Lee Chilcote
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
For years, the trend in Ohio City was for young couples to buy homes, live there a few years, and then flee to the suburbs when they had kids. Thanks to a close-knit group of pioneering parents, that story may soon have a different ending. With hopes for a new public charter school becoming a reality, many young parents see a future that doesn't include a home in suburbia.
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
Dr. Cathy Whitehouse founded The Intergeneration School (TIS), a charter school on Cleveland's east side, as a place that values children as independent learners.
"TIS takes a lifespan, developmental approach to education," she says. "We're all on a learning journey, and we should honor the uniqueness in each learner."
TIS just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. In that time, it has become one of the highest-performing schools in Cleveland, consistently earning "Excellent" marks from the State of Ohio.
This year, Whitehouse and her staff will attempt to replicate TIS's success when they open a charter school on Cleveland's near west side. The Near West Intergenerational School (NWIS), a tuition-free, public school, is slated to open in August.
The seeds for NWIS were planted when the Ohio City Babysitting Co-op, a group of parents seeking to create a new school in their community, contacted Whitehouse. "They said to me, 'We don't want to move, but we don't know where our kids will go to school. Can you help us?'" says Whitehouse. "TIS was a good match for them."
Before it opens, NWIS must sign a sponsorship agreement, find a location and enroll enough kids. Yet Whitehouse says she is "delighted" that NWIS has gotten this far. "Among the many things that we can do to transform Cleveland, making sure that every family has access to free, high-quality education is one of them," she says.
TIS has received a planning grant from the State of Ohio, and is applying for a second grant to help pay for start-up costs. Whitehouse has asked the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) to sponsor NWIS, and hopes to lease a CMSD building.
"When TIS started, they wouldn't even talk to us," says Whitehouse. "There's been a wonderful change. They saw what we were doing and said, 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'"
TIS is a member of the Breakthrough Schools, a coalition of top-performing, urban charter schools that recently won a $2 million grant from the Charter School Growth Fund, a national foundation that supports innovative charter schools.
In addition to NWIS, Citizens Academy plans to open a 6th-8th grade middle school this fall. Two more Breakthrough charter schools are slated to open in 2012.
Source: Cathy Whitehouse
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"TIS takes a lifespan, developmental approach to education," she says. "We're all on a learning journey, and we should honor the uniqueness in each learner."
TIS just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. In that time, it has become one of the highest-performing schools in Cleveland, consistently earning "Excellent" marks from the State of Ohio.
This year, Whitehouse and her staff will attempt to replicate TIS's success when they open a charter school on Cleveland's near west side. The Near West Intergenerational School (NWIS), a tuition-free, public school, is slated to open in August.
The seeds for NWIS were planted when the Ohio City Babysitting Co-op, a group of parents seeking to create a new school in their community, contacted Whitehouse. "They said to me, 'We don't want to move, but we don't know where our kids will go to school. Can you help us?'" says Whitehouse. "TIS was a good match for them."
Before it opens, NWIS must sign a sponsorship agreement, find a location and enroll enough kids. Yet Whitehouse says she is "delighted" that NWIS has gotten this far. "Among the many things that we can do to transform Cleveland, making sure that every family has access to free, high-quality education is one of them," she says.
TIS has received a planning grant from the State of Ohio, and is applying for a second grant to help pay for start-up costs. Whitehouse has asked the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) to sponsor NWIS, and hopes to lease a CMSD building.
"When TIS started, they wouldn't even talk to us," says Whitehouse. "There's been a wonderful change. They saw what we were doing and said, 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'"
TIS is a member of the Breakthrough Schools, a coalition of top-performing, urban charter schools that recently won a $2 million grant from the Charter School Growth Fund, a national foundation that supports innovative charter schools.
In addition to NWIS, Citizens Academy plans to open a 6th-8th grade middle school this fall. Two more Breakthrough charter schools are slated to open in 2012.
Source: Cathy Whitehouse
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Verb Ballets, a national repertory dance company based in Cleveland Heights, is planning to expand this year to a larger space in a Shaker Heights church.
The city of Shaker Heights will provide a $10,000 job creation grant to the dance company to facilitate their move to the basement of Christ Episcopal Church on Warrensville Center road. Shaker Heights has recently gained attention for its proactive efforts to recruit new commercial tenants to the city, which has historically had a largely residential tax base.
The grant will be used to defray moving expenses and purchase equipment. Verb Ballets has negotiated a five-year lease with Christ Episcopal Church, where the basement will serve as an office, studio and future black box theatre.
Phase I of the project will include construction of the studio and offices. Verb Ballets anticipates being able to generate additional income from tuitions and rentals to independent artists.
Phase II of the project calls for theatrical lighting equipment, sound board, stage and seating area. This black box space will then be used for Verb Ballets performances, and also leased to other artists for performance use. Verb Ballets expects Phase I to be completed this year. There is no timeline yet for Phase II.
Income tax revenues from Verb Ballets' new Shaker Heights location are expected to repay the $10,000 job creation grant in a little over two years, according to the city of Shaker Heights.
This season, Verb Ballets will perform at Cleveland Public Theatre and St. Ignatius High School. The dance company has also performed at Cain Park.
Source: The City of Shaker Heights
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The city of Shaker Heights will provide a $10,000 job creation grant to the dance company to facilitate their move to the basement of Christ Episcopal Church on Warrensville Center road. Shaker Heights has recently gained attention for its proactive efforts to recruit new commercial tenants to the city, which has historically had a largely residential tax base.
The grant will be used to defray moving expenses and purchase equipment. Verb Ballets has negotiated a five-year lease with Christ Episcopal Church, where the basement will serve as an office, studio and future black box theatre.
Phase I of the project will include construction of the studio and offices. Verb Ballets anticipates being able to generate additional income from tuitions and rentals to independent artists.
Phase II of the project calls for theatrical lighting equipment, sound board, stage and seating area. This black box space will then be used for Verb Ballets performances, and also leased to other artists for performance use. Verb Ballets expects Phase I to be completed this year. There is no timeline yet for Phase II.
Income tax revenues from Verb Ballets' new Shaker Heights location are expected to repay the $10,000 job creation grant in a little over two years, according to the city of Shaker Heights.
This season, Verb Ballets will perform at Cleveland Public Theatre and St. Ignatius High School. The dance company has also performed at Cain Park.
Source: The City of Shaker Heights
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Many young professionals living in the city eventually become parents, trading in their preoccupation with trendy bars for a newfound obsession with play dates, baby gates and high-quality schools.
Yet in any urban area, finding a good school can be tricky. Like the Clash song, a refrain echoes in their heads: "Should I stay or should I go?"
A new study says that for many Cleveland residents, quality public schools could make the difference between choosing to stay and moving to the suburbs.
Recently, a team of researchers at Cleveland State University's Levin College of Urban Affairs surveyed 271 residents of Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit Shoreway and downtown regarding their opinions of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).
Of those surveyed, 51 percent said they were either parents of young children or were planning to have kids in the future. Sixty five percent of this group said they were eventually planning to move out of Cleveland or "weren't sure" of their plans. An "excellent" or "effective" public school in their neighborhood could influence them to stay, they said.
"Retaining and growing the local property tax base, which feeds the public school system, will depend on the ability of these neighborhoods to attract and maintain middle-class residents," says Angie Schmitt, who recently earned a Master's degree in Urban Planning from CSU's Levin College and is one of the study's authors.
She adds, "Failing schools encourage residential turnover within this population, creating a cycle of concentrated poverty that further handicaps urban schools."
The study outlines reform efforts taking place in Cleveland, including the creation of the Near West Intergenerational School, a new charter school that aims to launch this year.
Source: Angie Schmitt
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet in any urban area, finding a good school can be tricky. Like the Clash song, a refrain echoes in their heads: "Should I stay or should I go?"
A new study says that for many Cleveland residents, quality public schools could make the difference between choosing to stay and moving to the suburbs.
Recently, a team of researchers at Cleveland State University's Levin College of Urban Affairs surveyed 271 residents of Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit Shoreway and downtown regarding their opinions of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).
Of those surveyed, 51 percent said they were either parents of young children or were planning to have kids in the future. Sixty five percent of this group said they were eventually planning to move out of Cleveland or "weren't sure" of their plans. An "excellent" or "effective" public school in their neighborhood could influence them to stay, they said.
"Retaining and growing the local property tax base, which feeds the public school system, will depend on the ability of these neighborhoods to attract and maintain middle-class residents," says Angie Schmitt, who recently earned a Master's degree in Urban Planning from CSU's Levin College and is one of the study's authors.
She adds, "Failing schools encourage residential turnover within this population, creating a cycle of concentrated poverty that further handicaps urban schools."
The study outlines reform efforts taking place in Cleveland, including the creation of the Near West Intergenerational School, a new charter school that aims to launch this year.
Source: Angie Schmitt
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Neighborhood Voice is a new hyper-local community newspaper that covers University Circle and the seven neighborhoods that surround it: Hough, Fairfax, Glenville, East Cleveland, Little Italy, Buckeye-Shaker and Central. Created by the Cleveland Foundation as a part of its Greater University Circle Initiative, the newspaper is largely written by volunteers and high school and college student interns.
Creative signs are making a comeback in Cleveland. Dramatic signage not only perks up a neighborhood visually, it makes them more competitive by helping indie retailers stand out from national chains. For proof, look at East Fourth Street.
When it comes to real estate, Howard Grandon believes in second chances. That's why he's transforming a former illicit nightclub in Detroit Shoreway into market-rate apartments and storefronts, which he hopes will continue to breathe new life into an old neighborhood.