Valerie Mayen of Yellowcake, a fashion designer who became the poster child for Cleveland's nascent design industry after she appeared on Project Runway, will launch a nonprofit sewing studio to push the city's young talent into the spotlight.

The new loft studio, which is called Buzz and Growl, intends to offer work space, professional equipment, coaching and classes to young artists and entrepreneurs. It is located at 1400 East 30th Street in the St. Clair Super... Read more >

The City of Cleveland Heights has released a Request for Development Proposals (RDFP) that it hopes will lure new office space, jobs and tax revenue to the inner ring suburb. The city is asking for development ideas for a 39,000-square-foot parcel at Lee and Meadowbrook roads in the heart of the Cedar-Lee commercial district. Responses are due in January.

Given that two high-end condo projects proposed here in the mid-2000's never came to fruition, the city evidently ... Read more >

Residents of Lyndhurst typically live 24 years longer than residents of the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland, according to a recent analysis by the Cuyahoga County Place Matters Team. This health disparity is why the group, in collaboration with the Saint Luke's Foundation, has launched a speaker series at the City Club of Cleveland focused on creating healthier communities in Cuyahoga County.

"It shouldn't matter how much money you have, your community should... Read more >

With just a few weeks standing between now and the holiday hand-outs, it's time to shift the shopping cart into high gear. But before you start sending your hard-earned cabbage out of state, consider shopping local. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski takes us on a pictorial tour of some the best holiday pop-up shops. See this story for a complete list.

A handful of U.S. cities have torn down or busted through the '60s-era highway walls that separate their neighborhoods from adjacent waterways. Despite critics' fears that such people-friendly projects will cause calamitous traffic delays, they often reap major economic, social and environmental benefits while adding only a few minutes to the average commute.

Cleveland's version of such a wall is the West Shoreway -- a homely, 2.5-mile stretch of concrete that... Read more >

Kendall Embrescia’s greeting cards get to the point of the sentiment -- but usually not in the traditional way. As chief creative officer and “head skootcher” at Squirt & Skootch, Embrescia produces cards that are edgy, funny, off-the-wall and well received.
 
The idea for Squirt & Skootch was originally conceived in 2009 by Embrescia and a friend who wanted to start a business that united their love of writing, creativity and travel. The pec... Read more >

Local real estate pros like David Sharkey of Progressive Urban have been struggling to stay afloat lately, a drastic shift from the urban housing boom of the late-'90s. But slowly, they say, wary buyers are emerging from the sidelines. Their target: value-rich homes with energy-efficient features in neighborhoods with proven market appeal.

At a recent community meeting for Launch Lorain, a grassroots planning process to plot the future of that street, Ohio City advocates eager to push W. 25th Street's development onto gritty Lorain gave a cry akin to Westward Ho!

Yet they were met with beleaguered skepticism by residents and business owners who believe more attention should be paid to basic safety and city services. Other attendees expressed the viewpoint that attracting residents and businesses to the ... Read more >

Since the Capitol Theatre at W. 65th and Detroit reopened in 2008 as a state-of-the-art, three-screen movie house, it has incrementally grown its audience by hosting special events and screening must-see indie films. Yet this week, the hottest attraction at this restored vaudeville theatre will be its striking new blade sign.

This Thursday, a holiday-themed lighting ceremony will celebrate this iconic piece of street art. The "Bright Night" event begins at 6:15 ... Read more >

The City of East Cleveland, a community that has lost thousands of residents in recent years due to the foreclosure crisis and decades of disinvestment, has celebrated two groundbreakings in as many months, suggesting that the city's new pro-development approach may be working.

Officials from the city, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing this week celebrated the groundbreaking of a new 39-unit... Read more >

The behemothic stone mansion that looms over Franklin Boulevard in Ohio City looks like the perfect spot to film a horror movie -- though some say the frightening events rumored to have taken place here a century ago are even stranger than fiction.

Franklin Castle was built in 1865 by Hannes Tiedemann, a German immigrant. After several of his children died -- some of unknown causes -- he reportedly built gargoyles, turrets and a huge, fourth-floor ballroom to distract his... Read more >

What is most unusual about Trailside at Morgana Run, a new development of 100-plus new homes in the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland, is not simply that it is a rare example of speculative housing development in today’s morbid real estate market.

No, what seems even more unique is that Third Federal Bank, whose headquarters is located adjacent to the site, is actually the developer of the project. Typically, banks do not take an active role in development.Read more >

It wasn't long ago that you couldn't touch a new home in Shaker Heights for less than $300k. That is, if you could find one; in those bygone days, new single-families and condos in this historic, built-out community were scarce, and so was buildable land.

Enter the housing crisis and 2008 recession. Since the dawn of these twin apocalypses, the City of Shaker Heights, which has a reputation for being proactive about the upkeep of its housing stock, has acquired do... Read more >

Dave Fleischer loves to draw. As a self-described “lifelong animator,” the creative director and president of Tiny Giant Studio has dreams of growing into a full-service animation production studio. And he’s using his passion to attract local talent to his company by hosting a speed-drawing class at Shaker LaunchHouse.
 
The class, held on Thursday nights, is designed to help potential animators hone their skills. Actors from the CWRU theater departm... Read more >

Dan Young is an avid cyclist. But he’s also quite busy running his software and technology business. One day, while stuck in the office and dreaming about how he’d rather be riding, Young came up with an idea: What if there was a way to pedal at his desk?

“I was just kind of thinking one day, ‘I can’t stand sitting here; I want to get out and ride,’” recalls Young. And with that, the seed was planted for Kickstand Furniture.
&... Read more >

What's it take to sell a swank new home in Cleveland these days? It helps if you can offer fresh, contemporary design, a sought-after Tremont address, and a 29-foot-wide great room that's filled with light even on the cloudiest of North Coast days.

At least, that's what David Sharkey, one of the principals of Civic Builders in Tremont, has to say. This year, Sharkey and his partners broke ground on a new three-unit development at West 8th and Starkweather call... Read more >

The developer of a fast-growing entrepreneurial village on the eastern edge of downtown is planning a $9-12 million investment that would add nearly 160,000 square feet of office space. Michelle Asher of Graystone Properties, which owns the mammoth Tyler Village complex at East 36th and Superior, says that regional growth in the biotechnology, software development, multimedia design and film industries prompted the bullish move to ready new space for additional tenants.

&... Read more >

The I-X Center has launched plans to invest $25 to $30 million in renovations that will enhance its ability to host consumer mega-shows such as the Fabulous Food Show and International Beer Fest. Planned improvements include upgrading food and restroom facilities, adding a third lane to the main access road, and expanding the paved parking areas.

“Our goal is to grow attendance and become even more of a destination venue,” Robert Peterson, President of the I-X... Read more >