For decades, the east side of Cleveland was almost hopelessly cut off from its lakefront by scars of past planning mistakes -- the ugly sutures of highways, concrete barriers, railroads and, of course, industry.

No more. With the opening this week of the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve, these impoverished neighborhoods -- and indeed, all of Greater Cleveland and beyond -- have access to a premiere wildlife habitat in the heart of the city.

This new, 88-acre urban preserve is located just north of where Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. meets I-90, and it is accessible from Lakeshore Boulevard before it enters Bratenahl. The park is built upon the former Dike 14, a dredging disposal facility operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1979 until 1999.

For more than a decade, a coalition of environmental groups calling themselves the Dike 14 Nature Preservation Committee has been fighting to turn this manmade outcropping into a park. Their vision was simple: no ballfields, just park benches and a loop trail that allow visitors a peaceful retreat among the flora and fauna, as well as stupendous view of downtown Cleveland from the "beak" of the park.

Thanks to the critical leadership of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority, this vision finally became a reality. When new CEO Will Friedman took the Port's helm, he made the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve an institutional priority. The Port will continue to manage and oversee the Preserve now that it's open.

Despite the barbed wire fences, birds still stop here on their annual migrations, trees and plants grow in abandon, and many animals call this place home. (Truth is: hikers, birders and wildlife lovers have been slipping through a neglected gap in the fence for more than a decade to enjoy winsome walks along the coast.)

Still -- there's something to be said for the fact that it's now official.


Source: Earthday Coalition
Writer: Lee Chilcote

This week, the partners planning the West Side Market's Centennial Celebration unveiled a trio of unprecedented special events that will celebrate its wealth of small businesses, unite food lovers across the region and launch the icon's next 100 years. They include a family-friendly party and ice cream social by Mitchell's Ice Cream on Saturday, June 2, as well as a street festival with food trucks and Parade the Circle puppets on Sunday, October 7.

"The West Side Market is the most important icon in the City of Cleveland," said Ward 3 Councilman Joe Cimperman at a press conference at the Market this past Monday. "This place brings us together as a city."

The West Side Market Centennial events have also spurred a small but important shift within the venerable institution. For the first time in its 100-year history, the market will be open on a Sunday during the October 7 celebration. The nonprofit Ohio City Inc. has been working with the West Side Market for several years to boost its marketing efforts and broaden its already diverse appeal.

"There truly is a new energy in the neighborhood that is complementing the energy that's been here for 100 years," said Eric Wobser, Director of OCI.

No major changes will be made to the market or its offerings this year. Instead, a facilities assessment is being conducted that will guide future decision-making.

As part of the celebration, organizers are also planning a birthday gala on November 2nd that will feature celebrity chefs Jonathon Sawyer and Michael Symon, as well as a dozen or so of their chef friends from across the country.

Charter One Bank, which has made a $200,000 gift, is the presenting sponsor of the celebration. Other goings-on include the International Public Markets Conference from Sept. 21-23 and the fall release of a new book by Laura Taxel and Marilous Suszko, "The West Side Market: 100 Years and Still Cooking."


Source: Ohio City Inc.
Writer: Lee Chilcote

In a few months, beer lovers who have conquered the Winking Lizard World Tour of Beers will have another well-stocked venue where they can wet their whistles. When the popular Winking Lizard chain opens Lizardville in the Galleria this summer, as many as 32 draft beers from Ohio and contiguous states will be available on tap. The venue also will serve Ohio-made whiskey and wine, plus a full menu of food crafted from local ingredients.

Winking Lizard owner John Lane announced plans to bring his successful Lizardville concept, which first opened in Bedford Heights last year, to downtown Cleveland. He plans to take over a former art gallery space on the first floor near Dollar Bank, while adding a 1,000- to 2,000-square-foot patio with a bar.

What distinguishes Lizardville from Winking Lizard is the concept of specializing in locally made libations of all stripes.

"I don't know of another place downtown where you can get all of these Ohio beers on tap," says Lane. "We're bullish on the area because it is so close to the new Medical Mart, Convention Center and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When people come to visit Cleveland from out of town, they ask the bartender, 'What do you have that's local?'"

Lane is bringing the Lizardville brand to other cities in Northeast Ohio, including a location in Rocky River that will offer beer and wine to go at retail prices, like the original in Bedford Heights.


Source: The Winking Lizard
Writer: Lee Chilcote

"When it comes to U.S. job growth, startup companies aren't everything. They're the only thing." That's the conclusion of a study released last year by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Missouri. The study goes on to argue that the U.S. would be better off investing in assisting entrepreneurs rather than helping established companies, because the former are creating jobs while the latter are merely shedding them.

That kind of thinking is on display daily at Baldwin-Wallace College (BW), which created the Center for Innovation and Growth (CIG) to support student entrepreneurship and innovation. This month, BW announced that it has landed a $1 million grant from the Phillip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Fund of Fort Lauderdale, Florida to support student entrepreneurship programs.

The CIG is designed to facilitate collaborations and small group discussions among students, faculty and business collaborators. Each year, approximately 40 students are selected to be CIG student fellows. As a cohort, these students engage with business leaders, learn concepts of innovation and work on hands-on projects. At the end of their fellowship, they also make a team presentation of their project findings to a client company's senior management team.

According to the nonprofit Jumpstart Inc., more than 50 percent of people age 18-24 indicate that they're planning to or have already started a business. Even students who don't start their own companies may end up working for an entrepreneur. That's why Jumpstart and other collaborators have focused on growing the collegiate entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northeast Ohio.


Source: Jumpstart Inc., Baldwin-Wallace College
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Adam and Susan Fleischer of the Wine Spot in Cleveland Heights have opened a boutique wine and craft beer store at a time when many big box retailers are vying for this same business. Yet, spend a few minutes with them and you'll realize that their infectious enthusiasm and love of wine is also backed up by creativity and a solid business plan.

Adam Fleischer first developed the store concept as a way to ditch his fast-paced corporate lifestyle, spend more time with his family and do something he loves.

"My wife and I came back to Cleveland from Washington D.C. after our son was born, but my job had me traveling 100 percent of the time," he explains. "I got burned out on the corporate scene and really began to miss my family. So we decided to take our passion and hobby and turn it into a business."

Fleischer freely admits that opening a retail wine and beer store is a "high-risk proposition" these days, yet says he's identified a niche market that is a unique destination. The Wine Spot is more than just a run-of-the-mill beverage store; rather, it's a place where one comes to learn about wine and beer, sample new favorites, and simply enjoy the company of others in a great atmosphere.

Once patrons discover the gorgeous interior, most won't want to leave, Fleischer adds. The store is filled with custom-built wine racks, tables built from repurposed wood by A Piece of Cleveland, an authentic tile floor from the days when it housed Bruder's Dairy, and a large, comfortable bar area. For more than 50 years, the space housed neighborhood favorite Seitz-Agin Hardware.

Fleischer says it's perfect for his diverse Cleveland Heights clientele, who are all passionate about the history represented in the community. "It still feels like an old Cleveland Heights shop, but with all of the modern conveniences."


Source: Adam Fleischer
Writer: Lee Chilcote

These days, creative pop-up events are a fixture of the modern social scene, adding delightful, ephemeral energy to our streets, neighborhoods and retail districts. Yet even in this spirited era of pop-up dining, pop-up shopping, pop-up book release parties and even pop-up Santa races, the Cleveland Urban Iditarod still is pretty darn unique.

This new, one-of-a-kind event mimics the famous Alaskan Iditarod sled dog race, except that the dogs will be replaced by humans, the snow gear supplanted by wacky costumes, and the sleds are -- wait for it -- food-filled shopping carts.

In addition to the wacky race itself, there will be a talent contest, costume contest and pub crawl. The whole event is actually a food drive for Harvest for Hunger, with participants mushing 40 pounds of non-perishable items.

Here's how it works: Teams have five people and all "sleds" must be pulled a la dog sledding -- four people in front of the cart pulling with ropes and one person behind the cart steering it. Everyone must make it past the finish line.

Helmets are recommended, but stealing shopping carts is not. The YoYoSyndicate, the team of self-proclaimed "creative freaks" behind this "on-demand creative experience," is working on procuring a few reasonably-priced shopping carts.

Event organizer Aaron Erb says that the Cleveland Urban Iditarod and other YoYoSyndicate events offer ways to keep young, creative people in Cleveland. "These are creative events geared towards creative people," he says.

Think you got what it takes? Registering your team is only $45 until Feb. 24th.


Source: Aaron Erb
Writer; Lee Chilcote

The foreclosure prevention plans that President Obama announced in his recent State of the Union address may help struggling Northeast Ohio homeowners, says Lou Tisler of the nonprofit Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), but our hard-hit region is not out of the woods yet.

"When lenders and government-sponsored entities such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac look at what keeps people out of foreclosure, they see it's principal reduction," says Tisler. "The new program that the Obama administration has proposed offers triple the incentives to lenders to keep people in their homes through principal reduction."

Although Tisler says that it's "obscene" that the government must provide lenders with additional help, he adds that it's crucial that lenders come to the table and negotiate. "Banks continue to say that they can't reduce principal because that would mean that every homeowner would want a reduction. Yet we're not seeing people strategically defaulting and trashing their credit ratings. People are coming through our door nonstop, and until they're gainfully employed, it won't stop."

Unfortunately, Tisler does see an end to the steady stream of people calling his office seeking help. Yet he believes that principal reductions, more effective foreclosure relief and an economic uptick that reduces unemployment will eventually reduce foreclosures. Until then, he says, Northeast Ohio can continue to expect the foreclosure problem to be an unwelcome guest on its doorstep.


Source: Lou Tisler
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The Fowler Center for Sustainable Value at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University has recently introduced a new form of sustainable consulting for small and medium-sized businesses.

In partnership with True Market Solutions, a San Francisco-based company, the Fowler Center introduced its Sustainability Circles initiative in October. The effort aims to help such businesses enhance their performance by fully integrating sustainable business practices into what they do.

The Fowler Center's Sustainability Circles include both peer-based learning and professional advising. The program brings up to nine organizations at a time into a peer learning community for one day a month for six months. Sustainable business practice topics range from the built environment to operational environments.

At the end of the process, Sustainability Circles participants walk away with specific outcomes that are intended to help them transition into more sustainable, effective businesses. Such results include a complete carbon footprint analysis, an initial project and a customized Sustainability Action Plan.

"This is about a whole new lens for business," says Beau Daane, Manager of the Fowler Center. "In a world with rising customer expectations and declining natural resources, businesses have to consider sustainable value or they'll be left in the dust. For us, this is where the scholarship meets the practice."


Source: Beau Daane
Writer: Lee Chilcote

A few weeks ago, Cleveland Heights City Council passed legislation that allows residents to purchase city-owned residential lots for as little as $100. With this move, the inner ring suburb became the latest city in Northeast Ohio to encourage "blotting," the practice of homeowners absorbing adjacent lots for yard expansion, urban gardening or beautification.

Like many inner ring suburbs, Cleveland Heights has been hard hit by foreclosure and vacancy in recent years, and has pressed hard to demolish homes that it deems beyond saving. As a result, it has acquired vacant lots. City officials deem selling these lots as one way to re-purpose these once-blighted properties.

The city plans to offer these vacant properties to individuals who own the adjacent properties. If both of the neighboring owners are interested, the lot could possibly be split or sold to the highest bidder. Six to 12 properties currently are  available, with more expected to become available later this year.

Although the lots are large enough to accommodate new homes, the city expects most of them to be used for activities like gardening and neighborhood cookouts.


Source: City of Cleveland Heights
Writer: Lee Chilcote

At last count, Ohio City was home to nearly 90 nonprofit organizations and community groups. Combined they employ 3,000 individuals and have a collective budget totaling several hundred million dollars. They also attract over 100,000 customers annually, and boast more than 10,000 committed volunteers.

Since the recession began, the groups that make up this sizeable nonprofit community have met regularly to discuss ways to combine purchasing, share services and leverage their resources. Such conversations have led to Ohio City Dialogues, an effort to bring together and strengthen the nonprofits in the neighborhood that is being managed by the community development corporation Ohio City Inc.

"These groups are able to accomplish more and better achieve their missions by working together," says Jeffrey Verespej, Director of Operations and Advocacy with Ohio City Inc. "They are able to get better services at lower rates because they're sharing the burden across so many different organizations."

The group is now working with the Sourcing Office, a local company that helps governments, businesses and nonprofits obtain competitive rates for goods and services. Recently, they crafted a Request for Proposals for an information technology provider and selected Onelink, a Westlake-based company.

Verespej says that the Ohio City Dialogues group will display its growing influence in the coming year. The group is planning to hold its annual meeting in March, with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

"There's a real nonprofit economy here, and nonprofits have an economic impact that's not often seen," Verespej says. "We think we can tell a different story, and leverage nonprofits into a stronger impact for the community."


Source: Jeff Verespej
Writer: Lee Chilcote

A few short months ago, the vacant, boarded-up commercial property at E. 156th Street and Waterloo Road was like a "Berlin Wall," says Brian Friedman, director of Northeast Shores Community Development Corporation. Passers-by on their way to concerts at the popular Beachland Ballroom were treated to the building's dark, unfriendly visage. Rather than a  welcoming gateway to this up-and-coming, arts-friendly community, the structure served as an ugly reminder of the blight nipping at its heels.

Today, the building remains stubbornly vacant. Yet, it's been festooned with a bright, colorful mural signaling the entrance to the the Waterloo Arts District, thanks to a partnership between Northeast Shores and a local graffiti artist.

"The mural is designed to be temporary, since we'd prefer the building to be occupied, but unfortunately difficult commercial projects can take years," says Friedman. "The mural also works well with our recently-launched Artists in Residence initiative, a grant program to deal with issues like vacancy."

The $5,000 mural was completed by Massillon artist Steve Ehret, who has participated in several pop-up galleries in the neighborhood. Friedman hopes it will become the first of many such creative, artistic interventions in North Collinwood.

Last summer, North Collinwood was selected as the location for a two-year, $500,000 pilot program that will use artist-based development to revitalize one urban neighborhood. The program is being managed by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) and Northeast Shores.


Source: Brian Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Liz Maugins of Zygote Press remembers the moment in 2008 when she realized just how fragile her own organization's existence was in Cleveland's ever-shrinking nonprofit ecosystem. Like many nonprofit groups, she was looking at fewer philanthropic dollars during the worst recession in decades. Meanwhile, many foundations were stressing collaboration or proposing outright mergers.

"Like a lot of nonprofit leaders, I was freaking out and wondering what would come our way," recounts Maugins, who worried that her small nonprofit would be wiped out by the tidal wave of the national recession. "So I started sending out messages to other arts leaders to see if they were feeling the same thing."

Not surprisingly, other nonprofit leaders were losing sleep over their situations, too. Yet rather than retreating to their own private islands to struggle in maudlin isolation, Maugins and her colleagues banded together for survival.

"The number one challenge was that we had no exposure, especially with the dwindling arts coverage locally," says Maugins. "Yet we knew that our arts organizations were doing amazing things with education and other programming, and we're the economic engines of our neighborhoods."

Today, Zygote and 27 other groups in Northeast Ohio have banded together to form the Collective Arts Network (CAN), received a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, and produced a magazine-style journal touting their work. Ten thousand copies have been distributed to galleries and other hotspots in the city.

Next up, the CAN group is working on other kinds of collaboration, including programming, events and sustaining the journal as a quarterly publication.


Source: Liz Maugins
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Inefficient, drafty homes in Cleveland not only are an impediment to attracting savvy urban homebuyers, they're also a harsh economic reality for those who must swallow high utility bills. Despite the daunting prospect of renovating an old home, there are simple, cost-effective ways to save energy -- and money -- that don't involve notching the thermostat down another degree or donning Eskimo-like clothing.

That's the impetus behind Cleveland Energy $aver, a new program just launched by the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), LAND Studio and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program aims to make 100 homes in Cleveland energy-efficient by fall of this year.

Homeowners who enroll in this program can obtain a complete energy audit for a mere $50, a tidy sum that likely amounts to a fraction of their monthly heating bill. After the audit has been completed, owners will work with program staff to develop a scope of work, seek low-interest financing if needed, and hire a contractor. When the job is completed, professionals will help evaluate the work to make sure it's been done properly. As an enticement, owners will save 20 percent off the top, and another 20 percent when the work is complete.

“Cleveland Energy $aver will provide homeowners with tools they need to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes,” says Marcia Nolan, Executive Director of Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH). “It will also help Cleveland to become more sustainable and competitive to future residents.”


Source: Marcia Nolan
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Slavic Village, a neighborhood once considered to be the epicenter of the national foreclosure crisis, took another step this week towards remaking itself as a regional hub for urban recreation. A public meeting was held to kick off the design of a new skateboard park that will be located at Broadway and Union Avenue on the site of a former brownfield.

"It all started when a neighborhood resident approached us about creating a skate park," says Jacob Van Sickle, Active Living Coordinator for Slavic Village Development, the nonprofit community development group that serves the neighborhood. "From there, we worked to build awareness of skateboarding by creating the 'East Meets West' competition, offering lessons at Stella Walsh Recreation Center and engaging skateboarders in the neighborhood."

Van Sickle soon found that skateboarders were leaving the city in droves to pursue their sport elsewhere. The reason is that the City of Cleveland lacked a decent, permanent skatepark. "Many of them are artistic and entrepeneurial; they're part of the creative class," he says. "We saw an economic development opportunity to attract people from across the region to our neighborhood."

Slavic Village Development engaged the nonprofit Public Square Group to help create a new park. Both parties saw it as a way to redevelop the blighted Broadway Avenue corridor. "Skateboarding evolved out of an urban environment, and skaters have always reclaimed less developed public spaces," says Vince Frantz, President and Executive Director of the Public Square Group.

Van Sickle and Frantz expect the new park to create amenities for skaters and non-skaters alike, as benches and spectator amenities will be incorporated. The design has been funded by Neighborhood Progress Inc., and additional public meetings are scheduled to take place in the coming months. As the design is completed, project leaders will seek sources of funding to build the park.


Source: Jacob Van Sickle, Vince Frantz
Writer: Lee Chilcote

It’s not exactly a news flash that tattoos have become decidedly more mainstream. Long the province of drug-addled rock stars, ex-cons and bikers, tats now can be spotted on even the most civilized among us. And as the tattoo market continues to heat up, more talented artists are finding work in Cleveland's new tattoo studios.

It's hard not to notice the attractive bike racks that have been popping up around town lately. Much more than simply utilitarian places to hitch your ride, these racks are at once urban sculptures and retail signage for local businesses. Many of them have been designed by Rust Belt Welding, two Cleveland entrepreneurs who are making a living doing what they love.

"We wanted to do creative, bicycle-related projects, and we knew there was a need for more bike racks because we'd ride around town and say, 'I wish there was one here,'" says Grant Smrekar, who created Rust Belt Welding with his friend Lou Erste four years ago in order to build bike frames, something that remains the core of their business. "We wanted there to be an artistic quality to these projects, and for the bike racks to represent the place they're at."

What started out as a small project grew quickly once the bike community and enthusiastic business owners grabbed ahold of it. "The local cycling group Crank-Set Rides offered to help us raise funds to create more bike racks, and that allowed us to make a few of them," says Erste. "Then places like Market Garden Brewery asked us to create custom racks in front of their businesses."

Their most recent creation, which was installed last month in front of Market Garden Brewery in Ohio City, spells out "BIKE" in red, metal letters. Rust Belt Welding has also installed bike racks in front of Phoenix Coffee, Joy Machines bike shop, Blazing Saddles bike shop and other local venues.

"We'll build pretty much anything, but the more that we can build stuff that's fun and creative, that's even better," says Smrekar, who adds that Rust Belt is planning to add more artistic bike racks around town in the near future.


Source: Lou Erste, Grant Smrekar
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Ever wanted to learn about how human beings all are just descendants of quantum flotsam? No? Well, how about the ways in which quantum mechanical jitterings in the universe helped create galaxies, stars, planets and people?

Even if you're not a science geek, you'll probably enjoy a new event at Happy Dog entitled "Life, the Universe and Hot Dogs," which takes place downstairs (Underdog) at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. After all, nothing brings the meaning of life into focus like a pint or two of hoppy IPA.

The series is the latest attempt by the entrepreneurial Gordon Square Arts District venue to spread its wings and form linkages between University Circle and the near west side. The Happy Dog also has partnered with the Cleveland Orchestra to shuttle westsiders to and from Severance Hall for concerts.

"The partnership was created when Happy Dog owner Sean Watterson contacted me," explains Glenn Starkman, Director of the Institute for the Science of Origins at Case Western Reserve University, a collaboration of faculty and researchers across scientific disciplines seeking to understand how complex systems emerge and evolve. "I went down there with a couple of friends and had a few hot dogs and a beer or two, and Sean said, 'How 'bout we do this next week?'"

Starkman is hoping to use the event series as an opportunity to bring scientific understanding to a wider audience. "People think, 'Oh, science is hard,' but so is playing basketball and we watch it without expecting to be able to dunk like Jordon," he says. "We want to increase people's comfort with science and teach them how it is useful in helping us to make decisions about the world."


Source: Glenn Starkman
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Families in Central know well the distinctive whistle blow of Heaventrain, and that it means hope is on its way. They also know to follow its call to help rebuild their east side Cleveland neighborhood through fostering stronger neighbor-to-neighbor relationships, a mission that the nonprofit Lighthouse Inc. has been fulfilling for more than 30 years.

Heaventrain is a full-size bus that Lighthouse has outfitted as a mobile classroom. It serves more than 1,200 kids every Saturday, providing them with character-based education, fun and games, and a free meal.

"Central is not a neighborhood where parents typically feel safe letting their kids just go out and play," explains Lighthouse Executive Director Andy Batten of the community, which is home to several low-income, subsidized housing projects. "We provide an almost carnival-like atmosphere, and then the kids are fed."

In addition to Heaventrain, Lighthouse runs a tutoring program at East Tech High School that builds in-depth relationships with kids to ensure success, manages a youth basketball program to provide kids with positive alternatives to gang involvement, and provides a summer-long nutrition program.

"One of the high school students on our basketball team turned things around and went from a 1.4 grade point average to a 3.8 grade point average," says Batten.

Yet what he is most proud of is how Lighthouse develops its programs. Rather than repeating programs each year, the organization continually evaluates its successes and failures and how it's serving the community. "We work with residents to build programming, and only develop programs if the neighborhood says it's important and neighbors are willing to get involved."

Last year, the charity rater Guidestar rated Lighthouse the second best charity overall in Ohio, and the third best charity in the U.S. for nutrition programs.


Source: Andy Batten
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Cleveland-based clothing designer iLTHY (I Love the Hype) has opened a new store in the Gordon Square Arts District in Detroit Shoreway. The shop, which is located in a former art gallery at West 54th and Detroit, sells the brand's popular hip hop and sports-themed T-shirts. It's a major move for the start-up apparel company, whose products were previously only available online and at select retailers.

Artist and founder Glen Infante's colorful designs have been worn by up-and-coming rappers such as Machine Gun Kelly, Wale and Mick Boogie. The name iLTHY comes from the notion that the company was built on "hype" and that such grassroots, street-level support helped it to grow rapidly in the first two years. Infante also earned some ink from the media in 2010 after raising funds for a downtown billboard urging LeBron James to re-sign with the Cavs.

iLTHY produced over 50 original T-shirt designs in the past year alone. The company hopes to expand even further in 2012, and to advance its overarching goal of putting Cleveland on the map in the creative apparel industry.


Source: iLTHY
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The City of Cleveland has scheduled two meetings to allow public comment on its new lakefront plan, the most ambitious effort in years to redevelop the city's long-dormant downtown shoreline. Portions of the plan, including an event series to be launched this summer, could begin to show progress this year.

The City plans to hire a Harbor Manager in the next few months, who will be responsible for overseeing waterfront activities, including management of the contract for a planned 53-slip marina. Other responsibilities will include property management, overseeing a vending program to allow food trucks and other vendors to sell their wares on the East 9th Street pier, and organizing lakeside concerts and festivals to be added to the city's lineup of summer events.

"The vision is to try to create more activity on the waterfront, and we're in the process of finalizing our strategy," says Ricky Smith, Director of Port Control for the City of Cleveland. Smith added that he expects construction on the marina, which has already been funded and will allow for short-term docking, to begin this year and wrap up in spring of 2013. He expects the same timeline for an iconic, moveable pedestrian bridge that is slated to traverse the North Coast Harbor.


Source: Ricky Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote