Detroit Shoreway

bowling with strangers: emerging patterns of desegregation foretell a vibrant economy
Cleveland, like most American cities, has had its challenges regarding segregation. But emerging patterns of desegregation can significantly advance our city's position as a center of innovation. This represents a key opportunity to reconstitute a new American neighborhood model by harnessing the potential of diversification.
modern-day home ec school agrarian collective teaches the 'hows of the home'
Kelli Hanley Potts has lived in Denver and Albuquerque, where she got involved in the slow food movement, replaced her front lawn with a vegetable garden, and worked for some of those cities' top chefs. When she got the urge to move back home to Cleveland, she knew she wanted to do something food-related.

That's when she stumbled upon a business idea. Despite the rise of the local food movement, most people had no idea how to cook kale, make jam or preserve food. She asked 18 female friends if they knew how to make a pie from scratch, and only two said yes.

Additionally, many people in the local farming movement have trouble explaining and marketing their products to customers, who are largely unfamiliar with them, she explains.

There are no cooking schools in Cleveland that did what she wanted to do -- connect people back to the land and back to their grandmothers' kitchens by teaching them the age-old skills of home economics -- so she decided to create one.

"I didn't want to watch a chef in front of me and drink wine," says Hanley Potts. "I wanted to learn something. I wanted to reconnect people to the lineage of the table, help them build their own table culture."

She recently launched the Agrarian Collective, an earth-to-table lifestyle school. Her mobile cooking school is offering classes this fall that cover topics like roasting your own coffee, fermented and cultured foods, and discovering local apples, among others. She'll be teaching students how to make the perfect pesto at this weekend's Cleveland Flea.

She was aided by a $5,000 low-interest loan from Bad Girl Ventures, which enabled her to purchase supplies and begin reaching out to chefs and farmers as partners.

"This is like home ec, but not quite as official and nerdy," she says. "It's about reconnecting people. All these things we once learned and were taught, they're missing. We're teaching people the 'how' of home."

Source: Kelli Hanley Potts
Writer: Lee Chilcote
halfway there: sustainable cleveland environmental initiative making progress, says city official
Are you sustainable, Cleveland? That's the question environmentally conscious city officials are asking heading into the fifth annual Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit. The initiative to build "a green city on a blue lake" is at the halfway mark, and Cleveland's new chief of sustainability believes Northeast Ohio is meeting the metrics set out a half decade ago.
travel writer swoons over cleveland visit
In a Huffington Post travel feature titled "The American Grandeur of Cleveland," contributor Sally Fay was so smitten by our city that she writes, "There are many reasons to visit Cleveland, enough to swing the vote right into moving there!"
 
She writes that "Cleveland has a character that appreciates its past while embracing the renewal of the future. In 2013, the city has a different kind of American grandeur than it did in its industrial heyday of the early 20th century, but rather than get stuck in the past and not learn the lessons from it, Cleveland has aged well into a modern, global and down-to-earth city."
 
Stops on her exhaustive visit through town included Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland Cultural Gardens, Cleveland Art Museum, Severance Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland Institute of Music, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, PlayhouseSquare, West Side Market and many other stops.
 
She closes out the piece with this resounding endorsement:
 
"If you are looking for opportunities, reasonably priced real estate, cultural diversity, high culture, top medicine, professional sports and mid-western charm, pack your bags and discover the American grandeur and quality of life of Cleveland has going for it!"
 
Read the rest right here.

renovated shoreway building will offer 45 loft apartments with stunning lake, city views
There are very few properties in Cleveland where a resident can don a pair sandals and stroll straight to the beach from one's front door. But when it comes online next summer, the Shoreway Building will join that small and privileged group.

The building at 1260 W. 76th Street, once home to the Globe Machine and Stamping Company, has been used for years as a storage facility by the Catan family (of Pat Catan's Craft Centers).

With the reopening of the pedestrian tunnel at W. 76th Street -- a few feet from the building -- the Catans recognized that it was time to reenergize the building as a hub for city living.

Using a combination of state and federal historic tax credits and other financing sources, the Catans are renovating the empty building into 45 market-rate loft apartments with indoor and outdoor parking, huge windows and a common roof deck boasting matchless lake and downtown views.

The building also will feature an indoor fitness center and a small street-level retail space that could become home to a future cafe.

"These are true loft-style units," says Michael Augoustidis, an architect with Domokur Architects who helped design the project. "They have exposed brick walls, really big industrial-style windows, exposed concrete ceilings and concrete floors."

Augoustidis says the level of quality will set the building apart. All units will have gourmet kitchens featuring Corian countertops, hardwood cabinets, and boast an "urban feel."

There isn't a bad view in the building. The structure's orientation allows for stunning treetop views looking out over Edgewater Park and Lake Erie, or dramatic urban views looking out over the lake, Battery Park and downtown. You choose.

Units will be between 900 and 1,400 square feet and will lease for $1,000-1,900 per month.
 
Augoustidis says that units will be ready starting in May or June of next year, and that some of the old wood plank floors will be upcycled into common area design elements.


Source: Michael Augoustidis
Writer: Lee Chilcote
summer festival slideshow
As summer transitions into fall, we wanted to take a moment to look back on a season filled with family, friends and festive neighborhood gatherings. Throughout it all, Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski has been attending and shooting the best summer festivals. This slideshow features captured images from a dozen events.
right school right now launches bold campaign to inform families about school choice
There are now dozens of high-performing charter and public schools in the City of Cleveland. Yet a culture of school choice still is not the norm in many Cleveland neighborhoods, and as many as 60 percent of city families have not yet chosen a school to attend.

With the deadline looming on August 19th, those families that do not proactively choose a school will be enrolled in their neighborhood school, which may or may not be the best option depending on how the school is ranked on State of Ohio report cards.

Perhaps most startling is the fact that many high-performing schools in the city have empty seats waiting to be filled even as kids are enrolled in failing schools.

That's why the Transformation Alliance has launched an unprecedented campaign to "promote one common goal of driving enrollment to high-performing schools," says Megan O'Bryan, a nonprofit veteran who is its new Executive Director.

"The ultimate goal of the Transformation Alliance is to ensure that every child in Cleveland attends an excellent school and every neighborhood has a portfolio of high-quality school choices," says O'Bryan. "Our goal is to fill empty seats in the high-performing schools, and over time, drive demand to these good choices. In the marketplace, that demand will then naturally drive out low-performers."

Parents can learn more about school ratings at the Right School Right Now site. The group has completed three different mailers to 25,000 households promoting school choice options. Fliers have been passed out through local community groups. Families can also call 211 to learn more about school ratings.

"The goal is to get parents to look at the info and say, 'My child's school is in Academic Watch, but two miles away there's a school rated Excellent. Why?'"

Although the Transformation Alliance and this campaign are so new that they do not yet have formal goals, O'Bryan says the aim is a "cultural shift" that will take time. "I took this job because it’s an opportunity to create that cultural shift. It's very important for every single resident and the region that this shift occurs. It's a matter of equality and social justice. It's about economic success for our region."


Source: Megan O'Bryan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
welcome weekend draws a dozen artists ready to sign leases, move here
Welcome to Cleveland, an artists' visitation weekend hosted by Northeast Shores CDC and the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, drew about a dozen artists to Cleveland, many of whom have signed leases and are expected to move here.

"The weekend exceeded our expectations by far," says Brian Friedman, Executive Director of Northeast Shores. "We didn't know they'd be so ready to go."

The artists were impressed not only by Cleveland's affordability but also by the accessibility of the rich arts scene here, Friedman says. "For them it was really the connectedness -- there's a much stronger ability for artists to network and connect here than in many of the communities where they're from."

The artists came from Brooklyn, Boston and Atlanta, among other locations. They were responsible for getting to Cleveland, but the nonprofit partners put them up in a hotel and covered most of their costs once they got here. The group spent the weekend on a whirlwind tour of North Collinwood, Slavic Village, St. Clair Superior, Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit Shoreway. Activities included a visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art and brunch at the Beachland Ballroom.

Northeast Shores and CPAC marketed to 12,000 artists nationally for the Artist-in-Residence program. Friedman says that since launching the effort a few years ago, he's seen 83 artists move to Cleveland, open a business, or do a project here.

Some of the artists who responded to the visitation weekend weren't sure if it was real. "They weren't sure if we would try to sell them a timeshare," says Friedman. "We told them, 'Really, just come. We want you to come be creative in Cleveland.'"

Once the artists move here, the nonprofit partners will help connect them to arts organizations and community efforts in their new neighborhoods. "We'll make sure that they get connected to the fabric of what's going on," says Friedman. "We anticipate that's the beginning of developing deeper roots in Cleveland."


Source: Brian Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
urban-oriented families: as school choices increase, so too does the number of parents choosing city
From Gordon Square to North Collinwood, a definite shift is occurring among young homebuyers, who increasingly are choosing to raise families in the city. Thanks to phenomenal amenities and a growing roster of good schools, Cleveland is becoming downright kid-friendly!
weekend escape plan for cleveland
In its regularly occurring travel feature "The Five-Point Weekend Escape Plan," New York magazine highlighted a contemporary arts-focused trip to Cleveland. Titled "See Cutting-Edge Contemporary Art in Cleveland," the article touches on where to stay, where to eat, what to do and other insider tips.
 
"This Rust Belt city is transforming into a thriving art hub thanks to two stunning new museum openings and a growing number of galleries," the article states.
 
Featured within is the Cleveland Hostel: "which feels more like a hipster haven than a grungy dorm."
 
Ginko: "Be wowed by extra-large cuts of exotic sushi."
 
The Transformer Station: "The original brickwork and chains contrast with a new addition made of dark-gray polished concrete, providing an industrial-chic setting for shows."
 
Steve's Lunch, "a 24-hour greasy spoon opened in 1953."
 
Explore the rest of the itinerary here.

is cleveland on the right path when it comes to matters of transportation?
City of Cleveland officials and non-profit leaders are taking notice of how an improved cycling infrastructure can reshape the future of our city for the better. How the city proceeds with a handful or projects could make or break our momentum.
got to get down to hingetown: introducing ohio city's next hot block
Over the next few months, a handful of next-gen businesses will begin to open in the Striebinger Block, a prominent building at the intersection of Detroit and W. 29th. Billed as the Hingetown development, the project will act as the hinge between existing Cleveland assets like Ohio City, Gordon Square, and downtown.
regional planning initiative says status quo is not sustainable, wants residents to imagine future
The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC) has mapped out what our region's future looks like if we stay on the same, urban-sprawl-lovin' course. Spoiler alert: It ain't good.

The group's "Business as Usual" scenario attempts to answer the question, "What will happen over the next 27 years if Northeast Ohio just keeps doing what it has been doing?" using sophisticated mapping.

NEOSCC's predictions include 2.4 percent growth in population and 6.2 percent growth in employment across 12 counties. Yet given our current land use patterns, about 92,500 acres will be used for new development and 77,100 acres will be abandoned.

That means Northeast Ohio is "on pace to abandon 10.5 percent of its housing units by 2040" or "18 units abandoned per day," according to the NEOSCC.

Although NEOSCC will not reveal its recommendations at this point, staff will present four scenarios to the public at open houses in the coming weeks.

These scenarios include "business as usual" (sprawl with limited growth), "doing things differently" (more sustainable development with limited growth), "grow the same" (sprawl with growth at a higher level than is occurring now) and "grow differently" (more sustainable development with greater growth). 

After receiving input from residents, NEOSCC will recommend a scenario to the four metropolitan planning organizations that help divvy up transportation dollars for the region and create long-term land use plans. Jeff Anderle of NEOSCC says that the group must create a "shared vision" to be successful with its efforts.

"We're not a governing organization; we don't have implementation power," he says. "It's been tricky, but we've gotten great participation from elected officials throughout the region. There's a lot of 'Let's see how and where this comes out.'"

To participate in the process, Northeast Ohio residents can attend one of the upcoming open houses or check out the Imagine My NEO tool on the website.


Source: Jeff Anderle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
move over silicon valley, here comes the rust belt
In a Forbes feature titled "The Surprising Rebirth Of America's Industrial Centers," Natalie Burg reports on the continued trend of former industrial cities transforming into today's hotbeds of entrepreneurial innovation.
 
"Move over, Silicon Valley. The American Rust Belt is going fiber optic. Though local economies built on manufacturing may not sound like the perfect candidates to transition into the new economy, cities like Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh are proving otherwise."
 
Why would tech-minded entrepreneurs choose to live and work in Detroit, Pittsburgh or Cleveland instead of the sunny Silicon Valley?
 
“They want to see things being made,” the article contends. “These academically high achievers love making things.”
 
That's not all.
 
“There’s been an acceleration of restaurants, urban farms, are everything the tech industry require,” Russo said. “Chefs from other regions are relocating here.”
 
Read the rest of the news right here.

high-profile merger will help community development efforts across city, leaders say
Three prominent community development groups in Cleveland have merged, and staffers say the resulting alliance will help strengthen community revitalization efforts across the city, foster more unified advocacy, and allow for greater efficiency in citywide efforts.

Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI), a community development intermediary that provides grants and technical assistance to community development corporations (CDCs), has merged with Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition (CNDC) and LiveCleveland. CNDC is a trade association of CDCs; LiveCleveland helps to market city neighborhoods.

That might sound like a mouthful of acronyms to the average city resident, but Joel Ratner, President of NPI, says the collaboration really is about improving Cleveland's neighborhoods.

"We'll have a greater ability to coordinate the marketing of neighborhoods along with advocacy, capacity building and all the other things we've traditionally done," he says. "This is really about uniting the strands of community development across the city in a way that's integrated and strategic rather than separate."

For example, says Ratner, CDCs will be able to have a stronger voice in education reform and other efforts that affect the entire city, residents will see an increased marketing presence, and CDC employees will benefit from shared services like healthcare. It adds up to more effective efforts to improve all of Cleveland.

"Our mission is to foster communities of choice and opportunity throughout Cleveland," says Ratner, who acknowledges that NPI will still only have resources to provide core operating support to a subset of city neighborhoods. "There are lots of ways we can play a role in lifting up all CDCs and neighborhoods."

CNDC Director Colleen Gilson says that while the merger idea was far from popular among CDCs at first -- they feared losing their independence -- individual leaders saw the value in fostering a citywide community development network that provides more effective services to all neighborhoods, not just a select few.

The merger will be publicly rolled out in September, with NPI moving into its new offices in the Saint Luke's project at Shaker Boulevard and E. 116th by January.


Source: Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
the cleveland shop takes over former duohome space in gordon square
The Cleveland Shop, a 34-year old vintage clothing and costume rental store, has relocated from Detroit and W. 117th to the Gordon Square Arts District, adding to a growing fashion presence in this burgeoning near west side neighborhood.

The shop, which opened July 11th, took over the former duoHOME space at 6511 Detroit Avenue. It is open Tuesday through Thursday from 12-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 12-9 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday. It joins Turnstyle Clothing and Yellowcake in a mini fashion hub in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood.

"I think the space chose me," says store owner Jane Joseph, who had been looking since last year for a retail location with more foot traffic and greater synergy with other businesses. "We kind of have two personalities within one store, and this space is large enough that it allows us to have room for both sections."

"The Cleveland Shop's funky, eclectic brand of retail nicely complements the existing commercial businesses in Gordon Square," says Councilman Matt Zone. "Jane kind of rounds out the diverse blend of high quality fashion in [the area]."

The Cleveland Shop sells vintage merchandise "from as early as the roaring 1920s era through the funky fashions of the 1970s," proclaims its website. It also rents period costumes and carries vintage reproduction items like platform shoes.

So if you're looking for that perfect set of go-go boots or a sharkskin suit to add to your vintage collection, look no further. The Cleveland Shop has got you covered -- fashionably.


Source: The Cleveland Shop
Writer: Lee Chilcote
local creatives awarded for outstanding community arts work
A trio of local creatives, whose work in the arts ranges from entrepreneurship to philanthropy, have been acknowledged for the impact they make on the community.

Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio, a nonprofit that promotes creative learning through the arts for local children and teenagers, announced the winners of its 2013 Arts, Education and Entrepreneurship Awards late last week.

As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, the organization recognized those who have made a lasting contribution in the three key categories, says development director Jerry Smith.

The winners are:

* Stephanie Morrison-Hrbek, founder and director of Near West Theatre. Located in the Gordon Square Arts District, the theater was deemed by Young Audiences as a bastion for Cleveland youth struggling with their identities.

* Anna Arnold, director of the Florence O’Donnell Wasmer Gallery. An artist and educator, Arnold works with at-risk children, encouraging them to positively express their thoughts and values through art.

* Jeff Lachina, CEO of Lachina. The entrepreneur's educational product company recruits from Cleveland Institute of Art and other area universities to demonstrate to students that an active career in the arts can happen locally.

The three award-winners each will have an endowment established in their names, and be recognized during Young Audience's anniversary commemoration in September.

"They all reached out into the community in a unique way, touching the lives of people for whom the arts is not always readily available," says Smith.

 
SOURCE: Jerry Smith, Jennifer Abelson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
w. 76th street underpass opens next week, boasting striking new public art
For Gordon Square residents and Edgewater Park visitors, the long wait finally is over. The bike-ped underpass at W. 76th Street that connects the west side to Edgewater reopens next week -- albeit a few years late and millions over budget. Public officials plan to celebrate on Tuesday, July 2nd at 5 pm with a ribbon cutting at Battery Park Wine Bar.

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson Amanda Lee says the delays were caused by environmental issues that required a new retaining wall design. High water content in the soil forced them back to the drawing board. Essentially two connected tunnels, it goes under tracks and the Shoreway.

Not only is the underpass cleaner, better illuminated and more accessible, it also boasts a striking new work of public art, "Cold Front," designed by Cleveland artist Mark Reigelman. The piece plays off the natural history of the area, whose bluffs were carved out by glaciers -- known as pathmakers -- eons ago.

"This is what you see when you come out of the tunnel: Cleveland's best natural feature, Lake Erie, as well as the history of the lake and how it's been formed," says Riegelman, whose artwork at the entrance was built out of cast concrete by Great Lakes Construction.

The work, which consists of hexagonal shapes in shades of blue designed to mimic the water molecules in glaciers, was built so that it will be visible to all who pass. "From the neighborhood you see the crest of the glacier; trains can see a luminescent blue quality; and people can see it from their boats on the water."

LAND Studio coordinated the selection process for the public artwork, which was completed with funds from the State of Ohio, City and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

The underpass will better connect residents to Edgewater Park at a time when the Metroparks has just assumed management. Users report that the Metroparks already has made improvements, with staff picking up litter and combing the beach and long-awaited recycling bins set to be installed next week.


Source: Mark Reigelman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
q & a: kyle dreyfuss-wells, manager of watershed programs, neorsd
Stormwater run-off can overflow sewers, flood homes, erode roads and streambanks, and pollute our beloved waterways. Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is seeking to address these issues with a stormwater management program. Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, manager of watershed programs for NEORSD, explains what the venture means for the average resident.