Sustainability + Environment
Skinny houses wedged onto small lots. Church steeples dotting the skyline. Factories and blue-collar taverns. Eastern-European accents heard on the street.
These phrases might call to mind multi-ethnic Cleveland neighborhoods like Tremont, St. Clair-Superior, Collinwood and Slavic Village, but Lakewood?
Ah, but you don't know Birdtown. Lakewood's only "company town" was carved out in the 1890s for employees of the National Carbon Company (now GrafTech). Located off Madison Avenue -- just west of Lakewood's border -- it was named for streets like Robin, Lark and Plover.
Yet in recent years, Lakewood's only historic district has begun looking ragged -- plagued by foreclosed homes, shabby retail, worn-out streets, and a lingering perception the area is unsafe. Two years ago, city planners and residents launched an effort to improve the area, citing its natural assets as a dense, walkable neighborhood just a stone's throw from parks, shopping and highways.
Now the planning effort is bearing fruit. Lakewood will complete the Madison East Birdtown Strategic Plan this month, and is applying for funding to implement improvements, including neighborhood identity signs, street lighting, pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements, public art and park improvements.
The plan -- which builds upon investments like the new Harrison Elementary School and artist lofts in the Lake Erie Screw Factory building -- coalesced in 2010 when Lakewood was awarded a $62,500 planning grant from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). The city hired Dimit Architects of Lakewood to complete the plan.
"We'd like to resurface Madison Avenue in 2012 or 2013, and that project will include other streetscape enhancements such as decorative signal poles similar to those installed on Detroit Avenue," says Dru Siley, Assistant Planning Director for the city of Lakewood.
With Dimit applying the final touches to the plan, there's no word yet on whether one creative idea that emerged from the planning will be carried out -- putting birdhouses on streetcorners to function as public art, signage, and yes, feeding stations for actual birds.
Source: Dru Siley
Writer: Lee Chilcote
These phrases might call to mind multi-ethnic Cleveland neighborhoods like Tremont, St. Clair-Superior, Collinwood and Slavic Village, but Lakewood?
Ah, but you don't know Birdtown. Lakewood's only "company town" was carved out in the 1890s for employees of the National Carbon Company (now GrafTech). Located off Madison Avenue -- just west of Lakewood's border -- it was named for streets like Robin, Lark and Plover.
Yet in recent years, Lakewood's only historic district has begun looking ragged -- plagued by foreclosed homes, shabby retail, worn-out streets, and a lingering perception the area is unsafe. Two years ago, city planners and residents launched an effort to improve the area, citing its natural assets as a dense, walkable neighborhood just a stone's throw from parks, shopping and highways.
Now the planning effort is bearing fruit. Lakewood will complete the Madison East Birdtown Strategic Plan this month, and is applying for funding to implement improvements, including neighborhood identity signs, street lighting, pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements, public art and park improvements.
The plan -- which builds upon investments like the new Harrison Elementary School and artist lofts in the Lake Erie Screw Factory building -- coalesced in 2010 when Lakewood was awarded a $62,500 planning grant from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). The city hired Dimit Architects of Lakewood to complete the plan.
"We'd like to resurface Madison Avenue in 2012 or 2013, and that project will include other streetscape enhancements such as decorative signal poles similar to those installed on Detroit Avenue," says Dru Siley, Assistant Planning Director for the city of Lakewood.
With Dimit applying the final touches to the plan, there's no word yet on whether one creative idea that emerged from the planning will be carried out -- putting birdhouses on streetcorners to function as public art, signage, and yes, feeding stations for actual birds.
Source: Dru Siley
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When Holly Harlan first started talking to people about Entrepreneurs for Sustainability
(E4S) ten years ago, "people looked at me like I had three eyes. But I
said, 'I think they're going to get this and they're going to love it.'"
Today, Harlan notes that the E4S network has been growing by more than 20 percent every year since it was founded. "We've attracted nearly 10,000 people from all sectors," Harlan says. "We've helped over 50 companies create a strategic plan for sustainability." The organization has also created a foundation on which Greater Cleveland can build a successful approach to sustainability. "We've gotten much better known since Mayor Frank Jackson has stepped in and held sustainability summits the last two years," Harlan says.
E4S is a networking organization that unites professionals interested in sustainability for their businesses and their community, but its scope goes beyond that. "We're an economic development group that sees sustainability as way to create value in the world," Harlan says.
Harlan steps down from the post of president and founder of E4S in mid-February to take on new projects. Mike Dungan, president and CEO of Bee Dance, a Cleveland business that repurposes materials classified as waste, will take over as interim president of E4S.
Harlan looks forward to visiting other cities and gauging their take on Cleveland's sustainability efforts. "We were one of the first business networks in the country focused on sustainability," she says. "The buzz is that Cleveland is known for innovative sustainability ideas, particularly in the area of local foods."
SOURCE: Holly Harlan
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Today, Harlan notes that the E4S network has been growing by more than 20 percent every year since it was founded. "We've attracted nearly 10,000 people from all sectors," Harlan says. "We've helped over 50 companies create a strategic plan for sustainability." The organization has also created a foundation on which Greater Cleveland can build a successful approach to sustainability. "We've gotten much better known since Mayor Frank Jackson has stepped in and held sustainability summits the last two years," Harlan says.
E4S is a networking organization that unites professionals interested in sustainability for their businesses and their community, but its scope goes beyond that. "We're an economic development group that sees sustainability as way to create value in the world," Harlan says.
Harlan steps down from the post of president and founder of E4S in mid-February to take on new projects. Mike Dungan, president and CEO of Bee Dance, a Cleveland business that repurposes materials classified as waste, will take over as interim president of E4S.
Harlan looks forward to visiting other cities and gauging their take on Cleveland's sustainability efforts. "We were one of the first business networks in the country focused on sustainability," she says. "The buzz is that Cleveland is known for innovative sustainability ideas, particularly in the area of local foods."
SOURCE: Holly Harlan
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Recent news of a lease option for offshore submerged land in Lake Erie
created waves of excitement for longtime proponents of wind turbines
along our Great Lake. We'll likely be seeing the blades of five giant
wind turbines twirling high above the shore by mid-2012, bringing with
them about 600 new jobs.
A study commissioned by NorTech last August revealed that those 600 jobs are just the beginning. Moving beyond the five-turbine pilot project and into a proposed 5,000 megawatts of wind energy by 2030, the State of Ohio could sustain as many as 15,000 jobs. About 8,000 of those would likely be located in our region.
"Because the equipment is so large, you'll have to do the work very close to where it's being commissioned," says Dave Karpinski, vice president of NorTech who heads NorTech Energy Enterprise, an initiative focused on Northeast Ohio's advanced energy industry. New skill sets for divers and drillers will be created. Legal and regulatory experts will be needed. The development of a vast maritime industry, with towing ships, specialized vessels and crews, could also take the region to new heights in advanced energy, he adds.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. With this, the first least option to be issued in the Great Lakes, Cleveland will see an initial upsurge in engineering jobs and permitting work, according to Karpinski. By the middle of next year, manufacturing and geotech work will be in greater demand, he adds.
Orders will begin for the five initial wind turbines this year. The momentum of what they will bring to Cleveland is just starting to be felt.
SOURCE: Dave Karpinski
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
A study commissioned by NorTech last August revealed that those 600 jobs are just the beginning. Moving beyond the five-turbine pilot project and into a proposed 5,000 megawatts of wind energy by 2030, the State of Ohio could sustain as many as 15,000 jobs. About 8,000 of those would likely be located in our region.
"Because the equipment is so large, you'll have to do the work very close to where it's being commissioned," says Dave Karpinski, vice president of NorTech who heads NorTech Energy Enterprise, an initiative focused on Northeast Ohio's advanced energy industry. New skill sets for divers and drillers will be created. Legal and regulatory experts will be needed. The development of a vast maritime industry, with towing ships, specialized vessels and crews, could also take the region to new heights in advanced energy, he adds.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. With this, the first least option to be issued in the Great Lakes, Cleveland will see an initial upsurge in engineering jobs and permitting work, according to Karpinski. By the middle of next year, manufacturing and geotech work will be in greater demand, he adds.
Orders will begin for the five initial wind turbines this year. The momentum of what they will bring to Cleveland is just starting to be felt.
SOURCE: Dave Karpinski
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The controversy over the proposed Oakwood Commons development reinforces the need for Cleveland Heights to plan for future development, says a local nonprofit leader.
"We're being forced to react to the developer's plan because the city of Cleveland Heights does not have a plan," says Deanna Bremer Fisher, Executive Director of FutureHeights, a nonprofit that promotes community engagement in Cleveland Heights.
"I understand the need for additional tax revenue in our city, but we need to look at a highest-and-best-use study of the development site before proceeding," she adds.
The city of Cleveland Heights updated its Strategic Development Plan in 2010 for the first time in 17 years. The plan recommends that the city pursue economic development to expand its tax base, which has declined recently due to lower home values, foreclosed homes, and lack of new development. The Strategic Development Plan also recommends that the city study the feasibility of producing a land use Master Plan.
Richard Wong, the Planning Director for the city of Cleveland Heights, says that the city has no position on Oakwood Commons because a proposal has not yet been brought to the city. However, the city's 2010 Strategic Development Plan states that "redevelopment [of the Oakwood site] for big box commercial uses was strongly opposed by residents in the past and should not be considered."
The plan adds that land and buildings north of Oakwood Country Club to Mayfield Road should be considered as part of any development plan. This suggests that the city may try to leverage the project to stimulate redevelopment of the older retail area at Warrensville and Mayfield Roads.
First Interstate Properties, the developer of the proposed 154-acre, mixed-use shopping center on the site of the former Oakwood Country Club, recently purchased the portion of the property that is in South Euclid. The Severance Neighborhood Organization, a local citizens group, has questioned the need for additional retail in the area. South Euclid officials have expressed support for the project, arguing that the city needs new retail development and tax revenue.
Mitchell Schneider, President of First Interstate Properties, has an option to purchase the Cleveland Heights portion of Oakwood. Both properties require a zoning change to be developed as retail. Schneider says he hopes to win Cleveland Heights' approval, but that he could develop the South Euclid property alone if the city refuses.
Sources: Deanna Bremer Fisher, Richard Wong, Mitchell Schneider
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We're being forced to react to the developer's plan because the city of Cleveland Heights does not have a plan," says Deanna Bremer Fisher, Executive Director of FutureHeights, a nonprofit that promotes community engagement in Cleveland Heights.
"I understand the need for additional tax revenue in our city, but we need to look at a highest-and-best-use study of the development site before proceeding," she adds.
The city of Cleveland Heights updated its Strategic Development Plan in 2010 for the first time in 17 years. The plan recommends that the city pursue economic development to expand its tax base, which has declined recently due to lower home values, foreclosed homes, and lack of new development. The Strategic Development Plan also recommends that the city study the feasibility of producing a land use Master Plan.
Richard Wong, the Planning Director for the city of Cleveland Heights, says that the city has no position on Oakwood Commons because a proposal has not yet been brought to the city. However, the city's 2010 Strategic Development Plan states that "redevelopment [of the Oakwood site] for big box commercial uses was strongly opposed by residents in the past and should not be considered."
The plan adds that land and buildings north of Oakwood Country Club to Mayfield Road should be considered as part of any development plan. This suggests that the city may try to leverage the project to stimulate redevelopment of the older retail area at Warrensville and Mayfield Roads.
First Interstate Properties, the developer of the proposed 154-acre, mixed-use shopping center on the site of the former Oakwood Country Club, recently purchased the portion of the property that is in South Euclid. The Severance Neighborhood Organization, a local citizens group, has questioned the need for additional retail in the area. South Euclid officials have expressed support for the project, arguing that the city needs new retail development and tax revenue.
Mitchell Schneider, President of First Interstate Properties, has an option to purchase the Cleveland Heights portion of Oakwood. Both properties require a zoning change to be developed as retail. Schneider says he hopes to win Cleveland Heights' approval, but that he could develop the South Euclid property alone if the city refuses.
Sources: Deanna Bremer Fisher, Richard Wong, Mitchell Schneider
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Neighborhood Voice is a new hyper-local community newspaper that covers University Circle and the seven neighborhoods that surround it: Hough, Fairfax, Glenville, East Cleveland, Little Italy, Buckeye-Shaker and Central. Created by the Cleveland Foundation as a part of its Greater University Circle Initiative, the newspaper is largely written by volunteers and high school and college student interns.
If South Euclid's Green Neighborhoods Initiative were a reality TV show, it would be called "Extreme Bungalow Makeover." The suburb has now completed renovations on two previously bank-owned bungalows. In December, the city hosted an open house to showcase the dwellings to buyers looking for a low-maintenance lifestyle.
"The city realized it has aging housing stock that doesn't make sense in today's marketplace, and wanted to do something," says Joe Del Re, New Business Development Manager for Home Again Homes, the company that rehabbed the properties.
Historically a quiet, tucked-away suburb known for its ubiquitous bungalows, South Euclid has been hit hard by the mortgage crisis and is saddled with 600 vacant homes. The Green Neighborhoods Initiative, launched in 2010, targets two areas pocked by empty properties. South Euclid plans to rehab 10 foreclosures by the end of 2011.
To make the project possible, the city applied for and was awarded a grant of almost $1 million from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the Vacant Residential Property Fund of the First Suburbs Development Council. "The city put more into the rehab than the homes sell for," explains Del Re. "Grant funding helps cover the gap."
The city hopes the bungalows, priced at $129,900, will prove attractive to condo buyers and empty nesters. Features include first floor bedrooms, modern floor plans, high-efficiency furnaces, whole house insulation and Energy Star appliances. To qualify, buyers must meet income guidelines of 120% of Average Median Income -- about $70,000 for a family of four. South Euclid is also offering $10,000 down payment assistance.
Despite the hooks, the houses haven't sold. "It's a tough market and we haven't seen traction so far," says Del Re. "I expect things to get a little better in 2011."
Source: Joe Del Re
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The city realized it has aging housing stock that doesn't make sense in today's marketplace, and wanted to do something," says Joe Del Re, New Business Development Manager for Home Again Homes, the company that rehabbed the properties.
Historically a quiet, tucked-away suburb known for its ubiquitous bungalows, South Euclid has been hit hard by the mortgage crisis and is saddled with 600 vacant homes. The Green Neighborhoods Initiative, launched in 2010, targets two areas pocked by empty properties. South Euclid plans to rehab 10 foreclosures by the end of 2011.
To make the project possible, the city applied for and was awarded a grant of almost $1 million from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the Vacant Residential Property Fund of the First Suburbs Development Council. "The city put more into the rehab than the homes sell for," explains Del Re. "Grant funding helps cover the gap."
The city hopes the bungalows, priced at $129,900, will prove attractive to condo buyers and empty nesters. Features include first floor bedrooms, modern floor plans, high-efficiency furnaces, whole house insulation and Energy Star appliances. To qualify, buyers must meet income guidelines of 120% of Average Median Income -- about $70,000 for a family of four. South Euclid is also offering $10,000 down payment assistance.
Despite the hooks, the houses haven't sold. "It's a tough market and we haven't seen traction so far," says Del Re. "I expect things to get a little better in 2011."
Source: Joe Del Re
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Flats has often been called the birthplace of Cleveland. Soon, it will gain a new tagline when it's reborn as the city's first green-certified neighborhood.
The Wolstein Group and Fairmount Properties, co-developers of the Flats East Bank project, are using sustainable building practices in the $272 million project, which broke ground in December. The project's financing dried up in 2008, but the developers revived the deal, cobbling together more than 35 public and private funding sources. The first phase will include an office tower, hotel, retail and 14-acre riverfront park.
Last year, the U.S. Green Building Council certified that the project had met Phase I criteria for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND). LEED is considered to be the national standard for sustainable design.
"Early on, the developers committed to pursue LEED Neighborhood status, and also a green-built project," says Justin Glanville, Project Director for Building Cleveland by Design (BCBD), a collaboration of two nonprofits, ParkWorks and Cleveland Public Art, to inject more thoughtful design into prominent building projects in Cleveland.
"This is the direction the market is headed," adds Glanville. "Prospective tenants asked the developers about energy-efficient design because it lowers occupancy costs."
The Flats East Bank project meets LEED-ND criteria by incorporating LEED-certified buildings, energy-efficient lighting fixtures, the use of recycled content in building materials, roof gardens, reduced water use, and a reduced parking footprint. It also gets points for compact development, connection to the river and brown field remediation.
BCBD states that Cleveland is fourth in the U.S. in the number of projects seeking LEED-ND certification. The developers hired BCBD to complete the certification process.
Source: Justin Glanville
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Wolstein Group and Fairmount Properties, co-developers of the Flats East Bank project, are using sustainable building practices in the $272 million project, which broke ground in December. The project's financing dried up in 2008, but the developers revived the deal, cobbling together more than 35 public and private funding sources. The first phase will include an office tower, hotel, retail and 14-acre riverfront park.
Last year, the U.S. Green Building Council certified that the project had met Phase I criteria for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND). LEED is considered to be the national standard for sustainable design.
"Early on, the developers committed to pursue LEED Neighborhood status, and also a green-built project," says Justin Glanville, Project Director for Building Cleveland by Design (BCBD), a collaboration of two nonprofits, ParkWorks and Cleveland Public Art, to inject more thoughtful design into prominent building projects in Cleveland.
"This is the direction the market is headed," adds Glanville. "Prospective tenants asked the developers about energy-efficient design because it lowers occupancy costs."
The Flats East Bank project meets LEED-ND criteria by incorporating LEED-certified buildings, energy-efficient lighting fixtures, the use of recycled content in building materials, roof gardens, reduced water use, and a reduced parking footprint. It also gets points for compact development, connection to the river and brown field remediation.
BCBD states that Cleveland is fourth in the U.S. in the number of projects seeking LEED-ND certification. The developers hired BCBD to complete the certification process.
Source: Justin Glanville
Writer: Lee Chilcote
welcome to cleve-burgh!
In a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial titled "Welcome to Cleveburgh!," regional economist Christopher Briem urges Pittsburghers (and Clevelanders) to rethink their place in the world.
"It may be time to talk about the once-unthinkable," he writes: A combined Cleveland-Pittsburgh metro region.
In terms of population and workforce heft, the combined region is mighty formidable, he asserts.
"The metropolitan statistical areas of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Steubenville, Weirton and Youngtown, along with adjacent counties, add up to a population of more than 6 million and a labor force of more than 4 million," reports Briem.
To compete as a united front, he adds, both regions must share resources, ideas, capital and talent. "Cleve-burgh could take advantage of a much broader set of strengths than either Pittsburgh or Cleveland can tap on its own."
Aside from the gridiron, the beginning of a partnership already exists. The Regional Learning Network was formed in 2009 and brings together local leaders of Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh to address shared problems, Briem points out. And the TechBelt Initiative brings together emerging technology industries of the greater Pittsburgh and Cleveland regions.
So, the next time you come across somebody wearing a Steelers jersey, say, "Howdy, neighbor!"
Read the well-reasoned piece here.
"It may be time to talk about the once-unthinkable," he writes: A combined Cleveland-Pittsburgh metro region.
In terms of population and workforce heft, the combined region is mighty formidable, he asserts.
"The metropolitan statistical areas of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Steubenville, Weirton and Youngtown, along with adjacent counties, add up to a population of more than 6 million and a labor force of more than 4 million," reports Briem.
To compete as a united front, he adds, both regions must share resources, ideas, capital and talent. "Cleve-burgh could take advantage of a much broader set of strengths than either Pittsburgh or Cleveland can tap on its own."
Aside from the gridiron, the beginning of a partnership already exists. The Regional Learning Network was formed in 2009 and brings together local leaders of Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh to address shared problems, Briem points out. And the TechBelt Initiative brings together emerging technology industries of the greater Pittsburgh and Cleveland regions.
So, the next time you come across somebody wearing a Steelers jersey, say, "Howdy, neighbor!"
Read the well-reasoned piece here.
cleveland pursues 'ingenious recovery strategies'
What do Munich and Cleveland, Barcelona and Seattle, Turin and Philadelphia, and Seoul and Minneapolis-St. Paul have in common? According to syndicated columnist Neal Peirce, who pens this editorial for the Seattle Times, these cities all have faced moments of serious economic challenge but then devised ingenious recovery strategies.
The recent Global Metro Summit, held last month in Chicago and sponsored by the Brookings Institution, celebrated the comeback efforts of the above cities, including those of Cleveland.
In the editorial, Peirce writes that "Seattle, the Twin Cities and the Cleveland area are even in the midst of what Brookings is heralding as a new era of applying modern business-style planning to the economic-development potential of entire citistates."
Touting "highly participatory planning processes that create vision," Peirce points to numerous examples of cities experiencing remarkable economic turnarounds.
"Could a U.S. region such as Cleveland and its sister cities of Akron and Youngstown -- erstwhile continental champions in steel, rubber, chemicals and auto assembly, now on the economic ropes -- produce similar results?" he asks rhetorically before offering the following encouraging words.
"Spirited Northeast Ohio efforts to coalesce and stop internecine warfare among the region's local governments have led to a business-type planning initiative, the "Fund for Our Economic Future." Spearheaded by more than 50 regional foundations, with an unprecedented collection of the area's local governments, business, civic and academic leaders signed on, it has developed an extensive data set, market-based intelligence and a new initiative based on boosting productivity of the region's 1,600 small to midsized manufacturing firms."
"The idea is that many Ohio firms that have traditionally worked in polymers, chemicals and metals could translate well into such current high-demand areas as global health, flexible electronics, transportation and clean energy."
Read the rest here.
The recent Global Metro Summit, held last month in Chicago and sponsored by the Brookings Institution, celebrated the comeback efforts of the above cities, including those of Cleveland.
In the editorial, Peirce writes that "Seattle, the Twin Cities and the Cleveland area are even in the midst of what Brookings is heralding as a new era of applying modern business-style planning to the economic-development potential of entire citistates."
Touting "highly participatory planning processes that create vision," Peirce points to numerous examples of cities experiencing remarkable economic turnarounds.
"Could a U.S. region such as Cleveland and its sister cities of Akron and Youngstown -- erstwhile continental champions in steel, rubber, chemicals and auto assembly, now on the economic ropes -- produce similar results?" he asks rhetorically before offering the following encouraging words.
"Spirited Northeast Ohio efforts to coalesce and stop internecine warfare among the region's local governments have led to a business-type planning initiative, the "Fund for Our Economic Future." Spearheaded by more than 50 regional foundations, with an unprecedented collection of the area's local governments, business, civic and academic leaders signed on, it has developed an extensive data set, market-based intelligence and a new initiative based on boosting productivity of the region's 1,600 small to midsized manufacturing firms."
"The idea is that many Ohio firms that have traditionally worked in polymers, chemicals and metals could translate well into such current high-demand areas as global health, flexible electronics, transportation and clean energy."
Read the rest here.
Northeast Shores Development Corporation continues its push to attract out-of-town artists by offering affordable housing. Since 1994, the North Collinwood-based nonprofit has rehabbed approximately 125 area homes. A more focused development plan is concentrating efforts within a tight 14-block footprint.
When it comes to rainfall, we tend to focus on keeping it off of our heads -- not where it goes after hitting the pavement. Yet storm water runoff is a major issue in Northeast Ohio. With every downpour, millions of gallons of rainwater run off parking lots, streets and sidewalks, carrying pollutants into our streams, rivers and Lake Erie.
A new program launched by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) in December aims to address Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO's) that result in untreated wastewater entering our rivers and Lake Erie. NEORSD is evaluating the potential to control CSO's by helping communities to design streets, sidewalks and other impervious areas in ways that reduce runoff. NEORSD has committed to spending at least $42 million to control a minimum of 44 million gallons per year of CSO through the use of better storm water management or "green infrastructure." commits
"This is about the re-greening of our urban areas and potentially making a positive out of our vacant land problems," says Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Manager of Watershed Programs with NEORSD.
Take your local commercial district as an example. Landscaping requires water and maintenance. Every time it rains, the water sluices towards the catch basins in the street, ending up in the lake. What if communities designed streets so that rainwater funnels to the plants, providing more sustainable landscaping and reusing the water?
Forty-two million is a razor-thin slice of the $3 billion sewer upgrade, but NEORSD officials are hoping that a few key pilot projects will lead to a big change in how Northeast Ohio communities plan and implement infrastructure projects.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Source: Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, NEORSD
A new program launched by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) in December aims to address Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO's) that result in untreated wastewater entering our rivers and Lake Erie. NEORSD is evaluating the potential to control CSO's by helping communities to design streets, sidewalks and other impervious areas in ways that reduce runoff. NEORSD has committed to spending at least $42 million to control a minimum of 44 million gallons per year of CSO through the use of better storm water management or "green infrastructure." commits
"This is about the re-greening of our urban areas and potentially making a positive out of our vacant land problems," says Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Manager of Watershed Programs with NEORSD.
Take your local commercial district as an example. Landscaping requires water and maintenance. Every time it rains, the water sluices towards the catch basins in the street, ending up in the lake. What if communities designed streets so that rainwater funnels to the plants, providing more sustainable landscaping and reusing the water?
Forty-two million is a razor-thin slice of the $3 billion sewer upgrade, but NEORSD officials are hoping that a few key pilot projects will lead to a big change in how Northeast Ohio communities plan and implement infrastructure projects.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Source: Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, NEORSD
The Garland Co. may not be a household name to everyone in Cleveland,
but the fact is that the company has been providing roofing solutions
for businesses, industrial facilities and public properties for about
115 years. "Garland has a great local story to tell," says Brain
Lambert, director of products and systems. That story involves having a
presence in the area since 1895, a reputation for innovation that
includes green building and a common sense approach to business that has
resulted in zero layoffs during tough economic times.
An employee-owned business, Garland makes products for new construction, renovation, retrofit and maintenance projects. The company also services companies through engineering, design-build construction management and computerized roof asset management. Garland has been "going green" before it was a popular thing to do. In the mid-1990s, Garland introduced a modified roofing system using post-consumer recycled tires. Garland Energy Systems, Inc., created as a subsidiary of the company in 2007, focuses solely on alternative energy solutions such as thin-film solar rooftop cells.
Being forward-thinking while respecting its strong history seems to be a successful combination for Garland, which has received numerous awards and recognitiions over the last year. Garland's Green-Lock product, a polymer-based, VOC-free flood coat, made it to the list of Top Products of 2010 by Building Operation Management magazine. Garland has also been named to the North Coast 99 list of best places to work for 11 years in a row.
SOURCE: The Garland Co.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
An employee-owned business, Garland makes products for new construction, renovation, retrofit and maintenance projects. The company also services companies through engineering, design-build construction management and computerized roof asset management. Garland has been "going green" before it was a popular thing to do. In the mid-1990s, Garland introduced a modified roofing system using post-consumer recycled tires. Garland Energy Systems, Inc., created as a subsidiary of the company in 2007, focuses solely on alternative energy solutions such as thin-film solar rooftop cells.
Being forward-thinking while respecting its strong history seems to be a successful combination for Garland, which has received numerous awards and recognitiions over the last year. Garland's Green-Lock product, a polymer-based, VOC-free flood coat, made it to the list of Top Products of 2010 by Building Operation Management magazine. Garland has also been named to the North Coast 99 list of best places to work for 11 years in a row.
SOURCE: The Garland Co.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
$1.9M grant helps st. vincent hospital rebuilding project
A $1.9 million state grant approved this week will help St. Vincent Charity Medical Center take another major step in its 10-year, $150 million campus transformation and modernization plan. The grant, from the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund
to the City of Cleveland, will pay for asbestos abatement and
demolition of three buildings on the hospital's campus at East 22nd
Street and Central Avenue.
Three other buildings were razed over the summer, in the first phase of the project, to create new parking areas and some green space. The next round, to begin in the spring, will make way for a new, 110,000-square-foot surgery center, construction of which is scheduled to begin in 2013.
Green building techniques are a priority in the 145-year-old hospital's plans. An overview of the project states that 75 percent of the demolition debris will be reused or recycled, and storm-water runoff at the site will be reduced by about 20 percent.
"We are grateful to the city of Cleveland for being our champion on this project, to the Greater Cleveland community for its support and to the state of Ohio for funding this Clean Ohio application," said hospital CEO Sister Judith Ann Karam in a statement.
Source: St. Vincent Charity Medical Center
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Three other buildings were razed over the summer, in the first phase of the project, to create new parking areas and some green space. The next round, to begin in the spring, will make way for a new, 110,000-square-foot surgery center, construction of which is scheduled to begin in 2013.
Green building techniques are a priority in the 145-year-old hospital's plans. An overview of the project states that 75 percent of the demolition debris will be reused or recycled, and storm-water runoff at the site will be reduced by about 20 percent.
"We are grateful to the city of Cleveland for being our champion on this project, to the Greater Cleveland community for its support and to the state of Ohio for funding this Clean Ohio application," said hospital CEO Sister Judith Ann Karam in a statement.
Source: St. Vincent Charity Medical Center
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
nPower peg pegged as one of wired's 'perfect gifts'
Tremont Electric's nPower PEG, a kinetic energy harvesting battery charger, was tapped as one of Wired magazine's "100 Perfect Gifts Whether You've Been Naughty or Nice!" Actually, the nifty device nailed the #5 spot.
Comparing the device to a self-winding watch, the entry says "this 9-inch cylinder captures watts via movement. A short walk charges the battery with enough juice to power up a dead cell phone for an emergency call -- like, say, to the pizzeria. Enjoy that slice; you earned it!"
Scroll through the entire list -- both naughty and nice -- here.
If things seem a little brighter in East Cleveland these days, it may
be because of the new streetlights gleaming along a block of Noble Road.
General Electric bestowed its first local LED lighting installation on
East Cleveland, where GE Lighting has had its headquarters for the past 100
years.
The GE Evolve LED Street Lights could reduce East Cleveland's energy use by several million watts a year, according to the lighting manufacturer. And because the LED lights shine bright, uniform light across a long swath of street and sidewalk, they offer enhanced safety along busy Noble Road. The lights have an estimated service life of 10-plus years.
GE Lighting Solutions recently received a best-in-class award for its Evolve LED street lighting from the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Luminaires competition.
GE is pushing to secure a multimillion-dollar lighting contract for the City of Cleveland. Bids for the project were due to the city on December 1. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has vowed to tie energy-efficient lighting installation with job creation in Northeast Ohio by requesting that bidding companies agree to build a plant in Cleveland and bring 350 jobs there.
Could the East Cleveland installation serve as a kind of test drive for GE? GE Lighting president and CEO Michael B. Petra Jr. calls the Evolve streetlights "the perfect fit for the needs of urban municipalities."
SOURCE: City of E. Cleveland; GE Lighting
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The GE Evolve LED Street Lights could reduce East Cleveland's energy use by several million watts a year, according to the lighting manufacturer. And because the LED lights shine bright, uniform light across a long swath of street and sidewalk, they offer enhanced safety along busy Noble Road. The lights have an estimated service life of 10-plus years.
GE Lighting Solutions recently received a best-in-class award for its Evolve LED street lighting from the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Luminaires competition.
GE is pushing to secure a multimillion-dollar lighting contract for the City of Cleveland. Bids for the project were due to the city on December 1. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has vowed to tie energy-efficient lighting installation with job creation in Northeast Ohio by requesting that bidding companies agree to build a plant in Cleveland and bring 350 jobs there.
Could the East Cleveland installation serve as a kind of test drive for GE? GE Lighting president and CEO Michael B. Petra Jr. calls the Evolve streetlights "the perfect fit for the needs of urban municipalities."
SOURCE: City of E. Cleveland; GE Lighting
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
chef cooley, amp 150, cle marriott are green successes
Chef Ellis Cooley, AMP 150, and the Cleveland Airport Marriott all earned props in a recent feature in Green Lodging News, the lodging industry's leading environmental news source.
The article, titled "Local, Fresh Approach Goes Down Good at Cleveland Airport Marriott," states that exciting things are happening at the restaurant that should interest any hotel owner or manager looking to increase their business. Writer Glenn Hasek attributes much of AMP's success to Cooley, "who understands the power of social networking, community involvement, and using local, fresh, natural and simple menu ingredients."
The article discusses the chef's on-site vegetable garden, his dedication to local products and farmers markets, and his social media savvy.
Read the whole green article here.
The article, titled "Local, Fresh Approach Goes Down Good at Cleveland Airport Marriott," states that exciting things are happening at the restaurant that should interest any hotel owner or manager looking to increase their business. Writer Glenn Hasek attributes much of AMP's success to Cooley, "who understands the power of social networking, community involvement, and using local, fresh, natural and simple menu ingredients."
The article discusses the chef's on-site vegetable garden, his dedication to local products and farmers markets, and his social media savvy.
Read the whole green article here.
It's not that they want people to get sick, but University Hospital's Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood is poised to capture a sizable patient population when it officially opens in January 2011.
Part of the attraction to patients obviously will be the quality care, but the 144-bed hospital also will likely turn heads with its technology. And not just for the comprehensive imaging center or state-of-the-art catheterization labs.
With input from physicians, nurses, employees and patients, Ahuja recognizes that people want high-tech amenities -- whether they're lounging in a hotel room or recuperating in a hospital bed.
Wireless internet runs through the hospital. Each private room has a flat-screen TV and a daybed so that a loved one can stay with the patient. Green and holistic design also play a vital role. Natural light is used to a maximum, and a healing garden provides a calm, inspirational place for patients and visitors to pause. These features not only look pretty, they are designed to promote healing and a positive outlook.
It isn't just the patients who will be well cared for at the new medical center; staff comfort and well-being also have been given top priority. For example, the seven-floor hospital features a step-sensitive design that will reduce fatigue for nurses and staff.
Details such as these will doubtless help draw in medical professionals, staffers and patients. When it opens, Ahuja Medical Center will employ about 400 people, and within two years, that number could more than double. Current open positions range from pathologists and ICU nurses to CT technologists and a food operations manager.
SOURCE: University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Part of the attraction to patients obviously will be the quality care, but the 144-bed hospital also will likely turn heads with its technology. And not just for the comprehensive imaging center or state-of-the-art catheterization labs.
With input from physicians, nurses, employees and patients, Ahuja recognizes that people want high-tech amenities -- whether they're lounging in a hotel room or recuperating in a hospital bed.
Wireless internet runs through the hospital. Each private room has a flat-screen TV and a daybed so that a loved one can stay with the patient. Green and holistic design also play a vital role. Natural light is used to a maximum, and a healing garden provides a calm, inspirational place for patients and visitors to pause. These features not only look pretty, they are designed to promote healing and a positive outlook.
It isn't just the patients who will be well cared for at the new medical center; staff comfort and well-being also have been given top priority. For example, the seven-floor hospital features a step-sensitive design that will reduce fatigue for nurses and staff.
Details such as these will doubtless help draw in medical professionals, staffers and patients. When it opens, Ahuja Medical Center will employ about 400 people, and within two years, that number could more than double. Current open positions range from pathologists and ICU nurses to CT technologists and a food operations manager.
SOURCE: University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Cleveland's Eaton Corporation is accelerating its presence in the electric car market thanks to a new collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors North America and Best Buy. Eaton will be providing the Level 2 home-charging mechanism for Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric vehicle, which goes on sale in the fall of 2011. Eaton also will provide infrastructural support and Level 2 chargers to all of Mitsubishi's North American dealerships.
Level 2 charging stations are installed in a home garage to help reduce the charging time of lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles.
Eaton will design and manufacture the Level 2 charging station equipment, which will be sold and distributed through Best Buy. In addition, Eaton will be the sole supplier and installer of the Level 2 charging stations required at Mitsubishi dealerships that will be selling the MiEV cars. The company has been developing innovative hybrid and electrical power systems, including electric-vehicle charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, for more than 20 years.
Rich Stinson, president of power distribution operations for Eaton's Electrical Sector, says that this collaboration between Eaton, Mitsubishi and Best Buy will allow residential drivers "to confidently go about their daily business, without being worried about where and when they will charge their vehicles.
SOURCE: Eaton Corp.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Level 2 charging stations are installed in a home garage to help reduce the charging time of lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles.
Eaton will design and manufacture the Level 2 charging station equipment, which will be sold and distributed through Best Buy. In addition, Eaton will be the sole supplier and installer of the Level 2 charging stations required at Mitsubishi dealerships that will be selling the MiEV cars. The company has been developing innovative hybrid and electrical power systems, including electric-vehicle charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, for more than 20 years.
Rich Stinson, president of power distribution operations for Eaton's Electrical Sector, says that this collaboration between Eaton, Mitsubishi and Best Buy will allow residential drivers "to confidently go about their daily business, without being worried about where and when they will charge their vehicles.
SOURCE: Eaton Corp.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
ny times calls evergreen coop a 'creative economic fix-it'
In an article titled "Some Very Creative Economic Fix-Its," New York Times writer David Segal states at the outset: "We are not going to shop our way out of this mess."
"So the question of our anxious age," he poses, is: "What will return our economy to full-throttled life?" His answer, of course, is the kind of sustained growth that will put back to work the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs in recent years.
But how?
In the story, Gar Alperovitz, a professor at the University of Maryland, singles out Cleveland's Evergreen Cooperatives as one possible solution.
Professor Alperovitz admires local co-operatives that are sprouting up around the country, citing that they tend to be employee owned, and get off the ground with private and foundation funding. "Many of his favorite examples are found in Cleveland," writes Segal, "like the Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, an employee-owned firm that provides laundry services to hospitals, which started in 2009."
Read all the news that's fit to print here.
NBC nightly news highlights evergreen coops
When it rains it pours for Cleveland's Evergreen Cooperatives, which continues to attract local, regional and national attention for its approach to job creation and neighborhood development.
Recently, John Yang of NBC Nightly News visited Evergreen Cooperative Laundry to see how that green operation is giving traditionally "hard-to-hire" folks living wage jobs and a path to company ownership.
Watch the video here.
Recently, John Yang of NBC Nightly News visited Evergreen Cooperative Laundry to see how that green operation is giving traditionally "hard-to-hire" folks living wage jobs and a path to company ownership.
Watch the video here.