Stories
Hyland Software has
"strong management, a clear strategy, happy customers and a
vertical-market focus." That, according to the IT research and advisory
company Gartner, is part of the reason Hyland Software is on its list of
leaders in the enterprise content management (ECM) industry. Gartner's
Magic Quadrant 2010 puts Hyland Software in good company, as it shares
the title "leader" with the likes of Microsoft, Oracle and IBM. The
annual Magic Quadrant is used by the IT industry to evaluate ECM vendor
options.
The review from Gartner also pointed to Hyland's sales growth and success selling a version of the company's OnBase software that runs over the Internet. OnBase features document, business process and records management services.
A.J. Hyland, president and CEO of the Westlake-based company, says that Hyland's success relies on staying true to its own mission. "Since the beginning, Hyland strategically decided not to pursue two of Gartner's requirements to be a leader: team collaboration and WCM (web content management)," Hyland wrote on his company blog. "Instead, it stayed focused on this: integrated document imaging, management and workflow capabilities that meet the needs of targeted vertical industries."
This appears to have been a successful strategy. The company has had a banner year adding to its market share through acquisitions. New to the Hyland Software family in 2010 are eWebHealth, which specializes in Software as a Service (Saas); Hershey Systems, which focuses on the higher education market; and Computer Systems Company, a business and clinical healthcare software entity.
SOURCE: Hyland Software
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The review from Gartner also pointed to Hyland's sales growth and success selling a version of the company's OnBase software that runs over the Internet. OnBase features document, business process and records management services.
A.J. Hyland, president and CEO of the Westlake-based company, says that Hyland's success relies on staying true to its own mission. "Since the beginning, Hyland strategically decided not to pursue two of Gartner's requirements to be a leader: team collaboration and WCM (web content management)," Hyland wrote on his company blog. "Instead, it stayed focused on this: integrated document imaging, management and workflow capabilities that meet the needs of targeted vertical industries."
This appears to have been a successful strategy. The company has had a banner year adding to its market share through acquisitions. New to the Hyland Software family in 2010 are eWebHealth, which specializes in Software as a Service (Saas); Hershey Systems, which focuses on the higher education market; and Computer Systems Company, a business and clinical healthcare software entity.
SOURCE: Hyland Software
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
That small-fish-in-a-big-pond feeling is likely to crop up now and again for local doctors who choose to work outside of one of the large hospital systems. One of the big problem areas? Managing automated tasks like medical records and insurance reimbursements. Any independent physician in Northeast Ohio who has ever felt alone in this realm will want to check out the newly launched Independent Physician Solutions (IPS) from Sisters of Charity Health System.
IPS offers independent doctors a contiuum of services, including billing management, electronic medical records (EMR) and managed care contracting. The new subsidiary of Sisters of Charity is a physician-led organization that seeks the input of those in the medical community. For example, a committee composed of physicians from Sisters of Charity and independent doctors researched possible EMR solutions, eventually deciding on General Electric's Centricity. This system will help private-practice physicians stay on the cutting edge of technology requirements. IPS will also offer billing and collections services.
What's more, IPS will have an equity model open to physicians who want to invest, according to Orlando L. Alvarez, senior vice president of physician alignment for Sisters of Charity. More than half of the governing board of IPS will be made up of physicians.
SOURCE: Sisters of Charity
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
IPS offers independent doctors a contiuum of services, including billing management, electronic medical records (EMR) and managed care contracting. The new subsidiary of Sisters of Charity is a physician-led organization that seeks the input of those in the medical community. For example, a committee composed of physicians from Sisters of Charity and independent doctors researched possible EMR solutions, eventually deciding on General Electric's Centricity. This system will help private-practice physicians stay on the cutting edge of technology requirements. IPS will also offer billing and collections services.
What's more, IPS will have an equity model open to physicians who want to invest, according to Orlando L. Alvarez, senior vice president of physician alignment for Sisters of Charity. More than half of the governing board of IPS will be made up of physicians.
SOURCE: Sisters of Charity
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Creative signs are making a comeback in Cleveland. Dramatic signage not only perks up a neighborhood visually, it makes them more competitive by helping indie retailers stand out from national chains. For proof, look at East Fourth Street.
Rather than wait on Superman, NewBridge is preparing unemployed adults and at-risk youth for a bright future. Modeled after Pittsburgh's Manchester Bidwell Training Center, Cleveland's new alternative center for arts and technology is helping people on the margin.
what torino can teach cleveland
Torino has been called the Detroit of Italy. And like that -- and our -- city, it succeeded or failed on the backs of a few large manufacturers. In the 1980s, the shutdown of some of those big companies cost the Torino region more than 100,000 jobs. That city wouldn't turn things around economically for nearly 20 years.
But turn things around it did, says this Time article, which states that Torino has "become a model of how a city can transform itself after an industrial collapse." Civic and business leaders there fashioned an aggressive urban plan that included expansion into international markets, investments in innovation, and the buildup of new sectors like food and tourism. Today, Torino's per capita GDP is more than 10% higher than the national average.
Lessons learned there can -- and in some cases already are, says Time -- being implemented here in Cleveland.
"Once a powerhouse of heavy industry -- steel, rubber, automobiles -- Cleveland has struggled for decades to find its footing. Recently, however, the city and the surrounding area have established agencies like those in Torino to help young companies get off the ground, assist midsize businesses with finding new markets, and guide the city's old manufacturing base into faster-growing sectors such as medical supplies, flexible electronics, clean energy and next-generation polymers."
And efforts are already paying off: "Cleveland and its region are now home to 19 venture-capital firms -- up from two in 2000 -- and are focused on working to help existing firms find their places in the new economy."
Read the entire article here.
But turn things around it did, says this Time article, which states that Torino has "become a model of how a city can transform itself after an industrial collapse." Civic and business leaders there fashioned an aggressive urban plan that included expansion into international markets, investments in innovation, and the buildup of new sectors like food and tourism. Today, Torino's per capita GDP is more than 10% higher than the national average.
Lessons learned there can -- and in some cases already are, says Time -- being implemented here in Cleveland.
"Once a powerhouse of heavy industry -- steel, rubber, automobiles -- Cleveland has struggled for decades to find its footing. Recently, however, the city and the surrounding area have established agencies like those in Torino to help young companies get off the ground, assist midsize businesses with finding new markets, and guide the city's old manufacturing base into faster-growing sectors such as medical supplies, flexible electronics, clean energy and next-generation polymers."
And efforts are already paying off: "Cleveland and its region are now home to 19 venture-capital firms -- up from two in 2000 -- and are focused on working to help existing firms find their places in the new economy."
Read the entire article here.
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, Huntington Bank
led other lenders in Northeast Ohio in number of small business loans,
total dollars lent and amount of minority lending. This report from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Cleveland District Office signals the second year in a row that Huntington was the regional leader in loan support to small business owners.
In the past year, Huntington gave out 365 loans and $59 million, including $8 million in minority lending, in the Cleveland region.
These numbers indicate the bank's commitment to growing the local economy through financial lending to entrepreneurs and small business owners, according to Dan Walsh, regional president for Huntington in the Greater Cleveland Region. "Through Huntington's continued partnership with the SBA, we've helped businesses in Cleveland and across our markets retain and grow jobs, expand their services or buy new equipment and become stronger and better positioned for the future," he says.
"When we put dollars in the hands of local small business owners, new businesses can start or be rescued, jobs are created and our economy is jump started," Walsh adds.
Huntington is the fifth-largest SBA lender in the country in number of loans, according to bank sources.
SOURCE: Huntington Bank
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
In the past year, Huntington gave out 365 loans and $59 million, including $8 million in minority lending, in the Cleveland region.
These numbers indicate the bank's commitment to growing the local economy through financial lending to entrepreneurs and small business owners, according to Dan Walsh, regional president for Huntington in the Greater Cleveland Region. "Through Huntington's continued partnership with the SBA, we've helped businesses in Cleveland and across our markets retain and grow jobs, expand their services or buy new equipment and become stronger and better positioned for the future," he says.
"When we put dollars in the hands of local small business owners, new businesses can start or be rescued, jobs are created and our economy is jump started," Walsh adds.
Huntington is the fifth-largest SBA lender in the country in number of loans, according to bank sources.
SOURCE: Huntington Bank
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Prfessor.com officially launched this year, beckoning anybody who knows something about a subject to create an online course for the benefit of others. According to Jim Kukral, one of three owners of the Rocky River-based e-learning curriculum designer, "hundreds of thousands of visitors and students have experienced Prfessor." Topics currently on the site range from marketing to green living.
Now Prfessor is promoting the use of its online resource for businesses that want to educate staff without the expense and time-consuming nature of classroom-style training. Prfessor offers corporations, small businesses and nonprofits a variety of advanced interactive tools designed to encourage self-paced learning.
This style of training benefits both employer and employee, according to Kukral. " "Prfessor.com helps you control your costs as you improve the quality of your staff and they, in turn, improve profits by doing their jobs better selling more products, providing better customer service and leading their teams effectively," he says. "Prfessor allows anyone, without tech skills, to go out and teach what they know."
Businesses and organizations can take advantage of Prfessor by signing up online to create unlimited courses, develop quizzes to gauge students' understanding of topics and make use of A/V, PowerPoint and graphics to stimulate the learning process.
Kukral foresees strong growth in Prfessor's future, thanks to ever-expanding use of the Internet for educational purposes. "The market for education online is growing by leaps and bounds," Kukral says. Prfessor is designed to encourage users to "empty your head onto the Web," he adds.
SOURCE: Jim Kukral, Prfessor.com
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Now Prfessor is promoting the use of its online resource for businesses that want to educate staff without the expense and time-consuming nature of classroom-style training. Prfessor offers corporations, small businesses and nonprofits a variety of advanced interactive tools designed to encourage self-paced learning.
This style of training benefits both employer and employee, according to Kukral. " "Prfessor.com helps you control your costs as you improve the quality of your staff and they, in turn, improve profits by doing their jobs better selling more products, providing better customer service and leading their teams effectively," he says. "Prfessor allows anyone, without tech skills, to go out and teach what they know."
Businesses and organizations can take advantage of Prfessor by signing up online to create unlimited courses, develop quizzes to gauge students' understanding of topics and make use of A/V, PowerPoint and graphics to stimulate the learning process.
Kukral foresees strong growth in Prfessor's future, thanks to ever-expanding use of the Internet for educational purposes. "The market for education online is growing by leaps and bounds," Kukral says. Prfessor is designed to encourage users to "empty your head onto the Web," he adds.
SOURCE: Jim Kukral, Prfessor.com
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
film shot entirely in cleveland to make premiere at sundance
Ohio's newly enacted film production tax credit is already paying dividends.
Shot entirely in the Cleveland area this past summer, the film Take Shelter will have its world premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, held January 20-30 in Park City, Utah. According to the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, the film is just one of 16 to make it into the prestigious U.S. Dramatic Competition section, beating out nearly 2,000 other entries.
Producer Tyler Davidson is a Northeast Ohio native and resident. His previous films include Swedish Auto and The Year That Trembled, also shot in the Cleveland area. Take Shelter stars Michael Shannon, an Academy Award-nominee for Revolutionary Road and newcomer Jessica Chastain, who will star opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.
"The opportunity to launch any film at Sundance is a dream come true," Davidson said, "but a film made entirely in Northeast Ohio, where I was born and raised and where I still live, is truly something special for me. I couldn't be any more excited."
To learn more about the film, check out this release.
Shot entirely in the Cleveland area this past summer, the film Take Shelter will have its world premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, held January 20-30 in Park City, Utah. According to the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, the film is just one of 16 to make it into the prestigious U.S. Dramatic Competition section, beating out nearly 2,000 other entries.
Producer Tyler Davidson is a Northeast Ohio native and resident. His previous films include Swedish Auto and The Year That Trembled, also shot in the Cleveland area. Take Shelter stars Michael Shannon, an Academy Award-nominee for Revolutionary Road and newcomer Jessica Chastain, who will star opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.
"The opportunity to launch any film at Sundance is a dream come true," Davidson said, "but a film made entirely in Northeast Ohio, where I was born and raised and where I still live, is truly something special for me. I couldn't be any more excited."
To learn more about the film, check out this release.
chef's garden a 'showpiece of agricultural ingenuity'
In this podcast of The Story, broadcast on American Public Media, host Dick Gordon chats with Lee Jones of the Chef's Garden. Taped during a live discussion in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the conversation delves into the genesis of what may be the nation's finest gourmet garden.
Located in Huron, near the shores of Lake Erie, the Chef's Garden grows produce year-round outdoors, in cold frames, and under glass. That produce is picked fresh and shipped to chefs and restaurants worldwide, even as far as Japan.
The always passionate Farmer Jones discusses how his family transformed a failed conventional farm into what Gordon calls a "showpiece of agricultural ingenuity."
Download or listen to the podcast here.
Located in Huron, near the shores of Lake Erie, the Chef's Garden grows produce year-round outdoors, in cold frames, and under glass. That produce is picked fresh and shipped to chefs and restaurants worldwide, even as far as Japan.
The always passionate Farmer Jones discusses how his family transformed a failed conventional farm into what Gordon calls a "showpiece of agricultural ingenuity."
Download or listen to the podcast here.
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.
israeli biotech firms flock to ohio
According to Michael Goldberg, founder and managing partner of Cleveland-based Bridge Investment Fund, state incentives and a venture capital fund dedicated to investing in Israel continue to lure biotechnology companies from that nation in record numbers. In the past eight years, at least 14 Israeli technology start-ups raised funds from Ohio-based backers, and at least six of these opened offices in the state.
"While many Israelis still look to Boston or Silicon Valley for support, Ohio has done more than other states to attract Israeli start-ups," Goldberg is quoted in the Bloomberg article.
Credit goes to the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, which invested at least $3 million during the last eight years in five Israeli health-sciences companies, and BioEnterprise, which helps connect the Israeli companies to capital, medical expertise, and management teams in the state.
One such success: Simbionix, a maker of medical devices, transferred its headquarters from Israel to Cleveland in 2002.
Read the full report here.
"While many Israelis still look to Boston or Silicon Valley for support, Ohio has done more than other states to attract Israeli start-ups," Goldberg is quoted in the Bloomberg article.
Credit goes to the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, which invested at least $3 million during the last eight years in five Israeli health-sciences companies, and BioEnterprise, which helps connect the Israeli companies to capital, medical expertise, and management teams in the state.
One such success: Simbionix, a maker of medical devices, transferred its headquarters from Israel to Cleveland in 2002.
Read the full report here.
And now for a small dose of good news from the foreclosure front: Two
Slavic Village homes that sat empty for more than a year will be opened
to potential buyers on December 16.
The homes -- on East 69th and East 75th -- were acquired from the banks that had taken them in foreclosure and fully renovated through the Opportunity Homes program, a joint venture between The City of Cleveland, Neighborhood Progress Inc., the Cleveland Housing Network and six Cleveland community development corporations.
"These are really good deals," says Stacy Pugh, housing director for Slavic Village Development, one of the six CDCs. The homes have been renovated top to bottom – everything is new, including the energy-efficient appliances. And yet they'll sell for well below the cost of those upgrades, which averages about $125,000, including acquisition, says Pugh.
"We're also willing to work with people," she adds, in light of how much more difficult securing a mortgage has become. Six-month lease-purchase deals are available for those whose credit might also need some renovating.
For details on the open house, contact Pugh at 216-429-1182 x 117 or stacyp@slavicvillage.org.
Source: Slavic Village CDC
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The homes -- on East 69th and East 75th -- were acquired from the banks that had taken them in foreclosure and fully renovated through the Opportunity Homes program, a joint venture between The City of Cleveland, Neighborhood Progress Inc., the Cleveland Housing Network and six Cleveland community development corporations.
"These are really good deals," says Stacy Pugh, housing director for Slavic Village Development, one of the six CDCs. The homes have been renovated top to bottom – everything is new, including the energy-efficient appliances. And yet they'll sell for well below the cost of those upgrades, which averages about $125,000, including acquisition, says Pugh.
"We're also willing to work with people," she adds, in light of how much more difficult securing a mortgage has become. Six-month lease-purchase deals are available for those whose credit might also need some renovating.
For details on the open house, contact Pugh at 216-429-1182 x 117 or stacyp@slavicvillage.org.
Source: Slavic Village CDC
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
With their city's centennial coming up in less than 13 months, Shaker
Heights officials will spend a lot of time in the new year preparing to
celebrate history. But many are already looking much farther into the
future, implementing the Economic Development Strategy adopted by Shaker City Council last month.
Crafted over several months with a consulting firm in Maryland, the plan outlines steps Shaker can take now and in the foreseeable future to ensure a stable and growing tax base. The fundamental step: "Instead of concentrating solely on the maintenance and improvement of Shaker Heights as a premier residential community, it must also aggressively encourage commercial development."
And not just retail development, which, the report notes, is important but less lucrative than offices. The plan names industries to target: health care and social services; design services; information systems; government and regulatory agencies; and small law firms.
The problem, the report notes, is that "Shaker Heights, similar to most first suburbs, has many commercial properties that are functionally obsolete. [The city] will need to create a climate of commercial property investment that will upgrade or replace existing facilities as well as catalyze the development of new office buildings suitable for modern tenants looking for space in a supply-rich leasing environment."
Tania Menesse, Shaker's director of economic development, is looking at several ways to achieve this citywide renovation, including tax abatements, matching funds for building improvements, and partnerships with the community development departments of local banks.
"Everything," she says, "is focused on making the [office space] supply more attractive." Two areas of Chagrin Boulevard – near Lee Road, and near Warrensville Center Road – are especially promising, due to the commercials spaces available for lease or purchase there. She foresees many new and relocating small businesses moving into these areas, once buildings constructed for larger tenants have gotten new looks and floor plans.
"As a community, we've always done a good job focusing on our neighborhoods and parks and schools," Menesse says. "But we haven't done as good a job with our commercial districts."
The timing couldn't be better, what with the Shaker Launch House business incubator opening in a former car dealership in February. Says Menesse, "We want to be the east side place for people looking to start a company."
Source: Tania Menesse
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Crafted over several months with a consulting firm in Maryland, the plan outlines steps Shaker can take now and in the foreseeable future to ensure a stable and growing tax base. The fundamental step: "Instead of concentrating solely on the maintenance and improvement of Shaker Heights as a premier residential community, it must also aggressively encourage commercial development."
And not just retail development, which, the report notes, is important but less lucrative than offices. The plan names industries to target: health care and social services; design services; information systems; government and regulatory agencies; and small law firms.
The problem, the report notes, is that "Shaker Heights, similar to most first suburbs, has many commercial properties that are functionally obsolete. [The city] will need to create a climate of commercial property investment that will upgrade or replace existing facilities as well as catalyze the development of new office buildings suitable for modern tenants looking for space in a supply-rich leasing environment."
Tania Menesse, Shaker's director of economic development, is looking at several ways to achieve this citywide renovation, including tax abatements, matching funds for building improvements, and partnerships with the community development departments of local banks.
"Everything," she says, "is focused on making the [office space] supply more attractive." Two areas of Chagrin Boulevard – near Lee Road, and near Warrensville Center Road – are especially promising, due to the commercials spaces available for lease or purchase there. She foresees many new and relocating small businesses moving into these areas, once buildings constructed for larger tenants have gotten new looks and floor plans.
"As a community, we've always done a good job focusing on our neighborhoods and parks and schools," Menesse says. "But we haven't done as good a job with our commercial districts."
The timing couldn't be better, what with the Shaker Launch House business incubator opening in a former car dealership in February. Says Menesse, "We want to be the east side place for people looking to start a company."
Source: Tania Menesse
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
OnShift's employee scheduling software is designed for pain-free maintenance of shift, emergency, and on-call scheduling in the long-term healthcare industry. Clearly, hospitals and other long-term care providers have taken note, because the Cleveland-based company has been enjoying exponential growth of late. OnShift's customer acquisitions increased more than 500 percent year-over-year, and the software solutions company continues to add staffers.
A new $2.3 million venture capital investment will be used to accelerate OnShift's sales and marketing efforts while adding to its already expanding market share. This round of funding was led by Draper Triangle Ventures of Pittsburgh and involves all of OnShift's existing investors, which include local investors Early Stage Partners, JumpStart, Inc., North Coast Angel Fund, LLC, and Glengary LLC.
OnShift's software is used by hospitals and other long-term care facilities for automated scheduling, employee communications and automated call-off and open-shift scheduling. The company was recognized earlier this year by NEOSA, the COSE Technology Network, as Best Emerging Company.
Jonathan Murray, managing director of Early Stage Partners, notes that "OnShift has consistently delivered shareholder value by acquiring and serving customers and is on a significant growth trajectory." Bob Lauer, a partner with Glengary LLC, echoes the enthusiasm of other OnShift investors. "We are anticipating strong results in 2011 based on the use of new funding to expand and accelerate sales and marketing efforts," Lauer says.
SOURCE: OnShift
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
A new $2.3 million venture capital investment will be used to accelerate OnShift's sales and marketing efforts while adding to its already expanding market share. This round of funding was led by Draper Triangle Ventures of Pittsburgh and involves all of OnShift's existing investors, which include local investors Early Stage Partners, JumpStart, Inc., North Coast Angel Fund, LLC, and Glengary LLC.
OnShift's software is used by hospitals and other long-term care facilities for automated scheduling, employee communications and automated call-off and open-shift scheduling. The company was recognized earlier this year by NEOSA, the COSE Technology Network, as Best Emerging Company.
Jonathan Murray, managing director of Early Stage Partners, notes that "OnShift has consistently delivered shareholder value by acquiring and serving customers and is on a significant growth trajectory." Bob Lauer, a partner with Glengary LLC, echoes the enthusiasm of other OnShift investors. "We are anticipating strong results in 2011 based on the use of new funding to expand and accelerate sales and marketing efforts," Lauer says.
SOURCE: OnShift
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
noaca to consider funding for non-highway transportation projects
Vast amounts of federal transportation dollars are poured into good
old-fashioned highways; Americans aren't giving up their car-centric
ways anytime soon. But some funding is available to "transportation
enhancements," like bike lanes, pedestrian bridges and public transit
improvements. In the Cleveland region, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) decides which projects get a tiny piece of the federal pie.
On December 10, NOACA's governing board will consider 18 contenders, 10 of them from Cuyahoga County. They include:
• Streetscape improvements in the Warehouse District, north of Superior, between West 3rd and West 10th ($600,000); and on Larchmere Boulevard, from East 121st to East 130th ($587,000).
• A bus-only lane and related amenities from the east end of the Shoreway at Lake Avenue to the West End Loop at the Lakewood terminus ($600,000).
• Road reconfiguration and public art to complement the $2.7 million reconstruction of the University Circle Rapid station ($600,000).
• Acquiring and improving 2.25 acres on the Columbus Road Peninsula, along the Cuyahoga River, for Rivergate Park ($600,000). This is part of a larger project spearheaded by the Cleveland Rowing Foundation.
All of these projects have been recommended for approval, according to NOACA spokeswoman Cheryl Onesky. The governing board will also consider seven projects for Connections 2030, a long-range regional plan. Those proposals include:
• The HealthLine Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is seeking $4.8 million for continued operation of the popular bus service, which runs on Euclid Avenue between Public Square and East Cleveland.
• The Lake-to-Lakes Bike Trail. The City of Cleveland applied for $2.3 million to construct a bike and pedestrian trail from Carnegie Avenue to Shaker Heights.
The governing board will meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 10, at NOACA, 1299 Superior Ave. Public comments can also be submitted to publicinv@mpo.noaca.org.
Source: NOACA
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
On December 10, NOACA's governing board will consider 18 contenders, 10 of them from Cuyahoga County. They include:
• Streetscape improvements in the Warehouse District, north of Superior, between West 3rd and West 10th ($600,000); and on Larchmere Boulevard, from East 121st to East 130th ($587,000).
• A bus-only lane and related amenities from the east end of the Shoreway at Lake Avenue to the West End Loop at the Lakewood terminus ($600,000).
• Road reconfiguration and public art to complement the $2.7 million reconstruction of the University Circle Rapid station ($600,000).
• Acquiring and improving 2.25 acres on the Columbus Road Peninsula, along the Cuyahoga River, for Rivergate Park ($600,000). This is part of a larger project spearheaded by the Cleveland Rowing Foundation.
All of these projects have been recommended for approval, according to NOACA spokeswoman Cheryl Onesky. The governing board will also consider seven projects for Connections 2030, a long-range regional plan. Those proposals include:
• The HealthLine Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is seeking $4.8 million for continued operation of the popular bus service, which runs on Euclid Avenue between Public Square and East Cleveland.
• The Lake-to-Lakes Bike Trail. The City of Cleveland applied for $2.3 million to construct a bike and pedestrian trail from Carnegie Avenue to Shaker Heights.
The governing board will meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 10, at NOACA, 1299 Superior Ave. Public comments can also be submitted to publicinv@mpo.noaca.org.
Source: NOACA
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
bloomberg dissects medical mart deal
In this somewhat skeptical article about the new Medical Mart and Convention Center, Bloomberg writer David M. Levitt dissects the details of the deal. While he posits no predictions nor conclusions, he addresses many of the concerns held by local residents.
"Cleveland, which has poured almost $1 billion into such projects as three sports stadiums and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is on the verge of spending $465 million in an effort to remake itself as the epicenter for the sale of medical equipment and supplies," the article states at the outset.
Billed as the brainchild of Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, The Medical Mart will be a 422,000 square-foot exhibition center for medical products.
Tim Hagan, outgoing Cuyahoga County commissioner, says he believes that the Med Mart will transcend those earlier civic construction projects by attracting the kind of high-tech jobs the area needs. "I don't think a baseball stadium or football stadium or even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame really redefines a community," he says. "High-tech medical, biotech, that's going to be the new face of the community. What we hope is, when you think of Cleveland, you think of a medical center."
In their most recent update, Mart operators say they have 40 letters of intent for the facility's permanent showroom, plus another 16 letters of intent for conferences, conventions and trade shows. (Though it hasn't released the names.)
Examine the rest of the story here.
"Cleveland, which has poured almost $1 billion into such projects as three sports stadiums and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is on the verge of spending $465 million in an effort to remake itself as the epicenter for the sale of medical equipment and supplies," the article states at the outset.
Billed as the brainchild of Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, The Medical Mart will be a 422,000 square-foot exhibition center for medical products.
Tim Hagan, outgoing Cuyahoga County commissioner, says he believes that the Med Mart will transcend those earlier civic construction projects by attracting the kind of high-tech jobs the area needs. "I don't think a baseball stadium or football stadium or even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame really redefines a community," he says. "High-tech medical, biotech, that's going to be the new face of the community. What we hope is, when you think of Cleveland, you think of a medical center."
In their most recent update, Mart operators say they have 40 letters of intent for the facility's permanent showroom, plus another 16 letters of intent for conferences, conventions and trade shows. (Though it hasn't released the names.)
Examine the rest of the story 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
The St. Clair Superior neighborhood welcomed two new businesses recently, a café and a coffee shop, both in former factories, and both indicative of the forces that have been driving development in the area in recent years.
The 30th Street Café opened in Asia Plaza at East 30th and Payne, serving selections from Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. Owned by the Hom family, prominent local entrepreneurs, Asia Plaza is a two-story retail center that was once a manufacturing plant.
Across Superior, in a warren of brick buildings once devoted to elevator manufacturing, the aptly named Pulley's Coffeehouse is serving beverages and food from Artefino Café to the growing number of people working there. Now known as Tyler Village, the 1.2-million-square-foot, 25-building, 10-acre complex is one of the largest downtown redevelopment projects in the city's history, according to developer Graystone Properties. It currently houses a charter school, Digiknow, APG Office Furnishings, Analiza Medical Lab, Solutions at Work and an office of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, whose clients staff Pulley's.
"Tyler is definitely the biggest development [in the neighborhood], and it's driving a lot of the investment," says Jamar Doyle, project manager for the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation. But he adds that there's a history of entrepreneurship in the local Asian-American community, and points to the almost 40 Asian restaurants now serving the area.
St. Clair Superior Development also plans streetscape improvements next year, with grant money from the Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency.
Source: St. Clair Superior Development Corporation
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The 30th Street Café opened in Asia Plaza at East 30th and Payne, serving selections from Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. Owned by the Hom family, prominent local entrepreneurs, Asia Plaza is a two-story retail center that was once a manufacturing plant.
Across Superior, in a warren of brick buildings once devoted to elevator manufacturing, the aptly named Pulley's Coffeehouse is serving beverages and food from Artefino Café to the growing number of people working there. Now known as Tyler Village, the 1.2-million-square-foot, 25-building, 10-acre complex is one of the largest downtown redevelopment projects in the city's history, according to developer Graystone Properties. It currently houses a charter school, Digiknow, APG Office Furnishings, Analiza Medical Lab, Solutions at Work and an office of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, whose clients staff Pulley's.
"Tyler is definitely the biggest development [in the neighborhood], and it's driving a lot of the investment," says Jamar Doyle, project manager for the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation. But he adds that there's a history of entrepreneurship in the local Asian-American community, and points to the almost 40 Asian restaurants now serving the area.
St. Clair Superior Development also plans streetscape improvements next year, with grant money from the Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency.
Source: St. Clair Superior Development Corporation
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
slavic village rail-trail earns national award
Slavic Village Development, Cleveland Public Art and Parkworks all claim their share of a national trail award.
American Trails, the world's largest online trails resource, held its 20th National Trails Awards on Nov. 16, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The awards program recognizes exemplary people across the landscape of America who are working to create a national system of trails to meet the recreation, health, and travel needs of all Americans.
Winning the "Trails and the Arts Award," which recognizes outstanding public art projects, interpretive signs, and other creative structures associated with trail improvements, were Slavic Village Development, Cleveland Public Art and ParkWorks.
The Slavic Village neighborhood's Morgana Run Trail boasts the first urban rail-trail conversion in Cleveland. Slavic Village Development, Cleveland Public Art and ParkWorks collaborated to develop a distinguishing marker for the East 49th Street trailhead: a 35-foot tall steel "flower" sculpture crafted by local artist Jake Beckman.
Read more about the award and award giver here.
American Trails, the world's largest online trails resource, held its 20th National Trails Awards on Nov. 16, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The awards program recognizes exemplary people across the landscape of America who are working to create a national system of trails to meet the recreation, health, and travel needs of all Americans.
Winning the "Trails and the Arts Award," which recognizes outstanding public art projects, interpretive signs, and other creative structures associated with trail improvements, were Slavic Village Development, Cleveland Public Art and ParkWorks.
The Slavic Village neighborhood's Morgana Run Trail boasts the first urban rail-trail conversion in Cleveland. Slavic Village Development, Cleveland Public Art and ParkWorks collaborated to develop a distinguishing marker for the East 49th Street trailhead: a 35-foot tall steel "flower" sculpture crafted by local artist Jake Beckman.
Read more about the award and award giver here.
artists fleeing the big apple for piece of the plum
Frank Sinatra crooned in his famous ode to NYC that, "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." But according to Crain's New York writer Miriam Kreinin Souccar, today's version of that song might very well go, "I'll make a brand new start of it -- in old Cleveland."
In an article titled "Artists Fleeing the City," the reporter cites the following problem: Artists can no longer afford to live and work in New York.
"Artists have long struggled in New York, moving into rough areas, gentrifying them and then getting forced out. But as the city has gotten increasingly expensive, there are few such neighborhoods left to move to, forcing a growing number of artists to abandon the city."
The result, she adds, is that "for the first time, artists fresh out of art schools around the country are choosing to live in nascent artist communities in regional cities like Detroit and Cleveland -- which are dangling incentives to attract this group -- and bypassing New York altogether."
So-called second tier cities like Cleveland are actively courting artists with incentive programs and housing deals. "In the Cleveland neighborhood of Collinwood, the Northeast Shores Development Corp. has bought 16 vacant properties and renovated them as artists' residences. All but four have sold, and the development company plans to renovate more properties.
"We thought we'd be attracting artists from Cleveland," says Brian Friedman, of Northeast Shores. "I had no idea we'd be getting contacted regularly by people from New York."
Start spreading the news here.
In an article titled "Artists Fleeing the City," the reporter cites the following problem: Artists can no longer afford to live and work in New York.
"Artists have long struggled in New York, moving into rough areas, gentrifying them and then getting forced out. But as the city has gotten increasingly expensive, there are few such neighborhoods left to move to, forcing a growing number of artists to abandon the city."
The result, she adds, is that "for the first time, artists fresh out of art schools around the country are choosing to live in nascent artist communities in regional cities like Detroit and Cleveland -- which are dangling incentives to attract this group -- and bypassing New York altogether."
So-called second tier cities like Cleveland are actively courting artists with incentive programs and housing deals. "In the Cleveland neighborhood of Collinwood, the Northeast Shores Development Corp. has bought 16 vacant properties and renovated them as artists' residences. All but four have sold, and the development company plans to renovate more properties.
"We thought we'd be attracting artists from Cleveland," says Brian Friedman, of Northeast Shores. "I had no idea we'd be getting contacted regularly by people from New York."
Start spreading the news here.