Todd Pownell of TAP Studios in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood has always purchased recycled gold. He fashions the raw material into unique wedding rings for Cleveland couples, or helps people to make their own through his unique, do-it-yourself workshop.

Yet as the price of gold has risen from $300 per ounce five years ago to more than $1,600 per ounce today, Pownell has also observed an increase in exploitative mining operations in various corners of the globe. At t... Read more >

Do you want to see more mountain bike trails in the Metroparks? Or spur trails that lead visitors through secluded, natural landscapes? Could the Metroparks take over the city's ailing, neglected lakefront park system, which suffers from millions in deferred maintenance from the cash-strapped State of Ohio?

These issues and many others will be the focus of public meetings scheduled in April and May by the Cleveland Metroparks. The Metroparks is seeking to present and ... Read more >

After three years of fundraising -- and a generous last-minute gift from an anonymous donor -- a bronze statue of Dante Alighieri is now being crafted at Studio Foundry in Cleveland. It will be installed in the Italian Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park in June.

"I view this as a Cleveland project," says Joyce Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation, who championed the project after discovering unfinished plans for the Italian Ga... Read more >

LeanDog Software Studio has seen success as a software delivery firm and the team enjoys sharing their knowledge and mentoring others in the field. So the natural progression for the 55-person company was to expand into the world of fostering entrepreneurs in the tech field. The launch of LeanDog Labs does exactly that.
 
“Labs was really a part of our original vision of LeanDog,” says Nick Barendt, director of LeanDog Labs. “Very early on we were wo... Read more >

Blame it on the recession or chalk it up to a generation of people who prefer vinyl records to MP3s, but the trend toward creative entrepreneurship is real and rising. People value authenticity, and that often comes in the form of a handmade object with pedigree and a good story to boot. These folks have all traded in their "day jobs" to pursue their passion of making things by hand.

With cranes in the sky and construction workers swarming everywhere, downtown Cleveland is witnessing an impressive construction boom. Yet beneath the clouds of dust, a not-so-subtle changing of the guard is also taking place, as baby boomers retire and young people step into leadership posts.

The generational handing off of the baton appeared to be in display last week at the annual "State of Downtown" address, an event that is sponsored by the Downtown Clevela... Read more >

When Cleveland Indians fans catch their first game at Progressive Field this season, they'll be able to check out not only the power hitters in the batting lineup, but also a giant, new wind turbine that harnesses wind power to fuel the ballpark's operations.

The recently constructed turbine, which is the latest in the team's efforts to green-up its ballpark operations, was designed by Cleveland State University engineering professor Majid Rashidi. It weighs 1... Read more >

Energy efficiency is no longer simply an option for tenants seeking office space downtown, says Donald Rerko of ka Architecture Inc., one of Cleveland's leading sustainability-minded architecture firms. Instead, it's often a critical "go/no go" decision-making factor that can make or break a deal.

"Tenants want sustainable buildings, and they'll often take the building off their list if it's not energy-efficient," he says. "It'... Read more >

Many teachers and graduates of Cleveland School of the Arts, the acclaimed, arts-focused school that sits at the edge of University Circle, have been patiently waiting for more than 30 years for a new school.

"We've had a makeshift arts school for 30 years," says Christine Bluso, Executive Director of Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts. The historic school building was built atop the culverted Doan Brook and does not have a cafeteria or facilities suita... Read more >

The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are preparing to break ground on two major roadway improvement projects in University Circle and surrounding neighborhoods that will improve vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle access to the area while making it safer and easier to navigate.

First, the City of Cleveland plans to break ground in the next few months on the rebuilding of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The scenic roadway wends its way 2.63 miles from University Circle th... Read more >

The Cleveland Plus Marketing Alliance is celebrating its fifth birthday promoting Northeast Ohio as a vigorous regional entity. Like any proud parent, Cleveland Plus executive director Rick Batyko is eager to show off the campaign's accomplishments over its first five years of life. Fresh Water writer Douglas J. Guth spoke with Batyko about the campaign's successful past as well as the Wadsworth native's hopes for the region's future.

Thanks to roadway improvements and striking new signage, University Circle is becoming easier to navigate all the time. Yet it's a grim joke among cyclists that navigating the spaghetti intersection at Stokes, Martin Luther King Jr. and Cedar is akin to taking your life into your hands.

This issue affects more than a small, insignificant sliver of the population: According to City of Cleveland Bike Planner Marty Cader, the number of bike commuters continues to rise ea... Read more >

What makes a neighborhood thrive? Is it a coffee shop? A fistful of chef-owned bistros? What about a grocery store and dry cleaners? When it comes to Cleveland's various neighborhoods, some seem to have all the pieces in place. Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit Shoreway… these budding burgs appear to have everything a resident could want and need. But do they?