Tuesday | January 15, 2008

A Plan to Grow Cleveland's Tech Industry - Part IV

The best part of my tenure at the City of Cleveland was recruiting companies to relocate into the City. Hard work, but worth the sweat. When I started at the City there were more than a few people who gave me the cold, hard advice that I would never be successful  (one would be surprised by how many political “elites” told me that as well, makes you think where their heart really is regarding Cleveland). Truth is Cleveland is a great asset to sell.

 Not to say that selling Cleveland did not have its challenges. More often than not I would approach or contact a Company and talk about the virtues of Cleveland and I would get the response, “Cleveland? You’re freaking kidding me, right?” To which I would respond, “Just give me a few hours and let me show you a few properties that are going to knock you out.” Lucky for the City, we are blessed with great architecture (most of which needs a little “TLC” but is so impressive when compared to suburban office spaces). And would you believe that we were successful in bringing in 36 tech companies into the City. The good tech entrepreneur loves the City and is a good friend of Cleveland. (Search for the recent article on the success tech in Cleveland as printed on the front page of the PD – and do me a favor, spread the gospel to your friends and family.)

Anyway, the core of my policy at Cleveland was to recruit and to develop a continuum of real estate that offered a selection of pricing and space to tech entrepreneurs. Also, upon reflection of my old development plan was, in fact, the creation of an “IT Cradle” that spanned west to east along Euclid and Carnegie Avenues. Just a reminder of the development plan I put together for the technology sector in Cleveland. The five proposed policies of this plan were:

      I.        The Cleveland Technology Center (“CTC”) – A collaborative hub of thought and development that becomes the centerpiece of Cleveland’s investment in the tech industry. This is a physical space, a state-of-the-art tech-based facility.
      II.        The Cleveland Ventures Fund (“CVF”) – A technology-centric fund that will invest in promising technologies, partnerships within the City of Cleveland. Goal was to secure $100.0 million to be invested in Cleveland-based tech-companies.
    III.        The “Information Technology” Cradle – Creation of special zones along Euclid, Superior and Carnegie that allow for heavy concentration of tech companies and new real estate development.
    IV.        Cleveland Municipal Schools Tech Vision – The Mayor’s Office and the CEO of the Cleveland Schools creating a special tech-based curriculum for top students.
     V.        “Tiger Teams” – A specialized group formed to target middle-market tech and biotech firms and assist them with the relocation of their corporate headquarters or R&D facilities to the City of Cleveland.

The original goal of the “IT Cradle” was to remove blight along the Euclid and Carnegie Avenue from Downtown to University Circle with new tech companies being placed in older buildings that merited new life and vigor. The hope was to target regional and national tech firms and offer economic incentives and build-out allowances to relocate into the City. I have always found Euclid and Carnegie Avenues to be rich with potential and could be our very own “Silicon Avenue.” And based upon personal experience – this is a very doable policy. My fear is that the City overlooks the success it has had in tech and will not continue to heavily recruit the next generation of Cleveland companies.

Of course, it needs to be a coordinated effort with the City leading the charge and working closely with its partners – Greater Cleveland Partnership, TeamNEO, JumpStart, NorTech and BioEnterprise. Based upon my experience Cleveland should be bursting at the seams with tech, biotech and medical device companies. The best incentive – truth be told – was not the economic incentive offered by the City (or any other organization) but the operational incentives that the City is blessed with. And by that, I mean the large fiber connections in Downtown (largest fiber pipe between New York and Chicago is resident under Euclid Avenue) and all the assets that have been built around this pipe – the various data-centers, telecom switches, network-operating centers and other tech companies. We have a natural asset (i.e. – the fiber) in which to build a national powerhouse in technology. Now let’s use it.

Posted by Tech Czar at 00:11:26 | Permanent Link | Comments (2) |

Sunday | June 17, 2007

Ice Cream Man

A few weeks back my girlfriend and I were enjoying a great brunch at the Waterstreet Grille (W. Ninth St.) - pancakes and bacon for everyone with a few Mimosas on the side. West Ninth Street has turned into a beautiful neighborhood with all the amenitites that Downtown living should afford the masses - a dry-cleaners, the neighborhood grocery, clothing stores, beauty salons and all the restaurants and bars one could ever want. On this particular Saturday we people watched (again, while drinking Mimosas) and had a great time.

What struck me as odd was the misplaced music that usually precedes the arrival of the near extinct Ice Cream man. Both of us looked a bit perplexed by the music but sure enough an ice cream truck made its way down W. Ninth Street - there were a number of street patrons who were shocked at this scene but after a few moments - someone decided to wave down the ice cream truck and a number of us (I am sure) were reminded of our childhood while enjoying an orange push-up. It is a small example, in my mind, of a rejuvenated downtown. Where the numbers of residents are rising to the point that the Ice Cream Man sees opportunity to make a few shekels and we who live downtown get to feel like we have established a real neighborhood. 
Posted by Tech Czar at 16:03:53 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday | May 17, 2007

It Could Be On Hamilton Avenue

A few days past I had the privilege of meeting with Noel Cupkovic of CUPKOVIC architecture and we were able to discuss a lot of provocative development and design initiatives. Noel is a very cool cat and if you get the chance give him a ring and talk development. What set the meeting up well was the location. Noel’s office is located on Hamilton Avenue near E. 13th street. I did notice while driving to his office how cool parts of Hamilton were and being the curious cat that I am, I decided to drive down Hamilton to E. 40th. Well worth the trip, kids!

Hamilton Avenue is just a really cool street with tremendous potential. It has a vibrant commercial strip (a few surface lots - but the potential of these lots is intriguing) and could blossom into a slick “live-work-play” environment for the creative class. I can imagine an arts district with new studio and gallery space being built out. Funky celebrations on the street during the summer (with the strip from E. 13th to E. 40th being closed to car traffic). I suspect it could turn into a walking street as well with no car traffic since the avenue is well covered with parking on the north (Lakeside Avenue) and to the south (St. Clair Avenue). How awesome would it be to have a neighborhood catering to the creative class in Downtown with no car traffic?

Take a trip down Hamilton Avenue from E. 13th to E. 40th and imagine what could be done on this little avenue. The architecture is captivating and the street offers a unique “Ohio City” or “Tremont” feel in Downtown. Funky retail? Captivating restaurants? Parks with concert stages? Video art? Cool neighbors? Absolutely. Let your imagine run wild, as mine did on Hamilton Avenue.

Posted by Tech Czar at 21:43:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |