Stories
Along with her fiancé, José Andrade, Leticia Ortiz recently launched La Bamba Tortilleria in Ohio City. The minority-owned start-up has filled a gap in the Mexican foods market for fresh, local tortillas while at the same time growing jobs.
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
Through the Poultry Project, Lakewood resident Kelly Flamos has taken on the unimaginable tragedy of the African AIDS epidemic. She is helping one child at a time with the assistance of an unlikely flock of angels -- chickens.
Whether it's an empty nook in their attic or a corner table at the local Starbuck's, home-based businesspeople are constantly searching for the ideal spot to do research, make phone calls or meet with clients. Come June of 2011, East Side entrepreneurs will be able to take advantage of specially designed space at the Shaker Heights Public Library's main branch on Lee Road.
The Community Entrepreneurial Office -- CEO for short -- will be a pilot program featuring workspace and services for home-based business owners. The Shaker Heights Public Library announced this fall that it had received a $37,645 grant from the state to set up the facilities.
An existing computer area on the library's second floor is being redesigned to make way for 10 workstations and a conference area, which will be available free of charge. Entrepreneurs will also have access to business software. Faxing, photocopying and related services will be fee-based.
"We see that people come here to do certain business and then they have to go elsewhere to finish," notes Margaret Simon, who will head up the library's CEO program. "So we said we'll be the finisher." Home-based entrepreneurs can think of the CEO as a one-stop resource for their businesses, Simon adds.
She says she would like to build a staff around the CEO program as it grows. "My hope is that it will become a self-sustaining business that will generate jobs."
The Shaker Heights Library is in proximity to Shaker Launch House, a business incubator also opening in 2011. Simon is set to meet with developers of Launch House to discuss ways each can help local entrepreneurs. "I think we have parallel services and we can make them intersect," she says.
SOURCE: Margaret Simon
WRITER: Diane DiPIero
The Community Entrepreneurial Office -- CEO for short -- will be a pilot program featuring workspace and services for home-based business owners. The Shaker Heights Public Library announced this fall that it had received a $37,645 grant from the state to set up the facilities.
An existing computer area on the library's second floor is being redesigned to make way for 10 workstations and a conference area, which will be available free of charge. Entrepreneurs will also have access to business software. Faxing, photocopying and related services will be fee-based.
"We see that people come here to do certain business and then they have to go elsewhere to finish," notes Margaret Simon, who will head up the library's CEO program. "So we said we'll be the finisher." Home-based entrepreneurs can think of the CEO as a one-stop resource for their businesses, Simon adds.
She says she would like to build a staff around the CEO program as it grows. "My hope is that it will become a self-sustaining business that will generate jobs."
The Shaker Heights Library is in proximity to Shaker Launch House, a business incubator also opening in 2011. Simon is set to meet with developers of Launch House to discuss ways each can help local entrepreneurs. "I think we have parallel services and we can make them intersect," she says.
SOURCE: Margaret Simon
WRITER: Diane DiPIero
Health Information Technology (HIT) is a rapidly emerging field that will likely grow much faster than the average jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Midwest Community College HIT Consortium is designed to ready a trained workforce for jobs in the HIT sector.
The consortium is comprised of 17 large community colleges in 10 Midwest states, and is being led by Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). Last month, the consortium launched a new website to educate potential students and employers about the training offered through these community colleges. The website lists workforce roles within HIT and the training opportunities available at each community college and through virtual learning.
Executive director of the consortium, Norma Morganti, says that the website is another tool to help the consortium reach its goal of training 2,700 people annually for HIT jobs. "Studies indicate that as many as 50,000 additional HIT professionals may be needed over the next five years," she notes. The consortium was created to support national electronic health records implementation, Morganti adds.
Tri-C received the ARRA/HITECH Grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be the lead college for the consortium. As a result, Tri-C created several short-term, non-credit training programs to fill HIT jobs such as implementation support specialists, clinician/practitioner consultants and technical/software support staff.
Applicants for the short-term programs at Tri-C should have IT or IS experience in a business or health care environment or related work with medical billing, health information management or medical records.
SOURCE: Norma Morganti
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The consortium is comprised of 17 large community colleges in 10 Midwest states, and is being led by Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). Last month, the consortium launched a new website to educate potential students and employers about the training offered through these community colleges. The website lists workforce roles within HIT and the training opportunities available at each community college and through virtual learning.
Executive director of the consortium, Norma Morganti, says that the website is another tool to help the consortium reach its goal of training 2,700 people annually for HIT jobs. "Studies indicate that as many as 50,000 additional HIT professionals may be needed over the next five years," she notes. The consortium was created to support national electronic health records implementation, Morganti adds.
Tri-C received the ARRA/HITECH Grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be the lead college for the consortium. As a result, Tri-C created several short-term, non-credit training programs to fill HIT jobs such as implementation support specialists, clinician/practitioner consultants and technical/software support staff.
Applicants for the short-term programs at Tri-C should have IT or IS experience in a business or health care environment or related work with medical billing, health information management or medical records.
SOURCE: Norma Morganti
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
When Cleveland Heights resident Michael Adams first got serious about making the switch from law to opening a restaurant, he looked at lots of forgettable locations -- "kind of cookie-cutter," he recalls. Then someone told him about a space on the second floor of the Rockefeller Building, at the corner of Mayfeild and Lee roads. For Adams, it was love at first sight.
"It's a gorgeous space," Adams says of the former bank, with its original, well-preserved stone floors, fireplace, plaster walls, oak rafters and soaring ceilings. "A space like that needs to be seen." And, thus, Rockefeller's was born.
The building, which now houses a Starbucks, sporting goods store and other retail on the first floor, was built in the 1930s by John D. Rockefeller Jr., as a commercial center for the family's residential development along the Cleveland Heights-East Cleveland border. Later, Ameritrust Bank occupied the second floor. After Ameritrust went out of business, a kitchen was added and for decades the site was rented out for parties and events.
A portion of the large space will be given over to a bar and lounge (with its own menu), while the rest will be reserved for more upscale dining. Adams, a first-time restaurateur, has hired Jill Vedaa as executive chef. Vedaa's resume includes stints at Lola, Flying Fig, Wine Bar in Rocky River, Mise and Saucy Bistro. Adams promises an American menu, with lots of local food and seasonal changes.
Rockefeller's is scheduled to open on January 11, 2011.
Source: Michael Adams
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
"It's a gorgeous space," Adams says of the former bank, with its original, well-preserved stone floors, fireplace, plaster walls, oak rafters and soaring ceilings. "A space like that needs to be seen." And, thus, Rockefeller's was born.
The building, which now houses a Starbucks, sporting goods store and other retail on the first floor, was built in the 1930s by John D. Rockefeller Jr., as a commercial center for the family's residential development along the Cleveland Heights-East Cleveland border. Later, Ameritrust Bank occupied the second floor. After Ameritrust went out of business, a kitchen was added and for decades the site was rented out for parties and events.
A portion of the large space will be given over to a bar and lounge (with its own menu), while the rest will be reserved for more upscale dining. Adams, a first-time restaurateur, has hired Jill Vedaa as executive chef. Vedaa's resume includes stints at Lola, Flying Fig, Wine Bar in Rocky River, Mise and Saucy Bistro. Adams promises an American menu, with lots of local food and seasonal changes.
Rockefeller's is scheduled to open on January 11, 2011.
Source: Michael Adams
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
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
as-yet-unopen market garden brewery already drafting buzz
Sam McNulty's Market Garden Brewery is still months shy of its grand opening, but that hasn't stopped the Ohio City establishment from attracting national attention. In the latest issue of Draft Magazine, the national brewing glossy ran a feature titled "12 breweries to watch in 2011." Claiming one of the dozen spots is none other than Market Garden.
After dubbing McNulty the "beer god responsible for Cleveland spots like the Belgian-laden Bier Markt and pizza-slinging Bar Cento," the article goes on to sing the praises of brewmaster Andy Tveekrem, formerly of the matchless Dogfish Head.
Brew fans can look forward to German-style bock, a Belgian tripel, a honey barleywine, and an American pale ale, says the clip. "But the pair won't stop with beer: Tveekrem will try his hand at distilling with whiskeys, infused vodkas and gin, while McNulty hones a menu of picnic-style eats, perfect for casual meals in the brewery's 3,000-square-foot cobblestoned American beer garden."
Drink up the whole feature here.
After dubbing McNulty the "beer god responsible for Cleveland spots like the Belgian-laden Bier Markt and pizza-slinging Bar Cento," the article goes on to sing the praises of brewmaster Andy Tveekrem, formerly of the matchless Dogfish Head.
Brew fans can look forward to German-style bock, a Belgian tripel, a honey barleywine, and an American pale ale, says the clip. "But the pair won't stop with beer: Tveekrem will try his hand at distilling with whiskeys, infused vodkas and gin, while McNulty hones a menu of picnic-style eats, perfect for casual meals in the brewery's 3,000-square-foot cobblestoned American beer garden."
Drink up the whole feature here.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that "Indians Snow Days" refers to contingency plans in the event of a repeat of 2007, when the home opener was delayed, and finally called, due to snow. In April. Actually, Snow Days is an entirely different first in Major League Baseball: an off-season theme park inside a stadium, with the theme being wintertime fun.
According to Rob Campbell of the Indians' communications department, Snow Days was inspired by the National Hockey League's surprisingly successful Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game played each New Year's Day. In its first year, 2008, the game filled Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, where the Bills play. The 2009 game, played at Chicago's Wrigley Field, set TV ratings records for pro hockey. Last year's match, at Fenway in Boston, was the finale of a Super Bowl-like week of events.
Lacking an NHL franchise, Cleveland would seem to have no chance of attracting the Winter Classic. Still, says Campbell, Dennis Lehman, the Indians' executive vice president for business, and Jim Folk, v.p. for park operations, were intrigued by the notion of opening the gates of Progressive Field in months when it's typically dark and quiet.
Campbell says that a great deal of market research went into determining what would lure folks downtown during the day in winter, a tradition that had gone the way of Higbee's and ice skating on Public Square. Some Metroparks offer snow tubing, and there's an outdoor skating rink at Wade Oval. But Snow Days brings these activities, and others, together in one place -- a place that's surrounded by restaurants and shops. And ultimately, says Campbell, making downtown a wintertime destination again is what it's is all about. Opening weekend attracted more than 6,000 visitors, and the team hopes for more than 50,000 before the whole thing wraps up on January 2.
"They're taking a huge step in [promoting downtown]," says Joe Marinucci, president and CEO of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "I'd love to see them expand it beyond the holiday season." That's definitely a possibility next year, Campbell says.
Snow Days was a hot topic at MLB's November meetings, Campbell adds. Once again, Cleveland is a national leader in creative reuse of vacant land.
Source: Cleveland Indians
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
According to Rob Campbell of the Indians' communications department, Snow Days was inspired by the National Hockey League's surprisingly successful Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game played each New Year's Day. In its first year, 2008, the game filled Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, where the Bills play. The 2009 game, played at Chicago's Wrigley Field, set TV ratings records for pro hockey. Last year's match, at Fenway in Boston, was the finale of a Super Bowl-like week of events.
Lacking an NHL franchise, Cleveland would seem to have no chance of attracting the Winter Classic. Still, says Campbell, Dennis Lehman, the Indians' executive vice president for business, and Jim Folk, v.p. for park operations, were intrigued by the notion of opening the gates of Progressive Field in months when it's typically dark and quiet.
Campbell says that a great deal of market research went into determining what would lure folks downtown during the day in winter, a tradition that had gone the way of Higbee's and ice skating on Public Square. Some Metroparks offer snow tubing, and there's an outdoor skating rink at Wade Oval. But Snow Days brings these activities, and others, together in one place -- a place that's surrounded by restaurants and shops. And ultimately, says Campbell, making downtown a wintertime destination again is what it's is all about. Opening weekend attracted more than 6,000 visitors, and the team hopes for more than 50,000 before the whole thing wraps up on January 2.
"They're taking a huge step in [promoting downtown]," says Joe Marinucci, president and CEO of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "I'd love to see them expand it beyond the holiday season." That's definitely a possibility next year, Campbell says.
Snow Days was a hot topic at MLB's November meetings, Campbell adds. Once again, Cleveland is a national leader in creative reuse of vacant land.
Source: Cleveland Indians
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
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.
detroit shoreway's gordon square arts district called out for 'creative placemaking'
In a recent report released by the National Endowment for the Arts, Gordon Square Arts District captured the attention of the report's authors. Complied by the Mayors' Institute on City Design, and entitled "Creative Placemaking," the study highlights communities that are using the arts and other creative assets to help reshape their physical, social, and economic character. The publication is intended to serve as a guide for civic leaders, arts organizations, and philanthropic organizations.
"Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired," the report states.
In the case study titled "The Art of Economic Development," Gordon Square Arts District is touted as a collaboration of three non-profits (Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, Cleveland Public Theatre and Near West Theatre) that is midway through a $30 million revitalization that will generate $500 million in economic development.
Read the entire document here.
"Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired," the report states.
In the case study titled "The Art of Economic Development," Gordon Square Arts District is touted as a collaboration of three non-profits (Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, Cleveland Public Theatre and Near West Theatre) that is midway through a $30 million revitalization that will generate $500 million in economic development.
Read the entire document here.
derelict heights school property to land playground
The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District closed the
Millikin preschool, near Severance Town Center, in 2006. Since then,
the board of education and neighbors of the property have not always
agreed on its reuse -- and that debate was complicated this year by
news that the district might need it for students again. But for now,
all seem agreed on one thing: a playground would be nice.
Last January, the board went along with requests to delay plans to sell Millikin at public auction. Some neighbors had asked for time to look for other options, ones that would permit public use of the 11-acre, partially wooded site. They envisioned a playground to replace the one that had been relocated to the Gearity elementary school in University Heights, along with Millikin's early childhood programs, in '06.
Then in June, a state commission recommended that CH-UH renovate or replace all of its buildings. The district's own facilities review continues, but officials have already stated that it needs to hold onto Millikin for possible use as a temporary school, during renovations of another.
In the meantime, however, the district has drawn up plans for a toddler playground, according to neighbor Sam Richmond. "We have hope now that, one way or another, we might get a playground," he says. But it will be up to the community, he adds, to raise the money. Richmond hopes that community development block grants might be available next year.
This would not rule out the district's leasing the building, as it leased the former Coventry School to University Hospitals, for employee computer training, earlier this year. Presently, however, no such plans are imminent, according to Nancy Peppler, president of the CH-UH board.
Source: Nancy Peppler
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Last January, the board went along with requests to delay plans to sell Millikin at public auction. Some neighbors had asked for time to look for other options, ones that would permit public use of the 11-acre, partially wooded site. They envisioned a playground to replace the one that had been relocated to the Gearity elementary school in University Heights, along with Millikin's early childhood programs, in '06.
Then in June, a state commission recommended that CH-UH renovate or replace all of its buildings. The district's own facilities review continues, but officials have already stated that it needs to hold onto Millikin for possible use as a temporary school, during renovations of another.
In the meantime, however, the district has drawn up plans for a toddler playground, according to neighbor Sam Richmond. "We have hope now that, one way or another, we might get a playground," he says. But it will be up to the community, he adds, to raise the money. Richmond hopes that community development block grants might be available next year.
This would not rule out the district's leasing the building, as it leased the former Coventry School to University Hospitals, for employee computer training, earlier this year. Presently, however, no such plans are imminent, according to Nancy Peppler, president of the CH-UH board.
Source: Nancy Peppler
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
There is no downtown "plan," per se, but there is a hell of a lot going
on. The newest piece to the revitalization puzzle is the NineTwelve
District, a new identity for the declining business corridor between
East 9th and East 12th streets, and Euclid and Lakeside.
The area once known as the financial district "is really going through a change," says Joseph Marinucci, president and CEO of the non-profit development group Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "Change" is a polite way of noting the slow but steady erosion of businesses there, exacerbated by the recession. More than a quarter of the office space is currently vacant, and more major employers -- including Key, Eaton and some law firms -- are expected to leave in the next few years.
Marinucci says the committee of stakeholders that is pushing the NineTwelve plan forward sees a mixed-use community, with more residential options, street-level retail, public spaces, perhaps even trolley service. He likens this thinking to public broadcasting entity ideastream's move to Playhouse Square, which has been beneficial for both.
"Young people especially are looking to be in a more vibrant district," he explains. "They pay attention to the environment they're living and working in."
The project is still in the "visioning" phase, Marinucci notes, and DCA is looking for funding for preliminary elements like branding and the development of public spaces. He warns that patience will be needed: "This is a multi-year strategy. We can't just wave a wand and in 12 months have a new district."
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The area once known as the financial district "is really going through a change," says Joseph Marinucci, president and CEO of the non-profit development group Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "Change" is a polite way of noting the slow but steady erosion of businesses there, exacerbated by the recession. More than a quarter of the office space is currently vacant, and more major employers -- including Key, Eaton and some law firms -- are expected to leave in the next few years.
Marinucci says the committee of stakeholders that is pushing the NineTwelve plan forward sees a mixed-use community, with more residential options, street-level retail, public spaces, perhaps even trolley service. He likens this thinking to public broadcasting entity ideastream's move to Playhouse Square, which has been beneficial for both.
"Young people especially are looking to be in a more vibrant district," he explains. "They pay attention to the environment they're living and working in."
The project is still in the "visioning" phase, Marinucci notes, and DCA is looking for funding for preliminary elements like branding and the development of public spaces. He warns that patience will be needed: "This is a multi-year strategy. We can't just wave a wand and in 12 months have a new district."
Source: Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Wendy Park on Whiskey Island might be Northeast Ohio's greatest greenspace success story.
Less than 10 years ago, precious few Clevelanders had ever visited the
site, which sits right where the Cuyahoga River meets Lake Erie. Nigh
on impossible to get to, and offering little more than volleyball
courts, there just wasn't much point. Steady improvements under county
ownership have pushed annual visits from about 7,000 in 2006 to more
than 200,000 today, and the work is not nearly over.
Last week, ParkWorks, county officials and landscape architects from San Francisco-based Conger Moss Guillard presented three versions of a Wendy Park master plan at a public forum. "I think they'll pull elements from all three that people like," says Justin Glanville of ParkWorks, "and sort of make a Frankenstein version."
The common traits among the plans are beach improvements, restored marsh area and use of solar panels wherever possible. Easier access will be achieved through a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, from the west side of the river and over the railroad tracks. On December 2, the county commissioners are expected to approve a contract with architect Miguel Rosales of Boston.
"This is an incredibly important space," says Paul Alsenas, director of the county planning commission. "There is no other place like it along our shoreline in Cuyahoga County.
Carol Thaler, the planning commission's program officer, adds that public input has shaped this project from the start. "It's a very important statement for the county," she says.
To view and comment on CMG's plans for Wendy Park, visit ParkWorks' web site.
Source: ParkWorks
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Last week, ParkWorks, county officials and landscape architects from San Francisco-based Conger Moss Guillard presented three versions of a Wendy Park master plan at a public forum. "I think they'll pull elements from all three that people like," says Justin Glanville of ParkWorks, "and sort of make a Frankenstein version."
The common traits among the plans are beach improvements, restored marsh area and use of solar panels wherever possible. Easier access will be achieved through a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, from the west side of the river and over the railroad tracks. On December 2, the county commissioners are expected to approve a contract with architect Miguel Rosales of Boston.
"This is an incredibly important space," says Paul Alsenas, director of the county planning commission. "There is no other place like it along our shoreline in Cuyahoga County.
Carol Thaler, the planning commission's program officer, adds that public input has shaped this project from the start. "It's a very important statement for the county," she says.
To view and comment on CMG's plans for Wendy Park, visit ParkWorks' web site.
Source: ParkWorks
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
When Dobama Theatre was forced out of its longtime Coventry Road home in 2005, it marked the end of a nearly 40-year tradition of live theater in the Coventry Village neighborhood. But the recent drought will end next year when the Ensemble Theatre takes over a portion of the
old Coventry School building for classes and shows. Last week, Cleveland Heights Planning Commission approved their request for a zoning variance.
Ensemble, now in its 31st season, was founded in Cleveland Heights in 1979 and had performed at the old Civic until 2003. The company moved its performances to the Cleveland PlayHouse, at 8500 Euclid, but remained based in Cleveland Heights. Managing director Martin Cosentino said recently that the company is pleased to be returning home to its roots.
Coventry School, at 2843 Washington Blvd., has been vacant since 2007, aside from a short period when University Hospitals leased it for employee training. The city's approval of Ensemble's use allows performances for up to 150, plus classes and summer camps, from February through August. At press time, Ensemble's web site did not indicate any performances at Coventry for the three productions already announced for the 2010-2011 season, and Cosentino could not be reached.
Source: City of Cleveland Heights
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
old Coventry School building for classes and shows. Last week, Cleveland Heights Planning Commission approved their request for a zoning variance.
Ensemble, now in its 31st season, was founded in Cleveland Heights in 1979 and had performed at the old Civic until 2003. The company moved its performances to the Cleveland PlayHouse, at 8500 Euclid, but remained based in Cleveland Heights. Managing director Martin Cosentino said recently that the company is pleased to be returning home to its roots.
Coventry School, at 2843 Washington Blvd., has been vacant since 2007, aside from a short period when University Hospitals leased it for employee training. The city's approval of Ensemble's use allows performances for up to 150, plus classes and summer camps, from February through August. At press time, Ensemble's web site did not indicate any performances at Coventry for the three productions already announced for the 2010-2011 season, and Cosentino could not be reached.
Source: City of Cleveland Heights
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Experts estimate that the global flexible electronics market will grow to $250 billion by 2025. Northeast Ohio wants to ride that wave of innovation and market growth, and a recently unveiled plan for the region to become a global epicenter for the flexible electronics industry will play a part in realizing that goal.
Developed by NorTech, a technology-based economic development organization, The Northeast Ohio Flexible Electronics Road Map outlines strategies and initiatives to develop low-cost manufacturing of electronic devices printed on flexible materials with multiple global market applications. According to the plan, five key initiatives must be met in order for this mission to be successful:
* Identifying and pursuing market opportunities
* Increasing public funding and private investment
* Strengthening cluster alignment, communication and partnering
* Improving visibility and recognition
* Monitoring and reporting cluster growth and outcomes
By establishing a global epicenter for the flexible electronics industry in Northeast Ohio, the region could gain 1,500 jobs, $75 million in payroll and $100 million in capital by 2017.
"Further developing this industry will help us diversify our regional economy and ultimately create jobs, attract capital and have a positive economic impact in Northeast Ohio," says Rebecca O. Bagley, NorTech president and CEO. NorTech partnered with 23 technology and industry experts in the region to develop the Northeast Ohio Flexible Electronics Road Map. In September, NorTech was awarded a $500,000 federal grant to help small businesses that want to be involved in the expansion of the flexible electronics industry in Northeast Ohio.
Read the entire pdf Road Map here.
SOURCE: NorTech
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Developed by NorTech, a technology-based economic development organization, The Northeast Ohio Flexible Electronics Road Map outlines strategies and initiatives to develop low-cost manufacturing of electronic devices printed on flexible materials with multiple global market applications. According to the plan, five key initiatives must be met in order for this mission to be successful:
* Identifying and pursuing market opportunities
* Increasing public funding and private investment
* Strengthening cluster alignment, communication and partnering
* Improving visibility and recognition
* Monitoring and reporting cluster growth and outcomes
By establishing a global epicenter for the flexible electronics industry in Northeast Ohio, the region could gain 1,500 jobs, $75 million in payroll and $100 million in capital by 2017.
"Further developing this industry will help us diversify our regional economy and ultimately create jobs, attract capital and have a positive economic impact in Northeast Ohio," says Rebecca O. Bagley, NorTech president and CEO. NorTech partnered with 23 technology and industry experts in the region to develop the Northeast Ohio Flexible Electronics Road Map. In September, NorTech was awarded a $500,000 federal grant to help small businesses that want to be involved in the expansion of the flexible electronics industry in Northeast Ohio.
Read the entire pdf Road Map here.
SOURCE: NorTech
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
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.
For several years, Kim Crow watched as the contracting newspaper business shed people, including many of her friends and colleagues, and laid ever-increasing burdens on those still employed. So relinquishing her duties at the Plain Dealer -- editing three sections, supervising six reporters and, the work she's best known for, writing a fashion column -- was the easy part.
At least compared to opening a store.
Crow recently unveiled Evie Lou -- "A contemporary boutique that embraces personal style and fantastic fit across the size spectrum" -- in Tremont. The journey from clothing pundit to clothing retailer was longer and more frustrating than she'd anticipated. Loan rejections took months, she says, and some small ones that were approved still haven't come through. High credit-card limits, from years as a sort-of professional shopper, kept her afloat.
But it was worth it; even the surprises have been encouraging. For example, she'd anticipated more evening business, when the nearby restaurants and galleries are hopping. Instead, she's been far busier during the day, "and that's great because it's the neighborhood supporting me."
She's a one-woman operation for now, but hopes to hire an employee soon. Not just anyone, however; this person will have to share Crow's commitment to the "size spectrum" portion of the store's mission statement. She is spending about 15 percent of her buying budget on plus sizes, an amount almost unheard of in boutiques. It's something of an experiment, she admits.
"Every day I hear someone say, 'I'm not buying anything until I lose 20 pounds," Crow says. "In the dressing room there is so much more going on than just 'That's a cute top.' Women bring all their baggage in there with them. There's a lot of psychology to it."
And fodder for her new writing outlet, the Evie Lou blog.
Source: Kim Crow
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
At least compared to opening a store.
Crow recently unveiled Evie Lou -- "A contemporary boutique that embraces personal style and fantastic fit across the size spectrum" -- in Tremont. The journey from clothing pundit to clothing retailer was longer and more frustrating than she'd anticipated. Loan rejections took months, she says, and some small ones that were approved still haven't come through. High credit-card limits, from years as a sort-of professional shopper, kept her afloat.
But it was worth it; even the surprises have been encouraging. For example, she'd anticipated more evening business, when the nearby restaurants and galleries are hopping. Instead, she's been far busier during the day, "and that's great because it's the neighborhood supporting me."
She's a one-woman operation for now, but hopes to hire an employee soon. Not just anyone, however; this person will have to share Crow's commitment to the "size spectrum" portion of the store's mission statement. She is spending about 15 percent of her buying budget on plus sizes, an amount almost unheard of in boutiques. It's something of an experiment, she admits.
"Every day I hear someone say, 'I'm not buying anything until I lose 20 pounds," Crow says. "In the dressing room there is so much more going on than just 'That's a cute top.' Women bring all their baggage in there with them. There's a lot of psychology to it."
And fodder for her new writing outlet, the Evie Lou blog.
Source: Kim Crow
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
shelterforce touts evergreen's green roots
Shelterforce, the nation's oldest continually published housing and community development magazine, recently devoted considerable attention to Cleveland's Evergreen Cooperatives. Written by Miriam Axel-Lute, an associate director at the National Housing Institute, the article tells how cities and governments are taking notice of the paradigm.
Titled "Green Jobs with Roots," the piece begins with powerful lede:
In a couple years, residents of some of the poorest neighborhoods in Cleveland will be the collective owners of the largest collection of solar panels in the state of Ohio. Next door, sixty locations on the Cleveland Clinic's campus will be serving salads made from locally grown lettuce year-round—where local means not "a farm closer than California," but a greenhouse staffed and owned by neighborhood residents on a former brownfield mere miles away.
In this paragraph, Axel-Lute gets to the heart of the Evergreen model of buying local on an institutional level:
The local procurement angle means that the coop's customers are likely to stay put as well. Rather than launching businesses based on workforce skill sets or entrepreneurial ideas, the Evergreen working group started by looking at the $3 billion per year that the 40 some University Circle anchor institutions already spend on goods and services and asking what parts of that spending they could redirect locally.
And finally, Axel-Lute writes that other cities and national officials are taking notice.
Even though it's just getting off the ground, queries about the Evergreen model have been pouring in, with cities from Pittsburgh to Atlanta meeting with Howard or filling up busloads of community leaders to visit Cleveland. Evergreen has been the subject of numerous high-level briefings at the federal level and visits by top HUD officials.
Read the entire analysis here.