Eastclevelandconnections

Working Together A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN: EAST CLEVELAND — UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, INC. Introduction to Urban Planning Cleveland State University, Fall 2012

PLANNING TEAM

Working Together

Marcie Aydelotte Monica Berry Dean Ibsen Adrian Johnson Steven Kanner Andrew Lang Darrick Matthews Nat Neider Caylen Payne Nick Panos Scott Schrig Steve Sump

Development Service Advocacy

CONTENTS

Introduction

2

Scenario Analysis

3

Plan Elements

4

Plan Vision, Goals and Objectives

5

Overview of neighborhoods

7

Overview of Neighborhood Demographics

11

Analysis of Current Condidtions

13

Summary of Existing Plans

19

Summary of Stakeholder Interviews

22

Final Recommendations: Development

25

Final Recommendations: Service

49

Final Recommendations: Advocacy

55

Conclusion

67

Works Cited

68

Contributions

70

COVER PHOTO: THE PLAIN DEALER

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

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A play on light display at General Electric’s Nela Park site in East Cleveland has a light directed through a glass ball with a small figurine casting a larger shadow on the wall of the display.

THE PLAIN DEALER

Introduction

E

SCENARIO ANALYSIS

ast Cleveland can evoke a number of different emotions, ideas, or preconceptions. For example, to one person East Cleveland may be considered blighted while to another it is home.

Additionally, some may think of violence, gangs, street cameras, impoverishment, or a number of other negative things about East Cleveland. However, if one were to think about East Cleveland about 60 years ago, the words associated with East Cleveland would be very different. Someone back in that time period may have described East Cleveland with words like wonderful, majestic, wealthy, or well governed. These are the stark differences that East Cleveland of the past and East Cleveland of the present provide us with.

Although the city of Cleveland and many of its suburbs have experienced a great amount of decline since Northeast Ohio’s heyday, it seems that the decline may have hit hardest in East Cleveland.

However, it is the purpose of this paper to understand where East Cleveland can make life better for its citizens through good governance and through

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possible connections to University Circle Incorporated. The possible connections between the two areas have boundless possibilities with both areas in control of unique assets. On the one hand, University Circle is a booming part of Cleveland which creates jobs and contributes a heavy portion of Cleveland’s GDP. On the other, East Cleveland sits in a very interesting and advantageous position due to its proximity to University Circle, the abundant land in East Cleveland, and the amount of land that University Circle may require to keep up with its current development goals.

East Cleveland has been an area of Northeast Ohio that has been studied time and time again.

However, this report will give a new perspective on the assets and needs of both East Cleveland and University Circle to understand how they both can make better decisions for the future and for a growing relationship together. From community organizing all the way to urban farming, this paper will bring a new breath of fresh air to the East Cleveland conversation.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

Scenario Analysis

S

tudents of Professor Norman Krumholz’ Fall 2012 UST 607 class—Intro to Urban Planning—were asked to “develop a Community Connections Plan for the Greater University Circle community, including the University Circle neighborhood and the Little Italy neighborhood or the University Circle neighborhood and the city of East Cleveland. This connection plan focuses on University Circle and East Cleveland.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

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Plan Elements

T

he residents, business owners, community leaders, workers and visitors of East Cleveland and University Circle represent diverse backgrounds, and it could be argued that in some respects they represent opposite extremes of the economic, cultural and educational spectrums. University Circle’s brand—“Eds, Meds, Arts and Culture”—speaks to the intense concentration of educational, cultural and medical institutions located in this one square mile east of downtown Cleveland. East Cleveland, on the other hand, has been declared to be in a state of fiscal emergency by the State Auditor.

Members of the University Circle + East Cleveland team represent diverse backgrounds and interests as well, but in general, they empathize with the residents of East Cleveland and their economic situation. At the same time, they are excited about the possibilities and capabilities University Circle, Inc., can bring to bear.

As the team formulated the elements of this plan, they have been informed by several planning approaches, and have attempted to strike a balance, drawing from some of the key characteristics of each. At the same time, the planning ideas they have developed include a combination of social, economic and environmental factors without necessarily emphasizing any one of them.

The traditional land use planning approach, as the name implies, focuses on the uses of the land, including regulated zoning designations as they have evolved within each

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community as well as the actual uses of the land, whether or not they conform with defined zoning criteria. This basic approach may or may not consider the consequences on social, economic or environmental issues, and in Cuyahoga County this approach may not even consider the zoning relationships between contiguous municipalities. As a result, the zoning designation of a parcel in city ‘A’ is not necessarily compatible with or complementary to, the zoning designation of a contiguous parcel in city ‘B.’ Nonetheless (or perhaps therefore), basic land use planning issues must be taken into consideration because they form the foundation for any planning effort, particularly if regulatory changes are required.

The equity (or advocacy) planning approach is best exemplified in Cuyahoga County by the Cleveland Policy Planning Report, developed by Cleveland Planning Commission staff in 1975, with “one simply stated goal: equity requires that locally responsible government institutions give priority to the goal of promoting a wider range of choices for those Cleveland residents who have few.” The plan considered efficiencies as a means to an end (that of social equality) rather than as an end in itself. The plan also recognized that legal, political and social institutions often promote and sustain inequities and may “require actual alterations in the laws, customs and practices of the institutions themselves.”

Most importantly, the plan called for answers to the questions “Who pays?” and “Who benefits?” as the staff and commission

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

THE PLAIN DEALER

members considered proposals before them, and the expected answers were that those most in need would benefit most and pay only within their means. Equity planning is no longer the norm in Cleveland, although, some aspects of it remain—a senior planner working on health care disparities, for example—while more traditional planning approaches are generally used. It is fair to say none of the planning proposals presented here is intended to “move institutions.”, but the theme of equity is a thread running through the concepts.

The third planning approach used by the team, asset based, as the team understands it, considers who has which assets and who can best utilize them. Some planning firms expand upon this, emphasizing the importance of grassroots involvement, and while the team generally agrees this should be an important component of all of these planning ideas, at this phase of the project they were able to just scratch the surface of community involvement. As UCI and East Cleveland move forward, they should consider community involvement, both from East Cleveland residents (young people especially) and from members of the University Circle community, as a key component to buy-in, and ultimately to the success of the final plans and any resulting projects.

Finally, as East Cleveland and University Circle, Inc., move beyond these basic concepts, they should consider the potential that is always developing for cutting edge, technological planning innovations. Consider, first, the possibilities of the 3-D planning tools used by the designers for the Museum of Contemporary Art to create fly-through imagery—the 4th dimension (time)—to explain (and sell) the project. Then move beyond this to consider what some

planners are referring to as the 5th dimension (cost) and the 6th dimension (sustainability). Newer, faster, more sophisticated software tools are making it easier to consider what-if scenarios, develop cost-benefit analyses and maximizing the life of buildings and infrastructure while minimizing the carbon footprint of these new investments.

Kansas City architect James Moore is proposing “gamification” as a way to: “…bring in local citizens to help propose and test ideas for cities, [so that] ‘user experience’ becomes a resource available to designers. A citizen can contribute knowledge about an area’s special events, history, important sites, key features, and ultimately will be the user of the proposal. Through this process citizens become an equal shareholder to the proposed ideas and create a communal investment towards the future.

The traditional method of proposal and public debate shifts toward a platform that is engaging and encourages a collective effort to improve cities. Moore believes the ultimate goal of this system is to develop a game where elementary school children could propose and design ideas that would directly affect the city and see the collective results of their work as they grow older.”

Ideas such as this and others in the plan would provide opportunities for University Circle, Inc., to pique the interest and curiosity of some of its client institutions—Case Western Reserve and the Museum of Contemporary Art, for example— and bring them into a partnership with the students and other residents of East Cleveland, all working toward a common goal of uplifting the community.

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Plan vision, Goals, Objectives Plan Vision Statement

To create a living document that addresses the current and future needs and desires of East Cleveland residents by identifying and leveraging available and future assets between UCI, its member institutions, and East Cleveland.

Plan Goals

To create pathways and connections between individuals and organizations whose work in East Cleveland mirrors one another in a similar manner or function.

Identify possible development areas and suggest effective and creative planning solutions.

Addresses the physical and emotional well-being of residents through innovative service and development solutions that serve to educate as well as inspire citizens.

Accommodate the interests of UCI and its member institutions by illustrating opportunities for collaboration and partnership between UCI and various other East Cleveland, and Greater Cleveland planning and social service organizations.

Plan Objectives

The creation of a one and done community organizing and news website called “Portal” that hinges on a new free wi-fi network.

Identification and remediation of Food Desert areas through a combination of informal and formal

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development, (i.e. new grocery stores, urban farms, and fresh weekly markets).

Address educational needs in East Cleveland through a multitude of programming solution including: scholarships, internships, and the development of new educational infrastructure.

Continue to work with and identify interested Community Partners, (citizens and organizations,) willing to become involved in the E.Cle. – UCI collaboration.

Leverage Cleveland’s arts and planning communities to create and facilitate “pop-up” events as a way to educate and demonstrate to people new design and planning solutions.

Create a new forum between residents and police to further facilitate discussion and the creation of new solutions and practices.

Implement programs and initiatives that will serve to further connect area organizations and corporations, to opportunities within East Cleveland for job development, workforce training, and facility expansions.

The creation of a new CDC in East Cleveland tasked with the creation of a “green-infrastructure” through targeted green-space development, street beautifications, proper development locations, and the continuation of Health-line amenities to Windermere.

Address vacant properties and demolition through the new CDC working with community groups, city council, and planning professionals.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

Overview of neighborhoods East Cleveland History

East Cleveland is one of the first inner-ring suburbs of Cleveland and is bordered by Cleveland on every side except the east and much of its south side where it abuts Cleveland Heights. Located 7 miles from downtown Cleveland, it occupies 3 square miles. As of the 2010 census, East Cleveland had a total population of 17,843. The first European settlers in East Cleveland came from Connecticut and Pennsylvania and included men such as John Shaw, John Ruple and Timothy Doan. East Cleveland incorporated as a village in 1895 and as a city in 1911 (an earlier village of the same name formed in 1866 but was annexed by Cleveland in 1872).

In 1835 John Shaw died, childless, leaving his property behind to found Shaw Academy. His farm was sold for $5,000 and the people of the vicinity used the money to erect a building for the academy and create a fund to support the school. Shaw operated as any other county academy until 1868 when the building was leased out and public money was used to rent out a portion of the building until 1877 when the school’s trustees leased the building to the municipal district school.

In 1852, the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad operated from Cleveland to Erie, PA passing through the Northern part of the city. As the rail line attracted population to the area, Euclid Avenue began extending

eastward and was eventually heralded as one of the beautiful streets of the world. Ultimately, Euclid Avenue transformed into an industrial thoroughfare. The population reached 10,000 in 1910 and included women’s suffrage in its 1916 charter. The majority of the City’s housing was built during the 1910’s and 1920’s. By 1920, the population exceeded 27,000.

In 1929-30, John D. Rockefeller Jr., began development of Forest Hill estate (former home of John D. Rockefeller Sr.) into a planned community of upscale homes. Only 80 of the planned 600 homes were built before the Great Depression, and in 1938 he donated Forest Hill Park to the cities of East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. Rockefeller along with Andrew Carnegie also contributed land for the Public Library, which opened in 1916, as well as the land for Huron Hospital and the Junior High School.

During the 1960’s East Cleveland began a major population shift as African Americans constituted an increasingly large proportion of the population and by 1984 East Cleveland represented one of the larges African American municipalities in the county with a population of 36,957 (ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=EC).

In 1950, East Cleveland’s non-white population was less than 1 percent and by 1960 it was still less than 2 percent. Fueled by real estate blockbusting, East Cleveland’s proportional African American population increased to 67

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percent by 1970. From the 1970s on, East Cleveland resegregated into a predominately African American suburb and by 1990 the proportional African American population was 94 percent. East Cleveland’s failure to sustain racial diversity may be contrasted by more successful efforts of nearby communities such as Shaker Heights.

Racial Transition in Glenville, the abutting district of the City Cleveland, began in the 1950’s. Re-segregation in Glenville during the 1950s foreshadowed what would occur in East Cleveland during the 1960’s. Smaller numbers of more affluent African American’s relocated to Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights during this time frame, however East Cleveland’s older less expensive housing stock, much of it rental properties (60 percent in 1960), offered easier access to African Americans than the housing stock in other suburbs. Throughout this transition, local government and civic leaders were unable to adequately address the issue of racial transition. Early on, local media ignored white fears related to African American influx and demographic transitions followed what are now considered predictable trends of ‘white flight’ (Keating, 1994).

Initially, whites uncomfortable with the increasing African American presence who had means to relocate did so. Later on, whites concerned with economic loss due to depreciation of property values relocated. Finally, whites supportive of racial integration grew discouraged with negative social tensions and left, largely during the 1970s.

Along the way, local government and civic structures attempted to address concerns, but ultimately failed to do so. Real estate agents fed the negative cycle by warning off potential homebuyers of declining property values (Keating, 1994).

By 1980, 86 percent of the population of East Cleveland was African American. Among major suburbs in the United States, this concentration of an African American population was second only to that of East St. Louis, Illinois (Keating, 1994). In 1973, East Cleveland’s second African American city manager declared that he was not concerned about whites leaving East Cleveland and that he would do nothing to promote racial diversity (Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 1, 1973).

Coincidentally, with the ascendancy of African American politicians in East Cleveland, the city’s tax base declined.

East Cleveland gained a reputation in the 1980s for fiscal mismanagement and corruption (Keating, 1994) In the mid-1980s, major scandals erupted as the embezzlement of city funds came to light, and several prominent city officials were jailed (Keating, 1994). As operating deficits were uncovered by state audits of the city’s finances, East Cleveland’s credit rating was suspended, and in 1988 a financial emergency was declared (Keating, 1994).

In the late 1980’s and on through the 1990s East Cleveland struggled with budgetary shortfalls despite bond sales, cut-backs and layoffs; and remained in a

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Figure 1. Wade Park Lagoon and Adelbert College, the men’s college of Western Reserve University, ca. 1900. Around the turn of the twentieth century, University Circle was a ‘‘borderland’’ just beginning to feel the eastward residential expansion of Cleveland’s elite. Source: Cleveland Press Collection, Cleveland State University.

state of fiscal emergency for nearly 17 years. In 2003 East Cleveland was owed $7.8 million in back property taxes and by 2000 population decline accelerated decreasing by a total of 30% from 1970. Today the population stands at 17,843 representing more than a 50% decline from the city’s peak in 1950.

Starting in the 1960’s, the changing national sociopolitical environment allowed for unethical and unregulated real estate practices in East Cleveland. While detrimental political policies and a lack of civic leadership during an influx of poor African American residents created negative trends which culminated in a dire situation and continue to persist today.

Can East Cleveland stabilize now and in the future? It is worth noting the dramatic decrease in violent crime as well as property crime within East Cleveland over the past decade, indicating a positive trend for the city in terms of safety. East Cleveland’s current Mayor (Gary Norton Jr.) has a tough task confronting him as the city faces a continued shrinkage in its tax base and ongoing political discord, however, he has shown a willingness to engage in asset based community development through partnerships with stakeholders that has had a positive impact on the city during his short tenure. East Cleveland’s location, next to the most dynamic economy in the region, also offers possibilities for a brighter future for its remaining residents if strategic partnerships can be cultivated and nurtured across municipal borders.

UCI History

Called an ‘Acropois of the Middle-West in 1970 (Cleveland State University: Souther, 2011), University Circle’s attempt to rehabilitate Cleveland’s east side through earlier urban renewal efforts failed to meet its

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

objectives. Ultimately University Circle became more isolated from surrounding neighborhoods and inadvertently created the perception of a fortress amidst urban decay.

Following a ‘brief but impressive boom’ (Souther, 2011), sentiment around the country as well as within Cleveland called for immediate planning as a response to a swelling population. University Circle became increasingly crowded during the 1940s – 1950s. Leaders within the Circle welcomed the growth, but at the same time grew increasingly weary of the deteriorating conditions westward in the Hough Neighborhood. Urban Renewal projects taking place in the Cedar-Central neighborhood to the south were displacing African Americans who quickly relocated to Hough. As urban decay spread from Hough to Euclid-East 105th area, perilously close to the cultural district, University Circle leaders began taking on the mantel of its ‘acropolis’ image of an ‘embattled stronghold ringed by decay’ (Souther, 2011).

By 1957, the predecessor to University Circle Incorporated, University Circle Development Foundation, was formed in an effort to represent the interests of University Hospitals, Case, and WRU. UCDF’s main function consisted of procuring and holding land for future expansion, managing parking and landscaping, as well as ultimately policing the Circle. UCDF’s grand vision included remaking the entire economy of Cleveland by holding back deindustrialization, arresting the spread of urban decay, and ultimately re-branding Cleveland itself (Souther, 2011).

As UCDF sought to fulfill its cultural and education mission while expanding its role within Cleveland’s economy, leaders were also interested in the stability of surrounding neighborhoods, most notably, Hough and Euclid –East 105th. The foundation attempted its transformation of these neighborhoods by working to promote housing for students and workers affiliated with its institutions, while at the same time purchasing, razing and holding land for future expansion. By 1959 UCDF pushed for a new state law to enable it to exercise eminent domain over holdout property owners. Wary residents of Little Italy mobilized against the spread of institutional boundaries, forming Alta Early Settlers Association and petitioned the Ohio congress in Columbus. Separately, members of the mostly African American Wade Park neighborhood association also successfully petitioned the Ohio congress which ultimately led to UCDF abandoning its expansion plans primarily in Little Italy - it acquired and demolished most of the black residences in Wade Park (Souther, 2011).

As the UCDF moved through the 1960s, it became increasingly clear that their attempts to arrest urban decay, particularly within Hough, yielded scant to negative returns. In 1966, UCDF’s Community Service’s Coordinator described Hough as a ‘powder keg’. The report argued that the Circle represented an extension of the suburbs:

The first house (on East 86th Street) demolished under the University-Euclid urban renewal project, 1963. Suffering insurmountable challenges, the urban renewal project failed to produce the results that Circle institutions had anticipated following the passage of the Housing Act of 1959. Source: Cleveland Press Collection, Cleveland State University.

‘…the summit of power, wealth, and everything else that is beyond their reach’ (Souther, 2011). Although it can be inferred that Circle leaders understood the potential for racial violence, they failed to grasp the depth of the problems that ultimately led to both riots (Souther, 2011).

That isn’t to say UCDF didn’t attempt to connect with the African American community through scholarship programs, summer jobs, and enrichment programs for youths along with collaborations with neighborhood organizations.

Although Circle leaders seemed to recognize the angst felt by neighboring African American communities, they did little to curb their own role in displacing blacks from the little new housing that was built in Hough in the absence of Urban Renewal (Souther, 2011). (SEE FIGURE 12) Following the riots, Circle leaders struggled to find ways to avert further violence in the face of spectacular growth of the African American community in surrounding neighborhoods. Institutions also struggled with the decline of institutional patronage due to safety concerns which prevented suburbanites from visiting the Circle.

By 1970, much of the transformation of the Circle into an institution-dominated district was completed and in that same year University Circle Incorporated was born in response to soul-searching by Circle leaders after more than a decade of charges that UCDF operated under a fortress mentality toward surrounding neighborhoods (Souther, 2011). Under new leadership, UCI abandoned

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National Guardsmen stand watch on the East 116th Street overpass above the Shaker Rapid transit line during the Hough riots, 1966. The National Guard patrolled not only University Circle but also key points of entry into the nearby Heights suburbs, suggesting that suburbanites invested both hope and fear in the Circle.

Source: Cleveland Press Collection, Cleveland State University.

former insularity – expanding its board of trustees from 9 members to nearly 100 members in order to achieve a broader sense of ownership of its policies (Souther, 2011).

Practically, UCI assumed a more collaborative role with its neighbors. Partnering with civic groups, UCI produced housing representing a total of 160 units (Community Circle Estates) for existing residents of Hough. By the 2000s, UCI moved away from mimicking suburban ideals within its build environment, instead working to re-urbanize through such initiatives as ‘1,000 New Homes’ and ‘Bring Back Euclid Ave.’(Souther, 2012). However, UCI still lags behind in its outreach and formation of broader community partnerships, where institutions such as University of Pennsylvania have

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succeeded in past decades through its West Philadelphia Initiatives. (Souther, 2012). Finally, although the Circle stabilized, most of the surrounding area continue to decay.

Its success has mostly been found in its ability to create a safe and attractive environment for suburbanites, rather than through collaborations with immediate neighbors.

(Souther, 2011).

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Overview of neighborhood demographics

W

hile the population throughout Cuyahoga County has shown a decline over the last 20 (plus) years, East Cleveland has suffered the most, declining by 46% from 1990 to 2010. Census information shows other disparities between East Cleveland and the rest of Cuyahoga County. East Cleveland is 93% black, compared to 30% in the county

Village/Town Brooklyn Heights village Cleveland Heights city Cleveland city East Cleveland city Euclid city Cuyahoga County

overall. The rate of homeownership is 35% compared to 62% county-wide, and the median value of these homes is $78,200 compared to $137,200 in the county. Per capita income is just under one-half of that of the county ($14,439 vs. $26,263), and more than twice as many residents of East Cleveland are below the poverty line than in the county as a whole (37.4% vs. 16.4%).

Population Change from 1990 to 20109 % Change 1990 to 1990 2000 2000 2010 1,450 1,558 7.4% 1,542 54,052 49,958 -7.6% 46,114 505,647 478,403 -5.4% 396,830 33,096 27,217 -17.8% 17,867 54,875 52,717 -3.9% 48,936 1,412,140 1,393,978 -1.3% 1,280,122

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% Change 2000 to 2010 -1.0% -7.7% -17.1% -34.4% -7.2% -8.2%

% Change 1990 to 2010 6.3% -14.7% -21.5% -46.0% -10.8% -9.3%

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THE PLAIN DEALER

UCI Police Department.

US Census Bureau Quick Facts10 Â East Cleveland Population, 2011 Estimate 17,705 Population, 2010 (April 1) 17,843 Population Change, 2010 to 2011 -0.80% Persons under 5 years, percent, 2010 6.40% Persons under 18 years, percent, 2010 22.20% Persons 65 years and over, percent , 2010 18.80% Black persons, percent, 2010 93.20% Homeownership rate, 2006-2010 35.10% Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2006-2010 $78,200 Per capita money income in past 12 months (2010 dollars) 2006-2010 $14,439 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2006-2010 37.40% Land Area in square miles 3.09 Persons per square mile 5,781.90

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Cuyahoga County 1,270,294 1,280,122 -0.80% 5.80% 22.30% 15.60% 30.00% 62.40% $137,200 $26,263 16.40% 457.19 2,800.00

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

Analysis of current conditions To get a first hand feel of the City, several team members participated in a literal windshield survey of selected neighborhoods, driving through the neighborhoods on the southeast side, documenting uses, current vacant or occupied status and condition of the structures. They were given 20 seconds or less to make their determinations,

using the codes listed in the legend below, so the results are based on quick, initial assessments and provide a snapshot of the conditions, which are being entered into county geo-data maps. These tours gave team members an opportunity to see the bleakness of the current situation, but also some glimmer of potential in the grand, historic

Legend for East Cleveland Windshield Survey Type of Structure Current Status Current Condition RS = Residential-Single Family

O = Occupied

RM = Residential-Multi-Family

V = Vacant

CR = Commercial-Retail

D = Demolished

CO =Commercial-Office

G = Green/Cleared

P = Parking Lot

U = Unknown

R = Religious (Church) E = Educational H = Health Care O = Other U = Unknown NS = No Structure MS = (Alternate Multi-Family)

C = Under Construction

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

A = Excellent Condition B = Good Condition C = Average Condition D = Deteriorating Condition F = Beyond Repair - = Not Applicable

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± Legend Study Area Municipality

Windshield Survey ST_GRADE A B C

0

0.025

0.05

D

0.1 Miles

F

homes still occupied and in good condition on a number of the streets.

In summary, homes are generally large, single-family, two-story, four-square in design, mostly wood-framed but with some masonry structures. The number of vacant homes and homes in deteriorating condition increase from east to west. Joe Mazzola, Community Development Director for East Cleveland, emphasized the magnitude of the situation: 4000 vacant houses, 3000 (approx. 80%) to be, or already, demolished. Four streets nearest to UCI are being strategically cleared for redevelopment.

On the bright side, approximately six streets of homes are in the proposed “Euclid-Terrace (West End) National Historic District, and most of the city is within the Neighborhood Stabilization Program II (NSP II), which is administered by the

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Cuyahoga County Department of Development and funded by the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. In Cuyahoga County NSP II includes an Acquisition Rehab and Resale Loan Program, providing “pre-qualified developers with financing to purchase, renovate and resell foreclosed houses to income eligible homeowners.” Another program, a partnership between Cuyahoga County and Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland, offers a leasepurchase program for renovated NHS homes.

Other opportunities identified by Joe Mazzola include the 9 Acre cleared site of the recently demolished Huron Hospital and the 6 Acre cleared site of the MCCo, for which one development proposal is included in this plan. The hospital site is part of the John D. Rockefeller estate. The Medical Center Company (MCCo) site at Euclid Avenue and Lakeview Road, while not for sale, is planned as a solar panel farm, and perhaps the owners will consider mounting their

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

solar panels on a building rather than on the ground.

Zoning and land use basics: For East Cleveland, particularly the southeast area adjacent to University Circle this means: 1) Industrial zoning on Euclid adjacent to University Circle, 2) commercial zoning along the main Euclid Avenue spine of the city, and 3) residential zoning, which is predominant, on either side of Euclid. The Generalized Zoning Map, developed for the East Cleveland Target Area of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and included in this report, portrays these areas.

The Generalized Land Use Map, also included in this report, indicates that actual land uses generally follow the zoning map, although institutional uses and railroad right-of-ways are not differentiated from their adjacent zoned uses.

Asset Basics: UCI has the strength of its institutions and programs. East Cleveland has land and proximity to UCI. Not only does East Cleveland have land, it has some of the more historic land in the county, including the former Rockefeller estate, General Electric’s Nola Park and the remnants of Millionaires’ Row along Euclid. The abandoned Warner & Swasey Observatory, off of Taylor Road, on a hill overlooking the city, has recently been place on Preservation Ohio’s “2012 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Sites.” “[Preservation Ohio] hopes that [this] site’s placement on the endangered list will raise public attention and provide a focus on preservation.

Over the years, the list has proven successful in saving some of Ohio’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage.”

± Legend Study Area Municipality

Windshield Survey

OCCUPIED, ST_GRADE Cleared Land

0

0.025

0.05

0.1 Miles

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Occupied Buildings Vacant Buildings & Failing Grades

15

± Legend Study Area Municipality

Windshield Survey

OCCUPIED, ST_GRADE Cleared Land

0

16

0.025

0.05

0.1 Miles

Occupied Buildings Vacant Buildings

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Âą Legend Study Area Municipality

Windshield Survey Structure Type

Commercial

0

0.0275 0.055

0.11 Miles

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No Structure Single-Family Multi-Family

17

± Legend Study Area Municipality

Windshield Survey

OCCUPIED, ST_GRADE

0

18

0.025

0.05

0.1 Miles

Cleared Land Vacant Buildings & Failing Grades

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Summary of existing plans East Cleveland Studies, Plans and Programs There have been countless studies, plans and programs proposed, initiated and completed in order to evaluate, measure, support and engage the City of East Cleveland. Here are just a few of those that were found. They are presented in alphabetical order.

Case Connections Zone

Case Western Reserve University’s project aims to bring free ultra-high-speed Internet access to thousands of homes in or near University Circle. As of 2010 the project was limited to the Hessler Street area in Cleveland. It is possible that an expansion into East Cleveland could happen in the future.

Year: 2010 – 2012 Staff: Lev Gonick

CWRU Programs

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), through the initiatives of the Social Justice Insti-

tute, The Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, the School of Applied Social Science and Professor Mark Chupp, among others, has initiated many community engagement plans and studies regarding East Cleveland. They include: Student survey of vacant houses in East Cleveland (2009) Student survey and property evaluation of buildings along Euclid Avenue’s commercial corridor (2010) Student study of East Clevelander’s perception of University Circle Chupp study of CWRU stakeholder’s perception of East Cleveland (2012) Diwakar Vadapalli’s research project to determine the scope and level of engagement by the eight schools of Case Western Reserve and the central administration in East Cleveland.

CWRU’s formation of the East Cleveland Partnership (ECP), which eventually grew to include Cleveland State University as a participant, was established in part by then City Council President Gary Norton. In 2010, the goal was to develop a propos-

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al for a comprehensive assessment and planning process in the City of East Cleveland. Participants continue to meet regularly (as of 2012).

Dabney Conwell, the director of the East Cleveland Neighborhood Center (ECNC), secured assistance from Mark Chupp and students to help with organizational assessment, planning and capacity building for his organization.

Mentoring project between Shaw High School students and CWRU. The project is being developed

by Dr. Faye Gary from the CWRU’s Department of Nursing.

Creating Healthy Communities

Sponsored by the Cuyahoga Board of Health it aims to create environments in communities that are conducive to healthy behaviors. Priority communities for the initiative were East Cleveland and Euclid, Ohio Staff: Ann Stahlheber

Wellness and Health Cardiovascular Program, School Health Index, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and the School Health Index Assisted by Creating Healthy Communities, the East Cleveland City School District Wellness committee completed the School Health Index, which assesses the school climate in each of the areas within the Coordinated School Health model. The School District also recently completed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The results of these assessments will allow the district and wellness committee to identify priority areas for intervention.

Fruit and Vegetable Grant

The district was a recipient of the fruit and vegetable grant (by Ohio Department of Education) and will build upon current efforts to improve nutrition offerings to students and families.

Safe Routes to Schools

East Cleveland Master Plan

Prepared by the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission for the City of East Cleveland, this comprehensive 500 page plus compilation has proposals for everything from utilities to parking to land use to demographics Year: 2003 Staff: Marcia Moll and Richard Sicha East Cleveland Schoolchildren College Scholarships In 2003, an anonymous couple made a donation to fund up to 35 college scholarships for children then in the first grade in the City of East Cleveland Schools. The 35 would be drawn from a lottery.

Funding would also be provided for an advocate who was hired to help students from first grade through high school graduation. Parental involvement was mandated at the 75% level for activities related to the scholarship program. The scholarships are administered through the Cleveland Foundation.

Year: 2003 Current Status: Unknown

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East Cleveland Schools

The District was selected in 2009 by the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to Schools program to develop a travel plan for four of the five district elementary schools.

Greater Circle Living

Greater Circle Living, funded in part by the Cleveland Foundation and a variety of University Circle nonprofits, offers forgivable loans for downpayments and/or closing costs for the purchase of an owner-occupied home by full-time employees of any nonprofit institution in Greater University Circle. Money is also available for rehab work.

Year: 2012

Greater University Circle Initiative

The Cleveland Foundation launched the Greater University Circle Initiative. The Initiative is designed to stimulate new investment in the neighborhoods surrounding University Circle. The city of East Cleveland is one of those “neighborhoods.”

Year: 2006- 2012 Staff: India Pierce Lee and Lillian Kuri

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

Hayden Avenue Corridor Study for the City of East Cleveland

Prepared by the Floyd Browne Group, and funded by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s (NOACA) Transportation for Livable Communities, the study proposes plans to redevelop the Hayden Avenue Corridor in East Cleveland, including recommendations for providing a safe, enhanced multi-modal transportation corridor, identifying opportunities for enhancement of the City’s identity, land use districts and opportunities for economic redevelopment.

Year: 2010

Healthy Smiles Sealant Program

Dental students at CWRU, through The Social Justice Institute, participate in this program of dental work in Cleveland and East Cleveland

Neighborhood Connections

Neighborhood Connections was founded in 2003 by the Cleveland Foundation to empower people in Cleveland and East Cleveland neighborhoods. Traditionally it was known as a micro-granting organization, distributing grants between $500 and $5,000 to qualifying community groups. It has expanded its program to include a “Community of Practice” component. This program goes beyond grantmaking by developing programs that encourage an environment of connections and community engagement between East Cleveland and the other Greater University Circle neighborhoods (University Circle, Glenville, Hough, Fairfax, Central, Buckeye-Shaker, and Little Italy).

NPI’s Target Area Planning for East Cleveland (Proposed)

East Cleveland has submitted a proposal to Neighborhood Planning Inc. (NPI) for preparing a land use plan for a targeted area. The area parameters: Superior to the University Circle border. It will also address Forest Hills Park.

Year: 2012

NSP

The National Stabilization Program, beginning in 2008, has funneled funds from the federal government through the Cuyahoga County Department of Development to East Cleveland and other cities.

Most of the funds have been used to tear down vacant and blighted buildings.

Year: 2008 – 2012 RTA Health and Red Line Extension The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in order to extend the Rapid Transit (light rail, aka the “Red Line”) and the bus route known as the “Health Line” east past their current ending point in East Cleveland Year: 2012

UCI

University Circle, Inc. (UCI) is the service organization responsible for promoting the interests of the institutions in University Circle that comprises its membership. As part of its mission, it is engaged in many ways with the City of East Cleveland and other surrounding neighborhoods: Currently it is planning a market analysis of the greater University Circle area that will provide useful information to East Cleveland.

In 2011, its Five Year Action Plan was presented and includes development plans to help stabilize and develop vacant and under-used properties in adjacent neighborhoods surrounding University Circle.

UCI is part of the Greater Circle Living program.

Provides 1,000s of educational and cultural opportunities for East Cleveland and other Northeast Ohio school age children both within University Circle and in their home community Started the Future Connections program. It is an eight week summer study and internship program for high school seniors to be. It is sponsored by UCI and includes four weeks in a University Circle cultural institution and four weeks in a Greater Cleveland area business.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

21

Stakeholder Interviews

CONDUCTED IN WHOLE OR PART BY STEVEN KANNER

M

artha Clifton, has been a resident of East Cleveland since 1970 and owns the only sit down restaurant in East Cleveland (only opened on Friday). On Thanksgiving she feeds 150 people for free. She also creates recreational opportunities via her basketball camp. Granted, it is only open one day per week, but it is a welcoming environment nonetheless. Located in Mr. Parker’s Creative Arts Center, Miss Mac is open to expanding her hours of operation. When asked what she would like to see in East Cleveland she said she’d like to get the drugs off the street.

G

ary Norton, Mayor of East Cleveland since 2009, is a dynamic individual with many projects that he wants to accomplish. When asked what he wants from University Circle, he kiddingly said “money.” On a serious note, he is supportive of the need, with limited funds, to focus redevelopment strategies on East Cleveland’s western border with University Circle.

When asked about the perception that people have of East Cleveland being a dangerous place to go to Mr. Norton said that is no longer the case. In the 1980s there may have been a crack epidemic but now the city is a much safer place.

He notes how the city is doing better policing and that they are concentrating on eliminating street level drug runners and prostitution. When asked if he wants police from UCI he said, “If it has police lights on top of it, we want it.” Mr. Norton listed the need for a grocery store in East Cleveland and as

22

for other priorities he added, “make sure we have police protection,” get rid of vacant and boarded up buildings, and get rid of garbage dumping.

I

spoke with City Council President Joy Jordan along with three of her East Cleveland activist friends Zakee Rashid, Gerald Struthers and Gerald Silvaro. Dr. Jordan’s relationship with East Cleveland has deep roots as her father had a long-time dental practice here and her mother was a teacher in the school system. Dr. Jordan continues to practice her dental career while serving her community first as a former Board of Education member and now while on City Council.

When asked if she went to any of Cleveland State’s Dr. Norman Krumholz’ East Cleveland Economic Development Partnership Meeting she said she used to but that they are not convenient for those with nine to five jobs. I would suggest that the committee rotate some of its meetings to take place in the evening. In order to deal with the negative perception problem that East Cleveland has, the group was in agreement in saying they would consider the idea of funding a part- or full-time marketing person to help tell the story of the city.

Mr. Rasheed noted also how the city could benefit from a fulltime Chamber of Commerce and that RTA is a major asset.

It is important to these stakeholders, that if University Circle and UCI continue to be involved in East Cleveland, that the city have control. The group would like to see a variety

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

THE PLAIN DEALER East Cleveland Mayor, Gary Norton.

of food services such as grocery stores and a full-service restaurant and other amenities that most cities offer. Dr. Jordan sees the need for new housing but was not so keen on adding additional low-income housing like the new Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority’s project next to the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center.

L

isa Johnson is a social worker in the new Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center and before that she was employed at Huron Hospital, which has recently been torn down.

Although not a resident of East Cleveland she is active in the East Cleveland Theatre and attends church in the area. She noted how the Center is a one-stop holistic place for patients to help manage their health needs. This means continuing medical care, financial counseling, community education programs regarding such things as healthy eating and a meeting place for groups like Narcotics Anonymous.

Even though Ms. Johnson agrees that the new building is not easily accessible and the signage is not that good, she will help people from the surrounding area navigate an array of services (social, medical, financial) offered at the Health Center. She acknowledges that the community is upset with the old hospital being torn down. She felt that there were perhaps better ways to manage it and that if it was to be abandoned, it could have been made into housing. But now that there is green space she would like to see a nice park there or a grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables. Ms. Johnson, when asked her thoughts on University Circle, had positive things to say. She always found it to be an inviting locale, with recreation that is affordable and friendly.

M

ark Chupp is an Assistant Professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences of Case Western Reserve

University. At heart he is a community organizer, and when the Cleveland Foundation funded the Greater University Circle project in order to leverage some of the wealth of University Circle for the surrounding communities, he and the Mandel School said there needed to be a community engagement proponent part. Thus Neighborhood Connections was funded by the foundation to engage in this type of work with East Cleveland. Neighborhood Connections was in his words, tasked with “narrow(ing) the social distance.”

Dr. Chupp is working to eliminate barriers that keep CWRU students and staff from going to East Cleveland and East Cleveland residents from coming into University Circle.

Because of preconceived ideas of East Cleveland being a dangerous place to be and perceived historical racism of University Circle it will not be easy an easy task. But it something that Dr. Chupp works on in his capacity as teacher and community organizer. The last line of the quote taped on the outside of his office door, from a writing by the acclaimed author Václav Havel, could perhaps sum up Dr. Chupp’s philosophy: “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless how it turns out.”

N

athaniel Martin has been on the City Council for almost half of his thirty years in the city. Mr. Martin is in agreement with Dr. Jordan and that some buildings should be demolished, but not all of them. He says that the government should sell them for $1 to people who want to own and live in the houses and then get tax revenue.

In terms of economic development and University Circle Incorporated, Mr. Martin feels that the new townhouses in East Cleveland (Circle East) are good. When asked if he would like UCI’s police for East Cleveland he said, “Absolutely.” He said a supermarket like Zagara’s or Dave’s could make money in East Cleveland. Although the Mayor and voters who voted to retain the automatic traffic enforcement cameras believe that they are an asset for the city, Mr. Martin disagreed with that assessment. Mr. Martin ended the interview by saying, “I love Norton as a brother” (they were in the same fraternity together). Let’s work together.”

P

atricia Blochowiak has lived in the city for eleven years, first drawn by the beautiful old homes, and has been on the School Board for five years. Dr. Blochowiak stated the following: the cohesive and wonderful neighbors, lots of opportunities, a good core of bright interesting nice people, being close to University Circle, Forest Hills Park, the library auditorium that has great acoustics, Coit Ave. Farmers’ Market and community gardens are good assets of East Cleveland.

Dr. Blochowiak is an active member of the Windermere Renaissance organization. She states that they filed Community Development Corporation (CDC) papers with the city and have not had any response. They are implementing (or will be in the near future) afterschool programs, neighborhood vacant yard clean-ups and chess in school. UCI

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

23

THE PLAIN DEALER Children help each other down the Daffolid Hill at Lakeside Cemetery in East Cleveland.

might offer assistance in reviewing the application for the city to see if it is an appropriate fit. If you want to get a garden going, get it going. If a yard needs to be cleaned up, clean it up. If you see progress, others will follow.” Some of her focus regarding the school system is on afterschool, playground and safety. She would like to see more commuters taking Euclid Ave. so that they avoid the kid pedestrian traffic on Terrace as they walk to school. This may entail making the traffic lights on Euclid Ave. more coordinated so that Euclid would be more of an enticing alternative to the commuters.

In regards to University Circle Dr. Blochowiak would like to see East Cleveland schools take more advantage of the Natural History Museum and other educational opportunities.

She personally likes the museums, the movies at the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art and Wade Oval Wednesdays. When asked if most people in East Cleveland found University Circle to be open and inviting she said “no.” Finally, she notes that East Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery, with its botanical and historical treasures and Forest Hills Park with its acres of trees and hills are good assets that are underutilized. UCI could work with the City of East Cleveland and help plan and market educational, and other fun events at these East Cleveland jewels.

24

I

also talked to two staff members of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, Marcia Moll and Richard Sicha.

They have both been with the Commission for over 20 years and were part of the group that was contracted by East Cleveland to draft its Master Plan approved in 2003.

The Master Plan, in the ensuing years, has apparently not seen much light. Ms. Moll and Mr. Sicha talked of the revolving door of mayors and community development planners after the plan was introduced. They note how things have gotten better with Mayor Norton and current Community Development Director Joe Mazola. When the county planners were asked what might still be relevent in the Master Plan, even ten years later, they cited the following; need goals and strategies to enhance the tax base, citizen comments, demographics (East Cleveland is still one of the poorest cities in the state and homeownership is one of the lowest), Land Use, a housing plan, parks and recreation analysis.

The planners pointed out that in terms of business recruitment and needed access to a major highway, I-90 is only 10-15 minutes away from much of East Cleveland via E. 152nd St.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

Development

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

E

ast Cleveland currently suffers from blighted conditions as a result of neglected housing and properties. These areas negatively impact the visual aesthetics of the environment and create safety concerns for the community.

Failure to address neighborhood blight only adds to diminished property values and will put off future economic development. The goal of the Development Group of the Working Together: A Community Connections Plan – East Cleveland/ University Circle Inc. project is to lessen the decline of the city and launch inventive methods to enhance, as well as, improve the built environment.

The deteriorated condition of the study area did not take place in a hastily manner. The recommended improvements will not happen overnight but our group has a plan to launch development projects that will slowly advance conditions for the community. It is important to understand that these steady transformations over time will gradually bring East Cleveland to a more viable, livable city once again.

Development is not likely to happen in a high-crime, low-income city such as East Cleveland just because we as a group want it to. By asking the market to bring development as well as investors into the city because the price is right at the moment simply is not going to happen. There needs to be incentive for future development and this can be initiated with small scale projects to show that action is being taken and that the city is serious about moving forward. A simple measure such as improving the streetscape is a small, yet im-

MARCIE AYDLOTTE Photo of Page Avenue at Euclid Avenue, site of lot beautification (before).

Page Ave. at Euclid Ave., site of lot beautification (before). Â

portant initial step to foster larger scale projects in the future.

There is an abundance of land and deteriorated building for development projects. An important step in identifying targeted areas is to involve the community and understand what can be done in the short-term to improve their current livelihood. This approach would allow for development to take place in specific areas of East Cleveland rather than diluted in all areas of the city. These projects may range from the development of green spaces to larger commercial investments that would enhance commerce as well as bring jobs to the community. Overall, East Cleveland would benefit from improving the streetscape of the city, rehabilitation of

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

25

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MARCIE AYDELOTTE

Map of Garden Site #1, Superior Elementary School.

structurally sound buildings, development of new commercial projects on underutilized land, creating parks and gathering spaces, and promoting the transit system to connect the community to jobs in neighboring communities.

Now is the time to take advantage of the expansion in neighboring University Circle. A partnership with University Circle Inc. will be the driving force to help bring development into the city as well assist in the promotion of future investment. Through creative ideas, pragmatic planning, and the aspiration to succeed there is the chance East Cleveland can resurrect itself to once again become a desirable city to live and do business.

W

ithin the first phase of development within East Cleveland, the focus should be on streetscaping and beautification of the surrounding areas. There are two primary reasons to implement beautification at the start. Building on the success of Stokes-Windermere Renaissance (WR) and the

26

immediate impact of cleared and planted lots.

Created in 2000 for the purposes of stimulating the StokesWindermere United Methodist Church and the Stokes-Windermere neighborhood within East Cleveland, WR has turned their focus on revitalizing vacant lots within East Cleveland.

Three years ago WR teamed up with residents of the neighborhood to plant a lot at the corner of Page Avenue and Euclid Avenue. Three years later, according to an article in the Neighborhood Voice, the garden is thriving and the garbage, prostitution, and drugs found near the empty lot are a way of the past.

With the established success of Page Avenue Garden at minimal cost and high reward, the immediate agenda for East Cleveland would be to expand this success into multiple garden sites. Focusing on vacant land near the Euclid Avenue corridor, sites can be developed into gardens that have an immediate impact on the bleak streetscapes that are there today.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

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MARCIE AYDLOTTE

Map of Garden Site #2, West of Stokes-Windermere Station.

Three areas have been identified for ideal locations for garden sites: land adjacent to Superior Elementary School, land adjacent to Greater Regional Transit Authority’s (GCRTA) Stokes-Windermere Station, and the parcels directly west of the Free Clinic along Euclid Avenue. These sites were each chosen for their specific attributes, with each having opportunities to be secured through the Cuyahoga County Landbank, close proximity to transit, and room for expansion.

The first of the garden sites to be developed is the vacant parcels adjacent to Superior Elementary School, shown in the figure below. Located just south of Euclid Avenue and along Garfield Road, there are two vacant parcels owned by the East Cleveland School District. Totaling 18,086 square feet of space, the main advantage of instituting a garden in this space is the accessibility to abundant volunteer forces and educational opportunities. Situated on school property, the garden would serve as a community vacant lot clean-up opportunity as well as a learning tool for the students.

The second identified area for a volunteer supported neighborhood garden is the vacant lots west of StokesWindermere Station. Adjacent to the terminus for GCRTA’s Red Line rapid transit, this site would provide easy access to the site from the adjacent transit hub and create a welcoming atmosphere for riders to disembark into East Cleveland. The property owned by the Landbank totals 60,586 square feet with the adjacent vacant land area of 146,933 square feet. The strongest asset Site #2 has is its ability to expand and evolve as a corner garden into an urban farm.

The third identified garden site lies to the east of the Free Clinic, north of Euclid Avenue. This site was selected due to its close location to University Circle, Euclid Avenue, Lakeview Cemetery, recent development, and the Free Clinic. The construction of Circle East provides close access for volunteers while also being near other attractions that would provide more foot traffic for the site. Currently the plot is owned by a single person and is vacant. The area would provide 7,709

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

27

Âą East Cleveland

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MARCIE AYDELOTTE

Map of Garden Site #3, East of Free Clinic.

square feet of garden space with Euclid Avenue frontage.

Combined, the three garden sites offer strengths that create a diverse and green East Cleveland. Between the gardens focusing on education, future urban farming, and beautification to welcome pedestrians, East Cleveland residents will have a new community asset that is connected to a specific purpose. Funding for these new gardens would come from a variety of sources including corporate donations, federal funding, as well as grants. Available grants include Brownfield Grants, Environmental Education Grants, EPA Environmental Justice Grants, and Community Food Projects Competitive Grants.

In addition to incorporating dedicated green space into the urban fabric, East Cleveland should continue University Circle’s Euclid Gateway Vision program. Working alongside University Circle, a unified public art implementation along Euclid Avenue would present a similarly unified neighborhood between East Cleveland and University Circle. Currently

28

this is not the case; traveling underneath the E. 118th bridge along Euclid Avenue towards East Cleveland presents a stark contrast before and after the structure. On the west side, University Circle, there are public art installments, clean green spaces, welcoming areas for pedestrians; east of the structure the landscape becomes a concrete jungle with none of the same amenities.

For East Cleveland and University Circle to be truly connected, such stark contrasts between the two districts cannot exist. The bleak scenery just east of University Circle deters pedestrian and vehicular traffic from continuing into East Cleveland. Simple installments of public art: through new benches, bicycle racks, recycling bins, and landscaped areas along Euclid Avenue can incrementally bridge the appearance gap between the two neighborhoods. Eventually the physical appearance can present a welcoming feel on both sides of the structure.

In addition to continuing the Euclid Gateway Vision pro-

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/pdf/studies/cleveland-euclid-corridor.pdf

http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/pdf/studies/cleveland-euclid-corridor.pdf

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gram, East Cleveland should work with community groups and University Circle institutions to install public art underneath the E. 118th Street structure over Euclid Avenue. The present structure is dark and bleak; the bridge is a literal and figurative barrier for those entering into East Cleveland. As previously discussed, the current situation does not invite pedestrian and vehicular traffic from entering into the City.

One of the easiest and most community-oriented ways to change the situation is a design competition. While engaging the community of both East Cleveland (students, residents, and artists alike) and institutions within University Circle ,the area would create a sense of community and pride versus the feeling the area evokes today.

Between East Cleveland and University Circle, a multitude of institutions exist that can develop an innovative, bright, and inviting entrance into East Cleveland along Euclid Avenue. Promoted and organized by Edward Parker and Snickerfritz, an artist who runs the art complex in East Cleveland, possible use of emerging technology, as supported by General Electric, and the art institutions and students within the two neighborhoods the creation of a low-cost, highly-supported public art exhibit could become reality. Involving GE promotes learning of new technology among students and

artists, propelling the community, those involved, and GE. Euclid Avenue, the historic and much-celebrated corridor that connects East Cleveland through University Circle to Downtown, is a focal point through the entire corridor – except within East Cleveland. In the past five years the difference between Cleveland and East Cleveland along Euclid Avenue has become readily apparent with the installation of the Healthline. While the line connects East Cleveland straight to Downtown, the new road construction, public art installments, and dedicated lanes stop before reaching East Cleveland. The dedicated bus lanes end at Euclid Avenue and Stokes Boulevard, but the new concrete pavement continues until the East Cleveland border. Once the border is crossed, only the newly installed bus stops were implemented into the City. As it stands, East Cleveland sticks out like a sore thumb with the crumbling asphalt roads and lack of Healthline amenities.

East Cleveland, University Circle, and GCRTA should continue the Healthline dedicated lanes, public art installments, and concrete pavement within East Cleveland to establish a truly seamless corridor. After the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Coltman Road, Euclid Avenue ranges between 62 feet and 68 feet of width for its five lanes of traffic. According to the latest

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

29

THE PLAIN DEALER

Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency traffic data figures, the average number of vehicles traveling the section of Euclid Avenue between Coltman Road and Superior Road are 17,610 vehicles. After Superior Avenue, the average daily traffic (ADT) rises to 20,980 vehicles on Euclid Avenue. Without knowing the peak ADT and specific traffic data it is unrealistic to discuss the feasibility of reducing the five lanes to one single lane in each direction, but an evaluation should be conducted.

In addition to the visual impact of creating a seamless Healtline Corridor along Euclid Avenue through East Cleveland, an economic and sustainable impact will be felt as well.

According to Joe Calabrese in an interview by the Institute for Sustainable Communities, GCRTA was insistent upon bringing the Healthline route into East Cleveland due to its high transit dependency and unemployment. However, the route and corresponding stops were the only items brought into East Cleveland, leaving the pavement improvements, public art, and dedicated lanes outside of city limits. As shown in the figure below, the economic rewards of the Healthline improvements are also stopping at the East Cleveland line.

If extended, the Healthline improvements can shift the transit ridership in East Cleveland. Nearly 80 percent of East Cleveland residents are transit dependent. Upwards of 30 percent of the population is also unemployed. One of the immediate impacts that could be felt with the Healthline improvements extension is the installment of bicycle lanes within the Corridor.

Given the high rate of non-vehicular travel, the bicycle lanes offer opportunities for those with access to a bike to transport themselves around. Furthermore, the lanes would connect into University Circle – providing an alternate, protected route for cyclists coming down Superior Road from Cleveland Heights.

Residents and businesses through the surrounding East Cleve-

30

land area would benefit from the extension of bicycle lanes along Euclid.

The last section within the first phase of development is a wayfinding scheme introduced into East Cleveland. As someone traveling within Cleveland and University Circle, vehicular signange, neighborhood marking, and pedestrian wayfinding can be spotted along numerous routes and in front of locations. Currently, East Cleveland has only one location marker: a sign outside of the Sculpture Center along Euclid Avenue, installed by University Circle. The only pedestrian guides within East Cleveland were installed by GCRTA as part of the Healthline bus stops. There is a severe lack in wayfinding within East Cleveland and an abundant area for improvement. The overall recommendation would be for East Cleveland to work with local artists, governments, and citizens to create a marketing scheme for the area. With a variety of signs, uses, and purposes a common theme ties the unique signs together into an effective signage scheme for the area. As shown in the picture below, University Circle is experienced in creating a signage scheme for the area through their location markers, pedestrian signs, and vehicular signs. With support and guidance from University Circle, East Cleveland can outreach to the artists and schoolchildren for a design competition for the signing within the City. The advantage of incorporating University Circle into the planning for the signing plan is that it allows for a plan that does not differ from the adjacent community’s signs. Continuity and consistency provides for the most informative and effective signs, which partnering between the two communities allows for.

Once a marketing plan is developed for signage within East Cleveland, the community should install pedestrian wayfinding and location markings according to the signage scheme. Loca-

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

tion markings should be installed at all edges of East Cleveland along the major routes: Euclid Avenue, Superior Avenue, N. Taylor Road, Noble Road, and Shaw Avenue. As these are the highest trafficked roads within East Cleveland, these present opportunities to welcome travelers into the City. In addition to location markers, pedestrian wayfinding can introduce walkers into East Cleveland and the marvels within the community. These guide signs should be located at key locations where pedestrian traffic currently exists and where visitors are likely to enter East Cleveland. Specific locations have been identified like the exit of Lakeview Cemetery along Euclid Avenue, at the intersection of Superior Avenue and Euclid Avenue, outside of Stokes-Windermere Station, and on both the eastern and western sides of the E. 118th bridge. Ideally the last location would incorporate both University Circle and East Cleveland attractions. For example, a sign should be installed the eastern intersection of E. 118th and Euclid Avenue with the following attractions listed: CWRU Stadium, Circle 118, Lakeview Cemetery Main Entrance, East Cleveland Public Library, and Forest Hills Park.

The next step after installing pedestrian and location markings should be the installation of location-specific signs outside of East Cleveland institutions. Larger, simpler signs will be needed for vehicular traffic to be guided to the sites as well. Following the signing scheme that East Cleveland establishes, markers should be installed in front of Lakeview Cemetery, the East Cleveland Public Library, Shaw High School, Heritage Middle School, Snickerfritz Artist Colony, and the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center.

A PLAN TO DEVELOP A GREENER EAST CLEVELAND

E

ast Cleveland is at a crucial point in its development as a city as it is faced with negligible resources and a shrinking population. There must be steps in place to ensure that the city can become the vibrant, successful, and thriving community it once was. In order for there to be a reinvestment in the core of the city the policy makers, University Circle, Inc. (UCI), business leaders, and non-profit organizations must take actions that will initiate progress. A smaller East Cleveland does not have to mean an overall decline in nature.

Try to imagine an East Cleveland where the neighborhoods are built around parks and gardens and where tree-lined streets encourage commuters to ride their bikes or go for a walk. This is the vision of ECO-EC (East Cleveland), a plan that would change the look and feel of East Cleveland by substituting vacant properties with areas of green development and space. This plan recognizes that the city’s built environment, including the buildings, streets, and public utilities no longer match the declining population. There is a need to modify the current environment accordingly.

THE PLAIN DEALER

This plan will tie together the footprint of the built environment with the current and potential future population growth to make the city a once again healthy, livable place. This program is necessary for the long-term viability of the city, institutions of University Circle, and surrounding communities.

Surplus housing stock and infrastructure should be removed so that policies and programs aimed at attracting people and investment back to core communities can succeed. Addressing the challenges of a new plan involves choices and implications for East Cleveland’s character and the daily lives of its residents.

Now is the time to prepare, design and enforce a plan to address the blighted areas of East Cleveland as well as launch a new, modern green infrastructure. It is imperative that the city takes action before the amount and intensity of abandonment grows worse. Continuing the past practice of subtle investment and demolition without a strategy simply continues the trends in population loss along with increasing poverty and crime (City of East Cleveland Master Plan, 2003).

In order to effectively impose this plan throughout East Cleveland, there will be a series of action items that will take place over time. The three simple steps are as follows: Engage the Community Create a Community Development Corporation Implement the Green Infrastructure Program (ECO-EC)

STEP 1: ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY

East Cleveland should foster the community by empowering residents and property owners to design a network of reinvestment plans. Due to the size of the vacancy and abandonment problems, it is recommended that a designation system be created for the city through the use of quadrants, or “Quadrant Groups”. The area could potentially be defined in four areas with Euclid and Superior Avenues serving as the dividing arterial roadways in this system. This is a tentative selection that is open for compromise as certain areas will need additional focus (activity nodes along Euclid Ave., va-

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cancy clusters near Superior Ave., and transportation oriented are not involved in making decisions on what is done with development near Windermere Station.) the properties as a whole. A potential joint partnership may Each Quadrant Group would host periodic planning ses- be available in the future with a newly established CDC in sions for the purpose of nominating specific projects by East Cleveland and FRDC to further increase rehabilitation of individual quadrant stakeholders (sector leaders, block club additional properties. leaders, business owners, etc.). The goal of these planning Secondly, deconstructing properties combines the salsessions will be brainstorming to identify suitable blocks for vage of of reusable and recyclable materials creating both the above objectives. Also, each Quadrant Groups will ask for quantity and quality of products. The re-use of debris would feedback on the selection c riteria that would be used to rank be the preferred outcome because it requires less energy, and rate potential project areas. raw materials and pollution than recycling does in order to The end result would be a functioning presentation to continue the usable life of building goods (Fraser, 2010). This provide to Mayor Norton and Community Development Direc-approach would also create jobs and help economic develtor Joe Mazzola, East Cleveland City Council, and UCI as the opment in the process. decision making entity. This important step is to take information gathered from the community and develop a plan that STEP 3: IMPLEMENT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE balances the range of goals for establishing a green infraPROGRAM (ECO-EC) structure in East Cleveland.

Through the use of phased demolition strategies by the CDC and CCLB and the clearing of vacant properties within East STEP 2: CREATE A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Cleveland it is anticipated that large areas of green space will CORPORATION be created. The goal of ECO-EC (East Cleveland) is to stimulate In conjunction with Step 1, Engage the Community, the these spaces within the city in order to support the prospects creation of a community development corporation (CDC) in for sustainable future redevelopment. For a city determined to East Cleveland will be instrumental in analyzing conditions remake itself and attract a diverse population, specifically from in all areas of the city while working with residents to frame University Circle, empty lots will be a primary obstacle. The idea rebuilding strategies (Mallach, 2006). A CDC will work with of greening vacant property is more than improving aesthetics residents, as well as the decision making entity, to frame and more about providing a healthy, vibrant sense of place. By rebuilding strategies of vacant and abandoned properties. implementing the green infrastructure program, East Cleveland The process of decline has to be put in reverse and the ef- will be able to address the open spaces created by the demoliforts of an entrenched CDC in East Cleveland would take the tion of properties management of the long-term stability of real estate away There are many possibilities available in a green infrafrom city government (Sams, 2012). The primary focus of the structure to convert open spaces to functioning areas in the CDC would be addressing issues concerning vacancies while community. These developments would be administered by officials would administer the necessary tasks of effectively the CDC as a means of infill as well as potential revenue genmanaging the city. erating mechanisms which otherwise would be left unused.

A large undertaking for the CDC would be identifying Examples below are ideas for potential short and longstrategies for vacant land as well as properties slated for term projects: future demolition. Another responsibility of the newly creShort-Term Projects: Bio-Remediation, Rain Gardens, ated organization would be to work with East Cleveland and Landscaped Parks, Public Art and Sculptures, Grass Lots, the Cuyahoga County Land Bank (CCLB) to manage financing Community Parks, Recreational Areas appropriated from the Neighborhood Stabilization Funds Long-Term Projects: There is the potential to transform li(NSP-2) for impending demolition projects (“Start a Comabilities into assets by leasing land. These options are private munity Development Corporation: How and Why�, 2011.) The parks, urban agriculture, non-residential development, and CDC and CCLB will work together in identifying and acquirenergy generation. The city should consider a long-term ing vacant as well as abandoned tax delinquent properties. leasing approach, as opposed to outright selling, which The CDC would market redevelopment areas to individuals, would allow them to keep control of the land should the developers, and non-profit organizations. In order to endorse usable properties, this marketing program would be residential real estate market return in the future. created by UCI then promoted by the CDC. RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD Demolition is not the only option for properties and it Allow residents and property owners to design a network of is important to identify other measures when committing to such a large scale project. Currently, Fairfax Renaissance neighborhood reinvestment plans that will stabilize residential and Development Corporation (FRDC) has confirmed they will commercial properties in areas that have sustained the most decay. buy individual vacant houses for rehab in East Cleveland but Form an advisory group of East Cleveland government, City

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Council, and community leaders to research and recommend a redevelopment and/or greening policy. There may also be a third party consultant to facilitate research and overview the final policy formation.

Establish and fund a multi-purpose East Cleveland community development corporation to work with the Cuyahoga County Land Bank to strategically discharge surplus infrastructure, acquire abandoned properties, and relocate households within distressed areas.

Develop and manage a city-wide green infrastructure program in East Cleveland. The goal is to establish short and long-term projects administered by the newly created CDC. A green infrastructure will serve as a temporary buffer for the future redevelopment of open spaces created by the demolition, rehabilitation, and deconstruction of properties.

EAST CLEVELAND – UNIVERSITY CIRCLE CONNECTIONS

C

leveland Museum of African American History & Culture (CMAAHC) George Santayana famously wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (Santayana).

What better way to learn from our rich local history than by building a high stature museum that focused on the African American history and culture of Greater Cleveland?

The history of Greater Cleveland is ripe with stories and lessons worth learning. Imagine a building design that rivals the recently completed Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in terms of boldness and innovation. A world class museum that explores both the positives and negatives of our complicated, yet mesmerizing history. Children and adults both could learn that the ripples of waves from actions years ago have repercussions even today.

Here are some of the history snippets that can be told about the area that eventually became known as Cleveland and E. Cleveland. The first organized entry of European Americans into the area - The Connecticut Land Company, represented by Moses Cleaveland - came in 1796 to do survey work, made a treaty with local Native Americans with an eye towards purchasing land east of the Cuyahoga River, forever reshaping the land and its inhabitant’s future. According to historian Ellen Loughry Price, Cleaveland’s treaty was abridged “the very next year (by) the (Company) surveyor Augustus Porter (for land) west of the (Cuyahoga) river” (Price, p. 2). Soon after this usurpation of land, the Shaw, Doan, and other families made their way to E. Cleveland for the cheap land and abundant game that were becoming scarce back east.

The museum would of course tell the history of the mid19th century rise of E. Cleveland’s John D. Rockefeller. Originally from Pennsylvania, he moved to the area after high

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school and began to amass his fortune, first on produce sales and later in oil. His legacy is of philanthropy and billionaire capitalism, and the exploitation that that entailed.

A new East Cleveland Museum, could mount exhibits, present lectures and teach of the Underground Railroad movement, also of the 19th century, that helped fleeing slaves get safely to Canada. The story and history of the First Presbyterian Church in East Cleveland can teach many lessons. Over two hundred years old as a congregation, the congregation was split on its opposition to slavery during the 1800s. Many abolitionist members left the church because of this issue and the church did not welcome its first African American for membership until the 1950s. Yet, according to church historians, First Presbyterian joined the Underground Railroad movement during the decade leading to the Civil War and helped many escaped slaves find their way to freedom up north (Kroll).

In the 20th century the great African American migration north happened and greater Cleveland continued to become transformed in many significant ways: physically, socially, culturally and politically. A Greater Cleveland African American centered museum could focus on the 1950s redlining and racism of urban renewal that limited choices of African Americans, thus further reshaping East Cleveland, along with the greater metropolitan area.

A museum in East Cleveland would allow visitors to explore the relationship between University Circle - historically home to many of Cleveland’s great European American cultural institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra - and the surrounding, predominately African American neighborhoods High school students could learn from this history; how the ever-evolving University Circle changed from an neighborhood that often saw itself as an European American island enclave surrounded by, and needing protection from, a hostile sea of African American communities. They would be able to envision how the present day community (represented by University Circle Inc.) is work-

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ing hard to welcome those same surrounding communities.

(Souther, M 2011) What a treasure trove of history, as it relates to the African American experience, East Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio region has. A museum presenting the good, the bad and the ugly (and the beautiful) would help us learn from our past and instill a brighter tomorrow.

There is currently a museum in Cleveland that focuses on African American history. According to its website (http://myafricanamericanmuseum.org/), the building that houses the current African American Museum, in the Cleveland eastside neighborhood of Hough, is in disrepair. Relocating the museum to historic Euclid Ave., with its myriad of transportation options, next door to booming University Circle, would give the museum far greater exposure to potential regional and national visitors. A world-class Cleveland Museum of African American History and Culture, located in historic E. Cleveland could help to build a true Greater University Circle. It would expand the UC museum district’s footprint to outside of University Circle in ways the current African American museum’s location can’t do now. Now is perfect time for such an expansion.

A museum of significant stature could be host to a varied of national symposiums. They could explore the decline of so-called “rust-belt” central cities and their inner ring suburbs such as Cleveland and East Cleveland. The best minds in the nation would come to East Cleveland to explore how a typical Midwest city like East Cleveland, which peaked with a population of close to 50,000 in the 1950s, now under 18,000, can be revived. The participants in the museum sponsored conferences will learn what are the best methods to combat decade’s old so-called “white flight” and capital flight to the suburbs.

A new, Platinum LEED certified museum in East Cleveland would join the new Museum of Contemporary Art in expanding the critical mass of arts and culture in Greater University Circle. Tourists, along with conventioneers at the new Medical Mart Convention Center downtown, would have easy access to another jewel in the new and vibrant Greater University Circle. As most people are aware, East Cleveland is one of the most public transportation accessible areas in Northeast Ohio. As current East Cleveland City Councilmember Nathaniel Martin notes, “You can get anywhere in the world from E. Cleveland” (Martin). Well, the opposite is also true: One can get to East Cleveland from anywhere in the world.

This yet to be built Cleveland Museum of African American History and Culture would also benefit from the excitement and synergy expected from the planned 2015 opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. By expanding University Circle’s cultural footprint into East Cleveland, adding another destination spot on Euclid Ave., would bring in much needed economic activity in the form of building construction, tourism and employment dollars. Of course, a brand new museum costs

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tens of millions of dollars. The Museum of Contemporary Art’s new building cost in the neighborhood of $27 million. A lot of money would have to be raised. And that is just for the building, as millions more are needed for continuing operating costs.

Fundraising efforts could concentrate on local and national foundations, businesses based in the Cleveland area such as General Electric, and New Market tax credits similar to the $5.3 million The Museum of Contemporary Art received (Litt).

Prominent Greater Cleveland community members, especially those in the African American community, would be targeted along with a grassroots effort aimed at citizens with in interest in such a venture. The Cleveland Museum of African American History could look to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage as a model for how a new museum dedicated to an ethnic/ cultural experience in Greater Cleveland was established. The Maltz Museum was founded in 2005 with a new building in Beachwood, Ohio with the mission “to build bridges of tolerance and understanding by sharing Jewish heritage through the lens of the American experience.” (Maltz Museum Website). East Cleveland is prepared to develop a similar museum highlighting the African American experience.

There are two possible locations for the proposed new Museum. The first is the vacant lot at Euclid and Lakeside in East Cleveland’s western edge. This three-and-a-half acre site has been cleared for redevelopment by the Medical Center Company of Cleveland, Ohio (MCCo). MCCo is a consortium of University Circle institutions, assembled for the purpose of supplying energy for these institutions. Their current focus is on producing clean energy for its members, in part by covering the above-mentioned site with an array of energy producing solar cells. In speaking with various University Circle stakeholders, it is now understood that MCCo would be open to the idea of putting their solar arrays on top of future buildings. If an award-winning architect was hired for the museum, and planned for the placement of a solar array at the same time as the new building, this seamless integration of two dissimilar projects that work together to produce a synergistic whole can only benefit both entities; MCCo. and its member institutions and the City of East Cleveland The Cleveland Museum of African American History and Culture, instead of possessing a non-utilitarian curving roof like the Frank Gehry designed Peter B. Lewis Building on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, would have a roof with a purpose: solar arrays that produce 1,000s of kilowattshours of energy. The building could be breathtaking, and a tourist attraction in its own right. Tourism wouldn’t have to be limited to just museum-goers, the roof itself could be a destination designers and builders interested in combining form and electrical generating capability. The building will only take up a small percentage of the total land available; therefor the land surrounding the museum could be covered with solar “mushrooms”, or other innovatively designed solar

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panels, elevated to make a calm and cool park underneath for relaxation and strolling.

If the MCCo site is not available, the cleared land behind the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center would also make a nice location for the museum. The main disadvantage would be the lack of Euclid Ave. visibility.

Market studies on the feasibility of a museum would need to be done and University Circle’s expertise, support and partnership would be most useful here. University Circle is known for their management of museums and UCI, along with its member institutions, can help facilitate and coordinate the planning and fundraising stage African American Museum board members, East Cleveland stakeholders and other area Greater Cleveland stakeholders will need to be invited at this stage as well.

INSTITUTE OF COOPERATIVENESS

The CMAAC could also house an Institute of Cooperativeness (IOC). Lance Buhl (former BP America Corporate Contributions Director) spoke at a recent Cleveland State University sponsored forum. He noted how important it is for communities to build social cohesion. It is needed, for instance, to deal with community issues such as crime. (Buhl). This social cohesion, or cooperation, can be built up in deliberate and systematic ways. Models of deliberate cooperation come in many forms. Examples include housing cooperatives, food cooperatives, credit unions and worker owned cooperatives.

An Institute of Cooperativeness can train and teach people from all walks of life, rich or poor, business owner or employee, residents or activists, to work in a grassroots manner in building social cohesion in East Cleveland and beyond. If a true Greater University Circle partnership is to develop, the future Institute of Cooperativeness can help facilitate a framework within which power is shared. It will not be an easy task as University Circle is seen as having great wealth while the surrounding communities are seen as having very little There are numerous groups in East Cleveland currently involved in different types of community engagement. They include East Cleveland’s Martha Clifton (Miss Mac) and her basketball programs for boys, Ed Parker and his Creative Arts Center, and Pat Blochowiak and her organization, Windermere Renaissance. Neighboring area groups working in East Cleveland include Trevelle Harp and his organization Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope (NOAH), Neighborhood Connections (funded in part by the Cleveland Foundation) and UCI through their various outreach programs.

Case Western Reserve University, through a variety of scholastic programs, already does some of the work of an IOC. In talking to Mark Chupp, professor at the University’s School of Applied Social Science, he noted his class’ involvement in East Cleveland on a number of different levels. One example includes graduate students surveying vacant housing as a precursor to the city’s application to the Neighborhood Stabi-

lization Program (NSP) for grant money to tear down blighted vacant homes. CWRU is also helping to build social ties through their Social Justice Institute and the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development (Chupp).

Including office space for an IOC in the proposed museum to operate is imperative to the social discourse and the economy of East Cleveland. And if CWRU is involved, it would be another University Circle institution that has expanded in a positive way into East Cleveland. The museum could be a lively home to grassroots organizing for those types of cooperative ventures that build the social fabric of a community.

CO-OP HOUSING

Construction of the social fabric, or community, would be enhanced by cooperative (co-op) housing. Cooperative housing is typically owned by a corporation with each household buying one equal share (regardless of living space, family or payment size). If the share equity is kept limited (i.e. buy-in shares that do not appreciate at market rates but at a small predetermined rate such as inflation), the housing remains relatively affordable. Residents become empowered as they operate in a democratic system of management – every owner has a vote in how to run the co-op. Authors Jim Gray, Jay Marcus and Joli Marie Carey write about co-op housing and describe costs. “Costs are typically less than either rental or single-family housing in the same neighborhood or block.”

Other reported benefits include fewer problems with crime and drugs, longer occupation of residents’ homes, better care of their homes, higher quality of life and residents who are more involved in their communities. (Gray, 20 & 21).

The typical housing co-op model is one of a multi-unit apartment building, East Cleveland, with its abundance of vacant single family houses, does not have to follow that model.

An entire street of empty re-habitable houses could be bought by a non-profit such as Lutheran Housing Corporation (LHC) or the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (commonly known as the Cuyahoga Land Bank).

The initial housing co-ops would welcome new residents as groups of a certain size (let’s say 10 families/units per group). Then the future co-op residents would go through orientation and training together (e.g. learning cooperative principals, housing management, facilitation skills, etc.) and develop a cohesive community. Perhaps training would be led by the newly formed Institute of Cooperativeness (IOC).

After a sufficient time (perhaps 3 – 9 months) families would move into the rehabbed homes as equal shareholders of the corporation that owns the houses. They would constitute and elect a board of directors, develop by-laws and set the amount of their monthly payments (called carrying charges).

Most houses would be inhabited by one family but some could be divided to accommodate two or three different family units. Those of lower income could receive grants or loans

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to help them purchase their equity share. The new residents would take control of the corporation owning the housing units. Their street would develop a strong bond, generated by their months of getting to know each other and learning to work together.

Like many limited-equity housing projects, it would require subsidies (e.g. from HUD, city governments, etc.) to help with the rehab of the properties and make them a desirable place to live. The housing rehab work would have to include energy conservation and efficiency strategies as the houses are quite large and old. This is an opportunity for workforce development in the city, along with addressing issues of environmental concern, and heating and cooling costs. Windows are a primary source of energy loss in older homes, and would need to be replaced in this scenario. Programs can be implemented that use an existing organization to train window installers from the local community. Or an organization such as Evergreen Energy Solutions, made up of local workers (and workplace co-op members) could be hired to do the work.

The windows would be installed at residences of cooperatives, low-income renters and owners at no cost. The program would guarantee greater energy efficiency and conservation for the occupant, and a return on investment would be realized by recapturing some of the lower utility costs. Money would be invested back into the program and the cycle would continue. An initial infusion of capital would be needed to pay for the first round of worker training and new window purchases.

WELCOMING NEIGHBORHOODS: BUILDING COMMUNITY

Shrinking cities such as Cleveland and East Cleveland are ripe for welcoming traditionally disempowered groups. This could include “internal” immigrants such as: gays, Latinos, seniors, African American, Native Americans and/or people with disabilities. It could also include reaching out to immigrants from other countries. What if East Cleveland became known as the place to go if you want to feel welcome? What if it became known as a refuge city where those fleeing repressive regimes in other countries could have a haven of safety and freedom? Newcomers would be welcome to join the cooperative housing movement as described above.

Cities are always looking for their brand or niche. This branding and building of a community around traditionally disempowered and discredited groups could be revolutionary. The idea of reaching out to newcomers is often met by scorn and negative reaction by the current residents of a community. So programs would have to be put into place to make sure that newcomers and old-timers alike are sharing equally in any benefits or costs to the community.

Two stakeholders, one a City Councilmember and one a Board of Education member both seemed open to embracing this concept of a welcoming city, or at least the idea of

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THE PLAIN DEALER U.S. Amateur Boxing champion Cashmere Jackson, right, greets Mykalah Caldwell, 11, during Jackson’s work out in 2011 at the MLK Recreation Center in East Cleveland.

E. Cleveland being a place that welcomes diversity. One Board member, Patricia Blochowiak, noted that families with children are still apprehensive about sending their kids to E. Cleveland schools. But she commented positively that “people moving into area are often young or gay,” (often families without children) and that “East Cleveland has a sizable gay population (up the hill)” (Blochowiak).City Councilmember and current President, Joy Jordan, also spoke positively, noting that “East Cleveland is a diverse place,” and that we “need diversity, need a mixture.” Jordan went on to say that they “have Christians, Muslims, Caucasians, Democrats, and Republicans,” and that in Lake Towers “there was all kind of diversity” (Jordan).

The remarks councilmembers highlight the point that diversity can be manifested in many different ways. The perception is that East Cleveland is a monolithic block; that it is populated entirely by African American Democratic and is overwhelmed by crime and poverty. Reality, as is often the case, is different. Crime statistics point to lowering rates, European Americans make up about 6% of the population, and people of different incomes, religions and sexual orientations are part of the social fabric in East Cleveland. These realities and remarks by two elected officials are positive building blocks that can be expanded upon.

Having a diverse welcoming city like East Cleveland on its boarder would be advantageous to University Circle. Greater University Circle could become known as the hip, cosmopolitan place to be. Visitors of all types and backgrounds would come to Greater University Circle and feel excited to be part of this planned diversity. It could become a premiere destination spot for tourists from around the world.

Financing for the above welcoming city programs, and the cooperative housing model would be problematic. National and international funding sources would need to be solicited and obtained to help implement them. Financing could come from NCB (the National Cooperative Bank), the United

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

THE PLAIN DEALER Prosecutor Bill Mason and East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton announce $5 million pledge to combat blight and stimulate development in East Cleveland and Cleveland in June of 2012.

Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank. Foundations such as Cleveland and Gund and national banks located in the area need to be approached as well. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) such as Cleveland’s Village Capital Corporation would also be targeted for assistance. Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) 2 Funds are also available to assist in purchasing renovated homes. Finally, Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) should not be overlooked as a source of funding for these types of cooperative housing developments.

OTHER DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

Stakeholders in East Cleveland and University Circle seem to agree that the best hope for current redevelopment of East Cleveland is along the western edge that abuts Cleveland’s University Circle. Redevelopment strategy includes tearing down as many blighted and vacant homes as possible and consolidating land parcels. When asked what his priority was (in terms of development) Mayor Norton stated, “with limited resources, I’m putting my bet on the west (ern edge of E. Cleve.; next to Univ. Circle)” (Norton).

Mark Chupp, Assistant Professor, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University found similar views with the previous Mayor of East Cleveland, Eric Brewer. Chupp’s class at the Mandel School conducted a

survey of vacant East Cleveland homes as part of their service learning project and in support of NSP dollars. Chupp said that they “presented five options to use NSP (dollars). Mayor Brewer picked one that concentrated near west (with some scattered around rest of city). And Mayor Norton concentrated in the same way” (Chupp).Although there is some intrinsic sense in concentrating on the area closest to the growing and wealthier University Circle, there is not one hundred percent agreement on this strategy. Councilmember Joy Jordan states, “Can’t miss Hayden, it is desolate; it should extend to Windemere; can have all kinds of growth” (Jordan).

Hayden Rd. runs through a more northern edge of the city and is on the west of the railroad tracks. Many streets deadend at these tracks, with only a few pass-through streets. Pat Blochowiak, East Cleveland School Board Member, did not disagree with the need to tear down some of the houses. But she said that “houses are getting torn down too fast. If they have overgrown yards they get torn down.” That’s why she is working to clean up vacant house lots with volunteers. “What is needed,” Blochowiak says, “is to do a deep energy retrofit on the houses as the energy costs are the main drag on affordability. The issue is not too many available and empty houses.

Tearing them down is short sighted; University Circle is expanding and will need these houses someday...The houses are beautiful...They are solid and not in as bad a shape as people

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who are tearing them down want us to believe.” She concluded by stating the old environmental axiom, “The greenest new home is the home that is left standing” (Blochowiak).

The recommendation is that there be at least a two (if not a multi) pronged approach to development. There are many areas of East Cleveland that are demanding attention, support and limited dollars. Continue to concentrate on the western edge near University Circle but also consider development around an anchor institution such as the East Cleveland Library or an elementary school. Eric Johnson, President and Executive Director of the University Park Alliance in Akron have a model worth investigating and replicating. With funding from the Knight Foundation and others, they are proceeding with neighborhood redevelopment in part by “targeting three blocks around schools.” They are not gentrifying in a negative manner, as coordinated rehabbing is not forcing anyone to move. Perhaps one of the key components to consider, UPA is helping to build community and cooperation by doing things in groups, as they “never do one home; they do fifteen at a time” (Johnson).

Superior Elementary School might be the perfect anchor institution to implement rehabbing and cooperative housing initiatives. Behind Shaw High School, could be another place.

A third could be along Haydon Rd. With a large number of vacant buildings in the surrounding neighborhoods, and streets coming off nearby Forest Hills Ave. (and Terrace Rd.), Superior School’s placement as an anchor to development is not far from the western edge of East Cleveland.

It is important to emphasize that homes should be saved if possible. At a minimum, it is important that the City officials and other participants in the demolition of vacant homes engage in a continuing dialogue with the citizens of the neighborhood and city about implementing critical priorities.

Authors Joseph Schilling and Jonathon Logan, in presenting the new concept of Sustainable (or Planned) Shrinkage write about how crucial it is to build community consensus on what needs to be torn down and what stays. This makes Planned Shrinkage different from the 1950s and 60s urban renewal programs where local citizens often felt they had no voice in the future direction of their neighborhood (as great swaths of land were cleared of buildings and given to local developers).

Schilling and Logan also suggest a critical step in instituting a green infrastructure program and plan (i.e. tearing vacant and blighted house down) is to have an institution like the Cuyahoga County Land Bank manage the acquired land, while a collaborative neighborhood process is initiated in order to build community consensus (Schilling, p. 451).

Besides redevelopment with new buildings on newly leveled green space, it is obvious that there are many potential agricultural adaptations that can be put into place on these structureless plots. Nut and fruit trees, switch grass (for energy production) and vegetables are all possible crops for

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vacant land. In abandoned buildings that are not severely compromised, mushroom farms can be developed. All of these agricultural products can be used for commercial resale or personal neighborhood consumption and beauty. East Cleveland might consider the use of the vacant green land for growing hemp. This requires long-term goal setting because it would take a change in the political climate in Ohio, and in federal law. This may be a viable use soon, as the federal government has been allowing a few experimental acres of hemp crop to be grown. The potential return to East Cleveland is great. Hemp (with unusable amounts of THC, the psychotropic element of marijuana) is in many ways the ideal crop. It is easily grown with little need for pesticides or fertilizers. It is used to make products such as paper, clothing and nutritious food items. Hemp products are already imported into the United States so the time is near when economic pressures force the government to allow its production. The city of East Cleveland could be in the forefront of the hemp movement and could team with CWRU and/or Cleveland State University in exploring economic, environmental and sociological implications of the cultivation of hemp as an urban crop. This kind of innovation could help drive further development in regards to spin-off industries that use the by-products of hemp. Now is the time to start planning for this change.

EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

In speaking with elected officials and others in East Cleveland, there is a realization that the schools are far from the place that they should be. The State of Ohio recently ranked the East Cleveland School System overall as being in “Academic Watch.” This is the second lowest of six categories, only above two schools in Academic Emergency (those being Cleveland and Lorain.) It should be noted though that individually, Shaw High School and at least one of the elementary schools (if not more), namely Superior, are ranked one rung higher at “Continuous Improvement” (Exner). One stakeholder resident in East Cleveland when asked if she would recommend families with children go to school in the public school system said, “No comment.” In other words, it is still a tough sell. If East Cleveland is to attract families with children, those with moderate income and above, the quality of the school system must rise. While there is some despair regarding the school system, East Cleveland elected officials are also proud of their schools. Blochowiak makes note of the environmental science, mock trial, and band programs as examples of positive directions that the school system is heading. Another move forward is that all of the school buildings in the system have been recently renovated. (Blochowiak). Still, much more is needed.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, in its 2005 Annual Report, cited a study by Paul Bauer, Mark Schweitzer, and Scott Shane (“State Growth Empirics,” Working Paper Series 06-06. Cleveland: Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 2006)

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that summarized the “largest factor underlying relative income differences (between US states) in 2004 is patents (“typically regarded as an indicator of a broad range of innovative activities rather than as direct producers of income”), followed by education (displayed statistically as combining high school and college completion). (Koehnen, p. 14 &17) Taxes and public infrastructure have minimal effect on state income per capita. Giving tax breaks or subsidies to businesses, while benefiting the recipients, don’t boost income at the state level (Koehnen, p. 12). Education is the key.

“Overall, Bauer, Schweitzer, and Shane’s study emphasizes the role of knowledge building - through research and education - in aiding income growth.” (Koehnen, p. 18) This may be an obvious point but it is an important one to make especially in relation to shrinking cities. Dana Metra researched the role of education in building civic capacity in struggling communities in a 2008 study, “Brain Drain in the Rust Belt...” Mita’s ideas about what could be done at the local level can be a lesson for shrinking/declining cities such as East Cleveland.

She found that a variety of institutions and individuals could build coalitions and “create a vision and plan for community change to improve or maintain community well-being” (Mitra, 734).Mitra’s finding regarding education are of interest to this paper. Sometimes one person can make a difference. Mitra found that the local school superintendent was a key force in helping to build the needed coalitions to help keep graduating youth in their community. The superintendent did some number crunching and found that 60% of graduating students went to four year colleges. But then 75% of them did not graduate. So the superintendent, using best practices, after consulting with a John Hopkins led consortium on secondary education, had the Milltown (anonymous name of the town in the study) school put every student into double prep tract: 4-year college track and one of four technical/vocational tracks (that totaled 19 distinct vocational programs). Students were put into small school units of 300 to 600 schools.

And strong connections were made with the metropolitan region’s business community (Mitra, p. 743-4).

Putting education first seems like a no-brainer. In East Cleveland it seems obvious that business leaders like General Electric Lighting (GE) would want to work in coalition with schools like Shaw and Superior to help support innovative funding and programming for the schools. Businesses often stay or move to locations because of the quality of life in the surrounding area. One would assume that GE sees the benefit for its company and its employees if it was located in a thriving community. Additional funding might be obtained from foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which has also been focusing on the small schools concept.

Kurt Karakul, director of the Third Federal Foundation, recently presented how his bank, locally owned and headquartered in Slavic Village, adopted a “P-16” initiative in working with their surrounding impoverished educational system. The bank, through the foundation, is pouring millions of dollars

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into support for the sociological, physical and educational needs of their community’s children (from pre-school to “grade 16”) (Karakul).

GE Lighting, located in East Cleveland should be asked to support the schools of East Cleveland in a similar fashion.

GE has some initiatives supporting area education endeavors. For example, they are offering space at their campus on Noble Rd. for ninth and tenth graders enrolled in a Cleveland City School District STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school. One has to wonder how much this school benefits the City of East Cleveland and its students. Investing directly into East Cleveland is likely to pay off in big dividends in terms of making East Cleveland a more desirable place for the GE corporation and its employees.

COOPERATION AMONGST ELECTED OFFICIALS

Finally, it is imperative that the elected officials work together in a cooperative fashion. Oftentimes, East Cleveland is seen as having an ineffective political leadership. Although many municipalities have fractured government officials, in an impoverished city like East Cleveland the fractures are magnified hundred-fold. The State Auditor has placed the East Cleveland in Fiscal Emergency. It is not that long ago that the city came out of a similar 17 year fiscal emergency designation. During stakeholder interviews a number of stakeholders have made negative comments about the mayor. The Mayor at one point felt it was necessary to have a police officer escort one of the City councilmembers out during a press conference he called in City Hall. Library Board members hold meetings without notifying others.

Stakeholder interviews also indicate that many city officials, elected or otherwise, have a keen passion for making their city a better place to live, work and play. They all wanted to move the city forward so that East Cleveland and its nearly 18,000 citizens would once again hold a place of prominence in Northeast Ohio.

At least two outside facilitated meeting were held with the City Council and the Mayor in order see how they could work together. According to Council President Jordan, there was not any follow up to these meetings (Jordan Interview).

There is no choice but to believe that the elected officials of East Cleveland are well-meaning and quite proud of their city and will eventually begin to work together for the benefit of all of its citizens. Perhaps a functioning IOC will help. What will help is a cohesive East Cleveland team, working with University Circle and UCI, could develop a synergy of positive development that could reverberate around the world.

— in aiding income growth.” (Koehnen, p. 18) This may be an obvious point but it is an important one to make especially in relation to shrinking cities. Dana Metra researched the role of education in building civic capacity in struggling communities in a 2008 study, “Brain Drain in the Rust Belt...” Mita’s ideas about what could

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

be done at the local level can be a lesson for shrinking/ declining cities such as East Cleveland. She found that a variety of institutions and individuals could build coalitions and “create a vision and plan for community change to improve or maintain community well-being” (Mitra, 734).Mitra’s finding regarding education are of interest to this paper. Sometimes one person can make a difference.

Mitra found that the local school superintendent was a key force in helping to build the needed coalitions to help keep graduating youth in their community. The superintendent did some number crunching and found that 60% of graduating students went to four year colleges. But then 75% of them did not graduate. So the superintendent, using best practices, after consulting with a John Hopkins led consortium on secondary education, had the Milltown (anonymous name of the town in the study) school put every student into double prep tract: 4-year college track and one of four technical/vocational tracks (that totaled 19 distinct vocational programs). Students were put into small school units of 300 to 600 schools.

And strong connections were made with the metropolitan region’s business community (Mitra, p. 743-4).

Putting education first seems like a no-brainer. In East Cleveland it seems obvious that business leaders like General Electric Lighting (GE) would want to work in coalition with schools like Shaw and Superior to help support innovative funding and programming for the schools. Businesses often stay or move to locations because of the quality of life in the surrounding area.

One would assume that GE sees the benefit for its company and its employees if it was located in a thriving community.

Additional funding might be obtained from foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which has also been focusing on the small schools concept.

Kurt Karakul, director of the Third Federal Foundation, recently presented how his bank, locally owned and headquartered in Slavic Village, adopted a “P-16” initiative in working with their surrounding impoverished educational system. The bank, through the foundation, is pouring millions of dollars into support for the sociological, physical and educational needs of their community’s children (from pre-school to “grade 16”) (Karakul).

GE Lighting, located in East Cleveland should be asked to support the schools of East Cleveland in a similar fashion. GE has some initiatives supporting area education endeavors. For example, they are offering space at their campus on Noble Rd. for ninth and tenth graders enrolled in a Cleveland City School District STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school. One has to wonder how much this school benefits the City of East Cleveland and its students. Investing directly into East Cleveland is likely to pay off in big dividends in terms of making East Cleveland a more desirable place for the GE corporation and its employees.

Cooperation Amongst Elected Officials

Finally, it is imperative that the elected officials work together in a cooperative fashion. Oftentimes, East Cleveland is seen as having an ineffective political leadership. Although many municipalities have fractured government officials, in an impoverished city like East Cleveland the fractures are magnified hundred-fold. The State Auditor has placed the East Cleveland in Fiscal Emergency. It is not that long ago that the city came out of a similar 17 year fiscal emergency designation. During stakeholder interviews a number of stakeholders have made negative comments about the mayor. The Mayor at one point felt it was necessary to have a police officer escort one of the City councilmembers out during a press conference he called in City Hall. Library Board members hold meetings without notifying others.

Stakeholder interviews also indicate that many city officials, elected or otherwise, have a keen passion for making their city a better place to live, work and play. They all wanted to move the city forward so that East Cleveland and its nearly 18,000 citizens would once again hold a place of prominence in Northeast Ohio.

At least two outside facilitated meeting were held with the City Council and the Mayor in order see how they could work together. According to Council President Jordan, there was not any follow up to these meetings (Jordan Interview).There is no choice but to believe that the elected officials of East Cleveland are well-meaning and quite proud of their city and will eventually begin to work together for the benefit of all of its citizens. Perhaps a functioning IOC will help. What will help is a cohesive East Cleveland team, working with University Circle and UCI, could develop a synergy of positive development that could reverberate around the world.

MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ON EAST CLEVELAND’S WEST SIDE STRATEGIC LOCATION

I

n recent years, East Cleveland’s west side bordering Little Italy and University Circle, as well as Little Italy and University Circles’ East side bordering East Cleveland, have seen modest to moderate residential, commercial, and institutional development. Much of the development stems from the dynamic economy of University Circle and its subsequent need for student and employee housing and amenities. Unfortunately, in the shadow of University Circle’s dynamic growth, East Cleveland and other surrounding neighborhoods have continued to follow negative long-term socioeconomic trends. The juxtaposition of these neighboring economies creates extreme socioeconomic disparity. However, as University Circle continues to grow, poorer neighborhoods such as East Cleveland have opportunities to participate in the phenomenal success of University Circle’s dynamic economy through a mix of public, private, and non-profit partnerships. As Cleveland Foundation Program Director for Neighborhood’s Housing and Community

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

41

Figure 1: University Circle, East Cleveland, Little Italy Border. google earth, 2012.

Development India Pierce Lee stated, “It is in the best interest of University Circle’s anchor institutions to have safe, healthy, vibrant communities surrounding them.” With this common philosophy, moving forward to positively impact East Cleveland’s west side is simply the next step in the natural progression to implement common goals that are in the best interest of all members of University Circle and its surrounding neighborhoods regardless of background and present circumstance.

MEDICAL CENTER COMPANY OF CLEVELAND, OHIO Medical Center Company of Cleveland, Ohio (MCCo) was formed in 1932 as a not-for-profit corporation in an effort to consolidate and conserve energy distribution within the

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non-profit corporations of University Circle’. MCCo provides a centralized energy solution referred to as a ‘District Energy System’, providing members with centralized heating and cooling as well as electricity. As MCCo looks beyond coal in an effort to move toward sustainable energy practices, plans to develop now vacant land it owns on East Cleveland’s west side into a large scale solar farm are underway. Although noble in its effort to increase sustainability, many concerns have been raised about the congruence of that kind of land use next to a location within East Cleveland that has recently seen moderate residential and institutional growth and abuts a portion of Little Italy and University Circle that is experiencing much more dynamic residential, commercial and institutional growth. To its credit, MCCo has shown a willingness to partner with entities

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

interested in developing the site into uses that would include their solar farm. Furthermore, MCCo incurred a significant capital expense in the demolition and remediation of the site.

As East Cleveland continues to struggle with continued disinvestment, a diminished tax base due to joblessness and substantial property vacancies, as well as a budget crisis that the State of Ohio is monitoring, the need to fully leverage its remaining assets into viable avenues of economic development and community wealth building has never been stronger.

As Joe Frolik’s Plain Dealer Article entitled: A respite for East Cleveland stated,“ (East Cleveland Mayor) Norton figured his city had two great assets. The first was proximity to University Circle, the cultural, educational and medical cluster that is Greater Cleveland’s most robust jobs generator. The second was something those institutions desperately needed---land.”

It is conceivable that the piece of remediated land MCCo owns is East Cleveland’s best asset and represents the most realistic and viable option for development to occur within the city at the moment.

SITE PROPOSALS Residential

Mixed-use development that incorporates MCCo’s solar array has potential to meet the goals of stakeholders within University Circle as well as those of East Cleveland. Meeting the housing needs of residents who are unwilling or unable to pay higher market rates outside of East Cleveland while looking for similar quality and access found within University Circle have literally found a home next door to MCCO’s site at Circle East Townhomes. A stone’s throw away, in Little Italy on the west-

Figure 2: Townhomes. cirlceeasttownhomes.com, 2012.

ern border of East Cleveland, residents of 27 Coltman enjoy close proximity to all of the amenities of Little Italy and University Circle yet remain within a block of MCCo’s site. Together, both residential developments flank MCCo’s site and prove the viability of quality residential development in the area.

According to ‘Growing Greater University Circle: Economic and Demographic Drivers 2005-2015’ authored by Real Estate Strategies Inc., and commissioned by The Finch Group and University Circle Incorporated in order to better the need for residential units in Greater University Circle, a substantial need exists for one and two bedroom apartments to house the growing population of earners of above $60,000 a year who are moving to the area. East Cleveland and the MCCo site are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this continued trend.

According to the GGUC:E&D Report: — institutions reported that they anticipate adding 2,912 additional employees in Greater University Circle by

Figure 3: Townhomes. 27coltman.com, 2012.

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Figure 4: Required Aldi Site Plan. aldi.us, 2012

2015. Not all institutions provided estimates; hence, this total number may underestimate the overall gain. Information about anticipated 2015 salaries was provided by only a few of the institutions. While the sample was small, the responding employers anticipated that the percentage of employees in salary ranges from $60,000 to $70,000 and from $70,000 to $100,000 would increase while the percentage with salaries below $60,000 would decline. A rough calculation of the demand that might be generated by the projected additional employees involves using the salary breakdown provided by the responding institutions and the typical percentage of renter households in the market to estimate the number of additional rental household that might be interested in new rental units in GUC. Assuming the same salary pattern as seen during 2010, about 65.1 percent of the 2,912 additional employees would be in income bands likely to be renters and to be able to afford rents that might be charged at the‌. development. In the market, about 41 percent of units are renter-occupied. Applying these calculations would mean that about 777 of the additional employees might rent units.

Therefore, the rough calculation indicates that there are more than two additional employees for every one additional unit proposed.

Retail

in order to house workforce development center(s) on MCCo’s site -geared toward equipping unemployed/underemployed residents with skills in the manufacturing and construction trades. This would provide in-demand goods and services around the Greater University Circle region and beyond and is the highest use for this site (with the greatest long-term benefit for the community). Partners such as Employment Connection, Evergreen Corp and Cuyahoga Community College have a strategic opportunity to grow in one of the most dynamic economic locations in the region as they continue to fulfill their mission - while enhancing one of the most severely neglected communities in the country.

Indoor Urban Gardens

Incorporating indoor urban gardens present another viable non-and-for-profit business opportunity for the site.

Combining renewable energy with local produce grown by residents using models such as Plant Chicago, Eco Spirit run by Squamish Nation in Vancouver BC, or Big Box Farms Brooklyn NY, is the wave of the future in urban America. Although city agriculture has largely been limited to non-profits, school groups and restaurants, the market is changing.

For-profit agribusinesses can thrive on the rising demand within city centers for safe, organic locally grown food. With innovations in technology, energy consumption to run these indoor farms could be reduced by as much as 40-60%. The ability to completely control the environment and produce 365 days a year is luring business minded entrepreneurs into the market, while government and university grants are paving the way to pilot this innovative technique. Business relationships already established by Green City Growers could also be supplemented and strengthened through the innovative practice of indoor urban gardening.

PROPOSED SITE PLAN

The need for a quality discount grocery store such as Aldi cannot be overstated. East Cleveland suffers from a lack of quality food options and may be considered a food desert.

Furthermore, the newer residential developments nearby help provide an existing market for any retailer choosing to occupy the site, while serving the needs of the longer-term residents in the area. Coupling retailers such as Aldi with residential, office and additional retail development, designed to complement the existing urban fabric, create a synergy that supplements the existing market while providing an economic anchor within East Cleveland that the community can build off of.

Office Space: Workforce Development Center/ Corporate Headquarters Empowering the existing labor market in East Cleveland through partnerships with successful non-profits and coop’s

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Figure 5: Proposed Site Plan. Neider 2012

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

WORKING WITH MCCO

Finally, MCCo’s commitment to a large-scale solar farm has to be taken into consideration. Asphalt parking on the site has to be limited or modified in order for MCCo’s solar to efficiently coexist with development. Alternative solutions for the placement of the solar array in conjunction with asphalt parking may also be required.

Included below are examples of successful solar carports used to allow various solar farms to coexist with asphalt parking. MCCo and any partner developer may want to consider this approach in order to satisfy disparate development goals.

Figure 6: Solar Carport. solardaily.com, 2012

POP-UP INTERVENTIONS

W

ith a challenging economic climate and a financially troubled East Cleveland, any type of development in the city would be difficult. Instead of starting out with a big ticket endeavor, like a large scale housing development, it would seem appropriate to start out at a much smaller scale to create a framework to expand upon. This smaller scale project would base itself off of popular pop-up art instillations and events that have taken place across North America. Pop-up events often act as trial runs for artists, shop owners, restaurateurs, architects, designers, and many others to test run their concepts instead of investing in “brick-and-mortar” establishments right off the bat, something that has become increasingly popular in an uncertain economy (Hirsch, 2011). What will be proposed for East Cleveland would be phases of pop-up inspired installations and events that would become increasingly larger in scale, aiming to incubate further endeavors and attract investment.

Leading these pop-up efforts would be an East Cleveland Community Development Corporation, either a newly created one for East Cleveland or the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation, which is already involved in East Cleveland. This group could then team up with other partners, like University Circle Inc. (UCI), Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), The Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), East Cleveland City Schools, Snickerfritz, the Urban

League, the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC), and possibly others. Funding for any pop-up efforts would come from a variety of sources, mainly from the Community Development Corporation in charge. Partners could also contribute monetarily and in other ways, like through donating land/space, supplies, volunteers and other human capital (workers, students, artists, etc…)

Funds could also be found through grants from various foundations, like the National Endowment of the Arts, the Cleveland Foundation, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Other pop-up events can even make money through user fees; from entrance into an event or from vendors and sales. These various funding sources have all been utilized by Terry Schwarz, the director of the CUDC and creator of Pop Up City in Cleveland, an initiative that creates temporary uses for vacant and underutilized spaces (T. Schwarz, personal communication, 26 Nov. 2012). With that said, the people involved and the funding sources would rely on the individual popup events, which could be further explored when an idea for an event is established/decided upon.

Starting with smaller scale projects would not only be cheaper, but also easier to implement and could be done more immediately than larger, more expensive projects. These pop-up events would aim to create buzz by drawing attention to certain aspects of the city and getting the community, and possibly people from outside the community, involved. By doing this, dialogues could be started about the conditions of the city, the positive and negative attributes of the city or neighborhood(s), and what people would like to see in their community/neighborhood.

Inspiration can be drawn from Broken City Lab, a non-profit group in Canada that aims to inspire civic change in post-industrial cities though creative events, projects, workshops, and interventions (Broken City Lab). The group’s “Save the City” project is a good model that similar efforts in East Cleveland could follow; gather community input on issues and possible solutions and involve the community in said solutions. By involving the citizens of East Cleveland, and possibly those from surrounding neighborhoods, what people think of their city can be determined; what is important, what needs saved, what needs changed, etc. At the same time, these events would also get people engaged and help build support for any future efforts, efforts that would also be inspired by their input.

To help gather information on current conditions, local efforts could emulate Broken City Lab’s “Listen to the City” and “Things Worth Saving” events, the first of which asked those who attended, “Why did you first come to Windsor? And Why are you still here?”

(Broken City Lab). This helped to spark a dialogue and point out issues that needed to be addressed (Broken City Lab). The second event then had people take pictures of the things worth saving, turned those photos into postcards, had the people involved write their stories on said postcards, and then mailed them out to other cities (Broken City Lab).

A similar workshop and brainstorming session could be held in East Cleveland. With the CDC and UCI working together, such an effort could help start a discussion that would help inform any future endeavors. A follow up event could hand out disposable

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

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THINGS WORTH SAVING, 2010

POP UP CITY

Figure 1: People adding messages to postcards.

Figure 3: Gathering space created during “Bridge Mix.”

cameras to participants, asking them to photograph what they like and don’t like about their city. Once those are collected, they can be shared with the community and area stakeholders showing what the real and perceived strengths and weaknesses of the city are. Whether or not the photos are turned into postcards and then sent out could be determined later. Either way, this could provide a starting point to work from, informing what is needed and where any efforts could take place.

After these information gathering meetings, sites for pop-up art and other small scale events could be selected. At this point, something comparable to Broken City Lab’s “Make This Better” campaign could be implemented. This campaign finds vacant and underutilized spaces and puts up installations that say “Make This Better,” aiming to draw attention to the site and starting a conversation (Broken City Lab). This could be done locally, but those involved could think of other ways to accomplish the same goal(s). The same could also be accomplished by finding a way to directly ask what people want from a site or space.

Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood stakeholders did

just that. They created a chalk wall on a vacant storefront asking what people would like to see in that location; people responded with things like a grocery store, coffee shop, daycare, etc. Something like this could be done in East Cleveland and would be a direct way of seeing what people want in their community.

Expanding on the above, and again, motivated by Broken City Lab, a walking tour of the city could be given, showing residents what is currently going on in the city, looking at the Circle East Townhomes development and efforts on Idlewood, as well as showing people currently vacant sites/buildings and having a discussion right there.

These types of meetings, brainstorming sessions, and events, can be similar to what Broken City Lab has done, and could inspire new efforts and ideas that achieve the same results, laying the groundwork for larger pop-up events and spontaneous interventions.

Larger scale events would be used to draw more attention to the challenges in the community and provide temporary solutions to said challenges. Although these solutions would be temporary, they can show how innovative ways of thinking can solve issues.

New ideas for infrastructure investment and how to use vacant or underutilized space can be tested and possibly lead to permanent ventures if the ideas are successful. At the same time, community members, public officials, and stakeholders can witness and interact with said interventions and possibly be inspired to find a way to make them permanent. Pop-up events can also be used to generate revenue through user fees and vendor sales, while at the same time presenting new ideas.

A good number of local examples exist that could influence efforts put forth by East Cleveland and UCI, one of them being “Bridge Mix,” (see Figure 3) which was a pop-up intervention put together by the CUDC, Pop Up City, the Civic Innovation Lab, Tremont West Development Corporation, and Progressive Urban Real Estate (Pop Up City). The aim of this project was to highlight an underused and unkempt asset and turn it into a community gathering place (Pop Up City). There are many similar sites in East Cleveland and its environs that could use inventive ideas on how to make those spaces better; the railroad bridge over Euclid Avenue acts as a

MAKE THIS BETTER, 2010 Figure 2: “Make This Better” art installation.

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WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

SPONTANEOUS INTERVENTIONS Figure 4: Intersection improvements.

LEFKOWITZ, M., 2012 Figure 5: Bike lanes and other improvements to Rockwell Ave. in Cleveland.

barrier between Cleveland and East Cleveland, as does Lakeview Cemetery, and Forrest Hills Park is a prime example of an underutilized and poorly maintained asset. All of these involve other cities and entities, which create challenges for fixing any issues, but that could be addressed by creative interventions.

Yet another example to look to would be “Intersection Repair,” (see Figure 4). The aim of this initiative is to take something that is seen as unusable public spaces and retroactively transform them into public gathering spaces (Spontaneous Interventions). City Repair, an almost all volunteer organization in Portland, Oregon, “gathers communities to paint murals on street crossings and add other improvements, like benches, information boards, and plantings, yielding lively new focal points for their neighborhoods,” (Spontaneous Interventions). If implemented locally, such focal points and public spaces can be created, helping to engage the community, who would help create and maintain those spaces.

Similar to “Intersection Repair,” “Better Block” is another intervention that is temporary and can show how a blighted block can be improved by providing bike lanes, outdoor seating, food stalls, plantings, and other amenities (Spontaneous Interventions). There is a similar example of this in Cleveland called “Pop Up Rockwell,” which was a temporary installation created by the CUDC (see Figure 5). The project aimed to answer design questions posed by Cleveland’s new Complete and Green Streets Ordinance, which requires bicycle and pedestrian improvements as well as “considerations for energy efficiency and storm water management” to new roadway investments (Pop Up City). CUDC students created “Cleveland’s first cycle track, stormwater bio-filtration benches, enhanced transit waiting areas, and wind animated public art;” the project acted as a trial run for student ideas, allowing them to test their designs in a real world setting (Pop Up City). Again, this could inspire similar efforts in East Cleveland and its surroundings, challenging students and citizens in the area to think of ways to strengthen their neighborhood and ties between surrounding communities, something that is important for East Cleveland and UCI. Many other spontaneous interventions and events can also referenced, not only to show how spaces can be used, but to also

raise money. The CUDC’s “Hipp Deck” and “Electronic Roller Disco Tech” are examples of this, showing potential uses of a parking garage and vacant factory building, respectively (Pop Up City).

These temporary events showed, not just the potential uses, but also helped to raise money from user fees and vendor sales.

By putting on these pop-up events, creating spontaneous interventions, and engaging the community, a framework is created for more substantial projects that can have a more significant impact. Projects created with community input builds public support and can lead to others making investments in the city. These events can also lead to more permanent installations and create a cohesive network of projects. An example of this would be the Village of Arts and Humanities, better known as “The Village”, in Philadelphia.

Started in 1986, “The Village” started out as a partnership between a local artist and neighborhood children with the goal of turning a vacant lot into a neighborhood park (Village of Arts), seen in Figure 6. Since then, it has expanded into the surrounding neighborhood; fixing up burnt-out and abandoned buildings, brightening up alley ways and blank walls with murals, and providing educational programs centering around the arts and environment (McCarthy). There is also a community art repository and the organization owns “56 parcels of land, 7 row-houses, and” manages 87 vacant lots for the city (Cook, 2011). “The Village” has also formed partnerships to help raise money. They collaborated with Teens4Good, which has “an urban farm, an herb garden, and a fruit orchard on 13 of the lots and employs ten local teens,” (Cook, 2011). Also, they rent out space for artists and programs as well as established a partnership with Fait Enterprises, who, in exchange for classroom space, provides $6,000 annually for building repairs (Cook, 2011). By working with Temple University’s graduate program, a pro-bono storm water management program was generated, the implementation of the program assisted by Engineers Without Borders that also helps train residents on how to maintain rain gardens (Cook, 2011).

“The Village” could serve as a model for local neighborhoods.

Starting with community outreach efforts mentioned earlier, then moving to pop-up art interventions like the “Make This Better”

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GOOGLE EARTH Map 1: Possible pop-up business area.

campaign, then progressing to spontaneous interventions like “Intersection Repair,” a framework can be created that leads to more permanent solutions. Urban farms could be established and could work with Coit Market as well as work with/provide food to local restaurants in East Cleveland and in the Cleveland neighborhoods of Little Italy and University Circle. At the same time, these urban farms could create jobs for locals. Working with UCI and its member institutions, like CWRU and CIA, as well as working with city schools and organizations, like Snickerfritz, educational programs in the arts and sciences could be formed, which would provide alternatives, opportunities, and skills for area residents, young and old. At the same time, working with UCI, neighborhood stabilization funds, the Cuyahoga County Land Bank, and others, vacant lots and buildings could be secured, developed, rehabbed, or reused. This is not only beneficial to East Cleveland, but also for University Circle, which is growing and needs more space for development options, both residential and commercial.

Not only could neighborhood initiatives, like “The Village,” build off of an earlier framework and help lead to a more stable city, but so could business district revitalization. This could be realized through pop-up businesses that could fill vacancies in mostly intact business districts. Inspiration could be drawn from what a former Slovenian neighborhood on St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland is doing, which is providing assistance to ten pop-up businesses, bringing them all online simultaneously with the hopes of sparking interest that can create foot traffic, support nearby businesses, and have a more lasting effect than other, more seasonal pop-up shops (Smith, 2012).

To attract retailers, “the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation, a non-profit agency with access to federal block grant funds,” is “offering six months free rent, storefront renovations, and business training to merchants,” who are ready to make a commitment (Smith, 2012). The corporation worked with landlords who had little to lose by offering free rent and worked with the Small Business Development Center at the Urban League to help find prospective tenants (Smith,

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Map 2: Another possible pop-up business area.

2012). Offering these vacant spaces and training services to entrepreneurs allows for them to test-run their ideas with less financial risk (Hirsch, 2011). Some of the pop-up shops may not succeed, but those that do can become permanent tenants and expand.

The trick for East Cleveland is to find mostly intact business districts, which there aren’t many of. However, there are several on Euclid and Superior Avenues. There are several buildings that are across from the Circle East Townhomes that could be rehabbed and filled with such an endeavor, drawing off the synergy of that area (see Map 1). However, from a windshield survey conducted it appears that the most intact district lies on Superior Avenue between Carlyon Rd. and the Superior Ave. Redline Station (see Map 2). The building stock there is better kept and there are existing businesses that any pop-up venture could feed off. There is also underutilized land that could provide future opportunities for other pop-up events and other interventions, as well as for future development.

With a culmination of all of these efforts, from events that gather information from the community, to small scale events that help facilitate discussion, to events and spontaneous interventions that show how to utilize or improve existing infrastructure, to a neighborhood and business district approach, a synergy can be created that helps to incubate ideas, businesses, attract residents, fill vacancies, and create a better community for existing and new residents. Starting out small allows for action to be taken immediately and with a modest investment. By involving the community in the beginning, current conditions and needs can be assessed and citizens can be engaged in the effort to transform the city for the better, letting them become stakeholders in their city, fostering a desire to see and be a part of any improvement.

And by forming bonds between the City of East Cleveland, it’s schools and organizations and University Circle Inc. and it’s member organizations, a stronger bond can be created that facilitates development, both physically and socially, ignoring artificial boundaries and barriers.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

Service

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

PIONEERING WORLD CLASS SERVICE, EDUCATION AND WELLNESS:

sorts, for those looking for educational options, social service, and opportunities for wellness.

A Social Manifesto

Proposed Implementations: Education as a Tool for Social Change

As it is clearly no secret, one of the most valuable assets that East Cleveland has to offer, is the abundance of vacant, and underutilized land which could potentially be redeveloped, and used for something, anything. Although it is difficult and disparaging to see a city struggle as East Cleveland has, it is uplifting to know that the future can only be upward. Opportunity is often a close cousin of despair. In the midst of this disparity, we have the opportunity to make something grand, something sought after, and something to be proud of. As an approach to planning, in our recommendation, we highlight social planning as a cornerstone of progress in social society. That being said, procuring service is a sure fire way to light the flame for social progress in East Cleveland, and the region.

Vision

As a future thinking city, we envision East Cleveland as a pioneer. We see East Cleveland as a pioneer in the areas of service, education and wellness. Imagine if East Cleveland was the first place you thought of when looking for service.

We propose changing how we think, and look at the city in general. A new dawn of attitudes and actions - a mecca of

It is no secret that the schools in East Cleveland are achieving at some of the lowest levels in the region, and are as bad as some of the nation’s worst. Although funding will forever remain an issue, the concept of charter schools are becoming increasingly popular. One of East Cleveland’s greatest assets, is their abundance of land, potentially available for use. We’re proposing that the land, would be given to developers at a nominal cost, with the requirement that they build buildings compatible with the needs typically associated with charter schools. Also, for a period of time, the land would need to function as a home for an educational institution.

The idea of revitalizing the educational system in East Cleveland through funding of charter schools, is a long term plan.

The plan involves everything from land use, to development, to application and curriculum. We propose, that for these schools, they base their educational plan, curriculum, and format on the McElwainian Model. In modern educational philosophy, this model, incorporates techniques to allow any student, (including impoverished students), to succeed, regardless of race, background, origin, religion, situation, or home life. These schools, would be available to any student currently residing in East Cleveland, through the State of Ohio’s voucher program. The

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THE PLAIN DEALER Students from MC2 STEM High School head to lunch in a building on GE's Nela Park campus in East Cleveland.

nice part about building a charter school, is that you’re essentially starting from scratch. In the McElwainian Model, a charter school will start, with on a limited basis, admitting one grade level of students. The size of the school does really not matter, and can be as big, or as small as the originator desires. The basis of the success of the model, lies in the fact that all of the education from day one (the first class of students will be a kindergarten or 1st grade class.) From the first day on, each classroom of students will be paired with a teacher. Each teacher will essentially stick with their group of students all the way through their entrance to high school. For the most part, students enter into their first year of schooling essentially at the same spot. In a situation where the teacher follows the student, they not only build an extremely tight relationship, the educator also learns the strengths and weaknesses of the student. This relationship, and this format, allows the teacher to better teach to the individual.

An example of this methodology, is currently being employed at a charter school on the Near West Side of Cleveland, named The Bridge Avenue School. At this particular school (which applies the suggested model for charter schools in East Cleveland,) they are achieving at or above the state recommended grade level

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benchmarks, at no additional cost to the students. (U. S. Department of Education.)

Accountability for Educational Equality

The next aspect as to why this model is great, is because it eliminates blame forwarding, and eliminates social promotion.

With this model, there is no such thing as social promotion, because there is no reason. The social aspect of schooling is right there with them. They will be with the entirely same group of students until high school. If a student is falling behind, the teacher actually can take the time to devote to that individual student, instead of just pushing them on to another teacher, in another grade, and making one student’s issue another teacher’s problem. This is not to say that all teachers operate in this manner, but social promotion has clearly played a role in East Cleveland’s schools, or we would not have 5th grade classrooms with students who are still struggling with basic reading. (Williamson) One must note, that for the students that are below grade level, (for whatever reason) are not handicapped. Why must our urban populations score significantly below their suburban peers? Why are we letting our schools accept mediocrity? The answer is sim-

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

ple. Sometime, between kindergarten and high school, students attending urban school systems (regardless of race or ethnicity) are behind when they get to high school. The model proposed would eliminate this, as each teacher is held accountable, and every student held accountable by that teacher to learn.

The next question that might be asked next is, what about the students that are currently living in East Cleveland and are struggling. Unfortunately, one of the downfalls of this model, is that it starts with children at a young age and progresses onward.

This model does not really allow for immediate change. Although some may view that as a negative, planners, educators, politicians, (and anyone interested in social educational equality in schools) have tried numerous approaches throughout the last many decades, with no avail. Any progress we can make, is progress.

Technological Orientation: Partnership with General Electric Lighting

As we progress in society, we quickly learn that in our world, many of the directions we are taking are quickly becoming technology oriented. Often times, poor, urban (often public) schools do not have the proper resources they need in terms of allocation towards science and technology. Is it fair that disadvantaged, poor, minority students attending urban school districts do not receive proper backgrounds in a field where 80% of new job creation will be in the next 20 years? (U.S. Department of Education) We think not. Upon interviewing several stakeholders at G.E. Lighting, we were informed that General Electric is already involved in programs with several schools Cleveland proper. When we asked them if they would be interested in playing a stronger role, perhaps playing a strong stakeholder role in a technology oriented school, (in East Cleveland) they enthusiastically agreed that they would be interested in such a project.

Employment Gateways

With technology being one of the focuses of the school, students could be involved in such projects as sustainable energy, everything from low wattage lighting, to solar energy (two areas that GE is a pioneer in.) Also, this would create an employment pathway for students. If students reach high school with a technology background, they’re more likely to take technologically and scientific oriented coursework in high school. That type of person, is exactly who companies like G.E. Lighting are looking to hire. Also, it is not widely known the structure of the workforce within G.E. Lighting. Although much of what is done at Nela Park (G.E. Lighting’s East Cleveland home) is engineering based, there are hundreds of technical positions. The majority of G.E. Lighting’s test facilities are located in East Cleveland. They are constantly hiring technicians to work with their teams. The nice part about this, lies in the fact that they have opportunities for students (potential employees) ranging from all skill, ability, and educational level of training. Also, with new people, and students emerging into the workforce, it gives the city of East Cleveland a huge boost, as its citizens now have more money to spend in the city, assuming that they decide to stay. A better chance at finding quality employ-

ment, also encourages home ownership. Theoretically, this could mean big things for East Cleveland. If (potentially) the people living within the city limits are making more money, and are becoming homeowners at a higher rate because of it, the problem of rental properties not being maintained will drop as well. In our view, boosting the value presented in education, benefits the citizens of East Cleveland, and will have a full circle impact.

Equitable Availability to Wellness:

It is no secret, that when one is well, both in mind and body, they are not only happier, but take more pride in their everyday lives. If we’re looking to rejuvenate a city or area, in our view, wellness, is as much of a good of a way as any. In the buildings that we mentioned above (namely for charter school use) will also be mixed use structures. In each charter school building, there will be a wellness center, which is funded by the school for both students, and community members to use. The whole goal of the mixed use proposal with the school and wellness center is to promote overall, comprehensive wellbeing, at no additional burden to those who need and want the service. The wellness centers, could be anything from a workout facility, to volunteer counseling, to sports programs for kids and adults alike. In most people’s life, there are times when they have been down on their luck, and almost did not have enough money to put food on the table. At these times, necessities become the priority. The wellness centers, would allow a community based focus, on items that are often considered secondary, but are necessary to the wellbeing of citizens and people.

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hrough individual and group work with stakeholder interviews, a windshield survey, tours of East Cleveland, informal surveys of East Cleveland residents and stakeholders, assigned readings, professional as well as in-class presentations, I would offer my recommendations on ways University Circle Inc. can continue its modernized mission of “moving beyond its traditional boundaries and making real connections” between the anchor institutions it is funded by and the residents of the surrounding communities. My recommendations fall within the area of service and are backed by the research of the group as a whole. Specifically, I will touch on policing, education, street beautification, marketing, arts, cultural and vocational training and above all, value.

As most leaders of non-profit organizations can attest to, funding is a continuing concern. Within its operating budget, endeavoring to work within its mission is a tough task. But the mission is important enough to ask it’s anchoring institutions for more funding as the needs arise. Fees for services, philanthropic donations, real estate receipts and endowments are UCI’s main sources of funding. The needs of its mission to provide value should be it’s main concern in asking for more funding. On the other end, allow the residents of East Cleveland, and other communities, to see the value of working with UCI as a partner. Continue to improve its role as a liaison to the

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GENERAL ELECTRIC

anchor institutions of University Circle. From what my group has garnered, there is still some room for growth.

Policing

Within the area of policing, there has been continued concern from East Cleveland residents over the safety of their neighborhoods. Most individuals interviewed would welcome some sort of agreement between UCI and E.C. to allow University Circle police to patrol portions of the city. But the concerns don’t stop there.

There is a feeling that police don’t do enough in the community to become a more positive force for the residents to trust in.

There have also been opinions, voiced by motorists, that they are sometimes stopped by police, for reasons other than actual traffic violations. They believe profiling those with nicer vehicles has become commonplace. There are also accusations of corruptness from them as unbefitting of police officers. These allegations by residents are not deeply researched, as actual opinions voiced in public, are still poignant.

Some E.C. residents, as well as non-residents, hate the traffic cameras along Euclid Ave., but during our first interview with Mayor Norton, we found that they offer welcome revenue for the city. And residents have voted to keep them installed as well. I believe that it has made Euclid Ave. a safer road to travel for everyone because of the 25 mph-zone.

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Police commanders from Cleveland, CWRU, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland and UCI already meet occasionally to talk over their policing needs and concerns. I would raise the issue that they need to continue working together to help alleviate perceptions within E.C. that the police force isn’t working towards the greater good of the residents, possibly through more community policing.

Collaborations on policing policies and mandates between police may help tackle some of these tactical concerns over policing. I would also consider raising a residency requirement for East Cleveland officers within a specified period of their start date.

Education, vocational training and conomic futures:

I commend UCI over the roles that they’ve taken within the Community Education Department over the years. The Early Learning Initiative (ELI), Linking Education and Discovery (LEAD), and Future Connections are great examples of broadening students’ exposure to UCI’s institutions and using UCI’s resources to enrich the student’s educational opportunities outside of the traditional classroom.1 There seems to not be enough availability of the same resources after the high school years are over however. For E.C. students that do well in school, I would recommend a chance to continue the partnership with UCI by creating and utilizing a need-based scholarship fund, sponsored by the anchor institutions. This fund

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could be used by high achieving students to attend Case Western Reserve University or Cleveland Institute of Art. Show E.C. residents, that UCI and anchor institutions continue to create innovative measures that can continue to add value to resident’s lives and experiences. A prime model of this would be the one that Main South Community Development Corporation uses in partnership with Clark University (Worcester, Mass.). The university continues the educational exposure through to the collegiate level by offering full scholarships. More value added to the community.

One of the complaints that a stakeholder made was that most E.C. residents mostly lack the professional expertise or experience to take on the various jobs of city management that would be needed by E.C. to lead the city through the current challenging times2. It’s hard to find qualified candidates to take on these roles who already have a stake in the city. The competitive pool isn’t large enough to draw qualified applicants from that would make the positions a draw for aspiring professionals. A short-term role that UCI could take on would be to use staff to lend expertise to E.C. in the areas that it would need within city government. These areas could include marketing, accounting, urban planning, community relations and management. This would last until younger professionals could come along to assume those responsibilities as part or full-time employees of the city. This, of course, could take time with the current budget challenges as they are. In the end, it adds more value to the community.

Already as a major contributor to the tax base of E.C., G.E. Lighting has a major economic role to play in its future. One way it could improve the vocational needs of citizens of E.C. would be to offer vocational classes to top science and math students at Shaw High School. They already offer educational opportunities through their MC2 Stem High School classes, but this could also establish a scholarship, apprenticeship, or internship that takes the best Shaw students within science and offers them incentives to attend a local university. This financial help could be furthered by offering a loan forgiveness program, with additional anchor help, to those E.C. students who have received loan assistance for education.

For example, if a Shaw H.S. graduate decides to stay in the area and successfully work for G.E. Lighting for a specified time after college graduation within their chosen field, for say 3-5 years, then a progressive portion may be forgiven and paid for by the company. This creates a winning situation for the company, in terms of long-term training, and also one for the city of E.C. because it gets to keep a long-term resident paying their income taxes (and hopefully even property taxes) back into the city where they grew up.

Another direction that G.E., or other University Circle institutions could take would be to sponsor vocational or college classes that lead to certificates for younger adults under 30. These could be taken at any number of institutions within Northeast Ohio.

These classes could offer employment opportunities upon successful completion of the training.

UCI President Chris Ronayne expresses much excitement brewing within the Greater University Circle area as a future hub of commercial and industrial growth. The anchor institutions representing educational, arts, cultural and medical fields are spurring plenty of high-tech growth and commercial development as well

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as making favorable conditions for population growth in this part of the region.

This growth is slow to come to E.C. in recent times, but through the previously mentioned educational opportunities, the concern about the educational disparity situation within E.C. seems solvable over time. The goal of UCI is to provide a porous border in E.C. adjacent Cleveland neighborhoods and Cleveland Heights, blurring the political lines for the sake of the greater good of its residents.

In The New Geography of Jobs, Enrico Moretti postulates that poorly educated individual who live in communities where most others also have lower education are likely to adopt less healthy lifestyles than poorly educated ones within an area of mixed educational and income levels4. His research also shows that better-educated residents are more likely to follow politics in the media, be informed about issues, be involved in political groups, and become more active in their communities. Citizens become engaged. Education is one of the most important factors affecting

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well. The could be incorporated into the bus stops, affixed to current light poles, near street signs, or even incorporated into the permanent plantings.

Marketing

GENERAL ELECTRIC Annual Christmas lighting display at GE’s Nela Park in East Cleveland.

this type of civic duty.

This engagement within politics can also affect the economic outcomes of residents within E.C. and the region down the road.

Moretti states that with every passing election, the top counties gain influence in the political process while the bottom counties lose it. When crafting policies that pit the interests of some communities against those of others, state officials have an incentive to favor the needs of the communities that are politically active and better organized3. E.C. has a stake in making its collective voice heard, and the best way to increase this stake is to keep partnering with local anchors to better educate its citizens.

Street beautification and utilization

UCI has demonstrated a commitment in providing valuable public signage around the University Circle area. I would recommend that UCI advocate to its institutions to create continuity with the visual presence it began along Euclid Ave. This could extend to the RTA’s Windermere station or beyond. Let people and motorists know that as the travel up Euclid, that they are entering another one of UCI valued communities that it serves. This would add value to the mindset that Euclid Ave. doesn’t end at the East Cleveland borderline.

Revamped bus stops, similar to those found along the Euclid Ave. HealthLine, could be added up to the Windermere station as well. These lighted stops could incorporate timed heat lamps and fans, in order to make waiting for public transport comfortable.

As I’m riding along the HealthLine closer to Cleveland State University, I can’t help but notice the sculptural cement planters along the sides of the street. They contain nothing more fancy than long grasses and other study plants that can stay sound during the Cleveland winters. But they add attractiveness to that street at a whole. These planters could also be set up along Euclid Ave. as you enter into E.C. up to the Windermere Station, or beyond. They’re permanent, inexpensive, and would require very low maintenance. More value is added to the community.

LED lightings, possibly donated by G.E. Lighting, could be used to help light the street and be an added value to pedestrians as

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UCI makes an effort to promote all of their community events to the surrounding neighborhoods, which includes East Cleveland. They work with an expediting company to distribute marketing materials to various. In the future, I recommend concerted efforts to include publicizing among our interviewed stakeholders, community leadership and grassroots organizations to help them realize the potential of the education and job opportunities that lie right down the street. This could also include providing an online web page dedicated to the work being done within E.C. including online comments. I also recommend that UCI leadership staff provide brief biographies and contact information for themselves on the website. Interested parties can then see faces behind the names and email addresses. This would help provide a personal look at the professionals that UCI employs.

There is a sense in E.C. that UCI isn’t just about land-acquisition and buildings, that the organization is about helping the people of the community in its area. But not enough random residents interview even know that UCI exists. Sure, they know about the events that UCI sponsors, but more knowledge of the organization that helps to bring Parade the Circle, Wade Oval Wednesdays, Holiday CircleFest, The Rink at Wade Oval and other events right down the street may offer inception to generate events in other areas. UCI can and should help inspire community events in the surrounding communities as well, even if it just leads to lending expertise in event management. It adds to the UCI brand and continues to characterize the community UCI serves as Greater University Circle, suggesting a porous border. One stakeholder put it thusly: “We (East Cleveland) are in a great location. You can get on the rapid at Windermere and go anywhere in the world!”

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Advocacy INTRODUCTION

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any ideas and notions arise when the word advocacy is thrown around however what does advocacy really mean to the people of East Cleveland. For many years now organizations and institutions have been advocating and working for the people of East Cleveland, but when you get down to it, it’s really all about those individuals and their own particular contribution that can really make a difference.

We see this in groups such as NOAH, New Life Cathedral, and the East Cleveland Police Athletic League. Groups such as these dedicate themselves to East Cleveland’s community.

Common knowledge would dictate that democracy means free and equal representation of people; free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government.

Democracy is evident amongst every organization with in the city. The people of East Cleveland want to be involved in all planning processes and all developments projects. The residents of the city believe in the “It takes a Village,” mentality.

Working together, building together, learning from one other is a necessity.

Over the past two months I have put myself in the shoes of the people of East Cleveland. I have listened to their pains from the past including foreclosures, loss of love ones due to violence, and the mistrust in the government. They want to be heard, with no consequences. There are organizations and people doing things, but the community isn’t receiving the

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

information. When the residents hear the information it is too late, things are already being developed or demolished. They want and need to be more involved.

— Monica Berry

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS Creating social capital through emerging technologies and new organizational structures

Leveraging the immense opportunities that exist within the framework of UCI and its various member institutions to the surrounding neighborhoods is no easy task. Luckily we live in the 21st century where new technologies and emerging organizing techniques are breaking down the barriers between information and action. One of the key components of advocacy, or equity planning, is giving a voice to those who are often not heard or under-represented. This can be accomplished in a number of traditional ways with the most obvious being the political process in place. Many times though this process fails to capture the true concerns and problems of its constituents. When this happens planners turn to other techniques such as community organizing through neighborhood meetings, neighborhood groups, and other public forums. Of course, even these techniques have inherent problems when a targeted citizenry lacks the appropriate self-organizing structure, motivation, education, and opportunity to mobilize themselves. Perhaps then what is needed before we can talk

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about specific programming interventions, is to address the issue of social capital and how it relates to civic engagement, as well as relating this to the role of the CDC, or in this case, Community Service Corporation, or CSC as a facilitator and mediator of such new programming and techniques.

The idea of social capital could be attributed to Robert Putnam’s (1993) milestone study, Making Democracy Work. Although Putnam himself may attribute the idea to the progressive reformer of the early twentieth century, L.J. Hanifan (1916) who first wrote about community involvement as a necessary precursor to solving society’s ills, it was Putnam (1995) that stated social capital, “refers to features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit” (Silverman et al. 2004). Expanding on this further Jo Anne Schneider (Cnaan and Milofsky 2007) would say social capital refers to “relationships based on patterns of reciprocal enforceable trust that enable people and institutions to gain access to resources such as social services, volunteers or funding.” I believe this definition is a good fit because it expands on the idea of building networks or relationships of trust, and pushes it into the realm of civic engagement and activity. It could be argued then that social capital can act as a catalyst to civic engagement, but only when social capital is linked and bridged to appropriate actors or players within the overall power structure. While not a totally new concept, indeed Saul Alinsksy (1946) perceived of the notion that local community organizing could be a political strategy to satisfy particular needs as defined by that citizenry; social capital is a powerful concept when we frame it in terms of political, and financial capital, all of which can be leveraged together to actually get something accomplished (Silverman 2004). Relating back to social capital, Schneider (2007) would posit that three types of social capital exist, closed, or that of “bounded communities” such as insular faith-based organizations and protective neighborhood block organizations, bridging social capital, which occurs when closed capital reaches out horizontally to similar networks, such as when a block club and church group work together, and linking social capital, which seeks vertical integration through the connection between such neighborhood organizations and government officials and academic professionals. It is with this concept and definition that we can turn back to the particulars of East Cleveland.

It has become apparent through our research that the city is home to numerous “closed social capital” networks: churches, city council, block clubs, etc… that while all seeking the same things - jobs, security, opportunity - have not been effective at integrating vertically and horizontally in a way that serves to agglomerate the many voices crying for help in the city.

In order to better understand this concept we turn to the idea of sociocultural milieu and institutional infrastructure.

While sociocultural milieu refers to the idea of communitybuilding opportunities expressed through a strong neighborhood identity, institutional infrastructure examines the level

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of formal organization that exists within a neighborhood (Sahd, Silverman 2004). What is needed is a marrying of these two concepts to bridge structure with identity. In their work, “Social Capital and Neighborhood Stability: An Empirical Investigation” Temkin and Rohe attempt to quantify this identity aspect with various levels of institutional organization. The authors summed it up best by saying: “the neighborhood must be able to leverage a strong sense of place into a collective movement that is able to form alliances with actors outside the community and influence decisions that affect the neighborhood’s character over time” (Temkin and Rohe 1998:70) This is exactly the kind of action previously mentioned when referring to bridging and linking social capital that exists in order to further community and citizen’s goals. The question then becomes how to do this. How do we create the famous informed and engaged citizenry our founding fathers desired, while accommodating the various actors; from citizens, to local groups, to political institutions to private developers, etc…? While a CSC such a UCI can serve as a facilitator for such interaction Sahd would argue that CDCs at such a large scale as UCI “can be seen as a third sector of the political economy of the city, taking a legitimate place alongside the government and private sectors, (sic) however, they are not structured to engage citizens.” While many elements of UCI do seek to engage citizenry through participation in programming and events, it is the citizenry of East Cleveland that must come together through organizing, consensus and knowledge building, and finally informed action to dictate the services, development, and programming they desire and need for themselves and the city. How exactly do we accomplish this then?

The answer really lies right in front of us in the form of the internet and social media. By creating a free wireless network such as was done in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood in Cleveland, and the creation of a new community organizing website, (which I will refer to as Portal) we can at one time attempt to close the digital divide while also creating a forum

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for citizens to gain access to various kinds of information: neighborhood meetings and events, different organizing and learning opportunities, as well as links to health, wellness, education, and job training programs incorporating and facilitated by the various actors within Cleveland such as UCI, Neighborhood Connections Inc., Neighborhood Progress Inc., and the North-East Ohio Alliance for Hope. The vision for Portal goes way beyond what we currently think of as an Online Community or OLC, and seeks to incorporate various aspects of social media, forum and message boards, as well as act as a depository of information and linkages to community tools, social services, and a whole wealth of information for the user.

The first thing to understand about Portal is that its efficacy would rely heavily on the ability of everyone in the community to have access to it. The first step in creating online equity

would be the implementation of a free wireless network such as was accomplished in Old Brooklyn by Ward 13 councilman Kevin Kelley in 2011. The project was reputed to cost 1.2 million dollars and was financed through federal and city money to be maintained over a 5 year period. (Plain Dealer 4/30 2011). In the case of East Cleveland such a project could be accomplished by a joint venture between Case Western University on the technical end, managed by UCI which could also help to direct layer-cake financing solutions, as well as help manage the multiple partners such a project would surely necessitate to ensure implementation. Such an initiative could also be tied into existing computer education programming already taking place at the East Cleveland Library.

This additional programming initiative would help teach and train people on how to connect to the network as well as how to get the most out of Portal, their new city-wide homepage. Given the advancements already seen in internet technology it is quickly becoming an educational imperative that people understand how to utilize this medium for job, educational, and community organizing purposes.

The goal of Portal would be to marry knowledge building with community organizing through access to multiple organizations that already deliver such services. Portal would act as the virtual meeting place for citizens and organizational professionals, including academic, political and institutional, in order to share and disseminate information. This would be accomplished by integrating various existing social media outlets with a comprehensive calendar of events, ranging from neighborhood block level to city-wide events, incorporating a dedicated forum and message board system moderated by citizen facilitators and professional moderators.

It has been widely said that the devil is in the details, and Portal is no exception. Besides arguing its efficacy as a social capital building vehicle; how does Portal differ from the myriad of websites already out there? First of all, one thing that would differentiate Portal from traditional OLCs is its commitment to engaging the youth of East Cleveland as well as its focus on community events and organizing. A 2010 study

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by the Pew Research Center found that 75% of 12-17 year olds now own cell phones, while 25% of all teens use their phone for social media. While the numbers might vary for the youth of East Cleveland, it would be hard to deny this common knowledge that young people are already accessing the internet through their phones and communicating with each other at a level not seen in older generations. Indeed it is this community without propinquity (Mesch 2007) that is evolving into a shared place for communication and dissemination of information. With so many young people already knowledgeable about the internet why not take advantage of that fact by creating a venue specifically for them within Portal as a way to introduce them to civic engagement and the myriad of educational opportunities, community events and functions, that exist within University Circle and East Cleveland. The youth programming on Portal would be directed toward the existing educational initiatives setup by UCI and its partner organizations, as well as providing a platform for experimenting with new programming and organizing techniques.

The ultimate goal of Portal is of course creating and building upon real-world interactions that will ultimately bridge social capital and allow it to be leveraged against the political and financial capital that already exists within UCI and its anchor institutions. While research is ongoing and hotly debated upon this topic it is important to understand that with Portal we have the ability to redefine what an OLC really is and what it can be. One of the first studies on the Internet and its impact on social interaction was conducted in 2000 by James Katz and Ronald Rice. The Syntopia Project was created in order to provide a more comprehensive account of internet use, thus, the authors used quantitative data as well as case studies to elaborate upon access (the digital divide), use of the internet for social interaction and expression (identity) and involvement with groups and communities through the internet (social capital). Their findings indicate that the majority of people use the internet as an enhancement and extension of their daily routines (Katz and Rice 2002). Their findings have been corroborated by various other researchers (Hampton and Wellman 2003, Matzat 2010) that the internet and OLCs are neither definitively harmful to face-to-face interactions, yet the efficacy of the OLCs lies in their ability to be embedded into real-world programming where constituent users have a say in the type of content and structure of the OLC. This ties into the creation of Portal which could be accomplished through a research project by the Mandel School at Case in conjunction with UCI to hold neighborhood charrettes and meetings to determine the exact direction, definition, and content contained within Portal. Once the initial framework has been decided upon various anchor institution professionals would take on the role as moderators for various sections of the forum and calendar aspects of the website, while incorporating citizens into the administrating aspect as the project developed further.

Another aspect of Portal that differentiates itself from other such community organizing vehicles is its particular attention to

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THE PLAIN DEALER A shopper looks over produce at Coit Market in East Cleveland.

moderation and social interaction. With the internet comes the ability to remain anonymous. This has inherent strengths and weaknesses; while it may allow for a more candid exploration of ideas and knowledge sharing, it can also lead to the lurker problem, whereas people visit and use the site but don’t contribute or interact in the real-world (Mesch 2007). While anonymity can have its benefits, interaction and disclosure of persona could be accomplished through a facilitator-based system similar to that employed by Neighborhood Connections Inc. The basic premise of NCI is to create learning circles on various social issues that serve to start conversations between citizens, with the goal of developing citizen facilitators that can run their own circles, and eventually lead to the formation of new ideas rewarded via a grant based funding system. Portal’s facilitator system would seek to reward those who want to get more involved by connecting their efforts online with real-world interactions through participation in programs such as NCI’s as well as perhaps the

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creation of new leadership and job-training initiatives. If UCI and its anchor institutions really want to see community organizing happen from within, other incentives such as the creation of a point based reward system could be initiated. This incentive system could provide free tickets to events, special invitations to institutional functions, restaurant and business coupons that serve to incorporate those citizens who show interest in leadership into the surrounding University Circle institutions and businesses. The same could be done but at an appropriate level for the youth who use the system, perhaps being rewarded if they attend events and meetings. While such a system would be controversial, it would have to have a limited ceiling and could be funded only during the initial starting of Portal, the goal being that people will eventually see the benefits of using such a website, without being incentivized to do so.

In order to better understand the efficacy of its programming, UCI and its fellow institutions as well as East Cleveland organizations could use Portal as an immediate feedback tool via online surveys, comments, and moderated conversations to assess what works and what doesn’t. Surveys could be embedded into the very nature of Portal so that people get used to seeing them as a tool to influence particular changes they would like to see. This could be everything from large important political/social issues, or very basic like trying to understand what kind of programming for Wade Oval Wednesdays would bring out the most people. In addition to this immediate feedback aspect of Portal, the website and indeed the whole wireless project could serve as a case study for CWRU students and faculty wishing to study how new technologies impact social capital and civic engagement, (similar to Neighboring in Netville: How the Internet Supports Community and Social Capital in a Wired Suburb Hampton and Wellman 2003). Indeed perhaps some or the majority of the funding for the initial infrastructure, web-hosting, and site implementation could come from grants for research in conjunction with federal and local grants in addition to corporate sponsors invested in the area like G.E. and MCco. We all know that East Cleveland is struggling; deteriorating infrastructure, dilapidated housing, failing (but new!) schools, etc… however before we can address advocacy issues like health, education, and wellness we must strive to create bonding social capital that serves to educate and inform citizens giving them a voice to influence change together. By promoting and creating a platform for dialogue, advocacy issues could proliferate through the free exchange of ideas and knowledge supported by the various institutions and professionals, politicos and academics that work within and for the citizens of East Cleveland. Not only would Portal act as an information clearinghouse with potentially an unending variety of links to social, health, and educational services, it would also act as a social foci of activity, that would serve to bridge the gap between gender, age, and profession by facilitating a moderated forum whose intent was to not only introduce people and ideas to one another, but get them involved through embedded real-world programming incentivized

through leadership and community organizing opportunities.

In conclusion, the emerging trend of social media and internet use as a medium for communication and dissemination of information has become to be seen as a right and necessity for furthering educational, intellectual, and professional aspirations of all global citizens. In this light it can be seen as a key opportunity in fostering community organizing initiatives that seek to build and bridge various types of capital, including social, political and financial. In regards to fostering civic engagement the building of social capital seems to be a unique indicator and one in which the internet will surely play a vital role in (Hayward 2012). By utilizing community involvement and feedback in its creation, a new website could come to life that would enable further study into this important trend as well as provide an essential “portal” into the 21st century for its users, the citizens of East Cleveland.

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE INC. AND THEIR ROLE AS A FACILITATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE AGENT FOR EDUCATION WITHIN THE CITY OF EAST CLEVELAND, AND HOW THEIR PROACTIVE COOPERATION CAN CREATE PATHWAYS OF CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE CITY OF EAST CLEVELAND AND THE COMMUNITY OF UNIVERSITY CIRCLE

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ast Cleveland is an inner ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. It covers 3.1 square miles, and as of the 2010 Federal Population Census, has 17,483 residents (US Census Bureau, 2010.)

The City of East Cleveland, was declared to be in a state of fiscal emergency by the State of Ohio on October 9, 2012 (Yost, 2012.) One of the problems of East Cleveland, is that suffers from a perceived lack of cohesion amongst elected and appointed officials, crippling poverty for many of its residents, and one of the lowest literacy rates in Cuyahoga County (Coulton, Mikelbank, Nelson, & Lickfelt, 2006.) In addition, despite declining enrollment in its school system, East Cleveland boasts a continued elevation in graduation rate.

University Circle Incorporated (UCI), a community service corporation that primarily serves the interests and needs of its member constituents in University Circle, has a unique opportunity to build upon the success of East Cleveland’s improved graduation rate. This can be achieved by offering its services as a supportive agent and helping to develop and solidify educational opportunities within East Cleveland. UCI offers many educational programs currently. These programs are not only available to East Cleveland, but to all the communities within Cuyahoga County. Their services are even offered to many of the communities of the counties that surround Cuyahoga County. Although it has demonstrated

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THE PLAIN DEALER Prayers in the Shaw HS locker room before a football game.

successful and well-defined educational outreach programs, UCI can bring an even greater benefit to the residents of East Cleveland, with a directed effort that specifically targets the residents of East Cleveland.

UCI currently offers several regional education programs designed for all ages, ranging from pre-K through senior learners. Program details are as follows: For 0-6 year olds, there is ELI: Early Learning Initiative: “The UCI Early Learning Initiative creates a vital link between preschool teachers, students, families, the collections and live performance resources of University Circle institutions. Engaging, interactive lessons and investigations address the learning needs of preschool children and reinforce the skills, knowledge, and dispositions essential for school readiness. The ELI, inspires a sense of wonder and broadens young children’s view of themselves and their world. The ELI, impacts 900 four and five-year old children, their teachers, and their families, currently serving preschools in Cleveland, East Cleveland, Maple Heights, Lorain, Oberlin, Elyria, Vermilion, and North Olmsted” (University Circle Inc. 2012.)

For school-aged children, there is LEAD: Linking Education and Discovery

“The field visits provided by LEAD are experiential and engaging; utilize the diverse artifacts and instructional resources of University circle institutions; encourage students to analyze process and resolve problems using different tools and skill sets; and introduce real-world applications to academic lessons. Aligned with State of Ohio Academic Content Standards, the program promotes student understanding and retention of key curricular content. Connecting Cleveland school children with the city’s cultural resources positively impacts learning, cultivates life-long learning behaviors and supports future audiences for cultural programs. LEAD currently serves 21 schools within a 3-mile radius of University Circle and through philanthropic support provides transportation and underwrites admission fees” (University Circle Inc. 2012.)

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For teens and young adults, UCI offers Future Connections: “University Circle Inc.’s Future Connections program provides an eight-week summer study and internship experience for rising high school seniors. Future Connections currently partners with 33 organizations and 9 school districts to provide exceptional summer learning experiences that encourage skill development, career development and personal development” (University Circle Inc. 2012.)

Finally, UCI offers the following learning initiative for Adults and Seniors: The Senior Connections Program “Senior Connections is a life-long learning initiative focused on creating unique experiences using videoconferencing technology and the world-class resources of Circle institutions. Created and managed by University Circle Inc., it is the newest signature program from the Community Education department. Video conferencing enables seniors to “travel the world” using interactive technology in real-time from their retirement communities or local senior centers. The program also offers selected field trips to cultural institutions for concerts, lectures and exhibitions” (University Circle Inc. 2012.)

These programs are necessary and important for the region that they service. Unfortunately, they are broad-based and not targeted at any specific community. In order to develop East Cleveland as a thriving and viable community of choice, UCI and their member constituents need to help develop targeted educational initiatives that engage both the students and residents of East Cleveland.

A current program targeted towards high school students that wish to explore opportunities in the medical field, is overseen by Rosalind Strickland of the Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Civic Education Initiatives. Ms. Strickland administers twelve internships that cover areas such as Pharmacy, Respiratory Therapy, Public Health, Radiology and Science. The internships are awarded though a competitive application process and successful applicants are paired with a Mentor. The program is administered anywhere that the Cleveland Clinic has a footprint. This footprint includes the City of East Cleveland.

Over the summer break that the students receive each year, a research project is undertaken by the student. Research projects are completed and submitted back to the Cleveland Clinic for review. Since the internship’s inception in 2005, over 1000 students have participated in this program.

Additionally, when the student returns to their school, the research is divided into its component sections, representing the mathematic, literary and scientific areas of a research paper. These sections are then distributed into the corresponding departments within the high school, and the students of each class are then expected to generate an additional report that explains the work of the section presented to them. In this way, many more students can be involved in the research of one intern. More than 53,000 students have been able to participate in research in this manner.

When asked why the Clinic would devote such resources towards so many individuals without direct benefit to themselves, Rosalind’s response is intriguing.

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“Aside from being a good member of the community, The Cleveland Clinic hopes to inspire a love for the Sciences that will bear fruit for all the students that participate. We hope to groom students towards an eventual career in one of many medical fields, and upon their successful completion of their course of study, remember where they received their start. We hope that these students will think fondly on their experience and return to us for employment opportunities.” (Strickland, 2012) In addition, the program has garnered much recognition for the students themselves. Several students have gone on to achieve significant academic recognition, including the recent awarding of a Marshall Scholarship to a Solon area student intern. It has been a very ambitious and successful undertaking. Students that have participated in the nursing internship have continued to become registered nurses, and some of the earlier graduates have returned to the Cleveland Clinic to work in their chosen profession. Furthermore, previous interns that gain employment with the Clinic tend to continue to live in the community that they lived in when they were first welcomed into the internship program. For a city like East Cleveland, these successful employees are a welcome addition to an eroding tax base.

With the facilitation of UCI, and their ability to coordinate the resources of its member organizations, a similar program of targeted education could be implemented in East Cleveland.

By exposing the children of East Cleveland to career opportunities in a structured program that enables early success, students can see that there are options available to them.

Ideally, student involvement needs to be K through 12, but a pilot program should be initiated at the high school level, with expansion to all grade levels to follow.

The initial program, needs to include a public planning component that students can use to provide input into their vision of East Cleveland’s future. Many projects that look at communities like East Cleveland have a very top-down feel to them.

That is, they address the needs and concerns of governmental, development and resident stakeholders, but fail to address student stakeholders. By including students in Urban Planning research projects, these students will create a vision for their future and the future of their city. Students will come to understand the city of East Cleveland on a different level than an under-represented demographic. It is the general hope that program would engender a feeling of involvement, empowerment, and that the successful students would return to East Cleveland to help develop the vision that was fostered within them during their high school academic career. If program participants feel a sense of connection to their city, they can help fuel the next phase of development in East Cleveland.

In addition to the internship program offered by The Cleveland Clinic, more formal education programs are available through Case Western Reserve University. The other cultural institutions of University Circle also offer rich and varied education programs that could greatly benefit East Cleveland residents. The Cleveland Orchestra has for years offered free and low-priced concert series for students. The Cleveland Museum of Art offers literally dozens of free or low

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cost programs for students, adults and families (Cleveland Museum of Art, 2012.) The barrier to attendance for residents of East Cleveland is often as simple as a lack of information about program schedules or transportation to and from the Circle.

UCI can build an important bridge between the University Circle museums and their neighbors to the east by providing informational fliers to churches and local stores, and providing free or lower-cost transportation for residents to programs of particular interest.

A parallel track of successful educational opportunity exists in University Circle with the presence of Citizens Academy, a free public charter school. From the Citizens Academy website: “Citizens Academy of Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the topperforming urban schools in the state, and since 1999 has developed a national reputation for its commitment to academic excellence and responsible citizenship. The United States Department of Education named Citizens Academy a Blue Ribbon School for 2011. Our school currently serves over 400 students at the K-5 level, added a middle school in 2011/12, and opened a second location (Citizens Academy East) in August 2012. Ninety-seven percent of Citizens Academy’s students are African-American and 80% are economically disadvantaged.”

(Citizens Academy, 2012) East Cleveland is now bracketed by two high performing

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schools with Citizens Academy in University Circle and Citizens Academy East in Forest Hills. UCI can use its position as a broker of advocacy services to help develop a scholarship program aimed at the children of East Cleveland. The program would make available a number of education openings that would be only for the student residents of East Cleveland; possibly five openings at each location. UCI could then help with any logistical problems (transportation issues, etc.) that may arise. The initial goal of this initiative would be to expose the residents of East Cleveland to educational opportunities not previously realized.

The ultimate goal of this program would be the eventual location of a branch of Citizens Academy within the city of East Cleveland. UCI’s ability to advocate for additional educational avenues for the residents of East Cleveland would show that UCI cares about the city of East Cleveland as an entire entity, not just a collection of properties that are available for development. The inclusion of a charter school within the city would do much to promote East Cleveland as a location for investment and residency. It would confirm to the business community that the city, with the help of UCI, is willing and capable of making positive and substantive progress towards its improvement.

Educational advocacy needs to be one of the cornerstones upon which UCI forges a relationship and connection with East Cleveland. Educational opportunities create talented residents with bright prospects for their future. Some of these students will return to the city they were raised in, as evidenced by the results experienced by the Cleveland Clinic. Advocacy results in opportunity. Opportunity results in success. If students are involved in real-life urban planning projects, in addition to other internship opportunities throughout UCI’s member institutions, they will acquire an understanding of their city, that few residents currently have. This newfound appreciation of their city, will translate to their ability to give back to the city in a way that is currently not possible. They will bring their information back to their caregivers, moms and dads, single parents, grandparent caregivers, aunts, uncles and siblings. It will create a more educated citizenry that is more able to respond to the difficulties facing East Cleveland, in the re-imaging of itself.

Finally, it will create connections between UCI and East Cleveland where none exist, strengthen current connections, and to paraphrase Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, create a ‘City of Choice’ for all residents.

JOB TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP IN EAST CLEVELAND

The people of the city of East Cleveland have a strong desire to revitalize, rehabilitate, redevelop, and recreate their city. The people of East Cleveland want their city to become the profitable, desirable, and safe community it once was. While doing the research on this project, I stepped out of my box and put myself in the shoes of these residents. I sat down with many community leaders and residents, as well as attending neigh-

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borhood meetings, council meetings, along with other events in the community. Many obstacles became apparent: a lack of communication between the residents and government, the lack of trust in the government, and lack of communication amongst themselves. The people who are involved attend meetings on a regular basis, but it’s the same people at every meeting, they want the whole community to get involved.

Mayor Gary Norton believes East Cleveland can grow and become a beneficial asset throughout the city of Cleveland, as it once was before. East Cleveland was not only once known as a profitable industrial city, but also home for many of Cleveland’s elite society. Currently East Cleveland consists of many homes and businesses which are vacant, a lot of vacant land, and very few successful businesses. The most successful business, GE Electric is located in East Cleveland, but doesn’t lend the needed support to the city. East Cleveland has huge vacant parcels that could be used for development for new businesses, new homes, schools, restaurants, etc. East Cleveland is in demand for desirable housing, proper education, and a working healthcare system.

Mike Smedley, the mayor’s Executive Assistant knows that when the developments and businesses come to neighborhoods, people will follow, along with tax revenue, and deposable income which will all be very noticeable. Others in the community are worried about the lack of grocery stores and not having any placing to go and eat, but Mike is not worried about the lack of grocery stores, he knows that when developments come, everything else will follow; grocery stores, restaurants, homes, strip malls, etc... He is confident that the city will once again be one of Cleveland’s successful suburbs. Through the help of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, East Cleveland has been able to demolish vacant and abandoned properties. East Cleveland has cleared a lot of land through demolition, which created huge areas of land for development.

He took me around the city and showed me huge vacant buildings that are eyesores that would be coming down by the end of the year. He also gave me tours of vacant houses that are in the process of being rehabilitated. It is important to the city that these older homes keep their original structure and woodwork intact since these details and architecture are what make East Cleveland homes different from the rest of Cleveland’s homes.

The Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope (NOAH), with their Executive Director Trevelle Harp is an asset to East Cleveland, and has been very visible and active throughout the city. Trevelle was born and raised in East Cleveland and still resides there with his family; he saw that there was a need for community leadership in East Cleveland and wanted not just to help, but to lead his community to success. He quit his job and decided to advocate for East Cleveland full-time. With a staff of one, Trevelle and his assistant are everywhere, promoting the residents of the city. The community thinks of him as a government official, but he’s not. He just believes that East Cleveland can and will be one of Cleveland’s highly occupied suburbs again.

“The revitalization of our community must be more than a

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brick and mortar investment. It absolutely has to include an investment in everyday people. To ensure revitalization that benefits-instead of victimizes-our community, we must strategically and intentionally build relationships with public and private institutions as well as communities and organizations that share our values”-Trevelle Harp.

At NOAH’s November meeting I heard and saw the community believe in this quote. The people want investments, new properties, and new businesses to come into the city; they don’t want to be a victim. They want to be able to afford to remain in the city and not be misplaced. Throughout the city the number one worry for the people is whether or not the new development in East Cleveland will force them out of their neighborhoods. The community wants to be a part of this process; they actually want to be part of the planning process. Jobs for the people of the community, job training, and tax revenue for the city. The Fairfax Renaissance acts as East Cleveland’s Community Development Corporation (CDC). They have been successful in creating new homes within the city. The people of East Cleveland want their own CDC, they don’t want to share with another community, they consider NOAH their CDC. The community trust and believe in Trevelle’s vision. They have canvassed neighborhoods and went door to door to get people to register to vote. At the meeting they said they didn’t mind going out with Trevelle to register people to vote, the message needed to be heard. One of the next tasks is to get to know not just your neighbor, but the entire street. One man cuts grass for his entire street for free, he does this because he doesn’t want to see his street destroyed by the people not being able to keep the yard up. There are a lot of elderly people in East Cleveland and they cannot keep up with their yard work, or afford to pay anyone to do it. Ms. Prarther wanted to acknowledge him in the meeting because he never wants a dime, he does this of the kindness of his heart.

New Life Cathedral has recently relocated to East Cleveland on Euclid Avenue from 93rd and Kinsman. Reverend Braxton didn’t come to the city with dreams of what he wanted to do, he came with a vision and several plans on what he was going to do and the programs and visions are currently being produced. Rev Braxton is a young pastor that is making changes, and he had done this by creating the church’s own CDC. The goals of the CDC are focusing on education, workforce development, housing, health care and wellness, and re-entry. He wants to educate, create programs for home ownership amongst his congregation, job training, creating a workforce development program, and a re-entry program that employees ex-convicts.

New Life Cathedral is not a church that is just not open on Sunday for service or on Tuesday for Bible Study, no it’s open every day of the week. New Cathedral currently provides a safe place for preschool children to learn and also is an office for one of Cleveland’s WIC programs. Reverend Braxton wants to lower the dropout rate of teenagers, through education. There are 1.5 million students who drop out of

THE PLAIN DEALER The former Case Western Reserve observator atop Taylor Road in East Cleveland.

school per year, which is 7,000 students per day within the United States. He wants to break literacy issues, develop reading programs through technology, extend learning to not just at school but into the homes, and get the parents more involved and engaged. Creating after school and summer programs and activities where children can think outside the box, and dream whatever they want to be. He lets young people know that there are no limits on how far they can go, and that their dreams can be a reality.

Rev. Braxton insists on job training that complements the jobs that are available in the city. There are currently positions open in electric technician, solar paneling, medical coding and billing and lead testing. He wants to implement the training programs, after the training is successfully completed the individuals would be placed at local companies to exhibit their talents. He is also in the process of opening a business incubator that would also assist entrepreneurs, business owners, residents, etc.

GE Electric is around the corner from the church. Establishing a partnership with GE to educate children and create educational programs would not just be beneficial to the church, but for the city as a whole. He realizes that children love video games and computers, but he wants them to

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know that they can create some of these programs. He encourages the children to be creators of the things they use.

Creating a safe recreation center to teach children dance, instruments, and vocal abilities would help these children stay out of the streets and their minds on positives outcomes.

Encouraging homeownership and extending this opportunity to people in his congregation is a main goal of the Reverends as well as the purchasing of housing close to the church, so that the church can help maintain these properties. He realizes that there are a lot of single parent households, and these young women might not understand the importance of maintaining a yard. These mothers may not have the knowledge, access, or means to keep their houses maintained. By living in close proximity to the church, the church can implement a Property Management service, which would also employ people within the community.

Zakee Rashid is the Executive Director for the East Cleveland Athletic League; this is one of the oldest community organizations in East Cleveland. This non-profit is supported by the mayor. The program mentors young men to go to college and become successful. Throughout the year the organization has five hundred young men that participate.

They participate in such activities as baseball, football, and boxing. Most young men in these areas are scared of the police, from stories they have heard, but the men in this league create a bond with these young men and encourage them to trust in the police. Mr. Rashid created the first cable company in East Cleveland, a city in which he was raised.

Ed Parker is an artist, sculptor, and entrepreneur well known throughout Cleveland. Thirty years ago he opened Snickerfritz in East Cleveland. The nursing home building located at the corner of Euclid and Rosalind had been vacant for seventeen years when decided to open his art gallery. For over fifty years he has been expressing himself through his artwork. He wants to give everyone that chance to express themselves through his art classes. At Snickerfritz one can fulfill their desire for art by learning how to sculpt or paint. Mr. Parker has recently joined the East Cleveland Library Broad, where he wants to expand education through youth involvement. He wants young people to get educated so that they can graduate and go to college and become successful, instead of being a product of an un-stable society. Mr. Parker also owns a couple of homes in East Cleveland which he converted into Bed and Breakfasts.

The homes contain all original woodwork. The Bed and Breakfasts aren’t doing as well as they should because when someone performs an internet search on East Cleveland, it talks about the murder rate and how unsafe it is, it scares potential customers away.

Marcella Boyd-Cox is one of the owners of Boyd’s Funeral Home, which has been a pillar in the community for decades. She is promoting leadership amongst the youth. She stresses the importance of determination and education.

She is in the process of coming up with a program for empowering and educating the youth. She would like to bring

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youth into the funeral homes so they cannot just learn about the business, but also create a Scared Straight program. She will show the youth what and will happen to you if you don’t get education and stay out of trouble, by inviting them in the funeral home and going through the whole process of the death and burial, and how it affects the families. She would like to create programs with the help from UCI to produce leaders and successful young adults.

It is the responsibility of the mayor to make sure that he is representing the best interest of his city and the people by creating, maintaining, and producing opportunities. Mayor Norton has demonstrated these actions by new construction projects, demolition of vacant properties, taking time out to see what the people want, and by staying committed to this process. It is not Trevelle Harp, Reverend Braxton, Marcella Boyd-Cox, Ed Parker, or any other East Cleveland resident’s job to make sure that the city is safe and will not die, but they do it because it is their passion. The residents and business owners believe in and open their arms for the revitalization and new development coming to East Cleveland they are excited to see it.

FOOD IN EAST CLEVELAND

While driving through East Cleveland, one may notice the large old houses, the spray painted porches, or the broken windows. However, there is much larger problem facing the people of East Cleveland that can have incredible or despairing affects on their health—the food environment. Although there may be places within the city to grab something to eat or do a little shopping, there is a complete disconnect between the city and healthy food choices. This section of the paper will focus mainly on the food environment of East Cleveland, its effects on those people who are subject to that environment, and what can be done to create a better food environment for those citizens of East Cleveland. Furthermore, the relationship between University Circle Inc. (UCI) and East Cleveland will be examined in terms of creating a better food environment.

Before getting into the facts of the food environment of East Cleveland, it would be helpful to understand what a food environment is and how food environments affect those within them. According to Carolyn Cannuscio and Karen Glanz, a food environment is comprised of food production, distribution, and marketing which can vary dramatically within and across cities and from urban to rural areas. (Cannuscio Glanz) This means that people are subject to their respective food environment through no fault of their own, and have to deal with its consequences. To put this in perspective, one may ask the question, “What food choices do I have in my neighborhood?” Trying to plot down all of the food sources around your area may yield some disturbing results. For example, there may only be a McDonalds, Wendy’s, and a Burger King within walking distance and a food market that is miles away and it is only accessible by car or bus. This example would not be a healthy food

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

THE PLAIN DEALER Huron Community Health Center located on Euclid Ave at the intersection of Belmore in East Cleveland. Photographed on Monday, June 6, 2011.

environment, because the immediate food choices accessible by a person would only be one of fatty foods that have little or no nutritional value. This is not to say that these fast food stores do not have healthy choices, but the majority of food made available at these locations does not serve well to make a healthy food choice.

Additionally, many Americans find themselves having to deal with food environments very similar to this one which is often called a food desert. A food desert is an area with no food or grocery stores, or that the location of these stores is at a great distance. (Gallagher, p.6) This would be the case in East Cleveland. “There is no grocery store and it would be nice to have a sit down restaurant.” This was said by Melvin Davis. Melvin has lived in East Cleveland from 2002 - 2006.

He served as the Clerk of Council in East Cleveland from 2003 – 2011, and still maintains contact with people who live in the city. If one were to look at a map of all of the food choices in the area of East Cleveland, it would be evident that whole areas of the city are subject to being considered a food desert even when there are mini marts and grocery stores located in Cleveland.. Additionally, as stated before, the problem of the food desert is exacerbated when coupled

with fatty fast food restaurants like Happy’s Pizza, Rally’s Hamburgers, White Castle, and Taco Bell.

It is very interesting to see how these food deserts affect Americans of different demographics. In Cannuscio and Glanz’s article, these authors point out that it is often those people of lower incomes who bear more of the burden. In other words, “The toll of obesity is most evident in disadvantaged neighborhoods, with African American and Hispanic populations disproportionately affected. Disadvantaged neighborhoods, tend to lack supermarkets and fresh food but have ample access to foods that are calorie-dense but have little redeeming nutritional value... Disparities in education and socioeconomic status are also marked, with high obesity rates among people with less than a high school education and those with incomes under the poverty.” (Cannuscio and Glanz) While examining the demographics of the citizens of East Cleveland, it seems that this city is at great risk for leading people down an unhealthy path.

Understanding all the detriments of living in a food desert with low income and low levels of education, what can be done to curb the trend of unhealthy food choices, or usher new businesses in to serve the needs of those resi-

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dents in East Cleveland? Although it may seem like a very simple question, there are a number of issues that need to be addressed first. For example, crime, gangs, vandalism, and low incomes do not attract businesses seeking to find a new location. Although these problems are not insurmountable, they are can be major reasons why establishments with healthy food choices choose not to locate in East Cleveland.

With that being said, a healthy food choice provider will want to know that his or her business will not only be used, but will be safe. This can only be derived from a better grasp of the crime problem, that has for so long plagued the area of East Cleveland. Although bringing in better food choices may not be seen as of huge change within the East Cleveland Community, the process needs to start somewhere.

Additionally, within University Circle there are many restaurants that depend on fresh food on a daily basis, and are looking for ways to get that fresh food at a cheaper cost in order to improve their bottom line. Although many of the food products served in restaurants are only accessible through large farms and distributors, creating an area close to University Circle where fresh produce can be produced, makes business sense. Using land within East Cleveland makes perfect sense — cheap and abundant land close to University Circle, which can provide food with low transportation costs. Urban farmers would be able to create a partnership with UCI partners in a manner that will benefit both parties. Essentially, the restaurants get fresh produce, while jobs are created in East Cleveland, and the people of East Cleveland have a healthier food provider in the area.

Bringing in a market like Aldi, Giant Eagle, or any kind of large grocery store that can provide better food to the citizens as well as serve the people of University Circle, will be beneficial. Allowing people to shop for food that will last them for a week or two is much better than walking to the local McDonald’s for a burger. UCI and East Cleveland should bring in a market or food provider by cooperating with the Cuyahoga Land Bank, in addition to giving private business an incentive to move in. The incentive could come in the form of a tax expenditure from the East Cleveland (i.e. subsidy or credit.) Cooperation with local community groups would benefit the process as well by bringing the people’s needs to the forefront and showing the grocery stores that there is a demand. Also, the people of East Cleveland and University Circle will benefit from having a larger wholesale provider of food, as opposed to a high priced and smaller vendors like Constatino’s.

Creating a system of urban gardens, creating a large urban farm, or bringing in a new food market would not only make business sense for those people depending on food goods, but it will create a better food environment for those people within East Cleveland who are able to access it. Having a new food market in East Cleveland will benefit those people who live there already, as well as people who will want to move to the UCI area, or more importantly into East Cleveland.

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If businesses that provide healthy food choices will not want to come into the area of East Cleveland at the present time, there are other alternatives that people can take to make their eating habits healthier. For example, the citizens of East Cleveland may want to join together and petition the local government, with aim to give some of the vacant land for an urban farm. This can serve as a community farm where everyone either does their share of the work, or pays a certain fee in order to have access to the goods produced.

Not only will this be giving the people better food, but it will bring citizens together to work towards somewhat of a collective goal: to eat healthier. On a much smaller scale, the residents of East Cleveland can combat the problem of a food desert by creating their own mini urban gardens.

Urban gardens would serve the purpose of growing produce for that single household, or creating a shared garden with neighbors. The idea of urban farming or gardening will need to have a great amount of publicity to make the citizens aware of the movement, in order for everyone to take full advantage of these opportunities.

All of these efforts to make a healthier East Cleveland can also be supplemented by its many relationships that UCI already has. UCI would be able to use the many talents that already comprise the organization, while helping with urban farming in East Cleveland. For example, the botanical gardens, Case Western, and its many restaurants can partner up and create a series of seminars for East Cleveland citizens, with the expectation of understand how to farm properly, and how they can use those products effectively in the market or on the dinner table.

It is very hard to imagine that a relationship between UCI and East Cleveland can do anything if the people of East Cleveland’s health are ignored. Understandably, there are other factors that people of East Cleveland are doing that may contribute to an unhealthy life, but the food choices available to them are definitely one of the biggest problems. Creating a relationship where UCI is seen as bringing in things into the city is essential for the people living there.

Giving people better healthy food choices will make them less prone to disease, obesity, and other health problems associated with a poor diet, all while creating a relationship of trust. Furthermore, giving people a better and healthier lifestyle may translate into a healthier and safer community.

Finally, it is important that UCI realize that the health of East Cleveland will have an effect on the health of University Circle.

WORKING TOGETHER: A COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PLAN

Conclusion

E

ast Cleveland is at a crucial point in its existence and it is imperative to make the effort to improve the current environment. The opportunity to partner with University Circle Inc, and move in a constructive direction is a chance that should not be passed up. The time is now to halt the decline and put forth the effort by all parties to work together for the betterment of East Cleveland. There is the chance to create change in a city that is pleading for it. Take a stroll around the streets, walk into a barbershop, and talk with stakeholders you will hear commonly the same thing from everyone. The community recognizes the problems in their city but these same people have a pride runs very deep. This is a pride, a cultural and historic pride, you can’t find in many other areas.

It is important to note that blight is not restricted to stagnant or declining regions. While Northeast Ohio has felt the impact of the economy, some areas such as University Circle, have one of the fastest growing job centers in the country. The irony is that this bustling location is surrounded by blighted areas that have become worn down through years of abandonment. The blight in East Cleveland has resulted from a failure to maintain and to simply refurbish capital inherited from the past. In order for University Circle to continue expanding, the surrounding communities must be willing to work with them. This part-

nership would identify the needs of both: University Circle needs land and East Cleveland needs an economic boost.

The Advocacy, Service, and Development Groups of the Working Together: A Community Connections Plan – East Cleveland/University Circle Inc. team believes there are many assets in East Cleveland that can be utilized when reviving as a city. Our proposal introduced different solutions to issues in the study area and how we recommend solving in both the short and long-term. Our analysis involved surveys, data analysis, report generation, site comparisons, and numerous meetings with members of the East Cleveland Community to better understand the environment.

East Cleveland is one of the most studied and analyzed cities in the region due to the uniqueness of the decline.

Once a flourishing area, the city is merely a fraction of what it once was with the decay continuing on a daily basis.

Studies should stop and action should be taken. It is important to act rapidly to implement a plan and execute action items that will improve the environment. With the current opportunity in front of East Cleveland, as well as University Circle Inc., these studies need to evolve into progression and capitalize on what could be worthwhile for both parties. Most importantly, the members of the community must understand what potential lies in the future of the region and what this could mean for East Cleveland.

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Contributions Marcie Aydelotte — GIS and maps, Final recommendations, pg 26 Monica Berry — Interviews, Introduction to advocacy, Final recommendations, pg 64 Dean Ibsen — Scenario analysis, plan elements, Windshield survey, Current conditions Adrian Johnson — Final recommendations, pg 51, Print design Steven Kanner — Summary of existing plans, Summary of stakeholder interviews, Final recommendations, pg 33 Andrew Lang — Powerpoint presentation, Final recommendations, pg 45 Darrick Matthews — Editing, Final recommendations, pg 49 Nat Neider — Overview of neighborhoods, Final recommendations, pg 41 Caylen Payne — Plan vision, Editing, Final recommendations, pg 55 Nick Panos — Introduction, Final recommendations, pg 64 Scott Schrig — SWOT Analysis, Final recommendations, pg 31 Steve Sump — Editing, Final recommendations, pg 59

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