audidave

There's an inventor in Blacklick, OH outside of Columbus that is working on improving the world of bio-fuels. Some people thought he was crazy by driving his unaltered '92 Buick across the country in 2005 without gas or ethanol to power it. He's a farmer and a scientist and he decided to fuel it with butanol he made from his farm. He has a patent on the process to make more of it more efficiently. He is in the process of stepping up his scale of production. You can go to his webpage here to learn more. www.butanol.com If you think his webpage isn't flashy enough there is another company doing this on a larger scale with funding from Virgin's Branson with a goal of converting the nation's mostly bankrupt ethanol plants to butanol. www.gevo.com Finally, BP and DuPont are working on this as well with mass scale coming in 2010 with Bu16. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS177211+14-Feb-2008+PRN20080214. Currently oil refineries make Butanol for a long list of products. By making Butanol without gasoline and even replacing some gasoline in vehicles, it makes gasoline less of a precious commodity.

The theme is not really about Leed standards or how to build greener houses. Its more fundamental technologies that are being researched within the universities of the region that are gaining some international interest and can start to be incorporated and implemented within the next 1-5 years. It can also be as another example the Solar industry with new technology coming out of First Solar in Toledo and also another company in Michigan called United Solar Ovonics. It could be Windspires that are supposed to be appearing in CSU some day. However, it could be green buildings if there is a company in the midwest that is developing some kind of technology to make them greener.

I've been contemplating this topic for several weeks. There seem to be a slew of technologies that are being developed in the industrial heartland that should change the landscape and perception of the rust belt states. I've been trying to come up with a better name than green belt.. If the technologies can come to the fore in the next few years, they can continue growing the economy of the midwest and the world. I don't have time today to go through the whole list of technologies so I figured I'd at least get this started and I'll try to add them when I can. The first one I feel is most readily able to change the world immediately and has several large companies on the east side of Cleveland that have the fundamental technology and capabilities to develop this, is hydraulic transmissions. There is also a company in Michigan that has put together various cars with a hydraulic transmission to show the power and simplicity called www.Hybra-drive.com. The companies in Cleveland are primarily Eaton and Parker Hannifan and currently have sample vehicles at UPS and Fedex in test. If either of these companies were to get a contract for the US Postal service to build a new delivery fleet this would save millions of gallons of gas a year since the ideal platform for this technology is stop and go driving. This technology obviously will be put in more everyday vehicles also saving vast amounts of gas. My estimates are that it doubles and can triple or better the mileage depending on the use and how its set up. http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/807549 - Fedex testing http://www.hydraulicspneumatics.com/200/Issue/Article/False/38545/Issue - UPS testing

Cak to DC is here! http://www.ohio.com/business/35140379.html Group effort lands nonstop D.C. flight from Akron-Canton By Betty Lin-Fisher Beacon Journal business writer POSTED: 01:40 p.m. EST, Nov 26, 2008 Flying to Washington, D.C., from the Akron area will be easier in January. The Akron-Canton Airport has been notified that US Airways won a coveted opening for its first nonstop flight to Ronald Reagan National Airport. Landing and takeoff slots at National are restricted by the government and rarely open up. Akron-Canton Airport, through its airline partners, has been trying for a slot for the last 10 years. It was denied most recently in 2003. CHOPPED

New wine bar in 6-10 months or so in Highland Square... http://www.akronnewsnow.com/business/itemdetail.asp?ID=27000&section=business&subsection=generalbusiness Eatery Coming To Highland Square 11/17/2008 3:24:21 AM | Tina Kaufmann The former Two Amigo's will soon turn into a reasonably priced wine bar and kitchen, under a new owner and new name. David Haynes, a professional chef from California, is considering an Italian name for his rustic, chic eatery he's envisioned for the last 17 years. "The driver for the back of the house will be a wood-fired oven (for pizza) and the driver for the front of the house will be a very dynamic bar, large selections of wines by the glass, handcrafted cocktails, all things made in house," says Haynes.

I don't get too crazy looking into crystal balls. My vision is obscured knowing that there are way too many competing technologies to see any particular one that's going to shape the future. I would hope that we are in a renaissance of passenger rail transportation. I think that future American cities will look closer akin to European cities. Certainly the Northeast/New England will and perhaps the rest of the east coast. What that says is that giving airports in the Northeast money to expand their airports to bring in more people from other local airports is a big waste of money.

Interesting news about Highland Square. The best bet for a market going in would be a http://www.kriegersmarket.com/ . The downside is its such a bizarre shape of land that's left, likely purposefully, after Albrecht stuck that still vacant building right up against this plot. To add a grocer and to have enough parking for all the other businesses that are around is going to very challenging with the limited footprint available. To see what I mean, go to MSN map and bird's view 10 N. Portage Path, Akron, OH and compare it to google map which is about 4 years old. The other problem will likely be the architecture to fit in. Kriegers like's to employ a "red barn" style which doesn't necessarily fit in with 15-20 story buildings and multi-story brick apartment complexes. But HS doesn't necessarily have problems with things that don't fit in unless its glaringly so which this could be if they want to add the tractor, buggy, and silo motifs. The other point people bring up is that its hard to put another grocer in the area when there's the Acme #1 a little over a mile and a half away. Well before you get to Albrecht's Acme is one of the top gourmet grocers in the (I'll be bold) world in West Point Market. Mustardseed Market then is also 5 miles away. Incredible grocery shopping options. Thats why I think a fresh produce market should go in to this location.

what does that have to do with a clevo to 'burgh railroad? Its a freight line. It doesn't pass near Y-town. Also I couldn't find any stories out of the Pittsburgh papers suggesting there is anything in the works for a rail line going into Ohio.

You might be able to get a job with a little company in Kent called Davey Tree since that's their headquarters..

This is great news! It is EXACTLY the type of infrastructure Strickland and Obama want to support. To be able to tack it on to a serious development improvement that makes this a big intertwined effort is the best kind of improvement the state and nation can make. Strickland understands that the crucial inner city infrastructure has been neglected over the past 50 or so years and he knows its vital to fix it to help the cities to grow again. This is the most important infrastructure project in Ohio as its a crucial domino in Cleveland downtown development. It has to be done anyways, why not now.

Another positive article this time about Akron's suburb to the Southwest. http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/30480839.html Best of Barberton Tour around city shows development groups what efforts have worked, what more can be done By Paula Schleis Beacon Journal business writer Published on Sunday, Oct 05, 2008 ''Where's the largest lake in Barberton?'' Larry Lallo asked his passengers as the tour bus left Turkeyfoot Lake Road and bounced down a gravel and dirt path to an empty farm field. Clearly a trick question, since the group was nowhere near the city's famed Lake Anna. A rise in the topography prevented anyone from seeing what Lallo was pointing to, but they took his word that just beyond the crest was a 65-acre lake concealed from the road and probably unknown to most Barberton residents.

Intriguing thought.. I've come to realize and I think many others do as well that a good economy overall doesn't matter for Akron as long as its not a depression. People are so used to being in a recession/minimal growth they're able to tough out anything. What matters is smart growth and the city and county have been doing that for the past 10 years. Let's say there was a really good economy right now. I don't know if there would be any marked improvement in Akron whatsoever since it would "raise all boats" and likely just add people to Hudson, Bath, Medina, Jackson Township, etc. Akron has been a much larger city and can probably withstand an influx of 40-50,000 people without any constraints. Unfortunately, the typical growth for any city in Ohio is outward far from a city's center with the state laws and suburban bias of the last 30 years+. So not until state government stops trying to fund unsustainable suburban/exurban growth do I want to see a "good" economy with high growth. Akron is growing organically with the expansions of Goodyear, Firestone, Summa Insurance and hospitals, AGMC, and Children's Hospital, First Energy, Sterling, Infocision, GoJo, and many more companies along with UA and help from organizations like the Knight foundation. There's a lot of room for continued growth with reuse of grand old empty buildings. Obviously there's a lot more smaller companies growing because of those companies doing well. Exciting Akron times. Also, there's definitely a renewed vigor downtown at night and on the weekends that I've never seen. I chalk that up to good policy by the city. Its stupid, but I think it really began when they started offering free parking downtown at night and on weekends. No longer was the person parking their car on Main St. a sitting duck for the metermaids and the beggars.

They've updated the website a little more.. They took off the depiction of the Spicer Village building with more actual pictures and it looks to be completed! The rendering looked pretty sweet. I'm not sure the actual building looks quite as sexy on the outside. Although the inside pics look pretty cool. Weird I haven't heard anything about this. There's also a large upscale apartment building being built on Main and Exchange St. thats not being listed on this website. It will look slightly bigger and nicer than the E. Exchange Residence Hall shown. Its definitely in the same style of building but right in the middle of all the downtown action. That will definitely make Akron more interesting. Brubakers bar is set to open in Dec/Jan on the first floor if they can work that fast. UA is having a difficult time finding dorms for all the students that want to live on campus. So this will definitely improve that.

Crazy! It didn't look anything like that when I was there back in July. I like it! Don't worry MTS, the big rail supports aren't detracting from the neighborhood. Its pretty crappy suburban area by the airport.

I found this website called www.metrolivingtour.com for listings of the amenities and urban living options in the AK. Its a slightly clunky website don't try to backspace or go back to the previous screen or you pop back out of the website. Notice there is a magnifying glass at the bottom of the map.. It says there is a "Metropolitan tour of Akron" on October 4th. It has an interesting depiction of the University Park condos as Spicer Village which I believe is under construction..

I figured this should go here since I'm sure no one is interested in starting a new thread about Akron office space being gobbled up... http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/29873659.html Team NEO occupied with office space Vacancy rates down in Northeast Ohio, Akron. Growing medical sector one reason By Paula Schleis Beacon Journal business writer Published on Monday, Sep 29, 2008 Occupied office space in Northeast Ohio is at its highest point in at least five years, taking up nearly 112 million square feet in a 16-county region. In the Akron area, only 8 percent of available office space is currently vacant, down from nearly 12 percent in early 2007. That's the latest snapshot of a segment of the region's economy from Team NEO, an economic development group charged with marketing the area to new businesses.

I'd say this is a pretty decent Ohio innovation for 2008: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=16327.0

Cleveland moves UP in the sustainability rankings!!! They factored in water in this version of sustainability.. http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/ Note the article above in this thread about a German solar company putting an HQ in Cleveland. Now another German Solar company has announced this week they will be moving to Cleveland.

^ I would also wonder about Findlay and Ashland being "fun". It would all depend on one's definition. Is fun going to a dragstrip, going 4 wheeling, or fishing? Then you might enjoy both of those places. Being that this site is called Urban Ohio I'm guessing you're probably interested in a little more of an urban flair. Why is Akron, Dayton, or Toledo left off your list of practically random places in Ohio?

I guess it depends if Eaton is looking for a World HQ or simply corporate offices. If all they are doing is storing 400 odd corporate, legal, financial, and accounting positions, then yea they should have a nice building downtown. If they are wanting to bring full operations with R&D and various other subsidiary HQs together then Beachwood would be best. Don't forget Eaton bought Westinghouse Electric in Pittsburgh and maintains an HQ there for the electrical division. It won't be going anywhere since they just expanded it..

Another major factor involved in this is company branding. Is a company wanting to have a high profile and if it builds a skyscraper in a city and makes it a signature are there enough people that are going to see it? Look to Akron. Goodyear is a manufacturer with plenty of consumers. They have always been off to the side of downtown Akron about 5-6 miles away pretty much on a campus. They are expanding that campus and improving it with their new HQ. What would the point be had Goodyear decided they wanted to build a signature skyscraper in downtown Akron? There was no public outcry that Akron should have a giant new skyscraper. How many people in the US will ever even see their HQ. Eaton doesn't have a consumer angle. The benefit for Goodyear is they have a lot of land on which to develop. There are customers and suppliers that are interested in being closer to Goodyear and moving their offices to this new development. Apparently some are even considering moving their hqs to be on the Goodyear Campus. The same thing can and will happen for Eaton. That area currently has like 6 cranes up next to I-271. I'm not sure what all the development is besides the new UH Hospital. But I see 2-3 other cranes working on other projects. On a side note- This will be very confusing with Eton right there by Eaton. Perhaps Eat n Park will open a new restaurant there to really baffle people.

A good campus possibility in Cleveland might be as part of Opportunity Corridor. That would give them a nice central location they're seeking and still close to downtown.

This isn't an anti-Cleveland move by Eaton. This is a move to be at a very central place with easy highway access and surrounded by a variety of housing options. Also there are many competitors and clients all around I-271 with Rockwell and Parker Hannifan very close by in Landerhaven. The same exact thing is going on in other places for example in Cincinnati they have a suburb/exurb called Mason. They have a TON of large companies HQs that are based out of Mason. Top 2 would be Luxottica (aka Lenscrafters, which purchased and moved Pearle Vision and Cole Managed Vision there from the Cleveland area) and Cintas. They have many other major operations of large companies there including Coca Cola, Wellpoint/Anthem, Proctor and Gamble, Siemens etc. This isn't some unique Cleveland thing.

Here's an update on this. Basically, the focus is on building the HQ surprise.. everything else comes later.. http://www.ohio.com/business/28363369.html Goodyear complex coming together No ground broken yet, but executives overseeing the work expect that the deal will close this year By Jim Mackinnon Beacon Journal business writer Published on Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 Debra Harrell has been involved in some mighty big and complicated development projects in her 26-year career with Industrial Realty Group. Converting the closed, 3,000-acre McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, Calif., into a working business park comes to mind, the IRG senior vice president says. CHOPPED

Akron and Summit County to get sleeker... http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/28438709.html Akron moves to transfer building unit Council gets measure to merge it with Summit County agency By Carl Chancellor Beacon Journal staff writer Published on Tuesday, Sep 16, 2008 Akron took the first official steps Monday to shut down its building department. Rick Merolla, the Akron service director, presented legislation at a committee meeting before Monday night's City Council session that would allow the city to transfer its building inspection, plan review, permit issuance and code enforcement operations to Summit County. CHOPPED