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Cleveland Clinic building gets 'green' certification by Michelle Jarboe/Plain Dealer Reporter Wednesday August 26, 2009, 5:25 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Offices that house more than 500 Cleveland Clinic employees are the first certified "green" healthcare project in Northeast Ohio. The inside of the Clinic's JJ North administrative building, on East 93rd Street between Euclid and Chester avenues, has achieved certification through the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The offices feature lights that adjust to bright sunlight and overcast days, water-saving toilets, bicycle storage and showers for employees who bike to work. More at http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/08/cleveland_clinic.html

7 Urban Freeways To Tear Down Today–And What Tomorrow Might Look Like If We Do Posted on Tuesday August 4th by Yonah Freemark and Jebediah Reed seattle-before-and-after During the Beaver Cleaver era of American history, it was almost impossible to conceive of a bad road–after all, paving things over was synonymous with “improvement.” Sadly, planning mistakes made at highway speed back then will require a huge amount of effort and money to undo today. But as we discussed in an earlier article, doing so is often the best decision a city can make: razing an ill-conceived highway can have huge social, economic, and aesthetic pay offs for a city. And if it’s done right, it can actually improve traffic flow. 3diggs Due to efforts of organizations like the Congress for the New Urbanism–which has made and eloquent case for urban freeway removal (we’re echoing a few of their top candidates )–this idea is starting to go mainstream. A number of US cities are poised to follow the examples set by Portland, Milwaukee, and San Francisco and start knocking down poorly planned roads. Here are seven elevated highways doomed to meet the reaper at some point in the not-to-distant future, and views of how their respective cities might look like after they’re gone: Cleveland: West Shoreway Today, the West Shoreway freeway divides downtown and west Cleveland from Lake Erie and makes walking between the city center and, say, the Browns Stadium or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unpleasant at best. The city, working with the Ohio Department of Transportation, has been pushing for a transformation of its waterfront for years and the Shoreway remains the major obstacle. The current plan is to take down the old road without building a replacement. Instead the route will be modified into a pedestrian-scaled avenue, including new and renovated parks, a beach, new housing and offices. One reason this is possible is that Cleveland’s population has been shrinking in recent decades and is now about half of what it was in 1950. The bright side of that is that the city has more flexibility and potential for redevelopment–as planners hope will the new lakefront boulevard will demonstrate. Before: cleveland-shoreway After: Seattle: Alaskan Way Viaduct Local and state authorities have a plan in place to take down this two-level freeway, which sustained structural damage in a 2001 earthquake, and replace it with a new surface boulevard and a streetcar line. Doing so would reconnect Seattle’s downtown area to its natural waterfront on spectacular Puget Sound and remove an enormous–and very noisy–eyesore from the cityscape. To make up for the loss of a freeway that handles more than 100,000 cars a day, the $4 billion plan also provides for a four-lane tunnel under the city center with a daily capacity of 85,000 vehicles. The balance of the old traffic would be served by public transit and surface routes. Before: After: Oklahoma City: I-40 The capital of the Sooner state isn’t getting rid of I-40, but it is doing away with the elevated section–which has cut through downtown since 1965. The new highway will be much less intrusive, situated below street level in an old rail right of way, while a much smaller surface street will trace the path of the old I-40. The best part of OKC’s plan, however, has nothing to do with transportation. Rather, the municipal government will use the highway teardown as the basis for a full-scale urban renewal, adding new parks and denser development in a 1,375-acre zone between downtown and the Oklahoma River. The plan doesn’t include many provisions for public transportation though, which is a shame–but losing the elevated roadway remains a big step in the right direction. Before: After: New Haven: Route 34 New Haven’s Oak Street Connector has retained the earned reputation of being a road to nowhere since the mile-long freeway was built by Mayor Richard Lee in 1960. Though it was originally intended to continue as a fully grade-separated road into West Haven, construction was (fortunately) halted before it had made it a few blocks out of downtown. Even in truncated form, the Connector led to the demise of hundreds of homes and businesses in the Oak Street neighborhood and destroyed a healthy swath of the city. To this day, it acts as a barrier between New Haven’s downtown Green and the Union Station rail depot. The good news is that city officials are planning a new neighborhood in the highway’s place. Mayor John DeStefano envisions a “Downtown Crossing” community that would heal the gash and reestablish the urban grid. The city has been enjoying a downtown renaissance in recent years, and eliminating the Oak Street Connector will be a huge boost to that effort. New Haven before and after Route 34 was built: And after the freeway is gone? Buffalo: Skyway Like Cleveland, Buffalo has seen its population decline sharply since the 50s. In fact, when the city’s Skyway was built in 1953, the town had 300,000 more people than it has today. It’s very reasonable then to do away with this elevated route which right now makes development on the Lake Erie Outer Harbor area very difficult. Together with I-190, the Skyway effectively serves as a wall between downtown and the lake and makes the commute there — even by car — needlessly difficult. The Skyway is also costing taxpayers millions of dollars every year in maintenance costs because of its decrepit condition. While the New York State Department of Transportation has looked at a plan to demolish it, the agency foolishly opted to leave the road in place. Many of the city’s citizens have greeted that decision with loud boos. Fortunately, some local politicians seem to be understand the situation and are now seeking stimulus funds to rid Buffalo of the Skyway. Before (Pic) After Syracuse: I-81 A few hundred miles a away, Syracuse is hoping that state authorities will be a tad more open-minded in moving ahead with a proposal to get rid of I-81–a.k.a. that structure that divides the city in half. The road was built five decades ago, and today several governmental organizations are considering replacing with a surface street. A local citizens group is making the sensible argument that tearing down the highway would reconnect the downtown street grid and re-energize city center. Their solution is to route I-81’s traffic onto I-481, which encircles the city. After Baltimore: Jones Falls Expressway Recently, mayor Sheila Dixon has been discussing tearing down of the first few blocks of the Jones Falls Expressway. The six-lane elevated road is an obstruction to movement between two sections of downtown and divides the Johns Hopkins Medical complex–one of the city’s economic engines–from the revitalized Inner Harbor district. Because the expressway already turns into a smaller surface road at its southern tip, converting a few more blocks to a boulevard wouldn’t dramatically affect traffic. It would, however, ensure connectivity for the people who live and work in Baltimore’s urban core. The city, however, has no money for the $1 billion project, and neither does the State of Maryland (which is currently contemplating a scheme to spend $5 billion widening an exurban highway). So, for the moment anyway, the proposal hangs in limbo. After http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/08/04/7-urban-freeways-to-tear-down-today-and-what-tomorrow-might-look-like-if-we-do/

'Aerotropolis' idea takes off as Cleveland, 'burbs team on study Hopkins viewed as anchor of effort to attract transportation, logistics outfits By JAY MILLER 4:30 am, August 10, 2009 The planning process to redevelop the region around Cleveland Hopkins International Airport into something called an “aerotropolis” has left the gate. On board are the city of Cleveland, a group of near- airport suburbs and Cuyahoga County. The communities last month committed $63,000 and hired researchers at Cleveland State University to study whether Northeast Ohio should grab the next new thing in regional economic development... http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20090810/SUB1/308109975/1008&Profile=1008

I'm all for it and have thought of this before but didn't know how seriously people would take it. If this is done though we have to do it wholeheartedly for every city in Ohio to promote this state in a better light. It would also give people like me, who mostly just research stuff in their own city, an opportunity to get to know other Ohio cities in more detail to be able to back up that city with details and specifics. How will the be carried out though, would people post the articles in this thread or will there be another thread. Also would we discuss the article a bit here on UO then post reply's on the original site or simply go at it?

Cuyahoga County launches search for new office space by Michelle Jarboe/The Plain Dealer Thursday July 16, 2009 CLEVELAND -- Cuyahoga County has begun a formal search for new office space, hedging against the prospect that its administration building could be knocked down for the medical mart project. The county began soliciting pitches this week from downtown property owners who can house roughly 1,100 workers in a single building or two adjacent buildings. According to a request for proposals, the county wants 350,000 square feet of contiguous office space that is available within 18 months... For More: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/cuyahoga_county_launches_searc.html

I looked at there site and under IBC solar in the usa it showed this BC SOLAR Inc. in the USA The subsidiary in the United States was founded in 2007. We successfully provide our installations in a growing photovoltaic market and profit from the worldwide IBC SOLAR know-how. IBC SOLAR Inc. IMG Center 1370 East 9th Street, Suite 675 44114 Cleveland, Ohio United States of America Phone: +1 (216) 583-0500 http://www.ibc-solar.de/EN/usa+M54a708de802.html Not really sure what they do there though and whether they were opening up anything else in the future here.

Is this the same little Italy I go to??? I see people of all kinds there and everybody always seems so friendly around that hood.

That second to last picture of the life flight was actually not from the rooftop but my mom's office at the Clinic. It was actually the next building over and I didn't even zoom for that picture, but I'm not sure what Clinic building that is.

Short set of pictures I took during the annual Cleveland orchestra on public square to celebrate the 4th of July. First a few shots of the event then to the colorful terminal tower. Now to the different colors of Terminal Tower - As a warning my camera doesn't take great night shots. First up Purple Then Red Blue My camera doesnt do so well with night time and if I zoom well this happens Green Red White and Blue Couple Fireworks from the Star Spangled Celebration in Public Square and the Flats. Dont have many pics because I mostly took videos which will be added to this post later. Including videos of terminal tower when various lighting effects took place.

Operation FALCON nets more than 1,200 arrests in northern Ohio by Michael Sangiacomo/Plain Dealer Reporter Thursday July 09, 2009, 4:19 PM CLEVELAND — Federal and local authorities arrested 1,211 fugitives last month in northern Ohio in Operation FALCON 2009. U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott said officers concentrated mainly on Cuyahoga and Lorain counties, noting that 500 arrests were made in those two counties. ... http://www.cleveland.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/07/operation_falcon_a_swooping_su.html

Cleveland Clinic launches its own WebMD July 9, 2009 by Chris Seper Filed under Feature, Innovation, Top Story CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Clinic today unveiled Clevelandclinichealth.com, the hospital’s health-and-wellness portal and the latest in a string of online creations in the past year. More health-care institutions have tried to turn their medical knowledge outward as they witness the success of social media and sites like WedMD. A site like MayoClinic.com is the standard bearer for the concept. And for nearly 15 years Case Western Reserve University, the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University have developed the health-care question-and-answer site NetWellness. The Clinic’s site, which redirects readers to a section of ClevelandClinic.org, culls the information from many of its print and other online publications, draws from a video database, includes an alphabetic index of health problems and intersperses personal stories about diseases... http://www.medcitynews.com/index.php/2009/07/cleveland-clinic-launches-its-own-webmd-or-mayocliniccom/

Cleveland Marathon attracts record number of runners Thursday, July 09, 2009 Trevor Hunnicutt Plain Dealer Reporter A record number of people ran the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon this year, according to final numbers released this month. The May 17 event, which included people running the half-marathon, 5K, 10K and youth races in addition to the traditional, 26.2-mile marathon, drew 12,400 registrants, 10,839 of whom finished a race... http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1247128362237051.xml&coll=2

To estimate the amount of electricity produced by the WindCube®, please use the WindCube® Performance Curve, which shows electric output per year at different average wind speeds. For example, at an average wind speed of 7 meters per second (about 15 miles per hour), the WindCube® will generate about 160,000 kWh/yr of electricity. There are many factors that go into calculating the performance curve and represents power generation under assumed average conditions and parameters. The actual power generation may vary from the average based on specific location. Just as added info an average home uses roughly 16,000 kWh/yr The charts are shown here http://www.getsmartenergy.com/the_windcube_technical.php The actual site for the windcube is http://www.getsmartenergy.com/index.php

'Wind Cube' powering first northern Ohio building Posted By: Dick Russ Updated: 7/6/2009 7:12:20 PM Posted: 7/6/2009 6:20:03 PM PORT CLINTON -- The newest shape of wind energy is being pioneered in Ohio with the first installation of a Wind Cube on a commercial building. The wind energy device, which measures 22-feet tall and across, sits on the rooftop of the Crown Battery Manufacturing Company in the Lake Erie Business Park in Port Clinton. It was installed by Green Energy Technologies of Akron, which developed the device for urban areas and those in which traditional large wind turbines were not practical. "We knew that if we were going inside the city limits or if we were going to be putting them in buildings we had to be able to amplify the wind," Green Energy President Mark Cironi told WKYC before a ribbon-cutting at the Port Clinton plant on Monday. The device can operate at ambient wind speeds of as low as five miles per hour. Consultant David Spera, Ph.D., of DASCON Engineering says that can help keep a constant flow of power into the system. "The five mile per hour wind will get it going, and wind will often drop in its speed," says Spera. "And this way the turbine won't stop. At five miles per hour it will stil be turning and come right back up again." Full article at http://www.wkyc.com/news/state/ohio/news_article.aspx?storyid=117224&catid=23

Enhanced Food Court Opens with Leading National Brands at the AIRMALL® at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport - Introduction of Bruegger's, Villa Italian Kitchen Represent First Stage of Transformation - CLEVELAND, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Savory Italian classics and tasty New York-style bagels are now on the menu for travelers at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). BAA Cleveland, developer of the new AIRMALL® at CLE, is pleased to announce the opening of the first two units at the new food court, which is located between Concourses B & C in the Main Terminal. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090304/NE78862LOGO ) Bruegger's (934 sq. ft.) is now offering its classic kettle-boiled New York-style water bagels to travelers, all begging to be liberally topped with the chain's secret-recipe cream cheese spreads in a variety of flavors. At the AIRMALL® at CLE, Bruegger's is featuring its full quick-service menu - freshly prepared sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, fresh-roasted coffee, and a wide array of beverages. Founded in 1983 in Troy, NY, Bruegger's pioneered the concept of the bakery-cafe and has grown to nearly 300 establishments across the country. For people seeking traditional Italian favorites, Villa Italian Kitchen (940 sq. ft.) has landed with its authentic Neapolitan-style recipes. Travelers can choose from old-world pizza, homemade pasta, classic Italian entrees, salads, and specialty items. Founded in 1964 in New York, Villa Italian Kitchen has more than 200 locations worldwide. Bruegger's and Villa Italian Kitchen are both open Sunday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-06-2009/0005055287&EDATE=

Mayor Frank Jackson unveils new 'sprayground' at Rockefeller Park Posted By: Shane Snider Updated: 7/6/2009 3:47:19 PM Posted: 7/6/2009 1:27:37 PM CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and The Holden Parks Trust celebrated the unveiling of a new "sprayground" in Rockefeller Park. It is the latest addition in a list of improvements to the park which also include four new fountains for the lagoons and new tennis courts... http://sitelife.wkyc.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/15/4073b680-d6d4-4a8a-8f7c-e6e2485cad6d.Large.jpg http://sitelife.wkyc.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/8/2/f87c5a77-10f5-4a48-824f-6a11c6cec82b.Large.jpg http://sitelife.wkyc.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/8/7/78ce0837-07ae-4d19-9740-1a7ec7a97d94.Large.jpg © 2009 WKYC-TV http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=117191&catid=3

Texas device startup may come to Cleveland (whether it likes it or not) July 6, 2009 by Chris Seper CLEVELAND, Ohio — Greater Cleveland may add another health-care start up by default. Novomedics (no Web site, just e-mail), a nascent medical device company from Houston, is a likely lock for the region. Co-founder Brent Bell is moving to the area along with his wife, Vera Moiseenkova-Bell, who was recently named assistant professor of pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University. He’ll move here permanently in September. Novomedics’ thinks its device can provide a non-surgical approach to surgical tubal ligation. It heats the area around the Fallopian tubes and creates scar tissue to seal the passage and permanently block reproduction. Previous similar approaches used implants, Brent Bell said, but his approach does not. The device also offers potential for treating varicose veins, atrial fibrillation, pregnancies that occur outside the uterus, and for helping women with markedly abnormal Fallopian tubes to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization, Bell said The technology is licensed from the University of Texas Medical Branch. One hangup — not surprisingly — is funding. Bell is awaiting word on a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant and is trying to raise as much as $4.9 million in private capital so he can work on the company full-time and push his device toward human trials. A couple of equity firms active in the Houston area are interested in the technology, which could keep the company there, Bell said. The SBIR grant would fund long-term preclinical trials and clinical studies either at the University of Texas or in Cleveland, Bell said. The equity funding would be used to perfect the device manufacturing process, file for an investigational device exception with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and perform a 50-patient U.S. study to seek approval in the European Union. Bell, who is currently assistant director in the Center for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas Medical Branch, is in town through Wednesday, connecting with the local medical industry before returning to Houston. http://www.medcitynews.com/index.php/2009/07/texas-device-startup-may-come-to-cleveland-whether-it-likes-it-or-not/

Cleveland Clinic Rooftop

Cuyahoga County Library Ranked No. 1 POSTED: 12:48 pm EDT July 3, 2009 UPDATED: 1:20 pm EDT July 3, 2009 CLEVELAND -- Cuyahoga County Public Library has been ranked as No. 1 by the Hennen's American Public Library Ratings. The local library system is ranked No. 1 among the nation's libraries that serve more than 500,000. ... More at: http://www.newsnet5.com/news/19940057/detail.html

IngenuityFest returns to Playhouse Square IngenuityFest, Cleveland's annual showcase of arts and technology, returns for its fifth year July 10 through 12 with an extraordinary mix of artists, performances and high-tech wizardry that will truly electrify the streets and spaces of Playhouse Square. The 2009 Festival opens at 4 p.m. July 10, with The Big Bang, a spectacular drumming event conducted by the internationally renowned Marcus Santos and depicting in irresistible rhythms the drum's evolution from prehistoric times to the electronic beats of today. Hundreds of drummers, including the legendary Jamey Haddad; Carlos Jones; and East Cleveland's Shaw High School Marching Band, which performed in Beijing, China, as part of pre-game 2008 Olympics events, will shake the ground beneath Star Plaza, where IngenuityFest's 2009 centerpiece installation, the Tesla Coil Orchestra, will keep festival activity crackling every evening of the weekend with a performance called "Bolts." In "Bolts," which is coordinated by Case Western Reserve University engineering alumnus Ian Charnas, the Tesla Coil Orchestra will transform "lightning bolts" emitted from a tall aerial into musical sounds played by local rock band KB and the Riptides while local dancers perform choreography by Jenita McGowan. "This will wow people," said IngenuityFest executive artistic director James Levin. "And it's Cleveland- made." All around Star Plaza, in the storefronts, alleys and signature buildings of Playhouse Square, festival visitors will find an amazing array of technology-infused art, music, dance, theater, video and family attractions. IngenuityFest 2009 features outstanding artists ranging from nationally famed performance artist Tim Miller, in a piece about gay rights called "US," to San Francisco's J.D. Beltran and Scott Minneman, whose creation, "The Magic Story Table," turns visual geographic-search technology into neighborhood exploration and storytelling fun for families. To its list of music offerings, Ingenuity will add for 2009 The Electronic Café, a new venue on the first floor of the Sterling Building featuring electronic events including "Card 11," a piece orchestrated by New York audio artist Ryan Smith; the masterwork mutantrumpet by Ben Neill and Bill Jones, also from New York; and appearances by local audio artist Ryan Ramer and several local DJs. Call 216-589-9444 or visit www.ingenuitycleveland.com to purchase tickets, learn more about the 2009 festival schedule and register for festival updates. Also visit the Facebook page (Ingenuity Fest Cleveland at http://www.facebook.com), Twitter (http://twitter.com/Ingenuityfest) and the YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/ingenuityfest). http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news/article/4618897 Actual Site http://ingenuitycleveland.com/festival-info

Cleveland Museum’s New Wing Makes the Case for Further Expansion By Steven Litt Published: July 1, 2009 CLEVELAND—Few architects would tell a potential client to rip down half of a house before remodeling and building an addition. But that’s exactly what Rafael Viñoly told trustees of the Cleveland Museum of Art nine years ago when he interviewed for the job of designing the institution’s massive expansion and renovation. Impressed, the trustees hired Viñoly, and, judging from the fine results so far, they were right to do so... http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/31907/cleveland-museums-new-wing-makes-the-case-for-further-expansion/?page=2

Downtown Cleveland Alliance launches bike rental program Submitted by Marc Lefkowitz | Last edited June 19, 2009 - 11:38am Posted in Arts & Culture Bikes | Marc Lefkowitz's blog Login or register to post comments » What’s a world-class city without bikes coloring the downtown landscape? Soon, Cleveland will join the ranks of Copenhagen, Paris, Washington, Detroit and Pittsburgh with hourly bike rentals, available seven days a week to tourist and office worker alike. http://www.gcbl.org/blog/marc-lefkowitz/downtown-cleveland-alliance-launches-bike-rental-program

Will the new hotel they were going to build as part of this project still be a possibility if the project gets back on track?

I don't know but it seems like traffic has gotten a lot worse in Old Brooklyn / Brooklyn near Ridge Park Square and the entire area in general. A considerable increase since I left for college 4 years ago and came back. Also how do u get to downtown from strongsville? 480 seems to get very busy in the morning from the strongsville area which I don't understand why they don't stay on 71. I was going golfing in strongsville last week and on the way there the incoming traffic to the downtown area seemed very heavy around 7 in the morning it was pretty much bumper to bumper so there might have been an accident somewhere. Another thing is was there any construction or lane closures of any kind during 2007 on the commute from Strongsville?

A lot of colleges start taking away scholarships and financial aid after you start also. Maybe I should have researched it even more but I did plenty of research right after high school and really had no advice from anyone on what to do. I applied to all the colleges I wanted and UD offered me the most aid and made my college tuition slightly higher than CSU's at the time and I thought it was a good deal for college that had engineering since Case was too expensive for me. After the first 2 years though I had to cover about 16 thousand more than initially thanks to 5-8% increases in tuition per year, room and board increases and more engineering charges as well as lower scholarships, including some which were completely eliminated by the school for everyone. If I were to do it again I probably would have just went to CSU instead because they have a decent program would have been cheaper even if I paid the full tuition each year. Hopefully the investment pays off soon because I just graduated and my loans are going start coming in a few months. Anyone have a need for a computer engineer or know of anyone who would..........