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Judge grants Flats East Bank injunction, ensuring access to drawings for $275 million project CLEVELAND -- The developers of the Flats East Bank have control of architectural drawings for their $275 million project and can continue construction without delays caused by litigation, a Cuyahoga County judge ruled Monday. Common Pleas Court Judge John P. O'Donnell granted a preliminary injunction in favor of the Wolstein Group and Fairmount Properties, barring a Cleveland architectural firm from withholding or interfering with drawings for the office, hotel and retail project on the east bank of the Flats. The developers sued Forum Architectural Services LLC late last year, after the Cleveland architect tried to hold back its drawings during a billing dispute. The argument threatened to derail closing on the financing package for the Flats project, a development already delayed and downsized during the credit crisis. Forum claims that the Wolstein Group and Fairmount Properties owe the firm more than $2.9 million for its work and drawings. The parties never had a contract, and they disagree about the amount owed. In his ruling, O'Donnell said the dispute over money should not be allowed to delay -- or doom -- the waterfront development. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/02/flats_east_bank_developers_get.html

YAY!!!!!!

Home prices rose 1.8 pct. in 4Q The median home sale price for existing single family homes rose 1.8 percent to $127,200 across the 15-county region in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. The median sale price is the mid point of all sales. ........................ Other Midwest markets to post gains included Cleveland, which saw median sale prices climb 4.2 percent to $114,700; Indianapolis, with an 11.5 percent gain to $124,300; and Lexington-Fayette area with a 6 percent gain to $149,200. Dayton posted one of the biggest declines in the nation – a 9.9 percent drop to $95,900 – compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. Toledo was worse with a 13.9 percent drop to $74,500. Akron also saw a decline, with a drop of less than 1 percent to $105,300, as did Columbus, with a 3.8 percent drop to $127,500. http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110210/BIZ01/302100028/-1/contact/Home-prices-here-rose-1-8-pct-4Q?odyssey=nav%7Chead

<A Href="http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/02/horseshoe_casino_cleveland_see.html">Horseshoe Casino Cleveland seeking employees with great attitudes and enthusiasm</A> CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The new Horseshoe Cleveland Casino is looking for employees with great personalities - a trait that can't be taught, the general manager says. "We want people with great attitudes who want to come in and deliver a great guest experience and customer service," manager Marcus Glover said. While at least one for-profit school has opened to train card dealers and Cuyahoga Community College may offer programs to train casino workers, Glover said his company primarily relies on in-house training for its employees. "If you don't go through formal training programs it will not exclude you from opportunities in the casino," he said. We want people with great attitudes who want to come in and deliver a great guest experience and customer service." Glover said he would not discourage or encourage people to take courses in gaming or hospitality management before hiring begins later this year. And he plans to meet with Tri-C President Jerry Sue Thornton to discuss educational partnerships.

Cleveland: Recommendations coming to upgrade Public Square, malls CLEVELAND -- How can the city capitalize on $2 billion of new development to make the entire downtown area more welcoming and people friendly? Some answers will be offered Thursday by a panel that's been working since June to find ways to make the city's public spaces more inviting and connected. Tony Coyne, chairman of the city Planning Commission, chaired this Group Plan Commission appointed by Mayor Frank Jackson. The group sought to build on the 100-year-old plan by architect Daniel Burnham. The update is aimed to get more value from the Flats East Bank, the new casino and the Medical Mart/Convention Center. Some call this city's biggest opportunity ever to make downtown a more desirable place to live and form real connections to Lake Erie. Plans will include ideas for Public Square, the malls and pedestrian corridors between them. http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=174412&catid=130

50 Best Cities for Love As yet another Valentine’s Day approaches, The Daily Beast ranks the cities where love’s promise is most profound, from abundant singles to happy couples to romantic ambience. If you’re at a loss for love this Valentine’s Day, it may be time to pack your bags. Cupid’s arrow seems to have chosen hotspots. #9, Cleveland, OH Singles: A Social life: A Emotional health: F Marriage: F Divorce: A #13, Columbus, OH Singles: B Social life: A Emotional health: D Marriage: F Divorce: A+ #46, Cincinnati, OH Singles: D Social life: C Emotional health: D Marriage: D Divorce: B http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-06/50-best-cities-for-love/2/ http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-06/50-best-cities-for-love/?cid=hp:mainpromo9

Cleveland Rocks, and Provides Tons of Road Salt CBS CLEVELAND - Seventy percent of the nation's roads receive more than 5 inches of snow annually. This year, if you've only got that much you're lucky. Monday night nearly one-third of the country is covered in snow or ice and another storm on the way. CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports by this time in winter, it's the only white stuff on the roads that you might welcome: salt. Eighteen million tons of sodium chloride - salt - is scattered on U.S. roadways in a bad winter. That's enough to fill 1 million truckloads. The salt on the roads comes from well under them. CBS News took a five-minute elevator ride down 1,800 feet into a sprawling salt mine below the city of Cleveland. The mine is completely dark. A labyrinth of salty corridors is revealed as we drive more than 20 minutes, two-and-a-half miles directly under Lake Erie. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/07/eveningnews/main7327498.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea

Top 10: SunRun ranks the greenest stadiums in the U.S. The countdown is on! We are days away from Super Bowl XLV when all eyes will be on Cowboys Stadium as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers. To celebrate, SunRun has compiled a list of Top Ten Green Stadiums, and Cowboys Stadium ranks in the top five. We ranked the stadiums according to the depth and breadth of green initiatives, 9: Progressive Field, Home of The Cleveland Indians – The stadium uses recycled paper and cornstarch cups in their concession stands. http://www.sunrunhome.com/blog/

Casino won't dramatically alter Cleveland's beloved Higbee building There is a picture of the rendering on the site as well CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The exteriors of the historic Higbee building downtown, a beloved fixture on Public Square since 1931, won’t be drastically altered by putting a casino in the basement and on the first three floors of the building. Renderings made public today by Rock Ventures LLC, which has partnered with Caesars Horseshoe to open the facility by "early 2012" show that the company plans to treat the building with a light hand. Exterior signs will be understated, not garish or vulgar. New lighting will be installed to highlight the structure’s Beaux Arts style. Translucent screens will be installed behind windows on the first and second floors to obscure slot machines and gaming tables inside, while allowing passersby to get a sense of motion and activity. http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2011/02/casino_wont_dramatically_alter.html

I know similar information has been posted but its nice to see it in things like AOL Travel - it has 4 sites for travel ideas and interests and this was one of them <A Href="http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/02/02/land-for-cleveland-casino-site-sold-for-85m/">Land for Cleveland Casino Site Sold for $85M</A> The site that will someday become a casino in downtown Cleveland was sold to developers for a whopping $85 million. News just broke that the owner of Cleveland's landmark skyscraper, the Terminal Tower, sold the 16-acre site which overlooks the Cuyahoga River. By 2013, developers hope to open a $600 million casino just behind the Tower City Center shopping complex, which connects to the Terminal Tower and acts as the main hub for three of Cleveland's rapid transit lines

<A Href="http://www.themanufacturingmart.com/">Build on Strength: Cleveland’s Manufacturing Mart</A> The Mart will operate as a “permanent tradeshow” for Ohio manufacturers, displaying wares like Darrah’s for potential buyers. But, in addition to display space, staff will offer marketing, public relations, lead generation, supply-chain and logistical assistance. They will serve inventors as well, helping connect them with manufacturers and design services that can help bring their product to market. All of this is aimed at connecting local manufacturers to domestic firms that demand their products. Ohio Manufacturers still have a lot to offer, but the world has changed around them, says Frick. Where many of the state’s manufacturing firms once relied on a couple large clients—many of them automakers—now they must be adaptive and business savvy in order to survive in an increasingly competitive Global marketplace. “There’s over 20,000 manufacturers in Ohio,” said Frick. “There’s no reason that something that’s made in China shouldn’t be made here.” http://rustwire.com/2011/01/29/building-on-strengths-clevelands-manufacturing-mart/ Manufacturing Mart Opens in Downtown Cleveland; Now Signing Up Exhibitors One of the world's leading Feng Shui Masters, Pun Yin, will conduct the blessing ceremony at the December 1 grand opening of Capital of Know-How's first Manufacturing Mart™ at The Galleria at Erieview Tower in downtown Cleveland. During the 4 -7 PM invitation-only event, Pun Yin will consecrate The Manufacturing Mart's ground floor space for success, just as she has done for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Trump Organization, Calvin Klein, HSBC, and Business Week. When it opens, The Manufacturing Mart will offer a permanent trade show venue, with marketing support, for manufacturers and inventors who want to bring their products to market, and a center for buying, selling, and networking among the 120,000 engineers and buyers of manufacturing engineering services working within a day's drive of Cleveland. According to Mary Kaye Denning, Capital of Know-How president, "With the global economy and U.S. manufacturing showing signs of recovery, the timing is right for a new kind of economic development venue. Ideas commercialized and manufactured here build our economy. The Manufacturing Mart is more than an exhibit space. We are providing a platform to re-ignite this spirit of enterprise and innovation. Our experienced leadership team will help people bring their ideas to market and companies put their manufacturing capabilities to use by re-shoring and re-purposing their operations, and teaming with others to build new local-global supplier networks." The Manufacturing Mart is accepting reservations for exhibit space. For as little as $1,500 per month, packages include permanent and rotating product display options; on-site professional sales and marketing support; VIP invitations to new product and Kitted Innovation presentations; opportunities to headline Garage Inventor Live™ productions; private use of the space for events; and shared professional marketing, prototyping, design, engineering, and training services. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/manufacturing-mart-opens-in-downtown-cleveland-now-signing-up-exhibitors-106448998.html

Where did u get 6 from anyway just wondering? Here is just one article and they mention about 11 different ones and im sure there are more. http://cleveland.about.com/od/lgbtcleveland/tp/clevelandgaybars.htm

<A Href="http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/01/26/rem-koolhaass-architectural-progeny/?KEYWORDS=Cleveland"> Rem Koolhaas’s Architectural Progeny </A> The architect Rem Koolhaas and his Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) are the forces behind some of the most striking structures built in recent years, including the Seattle Central Library and the CCTV headquarters, in Beijing. But dozens of architects who were trained at or otherwise passed through Koolhaas’s firm are now spread across the world and beginning to make their mark, observes Metropolis. The magazine dubs them Baby Rems. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland, for example, is moving ahead with construction of a striking new building, which features triangular facades that, from certain angles, allow luminescent peeks at the museum’s interior. It’s the handiwork of Foreign Office Architects (FOA), an OMA offshoot.

Top 10 Museums in the US for Families With so many choices and varieties, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with culture in the United States. In particular, families with teens and kids can become confused about which exhibits are age appropriate and when to go. Luckily, these ten museums have the exhibits and amenities that work perfectly for families and it just so happens that they're among the best collections in the country. So pack up the entire family and visit these top 10 US museums. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio With such an extensive collection of works, you'd think the Cleveland Museum of Art frowned on bringing young children. However, they couldn't be happier to host the entire family and feel art can have an effect on children as young as preschool-aged. Strollers to rent are available at the front desk and an in-house café is stocked with fruits and veggies they'll love to nibble on. Must see: Get a map and be sure to tour the names everyone in the family will know and understand. Van Gogh, Degas, Picasso... the familiarity will be a great bonding experience http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/01/21/top-10-museums-in-the-us-for-families/

Top 10 Museums in the US for Families With so many choices and varieties, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with culture in the United States. In particular, families with teens and kids can become confused about which exhibits are age appropriate and when to go. Luckily, these ten museums have the exhibits and amenities that work perfectly for families and it just so happens that they're among the best collections in the country. So pack up the entire family and visit these top 10 US museums. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio With such an extensive collection of works, you'd think the Cleveland Museum of Art frowned on bringing young children. However, they couldn't be happier to host the entire family and feel art can have an effect on children as young as preschool-aged. Strollers to rent are available at the front desk and an in-house café is stocked with fruits and veggies they'll love to nibble on. Must see: Get a map and be sure to tour the names everyone in the family will know and understand. Van Gogh, Degas, Picasso... the familiarity will be a great bonding experience http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/01/21/top-10-museums-in-the-us-for-families/

<A Href="http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/downtown-federal-building-to-get-a-$121-million-glass-curtain"> Downtown federal building to get a $121 million glass curtain </A> CLEVELAND - A news conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday to announce plans for a 32-story glass curtain wall that will be installed around the Celebrezze Federal Building in downtown Cleveland. This new design is aimed at improving the building’s safety, security and energy efficiency. Architects and a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) official will be on hand to discuss the specifics of the design. The press conference will include a 6-ft.-tall rendering of the building with its new outer facade. The project is estimated to cost $121 million and once completed, will be one of the largest double-wall facades in the United States.

<A Href="http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2011/01/a_new_museum_will_celebrate_cl.html"> A new museum will celebrate Cleveland industrial designer Viktor Schreckengost</A> CLEVELAND, Ohio — A museum devoted to the life and work of Cleveland artist and industrial designer Viktor Schreckengost will soon blossom on Superior Avenue, just east of downtown. The nonprofit Viktor Schreckengost Foundation has signed a three-year lease on 2,450 square feet of space on the ground floor of the renovated Tower Press Building, an early 20th-century factory turned office and loft building at 1900 Superior Ave. The opening will be in April or May, although no specific date has been set. The goal is to boost awareness of Schreckengost as a great American industrial designer and of Cleveland's history as a center of design. Schreckengost died in 2008 at age 101. ............................ The museum will also exhibit designs by the Cleveland-based Rose Iron Works, plus student designs from the Cleveland Institute of Art. The idea is to promote Cleveland as a center for industrial design, a goal that dovetails with a separate initiative by the art institute and CSU to create a District of Design in the eastern end of downtown Cleveland. The district, conceived several years ago, is intended to entice furniture manufacturers and product-design companies to establish permanent showrooms in the area, and to foster the growth of related companies in surrounding blocks.

Just wondering if anyone knows when the observation deck will be open again or if it still is open?

<A Href="http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2011/01/20/cleveland-boasts-three-of-the-top-100-beer-bars-in-america"> Cleveland Boasts Three of the Top 100 Beer Bars in America </A> No surprise then that when Draft Magazine unfurled the 2011 version of their "America's Best Beer Bars" list, three Cleveland haunts took home some boozy recognition. Fresh Water Cleveland breaks down the honorees: Lakewood's Buckeye Beer Engine gets billing as "The casual drinker's answer to Ohio's beer-snob bars." Who knew we had beer-snob bars? This west-side gem gets credit for its Buckeye Brewing house brews, lesser-known options from well-known breweries, and two beer engines that dispense real-ale specialties Cleveland Heights landmark La Cave du Vin also makes the list, with the list-makers urging folks to "Ignore the vinous name: This basement wine spot's beer paradise." While The Cave gets approval for its large bottle and draft selection, it receives special attention for its frequent seasonal tappings and brewery nights. Tip: "The owner's rare beer collection on the shelves will leave you jaw-droppingly awestruck." Ohio City's Bier Markt naturally earned inclusion, with the mag calling the joint nothing less than a "Cleveland institution.

<A Href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/home_garden/114937/15_gayest_cities_in_america">15 Gayest Cities in America: Is Your City Gay Friendly? </A> Top 15 Gayest Cities in America, according to The Advocate 1. Minneapolis, MN 2. Santa Fe, NM 3. Las Vegas, NV 4. Orlando, FL 5. Pittsburgh, PA 6. Vancouver, WA 7. Atlanta, GA 8. Washington, D.C. 9. Seattle, WA 10. St Louis, MO 11. San Francisco, CA 12. Cleveland, OH 13. Denver, CO 14. Oakland, CA 15. Miami, FL

<A href="http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2011/01/designs_for_cleveland_medical.html"> Designs for Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center by LMN Architects are still evolving and still need work </A> Downtown Cleveland doesn't have a suburban big box store. But evolving designs for the city's new medical mart and convention center show that Seattle-based LMN Architects are dealing with how to introduce something similar in the historic context of the city's neoclassical Group Plan District. It's a tough job, and architects from LMN, who are scheduled to share the latest iteration of its plans this morning and tomorrow, respectively, with the city's Design Review Committee and City Planning Commission, haven't yet reached a completely convincing conclusion. The medical mart, in renderings at least, still has a blocky, clunky quality. It is clear that the architects are working hard to ensure a smooth functional relationship between the medical mart – an above-ground, year-round showroom for advance medical devices - and the underground convention center to be built below the surface of the downtown Mall, just east of the mart. It worked when I clicked it :(

<a Href="http://www.cleveland.com/goingout/index.ssf/2011/01/native_cleveland_shop_lets_you.html" > Native Cleveland shop lets you shop locally for local flavor </a> Proud to be a native Clevelander? Or just want to look like one? A new Collinwood store has something for you, either way. Something to wear, that is. Native Cleveland, opened in December at 15813 Waterloo Road -- in the former Shoparooni space, just a few doors down from the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern -- is one-stop shopping for cool Cleveland T-shirts. No, not the same old Cavs, Indians and Browns jerseys, though there are plenty of orange-and-brown and wine-and-gold and red-and-blue color combos. These shirts are much fresher, and more fun. "We look for shirts that are quality, that we know are going to sell and are local, and made locally," says store manager Megan Coffman of the hip boutique that has started to draw fans purely through word-of-mouth and online social networking.

<a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/01/cleveland_public_library_plans.html"> Cleveland Public Library plans reorganization of downtown buildings</A> The two buildings of the Cleveland Public Library downtown contain some of the grandest and most beautiful public spaces in the city. They just aren't being used in the most vibrant and visitor-friendly ways possible. Library Executive Director Felton Thomas said that a $90 million expansion and renovation of the downtown library, completed in 1997, packed a little too much energy into the new, 10-story Louis Stokes Wing. It also left the Main Library building, just to the west, a bit bereft. In response, Thomas is launching a five-year interior reorganization, expected to cost between $12.2 million and $13.5 million, aimed at making the two-building downtown campus near Public Square more efficient, cheaper to run and more inviting to users across the city and the region.

<A Href="http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20110118/FREE/110119829/0/FRONTPAGE" >Investment in health care startups rises in Cleveland and Ohio in 2010 vs. 2009 </A> The Midwest Health Care Venture Investment Report produced by BioEnterprise Corp., a nonprofit that supports biomedical venture development in Northeast Ohio, indicates that $135.1 million was invested in 33 companies in the Cleveland area last year. The dollar figure is double the $66.3 million in investment in 21 health care startups that BioEnterprise reported for 2009. However, it was down 17% from investment of $163.5 million in 31 companies in 2008, and was off 44% from investment of $241.8 million in 28 companies in 2007. Investment in health care startups statewide followed a similar pattern, with the numbers indicating that the Cleveland area picked up the lion's share of such investment in Ohio over the last four years.

<A Href="http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=170487&catid=3> Cleveland: Tudor Arms building being restored </A> CLEVELAND -- A piece of Cleveland history is coming back to life. A developer with a vision is restoring the Tudor Arms building to its former glory. The transformation will be nothing short of a labor of love. The Tudor Arms was built in the late 1920's- early 30's and it has been many things over the decades, from the exclusive Cleveland Club to the Tudor Arms Hotel to the Cleveland Job Corps offices. When developer MRN Limited got their hands on the Tudor Arms building, they say it was in amazing condition. The $22 million renovations are expected to be done in March 2011. That is when the Tudor Arms building will reopen as a 157-room Doubletree Hotel.