These were exciting days, my friends, as we were trying to turn on a facility that had been down for almost three years at that point and make it a profitable venture. The stress was a bit overwhelming at time, but the days were always rewarding. I believe our first big executive decision was leasing a copier – but more important decisions loomed. I left BlueBridge to assume the “tech czar” role under then Mayor Jane Campbell. But I always had a special place in my heart.

Truth is BlueBridge started the tech revolution in Playhouse Square. There were few tech companies in Playhouse Square at the time, but after the start of BlueBridge a whole slew of tech companies and their employees joined this growing area of town – Pantek, Foundatia Technologies, Platform Lab, Easy2 Technologies, Pathfinder, SchoolOne/FIT Technologies, ASM International, JurInnov, Thommen Medical, Asurint, e-Ventus, Bounty Technologies, ASMGi, Intellinet, Game Communications, Cleveland365.com, Portfolio Magazine Online, Lendable.com have all spent time or call Playhouse Square home after BlueBridge started. BlueBridge Networks is the perfect example of company building an industry cluster. BlueBridge is a tenant in the Sterling Building – and in just the Sterling Building alone prior to BlueBridge starting the building was at a 56% occupancy rate. The Building now enjoys an 85% occupancy rate and counts five tech companies as its tenants. Over 600 employees – just in this one building alone. Amazing.

BlueBridge has had a profound effect on Playhouse Square and, yes, the City of Cleveland. This is a perfect example of why we should be investing in tech-based start-ups and then clustering them in a tight geographic expanse. These tech companies then act as a magnet for other like-minded tech companies. It is a wonderful occurrence.

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.

The presentation struck a chord with me, however. Remember, I wrote this presentation in late 2001. (And, in fact, when I interviewed for the post again in 2004 I used the same presentation I did two years prior.) The presentation offered a plan to create a new office within the economic development department called the Office of Technology and Innovation. This Office would then be given the goal of developing an economic environment that would be willing to initiate risk and accept reward; foster a “cycle” of education, creation, commercialization and capital market acceptance of local technology. And thus, create five programs – which I will detail in a moment – that establish Cleveland as a model of private and public partnership; a “case-study” in successful deployment and nurturing of a fledgling technology industry in Cleveland.

The five proposed policies or programs 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 (and by the way, if Ann Arbor, MI can find $100.0 for tech-based investments then certainly Cleveland could do the same).
    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.

I still believe that this plan is just as relevant today as when I first proposed it nearly six years ago. Over the coming weeks, I will be adding some detail on each policy/program, why it did or did not work and current strategies in place by other groups. I will try to be as exhaustive as I can be in the detail. I would like to hear commentary from as many people as possible on this plan and others (I have never thought mine was gospel or the only answer). At the end, though, I believe I will have offered a comprehensive plan that could propel the City as a key national player in the tech and biotech sectors.