As millenials, empty nesters and other demographic groups flock to downtowns across Ohio, business improvement districts -- or BIDs -- are playing an important role in ensuring that these areas are clean and safe and that residents, office workers and property owners have the amenities they need to thrive.

A business improvement district is a defined area in which property owners pay an additional tax in order to fund projects and services that enhance the area. Downtown Cleveland has a BID, and the organization provides basic "clean and safe" services, organizes events and markets downtown to prospective residents, visitors and businesses.

This week, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which manages the downtown BID, organized the first all-Ohio BID conference, bringing together BID leaders from across the state to network and learn about issues they share in common.

"It came from the idea that there's not a unifying organization or conference for BIDs," says Anna Beyerle with DCA. "We can learn a lot from other BIDs across Ohio. The idea was to get in the same room and throw out ideas and best practices."

Topics included food truck legislation, downtown transportation, farmers markets, placemaking, and office and retail recruitment strategies.

Participants also enjoyed several tours of downtown Cleveland and the surrounding area and had a chance to learn from Cleveland's redevelopment.

Beyerle says the conference will help BIDs, such as the one in downtown Cleveland, to become more effective. "We're up for renewal in a couple years, and we're looking at how we can improve."


Source: Anna Beyerle
Writer: Lee Chilcote

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

Jason Tilk, a Cleveland Institute of Art graduate, designs award-winning medical innovations for Nottingham Spirk, the Cleveland-based business innovation firm. By night, the wildly creative trailblazer performs Vaudeville-style shows with his wife that incorporate songs, jokes and "bad magic."

The historic Colonial and Euclid Arcades in downtown Cleveland suffered from 40 percent vacancy last year, yet this year they added a slew of new shops and have gone from half-empty to nearly completely full.

Renamed the 5th Street Arcades, the once-moribund properties have been turned around by Dick Pace of Cumberland Development, who has breathed new life into the spaces by luring entrepreneurial tenants with fresh concepts and excitement about downtown.

"Step by step, we're getting there," says Pace, who has focused on locally themed retail that serves downtown residents and office workers. "Each month, there's something new going on. Our tenants cross-market and help each other."

Last year, a retail grant competition netted Soulcraft Furniture Gallery, which opened earlier this year, and Pour Cleveland, which will open by November 1st.

Several of the businesses in the 5th Street Arcades will soon add outdoor seating, including Pour, Sushi 86 and a yet unnamed food tenant that Pace is working with.

Additional businesses that will open this fall include Herron Starr Apparel (a shoe store), The Tea Lab (a tea shop run by Bob Holcepl of City Roast), The Olive and the Grape, and a take-out vendor called C'mon Let's Eat (CLE).

Finally, Sushi 86 is expanding to create space for banquets and cooking classes, and Alphonso's, a men's and women's accessories shop, will open later this year.

"Tenants are drawn here because this is becoming known as a retail area, an area for shopping," Pace says. "That says a lot about downtown and what's happening."


Source: Dick Pace
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The founder of the successful Cleveland Flea will soon move her growing business, The Indie Foundry, into a historic mansion on St. Clair Avenue. The location will function as a co-working and classroom space aimed at helping small creative businesses to grow and flourish. It joins a growing list of new startups on that street.

"This is the business development side of a business incubator, a place where you meet other creatives," says Stephanie Sheldon. "You’re making things in the kitchen, crafting things or making stuff in the woodshop -- but when it’s time to work on your business, where do you do that? 'Hey, have you found great insurance agent? Who do you use for bookkeeping? How do you deal with a growing company?' These are the kinds of questions that the Indie Foundry is dedicated to."

The stone mansion, located behind the Slovenian National Home, is a bit of a "time capsule" that has beautiful hardwood floors, natural woodwork and two ballrooms.

Sheldon says the Indie Foundry will offer desk space and wi-fi for freelancers and creative entrepreneurs as well as classes, workshops and a slew of pop-up events.

Examples include a lecture series from Bad Girl Ventures and workshops hosted by Soulcraft, the Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen, and Craft Connection.

Sheldon will also work closely with the Slovenian National Home to help improve their operations over the next year, including making the home's courtyard a signature outdoor space for events, pop-up dinners and other activities.


Source: Stephanie Sheldon
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Next week, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) celebrates the grand opening of its new headquarters in a former textile manufacturing shop at E. 45th Street and Superior Avenue. The redeveloped office not only makes LMM more efficient, sustainable and accessible, it also contains a 2,400-square-foot central kitchen and 6,000-square-foot metal shop that allows the group to advance its social enterprise branch.

Michael Sering, Vice President at LMM, says that the organization is able to churn out hundreds of bike racks a year using the new metal shop. Recently, LMM inked a contract with the Cleveland Clinic to build and install an additional 136 racks. LMM employs individuals from 2100 Lakeside, a men's shelter, to make the racks.

The new, spacious central kitchen will allow LMM to continue its work to employ individuals reentering society after time in prison. LMM already prepares about 1,500 meals per day for area homeless shelters and other social service facilities.

LMM is preparing to break ground on a new community garden adjacent to 2100 Lakeside. Sering hopes to build a custom fence for the garden in the metal shop.

LMM's new administrative headquarters are named after Richard Sering, Michael Sering's father and LMM's former director. Richard Sering died of cancer 10 years ago.


Source: Michael Sering
Writer: Lee Chilcote

What has been a lifelong love of comics and video games for Tamar Medina has turned into an interesting business. Medina and his co-founders developed J-Lynn Entertainment in 2011, which makes video game comics -- interactive comics where the reader controls the outcome of the comic or an entire series of comics.
 
In July, Medina began test marketing the video game comics at conventions. “The feedback we got at the comic conventions was great,” says Medina.
 
But at the conventions Medina also got an unexpected reaction. Parents and teachers approached him to say his video game comics would be a helpful tool for children with autism. After some research into autism, Medina and his team discovered their games were perfect for cognitive training, collecting performance data, and research in autism spectrum disorders.
 
“Kids with autism have trouble reading and comprehending certain words,” Medina explains. “But reading a comic and seeing what’s going on with pictures, the kids really adhere to technology.” Because the comics are interactive, they also help autistic children develop their social and decision-making skills.
 
Medina went to top experts for help in developing a line of games specific to kids with autism. “At the end of the game, we put statistics on the social choices they made,” says Medina of one feature he’s incorporated. “We wanted to have it be fun and be interactive.”
 
J-Lynn Entertainment is still developing its regular line of video game comics and is talking to investors. The company has five employees. Medina says they are hoping to bring on a full-time programmer, and envisions J-Lynn will employ 25 to 50 people within the next five years.
 
“The passion is awesome and we think our product will be great, not only in improving the autism condition, but also identifying it,” says Medina. “I believe we have the ability and skills for growth. J-Lynn is currently polishing its prototype and hopes to release it this fall for android.

 
Source: Tamar Medina
Writer: Karin Connelly

In a city with no shortage of vacant land on which to cultivate gardens, it might surprise some to learn of the growing trend of gardens in the sky. Not only do rooftop gardens offer a place to relax, they reduce a building's heating and cooling costs while shielding the roof from damaging UV rays.

Cotton, a high-end linen store recently launched by Plantation Home owner David Stein, joins an impressive list of new businesses opening in Lakewood. The store sells mid- to high-end sheets, duvets, tablecloths and linens. It also offers tableware and "one-of-a-kind" ladies handbags, according to Stein.

Cotton opened in the ornate stone building where Kucinich once maintained a district office. The rehabbed storefront at 14400 Detroit Avenue boasts new landscaping and signage. The interior features a dramatic, high-ceilinged layout.

The new business appears to be in good company. According to Dru Siley, Director of Planning for the City of Lakewood, at least 20 new businesses have opened or are breaking ground this year in and around the downtown Lakewood core.

New downtown businesses include Humble Wine Bar, World of Beer, Avalon Exchange, Pizza Bogo, Falafel Express, Get Go, and Bob Evans (which is breaking ground this year and will open in 2014). Additionally, Paisley Monkey recently doubled in size and Eddie n' Eddie rebranded as Cerino's Casual Italian.

Outside of the downtown district, new businesses include El Carnicero, Barrio, Discount Drug Mart, Vosh, That's Nutz, G.V. Art and Design, Stem Handmade Soap, Cleveland Pickle (opening in November), Crossfit Birdtown and Sushi Raxu.


Source: Dru Siley, David Stein
Writer: Lee Chilcote

If Jon Stahl of LeanDog fulfills his ambitious dream -- as he so often does -- Cleveland could see a string of elevated skylifts along the lake shore. With a planned 11-stop system, the tramway would move passengers between places like the Municipal Lot, Burke Lakefront Airport, the Convention Center, Wendy Park, Edgewater Park, and both banks of the Flats.

All around us are beautiful sculptural elements, affixed to the very buildings we stroll right by on a daily basis. How many of us notice those angels, faces and gargoyles high up on the friezes of our historic structures? Photographer Bob Perkoski does, and he's assembled a few of his favorite images of them.

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

Zack Bruell used to watch PlayhouseSquare office workers sit outside at Star Plaza and eat sandwiches in the park. He thought, They could be my customers. Now, thanks to Dynomite, a new fast-casual burger shack in the Star Plaza kiosk, many of them are.

During its first week, Dynomite frequently had lines 30-people deep and ran out of hamburger buns by 3 p.m. (don't worry, they ordered more). Bruell hopes this is an omen.

"I was basically opening it so that we could bring more people to the area," says the restaurateur, who owns five other venues in Cleveland (Parallax, Chinato, Table 45, Cowell and Hubbard, L'Albatros). "I wanted to see more street traffic. This is one of the great neighborhoods in the city, and it's in transition."

You can think of Dynomite as a kind of Zack Bruell burger clearinghouse. Modeled after the legendary Shake Shack in New York City, the venue offers four kinds of burgers that are also available at Parallax, L'Albatros, Chinato and Cowell and Hubbard. Each is different and unique. Additionally, Dynomite offers a killer chicken sandwich, regular burger, vegan burger, hot dog and chili dog.

Sides include fries, chili fries, chili, pickles and soft serve ice cream. The most expensive things on the entire menu are the signature burgers, which are priced at $8.

"We're just doing basic food, but we're doing it right," says Bruell. "We're using the same products that we're working with in all of our restaurants."

Dynomite will soon have a full liquor license. Bruell expects the revamped Star Plaza -- which is nearly complete and includes additional outdoor seating, a fire pit and concert stage -- to look and function like a downtown beer garden.

The venue is the latest addition to PlayhouseSquare, which has in recent years been evolving into a dining destination and vibrant 24-7 neighborhood.


Source: Zack Bruell
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Campbell's Sweets, a homegrown business that has three stands at the West Side Market and a store on W. 25th Street, is set to explode across Cleveland, with an additional shop in Lakewood, a production facility in Slavic Village and an east side store in the works.

"It's been two years this August since we opened the W. 25th Street store, and it's gone really well," says owner Jeff Campbell. "We predicted that we'd steal business from our market stands, but that hasn't happened. Last year, we grew 40 percent from 2011 to 2012. This year, we're headed to do that again."

In Lakewood, Campbell's will soon occupy a corner storefront at Detroit and Warren Roads. The 2,000-square-foot store will feature a tin ceiling, clay brick display wall, open production area and upcycled doors. The exterior will feature eye-catching new awnings with pictures of popcorn and cupcakes. Big storefront windows will allow passersby to see into the facility.

Campbell intends to open the store this fall. Although he's put a possible University Circle location on hold until he proves out the Lakewood store, he's actively looking for a production facility on Fleet Avenue in Slavic Village. "We're outgrowing our W. 25th space and it's challenging to keep up," he says. "We can still double our production, but we're headed to five to six times our production in the next 12 to 18 months. Fleet Avenue has us very intrigued because of the redevelopment happening there in 2014 [with the streetscape]."

Campbell's also now sells its popcorn in seven Giant Eagle stores, where it's visibly displayed in the fruit and produce area. Yet the Market District of Ohio City always will remain home. "Ohio City is the nucleus and we grow out," he says. "We're not going to go way out [into the suburbs] until we've saturated our market here."


Source: Jeff Campbell
Writer: Lee Chilcote

John Farina and Adam Tully have been collecting art for years, and like many collectors, they've always wanted to open a gallery to showcase work of artists they love. That idea will become a reality next month as The Maria Neil Art Project opens up on Waterloo.

"There are a lot of artists in Cleveland who are either unrepresented or underrepresented," says Farina, who also recently bought a home in North Collinwood with Tully. "This work should be known. Having a space with low overhead, we can show off emerging artists that haven't been shown off before."

The cozy gallery at 15813 Waterloo will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting September 6th. The first exhibition will feature artist Michaelangelo Lovelace, known for his gritty, whimsical portraits of street life in the city. Frameworks in Bedford, a framing shop, will offer framing in the space.

Farina says that the Waterloo Arts District is definitely becoming known as a good community for artists, with multiple galleries now located on the street, artists buying houses in the neighborhood and arts groups setting up shop here.


Source: John Farina
Writer: Lee Chilcote

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.