Lee Chilcote
Remember the skate park built for the Dew Games held at North Coast Harbor in 2008? Well, it's been dismantled, but the concrete slab remains, surrounded by a metal-flame fence. Very soon the space will be home to the city's first shipping container-based restaurant, Blazing Bistro, which is scheduled to open in late July, adding to the amenities on downtown's lakefront.
"We've recognized for a while that one of the missing amenities on the lakefront is a gathering place for people while they're at the Rock Hall etc.," says Michael Deemer, Vice President of Business Development and Legal Services at Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "We worked with the city and with Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries to build off the success of Cleveland's food truck renaissance."
Blazing Bistro will take up residence in a recycled shipping container repurposed by Cleveland Customer Trucks. Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries (LMM), which operates the successful Manna food truck and employs formerly incarcerated and homeless individuals, was awarded the contract after responding to an RFP from the city.
The days and hours of operation are not set in stone, but likely will be lunch Wednesday through Sunday with some evening hours added as well. The shipping container idea grew out of the Small Box Initiative, a program of the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation to develop retail in parking lots on West 9th Street.
As the new lakefront development takes off, Blazing Bistro can be picked up and moved to other locations, either in the harbor or other parts of downtown.
Blazing Bistro also will be open during various events taking place at North Coast Harbor, including the new Anchors and Ales event, held August 22-23 and September 13-14 in conjunction with Cleveland Browns home games.
Deemer says the seasonal restaurant is a win-win-win for the city, residents and visitors. "It's not enough to have a park on the lakefront; we have to actively drive people there with events and amenities," he says. "We've seen food truck owners open up brick and mortar stores with great success. This is a new wrinkle."
"We've recognized for a while that one of the missing amenities on the lakefront is a gathering place for people while they're at the Rock Hall etc.," says Michael Deemer, Vice President of Business Development and Legal Services at Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "We worked with the city and with Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries to build off the success of Cleveland's food truck renaissance."
Blazing Bistro will take up residence in a recycled shipping container repurposed by Cleveland Customer Trucks. Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries (LMM), which operates the successful Manna food truck and employs formerly incarcerated and homeless individuals, was awarded the contract after responding to an RFP from the city.
The days and hours of operation are not set in stone, but likely will be lunch Wednesday through Sunday with some evening hours added as well. The shipping container idea grew out of the Small Box Initiative, a program of the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation to develop retail in parking lots on West 9th Street.
As the new lakefront development takes off, Blazing Bistro can be picked up and moved to other locations, either in the harbor or other parts of downtown.
Blazing Bistro also will be open during various events taking place at North Coast Harbor, including the new Anchors and Ales event, held August 22-23 and September 13-14 in conjunction with Cleveland Browns home games.
Deemer says the seasonal restaurant is a win-win-win for the city, residents and visitors. "It's not enough to have a park on the lakefront; we have to actively drive people there with events and amenities," he says. "We've seen food truck owners open up brick and mortar stores with great success. This is a new wrinkle."
Getting out of Dodge? Need a good page-turner for the flight or beach? Don’t grab the latest bestseller from the rack of overpriced paperbacks at the airport. Instead, check out Fresh Water’s local-author reading list. Here are 5 sizzling summer reads that we invite you to check out.
Joanie Nelson and her granddaughter Jayda live in the new Fairfax Intergenerational Housing development on Cedar Avenue between E. 80th and 83rd streets. Eight years back, Joanie's daughter was struck and killed by a drunk driver in a car accident, leaving Joanie to raise her granddaughter. It's hard to raise a grandchild as a senior, of course, yet this challenge is made easier by the new housing development, which offers social workers, a computer lab and other support services that are aimed at helping grandparents who are raising grandkids.
“My granddaughter and I are thrilled with our new home at Fairfax Intergenerational," Nelson said in a press release. "I’m excited that the school and church are very close, and we have access to a computer center and after-school activities."
There are 2.4 million grandparents raising 4.5 million kids in the U.S. Fairfax Intergenerational Housing, now named Griot Village, is the first project of its kind in Ohio and one of only seven in the country. It offers an affordable, sustainable and supportive environment for seniors 55 and older who are raising children.
Griot Village was designed in accordance with Enterprise Green Community standards. The development consists of 40 new townhomes with a shared courtyard that promotes a sense of community. A Supportive Services Coordinator provides onsite services to residents. There are eight buildings, each of which has five housing units. Each unit offers homework stations and play areas, and there's an onsite community center. The new residents are in close proximity to a commercial and retail development, walking distance to University Circle, and a short distance from several major medical centers and local schools.
"This development allows grandparents to be in an environment where they can be free with fact that they’re raising a child," says Jeffrey Patterson, CEO of CMHA. "You may have seniors who live in one of our senior buildings and are taking on that role, but our senior buildings were not built for that purpose. Here, there’s play equipment on the property. There's a community center where there are educational opportunities. It's in an area that provides good development opportunities for youth and seniors. We can help them to be successful."
The total project investment amount was $12 million, which was funded primarily by Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The development is a partnership between CMHA and Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation.
“My granddaughter and I are thrilled with our new home at Fairfax Intergenerational," Nelson said in a press release. "I’m excited that the school and church are very close, and we have access to a computer center and after-school activities."
There are 2.4 million grandparents raising 4.5 million kids in the U.S. Fairfax Intergenerational Housing, now named Griot Village, is the first project of its kind in Ohio and one of only seven in the country. It offers an affordable, sustainable and supportive environment for seniors 55 and older who are raising children.
Griot Village was designed in accordance with Enterprise Green Community standards. The development consists of 40 new townhomes with a shared courtyard that promotes a sense of community. A Supportive Services Coordinator provides onsite services to residents. There are eight buildings, each of which has five housing units. Each unit offers homework stations and play areas, and there's an onsite community center. The new residents are in close proximity to a commercial and retail development, walking distance to University Circle, and a short distance from several major medical centers and local schools.
"This development allows grandparents to be in an environment where they can be free with fact that they’re raising a child," says Jeffrey Patterson, CEO of CMHA. "You may have seniors who live in one of our senior buildings and are taking on that role, but our senior buildings were not built for that purpose. Here, there’s play equipment on the property. There's a community center where there are educational opportunities. It's in an area that provides good development opportunities for youth and seniors. We can help them to be successful."
The total project investment amount was $12 million, which was funded primarily by Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The development is a partnership between CMHA and Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation.
Artists are often the first to move into urban neighborhoods, and also the first to move out when rents escalate. Yet in the post-recession landscape, many communities are working with artists to transform blight, engage residents and reimagine their neighborhoods.
Jodi Rae Santosuosso grew up in the restaurant business, working in her parents' Italian restaurant. She later moved to California for 10 years, where she grew enamored of the healthy living movement and got into cold-pressed juices. When she returned to Cleveland to join the revitalization of her hometown, she discovered that there weren’t many juice bars in the city, so she decided to launch her own.
If all goes as planned, Daily Press, a juice bar and vegan café, will open next month in the Gordon Square Arts District (6604 Detroit Ave.). The cafe will serve cold-pressed juices and vegan menu items that include raw sandwiches, soups and salads. Daily Press will open at 7 a.m., with evening hours yet to be determined.
"I want to help people be healthy and feel good, and to make it easy and convenient for people to do that," says Santosuosso. "This is new to Cleveland, but the market is here; people are just not aware of the benefits of juicing this way."
Cold-press juicing is different from tossing fruit in a blender and grinding it up, she explains. The heat from a centrifugal juicer can destroy natural enzymes in the drink, making it less nutritious. There are two steps in the cold-pressing process: First, you turn the produce into pulp so that the vitamins and other good stuff stays intact. Second, you put the pulp into a bag and place it in a hydraulic press, where 2,000 pounds of pressure releases all that sweet goodness.
"The result is delicious juice that has all kinds of good things for your body," she says.
Some of Daily Press's offerings will include the Johnny Apple Manziel (apple, ginger and lemon), Greenest Cleanse (kale, spinach, chard, parsley, cucumber, ginger and turmeric) and Water You Doing? (watermelon). A 16-ounce juice in a glass jar will sell for $7-9. If you bring back the jar, you get $1 off your next juice.
The 800-square-foot storefront will have a bar that seats five to six people, additional window seating and some outside tables. There will be Wi-Fi access for anyone who wants to work at the cafe. Santosuosso is looking forward to joining the neighborhood.
"I love the neighborhood and the arts district, and Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization was really excited about having me come to this space," she says. "It helped that the neighborhood wants me here."
If you're interested in checking out Daily Press before the cafe opens, Santosuosso will be at the Gordon Square Farmers Market for the next few weeks, and she invites you to come by and learn more about juicing.
If all goes as planned, Daily Press, a juice bar and vegan café, will open next month in the Gordon Square Arts District (6604 Detroit Ave.). The cafe will serve cold-pressed juices and vegan menu items that include raw sandwiches, soups and salads. Daily Press will open at 7 a.m., with evening hours yet to be determined.
"I want to help people be healthy and feel good, and to make it easy and convenient for people to do that," says Santosuosso. "This is new to Cleveland, but the market is here; people are just not aware of the benefits of juicing this way."
Cold-press juicing is different from tossing fruit in a blender and grinding it up, she explains. The heat from a centrifugal juicer can destroy natural enzymes in the drink, making it less nutritious. There are two steps in the cold-pressing process: First, you turn the produce into pulp so that the vitamins and other good stuff stays intact. Second, you put the pulp into a bag and place it in a hydraulic press, where 2,000 pounds of pressure releases all that sweet goodness.
"The result is delicious juice that has all kinds of good things for your body," she says.
Some of Daily Press's offerings will include the Johnny Apple Manziel (apple, ginger and lemon), Greenest Cleanse (kale, spinach, chard, parsley, cucumber, ginger and turmeric) and Water You Doing? (watermelon). A 16-ounce juice in a glass jar will sell for $7-9. If you bring back the jar, you get $1 off your next juice.
The 800-square-foot storefront will have a bar that seats five to six people, additional window seating and some outside tables. There will be Wi-Fi access for anyone who wants to work at the cafe. Santosuosso is looking forward to joining the neighborhood.
"I love the neighborhood and the arts district, and Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization was really excited about having me come to this space," she says. "It helped that the neighborhood wants me here."
If you're interested in checking out Daily Press before the cafe opens, Santosuosso will be at the Gordon Square Farmers Market for the next few weeks, and she invites you to come by and learn more about juicing.
Cleveland Public Library's Eastman Reading Garden once again will be transformed with public art this summer, as Mexican artist Ivan Juarez has recently completed the fifth temporary installation of the See Also program. The work, entitled Drawing Lines, features custom-built steel shapes threaded together with rope. The pieces are intended to be functional spaces in which visitors can sit and read, have lunch or talk, but they also are intended to inspire reflection on our relationship with the urban environment.
"I am an architect who combines architecture with other disciplines, in this case landscape and art," Juarez explained during a recent visit to the garden. "I wanted visitors to be able to go inside and see different views and layers of the city."
According to the website of LAND Studio, the organization that coordinates the program, "Juárez brings a global perspective and a new interpretation of the space that imaginatively frames views of the garden’s natural beauty."
The site explains the meaning behind the installation: "A continuous thread moves across new and existing elements in the garden to filter the natural light and create new passages and spaces to gather and reflect. At the same time, the installation’s architecture is being broken apart. Its walls are transparent. Anyone can explore the installation, discovering new spaces, shadows, and frames. Similarly, Cleveland Public Library strives for greater openness and access for all, keeping its place as a community anchor with engaged learning and diverse programming."
About 20,000 feet of rope was used to create the installation, along with custom-built frames. The rope was provided by Samsel Supply in the Flats.
Drawing Lines will be illuminated during AHA!, a festival of lights that will take place August 8-10 during the Gay Games. The purpose of the festival is to highlight the transformation of downtown, local artists and public artwork.
"I am an architect who combines architecture with other disciplines, in this case landscape and art," Juarez explained during a recent visit to the garden. "I wanted visitors to be able to go inside and see different views and layers of the city."
According to the website of LAND Studio, the organization that coordinates the program, "Juárez brings a global perspective and a new interpretation of the space that imaginatively frames views of the garden’s natural beauty."
The site explains the meaning behind the installation: "A continuous thread moves across new and existing elements in the garden to filter the natural light and create new passages and spaces to gather and reflect. At the same time, the installation’s architecture is being broken apart. Its walls are transparent. Anyone can explore the installation, discovering new spaces, shadows, and frames. Similarly, Cleveland Public Library strives for greater openness and access for all, keeping its place as a community anchor with engaged learning and diverse programming."
About 20,000 feet of rope was used to create the installation, along with custom-built frames. The rope was provided by Samsel Supply in the Flats.
Drawing Lines will be illuminated during AHA!, a festival of lights that will take place August 8-10 during the Gay Games. The purpose of the festival is to highlight the transformation of downtown, local artists and public artwork.
Developer Rich Cicerchi of Cicerchi Development Company was scouting for an investment opportunity downtown when he met Matt Howells, owner of the Park Building and the Southworth Building. The two developers stayed in touch, and Cicerchi later purchased the vacant Southworth building from Howells. Now he plans to convert it to 18 high-end apartments that will add to downtown's rental housing boom.
Cicerchi's interest in downtown goes back to when he was a kid. "I remember going downtown with my dad,” he says. “I'd grab his big hand in my two little hands and he'd swing me from one sidewalk line to the next, having a good old time. He was twice my height, and I'd look past him at all the big buildings, all the activity and people. That's what got me enamored with downtown."
Cicerchi, who is primarily a residential developer, watched downtown's decline and resurgence and decided that he wanted to be a part of the efforts to improve Cleveland's urban core. In 2006, he purchased the Krouse building on East Fourth Street and converted it to apartments.
The Southworth Building is located at 2013 Ontario, across from Tower City and the casino. Built in 1850, the four-story building will be converted to nine one-bedroom and nine two-bedroom apartments. The plans call for an atrium to be constructed in the center of the building to bring in natural light, Cicerchi says. On the lower level, there are two retail spaces that house a Subway and an Indian restaurant. Parking will be a short distance away in the May Company garage.
Perhaps the coolest feature, other than the suites themselves, will be the roof deck overlooking Public Square and downtown.
Cicerchi plans to preserve the building's historic features wherever he can, including refinishing existing wood floors that can be salvaged. High-end features likely will include granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The suites will have a lofted look, with exposed spiral ductwork and high ceilings. One bedrooms will be about 750 square feet, two bedrooms about 1,100 square feet. The building also will boast many green, energy-efficient features. Tri-State Capital will soon provide financing for the $4 million project.
The first suites should be completed by early 2015, the developer says.
"I always look at properties with the eyes of potential," says Cicerchi. "I saw a great way to add more downtown living and integrate it with the downtown community."
Cicerchi's interest in downtown goes back to when he was a kid. "I remember going downtown with my dad,” he says. “I'd grab his big hand in my two little hands and he'd swing me from one sidewalk line to the next, having a good old time. He was twice my height, and I'd look past him at all the big buildings, all the activity and people. That's what got me enamored with downtown."
Cicerchi, who is primarily a residential developer, watched downtown's decline and resurgence and decided that he wanted to be a part of the efforts to improve Cleveland's urban core. In 2006, he purchased the Krouse building on East Fourth Street and converted it to apartments.
The Southworth Building is located at 2013 Ontario, across from Tower City and the casino. Built in 1850, the four-story building will be converted to nine one-bedroom and nine two-bedroom apartments. The plans call for an atrium to be constructed in the center of the building to bring in natural light, Cicerchi says. On the lower level, there are two retail spaces that house a Subway and an Indian restaurant. Parking will be a short distance away in the May Company garage.
Perhaps the coolest feature, other than the suites themselves, will be the roof deck overlooking Public Square and downtown.
Cicerchi plans to preserve the building's historic features wherever he can, including refinishing existing wood floors that can be salvaged. High-end features likely will include granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The suites will have a lofted look, with exposed spiral ductwork and high ceilings. One bedrooms will be about 750 square feet, two bedrooms about 1,100 square feet. The building also will boast many green, energy-efficient features. Tri-State Capital will soon provide financing for the $4 million project.
The first suites should be completed by early 2015, the developer says.
"I always look at properties with the eyes of potential," says Cicerchi. "I saw a great way to add more downtown living and integrate it with the downtown community."
The new Circle of Wildlife carousel at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo features 64 animals hand-carved by Carousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio, and grouped according to their natural environment. The carousel opened a few weeks ago just in time for the busy summer season.
"The response has been extremely exciting," says Zoo Director Chris Kuhar. "Folks are amazed by the carousel, which is extremely large and very beautiful, as well as the murals. Then there's the story that it was carved just down the road in Mansfield, by one of the world leaders in the creation of wood carousels."
Single ride tickets for the carousel are $3 ($2.50 for Zoo Society members). All-day ride passes are available for $8 ($6 for members). Directly adjacent to the carousel is the brand new Nature Discovery Ridge play area, which features natural habitats of rocks, water and trees where kids can play.
There also are new restroom facilities, concession stands, picnic shelters and an observation deck at Nature Discovery Ridge. The pavilion is available for rent, and the Metroparks is planning to build an events center called Stillwater Place adjacent to the carousel, which can be rented for weddings and other events.
Carousel Works created eight custom animals that don't appear on any of its other carousels, including an Anatolian shepherd, lynx, ocelot and ring-tailed lemur. The animals and their habitats were selected by zoo conservation staff.
"This project is all about connecting the dots between people, animals and habitat," says Kuhar. "All of the animals on the carousel either have a conservation or education component. They're either animals in the collection or they're animals we support in conservation and education projects."
The project also features a number of historic sculptures of endangered bird species by local artist Viktor Schreckengost. The sculptures were repurposed from another project.
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"The response has been extremely exciting," says Zoo Director Chris Kuhar. "Folks are amazed by the carousel, which is extremely large and very beautiful, as well as the murals. Then there's the story that it was carved just down the road in Mansfield, by one of the world leaders in the creation of wood carousels."
Single ride tickets for the carousel are $3 ($2.50 for Zoo Society members). All-day ride passes are available for $8 ($6 for members). Directly adjacent to the carousel is the brand new Nature Discovery Ridge play area, which features natural habitats of rocks, water and trees where kids can play.
There also are new restroom facilities, concession stands, picnic shelters and an observation deck at Nature Discovery Ridge. The pavilion is available for rent, and the Metroparks is planning to build an events center called Stillwater Place adjacent to the carousel, which can be rented for weddings and other events.
Carousel Works created eight custom animals that don't appear on any of its other carousels, including an Anatolian shepherd, lynx, ocelot and ring-tailed lemur. The animals and their habitats were selected by zoo conservation staff.
"This project is all about connecting the dots between people, animals and habitat," says Kuhar. "All of the animals on the carousel either have a conservation or education component. They're either animals in the collection or they're animals we support in conservation and education projects."
The project also features a number of historic sculptures of endangered bird species by local artist Viktor Schreckengost. The sculptures were repurposed from another project.
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For today's top talent, the job market is only one thing to consider when choosing a place to live. Young professionals increasingly desire a vibrant city to plug into, a creative place where they can network with like-minded people, and a dynamic place where they can land their next job.
The Templin Bradley Company building, the stout brick frame of which has served as a gateway to the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood for the past 100 years, once housed the nation's largest seed and bulb company. Templin Bradley gave away literally hundreds of thousands of seeds and bulbs during the Depression, and was a leader in helping citizens start victory gardens during World War II.
Yet this landmark property at 5700 Detroit has been vacant and boarded up for over 10 years, collecting weeds and trash. Plans to remake it into loft condos floundered during the recession. But now that property will be reborn as a 30-unit apartment building, slated to open next spring. Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO) and its partners have worked doggedly over the past few years to assemble the development plans and financing to get this long-sought project off the ground.
"It's been a major eyesore along Detroit Avenue, and really remains the largest problem property there," says Matt Lasko, Assistant Director of DSCDO. "It's really important for us as a CDC to be able to preserve its history and story."
The project will consist of 15 affordable apartments and 15 market-rate units. The redevelopment will return the building to its original 1916 look, which includes the reinstallation of fabric awnings on the first floor, the re-creation of a master stairwell on the front of the building, and the restoration of a seed bed along Detroit that Templin Bradley once used to test and advertise its products.
The front of the building also will feature a prominent public art installation and a quasi-public space with benches that can be enjoyed by residents and the public.
The building will offer secure indoor parking on the first floor and unique living spaces above. There will be four artist live-work spaces with lower levels designed for painting, sculpting and other artistic endeavors. The units will have concrete floors, high ceilings, exposed ductwork and expansive windows. Prices will range from $630 to $840 per month for one-bedroom units and $750 to $950 per month for two-bedroom suites.
Construction will begin next month, and DSCDO is hosting a groundbreaking event on Thursday, May 29 at 10 a.m.
The project is being developed by DSCDO in partnership with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Ohio Development Services Agency, Huntington Bank, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, The National Endowment for the Arts, Vintage Development and Marous brothers construction.
Yet this landmark property at 5700 Detroit has been vacant and boarded up for over 10 years, collecting weeds and trash. Plans to remake it into loft condos floundered during the recession. But now that property will be reborn as a 30-unit apartment building, slated to open next spring. Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO) and its partners have worked doggedly over the past few years to assemble the development plans and financing to get this long-sought project off the ground.
"It's been a major eyesore along Detroit Avenue, and really remains the largest problem property there," says Matt Lasko, Assistant Director of DSCDO. "It's really important for us as a CDC to be able to preserve its history and story."
The project will consist of 15 affordable apartments and 15 market-rate units. The redevelopment will return the building to its original 1916 look, which includes the reinstallation of fabric awnings on the first floor, the re-creation of a master stairwell on the front of the building, and the restoration of a seed bed along Detroit that Templin Bradley once used to test and advertise its products.
The front of the building also will feature a prominent public art installation and a quasi-public space with benches that can be enjoyed by residents and the public.
The building will offer secure indoor parking on the first floor and unique living spaces above. There will be four artist live-work spaces with lower levels designed for painting, sculpting and other artistic endeavors. The units will have concrete floors, high ceilings, exposed ductwork and expansive windows. Prices will range from $630 to $840 per month for one-bedroom units and $750 to $950 per month for two-bedroom suites.
Construction will begin next month, and DSCDO is hosting a groundbreaking event on Thursday, May 29 at 10 a.m.
The project is being developed by DSCDO in partnership with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Ohio Development Services Agency, Huntington Bank, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, The National Endowment for the Arts, Vintage Development and Marous brothers construction.
Eugene Malinskiy already is on his third startup and he's not even 30 yet. He created his first company when he was 16, later selling both for a profit. Now he's launched Dragon ID, a healthcare innovation and design firm that has grown from zero to 20 employees in the span of just two years.
Dragon ID is a biomedical startup that helps doctors and hospitals solve healthcare problems. The firm focuses on the medical device, health IT and surgery markets, and has a cross-functional team of whizzes to help healthcare professionals create solutions. The Dragon ID team is working on a number of products, but one that's getting buzz is EuCliD, which will be used in transcatheter aortic valve replacements to help prevent emboli from breaking away and causing blood clots or strokes.
Recently, Dragon ID moved from Shaker Launchhouse to the Heights Rockefeller building, where it is currently customizing its own space, including a lab, to accommodate growth. Malinskiy says the firm will benefit from having more professional offices and a location that's closer to where employees live.
"The City of Cleveland Heights was very welcoming," he says, referencing financial incentives that helped seal the deal. "They really want us here."
Malinskiy attributes Dragon ID's growth to the booming healthcare sector in Cleveland, where he can do business with the Clinic and other big players. "Being here, companies can come to us and say, 'We have this idea, what can you do?'"
Typically, Malinskiy and his cohorts receive an inquiry, then spend time vetting it, including attending surgeries, to understand the scope of the problem and potential solution. Once a solution is identified, the team builds a digital or physical prototype. Then, if the client decides to move forward, the company invests in bringing the product market through animal and human trials.
Dragon ID is internally funded through contracts with hospitals and doctors. The company has also won grant awards from MAGNET and the Innovation Fund.
Dragon ID is a biomedical startup that helps doctors and hospitals solve healthcare problems. The firm focuses on the medical device, health IT and surgery markets, and has a cross-functional team of whizzes to help healthcare professionals create solutions. The Dragon ID team is working on a number of products, but one that's getting buzz is EuCliD, which will be used in transcatheter aortic valve replacements to help prevent emboli from breaking away and causing blood clots or strokes.
Recently, Dragon ID moved from Shaker Launchhouse to the Heights Rockefeller building, where it is currently customizing its own space, including a lab, to accommodate growth. Malinskiy says the firm will benefit from having more professional offices and a location that's closer to where employees live.
"The City of Cleveland Heights was very welcoming," he says, referencing financial incentives that helped seal the deal. "They really want us here."
Malinskiy attributes Dragon ID's growth to the booming healthcare sector in Cleveland, where he can do business with the Clinic and other big players. "Being here, companies can come to us and say, 'We have this idea, what can you do?'"
Typically, Malinskiy and his cohorts receive an inquiry, then spend time vetting it, including attending surgeries, to understand the scope of the problem and potential solution. Once a solution is identified, the team builds a digital or physical prototype. Then, if the client decides to move forward, the company invests in bringing the product market through animal and human trials.
Dragon ID is internally funded through contracts with hospitals and doctors. The company has also won grant awards from MAGNET and the Innovation Fund.
When Tim Hayes told his family as a kid that he wanted to make a cardboard box fly, they laughed at him. Yet decades later, he drew on those childhood experiences to help name his two-year-old product development company after the kind of imaginative, "blue sky" thinking that he exhibited on that day.
Cardboard Helicopter Product Development, as it is now called, might just be inventing the next big consumer product right from the heart of Lakewood.
"I've wanted to be an inventor forever," says Hayes, an industrial designer who started the company with two childhood friends that he's known for years, Sean Barry and Carlo Russo, and fellow Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) grad Mustafa Kalic. "That's kind of why I went to school, to do my own thing one day."
Although Cleveland isn't as well known for product development as coastal cities like San Francisco, and Hayes has watched dozens of talented coworkers leave the area over the years, the landscape is shifting. Companies are more open to ideas from outside than in the past, thanks in part to the trend of open innovation. Essentially, Cardboard Helicopter's founders spend their days pitching ideas to companies, in hopes that they'll get a chance to create the next big thing.
Hayes explains that the business is broken into three parts: contract industrial design for hire, where Cardboard Helicopter helps design a product that's already sketched out; product licensing, where the firm designs a product from scratch and then attempts to license it with a company; and manufacturing, where the company attempts to create its own products.
The company's 6,000-square-foot headquarters on Detroit in Lakewood's west end provide a veritable playground for dreaming up and creating new ideas. The upstairs is an open-space studio with a ping pong table and pool table "to help get the blood flowing once in a while," says Hayes. The downstairs has a shipping area, large kitchen and shop where products can be built and tested.
Hayes and most of his coworkers live in Lakewood and enjoy walking or biking to work. The company recently has done work for Enerco and Jokari, among others.
"In the next five years, we'll hopefully have hundreds of licensed products," says Hayes. "We're able to do everything at a very low cost, because we have industrial design resources here. [We're] about keeping creative talent here. I went to school and just watched everybody leave, but there are so many manufacturing companies here. I think people can stay here and have longevity."
Cardboard Helicopter Product Development, as it is now called, might just be inventing the next big consumer product right from the heart of Lakewood.
"I've wanted to be an inventor forever," says Hayes, an industrial designer who started the company with two childhood friends that he's known for years, Sean Barry and Carlo Russo, and fellow Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) grad Mustafa Kalic. "That's kind of why I went to school, to do my own thing one day."
Although Cleveland isn't as well known for product development as coastal cities like San Francisco, and Hayes has watched dozens of talented coworkers leave the area over the years, the landscape is shifting. Companies are more open to ideas from outside than in the past, thanks in part to the trend of open innovation. Essentially, Cardboard Helicopter's founders spend their days pitching ideas to companies, in hopes that they'll get a chance to create the next big thing.
Hayes explains that the business is broken into three parts: contract industrial design for hire, where Cardboard Helicopter helps design a product that's already sketched out; product licensing, where the firm designs a product from scratch and then attempts to license it with a company; and manufacturing, where the company attempts to create its own products.
The company's 6,000-square-foot headquarters on Detroit in Lakewood's west end provide a veritable playground for dreaming up and creating new ideas. The upstairs is an open-space studio with a ping pong table and pool table "to help get the blood flowing once in a while," says Hayes. The downstairs has a shipping area, large kitchen and shop where products can be built and tested.
Hayes and most of his coworkers live in Lakewood and enjoy walking or biking to work. The company recently has done work for Enerco and Jokari, among others.
"In the next five years, we'll hopefully have hundreds of licensed products," says Hayes. "We're able to do everything at a very low cost, because we have industrial design resources here. [We're] about keeping creative talent here. I went to school and just watched everybody leave, but there are so many manufacturing companies here. I think people can stay here and have longevity."