Ohio City

Additionally a couple of comments on previous posts. I find it hard to understand how one or two businesses closing somehow slows the "momentum", in an area where over 30 businesses have opened in the past two years. Businesses close in Cleveland, its suburbs, and every other area all the time for a great many reasons. We will not get into the details of the circumstances regarding the closing of Garage Bar and Dragonfly, but these things do happen. Additionally, I read elsewhere a statement that the ownership group of Barley House had made a deal for theses spaces. That statement is false. There is a deal close to being in place, and when it is appropriate, those plans will be announced. Also, in regards to the Permanent Supportive Housing project proposed on the corner of Lorain Avenue and Fulton Road: Just to be clear there were countless community meetings held regarding this proposal including every block club in the Ohio City community, as well as 7 organized tours of other operable PSH facilities to which all were invited. At the end of the day, some people will use any argument they can to shoot something down they don't agree with. The notion that this project would be moving forward simply because of conspiracy theories and kickbacks is patently false. It was supported by staff and the board because these are very well run facilities, because we feel in a rapidly changing Ohio City it is important to preserve a place for people of all income levels and socioeconomic conditions, and because we wish to change the context of Lorain Avenue from an autocentric thoroughfare to a pedestrian friendly environment. This particuarly property is an autocentric single story building anchored by a 20,000 square foot parking lot at one of the key intersections in Ohio City. No matter what business occupies this space it will always have a negative impact on the pedestrian environment of this Neighborhood. And if there is one lesson that we have learned in Cleveland over the past several decades it is that catering to an autocentric lifestyle in the urban environemtn and physically altering the landscape to do that will lead to disinvestment. Given the debt on the property from a previous redevelopment and the low cost of living (and thus its rents) in Cleveland, there is no feasible market rate development for this intersection that will produce a 4 story mixed use building, built to the street, that supplies upper floor residential apartments, and lower level retail, and office space. Additionally the "development fee" for this project is to be utlized to go towards creating a new pedestrian plaza directly across the street changing Fulton and Lorain Roads to a 4 point intersection back from its current 6 point configuration. In one swoop we can completely and radically change what is currently one of the least pedestrian friendly environments on the West Side and make it one of the more friendly intersections. Additionally these facilities are closed to only supply services to their residents not to the greater whole. The operators also make every effort possible to bring in the homeless and disadvantaged from the Neighborhood they are in as opposed to those outside the Neighborhood. So in no way do these places "attract" a larger homeless population. To passersby this will look like nothing more than a new miexed use apartment building, because that is what it is. Tax credits for these projects are awarded on April 11th and we will all find out whether or not this project moves forward, but we felt everyone should know where we stand.

It is a new day in Ohio City. As mentioned clean and safe services for the new special improvement district in Ohio City began today. It will be all hands on deck with a lot of help from our partners at the DCA over the next 1-2 weeks until the Ohio City Market District reaches a level of Clean standard that can be maintained. At that point the specifically assigned permanent Market District Ambassadors will take over.

Release of the 2012 Charter One Small Business Grant Competition, this year the program is retail specific. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Virginia Houston March 26, 2012 Ohio City Incorporated 216.781.3222 x 104 Charter One and Ohio City Incorporated Announce Small Business Grant Program Charter One Growing Communities 2012 Ohio City Market District Small Business Development Grant Competition now in its second year CLEVELAND – Small businesses have an opportunity to secure grants to help their companies grow or launch in the Ohio City Market District through the Ohio City Market District Small Business Development Grant Competition. This competition is a program of the Charter One Growing Communities initiative, a project aimed at boosting economic and neighborhood development in the Ohio City Market District. The competition will award winning small businesses with grants between $5,000 and $20,000 to assist in opening or expanding a business in the Ohio City Market District, the area surrounding the West Side Market. The Market District is home to over 150 small businesses and has recently seen significant growth including the addition of 25 new businesses in the last two years. This year, the competition is limited to new retail businesses looking to call the Ohio City Market District home. Competition winners may utilize funds for the payment of rent in an eligible location for a period of no more than one year, the purchase of equipment necessary for business operation, or interior build out. Charter One has invested over $500,000 in the Market District over the last three years including the Growing Communities initiative and the West Side Market Centennial celebration this year. In 2011, Charter One Growing Communities provided funds to help launch five businesses including Joy Machines Bike Shop, Campbell’s Sweet Shop, Salty Not Sweet, Urban Orchid and SOHO Kitchen and Bar to open in the neighborhood. “We are truly excited to be a part of the revitalization of Ohio City Market District,” said Ken Marblestone, President of Charter One and RBS Citizens in Ohio. “Ohio City Incorporated and our other community partners have brought forth so many innovative ideas that are really making a difference here. The future is bright for Cleveland neighborhoods,” Marblestone continued. New businesses or expanding businesses can apply for the grants by responding to the Ohio City Market District Small Business Development Competition Grant RFP, along with submitting a short essay, and a business plan. “The Charter One Growing Communities initiative has catalyzed tremendous growth in the Market District,” said Eric Wobser, Executive Director, Ohio City Incorporated. “We are very excited to launch year two of the Small Business Grant Competition. We have five vacant storefronts left in the Market District and through this program, we hope to have them filled by the end of the year.” The competition begins today and runs through May 21, 2012. Applications must be received by 5 PM on May 21, 2012 in order to be eligible. Grant applications will be judged on their merits by a grant selection committee, and winners and grant amounts will be announced the week of June 11, 2012. The RFP is available online at www.ohiocity.org or by contacting Ohio City Incorporated. Ohio City Incorporated is the community development corporation dedicated to developing, preserving and promoting Ohio City as a desirable place to live, work, study and play. Charter One Growing Communities invests in job creation and neighborhood development in the Ohio City Market District. It partners with Ohio City Incorporated, the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman, Cleveland Public Art, Neighborhood Progress Inc., The Refugee Response and others to support and launch new ideas and programs to benefit the neighborhood and its residents. Applications can be downloaded here: http://ohiocity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=169:news&catid=38:news-items

Bon Bon will be switching to its new hours shortly. The liquor license just transfered, and they of course wanted to iron everything out. I don't have the exact date of this transition yet, but it should be within the next couple weeks. Monday 6:30AM to 3PM Tuesday thru Friday 6:30AM - 9PM Saturday 7AM to 9PM Sunday 9AM to 3PM

Also opening today... Bon Bon Bakery and Cafe. Fantastic addition to the Neighborhood. http://www.bonboncleveland.com/

SOHO Kitchen + Bar had its soft opening last night, and opens to the public tomorrow. The food is extraordinary and this is a great addition to the Neighborhood. SOHO will initally open just for dinner but plans to add lunch hours over the weekend within the next few weeks.

More on tap than beer in Ohio City; 60-bed hostel signs lease near Cleveland's West Side Market Tuesday, October 04, 2011 By Michelle Jarboe McFee, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mark Raymond has visited more than 70 countries and slept at more than 100 hostels. Now the 30-year-old Geneva man plans to open his own budget-oriented inn, where beds will start at $25 a night. The Cleveland Hostel, near the West Side Market in Ohio City, will be the only such stopover in Northeast Ohio. A smaller hostel in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park closed several years ago. more at http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/10/more_on_tap_than_beer_in_ohio.html

The transom from Something different gallery, was unstable and needed to be taken down to be repaired and restored. It will return but we don't yet have a date as to when it will be reinstalled.

If you have the time, please take a moment to review our ongoing TLCI project, take the survey, and let us know what is important to you. http://www.ohiocity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139:news&catid=38:news-items

As of 11am today... Joy Machines is officially open! Also, Valerie Mayen's latest Yellowcake pop-up shop is located directly next door at 1836 West 25th Street, and will be opening at 4pm June 18th to conincide with the Ohio City Run & Crawl. It will be open for approximately 2 months. This is the first occurence where her store will be open daily and not just weekends.

and on the crosswalk where Market Avenue intersects West 25th Street... Just a little something to let the cars know this is a people place. A small investment with large rewards.

Joy Machines Bike Shop is about to POP! Opening THIS Friday June 10th at 11am.

Yes, Joy Machines IS going to be spectacular! New and used bikes. Service. Apparel. Speciality items. Customization. Everything you could ever want. Should be open in 2-3 weeks.

You should see it at night!

And right next door, Joy Machines Bike Shop, one of the Charter One Small Business Grant Winners is getting closer to opening. Looking at early to mid June.

We'd like to welcome the best sign in the Neighborhood over at Ohio City Burrito... though in the coming months there is going to be a LOT of competition.

Such a shame for all the lost posts. If you have not yet seen it, our new website is up and running. http://www.ohiocity.org Salty Not Sweet does in fact open this Saturday May 21st. Also... Cleveland's Ohio City Neighborhood named one of the greatest places in the WORLD to drink beer by USA Today. http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/10great/story/2011/05/10-great-places-to-bar-hop-round-the-world/47360350/1 Additionally the Ohio City Special Improvement District came a step closer passing through City Planning Commission.

Cleveland artisans craft their own economic force: Eric Wobser Published: Saturday, April 23, 2011, 3:30 PM President Barack Obama's February summit on small business demonstrated Cleveland's wise long-term investments in health care and technology. An equally important but often overlooked economic transformation is being led by a group of entrepreneurs who are as handy with a brew kettle or a band saw as they are with a Bluetooth. These entrepreneurs are part of what Portland State University professor Charles Heying describes as the "artisan economy," a movement capitalizing on growing consumer demand for local and unique products -- demand couched in part as a rejection of national chains and globalization. Highly specialized artisan entrepreneurs manufacture, produce and sell products that tell a unique local story and, most importantly, create difficult-to-export local jobs. While Heying describes how artisans have created thousands of jobs in Portland, Ore., a closer look at one small area of Cleveland tells a compelling story of artisans driving economic development locally: • When Great Lakes Brewing Co. opened in Ohio City in 1988, industry consolidation had left no locally-owned breweries in Ohio. Twenty-three years later, Great Lakes distributes its product in more than 10 states, averages 20 percent annual growth, employs 160 and has annual revenues topping $30 million. • Ohio City Pasta, founded by Gary Thomas in 1990, employs 17, retails from several locations and distributes fresh pasta in five states. • Campbell's Popcorn Shop, a mainstay at the West Side Market, will expand into nearby production and retail space with plans to double its current staff of 11 to service new wholesale accounts. • Sam McNulty opened Bier Market, a Belgian beer hall, in 2005. In order to keep pace with demand, McNulty opened Bar Cento and Speakeasy within the same complex in 2007 and 2009, respectively. His latest venture, a $2 million microbrewery named Market Garden, will open across the street this spring, bringing total employment to more than 100. These four businesses have already created more than 300 jobs and are examples of local entrepreneurs generating net regional wealth by exporting their products outside Cleveland. Research by economist Michael Shuman shows that businesses serving an entirely local customer base also grow the economy, with dollars spent at local merchants creating an economic impact up to four times that of a national chain. This impact is obvious in Ohio City, with many merchants living within a short distance of their businesses, several of them directly above their storefronts. Ohio City's merchants are also its neighbors, churchgoers, civic members and eyes on the street. They conjure images of a past world described by Jane Jacobs, where a merchant class anchored walkable middle-class neighborhoods. This economic activity is shared by restaurateurs in Tremont, musicians in Waterloo and performing artists in Gordon Square who are anchoring thriving artisan enclaves of their own. Artisans tend to cluster near one another, creating opportunities for shared knowledge and healthy competition that drive innovation. Many benefit from informal education with one business before striking out on their own. Market Garden's master brewer, Andy Tveekrem, served in the same capacity with Great Lakes Brewing in the 1990s before partnering with McNulty. Johnny Mango, a bohemian restaurant founded by Shelley Underwood in 1996, has given rise to several talented chefs, including Food Network celebrities Eric Williams of Momocho and Matt Fish of Melt Bar and Grilled. Compared to other industries, artisans are unique in their ability to tell a story about Cleveland that reinforces civic pride. Instead of pining over the loss of the Higbee Co., a new generation of Clevelanders is creating memories involving a pint at Great Lakes, a show at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, furniture from A Piece of Cleveland, chocolate from Lilly's Handmade Chocolates or a dress from the Yellowcake Shop. Artisans are slowly returning local culture to Northeast Ohio after decades of national chain domination, providing everyday Clevelanders the opportunity to actively participate in their economic renaissance. Ohio City is partnering with the Jackson administration, Neighborhood Progress Inc. and sister neighborhoods such as Detroit Shoreway and Tremont to develop an initiative to nurture artisan businesses. Potential components include providing access to capital, low-cost incubator space, a "shop local" marketing campaign, artisan markets in public spaces and supportive networks offering technical assistance and knowledge-sharing within industries. Artisan entrepreneurs are creating jobs and growing civic pride, providing the additional tools that will accelerate their success and recognize their contributions to the regional economy. Eric Wobser is the executive director of Ohio City Inc., the nonprofit community development group formerly known as Ohio City Near West Development Corp. http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/04/cleveland_artisans_craft_their.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 21, 2011 Contact: Virginia Houston Ohio City Incorporated 216.781.3222 x 104 Ohio City Near West Announces Name Change a New Brand for Ohio City Ohio City, Cleveland’s Artisan Neighborhood CLEVELAND – Ohio City Near West, the community development organization for Ohio City, announced an organizational name change and new look for the neighborhood at the Annual Meeting on April 20, 2011. Starting today, the organization’s name will be changed to Ohio City Incorporated. “This name change reflects the fact that we are in the business of promoting, preserving and developing historic Ohio City,” said Board of Trustees President, Damon Taseff. “Ohio City remains proud to be a part of a trio of neighborhoods including Detroit Shoreway and Tremont on Cleveland’s Near West Side.” Through a rebranding process led by Ohio City design firm TWIST Creative, Ohio City Incorporated will focus on promoting Ohio City as Cleveland’s Artisan Neighborhood. “Ohio City is at the forefront of an economic transformation taking place in Cleveland that is being led by a group of artisan entrepreneurs,” said Ohio City Incorporated Executive Director, Eric Wobser. “Ohio City is home to over 150 small artisan businesses and one of the largest economic incubators in the City of Cleveland, the West Side Market. As an organization we are proud to participate in Ohio City’s revitalization through promoting, preserving and developing Cleveland’s Artisan Neighborhood.” A new website for Ohio City Incorporated and the neighborhood will launch on April 29, 2011 and Ohio City Incorporated’s Annual report is available for download at www.ohiocity.org. Ohio City Incorporated is the community development corporation dedicated to developing, preserving, and promoting Ohio City as a desirable place to live, work, study, and play. For more information contact Virginia Houston, Director of Marketing and Development at 216-781-3222 x104 or [email protected].

West Side Market needs to be consistent and self-sufficient as it nears 100 years, report finds Published: Monday, March 28, 2011, 7:48 PM Updated: Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 1:51 PM By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the West Side Market approaches its centennial, it needs a more reliable schedule, consistently good produce and a plan to support itself for the next 100 years, a long-awaited report concludes. The city-owned landmark also needs significant repairs and better parking, possibly at a fee, according to the report from the Ohio City Near West Development Corp., a nonprofit group that has been tracking plans for the West Side Market and the surrounding neighborhood. Submitted Friday to Mayor Frank Jackson, the document plots a path for improving the market, fixing nearby storefronts and streets and celebrating the market's birthday in late 2012. more at: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/03/west_side_market_needs_to_be_c.html

ohio city's new rag refinery offers vintage and recycled threads Thursday, March 31, 2011 The Rag Refinery, a new store that offers gently used, recycled fashions at affordable prices, just opened at 3904 Lorain Avenue in Ohio City. Owner Leigh Ring also manages Pink Eye Gallery in the same space, where she often rolls out the racks to host art openings. "Our focus is on vintage shoes, clothing and accessories, and we invite customers to sell or trade-in their former favorites for cash or store credit," says Ring. "Our customers want to outfit themselves in creative and unique ways." Ring chose Lorain Ave. because of the proliferation of affordable vacant spaces and because Ohio City is a draw for her customers. "With the help of Palookaville Chili next door and places like Open Yoga Gallery, we hope to be a part of the revitalization that's happening here," says Ring. more at: http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/ragrefinery033111.aspx

Ohio City Near West, Charter One set up microgrant program for West Side Market vendorsBy KATHY AMES CARR 10:18 am, March 31, 2011 The Ohio City Near West Development Corp. and Charter One Bank have announced a new, competitive microgrant program that aims to help West Side Market vendors make improvements to their stands. The West Side Market Micro-Grant program will provide winners with grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 to improve stand signage, lighting and shelving, or to buy equipment, invest in marketing tools or make an innovative upgrade. The competition begins today and runs through April 22. Grant applications will be vetted, and winners and grant amounts will be announced after May 31... More at: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20110331/FREE/110339958

Actually neither the top of this building, nor the cupula on the Foest City Savings and Trust building were "removed" so to speak. There was actually a tornado that went downt West 25th street in 1954 that destroyed these items. Sadly the developer of this property proposed to add the 3rd and 4th stories back to this building to restore it to its original condition, but presevation laws do not allow it, since it has been in this condition for over 50 years it is considered part of the "history" of the building. The "period of significance" clause has some unfortunate results occasionally.

A small presentation on Market Square Park:

Those are actually not the current plans, though the current plans are based off of that design. I will try to find the updated plans which have now been finalized. The park will break ground this spring. Also, here is the updated information on the Kitchen Incubator: Curious about the plan for a Commercial Kitchen Incubator facility for Northeastern Ohio? Monday, February 14th, 4:30 pm at the offices of OCNW, 2525 Market Ave, Suite A Ohio City Near West Development Corporation is working with consultant, Leslie Schaller to complete a feasibility plan for a Commercial Kitchen Incubator facility for Northeastern Ohio. Leslie will be provide an overview of Commercial Kitchen Incubator models on Monday, February 14th at the OCNW's office at 4:30 pm. If you are an established food business or an aspiring local food entrepreneur, farmer market vendor or area urban or rural farmer, the proposed incubator facility may be the answer for your new or expanding enterprise growth. Local food economies flourish with affordable, shared-use commercial space for food processing, foodservice and local food distribution opportunities. Unable to make it on Monday? Prospective tenants and area food and farm entrepreneurs can also make appointments with Leslie throughout the day by emailing [email protected] or calling Amanda at OCNW office (216-781-3222 x108). Appointments are avaliable between 10a-4pm. RSVP on facebook