20120312-NEWS--1-NAT-CCI-CL_--
3/9/2012
3:31 PM
Page 1
$2.00/MARCH 12 - 18, 2012
VOL. 33, NO. 11
Business groups don’t rally for right to work Tepid response to issue may be due to wounds from collective bargaining fight By JAY MILLER jmiller@crain.com
Mayor Jackson warns that Cleveland’s schools could become wards of the state if Columbus doesn’t clear way for his School Transformation Plan By JAY MILLER and TIMOTHY MAGAW jmiller@crain.com, tmagaw@crain.com
I
f he doesn’t get the state legislation he believes is needed to rebuild Cleveland’s schools, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson says the likelihood of passing a school levy this fall “is little or none, and the guarantee is (that the school district) will go into academic receivership and financial bankruptcy.” Mayor Jackson’s dire words come as he awaits a decision by Gov. John
Kasich on what legislation the governor will propose to clear the way for what is called the School Transformation Plan. The mayor and schools CEO Eric Gordon have proposed the plan to bring about dramatic change in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Mayor Jackson said in an interview last Thursday, March 8, with Crain’s that he expects Cleveland’s teachers to support this plan, despite complaints from the Cleveland Teachers
The idea of overturning a state law that forces workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment in a unionized workplace long has been favored by business groups in Ohio. But few groups nor Gov. John Kasich are rushing to back an effort to get what often is called a right-towork constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot, even though a recent poll of Ohio voters suggests a majority would support it. Call it the Issue 2 effect. Many business groups that in the past have been early and active proponents of major state issues,
such as casino gambling, made cautious statements last week to Crain’s about the proposed right-to-work amendment, despite the recent passage of comparable legislation in nearby Indiana. “We won’t even begin to take a look at it until it’s on the ballot and it’s scheduled for a vote,” said Linda Woggon, executive vice president for governmental affairs at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. “Then we’ll run it through our process.” The right-to-work issue also isn’t on the radar of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, said Joe Roman, CEO of the regional chamber of commerce group, which has more See WORK Page 17
INSIDE Web developers’ new tool built for multimedia wave HTML5 is offering Northeast Ohio developers a better way to incorporate animation and other multimedia into websites, which in turn will make those sites more mobile-friendly. PAGE 3 ALSO: ■ Spire contractors under fire, too. PAGE 3
See SCHOOLS Page 17
Interest grows in redeveloped Parma GM plant By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com
MARC GOLUB
0
NEWSPAPER
74470 83781
7
11
Joseph Greenberg last year bought the former Parma General Motors complex.
Redevelopment efforts at Parma’s former General Motors transmission plant are shifting into drive. Workers recently finished removing tons of equipment from the 525,000square-foot plant, which under dimmerthan-normal auxiliary lighting resembles a smooth-floored Mammoth Cave. Also gone is a canopy as long as a football field that sheltered workers bound to or from
parking lots across Chevrolet Boulevard. The canopy stretched over part of a site that rivals a small farm in size; that land once was set aside for plant expansion, but now is earmarked for a business park. Most importantly, the first tenant just took up residence in what’s called Parma Business Park II. Late last month, All Pro Freight Systems of Avon leased 150,000 square feet for a distribution center for a customer, according to Chris Haas, All Pro CEO. The lease is a sign of strong interest in
the property, said Joseph Greenberg, the broker as well as an owner of 54 Chevy LLC, which bought the complex last year. He sees the property as a site for today and tomorrow. For today, the plant’s tall ceilings, overhead crane and indoor rail spur will suit companies that want space immediately, Mr. Greenberg said. Meanwhile, the vacant land will yield sites for businesses that want to build when demand for construction rebounds. See PARMA Page 17