MuRrAy HiLL

New Cleveland Champions program http://www.clevelandmeetings.com/champions/benefits/

Spread the word -- time to showcase Cleveland :wink: Cleveland tourism boosters call on residents to help capitalize on $2 billion in visitor-related tourism infrastructure Published: Wednesday, May 09, 2012, 6:34 PM Updated: Wednesday, May 09, 2012, 6:34 PM Marcia Pledger, The Plain Dealer By Marcia Pledger, The Plain Dealer Positively Cleveland, the regions' tourism and economic development group, is putting together a campaign to attract visitors and turn residents into Cleveland Champions. For the first time in more than a decade, Cleveland has a lot of projects under way and there is a renewed interest in the city, said Positively Cleveland chief David Gilbert at their annual meeting. "With more than $2 billion in tourism developments headed to Cleveland over the next five years, it's imperative that our organization follow strategies that capitalize on the impact of these opportunities and ultimately bring more visitors to Cleveland," Gilbert said. Positively Cleveland is encouraging residents to become members of the Professional Cleveland Championship program and gain access to resources and information that will assist them in selecting and setting up a meeting in Cleveland. Specifically, the new Cleveland Champions program is targeting people who are presidents, leaders or board members in regional and national associations or local organizations with a national affiliation that frequently hosts meetings. "There are 400 people in this room today. So, if every person in this room were to tell 10 friends or family members about what a great city Cleveland is to visit, we'd be able to reach 4,000 people with our message," Gilbert said. "That significantly impacts the budget we'd need to spend to reach those folks through traditional marketing. We need everyone's help." http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/05/cleveland_tourism_boosters_cal.html

Is the outdated or old news restated? The Metroparks involvement caught my eye. Cleveland Metroparks announces acquisition and plans for Rivergate Mark Horning As kayakers, a stand-up paddle boarder and a single rower scull glided in the background, Cleveland Metroparks Executive director Brian Zimmerman announced the acquisition of a new 2.8 acre parcel of land on the Cuyahoga River in the Flats to be known as Rivergate. Also on hand at the press conference was Bruce Rinker, member of Board of Park Commissioners [vice president], Theresa Gang, executive director of Cleveland Rowing Foundation, John Cardwell, Sr. landscape architect, Cleveland Metroparks. This project is the first step in developing a Cleveland Metroparks presence on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland. Plans for the site include a nearby linking of a multi-use trail that will connect to the Tow-Path Trail which is to be part of the larger 300 mile Ohio River to Lake Erie Trail system that is at this time 240 miles complete. When completed, the Tow-Path trail will start at Lake Erie, run along the river across from Rivergate all the way to the Ohio River. There are also exciting plans for a new Skate Park that will be adjacent to Rivergate and will be funded in part from a $25,000 grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation who was made aware of the need because of the impressive involvement and vision of the local skateboarding community. http://www.examiner.com/article/cleveland-metroparks-announces-acquisition-and-plans-for-rivergate SLIDESHOW: http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/cleveland-metroparks-announces-acquisition-and-plans-for-rivergate#slide=47047621

whoa on that beer and wine selection -- looking forward to it!

^ Many do say "office space for lease" Agreed on the residential conversion idea.

More news on the looming relocation of GMAC Financial to Downtown Cleveland from North Carolina: http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/print-edition/2012/04/27/tower-owner-defaults-as-gmac-considers.html

I'm not sure if these have been discussed, but smaller firms and companies continue to set up shop in Downtown Cleveland: http://www.us.am.joneslanglasalle.com/ResearchLevel1/Cleveland_Highlights_Q1_2012_Final_Draft_03_26.pdf • Cohen & Company, a regional accounting firm, signed a new ten year lease for 38,000 square feet at the US Bank Centre (Class A) in the Playhouse submarket. The lease represented an expansion for Cohen, which previously occupied 23,000 square feet in the building. The additional space will make room for the approximately 50 employees the company plans to hire within the next year. • Britton Gallagher, an insurance brokerage firm, signed a new lease for 20,000 square feet at One Cleveland Center (Class A) in the Financial submarket. The firm will consolidate two suburban offices and about 60 employees into the new space. Britton Gallagher plans to make the move over Memorial Day weekend. • Candlewood Partners, an independent middle market investment bank, signed a new ten-year lease for 7,000 square feet at the Leader Building (Class C) in the Public Square submarket. The firm, which was previously located in Chagrin Falls, completed its relocation in March. • Ferro Corporation’s former headquarters located at 1000 Lakeside Avenue (44,000 square feet, Class C) in the Financial Submarket, was purchased by Parkwood Corporation for $2.3 million ($53 per square foot). Parkwood, a private financial services company, plans to renovate the space and move its 51 employees into the building this summer.

And one quick feel good blog: http://www.kakakakaty.com/2012/05/07/festivals-and-tribe-games-and-carousels-oh-my/

Awesome for the Lakefront: Cleveland's Ingenuityfest to move this year to warehouses and lakefront Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2012, 5:55 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 08, 2012, 6:06 PM Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer By Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer Ingenuityfest is on the move again. The 2012 Cleveland Festival of Art and Technology is set for Friday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 16, at docks 32 and 30 north of Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Great Lakes Science Center. The festival, which was presented in 2010 and 2011 on the lower level of the Veterans Memorial (Detroit-Superior) Bridge, will be held in two large warehouses and on the lakefront. The new location is a result of a collaboration among the festival, the city of Cleveland and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2012/05/clevelands_ingenuityfest_to_mo.html

Best feel good story of the day http://mscsymposium.com/2012/05/08/1112/

Case embracing and marketing Cleveland more and more: http://case.edu/thankscle/

Whoa, very cool improvement! Anyone know what's happening with the Burger King a couple blocks closer to the Clinic?? It seems to be under construction/renovation right now too.

This may be a little painful for some...the good news is that the casino opens in 6 days Horseshoe Casino Cleveland's new welcome center ready to open after a few bumps along the way CLEVELAND - It can be said that a parking garage is simply, from deck to deck, one long and winding road. For the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland’s new garage and welcome center that’s a heading that applies for more than one reason. The effort to build the valet center along Ontario Street was one filled with twists, turns and occasional setbacks. The facility, which will be named the Collection Auto Group Centre when it opens with the casino on May 14, features an additional 340 parking spots and a gift shop with more amenities on the way. http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/horseshoe-casino-clevelands-new-welcome-center-ready-to-open-after-a-few-bumps-along-the-way

Cleveland medical mart has finalized lease terms with 20 tenants The good news for backers of the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center is that the top local official with the project says it has secured lease agreements with 20 tenants. “We are fully completed or close to complete with 20 leases that account for about 46,000 square feet in the medical mart, which represents about 40 percent of the total space in the building,” said Jim Bennett, a newly hired senior vice president with MMPI, the Chicago-based developer behind the project. http://medcitynews.com/2012/05/cleveland-medical-mart-has-finalized-lease-terms-with-20-tenants/

^I'm guessing it was meant more as a joke/jab to Mike Golic, since he is constantly giving shout-outs to the Indians as his favorite team.

ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning will be broadcasting out of Progressive Field tomorrow morning for their LIVE show.

BrandMuscle will move 150 to downtown 1100 Superior digs will offer room to add staff By CHUCK SODER 9:00 am, May 7, 2012 One of Northeast Ohio's fastest-growing software companies is moving to downtown Cleveland. BrandMuscle Inc. of Beachwood is in the process of finalizing a lease to take 40,000 square feet at 1100 Superior Ave., which is on the southwest corner of Superior and East 12th Street. The company today employs more than 150 people at its headquarters on Park East Drive in Beachwood. It plans to move all of them downtown before the end of 2012, said BrandMuscle CEO Phil Alexander. They'll have a lot more leg room at 1100 Superior, formerly known as the Diamond Building. The new space on the building's fourth and fifth floors is 5,000 square feet bigger than the company's current headquarters, and BrandMuscle will have the option to take another 10,000 square feet on the fourth floor. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20120507/SUB1/305079985

This Wednesday, May 9: Mike and Mike in the Morning LIVE at Progressive Field. It was mentioned today, but I can't seemt to find a link.

It seems the future is bright for Case Western -- the most qualified incoming freshmen class in school history: CWRU sets enrollment records, welcomes most diverse, academically accomplished class in history Posted: May 4th, 2012 | Author: thedaily | Filed under: news | 3 Comments » President Barbara R. Snyder announced today that the first-year students who arrive this fall will be part of Case Western Reserve’s largest, most diverse and most academically accomplished class in history. Based on deposits as of May 1, the university expects to enroll at least 1,350 students—about 180 more than the previous record class, which enrolled in 2005. More than 12 percent come from underrepresented minority groups. Finally, the group that arrives in August will have SAT scores at the 25th and 75th percentiles of 1280 and 1450. A perfect score for the SAT critical reading and math portions is 1600. “These results are a credit to our faculty, staff, alumni and current students, all of whom came together to show young people and their parents what an extraordinary place Case Western Reserve is,” President Snyder said. “We have a great story to tell, and each year we have done a more effective job of conveying it to prospective students.” The class also is more geographically diverse. Nearly three quarters of the students who arrive in August will come from out of state. In 2007, that figure was about half. In addition, about 80 students will come to Cleveland from other countries. http://thedaily.case.edu/news/?p=7425

PRESS RELEASE: Cleveland to Host Great Lakes Week in 2012 Release Date: 05/03/2012 Contact Information: Peter Cassell, 312-886-6234, [email protected] CHICAGO (May 3, 2012) – An unprecedented effort to restore the Great Lakes will be highlighted in Cleveland this September when hundreds of advocates, scientists, public officials and conservation leaders gather for Great Lakes Week 2012. The theme of this year’s event, to be held Sept. 10-13 in downtown Cleveland, is “Taking Action, Delivering Results.” It will focus public attention on efforts to rid the Great Lakes of toxic hotspots, reduce polluted runoff, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the lakes. Great Lakes Week advances the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades. The special week also gathers the annual meetings and conferences of various U.S. and Canadian organizations in one place, making it one of the most wide-ranging Great Lakes summits. Leaders will explore issues of importance to citizens on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border. Great Lakes Week 2012 will feature the following events: •Sept. 10: International Joint Commission Meeting. •Sept. 10-11: Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting. •Sept. 10: Great Lakes Week Town Hall. •Sept. 11-13: Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition’s 8th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference. •Sept. 12: A joint session with U.S. and Canadian federal officials and organizations participating in Great Lakes Week. •Sept. 12-13: Great Lakes Areas of Concern Annual Conference. Quotes from Great Lakes Week partner groups: “We’re excited to be coming to Cleveland, a city which has been at the center of some of the nation’s most urgent environmental challenges—and greatest comeback stories,” said Jeff Skelding, Director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Restoration projects are producing results. And even though a lot of work remains, we are eager to showcase our successes in Cleveland.” “We all have a vision for what we want the Great Lakes to be for the region’s economic and environmental future,” said Cameron Davis, EPA’s Senior Great Lakes Advisor. “Great Lakes Week is the chance for leaders from both countries to come together to demonstrate what they’ve done and will continue to do to keep pushing for that vision to become a reality.” “Great Lakes Week will help build upon the enormous energy that now exists to restore the Great Lakes and keep invasive species like Asian carp and others from colonizing the lakes," said Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission. “Communities across the basin witness daily how Great Lakes restoration benefits both the environment and economy,” said Dave Ullrich, Executive Director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. “Cities are the front lines of the restoration effort and are working to ensure our binational commitment to the Lakes continues.” “In Cleveland, the IJC will be reporting on our priority research work, highlighted by our focus on Lake Erie,” said Lana Pollack, U.S. Chair of the International Joint Commission. “Supported by a new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the U.S. and Canada can work together to make real progress on the challenges facing Lake Erie." http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/90264A334B76441B852579F30064A8B2

Posted on the Jolly Scholar facebook page: Some records for the end of the year: 1. We poured more PBR draft than any other bar/restaurant in NE Ohio. 2. We poured more Great Lakes Chrismtas Ale than any other bar/restaurant other than Great Lakes Brewery. 3. We sold more Rheingold than any other bar/restaurant in America (source Rheingold). 4. We asked Pepsi if they could get a margarita flavor for our new frozen drink machine, they said "well if you and the Indians are both asking for it, we'll bring it in." Not saying we're on their level, i'm just saying we're on our way. Get Jolly and Thanks for all that helped in these record breaking feats.

No-limit entertainment; The Horseshoe Casino’s entrance into Cleveland http://www.sbnonline.com/2012/05/no-limit-entertainment-the-horseshoe-casinos-entrance-into-cleveland/?full=1

Quicken Loans to hire 100 more mortgage workers in Cleveland, bringing total to 400 Published: Wednesday, May 02, 2012, 5:00 PM Teresa Dixon Murray, The Plain Dealer By Teresa Dixon Murray, The Plain Dealer Quicken Loans on Wednesday said it plans to hire 100 people for its Cleveland mortgage operations. Quicken Loans, the nation's largest online mortgage lender, said the new hires will bring the total working at the Cleveland Web Center to about 400 people. All of the new positions are in mortgage banking. The center, in the M.K. Ferguson Building at 1500 W. Third St., was recently expanded by 11,000 square feet to accommodate the growing workforce. Jeff Perry, a Quicken Loans vice president and head of the Cleveland office, said the expansion will help to strengthen downtown. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/05/quicken_loans_to_hire_100_more.html

'Hot in Cleveland' writer-producer Flett-Giordano visits Cleveland Published: Wednesday, May 02, 2012, 2:52 PM Updated: Wednesday, May 02, 2012, 3:10 PM Marc Bona, The Plain Dealer By Marc Bona, The Plain Dealer Cleveland has a new friend and fan in Anne Flett-Giordano. The writer/producer from TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" wrapped the hit comedy's third season Friday -- and got on a flight here the next day. Like the characters from the show -- portrayed by Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves -- the five-time prime-time Emmy winner discovered a "city full of great people and food and fun." "I could use at least two more days here," she said. "I've had the best time. We've been treated like royalty." http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2012/05/hot_in_cleveland_writer-produc.html

On NPR radio tomorrow across Ohio. Growing Up, Not Out Posted Tuesday, May 1, 2012 Houses have sprouted where amber waves of grain once dominated the landscape outside of urban centers in Northeast Ohio. Paved streets. Shopping complexes. Miles of new utilities. Some say this kind of development is not progress: Suburban sprawl, they contend, is causing economic and environmental problems. Folks buying a piece of the suburban American dream may beg to differ. The argument for shrinking our regional footprint, Tuesday at 9:00 on The Sound of Ideas. http://www.ideastream.org/soi/entry/46660