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For Jonathan Husni, founder and president of Cleveland-based IT development firm Acendex, It's not enough to sit back and reflect on how his company emerged from the recession relatively unscathed. The fact that Acendex had no layoffs and managed to gain an impressive list of clients over the last few years motivates Husni and his team to set impressive goals for 2011.
"We are focusing on making raving fans of a number of new customers this year," says Husni. "Acendex anticipates double-digit growth in 2011 spurred by the onset of the economic recovery in the region -- particularly in the manufacturing sector -- which is empowering companies to take a second look at the way their information management solutions can be leveraged as competitive assets."
Thanks to "unprecedented demand" for a host solution for cloud computing, Acendex is advancing a new application of what it calls "Get Your Own Cloud!"
Advancements such as these have encouraged Husni to build up his IT team to meet existing and new customer needs. "Our take-no-prisoners approach to the cloud computing solution has won favor from the word go," Husni says, "and we are staffing up to meet customer demand for our outsourcing services."
In 2010, Acendex took on a number of new projects, such as providing an IT infrastructure with VOIP for Flack Steel, a Cleveland steel distributor.
SOURCE: Jonathan Husni
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"We are focusing on making raving fans of a number of new customers this year," says Husni. "Acendex anticipates double-digit growth in 2011 spurred by the onset of the economic recovery in the region -- particularly in the manufacturing sector -- which is empowering companies to take a second look at the way their information management solutions can be leveraged as competitive assets."
Thanks to "unprecedented demand" for a host solution for cloud computing, Acendex is advancing a new application of what it calls "Get Your Own Cloud!"
Advancements such as these have encouraged Husni to build up his IT team to meet existing and new customer needs. "Our take-no-prisoners approach to the cloud computing solution has won favor from the word go," Husni says, "and we are staffing up to meet customer demand for our outsourcing services."
In 2010, Acendex took on a number of new projects, such as providing an IT infrastructure with VOIP for Flack Steel, a Cleveland steel distributor.
SOURCE: Jonathan Husni
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The stately Tudor Arms has been vacant since 2007 when its last tenant, Cleveland Job Corps, moved to a new home. Now, thanks to a $22 million restoration project, the landmark property appears set to reclaim some of its former glory when it reopens this spring as a Double Tree Hotel. The project is the latest in a string of successful urban developments by local firm MRN Ltd.
Since 2001, Cleveland Public Theatre has been fostering original works by independent Northeast Ohio artists through its residency program. Titled Big [BOX], the program provides budding talent access to resources such as stage management, production staff, box office, and marketing and advertising support. For one week, artists are "given the keys to the theater" to polish their productions, culminating in a full-weekend run.
Last week, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA) figuratively broke ground on its new home at Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Road in University Circle.
Yet much like spring in Cleveland, MOCA's literal ground breaking, one hopes, isn't too far off. The 34,000-square-foot facility, which will cost nearly $27 million to build, is scheduled to begin construction within the next two months. The grand opening is slated to follow one year later.
Like other contemporary art museums, MOCA started small. In fact, the new museum represents something of a homecoming, since MOCA's original, late-1960s home was a rented house on nearby Bellflower Avenue. As modern art began to receive its due, so too did MOCA, expanding to the second floor of the Cleveland Playhouse on Carnegie, a spot that it has occupied for decades.
The new building, which was designed by London-based Foreign Office Architects (FOA), is itself a showpiece of modern architecture. Renderings of MOCA's new home show a sleek black stainless steel and glass exterior, with the luminescent, gem-like building lighting up the prominent corner at Euclid and Mayfield.
"This is the prow of the ship, the entry point into University Circle's Uptown neighborhood, and MOCA will be a beacon for something new and different," said Stuart Kohl, the co-chair of MOCA's capital campaign, at the groundbreaking.
The possibility of relocating to University Circle became real five years ago when Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), which owned the site, approached MOCA. "You don't just walk up and buy land in this unique principality," Kohl joked to supporters.
Jill Snyder, the museum's director, said that "pathological optimism" is required to make a large building project such as this one happen in the midst of a recession.
David Abbott, President of the Gund Foundation, told supporters that projects like this one are necessary for Cleveland to remain competitive in the global economy.
"Successful communities are in competition for global talent," he said. "Creating vibrant places is an essential part of recruiting and keeping talent in Northeast Ohio."
Source: Jill Snyder, Stuart Kohl, David Abbott
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet much like spring in Cleveland, MOCA's literal ground breaking, one hopes, isn't too far off. The 34,000-square-foot facility, which will cost nearly $27 million to build, is scheduled to begin construction within the next two months. The grand opening is slated to follow one year later.
Like other contemporary art museums, MOCA started small. In fact, the new museum represents something of a homecoming, since MOCA's original, late-1960s home was a rented house on nearby Bellflower Avenue. As modern art began to receive its due, so too did MOCA, expanding to the second floor of the Cleveland Playhouse on Carnegie, a spot that it has occupied for decades.
The new building, which was designed by London-based Foreign Office Architects (FOA), is itself a showpiece of modern architecture. Renderings of MOCA's new home show a sleek black stainless steel and glass exterior, with the luminescent, gem-like building lighting up the prominent corner at Euclid and Mayfield.
"This is the prow of the ship, the entry point into University Circle's Uptown neighborhood, and MOCA will be a beacon for something new and different," said Stuart Kohl, the co-chair of MOCA's capital campaign, at the groundbreaking.
The possibility of relocating to University Circle became real five years ago when Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), which owned the site, approached MOCA. "You don't just walk up and buy land in this unique principality," Kohl joked to supporters.
Jill Snyder, the museum's director, said that "pathological optimism" is required to make a large building project such as this one happen in the midst of a recession.
David Abbott, President of the Gund Foundation, told supporters that projects like this one are necessary for Cleveland to remain competitive in the global economy.
"Successful communities are in competition for global talent," he said. "Creating vibrant places is an essential part of recruiting and keeping talent in Northeast Ohio."
Source: Jill Snyder, Stuart Kohl, David Abbott
Writer: Lee Chilcote
POTUS is in the house
A recent TIME posting mentions President Obama's upcoming visit to Cleveland. President Obama and members of his cabinet, in association with Cleveland State University and Northeast Ohio organizations JumpStart and NorTech, will hold a "Winning the Future Forum on Small Business" on February 22.
The Forum will present an opportunity for small business owners to communicate their ideas for economic growth and creating jobs directly to the President and his economic team.
"In his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke of the need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our competitors in order to sustain our leadership and secure prosperity for all Americans."
Read the post here.
The Forum will present an opportunity for small business owners to communicate their ideas for economic growth and creating jobs directly to the President and his economic team.
"In his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke of the need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our competitors in order to sustain our leadership and secure prosperity for all Americans."
Read the post here.
Increasing the college attainment rate in Northeast Ohio by just one percent would mean an additional $2.8 billion for the region's economy. That statistic, courtesy of CEOs for Cities, a national civic lab composed of urban leaders, was part of the impetus for leaders of the Cleveland Scholarship Program to change the name of the 40-year-old organization and renew its focus to make college attainable for teens and young adults.
College Now Greater Cleveland, as the organization is officially now known, will continue to assist more than 20,000 students annually through advising, financial aid counseling and scholarship services. Some partners of the organization have stepped in to provide additional funding or opportunities. The PNC Foundation, for one, awarded a grant to College Now for advising services. PNC will also provide financial education programming, and Cleveland Clinic will offer college preparatory programs aimed at minority and disadvantaged students who want to attend college and pursue careers in science, medicine and business.
Other partners of College Now include the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), Cleveland State University and Tri-C.
College Now connects with local educational institutions to bolster higher education resources. According to Eric S. Gordon, chief academic officer for CMSD, College Now's strengthened focus meshes well with CMSD's own efforts to boost college attendance by graduates of the city's high schools. "CMSD is excited to continue our partnership with College Now to ensure high quality college counseling is available to all juniors and seniors as part of our Cleveland Goes to College program," Gordon says.
SOURCE: Eric S. Gordon
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
College Now Greater Cleveland, as the organization is officially now known, will continue to assist more than 20,000 students annually through advising, financial aid counseling and scholarship services. Some partners of the organization have stepped in to provide additional funding or opportunities. The PNC Foundation, for one, awarded a grant to College Now for advising services. PNC will also provide financial education programming, and Cleveland Clinic will offer college preparatory programs aimed at minority and disadvantaged students who want to attend college and pursue careers in science, medicine and business.
Other partners of College Now include the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), Cleveland State University and Tri-C.
College Now connects with local educational institutions to bolster higher education resources. According to Eric S. Gordon, chief academic officer for CMSD, College Now's strengthened focus meshes well with CMSD's own efforts to boost college attendance by graduates of the city's high schools. "CMSD is excited to continue our partnership with College Now to ensure high quality college counseling is available to all juniors and seniors as part of our Cleveland Goes to College program," Gordon says.
SOURCE: Eric S. Gordon
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
A new Mediterranean-themed restaurant will open this April in the Tudor Arms, a landmark at East 107th and Carnegie Avenue that is undergoing a $22-million makeover to a Double Tree Hotel.
The restaurant will be operated by Samir Khouri, owner of Somer's restaurants in Cleveland, Bedford and North Ridgeville, and Serge Elias, owner of Cedarland at the Clinic, a popular Middle Eastern Restaurant.
Tentatively called the Canopy, the restaurant will feature a menu offering both Mediterranean and American cuisine. It will serve hotel guests as well as the visiting public. It will also have a coffee bar, a party room, and a lounge that will stay open for late-night revelry.
"In addition to serving hotel guests and providing room service, we're marketing it as a meeting place for people who work in University Circle," says Khouri. "We will have valet service, and we're toying with the idea of offering a shuttle for Clinic employees."
The new restaurant offers a testament to the buying power of the University Circle area. With almost 40,000 full-time positions, the Circle is the second largest employment center in the region. A 2010 study by Real Estate Strategies Inc. showed the area is on track to produce about 10,000 new jobs between 2005 and 2015.
Although Cedarland may eventually close -- the building is slated to be demolished to accommodate the Cleveland Clinic's ever-growing appetite for expansion -- the timeline is uncertain, and Khouri says it will stay open at least another two years.
Source: Samir Khouri
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The restaurant will be operated by Samir Khouri, owner of Somer's restaurants in Cleveland, Bedford and North Ridgeville, and Serge Elias, owner of Cedarland at the Clinic, a popular Middle Eastern Restaurant.
Tentatively called the Canopy, the restaurant will feature a menu offering both Mediterranean and American cuisine. It will serve hotel guests as well as the visiting public. It will also have a coffee bar, a party room, and a lounge that will stay open for late-night revelry.
"In addition to serving hotel guests and providing room service, we're marketing it as a meeting place for people who work in University Circle," says Khouri. "We will have valet service, and we're toying with the idea of offering a shuttle for Clinic employees."
The new restaurant offers a testament to the buying power of the University Circle area. With almost 40,000 full-time positions, the Circle is the second largest employment center in the region. A 2010 study by Real Estate Strategies Inc. showed the area is on track to produce about 10,000 new jobs between 2005 and 2015.
Although Cedarland may eventually close -- the building is slated to be demolished to accommodate the Cleveland Clinic's ever-growing appetite for expansion -- the timeline is uncertain, and Khouri says it will stay open at least another two years.
Source: Samir Khouri
Writer: Lee Chilcote
paragon consulting 'hiring as fast as it can'
Founded in 1993, the IT consulting company Paragon Consulting has built an impressive client list that includes Cleveland Clinic, Charles Scwab and Heinen's. Paragon recently announced a partnership that will make it the Northeast Ohio distributor of iAPPS Product Suite, a web engagement platform developed by Bridgeline Digital that integrates e-commerce, e-marketing, SEO and web analysis with content management. Paragon also has partnerships with Microsoft and Site Core.
With all of this opportunity knocking on its door, Paragon is answering by expanding its workforce over the next few months.
"We will double the size of the company in May," says Frank McGee, Paragon business development executive. "We're hiring as fast as we can, mostly developers and QA people." Once the hirings are complete, Paragon will have 60 employees, McGee says.
Paragon has built relationships with businesses like Bridgeline Digital by strengthening its content management systems and e-commerce expertise. "Bridgeline went through a search process" for a Northeast Ohio distributor of iAPPS, McGee says. "They vetted us and saw we knew what we were doing."
McGee says Paragon concentrates on large, local clients, such as Forest City and major law firms, although from time to time the company ventures outside the regional boundaries to form relationships with clients. Bridgeline purchased Tenth Floor, a Cleveland-based web application company, in 2008.
You can learn more about Paragon's new partnership with Bridgeline by visiting http://www.paragon-inc.com/index.php/partners.
SOURCE: Frank McGee
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
With all of this opportunity knocking on its door, Paragon is answering by expanding its workforce over the next few months.
"We will double the size of the company in May," says Frank McGee, Paragon business development executive. "We're hiring as fast as we can, mostly developers and QA people." Once the hirings are complete, Paragon will have 60 employees, McGee says.
Paragon has built relationships with businesses like Bridgeline Digital by strengthening its content management systems and e-commerce expertise. "Bridgeline went through a search process" for a Northeast Ohio distributor of iAPPS, McGee says. "They vetted us and saw we knew what we were doing."
McGee says Paragon concentrates on large, local clients, such as Forest City and major law firms, although from time to time the company ventures outside the regional boundaries to form relationships with clients. Bridgeline purchased Tenth Floor, a Cleveland-based web application company, in 2008.
You can learn more about Paragon's new partnership with Bridgeline by visiting http://www.paragon-inc.com/index.php/partners.
SOURCE: Frank McGee
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Through its residency program, Big [BOX], Cleveland Public Theatre fosters original works by independent Northeast Ohio artists. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski sat in on the rehearsals of two past and one upcoming production -- "Fast Forward-Rewind-Stop," "Cowboy Poet" and "Through Her Eyes" -- and prepared this engrossing pictorial feature. Please turn off cell phones before taking your seat.
rainey institute's new digs opens door for new program
The Rainey Institute recently moved a few doors down on East 55th from where it has been providing arts instruction for urban youth since the 1960s. The move has proven to be even more significant than those involved with the organization could have imagined. Since opening the 25,000-square-foot facility in the Hough neighborhood, Rainey has discovered new opportunities to bring arts offerings to its students.
One of the most significant of these is the selection of Rainey to host an intensive music program that began several years ago in Venezuela and has made its way around the world.
Lee Lazar, executive director of the Insitute, says that Rainey will be the home of a new El Sistema USA program. El Sistema started in Venezuela in the 1980s to empower disadvantaged youth through ensemble music. El Sistema USA brings this opportunity to communities around the United States.
Cleveland Orchestra violinist Isabel Trautwein recently received a one-year fellowship to study the concepts of El Sistema. After touring the new Rainey facilities, Trautwein and others involved with the project decided it would be an ideal location for the program.
Students selected for the El Sistema USA program take part in an intensive, five-day-a-week musical workshop. After several months in the program, which will begin sometime this year, the students will have the opportunity to perform at Severance Hall.
Lazar credits Rainey's new music studios, sound-proof private lesson rooms and state-of-the-art theater as being a large part of what attracted Trautwein and El Sistema to Rainey. "It's all because of the building," he says.
SOURCE: Rainey Institute
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
One of the most significant of these is the selection of Rainey to host an intensive music program that began several years ago in Venezuela and has made its way around the world.
Lee Lazar, executive director of the Insitute, says that Rainey will be the home of a new El Sistema USA program. El Sistema started in Venezuela in the 1980s to empower disadvantaged youth through ensemble music. El Sistema USA brings this opportunity to communities around the United States.
Cleveland Orchestra violinist Isabel Trautwein recently received a one-year fellowship to study the concepts of El Sistema. After touring the new Rainey facilities, Trautwein and others involved with the project decided it would be an ideal location for the program.
Students selected for the El Sistema USA program take part in an intensive, five-day-a-week musical workshop. After several months in the program, which will begin sometime this year, the students will have the opportunity to perform at Severance Hall.
Lazar credits Rainey's new music studios, sound-proof private lesson rooms and state-of-the-art theater as being a large part of what attracted Trautwein and El Sistema to Rainey. "It's all because of the building," he says.
SOURCE: Rainey Institute
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
ny times' 'disunion' series tracks lincoln
The New York Times opinion pages series "Disunion" recently covered President Lincoln's visit to Cleveland on February 15, 1861, just months before the outbreak of the Civil War.
"Disunion revisits and reconsiders America's most perilous period -- using contemporary accounts, diaries, images and historical assessments to follow the Civil War as it unfolded."
Cleveland was already an important part of the country's emerging economic heartland, and by 1865 it would be one of the top five refining centers in the United States.
30,000 people lined the streets in anticipation of Lincoln's arrival in Cleveland. He gave a speech in the evening from the balcony of his hotel, the Weddell House, to a crowd of about 10,000. He reassured the audience that the nation's growing crisis was "'artificial,' and would disappear if people relaxed."
"It was an unrealistic hope, and mollified neither his supporters on the Republican side, looking for iron, nor those on the side of secession, for whom their separation was rapidly becoming a reality (Jefferson Davis was en route to his inaugural, only three days away)."
Read the account here.
"Disunion revisits and reconsiders America's most perilous period -- using contemporary accounts, diaries, images and historical assessments to follow the Civil War as it unfolded."
Cleveland was already an important part of the country's emerging economic heartland, and by 1865 it would be one of the top five refining centers in the United States.
30,000 people lined the streets in anticipation of Lincoln's arrival in Cleveland. He gave a speech in the evening from the balcony of his hotel, the Weddell House, to a crowd of about 10,000. He reassured the audience that the nation's growing crisis was "'artificial,' and would disappear if people relaxed."
"It was an unrealistic hope, and mollified neither his supporters on the Republican side, looking for iron, nor those on the side of secession, for whom their separation was rapidly becoming a reality (Jefferson Davis was en route to his inaugural, only three days away)."
Read the account here.
In 2010, MetroHealth
began testing a surgical solution for high blood pressure, became the
only Ohio hospital chosen to participate in the Major Extremity Trauma
Research Consortium to benefit injured servicemen and women, launched
MetroExpressCare to address the needs of urgent care patients, and
provided resources for the identification of the first gene associated
with age-related cataracts.
All the while, the hospital system has kept its eye on sustainable business practices that resulted in a budget surplus last year. MetroHealth currently has about 6,000 employees.
Revenue over expenses for MetroHealth in 2010 totaled $27 million, and operating income decreased from $37.7 million in 2009 to $23.8 million last year. These numbers are in keeping with the health system's goal of maintaining sustainable business practices, which, according to MetroHealth CEO and president Mark Moran, means being able to support the hospital's mission of providing high-quality and affordable care.
Throughout 2011, MetroHealth will be addressing challenges that include a continuing decline in inpatient volumes and rising charity care. The total cost of charity care provided by MetroHealth last year was up $9 million over the previous year.
SOURCE: MetroHealth
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
All the while, the hospital system has kept its eye on sustainable business practices that resulted in a budget surplus last year. MetroHealth currently has about 6,000 employees.
Revenue over expenses for MetroHealth in 2010 totaled $27 million, and operating income decreased from $37.7 million in 2009 to $23.8 million last year. These numbers are in keeping with the health system's goal of maintaining sustainable business practices, which, according to MetroHealth CEO and president Mark Moran, means being able to support the hospital's mission of providing high-quality and affordable care.
Throughout 2011, MetroHealth will be addressing challenges that include a continuing decline in inpatient volumes and rising charity care. The total cost of charity care provided by MetroHealth last year was up $9 million over the previous year.
SOURCE: MetroHealth
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Artist Nicolette Capuano has spent the past year painstakingly restoring the ornate plaster trim and low relief sculptures in the Tudor Arms building.
Yet she's doing more than simply recreating the past; she has worked closely with building owner Rick Maron and designer Cindy Rae Cohen to create her own masterpieces -- original, hand-painted murals -- that will grace the landmark structure.
"We wanted to highlight the beauty of this historic building while adding a more contemporary touch," says Capuano, who started her company, Beyond the Wall Mural Design, after graduating from Columbus College of Art and Design in 2005.
"Blending the historic and contemporary is definitely a trend in interior design these days," Capuano adds. "We wanted to create something that felt somewhat timeless."
In April, MRN Ltd. will complete a $22 million restoration of the Tudor Arms building, converting it to a new 154-room Double Tree Hotel. The vestibule that Capuano restored will be the hotel's main entrance, while the rejuvenated ballrooms will be used for special events. (See comprehensive Tudor Arms feature in next week's Fresh Water.)
In addition to the mural restoration, Capuano also helped repair the building's one-of-a-kind plaster work where it was damaged or missing pieces. This labor-intensive process required making custom molds, recreating each piece by hand, and patching it in.
When she couldn't find the color she wanted for the trim, Capuano created one from scratch.
"The Tudor umber that we used to glaze the plaster work was hand-mixed," says Capuano. "I went through all of the Sherwin-Williams colors, but I couldn't find exactly what we wanted. I'm a perfectionist, so I kept mixing colors until I got it right."
Source: Nicolette Capuano
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet she's doing more than simply recreating the past; she has worked closely with building owner Rick Maron and designer Cindy Rae Cohen to create her own masterpieces -- original, hand-painted murals -- that will grace the landmark structure.
"We wanted to highlight the beauty of this historic building while adding a more contemporary touch," says Capuano, who started her company, Beyond the Wall Mural Design, after graduating from Columbus College of Art and Design in 2005.
"Blending the historic and contemporary is definitely a trend in interior design these days," Capuano adds. "We wanted to create something that felt somewhat timeless."
In April, MRN Ltd. will complete a $22 million restoration of the Tudor Arms building, converting it to a new 154-room Double Tree Hotel. The vestibule that Capuano restored will be the hotel's main entrance, while the rejuvenated ballrooms will be used for special events. (See comprehensive Tudor Arms feature in next week's Fresh Water.)
In addition to the mural restoration, Capuano also helped repair the building's one-of-a-kind plaster work where it was damaged or missing pieces. This labor-intensive process required making custom molds, recreating each piece by hand, and patching it in.
When she couldn't find the color she wanted for the trim, Capuano created one from scratch.
"The Tudor umber that we used to glaze the plaster work was hand-mixed," says Capuano. "I went through all of the Sherwin-Williams colors, but I couldn't find exactly what we wanted. I'm a perfectionist, so I kept mixing colors until I got it right."
Source: Nicolette Capuano
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) will soon break ground on SmartHome Cleveland, a passively-heated home that does not require a furnace and is designed to challenge the way that people think about the issue of climate change.
The 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom home will be presented in conjunction with the traveling exhibit, Climate Change, from June to September 2011.
"The SmartHome will show that it's possible to use dramatically less energy in our buildings -- and they can be wonderful places to live," says David Beach, Executive Director of Green City Blue Lake (GCBL), a center for regional sustainability located at the museum.
The SmartHome, which was designed by Doty and Miller Architects and will be the first of its kind in Cleveland, incorporates Passive House Methodology. This approach includes high levels of insulation, featuring wall thicknesses of up to 18 inches, a carefully sealed building envelope that combines minimal air leakage with efficient heat-recovery ventilation, and triple-pane windows.
Heated by a small, supplementary heater, the SmartHome's energy efficient design along with the solar panels on a detached garage will make it a net-zero energy consumer.
Beach describes bringing the SmartHome to University Circle as "something of a barn raising." While planning the project, GCBL worked with neighboring institutions and community groups to identify how the home could best fit into the community.
Ultimately, they decided that a home this smart couldn't remain a museum showpiece for long. This fall, the home will be transported to a vacant lot on nearby Wade Park Avenue in Glenville, where it will be offered for sale to a buyer. The home, which will cost about $525,000 to build, will be priced between $300,000 and $400,000.
Beach is already honing his sales pitch for winter-weary Northeast Ohioans. Tired of paying high heating bills? "You could heat this house with a hairdryer," he jokes.
Source: David Beach
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom home will be presented in conjunction with the traveling exhibit, Climate Change, from June to September 2011.
"The SmartHome will show that it's possible to use dramatically less energy in our buildings -- and they can be wonderful places to live," says David Beach, Executive Director of Green City Blue Lake (GCBL), a center for regional sustainability located at the museum.
The SmartHome, which was designed by Doty and Miller Architects and will be the first of its kind in Cleveland, incorporates Passive House Methodology. This approach includes high levels of insulation, featuring wall thicknesses of up to 18 inches, a carefully sealed building envelope that combines minimal air leakage with efficient heat-recovery ventilation, and triple-pane windows.
Heated by a small, supplementary heater, the SmartHome's energy efficient design along with the solar panels on a detached garage will make it a net-zero energy consumer.
Beach describes bringing the SmartHome to University Circle as "something of a barn raising." While planning the project, GCBL worked with neighboring institutions and community groups to identify how the home could best fit into the community.
Ultimately, they decided that a home this smart couldn't remain a museum showpiece for long. This fall, the home will be transported to a vacant lot on nearby Wade Park Avenue in Glenville, where it will be offered for sale to a buyer. The home, which will cost about $525,000 to build, will be priced between $300,000 and $400,000.
Beach is already honing his sales pitch for winter-weary Northeast Ohioans. Tired of paying high heating bills? "You could heat this house with a hairdryer," he jokes.
Source: David Beach
Writer: Lee Chilcote
GLBC ranks #22 on "top brewers" list
Great Lakes Brewing Company, Ohio's first and most celebrated craft brewer, ranked #22 out of 25 "Top Brewers" in the latest issue of Beer Advocate, a respected monthly magazine dedicated entirely to beer. Beer Advocate reviewed hundreds of thousands of customer beer reviews for their annual "Best of" issue, which is now on shelves.
Beer Advocate also included two Great Lakes Brewing Company beers, Dortmunder Gold Lager and Eliot Ness Amber Lager, on its list of "Top Lighter Lagers." Both lagers also recently received gold medals at the World Beer Championship.
Great Lakes Brewing Company was the first microbrewery in Ohio and remains the state's most award-winning brewer.
Drink up the good news here.
Beer Advocate also included two Great Lakes Brewing Company beers, Dortmunder Gold Lager and Eliot Ness Amber Lager, on its list of "Top Lighter Lagers." Both lagers also recently received gold medals at the World Beer Championship.
Great Lakes Brewing Company was the first microbrewery in Ohio and remains the state's most award-winning brewer.
Drink up the good news here.
cle among 'world's most visionary cities'
A recent Travel + Leisure article features Cleveland as one of the world's most visionary cities. Advances in urban farming account for Cleveland's inclusion on the list.
The former Galleria at Erieview mall hosts one such project, "Gardens Under Glass." The mall's glass-covered atrium combined with a hydroponics system has created an ideal greenhouse setting. The spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables harvested are sold at the mall's weekly farmers market.
The Travel + Leisure posting included other impressive projects from around the world, notably Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, which "promises to be the world's most sustainable urban locale" upon its completion in 2020. Seoul's multilevel, solar-powered Paik Nam June Media Bridge, which features gardens, a library, a museum, and stores, topped the list. The article also highlights cutting-edge public housing projects in Paris, the "ideal public transport system" of Curitiba, Brazil, and the massive bike-share program of Hangzhou, China.
The list also offers a look into possible cities of the future, including the SeaScraper, which "would be anchored in areas with strong oceanic currents to power underwater turbines and provide endless free energy." A desalination plant would supply drinking water, and the SeaScraper would disperse nutrient-packed water to promote phytoplankton growth, ideally creating a reeflike environment that would attract fish.
Read the rest here.
The former Galleria at Erieview mall hosts one such project, "Gardens Under Glass." The mall's glass-covered atrium combined with a hydroponics system has created an ideal greenhouse setting. The spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables harvested are sold at the mall's weekly farmers market.
The Travel + Leisure posting included other impressive projects from around the world, notably Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, which "promises to be the world's most sustainable urban locale" upon its completion in 2020. Seoul's multilevel, solar-powered Paik Nam June Media Bridge, which features gardens, a library, a museum, and stores, topped the list. The article also highlights cutting-edge public housing projects in Paris, the "ideal public transport system" of Curitiba, Brazil, and the massive bike-share program of Hangzhou, China.
The list also offers a look into possible cities of the future, including the SeaScraper, which "would be anchored in areas with strong oceanic currents to power underwater turbines and provide endless free energy." A desalination plant would supply drinking water, and the SeaScraper would disperse nutrient-packed water to promote phytoplankton growth, ideally creating a reeflike environment that would attract fish.
Read the rest here.
At a public meeting held last week at Market Avenue Wine Bar, planners showed off designs for the future Market Square Park, an Ohio City park slated to receive a $1.5 million makeover this year from the city.
"We hope the new Market Square Park will become the de facto outdoor dining room for the West Side Market," says Ben Trimble, Program Manager with the Ohio City Near West Development Corporation (OCNW). Trimble says the park, located at the corner of Lorain and West 25th, will complement the redevelopment taking place elsewhere in the area.
Plans for revamping the park, which was completed in 1979, date back to at least 2004. OCNW selected it as a candidate for overhaul because of its dated design, lack of connection to the commercial district, and a perception that the park is unsafe.
The park, which was the original site for the West Side Market before the current building was constructed in 1912, has been a focus area for OCNW. The nonprofit helps to coordinate Open Air in Market Square, an outdoor bazaar that takes place on Saturdays throughout the summer, as well as other park programs.
When construction wraps up this fall, Trimble says the park will have "harvest tables" with bench seating, rows of new trees, public artwork with an "orchard ladder" theme defining the park's entranceway, attractive brick pavers, and an elevated stage that will be used for live music, outdoor movies, and other public performances.
Attractive new bus shelters will also be installed outside of Market Square Park. Parkworks and Cleveland Public Art, two nonprofit groups that worked on the park's redesign, say the bus shelters will be well-used. The Lorain and West 25th intersection has the second highest use of any transit waiting area in the city, second only to Public Square.
Source: Ben Trimble
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We hope the new Market Square Park will become the de facto outdoor dining room for the West Side Market," says Ben Trimble, Program Manager with the Ohio City Near West Development Corporation (OCNW). Trimble says the park, located at the corner of Lorain and West 25th, will complement the redevelopment taking place elsewhere in the area.
Plans for revamping the park, which was completed in 1979, date back to at least 2004. OCNW selected it as a candidate for overhaul because of its dated design, lack of connection to the commercial district, and a perception that the park is unsafe.
The park, which was the original site for the West Side Market before the current building was constructed in 1912, has been a focus area for OCNW. The nonprofit helps to coordinate Open Air in Market Square, an outdoor bazaar that takes place on Saturdays throughout the summer, as well as other park programs.
When construction wraps up this fall, Trimble says the park will have "harvest tables" with bench seating, rows of new trees, public artwork with an "orchard ladder" theme defining the park's entranceway, attractive brick pavers, and an elevated stage that will be used for live music, outdoor movies, and other public performances.
Attractive new bus shelters will also be installed outside of Market Square Park. Parkworks and Cleveland Public Art, two nonprofit groups that worked on the park's redesign, say the bus shelters will be well-used. The Lorain and West 25th intersection has the second highest use of any transit waiting area in the city, second only to Public Square.
Source: Ben Trimble
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A drug that has shown promise in the treatment of cardiovascular disease
will now be evaluated for effectiveness in healing wounds, thanks to a
joint capital investment. SironRX Therapeutics has received a $500,000
investment from Cleveland Clinic and JumpStart Ventures.
The money will allow SironRX to continue evaluations on its lead drug,
JVS-100, which contains an engineered version of a naturally occurring
molecular factor called Stromal cell-Derived Factor-1 (SDF-1). SDF-1
promotes tissue repair.
"This investment will allow SironRX to make significant progress toward initiation of a Phase II clinical study evaluating the potential for JVS-100 to accelerate dermal wound repair and reduce scarring," says Rahul Aras, CEO of SironRX. "JVS-100 is already being evaluated for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, and it is exciting to broaden the scope of therapeutic potential for this drug."
SironRX is an offshoot of Juventas Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company developing regenerative therapies to treat life-threatening diseases. Juventas licensed JVS-100's intellectual property from Cleveland Clinic in 2007. Aras also serves as CEO of Juventas.
SOURCE: Rahul Aras
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"This investment will allow SironRX to make significant progress toward initiation of a Phase II clinical study evaluating the potential for JVS-100 to accelerate dermal wound repair and reduce scarring," says Rahul Aras, CEO of SironRX. "JVS-100 is already being evaluated for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, and it is exciting to broaden the scope of therapeutic potential for this drug."
SironRX is an offshoot of Juventas Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company developing regenerative therapies to treat life-threatening diseases. Juventas licensed JVS-100's intellectual property from Cleveland Clinic in 2007. Aras also serves as CEO of Juventas.
SOURCE: Rahul Aras
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Winners of a new entrepreneurial contest will have the opportunity to develop a novel idea or product that embodies the innovative spirit described in President Obama's State of the Union address. Cleveland's recently launched Manufacturing Mart has announced a competition called "The Export Experiment," a new-product competition designed to grow business for American component manufacturers.