The National Endowment for the Arts announced its 2012 Our Town Grant Recipients, with $5 million going out to creative placemaking in 80 communities across the country.
 
Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization received $50,000.
 
"The Detroit Shoreway neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, is home to more than 14,300 residents. Revitalization efforts in the neighborhood focus around the Gordon Square Arts District, an emerging arts and entertainment destination.

"The Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, together with the City of Cleveland and several local arts and business organizations, is using the Our Town grant to design an affordable artist live/work space in Gordon Square. The 24 artist live/work units will be developed in the historic Templin Bradley Building, a site in downtown Cleveland that has been vacant for decades. When complete, the units will be inhabited by artists earning at or below 120 percent of the Area Median Gross Income. A 3,500-square-foot gallery space will also be created for residents and other local artists to display their work."

Read about all recipients here.

"Euclid’s role as an essential link between the central business district downtown and University Circle -- a hub of world-class medical facilities and arts and culture amenities -- rendered the corridor impossible to ignore," writes Jason Hellendrung for UrbanLand.

The resulting $200 million, 6.8-mile Euclid Corridor Transportation Project catalyzed a powerful transformation along the avenue. Since the BRT line opened in 2008, the corridor has attracted $5.8 billion in investment -- $3.3 billion for new construction and $2.5 billion for building rehab, together totaling more than 110 projects. Disproving naysayers and exceeding the expectations of supporters, the project has generated the economic growth that many thought could only be achieved with rail -- and at a fraction of the cost."

"Ridership has increased steadily over the years and now totals about 15,100 people per day. "

Read the rest of the article here.

"For investors looking to go off the beaten track to find quality deals, Ohio might be the answer," Mitchell Rosich, partner at Athenian Venture Partners, writes in VentureBeat.

"According to the most recent Ohio Venture Capital Report, venture capital activity in Ohio was up more than 80 percent in 2010, surpassing the national average, which was up only 20 percent."

An increase in pre- and seed-stage investments amounting to $183.8 million is paid to angel groups and state programs.

What makes Ohio so ripe for investment?

1. Untapped investment opportunities: Ohio has significant deal flow in two of the most dynamic market segments — healthcare and information technology.

2. Attractive deals for the right price: Ohio is full of quality investment opportunities that are not typical “club” deals, allowing venture firms to avoid overpaying.

3. Long-term vision: Midwestern investors are more likely to back companies that actually create something tangible – such as a new medical device or electronics products due to the region’s supply chain assets and sophisticated manufacturing workforce.

4. Supporting its entrepreneurs: Ohio has an abundance of resources for entrepreneurs across the state to help them along the way and to get their ideas out. A select few include TechColoumbus, TechGrowth, CincyTech, and JumpStart.

"Investing in Ohio will continue to reap impressive returns over the next 10 years."

Read the rest right here.

In this Next American City feature titled "Welcome to Your New Government," Detroit-based journalist Anna Clark examines the unique and increasingly powerful work being done by community development corporations.
 
This lengthy piece looks at the work of Detroit's Midtown, Inc. and Cleveland's University Circle, Inc. and asks what it means for cities when "local government relies on private organizations to turn around a neighborhood’s fate."
 
"With a remarkable ability to get things done in a city that has been on the brink of state emergency management, Midtown, Inc. has a reputation for being better at performing the role of government than government itself," writes Clark. "But what are the stakes of ceding public sector work to non-profits?"
 
"[University Circle, Inc.'s Chris] Ronayne emphasized that [his] interest in building vibrant neighborhoods is directly linked to [his] interest in cultivating vibrant cities. In Cleveland, University Circle bills itself as 'the neighborhood without borders,' as it works to provide security, transportation and marketing."
 
"As Ronayne sees it, the old world way of thinking is: Local-state-federal. That has slipped away. Now, he says, the thinking is neighborhood-regional-global."
 
Read the rest of the article here.

The Cleveland Design Competition invites professionals, students, firms and designers to re-imagine the abandoned lower streetcar level of Cleveland’s Detroit-Superior Bridge -- aka the Veterans Memorial Bridge -- as a dynamic public space, performance venue and pedestrian experience.
 
Suggested design proposals include:
 
Define a comprehensive vision for the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge as a public bicycle and pedestrian connection between Downtown Cleveland’s Warehouse District and Ohio City.
 
Transform the vacant lower level of The Bridge into a dynamic public space and performance venue.
 
Consider connectivity to Downtown Cleveland and Public Square, the Flats East Bank, Flats West Bank, Ohio City, the Cuyahoga River, the future Towpath Trail, and future Canal Basin Park.
 
Consider complementary programming ideas. These might include (but are not limited to) landscaping, temporary experiences, art-related uses and recreational amenities.
 
Illustrate how a new vision for the lower level will interact with the upper level of The Bridge.
 
Provide improved access at each end of The Bridge to provide maximum accessibility and project impact. This could include addition of and/or reconfigured entrances at each end of The Bridge.
 
Registration deadline is September 10th, with submissions due October 5th. An awards reception will take place October 26th.
 
Mail or deliver entries to:
 
ATTN: Cleveland Design Competition
c/o Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
1309 Euclid Avenue, 2nd floor
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

For more info, click here.

LAND studio, in partnership with Cleveland Public Library, is seeking submissions for a cookbook that will focus on community, sharing, and importance of food as it relates to culture and the history of Cleveland. The cookbook will serve as a resource for cooking, platform for storytelling, and as a way to connect Clevelanders across cultures and communities.
 
The book stems from a Cleveland Public Library Lockwood Thompson Dialogue featuring Michael Ruhlman, Penny De Los Santos, and Dan Barber. It is an opportunity to extend the conversation by inviting Clevelanders to share their own food stories.
 
Recipes must have a connection to Cleveland.
 
Deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Friday, July 20.
 
Send materials to: LAND studio, ATTN: COOKBOOK, 1939 W. 25th Street, Suite 200, Cleveland, OH 44113. Or email them to food@land-studio.org.
 
For more info, contact Sarah Siebert at food@land-studio.org or 216-621-5413 x 117.

The Cleveland Institute of Art received a $5 million gift from Peter B. Lewis to support construction of a 91,000-square-foot building as the final component of the College’s campus unification project. Lewis is the chairman of Cleveland-based Progressive Corporation. 
 
“We are thrilled to receive this wonderful gift, not only because it represents a strong endorsement of our vision for a unified campus from this nationally known philanthropist with deep Cleveland roots, but also because it acknowledges the efforts of our University Circle neighbors in developing the Uptown project into a national model of culture and commerce,” explains Grafton J. Nunes, CIA’s president and CEO.
 
The Uptown development is a complex of rental residences, restaurants, and retail anchored at one end by the new MOCA Cleveland and at the other end by the Cleveland Institute of Art.
 
In recognition of this gift, CIA will name the auditorium in the new building The Peter B. Lewis Theater.
 
In addition to the theater, which will be the new home of the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, the new building will house CIA’s nationally ranked design majors, its acclaimed biomedical art and digital arts programs, art galleries, and administrative offices.

Read the rest of the good news here.

Each year the popular culinary focused website Eater.com announces their Eater Young Guns Class, which honors the most distinguished young industry professionals who are a mere step or two away from becoming a culinary star.
 
“[This year’s] class of 16 is composed of four women and 12 men; nine chefs, two sommeliers, two pastry chefs, and three front-of-house leaders. The youngest person on the list is 25 and the oldest, with just two-and-a-half years in the business, is 32.”
 
Among the 16 honored is pastry chef Matt Danko of The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat. 
 
“Matt started at Greenhouse Tavern on the savory side of the kitchen, but has made pastry his own over the last year. He's now the pastry chef at both Greenhouse and Noodlecat and has become the dessert guy in Cleveland and beyond. He's on the cusp of serious national heat, too: his selection committee champion was none other than Marc Vetri.”
 

A recent feature in Draft Magazine calls Cleveland "Beertown, USA," in which it reports that, "there’s no doubt that Cleveland is in the midst of a Rust Belt Renaissance, and at the heart of its resurgence are beer-loving foodies."

The feature includes a nice round-up of local breweries, bars and restaurants, including Great Lakes Brewing, Market Garden Brewery, Happy Dog, La Cave du Vin, and Melt Bar & Grilled.

Drink in the rest right here.

Michael Goldberg, a professor at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and a managing partner of a venture capital fund that invests in early stage medical device companies, certainly has a bevy of knowledge and experience to share with others. He is currently taking some time off teaching in Cleveland to focus his attention on a different part of the world. 

In this article, published in Vietnam, he urges Vietnamese entrepreneurs to dream and take risks.
 
“I was honored to be awarded a Fulbright fellowship to teach entrepreneurship at the National Economics University (NEU) in Hanoi," states Goldberg in a lengthy feature in VietNamNet Bridge.
 
“I had the opportunity to co-teach a course on entrepreneurship and new venture creation with Mr. Ha Tung, a talented Vietnamese lecturer.”
 
“It was a great experience designing a course alongside a Vietnamese professor as we were able to incorporate points of view and practical experience from the US and Vietnam into the syllabus.”
 
“Although Vietnam is incredibly entrepreneurial, many business people in Vietnam are afraid to fail. Thus, often times Vietnamese entrepreneurs do not take as many risks with their business as their counterparts in other countries.  We also tried and push our Vietnamese students to “dream big” when they think about starting companies.”
 
The feature goes on to discuss in detail the strategies and challenges he faces in his efforts working with these Vietnamese students.   
 
Read the full article here.

Clevelanders certainly can remember the wonderful but short-lived Bar Symon, the eatery that shut its doors in Avon Lake nearly two years ago. The concept has been reborn, as Michael Symon has recently opened the “new” Bar Symon in the Pittsburgh International Airport, reports Clare Sheehan of The Daily Meal.
 
"I am so pleased to bring my passion for serving great food in a fun environment to airport travelers in Pittsburgh," said Symon. "Dining is all about the experience, and we've captured that with Bar Symon. I have no doubt it will quickly become a passenger favorite."

“The menu features many of chef Symon's signature dishes, such as the Lola burger with a fried egg and pickled red onions, Lola fries with sea salt and rosemary, and two varieties of baked macaroni and cheese, either with cheddar, pulled pork, hot sauce, and scallions, or blue cheese, bacon, and parsley.”
 
While Symon remains an avid supporter of our local sports teams, travelers and locals alike can now experience the tasty treats we have been enjoying in Cleveland for years.
 
Read the complete story here.

Here in Cleveland, we all know what a treasure and luxury it is to have the West Side Market available to us for all of our culinary needs. Now the readers of the health conscious food magazine Cooking Light know it as well. Recently, the 100-year-old public market was recognized as one of the mag's favorite “Hidden Gems & Delicious Destinations” in the country.

“In this beautiful, 27,000-square-foot hall, shoppers find ethnic specialties like kielbasa and smoked sausage, barrel-aged sauerkraut, and potato-filled pierogi. But these days, they also come for grass-fed beef, farmstead cheeses, local honey, and handmade pasta," touts the foodie mag.
 
We have known this all along but in order to give the accolades more weight; Cleveland’s own Michael Symon pipes in as well: “The West Side Market maintains all of the integrity and uniqueness that it always has, even after 100 years,”
 
Check out the full series in addition to the West Side Market piece here.

It appears as if Cleveland’s other culinary golden boy, Jonathon Sawyer, is lending his name and reputation to a popular cookware manufacturer. 
 
Olivia Just from the Connecticut Post reports that the "Defining the Edge" campaign from Wusthof cutlery centers around three chefs, "The Rebel," Richie Nakano from San Francisco; "The Poet," Camas Davis from Portland, Ore.; and "The Believer," Jonathon Sawyer from Cleveland, Ohio.
 
“Each of the chefs has a story that fits in with the spirit of the campaign: Nakano started with a pop-up food stand Hapa Ramen, Davis learned the art of butchery and founded the Portland Meat Collective, and Sawyer opened the Greenhouse Tavern, Ohio's first certified green restaurant.”

The campaign is not just about lending their culinary celebrity to a commercial brand but also educating consumers on improving their techniques and knife skills.
 
"We are looking to target food-centric and hyper-connected college-educated, 25- to 35-year-olds," Garaghty said. "We are also trying to reach those who are newly married, a first-home buyer, or someone in the process of updating their kitchen."
 
Read the full story here.

In light of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposing a ban on the sale of large-sized sugary drinks, Joe Palazzolo of the Wall Street Journal points out that citizens need to look no further than Cleveland, Ohio, when it comes to local government determining what can and cannot be consumed by residents and guests.
 
“The Cleveland city council passed a law last year to ban restaurants from using cooking oils containing trans fats.”
 
In the meantime, those both for and against the ban have been battling it out in court whether it is within the local government’s jurisdiction to impose such a ban.
 
On Monday, June 11, “Cuyahoga County Judge Nancy Russo sided with the city, finding that Cleveland was within its powers to outlaw trans fatty cooking oils.”
 
This might serve as proof that local government may have more say about what its citizens can and cannot do than anyone ever thought.
 
Read the full WSJ story here.

Once a center of industry and mass-production, Cleveland is becoming recognized for green initiatives and sustainability.  What a turn of events for the place we call home.
 
The latest bump of good press comes in the form of HGTV's article, "The 10 Greatest Cycling Cities in America."
 
“The underdog of this list, this historic rust belt city is home to an impassioned and persevering community of bike riders." states the writer.
 
In comparison to the leaders on the list, which contain the likes of Portland, New York, and San Francisco, it is easy to see why Cleveland is once again referred to as an “underdog.”
 
"Cleveland was one of the first cities in the country to temporarily close streets to motorized traffic so they can be enjoyed by cyclists and pedestrians," say local rider Jeff Sugalski.”
 
The article also notes, “Another exciting feature of Cleveland's urban cycling scene is its Metroparks, or nature preserves with walking, hiking and bicycling trails along river paths and creeks.”
 

In his blog Burgh Diaspora, Jim Russell frequently covers the topic of reverse migration, where Rust Belt cities are seeing an influx of young residents thanks to a multitude of factors. Russell, a geographer studying the relationship between migration and economic development, calls the trend "Rust Belt Chic."

Recently, Russell, who lives in Pittsburgh, toured Cleveland to gather some on-the-ground research. He liked what he saw.
 
"I flew into Cleveland early last Saturday with the downtown rebound in mind. I wanted to see if the view from the sidewalk matched the data analysis. Leading up to the business trip, I was semi-joking with Richey that Cleveland was turning into Portland, OR. Investigating the West Side, I quipped that Cleveland was already Portland. I was (am) dead serious."

Read the rest of this and many other compelling posts here.

NPR's Morning Edition recently aired a story on Cleveland's rise in popularity with young, college-educated professionals.
 
"Blue-collar towns seem to be attracting a new generation of residents looking for an affordable urban lifestyle," reports David C. Barnett.
 
Richey Piiparinen, a researcher at Case Western Reserve University, was quoted in the piece as follows: "A lot of young people in Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh whose parents grew up in the inner city, and whose parents left during the white flight movement -- they have this attraction to the roots that they never knew."
 
Listen to the entire broadcast here.

Of the 47 projects awarded grants from ArtPlace to support their use of the arts to improve quality of place and transform their communities, only one was from Ohio.

The creative placemaking grants totaled $15.4 million.

“Across the country, cities and towns are using the arts to help shape their social, physical, and economic characters,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “The arts are a part of everyday life, and I am thrilled to see yet another example of arts organizations working with city, state, and federal offices to help strengthen and revitalize their communities through the arts. It is wonderful that ArtPlace and its funders have recognized this work and invested in it so generously.”

ArtPlace received almost 2200 letters of inquiry from organizations seeking a portion of the money available for grants. One of those letters came from Collinwood.

Using Art to Spark Redevelopment

Collinwood Rising 
$500,000
Northeast Shores Development Corporation – Cleveland, OH

To creatively combat urban vacancy and foreclosure in Cleveland’s North Shore Collinwood neighborhood, Collinwood Rising will work with artists to establish replicable development models for artist space in older industrial cities, leveraging ongoing HUD and municipal investments.

Great news, Collinwood.

A new partnership between NASA and the Greater Cleveland RTA has resulted in a space-age bus (oxymoron alert!).
 
Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which converts hydrogen gas into water and electricity, the bus can travel the streets of Cleve for up to 100 miles per "fill-up."
 
The plan is to install a hydrogen fueling station at the RTA garage in East Cleveland that will power a fuel cell bus.
 
"The purpose of the project is to demonstrate alternative energy technologies and build awareness for hydrogen fuel cells," reports WKSU's Jeff St. Clair. "Northeast Ohio is a center for fuel cell research. The state's Third Frontier Fuel Cell program, from 2003 to 2011, pumped $90 million into fuel cell research and manufacturing in Ohio."
 
For a great description on how fuel cells work, listen to this broadcast from WKSU.

Zagat asked its readers to weigh in on the best cities to enjoy food truck fare. Cleveland was one of only 10 cities in the running.

Cleveland, OH

"Fairly recently, the City of Cleveland decided to renew a law that allowed food trucks to roam the city that 'rocks.' However, they can only operate with permission from their councilperson. A few dozen trucks and growing, residents have options like Streat Mobile Bistro (healthy, local, organic) and fig “burger” dealer Hodge Podge. Also, there's Umami Moto which serves Asian-fusion food -- inspired by LA’s Kogi Truck perhaps?"

Check out all the city scenes here.