Sustainability + Environment
The biggest gripe of downtown Cleveland residents (and, really, downtown dwellers in most non-coastal cities) is that their city center lacks the retail and amenities they need. Being a downtown resident often means regular car trips to the 'burbs -- or somewhere that's not within walking distance -- for shopping.
Yet that's slowly beginning to change. As any commercial broker will tell you, retail follows rooftops. As downtown Cleveland gains thousands of new residents, retailers are finding a market here. The 5th Street Arcades are nearly 100 percent full, and Heinen's is planning to open a new grocery store downtown.
The topic of retail and amenities will be in the spotlight this week as Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) and the City Club of Cleveland kick off a new event series. "Civic Drinks: Downtown Dialogues" will bring together developers and nonprofit leaders to discuss what downtown Cleveland needs to thrive. The kickoff takes place on Wednesday, January 8th at 4 p.m. in the former Cleveland Trust Rotunda (future home of Heinen's Fine Foods) at East 9th and Euclid Ave.
The kickoff event will feature a panel discussion with DCA President and CEO Joe Marinucci, developer Fred Geis and Tom Heinen of Heinen's Fine Foods.
“Our Downtown Dialogue events are designed to give people who are invested in the future of downtown Cleveland an opportunity to discuss what’s next for our city," said Marinucci in a release. "Each talk will feature experts in a particular area that is crucial for moving downtown forward, and will offer opportunities for small group dialogue and sharing ideas.”
Future events will tackle green space and connectivity (April 4th), livability (July 2nd) and downtown's vision plan (September 3rd).
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet that's slowly beginning to change. As any commercial broker will tell you, retail follows rooftops. As downtown Cleveland gains thousands of new residents, retailers are finding a market here. The 5th Street Arcades are nearly 100 percent full, and Heinen's is planning to open a new grocery store downtown.
The topic of retail and amenities will be in the spotlight this week as Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) and the City Club of Cleveland kick off a new event series. "Civic Drinks: Downtown Dialogues" will bring together developers and nonprofit leaders to discuss what downtown Cleveland needs to thrive. The kickoff takes place on Wednesday, January 8th at 4 p.m. in the former Cleveland Trust Rotunda (future home of Heinen's Fine Foods) at East 9th and Euclid Ave.
The kickoff event will feature a panel discussion with DCA President and CEO Joe Marinucci, developer Fred Geis and Tom Heinen of Heinen's Fine Foods.
“Our Downtown Dialogue events are designed to give people who are invested in the future of downtown Cleveland an opportunity to discuss what’s next for our city," said Marinucci in a release. "Each talk will feature experts in a particular area that is crucial for moving downtown forward, and will offer opportunities for small group dialogue and sharing ideas.”
Future events will tackle green space and connectivity (April 4th), livability (July 2nd) and downtown's vision plan (September 3rd).
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Lee Chilcote
What's the big idea behind the South Euclid Idea House? Housing Manager Sally Martin says the goal of the energy-efficient, 1,800-square-foot home, which was completed this fall, is to stimulate new thinking about the future of this built-out, inner ring 'burb.
That future now includes seven new-construction homes scattered throughout the community, five community gardens and three pocket parks. These projects rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the foreclosure crisis -- South Euclid has now demolished 56 homes, with more to come. The city also has inspired at least one private builder, Weathervane Homes, to build homes in the community.
"We built the Idea House to show that you can live big on a small lot," says Martin. "The 'big idea' is that infill development is a great possibility for the private sector, and that houses can be built here in a modern way that modern buyers will like."
In the past, Martin says, many builders looked past South Euclid to the exurbs. The modest silver lining in the housing crisis, which resulted in many vacant homes, is that infill lots are beginning to open up. One South Euclid, a new community development group, now offers these lots for development.
The Idea House features an open floor plan, upscale finishes, first-floor master bedroom or den, and energy-efficient design. The house, which was built using Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding, is under contract for $162,000.
Martin says the new homes, coupled with green space initiatives, aggressive code enforcement, nuisance abatement and offering of lots to private developers, have spurred the beginnings of a renaissance.
"We've planted the seeds, and it's taken off from there. We've seen a small increase in the housing market. There's hope."
Source: Sally Martin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That future now includes seven new-construction homes scattered throughout the community, five community gardens and three pocket parks. These projects rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the foreclosure crisis -- South Euclid has now demolished 56 homes, with more to come. The city also has inspired at least one private builder, Weathervane Homes, to build homes in the community.
"We built the Idea House to show that you can live big on a small lot," says Martin. "The 'big idea' is that infill development is a great possibility for the private sector, and that houses can be built here in a modern way that modern buyers will like."
In the past, Martin says, many builders looked past South Euclid to the exurbs. The modest silver lining in the housing crisis, which resulted in many vacant homes, is that infill lots are beginning to open up. One South Euclid, a new community development group, now offers these lots for development.
The Idea House features an open floor plan, upscale finishes, first-floor master bedroom or den, and energy-efficient design. The house, which was built using Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding, is under contract for $162,000.
Martin says the new homes, coupled with green space initiatives, aggressive code enforcement, nuisance abatement and offering of lots to private developers, have spurred the beginnings of a renaissance.
"We've planted the seeds, and it's taken off from there. We've seen a small increase in the housing market. There's hope."
Source: Sally Martin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When Craig Lewis, a mechanical science and engineering major at CWRU, was given an extra credit assignment in 2011 to come up with something that would increase household energy efficiency, he started thinking about how much water people use in the shower.
“We did a little preliminary research to see if people could track their water consumption in the shower,” Lewis recalls. “We found that 76 percent of people we surveyed had no idea what their water consumption was.”
So Lewis and his partners, Andrew Schad and CJ Valle, set out to create a shower head that tracks water consumption. “How can you be efficient if you don’t know what you’re consuming,” asks Lewis. The result is Sprav, a company that makes a water meter by the same name for the shower. Today’s model is wireless and works with the users’ mobile devices to provide usage data. It takes seconds to install and requires no tools.
Sprav entered Case's St. Gobain Design Competition in the fall of 2011 with a prototype and came in second place. Listening to feedback from the judges and the audience, Lewis and his team redesigned the meter, making it sleeker and with more functionality, and proceeded to take top honors at the following year's competition.
Sprav ran a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year. While they fell short of their fundraising goal, the company enrolled in Bizdom’s fall class. “It’s been a great opportunity,” Lewis says of Bizdom. “They’ve done a great job of guiding us along the path.” The company has also turned to Blackstone Launchpad for guidance and resources.
Lewis has taken a year off from school to work on Sprav full-time. While the device is still in development, the company has an agreement with CWRU to test it in the dorms in 2014. While Lewis calls Sprav a “grass roots effort” right now, he has his sights set on getting Sprav in big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot, “where people expect to buy these types of things.”
Source: Craig Lewis
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We did a little preliminary research to see if people could track their water consumption in the shower,” Lewis recalls. “We found that 76 percent of people we surveyed had no idea what their water consumption was.”
So Lewis and his partners, Andrew Schad and CJ Valle, set out to create a shower head that tracks water consumption. “How can you be efficient if you don’t know what you’re consuming,” asks Lewis. The result is Sprav, a company that makes a water meter by the same name for the shower. Today’s model is wireless and works with the users’ mobile devices to provide usage data. It takes seconds to install and requires no tools.
Sprav entered Case's St. Gobain Design Competition in the fall of 2011 with a prototype and came in second place. Listening to feedback from the judges and the audience, Lewis and his team redesigned the meter, making it sleeker and with more functionality, and proceeded to take top honors at the following year's competition.
Sprav ran a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year. While they fell short of their fundraising goal, the company enrolled in Bizdom’s fall class. “It’s been a great opportunity,” Lewis says of Bizdom. “They’ve done a great job of guiding us along the path.” The company has also turned to Blackstone Launchpad for guidance and resources.
Lewis has taken a year off from school to work on Sprav full-time. While the device is still in development, the company has an agreement with CWRU to test it in the dorms in 2014. While Lewis calls Sprav a “grass roots effort” right now, he has his sights set on getting Sprav in big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot, “where people expect to buy these types of things.”
Source: Craig Lewis
Writer: Karin Connelly
Developer Rick Foran has made a career out of saving buildings, yet his latest project involves repurposing elements of one structure that was beyond repair.
Foran was hired by the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio two years ago to evaluate the condition of the long-vacant Emmanuel Church at 8614 Euclid. After discovering that the building needed structural repairs, the diocese marketed the property, but no buyers were willing to reinvest in it. When the Cleveland Clinic bought it, approval for demolition was granted with the condition that some parts be preserved.
Today, Foran's crew is carefully disassembling the stone facade, numbering, photographing and cataloguing each piece, and palletizing, shrink wrapping and storing them for later use. The goal is to reconstruct the narthex facade at another location to be determined. Additionally, the Skinner organ, woodwork, baptismal font, French floor tiles and historic light fixtures also are being salvaged.
"Nobody likes to tear down a landmark church, but if the decision has been made, I'm pleased that we can repurpose artifacts of the church and give them a new life," says Foran. "By the time the demo occurs, many of the more distinctive features will have been salvaged and relocated. There's also been an effort to keep them in a religious environment, or to keep them in the city of Cleveland."
The baptismal font, French floor tiles and stained glass window have been relocated to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Mentor. Light fixtures are being dispersed among various churches in Cleveland. The hand-carved lectern and bible stand are being added to the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.
The Clinic plans to build a hotel on the site that will provide families a place to stay while a loved one is in the hospital. The Clinic's previous guest house was displaced by the new medical school building recently developed in partnership with Case Western Reserve University. Groundbreaking on the new hotel is expected to occur next year.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Foran was hired by the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio two years ago to evaluate the condition of the long-vacant Emmanuel Church at 8614 Euclid. After discovering that the building needed structural repairs, the diocese marketed the property, but no buyers were willing to reinvest in it. When the Cleveland Clinic bought it, approval for demolition was granted with the condition that some parts be preserved.
Today, Foran's crew is carefully disassembling the stone facade, numbering, photographing and cataloguing each piece, and palletizing, shrink wrapping and storing them for later use. The goal is to reconstruct the narthex facade at another location to be determined. Additionally, the Skinner organ, woodwork, baptismal font, French floor tiles and historic light fixtures also are being salvaged.
"Nobody likes to tear down a landmark church, but if the decision has been made, I'm pleased that we can repurpose artifacts of the church and give them a new life," says Foran. "By the time the demo occurs, many of the more distinctive features will have been salvaged and relocated. There's also been an effort to keep them in a religious environment, or to keep them in the city of Cleveland."
The baptismal font, French floor tiles and stained glass window have been relocated to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Mentor. Light fixtures are being dispersed among various churches in Cleveland. The hand-carved lectern and bible stand are being added to the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.
The Clinic plans to build a hotel on the site that will provide families a place to stay while a loved one is in the hospital. The Clinic's previous guest house was displaced by the new medical school building recently developed in partnership with Case Western Reserve University. Groundbreaking on the new hotel is expected to occur next year.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Public Square in downtown Cleveland will be even brighter and safer this holiday season thanks to new, energy-efficient lighting donated by GE Lighting and installed by the City of Cleveland.
The city has installed new lamp-top posts and LED lighting throughout Public Square. The new bulbs are twice as efficient as the old ones.
GE Lighting donated 372,000 long-lasting LED bulbs for the holiday display, and there are 56,000 individual lights on the holiday tree alone.
“With millions of people visiting Downtown Cleveland each year and thousands living and working in downtown, there are more feet on the street now than in decades,” noted Joe Marinucci, president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Alliance, in a release. “With the new lighting, Public Square is now brighter and an even more inviting gateway to Downtown Cleveland.”
The new lighting was unveiled just in time for Winterfest last weekend.
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The city has installed new lamp-top posts and LED lighting throughout Public Square. The new bulbs are twice as efficient as the old ones.
GE Lighting donated 372,000 long-lasting LED bulbs for the holiday display, and there are 56,000 individual lights on the holiday tree alone.
“With millions of people visiting Downtown Cleveland each year and thousands living and working in downtown, there are more feet on the street now than in decades,” noted Joe Marinucci, president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Alliance, in a release. “With the new lighting, Public Square is now brighter and an even more inviting gateway to Downtown Cleveland.”
The new lighting was unveiled just in time for Winterfest last weekend.
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Lee Chilcote
urban bike mag covers cle's 'guerrilla stripers'
In the latest issue of Urban Velo, a magazine devoted to urban bike culture, writer Joe Baur covers the events leading up to the recent guerrilla striping incident along Detroit Avenue. The photographs in the piece were taken by Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski.
Because the officially sanctioned 1.7-mile bike lane along Detroit Avenue took a year longer than promised, local bike activists decided to get creative.
"The frustration became painfully public for city officials when a group of five 'guerrilla stripers' took it upon themselves to create a bike lane along a highly trafficked thoroughfare for cyclists in the near west side," Baur writes.
"Speaking under the condition of anonymity, one of the stripers explains that nobody even attempted to stop them during the hour they spent creating the lane."
Read the rest right here.
Because the officially sanctioned 1.7-mile bike lane along Detroit Avenue took a year longer than promised, local bike activists decided to get creative.
"The frustration became painfully public for city officials when a group of five 'guerrilla stripers' took it upon themselves to create a bike lane along a highly trafficked thoroughfare for cyclists in the near west side," Baur writes.
"Speaking under the condition of anonymity, one of the stripers explains that nobody even attempted to stop them during the hour they spent creating the lane."
Read the rest right here.
Researchers and hospitals literally can accumulate rooms full of paperwork documenting a single clinical trial. Rick Arlow offers a better method of document management without all that paper. RegulatoryBinder is an early stage software company focused on document management for medical clinic trials.
Arlow, who was earning a dual M.D. and Ph.D. a year ago, observed how much paper was wasted in clinical trials, came up with the idea to go paperless. So he quit his studies, formed RegulatoryBinder and joined accelerator FlashStarts in PlayhouseSquare.
“I have a tool that allows hospitals to store clinical trial data electronically,” explains Arlow. “Up until now, researchers would store paper in three-ring binders. There were literally rooms of paper.”
RegulatoryBinder’s Enterprise Document Management software provides up to a 33 percent increase in documentation productivity while standardizing the documentation system and saving researchers money. The biggest challenge Arlow encountered in developing a system of electronic records for clinical trials was efficiency and adoption.
“The large issue is, how do you do this in an efficient manner and still be compliant,” explains Arlow. “We had to find a way to provide the software, training and services and get people to adopt it.”
RegulatoryBinder is being used in pilot programs at University Hospitals and a number of other sites. Arlow says that so far people have been quick to adopt the technology.
RegulatoryBinder was one of six Northeast Ohio start-up companies to receive $25,000 from Lorain County Community College Foundation’s Innovation Fund. Arlow also recently received follow-on funding from FlashStarts. He plans to use the money to hire staff in customer support, marketing and sales, and to promote RegulatoryBinder to more markets. Arlow hired his first employee this month and plans to hire another before the end of the year. He anticipates two more hires in 2014.
Source: Rick Arlow
Writer: Karin Connelly
Arlow, who was earning a dual M.D. and Ph.D. a year ago, observed how much paper was wasted in clinical trials, came up with the idea to go paperless. So he quit his studies, formed RegulatoryBinder and joined accelerator FlashStarts in PlayhouseSquare.
“I have a tool that allows hospitals to store clinical trial data electronically,” explains Arlow. “Up until now, researchers would store paper in three-ring binders. There were literally rooms of paper.”
RegulatoryBinder’s Enterprise Document Management software provides up to a 33 percent increase in documentation productivity while standardizing the documentation system and saving researchers money. The biggest challenge Arlow encountered in developing a system of electronic records for clinical trials was efficiency and adoption.
“The large issue is, how do you do this in an efficient manner and still be compliant,” explains Arlow. “We had to find a way to provide the software, training and services and get people to adopt it.”
RegulatoryBinder is being used in pilot programs at University Hospitals and a number of other sites. Arlow says that so far people have been quick to adopt the technology.
RegulatoryBinder was one of six Northeast Ohio start-up companies to receive $25,000 from Lorain County Community College Foundation’s Innovation Fund. Arlow also recently received follow-on funding from FlashStarts. He plans to use the money to hire staff in customer support, marketing and sales, and to promote RegulatoryBinder to more markets. Arlow hired his first employee this month and plans to hire another before the end of the year. He anticipates two more hires in 2014.
Source: Rick Arlow
Writer: Karin Connelly
An east-side developer has purchased the historic streetcar power station on Larchmere Boulevard. Once home to the American Crafts Gallery, which is thought to be the oldest gallery of its kind in Cleveland and is now housed within the Dancing Sheep boutique down the road, the property has been vacant for years. Ilene Greenblatt, who has developed properties in Chicago before moving back to Cleveland to be near family, bought the building and expects to wrap up renovations by March.
"It's a very handsome building and I've always loved it," says Greenblatt. "When I saw it was for sale and the price was reasonable, I jumped in and bought it."
Renovating the building has not been quite as reasonable. Shortly after the purchase, the back wall caved in and the roof collapsed. Greenblatt soldiered on, fixing a leaky basement, cleaning out an old tunnel leading to the street that was stuffed with trash, and rebuilding a mezzanine that was too dangerous to stand on.
The property, which has soaring 30-foot ceilings, brick walls and large windows, will soon house Wolf's Gallery, a long-running fixture on the Cleveland art scene that opened a gallery on Larchmere a few years ago. Owner Michael Wolf plans to relocate to the 6,000-square-foot space in spring, a dramatic expansion from his current storefront.
"I love the people in the area, they're wonderful," says Greenblatt. "The building was neglected for so long, it needed a lot of money and a lot of work. But it will be here for at least another hundred years, easily."
Source: Ilene Greenblatt
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"It's a very handsome building and I've always loved it," says Greenblatt. "When I saw it was for sale and the price was reasonable, I jumped in and bought it."
Renovating the building has not been quite as reasonable. Shortly after the purchase, the back wall caved in and the roof collapsed. Greenblatt soldiered on, fixing a leaky basement, cleaning out an old tunnel leading to the street that was stuffed with trash, and rebuilding a mezzanine that was too dangerous to stand on.
The property, which has soaring 30-foot ceilings, brick walls and large windows, will soon house Wolf's Gallery, a long-running fixture on the Cleveland art scene that opened a gallery on Larchmere a few years ago. Owner Michael Wolf plans to relocate to the 6,000-square-foot space in spring, a dramatic expansion from his current storefront.
"I love the people in the area, they're wonderful," says Greenblatt. "The building was neglected for so long, it needed a lot of money and a lot of work. But it will be here for at least another hundred years, easily."
Source: Ilene Greenblatt
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, a nonprofit community development organization, has begun offering Cleveland City Life tours to expose suburbanites, millenials, empty-nesters, boomerangs and newcomers to town to all the city has to offer.
CNP Director of Marketing Jeff Kipp says the tours really are about helping Clevelanders see for themselves the positive change taking place in the city.
"We'll do the proverbial handholding and take you into the neighborhoods," he says. "You see the positive headlines and positive trends, but a big chunk of our population doesn't have firsthand experience with the city. This is about removing that intimidation factor and bridging the gap."
Tours starts in Ohio City and include stops in Detroit Shoreway, the lakefront, University Circle, Little Italy, Midtown, downtown and Tremont. Along the way, it also touches on neighborhoods such as Cudell, Glenville and Fairfax. Each lasts two hours, costs $12 and comes with a free Live!Cleveland/City Life T-shirt.
"As we drive through University Circle, we can reference the excitement that's happening in North Shore Collinwood," Kipp explains, adding that while the tours can't feasibly cover the whole city, they will highlight all city neighborhoods.
The tours are being marketed through CNP's website and partner organizations such as Global Cleveland and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. There currently are tours scheduled between Christmas and New Year's and around the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
"This is a way to roll out the red carpet and give a reintroduction to your Cleveland neighbors," Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer: Lee Chilcote
CNP Director of Marketing Jeff Kipp says the tours really are about helping Clevelanders see for themselves the positive change taking place in the city.
"We'll do the proverbial handholding and take you into the neighborhoods," he says. "You see the positive headlines and positive trends, but a big chunk of our population doesn't have firsthand experience with the city. This is about removing that intimidation factor and bridging the gap."
Tours starts in Ohio City and include stops in Detroit Shoreway, the lakefront, University Circle, Little Italy, Midtown, downtown and Tremont. Along the way, it also touches on neighborhoods such as Cudell, Glenville and Fairfax. Each lasts two hours, costs $12 and comes with a free Live!Cleveland/City Life T-shirt.
"As we drive through University Circle, we can reference the excitement that's happening in North Shore Collinwood," Kipp explains, adding that while the tours can't feasibly cover the whole city, they will highlight all city neighborhoods.
The tours are being marketed through CNP's website and partner organizations such as Global Cleveland and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. There currently are tours scheduled between Christmas and New Year's and around the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
"This is a way to roll out the red carpet and give a reintroduction to your Cleveland neighbors," Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The City of Lakewood has issued 44 certificates of occupancy on Madison Avenue this year, and nine businesses are participating in the city's storefront renovation program. Planning and Development Director Dru Siley says these numbers show how much business interest there is along this traditional yet funky strip, which is seeing a wave of redevelopment activity spurred in part by Detroit Avenue's success.
"We want to reproduce the success we've had on Detroit, recognizing that Madison has unique character and flavor that make it distinct," he says. "Madison is a small business corridor. Of 300 businesses here, 95 percent of them are locally owned."
Siley says that Madison is home to independent restaurants and entertainment spots, professional services and service-oriented retail. Current vacancy rates hover around 14 percent, down from over 20 percent a few years ago. Lakewood is developing a new streetscape along Madison that will break ground fall of 2014. The city also is committing storefront renovation dollars to help attract businesses and redevelop properties.
Examples of new businesses attracted to Madison recently include Mahall's, a historic old-school bowling alley that has new ownership and added music, food and entertainment, and Barrio, a Mexican eatery. The streetscape project not only will resurface the street, but also reduce Madison to two lanes with a center turning lane to make it safer and accommodate bike lanes. No parking will be lost.
The City of Lakewood and LakewoodAlive hosted a forum entitled "Madison on the Move" on Wednesday, December 4th at Harrison Elementary School in Lakewood.
Source: Dru Siley
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We want to reproduce the success we've had on Detroit, recognizing that Madison has unique character and flavor that make it distinct," he says. "Madison is a small business corridor. Of 300 businesses here, 95 percent of them are locally owned."
Siley says that Madison is home to independent restaurants and entertainment spots, professional services and service-oriented retail. Current vacancy rates hover around 14 percent, down from over 20 percent a few years ago. Lakewood is developing a new streetscape along Madison that will break ground fall of 2014. The city also is committing storefront renovation dollars to help attract businesses and redevelop properties.
Examples of new businesses attracted to Madison recently include Mahall's, a historic old-school bowling alley that has new ownership and added music, food and entertainment, and Barrio, a Mexican eatery. The streetscape project not only will resurface the street, but also reduce Madison to two lanes with a center turning lane to make it safer and accommodate bike lanes. No parking will be lost.
The City of Lakewood and LakewoodAlive hosted a forum entitled "Madison on the Move" on Wednesday, December 4th at Harrison Elementary School in Lakewood.
Source: Dru Siley
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In this, the first installment in a two-part series, Fresh Water development editor Lee Chilcote takes a close look at the Opportunity Corridor, a 3.5 mile planned roadway that would connect I-490 with University Circle. The project is being promoted as a bike- and pedestrian-friendly boulevard, but skeptics have their doubts.
From bikeshares to spare couches, swapping clothing to trading tools, the sharing economy has picked up some serious steam in recent years. Thousands of micro-entrepreneurs are finding ways to capitalize on the peer-to-peer trend -- and one of them might just be the next Airbnb.
forbes praises great lakes brewing, ohio city
In a Forbes feature titled “Beer Entrepreneurs Fuel Comeback of Struggling Cleveland Neighborhood,” staff writer Dan Alexander explores the history of Great Lakes Brewing Company and the birth of other small breweries in the area.
From humble beginnings to what the Ohio City neighborhood is today, Great Lakes Brewing Company has a lot to do with the area’s revival, the story confirms.
"Since 1986 the Conways have bought four buildings in the neighborhood, called Ohio City. They are the beer men who became unlikely leaders of the neighborhood’s revival. In the last decade, other entrepreneurs have joined the Conways in Ohio City. Since 2005, the crime rate in the neighborhood has plummeted 24%, and real estate values have more than doubled."
“It was a struggling neighborhood,” adds Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. “Twenty years later, you go over there, nighttime Friday or Saturday night, it’s going to be packed. Cars can’t move, people just everywhere.”
Alexander goes on to detail his meet-up with Sam McNulty, owner of six local establishments in the area. McNulty remains optimistic of the area, with everyone agreeing there is no reason he shouldn’t be.
Check out the full piece here.
From humble beginnings to what the Ohio City neighborhood is today, Great Lakes Brewing Company has a lot to do with the area’s revival, the story confirms.
"Since 1986 the Conways have bought four buildings in the neighborhood, called Ohio City. They are the beer men who became unlikely leaders of the neighborhood’s revival. In the last decade, other entrepreneurs have joined the Conways in Ohio City. Since 2005, the crime rate in the neighborhood has plummeted 24%, and real estate values have more than doubled."
“It was a struggling neighborhood,” adds Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. “Twenty years later, you go over there, nighttime Friday or Saturday night, it’s going to be packed. Cars can’t move, people just everywhere.”
Alexander goes on to detail his meet-up with Sam McNulty, owner of six local establishments in the area. McNulty remains optimistic of the area, with everyone agreeing there is no reason he shouldn’t be.
Check out the full piece here.
new study on regionalism comes at ideal time, says next city
In a feature titled "Three Lessons on Regionalism," Bill Bradley, writing for Next City, outlines the findings of a report recently released by Fund for Our Economic Future.
"Regionalism, from Paris to Portland, offers cities with closely woven outlying suburbs opportunities to broaden their tax bases, increase minimum wages and develop unified approaches to transit -- which could, in turn, give low-wage workers better access to jobs. Advocates have touted these benefits for years. Now, a new report explores how regional collaboration can help spur economic growth."
The Northeast Ohio-based Fund for Our Economic Future, which along with the Knight Foundation, released the report.
In sum: "Data is hugely important, investing in groups that find funding can enlarge your pools of grant money, and big thinkers must be instrumental in turning those grand ideas into reality."
Read the rest here.
"Regionalism, from Paris to Portland, offers cities with closely woven outlying suburbs opportunities to broaden their tax bases, increase minimum wages and develop unified approaches to transit -- which could, in turn, give low-wage workers better access to jobs. Advocates have touted these benefits for years. Now, a new report explores how regional collaboration can help spur economic growth."
The Northeast Ohio-based Fund for Our Economic Future, which along with the Knight Foundation, released the report.
In sum: "Data is hugely important, investing in groups that find funding can enlarge your pools of grant money, and big thinkers must be instrumental in turning those grand ideas into reality."
Read the rest here.
It's a fact that $68 of every $100 spent locally returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. We all know that shopping small is good for the local community, but what are the real and tangible benefits behind the movement? A closer look reveals how buying local feeds our region in ways both obvious and subtle.
Since the Great Recession, more and more folks have been living the "gigging life," working multiple jobs or hopping from one project to the next in hopes of cobbling together a living budget. While that might seem arduous, it also allows those living the lifestyle to follow their true passion.
new grant program funds business incubator, other innovative community projects
A new grant program launched by Neighborhood Progress Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides funding and technical assistance to community development corporations in Cleveland, recently awarded $200,000 to five projects. The recipients include a new business incubation program in North Collinwood, youth programming in Ohio City and surrounding neighborhoods, an effort in Central to teach fourth graders about healthy, local food, arts-based development in St. Clair Superior, and a community engagement effort in Tremont.
"The program came to be when we, as an organization, made a decision to develop a program that all CDCs had access to," says Colleen Gilson, Vice President of CDC Services for NPI, of the Neighborhood Solutions grant program. "The idea was, let's not be prescriptive. Let's let CDCs tell us what their solution to a neighborhood problem is or a cool project in their service area."
The awards break down as follows: NPI awarded $45,000 to ActiVacant, a program to recruit entrepreneurs to vacant retail spaces on E. 185th; $45,000 to Near West Recreation to expand its network of youth programming, including baseball, soccer, softball, basketball and bowling; $45,000 to St. Clair Superior for its Urban Upcycle project; $45,000 to Burton Bell Carr for its Urban Farm Diet Program; and $20,000 to Tremont West for its efforts to engage residents in creating a community-based development plan around MetroHealth.
Gilson says the projects reflect "deep collaboration" and non-traditional approaches towards community development. For instance, Near West Recreation is an effort to engage and retain families in six neighborhoods on the near west side -- Ohio City, Tremont, Stockyards, Clark-Fulton and Detroit Shoreway -- and build "intergenerational mixed-income neighborhoods." ActiVacant, spearheaded by Northeast Shores, is a "new take on the American dream" and a "business incubation project on steroids" that will entice young retailers to fill empty spaces on E. 185th by offering them free or reduced rent for a period of time, access to mentors and other support, and incentives for meeting benchmarks.
"The process was pretty amazing," says Gilson, describing a Shark Tank-esque format in which finalists presented in front of a panel of community development leaders, who then ranked and voted on winners. "We invited other CDCs to come watch and learn from their peers, and it was a really good opportunity to learn."
Source: Colleen Gilson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The program came to be when we, as an organization, made a decision to develop a program that all CDCs had access to," says Colleen Gilson, Vice President of CDC Services for NPI, of the Neighborhood Solutions grant program. "The idea was, let's not be prescriptive. Let's let CDCs tell us what their solution to a neighborhood problem is or a cool project in their service area."
The awards break down as follows: NPI awarded $45,000 to ActiVacant, a program to recruit entrepreneurs to vacant retail spaces on E. 185th; $45,000 to Near West Recreation to expand its network of youth programming, including baseball, soccer, softball, basketball and bowling; $45,000 to St. Clair Superior for its Urban Upcycle project; $45,000 to Burton Bell Carr for its Urban Farm Diet Program; and $20,000 to Tremont West for its efforts to engage residents in creating a community-based development plan around MetroHealth.
Gilson says the projects reflect "deep collaboration" and non-traditional approaches towards community development. For instance, Near West Recreation is an effort to engage and retain families in six neighborhoods on the near west side -- Ohio City, Tremont, Stockyards, Clark-Fulton and Detroit Shoreway -- and build "intergenerational mixed-income neighborhoods." ActiVacant, spearheaded by Northeast Shores, is a "new take on the American dream" and a "business incubation project on steroids" that will entice young retailers to fill empty spaces on E. 185th by offering them free or reduced rent for a period of time, access to mentors and other support, and incentives for meeting benchmarks.
"The process was pretty amazing," says Gilson, describing a Shark Tank-esque format in which finalists presented in front of a panel of community development leaders, who then ranked and voted on winners. "We invited other CDCs to come watch and learn from their peers, and it was a really good opportunity to learn."
Source: Colleen Gilson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
What are the kids into these days? Learning to sew, if you can believe it.
The Lorain branch of the Cleveland Public Library recently purchased sewing machines and began offering classes, and apparently they're a hit with young adults, who are interested in crafting, learning to make and repair their own clothes, and upcycling older materials into something new.
"They absolutely loved it," says branch manager Olivia Hoge of the classes that debuted this fall. "It's something old that's coming back. The idea of 'making' is becoming very prevalent in libraries."
The Lorain branch is offering additional classes in December, and Hoge says that youth involved in the effort might also hold a fashion show as part of Cleveland Fashion Week.
Sewing classes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how CPL is tapping into the maker movement, however. In January, a new high-tech Maker Space will open downtown, complementing the already-diverse offerings available there.
Housed in TechCentral, a technology and learning center in the lower level of the Stokes Wing, the MakerLab will feature the latest cutting-edge tech, including graphic design software, audiovisual recording equipment, vinyl cutter, laser cutter, 3D scanner, high-definition video camera and smartboard.
"It's pretty cool," says C.J. Lynce, manager of TechCentral. "We've invested in equipment, tools and software that are high-level and professional."
"TechCentral and the MakerLab fit into our strategic priority of 'Forming Communities of Learning,'" adds Cathy Poilpre, Assistant Marketing Director with CPL. "Collectively, all the services offered in the MakerLab make CPL the center of learning for our whole community. Most people have a place they live, a place they work, and this is like a third place -- to play, engage and learn."
The TechCentral MakerLab is slated to open January 11th in the main library.
Source: Olivia Hoge, C.J. Lynce
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Lorain branch of the Cleveland Public Library recently purchased sewing machines and began offering classes, and apparently they're a hit with young adults, who are interested in crafting, learning to make and repair their own clothes, and upcycling older materials into something new.
"They absolutely loved it," says branch manager Olivia Hoge of the classes that debuted this fall. "It's something old that's coming back. The idea of 'making' is becoming very prevalent in libraries."
The Lorain branch is offering additional classes in December, and Hoge says that youth involved in the effort might also hold a fashion show as part of Cleveland Fashion Week.
Sewing classes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how CPL is tapping into the maker movement, however. In January, a new high-tech Maker Space will open downtown, complementing the already-diverse offerings available there.
Housed in TechCentral, a technology and learning center in the lower level of the Stokes Wing, the MakerLab will feature the latest cutting-edge tech, including graphic design software, audiovisual recording equipment, vinyl cutter, laser cutter, 3D scanner, high-definition video camera and smartboard.
"It's pretty cool," says C.J. Lynce, manager of TechCentral. "We've invested in equipment, tools and software that are high-level and professional."
"TechCentral and the MakerLab fit into our strategic priority of 'Forming Communities of Learning,'" adds Cathy Poilpre, Assistant Marketing Director with CPL. "Collectively, all the services offered in the MakerLab make CPL the center of learning for our whole community. Most people have a place they live, a place they work, and this is like a third place -- to play, engage and learn."
The TechCentral MakerLab is slated to open January 11th in the main library.
Source: Olivia Hoge, C.J. Lynce
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Collective Upcycle, the creative reuse boutique that's been popping up around town for the past few years, is opening a bricks-and-mortar store in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood. The shop, located at 6202 St. Clair Avenue -- aka the "coppertop building" -- will hold a grand opening party this Friday, November 22 from 5-8 p.m.
Friday's big bash will feature Slovenian beer and a Slovenian band in honor of the St. Clair Superior neighborhood's rich heritage as a hub for the ethnic community. The store will feature the work of 35-plus Cleveland upcycle artists and designers and is being spearheaded by Lauren Krueger as part of the Upcycle St. Clair effort.
"The shop is a celebration of innovation that's locally and regionally sourced," says Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, who founded Collective Upcycle in 2011 and is a partner in Upcycle St. Clair, a larger effort to revitalize the entire retail district.
Some of the upcycled items offered at Collective Upcycle include roof slates turned into picture frames, plastic soda bottles made into sculptural flower bouquets, and vinyl LPs melted down into jewelry and serving bowls.
Collective Upcycle will be open Thursdays through Sundays during the holiday season. Then the store will close for a few weeks and reopen in January. Although the copper top building will eventually be taken over by St. Martin DePorres School, the shop will reopen in another location on St. Clair in the spring.
McGee says the store is proof positive that the strategy behind Upcycle St. Clair is working. "One of the goals was to bring in new businesses," she says. "We're celebrating what's already existing while also creating new opportunity."
Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Friday's big bash will feature Slovenian beer and a Slovenian band in honor of the St. Clair Superior neighborhood's rich heritage as a hub for the ethnic community. The store will feature the work of 35-plus Cleveland upcycle artists and designers and is being spearheaded by Lauren Krueger as part of the Upcycle St. Clair effort.
"The shop is a celebration of innovation that's locally and regionally sourced," says Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, who founded Collective Upcycle in 2011 and is a partner in Upcycle St. Clair, a larger effort to revitalize the entire retail district.
Some of the upcycled items offered at Collective Upcycle include roof slates turned into picture frames, plastic soda bottles made into sculptural flower bouquets, and vinyl LPs melted down into jewelry and serving bowls.
Collective Upcycle will be open Thursdays through Sundays during the holiday season. Then the store will close for a few weeks and reopen in January. Although the copper top building will eventually be taken over by St. Martin DePorres School, the shop will reopen in another location on St. Clair in the spring.
McGee says the store is proof positive that the strategy behind Upcycle St. Clair is working. "One of the goals was to bring in new businesses," she says. "We're celebrating what's already existing while also creating new opportunity."
Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote