to premium seats just a few rows back from the first-base line.
"I’d always figured that it would be nearly impossible to get any closer to the actual field, but for less than the cost of one of those game-day tickets, an all-access Snow Days pass puts you smack in the middle of the turf, with unlimited tubing, skating and holiday cheer."
Check out the rest of it here.
"My husband and I have been making annual summer pilgrimages to Cleveland for several years now to visit his family, and the trip always includes a baseball game," she writes. "Thanks to his grandmother, we’re treated to premium seats just a few rows back from the first-base line.
"I’d always figured that it would be nearly impossible to get any closer to the actual field, but for less than the cost of one of those game-day tickets, an all-access Snow Days pass puts you smack in the middle of the turf, with unlimited tubing, skating and holiday cheer."
Check out the rest of it here.
Tom Gillespie enjoys riding his motorcycle and he loves outdoor activities like golfing and camping. The problem he had was how to transport his gear while on his bike. When he couldn’t find anything that solved his problem, the environmental consultant took things into his own hands and invented The Travel Tube, a hard plastic case that holds golf clubs, fishing gear, firearms and any number of objects. The portable case attaches to a motorcycle or just about any vehicle.
“I kind of had it rumbling around in my head for a while,” Gillespie says of the concept. “I couldn’t find anything like it. So I wrote a patent and took my rudimentary drawings to a manufacturer. After I had the prototype for the Travel Tube I put my golf clubs in it, put it on the back of my motorcycle and rode to Chicago.”
The Travel Tube is lightweight -- only about seven pounds -- is water-resistant, and its hard shell allows it to be checked on airplanes or shipped through the mail. Gillespie took his prototype to COSE’s Cleveland Shark Tank Pitch Contest -- and won. He is now in full production, filling orders for 50 units, each selling for $99. He also is working on a variety of accessories.
Gillespie has a storefront in Ohio City. As he ramps up production and sales, he plans on hiring some salespeople and at least one person to manage the phones.
Source: Tom Gillespie
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I kind of had it rumbling around in my head for a while,” Gillespie says of the concept. “I couldn’t find anything like it. So I wrote a patent and took my rudimentary drawings to a manufacturer. After I had the prototype for the Travel Tube I put my golf clubs in it, put it on the back of my motorcycle and rode to Chicago.”
The Travel Tube is lightweight -- only about seven pounds -- is water-resistant, and its hard shell allows it to be checked on airplanes or shipped through the mail. Gillespie took his prototype to COSE’s Cleveland Shark Tank Pitch Contest -- and won. He is now in full production, filling orders for 50 units, each selling for $99. He also is working on a variety of accessories.
Gillespie has a storefront in Ohio City. As he ramps up production and sales, he plans on hiring some salespeople and at least one person to manage the phones.
Source: Tom Gillespie
Writer: Karin Connelly
chef jon sawyer cracks time's 'top 10 food trends' list
Cleveland chef Jonathon Sawyer was included in TIME magazine's year-end list of top 10s, which covered topics ranging from music and literature to gadgets and memes. Sawyer earned the #7 spot on the list of Top 10 Food Trends.
Penned by TIME food writer Josh Ozersky, who visited Greenhouse Tavern this summer, the item calls out artisinal vinegars and bitters as a hot new food trend. Sawyer's hand-crafted vinegars make their way into numerous dishes at his E. Fourth Street restaurant.
"The one thing you generally expect of new, laboriously made products at restaurants is that they will be good. But even bad can be good -- if by "bad" you mean sour or bitter," writes Ozersky. "The nation's avant-garde mixologists, mustachioed and otherwise, have taken up the creation of house-made bitters as part of their advanced drink programs, and their kitchen counterparts are following suit, with vinegars so complex and intriguing that they are sometimes served straight up between courses. Jonathon Sawyer serves half a dozen in tasting dishes at his Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland."
Ozersky gets one detail wrong, however, when he writes, "Happily, they are for dipping fries rather drinking." Greenhouse mixologist Kevin Wildermuth does indeed use house-made vinegars in his cutting-edge cocktail program -- and the results are eye-opening.
Read the entire list here.
Penned by TIME food writer Josh Ozersky, who visited Greenhouse Tavern this summer, the item calls out artisinal vinegars and bitters as a hot new food trend. Sawyer's hand-crafted vinegars make their way into numerous dishes at his E. Fourth Street restaurant.
"The one thing you generally expect of new, laboriously made products at restaurants is that they will be good. But even bad can be good -- if by "bad" you mean sour or bitter," writes Ozersky. "The nation's avant-garde mixologists, mustachioed and otherwise, have taken up the creation of house-made bitters as part of their advanced drink programs, and their kitchen counterparts are following suit, with vinegars so complex and intriguing that they are sometimes served straight up between courses. Jonathon Sawyer serves half a dozen in tasting dishes at his Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland."
Ozersky gets one detail wrong, however, when he writes, "Happily, they are for dipping fries rather drinking." Greenhouse mixologist Kevin Wildermuth does indeed use house-made vinegars in his cutting-edge cocktail program -- and the results are eye-opening.
Read the entire list here.
Residents of Northeast Ohio are beginning to think of new ways to reduce energy consumption and save money on their utility costs. Cleveland-based YellowLite is helping people do that with its custom-designed solar panels for both residential and commercial uses.
“We wanted to find out how we can give back to the community and do something good,” explains YellowLite president Azam Kazmi. “When we started two and a half years ago, the economy was a lot slower and it got us thinking that energy is such an issue. Solar just sounded like such a good technology to solve our energy needs.”
YellowLite has a staff of dedicated people who educate customers on the benefits of solar power, from how to receive grants and tax deductions to the energy cost savings and 25-year warranty. “We can show you a good return on investment,” says Kazmi. “Most of the systems last about 40 years.”
Kazmi says solar roof systems have grown in popularity recently as consumers become more educated. “Next year is going to be a good year for us,” he says. “Knowledge of the industry has grown. The costs go down with more installers and more knowledge about the industry.”
Kazmi predicts YellowLite’s sales team will double in size by mid-summer of 2012, and the company plans to expand into the Detroit area.
Source: Azam Kazmi
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We wanted to find out how we can give back to the community and do something good,” explains YellowLite president Azam Kazmi. “When we started two and a half years ago, the economy was a lot slower and it got us thinking that energy is such an issue. Solar just sounded like such a good technology to solve our energy needs.”
YellowLite has a staff of dedicated people who educate customers on the benefits of solar power, from how to receive grants and tax deductions to the energy cost savings and 25-year warranty. “We can show you a good return on investment,” says Kazmi. “Most of the systems last about 40 years.”
Kazmi says solar roof systems have grown in popularity recently as consumers become more educated. “Next year is going to be a good year for us,” he says. “Knowledge of the industry has grown. The costs go down with more installers and more knowledge about the industry.”
Kazmi predicts YellowLite’s sales team will double in size by mid-summer of 2012, and the company plans to expand into the Detroit area.
Source: Azam Kazmi
Writer: Karin Connelly
cleveland is laying out the 'welcome mat,' says the atlantic cities
"Thinking about moving? You should consider Cleveland."
So begins an article in The Atlantic Cities, which discusses recent investments totaling $7 billion in Cleveland's economic diversification, infrastructure and the arts.
Among projects mentioned are the $560 million makeover for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, $465 million convention center and medical mart, $350 million casino, and development in University Circle, including Uptown and the new Museum of Contemporary Art.
Also mentioned is Global Cleveland, which hopes to attract 100,000 new residents within the next ten years.
And the Ohio Department of Development just launched InvestOhio, a $100 million tax credit program to help small businesses attract investment, grow and create jobs.
Read the rest of the article here.
So begins an article in The Atlantic Cities, which discusses recent investments totaling $7 billion in Cleveland's economic diversification, infrastructure and the arts.
Among projects mentioned are the $560 million makeover for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, $465 million convention center and medical mart, $350 million casino, and development in University Circle, including Uptown and the new Museum of Contemporary Art.
Also mentioned is Global Cleveland, which hopes to attract 100,000 new residents within the next ten years.
And the Ohio Department of Development just launched InvestOhio, a $100 million tax credit program to help small businesses attract investment, grow and create jobs.
Read the rest of the article here.
Despite its long-suffering reputation, Cleveland's real estate market seems just fine to Kosta Almiroudis, an entrepreneur who moved last year from New York City to Lakewood to revive dilapidated old apartment buildings for fun and profit. In the past year, he has bought, renovated and fully leased more than 50 once-vacant units.
"I come from a village in Greece that has a 1,300-year-old castle," says Almiroudis, whose wife's family also lives in the Cleveland area. "So I love acquiring these 100-year-old buildings and bringing them back to life."
The first project that Almiroudis tackled is a 45-unit apartment building situated on Detroit Avenue across from the former Phantasy Concert Club. When he first began visiting his wife's family in Cleveland, he was surprised to learn how affordable real estate prices were. "I sold a single-family home in Greece and had a down payment for a 45-unit apartment building," he says with a laugh.
Since then, he has bought and fixed up another 12-unit building and signed a contract for an additional 11-unit building next door. All of his properties are 100-percent leased. He says the key to being a successful landlord is purchasing distressed properties for no more than 60 percent of their current value, investing up to 85 percent of their post-rehab value and overseeing the work yourself.
Even so, getting a loan was no walk in the park. Lenders are still skittish because they're carrying bad loans from investors who got in over their heads during the boom years. Still, the only way out of the current housing mess and the surfeit of vacant, multi-family buildings is through lending to good investors, he says.
"I don't see many people doing what I'm doing now, most likely because the banks are not releasing funds for these kinds of projects," he says. "They have the money. The only way to put this neighborhood back together is with banks releasing funds. Private investors want to put money back into real estate."
Almouridis, who was weaned on interior renovation projects for the likes of Donald Trump while starting out in New York, isn't holding his breath for an avalanche of easy money, however. Instead, he's partnering with a private investor who sees apartments as a safe bet at a time of low homeownership, high apartment occupancy and wild, tough-to-fathom stock market swings. Together, the pair intend to purchase and rehabilitate additional apartments in Lakewood.
The value-laden properties are plentiful, he says, in part because the professional children of Lakewood's middle-class landlords seem to want nothing to do with rentals. "I think maybe it skips a generation," he says with another laugh.
Source: Kosta Almouridis
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I come from a village in Greece that has a 1,300-year-old castle," says Almiroudis, whose wife's family also lives in the Cleveland area. "So I love acquiring these 100-year-old buildings and bringing them back to life."
The first project that Almiroudis tackled is a 45-unit apartment building situated on Detroit Avenue across from the former Phantasy Concert Club. When he first began visiting his wife's family in Cleveland, he was surprised to learn how affordable real estate prices were. "I sold a single-family home in Greece and had a down payment for a 45-unit apartment building," he says with a laugh.
Since then, he has bought and fixed up another 12-unit building and signed a contract for an additional 11-unit building next door. All of his properties are 100-percent leased. He says the key to being a successful landlord is purchasing distressed properties for no more than 60 percent of their current value, investing up to 85 percent of their post-rehab value and overseeing the work yourself.
Even so, getting a loan was no walk in the park. Lenders are still skittish because they're carrying bad loans from investors who got in over their heads during the boom years. Still, the only way out of the current housing mess and the surfeit of vacant, multi-family buildings is through lending to good investors, he says.
"I don't see many people doing what I'm doing now, most likely because the banks are not releasing funds for these kinds of projects," he says. "They have the money. The only way to put this neighborhood back together is with banks releasing funds. Private investors want to put money back into real estate."
Almouridis, who was weaned on interior renovation projects for the likes of Donald Trump while starting out in New York, isn't holding his breath for an avalanche of easy money, however. Instead, he's partnering with a private investor who sees apartments as a safe bet at a time of low homeownership, high apartment occupancy and wild, tough-to-fathom stock market swings. Together, the pair intend to purchase and rehabilitate additional apartments in Lakewood.
The value-laden properties are plentiful, he says, in part because the professional children of Lakewood's middle-class landlords seem to want nothing to do with rentals. "I think maybe it skips a generation," he says with another laugh.
Source: Kosta Almouridis
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Completing the last five-mile leg of the Towpath Trail into Cleveland might be taking longer than it took to dig the entire Ohio and Erie Canal, whose 100-plus mile span was carved out by hand in just two years in the 1820s. Yet thanks to a recent $500,000 grant from the State of Ohio, the trail is inching ever closer to its final destination -- Settlers Landing Park in the Flats.
The grant from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, along with $3 million that was received earlier this year from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will allow trail backers to break ground next year on an important .6-mile stretch along Scranton Road. More than 80 miles already have been completed; the last five miles into Cleveland is considered the home stretch for this decades-long project.
The funds will be used to build a 10-foot-wide paved trail along Scranton from Carter Road south to University Road in the Flats. The trail will be isolated for now, until it is eventually connected with the section of the Towpath that runs through the Steelyard Commons shopping center. A portion of the funding will also be used to restore fish habitat along the edge of the Cuyahoga River.
“This grant, and the construction work to come, represents another step forward in fully connecting this important regional resource to downtown Cleveland,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald in a statement. “This will mean a more attractive riverfront and a cleaner environment. This is good news for Cuyahoga County.”
Towpath planners predict the last trail sections, which must wend their way through formerly industrial land in the Flats, will proceed in three more stages. The portion from Steelyard to Literary Avenue in Tremont could start in 2015.
Source: Cuyahoga County Office of the Executive
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The grant from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, along with $3 million that was received earlier this year from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will allow trail backers to break ground next year on an important .6-mile stretch along Scranton Road. More than 80 miles already have been completed; the last five miles into Cleveland is considered the home stretch for this decades-long project.
The funds will be used to build a 10-foot-wide paved trail along Scranton from Carter Road south to University Road in the Flats. The trail will be isolated for now, until it is eventually connected with the section of the Towpath that runs through the Steelyard Commons shopping center. A portion of the funding will also be used to restore fish habitat along the edge of the Cuyahoga River.
“This grant, and the construction work to come, represents another step forward in fully connecting this important regional resource to downtown Cleveland,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald in a statement. “This will mean a more attractive riverfront and a cleaner environment. This is good news for Cuyahoga County.”
Towpath planners predict the last trail sections, which must wend their way through formerly industrial land in the Flats, will proceed in three more stages. The portion from Steelyard to Literary Avenue in Tremont could start in 2015.
Source: Cuyahoga County Office of the Executive
Writer: Lee Chilcote
amtrust financial to bring 800 new jobs to downtown cleveland
AmTrust Financial Services, a multi-national property and casualty insurer based in New York, is consolidating and relocating its Northeast Ohio operations to Cleveland. The expansion will bring 800 jobs to Cleveland over three years. The company currently employs 250 people in its operational hub in Seven Hills.
The decision to open offices in Cleveland came primarily from $25 million in local and state incentives. The company was able to buy the primarily vacant office tower at 800 Superior Avenue earlier this year and has committed to spending at least $20 million in upgrades to the building. But company officials also see the potential in Cleveland.
“We have found the governor [John Kasich], the county executive [Ed FitzGerald] and the mayor [Frank Jackson] of Cleveland all to be very cooperative and helpful in sealing our decision to locate in downtown Cleveland,” says AmTrust CFO Ron Pipoly. “We also think downtown Cleveland is on the cusp of a lot of great jobs, with the casino, the new convention center, the medical mart, the development of the Flats East Bank, a Westin Hotel downtown and other large projects that now includes AmTrust."
The Seven Hills employees will move to the Cleveland offices over the next three years. “Based on current projections provided to the state, there may be up to 800 new jobs, in addition to the 200 jobs being relocated from Seven Hills,” explains Pipoly. The jobs will be in IT programming, underwriting and customer service.
Under current plans, AmTrust wil occupy between 250,000 and 300,000 square feet in the building, leaving a portion of the total 450,000 square feet available for other new downtown tenants.
Source: Ron Pipoly
Writer: Karin Connelly
The decision to open offices in Cleveland came primarily from $25 million in local and state incentives. The company was able to buy the primarily vacant office tower at 800 Superior Avenue earlier this year and has committed to spending at least $20 million in upgrades to the building. But company officials also see the potential in Cleveland.
“We have found the governor [John Kasich], the county executive [Ed FitzGerald] and the mayor [Frank Jackson] of Cleveland all to be very cooperative and helpful in sealing our decision to locate in downtown Cleveland,” says AmTrust CFO Ron Pipoly. “We also think downtown Cleveland is on the cusp of a lot of great jobs, with the casino, the new convention center, the medical mart, the development of the Flats East Bank, a Westin Hotel downtown and other large projects that now includes AmTrust."
The Seven Hills employees will move to the Cleveland offices over the next three years. “Based on current projections provided to the state, there may be up to 800 new jobs, in addition to the 200 jobs being relocated from Seven Hills,” explains Pipoly. The jobs will be in IT programming, underwriting and customer service.
Under current plans, AmTrust wil occupy between 250,000 and 300,000 square feet in the building, leaving a portion of the total 450,000 square feet available for other new downtown tenants.
Source: Ron Pipoly
Writer: Karin Connelly
Go Media is Here -- and luckily for us, they're here to stay. From its studios in a nondescript three-story brick warehouse on Lorain Avenue, the creative agency is putting Cleveland on the map as a burgeoning hub of art and design. In addition to creating good work, the firm does good work, promoting people and projects that are making Cleveland a better place to live.
ny times says, old rock and rollers hope for a nod from cleveland
"For the inductees [to the Rock Hall], the reward can be enormous," writes Janet Morrissey for the New York Times. "Weekly record sales for a performer or band leap 40 to 60 percent, on average, in the weeks after selection, says David Bakula, a senior vice president at Nielsen SoundScan. While winning a Grammy often helps one album, a nod from Cleveland can lift an entire back catalog."
In an article titled, "Battle of the Bands (and Egos) for the Rock Hall of Fame," Morrissey describes the so-called hall-of-fame effect that reignites the careers of long-forgotten starts.
"In 2009, good news from Cleveland bolstered the career of Wanda Jackson, 'the queen of rockabilly,' who gained fame in the mid-1950s and 60s. After Ms. Jackson was inducted, she collaborated on an album with Jack White of the White Stripes. Suddenly Ms. Jackson, who is now 74, was everywhere."
Morrissey also described the selection process, which is shrouded in secrecy and controversy.
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
In an article titled, "Battle of the Bands (and Egos) for the Rock Hall of Fame," Morrissey describes the so-called hall-of-fame effect that reignites the careers of long-forgotten starts.
"In 2009, good news from Cleveland bolstered the career of Wanda Jackson, 'the queen of rockabilly,' who gained fame in the mid-1950s and 60s. After Ms. Jackson was inducted, she collaborated on an album with Jack White of the White Stripes. Suddenly Ms. Jackson, who is now 74, was everywhere."
Morrissey also described the selection process, which is shrouded in secrecy and controversy.
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
It only takes 10 minutes to walk from St. Vincent Hospital at E. 22nd Street and Community College Avenue to Cleveland State University on Euclid Avenue. Yet few people do it, in part because it is not a pedestrian-friendly experience. A new $4.2 million plan to redevelop E. 22nd aims to change that by creating a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly boulevard and green space that could spur over $100 million in new development.
"We really see E. 22nd Street as a spine for the Campus District neighborhood," says Rockette Richardson, Executive Director of the Campus District, Inc., a nonprofit community development organization. "We developed this plan because we recognized the need for a north-south gateway to our neighborhood."
The plan re-envisions the street as a multi-modal boulevard with bike lanes, landscaped median and new retail, housing and green space development. Fresh opportunities may exist on land that will become available when the ODOT completes the Innerbelt Bridge project. The plan already has $780,000 of committed funding since ODOT is using the street as an alternate highway route and therefore must resurface it in 2013.
"The investment that is taking place by our anchor institutions -- Cleveland State University, St. Vincent and Cuyahoga Community College -- will strengthen their individual campuses and the entire area," says Richardson. She noted that St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is in the midst of a 10-year, $100 million renovation project and Tri-C recently spent $34 million on improvements.
The East 22nd Street plan is part of a larger effort to reconnect these institutions to their communities, Richardson added. "They're deeply rooted here, and they're investing in their campuses and adjoining neighborhoods so they all prosper."
Source: Rockette Richardson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We really see E. 22nd Street as a spine for the Campus District neighborhood," says Rockette Richardson, Executive Director of the Campus District, Inc., a nonprofit community development organization. "We developed this plan because we recognized the need for a north-south gateway to our neighborhood."
The plan re-envisions the street as a multi-modal boulevard with bike lanes, landscaped median and new retail, housing and green space development. Fresh opportunities may exist on land that will become available when the ODOT completes the Innerbelt Bridge project. The plan already has $780,000 of committed funding since ODOT is using the street as an alternate highway route and therefore must resurface it in 2013.
"The investment that is taking place by our anchor institutions -- Cleveland State University, St. Vincent and Cuyahoga Community College -- will strengthen their individual campuses and the entire area," says Richardson. She noted that St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is in the midst of a 10-year, $100 million renovation project and Tri-C recently spent $34 million on improvements.
The East 22nd Street plan is part of a larger effort to reconnect these institutions to their communities, Richardson added. "They're deeply rooted here, and they're investing in their campuses and adjoining neighborhoods so they all prosper."
Source: Rockette Richardson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Photo - Rockette Richardson, Executive Director of the Campus District, Inc.
guide book written for new arrivals and those who'd like to rediscover cleveland
A new Cleveland-centric book joins the slowly growing bookshelf of info-packed guides to our fair city. Written and self-published by Cleveland State University urban planning grad Justin Glanville, New to Cleveland: A Guide to (re)Discovering the City is targeted both to new arrivals as well as those who'd like to rediscover their city.
Readers will find general information about various Cleveland neighborhoods, including listings of restaurants, stores and cultural institutions. But also advice on where to send your kids to school, insights on the Cleveland real estate market, and the best neighborhoods for students, artists, professionals, retirees and those who want to live car-free or car-light.
The 250-page book includes more than 50 full-color illustrations by local artist Julia Kuo. The book is also printed in Cleveland.
The guide book is only the second to be written specifically about present-day Cleveland, the other being Avalon Travel's Moon Cleveland, penned by Fresh Water editor Douglas Trattner.
There will be a launch party from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Happy Dog.
Books are available online and at this weekend's Bazaar Bizarre.
Readers will find general information about various Cleveland neighborhoods, including listings of restaurants, stores and cultural institutions. But also advice on where to send your kids to school, insights on the Cleveland real estate market, and the best neighborhoods for students, artists, professionals, retirees and those who want to live car-free or car-light.
The 250-page book includes more than 50 full-color illustrations by local artist Julia Kuo. The book is also printed in Cleveland.
The guide book is only the second to be written specifically about present-day Cleveland, the other being Avalon Travel's Moon Cleveland, penned by Fresh Water editor Douglas Trattner.
There will be a launch party from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Happy Dog.
Books are available online and at this weekend's Bazaar Bizarre.
This month, the Ohio Department of Development, in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Taxation, launched InvestOhio. The $100 million tax credit program helps small businesses get the funds from investors they need to grow, succeed, and create jobs.
“We were hearing from small businesses here in Ohio that they were having trouble getting access to capital,” explains Matt Sutherland, senior tax incentive specialist with the Ohio Department of Development. “The program creates incentive for investors to invest in small business.”
Through InvestOhio, investors can invest up to $10 million in eligible small businesses in exchange for a 10 percent income tax credit for investments held for two years. Eligible small businesses must have less than $50 million in assets or less than $10 million in annual sales.
There are 900,000 small businesses in the state. Investment in small business through this program is expected to generate $1 billion in new private investments in small businesses by 2013.
“There are a lot of small businesses waiting to take off, and we’re happy InvestOhio is the catalyst to move forward,” says Sutherland. “If every small business added even a moderate number of jobs it would be a significant impact on Ohio’s economy.”
Source: Matt Sutherland
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We were hearing from small businesses here in Ohio that they were having trouble getting access to capital,” explains Matt Sutherland, senior tax incentive specialist with the Ohio Department of Development. “The program creates incentive for investors to invest in small business.”
Through InvestOhio, investors can invest up to $10 million in eligible small businesses in exchange for a 10 percent income tax credit for investments held for two years. Eligible small businesses must have less than $50 million in assets or less than $10 million in annual sales.
There are 900,000 small businesses in the state. Investment in small business through this program is expected to generate $1 billion in new private investments in small businesses by 2013.
“There are a lot of small businesses waiting to take off, and we’re happy InvestOhio is the catalyst to move forward,” says Sutherland. “If every small business added even a moderate number of jobs it would be a significant impact on Ohio’s economy.”
Source: Matt Sutherland
Writer: Karin Connelly
The City of Cleveland, Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI) and ParkWorks recently launched ReImagining Cleveland II, a $1 million push to fund sideyard expansions, vacant lot beautification, and market gardens in Cleveland. They hope the program will improve vacant land, enhance local communities and further green the city.
"In a city like Cleveland, rebuilding the housing market really means taking down bad houses and reclaiming vacant land," says Bobbi Reichtell, Senior Program Officer with NPI. "We're focusing the sideyard expansions in areas where there are already a number of other things happening, such as Model Block programs and the Opportunity Homes rehab program, so that we can get a real impact."
Reichtell anticipates two-thirds of the funding will go to yard expansions, while one-third will go to stabilization projects like market gardens, wildflower gardens and vineyards. Over 50 applicants have already applied for sideyard expansions, while 16 stabilization sites have been identified. Funding will be used to clean, grade and fence properties before they are transferred to their new owners.
Reichtell also stressed that the city has a formal application process, and that it retains sites with critical short-term development potential. Owners with code violations or tax delinquencies cannot be accepted into the program. Applicants must also invest some of their funds to acquire a lot or create a project.
Lilah Zautner, Sustainability Manager with NPI, says the reaction to the program differs radically depending upon the individual and where they live. "Some view sideyard expansion as the suburbanization of the city, while others view it as homesteading -- they're adding gardens, pools, gazebos and more."
Since the program launched, there's been no shortage of applicants. "We've had an overwhelming response so far, but we are still accepting applications," she says.
Source: Bobbi Reichtell, Lilah Zautner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"In a city like Cleveland, rebuilding the housing market really means taking down bad houses and reclaiming vacant land," says Bobbi Reichtell, Senior Program Officer with NPI. "We're focusing the sideyard expansions in areas where there are already a number of other things happening, such as Model Block programs and the Opportunity Homes rehab program, so that we can get a real impact."
Reichtell anticipates two-thirds of the funding will go to yard expansions, while one-third will go to stabilization projects like market gardens, wildflower gardens and vineyards. Over 50 applicants have already applied for sideyard expansions, while 16 stabilization sites have been identified. Funding will be used to clean, grade and fence properties before they are transferred to their new owners.
Reichtell also stressed that the city has a formal application process, and that it retains sites with critical short-term development potential. Owners with code violations or tax delinquencies cannot be accepted into the program. Applicants must also invest some of their funds to acquire a lot or create a project.
Lilah Zautner, Sustainability Manager with NPI, says the reaction to the program differs radically depending upon the individual and where they live. "Some view sideyard expansion as the suburbanization of the city, while others view it as homesteading -- they're adding gardens, pools, gazebos and more."
Since the program launched, there's been no shortage of applicants. "We've had an overwhelming response so far, but we are still accepting applications," she says.
Source: Bobbi Reichtell, Lilah Zautner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) officials recently asked business leaders from across the state to rank their region's planned infrastructure projects by importance, the Greater Cleveland Partnership ranked the West Shoreway project as the number one priority for Northeast Ohio.
For City of Cleveland Planning Director Bob Brown, that's one more reason why ODOT's numbers don't add up. The state agency gave the city zero out of ten points in the "economic development" category on its recent application for $28 million in additional funding to complete Phase II of the project.
"States all across the country are beginning to think differently, and they're realizing that projects like this can actually improve their economic competitiveness," Brown said at a recent community meeting to discuss the project. The 10-year-old plan would transform the underutilized, 50s-style freeway into a landscaped boulevard with bicycle and pedestrian pathways. It would also offer residents and visitors improved access to Lake Erie.
As evidence of economic impact, city officials cited Battery Park, a new home development that has attracted 70 new residents, many of whom bought homes because they believed the West Shoreway project would come to fruition. Phase I of the Shoreway project is underway, and includes the redevelopment of two pedestrian and bicycle tunnels and a new interchange at West 73rd Street.
Residents who attended the meeting also questioned ODOT's cost estimates, which have ballooned from $50 million in 2003 to $100 million today.
"ODOT doesn't have enough controls against contractors coming back for more," Ken Silliman, Chief of Staff for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, told the audience. "We believe their contracts are too contractor-friendly. That's why we're trying to convince ODOT to give us the funding and let us manage the project locally."
Cycling advocates who attended the meeting also questioned the city's commitment to bike and pedestrian access, suggesting that Cleveland hasn't fought hard enough to fund the project's multi-modal pathway.
Adopting a mantra of "Keep the promise, finish the job," City officials vowed to press on with the project. They are planning a caravan trip to Columbus on December 15th for a crucial ODOT meeting where funding decisions occur.
Source: Ken Silliman, Bob Brown
Writer: Lee Chilcote
For City of Cleveland Planning Director Bob Brown, that's one more reason why ODOT's numbers don't add up. The state agency gave the city zero out of ten points in the "economic development" category on its recent application for $28 million in additional funding to complete Phase II of the project.
"States all across the country are beginning to think differently, and they're realizing that projects like this can actually improve their economic competitiveness," Brown said at a recent community meeting to discuss the project. The 10-year-old plan would transform the underutilized, 50s-style freeway into a landscaped boulevard with bicycle and pedestrian pathways. It would also offer residents and visitors improved access to Lake Erie.
As evidence of economic impact, city officials cited Battery Park, a new home development that has attracted 70 new residents, many of whom bought homes because they believed the West Shoreway project would come to fruition. Phase I of the Shoreway project is underway, and includes the redevelopment of two pedestrian and bicycle tunnels and a new interchange at West 73rd Street.
Residents who attended the meeting also questioned ODOT's cost estimates, which have ballooned from $50 million in 2003 to $100 million today.
"ODOT doesn't have enough controls against contractors coming back for more," Ken Silliman, Chief of Staff for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, told the audience. "We believe their contracts are too contractor-friendly. That's why we're trying to convince ODOT to give us the funding and let us manage the project locally."
Cycling advocates who attended the meeting also questioned the city's commitment to bike and pedestrian access, suggesting that Cleveland hasn't fought hard enough to fund the project's multi-modal pathway.
Adopting a mantra of "Keep the promise, finish the job," City officials vowed to press on with the project. They are planning a caravan trip to Columbus on December 15th for a crucial ODOT meeting where funding decisions occur.
Source: Ken Silliman, Bob Brown
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Brooklyn, Old Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Centre – who can blame us for being totally and utterly befuddled? Fortunately, Fresh Water writer Erin O'Brien is here to offer some insight into the Brooklyns of and around Cleveland. Read up: There just might be a quiz later on.
cuyahoga arts & culture announces this year's project support grants
On Monday, November 14th, the Board of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) approved 88 grants totaling $1,029,164 for its 2012 Project Support cycle. The awards include traditional PS I grants and the new Project Support II, a small grant program that provides awards of up to $5,000. Grants range in value from $625 to $49,333.
This year garnered the largest number of applications in CAC’s history. A total of 131 organizations submitted Intent to Apply materials, of which 118 of were eligible. This is an increase of 45% from the previous year, which was also a record-setter.
The largest recipient is Scenarios USA, a nonprofit that that uses writing and filmmaking to foster youth leadership in under-served teens. The smallest is River Valley Ringers, a community handbell choir in Cleveland Heights. Others include EcoWatch, Building Bridges, LakewoodAlive, and numerous neighborhood development corps.
See all the grants here.
This year garnered the largest number of applications in CAC’s history. A total of 131 organizations submitted Intent to Apply materials, of which 118 of were eligible. This is an increase of 45% from the previous year, which was also a record-setter.
The largest recipient is Scenarios USA, a nonprofit that that uses writing and filmmaking to foster youth leadership in under-served teens. The smallest is River Valley Ringers, a community handbell choir in Cleveland Heights. Others include EcoWatch, Building Bridges, LakewoodAlive, and numerous neighborhood development corps.
See all the grants here.
Mike Kubinski is positively full of holiday cheer. The co-founder of CLE Clothing Company, known for its funky, Cleveland-themed T-shirts and other apparel, just quit his day job and opened a new store at E. 4th and Euclid in downtown Cleveland. Since the venue opened just in time for Black Friday, it's been flush with visitors.
Kubinski's new apparel shop also is a big, fat present to Cleveland. Bearing the catchy slogan "Spreading Cleveland pride one T-shirt at a time," CLE Clothing has brought a fresh, new concept into retail-starved downtown Cleveland.
"Ari [Maron] really didn't want another restaurant; he wanted retail," says Kubinski, who hurried together the store concept after being recruited earlier this year by Maron, a principal of developer MRN Ltd. "It was a good fit because we offer something cool, positive and different from what's already there."
The downtown CLE Clothing outlet actually is the company's second store; the first, called Native Cleveland, is located on Waterloo in North Collinwood.
"We built our business online first, but then we had an overwhelming response when we did pop-up stores," says Kubinski. "We opened Native Cleveland as a test, and then Ari Maron approached us about a store on E. 4th Street."
The new store is located adjacent to Positively Cleveland, the travel and tourism agency for Northeast Ohio. A passageway allows visitors to travel between the two locations.
"We sort of act as the gift shop for people visiting downtown Cleveland," says Kubinski. "It's a cool relationship that's just beginning."
Source: Mike Kubinski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Kubinski's new apparel shop also is a big, fat present to Cleveland. Bearing the catchy slogan "Spreading Cleveland pride one T-shirt at a time," CLE Clothing has brought a fresh, new concept into retail-starved downtown Cleveland.
"Ari [Maron] really didn't want another restaurant; he wanted retail," says Kubinski, who hurried together the store concept after being recruited earlier this year by Maron, a principal of developer MRN Ltd. "It was a good fit because we offer something cool, positive and different from what's already there."
The downtown CLE Clothing outlet actually is the company's second store; the first, called Native Cleveland, is located on Waterloo in North Collinwood.
"We built our business online first, but then we had an overwhelming response when we did pop-up stores," says Kubinski. "We opened Native Cleveland as a test, and then Ari Maron approached us about a store on E. 4th Street."
The new store is located adjacent to Positively Cleveland, the travel and tourism agency for Northeast Ohio. A passageway allows visitors to travel between the two locations.
"We sort of act as the gift shop for people visiting downtown Cleveland," says Kubinski. "It's a cool relationship that's just beginning."
Source: Mike Kubinski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
NorTech was recently named a recipient of the State Science and Technology Institute’s 2011 Excellence in Technology-Based Economic Development (TBED) Awards. Now in its fifth year, the awards program identifies national models developed by states and regions to accelerate science, technology and innovation to grow their economies and create high-paying jobs.
NorTech won the Most Promising TBED Initiative award for its cluster model, which is currently being applied to advanced energy and flexible electronics industries. The model can also be applied to other industries.
"The SSTI award validates the NorTech model as a as a best practice approach to accelerate regional industry clusters,” says Rebecca Bagley, NorTech president and CEO. We look forward to continuing to apply our cluster development model to help companies grow, create jobs and attract capital to generate positive economic impact.”
NorTech is a nonprofit tech-based economic development organization serving 21 Northeast Ohio counties. As a catalyst for growing emerging technology industries, NorTech is leading efforts to develop regional innovation clusters that create jobs, attract capital and have a long-term, positive economic impact.
“The award brings external validation from national technology-based economic development practitioners for NorTech’s work and impact,” says Bagley. “From July 2010 to July 2011, advanced energy and flexible electronics cluster companies supported by NorTech have attracted $20.5 million in capital, created 171 jobs and generated $10.8 million in payroll.”
Source: Rebecca Bagley
Writer: Karin Connelly
NorTech won the Most Promising TBED Initiative award for its cluster model, which is currently being applied to advanced energy and flexible electronics industries. The model can also be applied to other industries.
"The SSTI award validates the NorTech model as a as a best practice approach to accelerate regional industry clusters,” says Rebecca Bagley, NorTech president and CEO. We look forward to continuing to apply our cluster development model to help companies grow, create jobs and attract capital to generate positive economic impact.”
NorTech is a nonprofit tech-based economic development organization serving 21 Northeast Ohio counties. As a catalyst for growing emerging technology industries, NorTech is leading efforts to develop regional innovation clusters that create jobs, attract capital and have a long-term, positive economic impact.
“The award brings external validation from national technology-based economic development practitioners for NorTech’s work and impact,” says Bagley. “From July 2010 to July 2011, advanced energy and flexible electronics cluster companies supported by NorTech have attracted $20.5 million in capital, created 171 jobs and generated $10.8 million in payroll.”
Source: Rebecca Bagley
Writer: Karin Connelly