I'm passing this e-mail/press release along as it might interest to many of you....

______________

 

I thought you might like to know that in a new national report by PolicyLink, several innovative Cleveland programs are featured as models for ways to revitalize America’s cities. 

 

“The Cleveland programs cited in the report could be adapted in other older urban centers to support economic revitalization and expand opportunity for all residents,” said Radhika K. Fox, principal author of the new PolicyLink report Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions: An Agenda for Rebuilding America’s Older Core Cities.  “These Cleveland programs,” she continued, “deserve recognition for supporting the well-being of the city and its residents.  The city should be proud of the success these programs have demonstrated.” 

 

The programs cited include: 

• The Westside Industrial Retention and Expansion Network (WIRE-Net), for helping companies stay and prosper in the region, and for helping thousands of West Side residents begin careers in manufacturing.  While the region as a whole experienced a 21 percent decline in manufacturing jobs between 1993 and 2000, the West Side community experienced a 9 percent increase.
  

• The Cleveland Land Bank, for providing community developers with a reliable source of buildable land for three decades.
  

• Neighborhood Progress, Inc.’s Retail Initiative, for revitalizing underutilized retail centers and developing new establishments, including two supermarket projects and two shopping center projects in four different neighborhoods, all for the benefit of inner city residents.
  

 

Cleveland is one of five cities featured in Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions.  The others are Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.  Through extensive research, interviews, and analysis, the report identifies over 50 promising policies and programs pointing the way back from stagnation to a future where older core cities are economically competitive places where all residents have the opportunity to participate and prosper. 

 

Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions is the result of collaboration between PolicyLink -- the national organization that uses research, communications, capacity-building, and advocacy to recommend solutions to some of the nation’s seemingly most intractable problems related to economic and social inequity -- and five local community development leaders. The Cleveland partner is Neighborhood Progress, Inc.

 

Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions: An Agenda for Rebuilding America’s Older Core Cities can be found at www.policylink.org/Research/OlderCoreCities.

Cool!  :mrgreen:

 

I would like to know more about NPI's Retail Initiative. Are they just building horrible suburban strip malls in urban settings, or are they actually trying to fill old storefronts?

Here's a list of some of their projects...

 

http://www.neighborhoodprogress.org/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=146

So yeah, all car-oriented. Oh how I wish we could get away from that, or find a more aesthetically appealing compromise.

^While they are pretty auto-centric, they have filled dire needs in places where residents were without viable choices.

 

Many times I have tried to figure out how the OC Dave's could have been better configured.  Parking is definitely needed and no grocer would go into a project with limited parking.  I wish the the Dave's could have fronted Bridge (or at least have its marquee on that side). 

If I were Parker Bosley I would have been pretty sore at the Dave's OC for messing up what should be a perfect OC corner (Bridge and 28th)...it would have been nice if there were at least some sort of architectural nod on that corner of the building rather than the plane old ugly back side.  If Dave's weren't so otherwise darn lovable...

Not to infer any standpoints on this one MGD, but the Cleveland Land Bank in both residential and commercial aspects has reacted poorly to all of my inquiries over the last several months. I have shown so much interest in both ends of their spectrum and they don't return my calls or e-mail me as promised. Instead, I am left hanging dry, now by 3 departments and 6 people, including several of the program's leaders/planners. The furthest I ever get is a committment to be e-mailed. I never get the e-mails and when I try to get info. over the phone, I am told that I will be contacted by e-mail. This problem stretches one step further when the CLB  department transfers callers over to Economnic Development instead of getting involved. I can't even access the CLB's database on their website - it's a broken link and the website hasn't been updated in months, if not years. The only thing I can think of is that these guys only want to talk to banks and other "major" players. I thought I was a major player for sure - I told my scenario to the CLB: I want to bring a 45 employee business from the suburbs into the city, in which 35 of the emplyoees currently live in the city of Cleveland, are minority, and leave the city to pay city taxes elsewhere. By bringing (and retaining) a total of 45 employees to the city of Cleveland is EXACTLY what CLB's commercial division and ED stands to accomplish. Our hopes are to acquire either 1) land bank land to develop on, 2) low int. rate SPA's, or 3) restoration tax abatements. Beyond their typical response of, "We'd like to help" on the initial calls, which mind you, took many attempts to get thru in the first place, I've gotten nowhere beyond that. I'd like to hear if anyone has fared better than myself with the CLB program.

Bizbiz, let me suggest you call Dave Plata at Sun Newspapers. Your story is worth some coverage to light a fire under those who aren't responding. Call the switchboard at (440) 777-3800 and ask the receptionist to be transferred to Dave's desk. Do not say that I asked you to call.

Thx for the reply, I will keep you updated and will not give out any names.