NOAA in the News
Secretive and possibly illegal process was used to decide nearly 26,000 challenges to Cuyahoga County property values
August 22nd, 2010
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than $400 million in property values was wiped from Cuyahoga County's tax rolls without a public hearing in front of boards of revision in a secretive process that may be illegal and does not happen in the state's other urban counties, The Plain Dealer has found.
_______________________________________
Dan Gilbert, Forest City reach deal on land for Cleveland casino
August 19th, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dan Gilbert finally has a deal to buy the land where he wants to build his Cleveland casino.
_______________________________________
News, Government, and Economy
Sewer District Delays Storm Water Fee Indefinitely, Cites Lawsuits.
August 18, 2010
CLEVELAND, Ohio --Regional sewer officials have delayed indefinitely imposing a new storm water fee because of a lingering legal challenge from dozens of communities and businesses in Cuyahoga and Summit counties.
_______________________________________
Listen: Storm Water Fee for Landlords
March 24, 2010, WCPN Radio
Listen to NOAA Member Sheldon Berns and others talk about The Northeast Ohio Resgional Sewer District's storm water management system that would help green the region but cost millions; and the regional sewer district wants landowners to pay.
_______________________________________
Beachwood City Council gets glimpse of Eaton plans
March 17, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Representatives of Eaton Corp. and the Richard E. Jacobs Group showed several images of the manufacturer's planned corporate headquarters during a City Council meeting Monday night.
_______________________________________
Florida developer plans $12 million renovation of apartment complex near Shaker Square
March 10, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Building contractor Nicholas Zavarella admitted Wednesday to bribing Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora with $25,000 in home improvements.
_______________________________________
Contractor Nicholas Zavarella pleads guilty to bribing Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora
March 10, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Building contractor Nicholas Zavarella admitted Wednesday to bribing Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora with $25,000 in home improvements.
_______________________________________
Cuyahoga County executive hopeful Ken Lanci vows to create anti-corruption agency
March 10, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Businessman Ken Lanci pledged today to launch a Commission on Public Integrity if voters choose him later this year as their first Cuyahoga County executive.
_______________________________________
Cleveland to fight for its gun restrictions in front of Ohio Supreme Court
March 10, 2010, The Plain Dealer
If Cleveland had its way, every gun in the city would have to be registered, no one would carry a weapon openly and assault weapons would be banned.
_______________________________________
Cuyahoga foreclosure filings were up sharply in fourth quarter of 2009
March 10, 2010, The Plain Dealer
While annual foreclosure filings have been relatively steady in past three years in Cuyahoga County with just under 15,000 new cases each year, they spiked during the fourth quarter of 2009.
_______________________________________
President Obama coming to Northeast Ohio on Monday to promote health care bill
March 9, 2010, The Plain Dealer
President Barack Obama plans to bring the fevered lobbying campaign for health reform to Northeast Ohio on Monday, the White House said, kicking off a key week for his signature issue.
_______________________________________
Cuyahoga County transition team takes a detour en route to hiring public relations firm
March 9, 2010, The Plain Dealer
The Cuyahoga County transition team's plan to hire a public-relations firm is in limbo.
_______________________________________
Cuyahoga County commissioners reject moving out of downtown building
March 9, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Cuyahoga County is putting off plans to move out of its Lakeside Avenue administration building.
_______________________________________
Salary for new Cuyahoga County council members confuses part-time status
March 8, 2010, The Plain Dealer
The architects of Cuyahoga County's new charter imagined a citizen legislature of sorts -- more volunteer than politically seasoned.
_______________________________________
March 8, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Cleveland's woes -- population loss, failing schools, lack of economic spark -- are no joke to comedian and native son Drew Carey, who advocates for less government, more competition and lower taxes to bring the city back.
_______________________________________
Commercial real estate's challenges are apparent in downtown Cleveland corridor
March 7, 2010, The Plain Dealer
To see the turmoil in commercial real estate, you don't have to look much further than East Ninth Street and Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland.
_______________________________________
Casino plans sparks interest in Westland-area properties
March 5, 2010, Columbus News
The activity is likely a sign of things to come as real estate investors roll the dice on a run-down section of town that’s expected to turn into a regional retail center.
_______________________________________
March 4, 2010, Crain's Cleveland
Seven Ohio companies, including three from Northeast Ohio, make Fortune magazine's list of the world's most admired companies.
_______________________________________
Business leaders see potential for $100 million to tackle region's economic needs
March 4, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Efficiencies in a reformed Cuyahoga County government and tax revenue from a downtown casino could yield up to $100 million yearly for economic priorities, like a renovated Public Square and redeveloped lakefront, top business leaders say.
_______________________________________
Tenants can keep heat on if landlord fails to pay
March 3, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Last week, tenants in a Cleveland apartment building found they were without heat or lights because the landlord failed to pay the utility bill.
_______________________________________
Nothing miserable about the asking price for a house in Bay Village
March 2, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Cleveland might be miserable, but Bay Village is hot. That's according to Forbes.com, which prompted much joy among local Realtors last week by placing the West Side suburb on a list of cities with much-improved house prices.
_______________________________________
Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority drops plans to build warehouse
March 1, 2010, The Plain Dealer
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has abandoned a $10 million plan to fill in a docking slip on the lakefront and build a warehouse on port property west of Cleveland Browns Stadium.
_______________________________________
Housing Prices Fall at Slower Pace
February 24, 2010, The Wall Street Journal
Home prices kept falling, but at a slower rate, at the end of last year as the housing market continued to stabilize.
_______________________________________
Cuyahoga County executive contender Matt Dolan talks tax cut, avoids specifics (for now)
February 24, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Matt Dolan has trotted out quite the conversation-starting chestnut in his Republican bid to be Cuyahoga County's first chief executive: a cut to the county's 7.75 percent sales tax.
_______________________________________
For Landlords, the Numbers Are Starting to Look Better
February 20, 2010, The Wall Street Journal
Home prices are falling, rents are tumbling, and apartment vacancies are rising. So why are thousands of small investors becoming landlords?
_______________________________________
Three candidates vying for new Cuyahoga County executive position tout their credentials at forum
February 17, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Democratic Lakewood Mayor Ed FitzGerald, independent businessman Ken Lanci and Republican former state Rep. Matt Dolan spoke at the Northeast Ohio Apartment Association Political Forecast Dinner at the downtown Ritz Carlton, aiming to convince dozens of apartment owners and managers to vote for them next fall.
View Photos from NOAA's Political Forecast
_______________________________________
For Landlords, the Numbers Are Starting to Look Better
February 20, 2010, The Wall Street Journal
Home prices are falling, rents are tumbling, and apartment vacancies are rising. So why are thousands of small investors becoming landlords?
_______________________________________
New foreclosure filings in Ohio hit a record high in 2009
February 19, 2010, The Plain Dealer
New foreclosure filings statewide hit another record high in 2009 -- a signal that a crisis migrating deeper into suburban counties is far from over.
_______________________________________
Cleveland port authority board member calls for closing Burke Lakefront Airport
February 19, 2010, The Plain Dealer
A new proposal to close Burke Lakefront Airport and use the land for development, parks and a relocated port is being floated to members of Cleveland City Council and Cuyahoga County commissioners.
_______________________________________
Ganley Switching Races in Ohio, Will Challenge Sutton
February 19, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Wealthy car dealer Tom Ganley (R) is dropping out of the open-seat Ohio Senate race and will challenge Rep. Betty Sutton (D) in the 13th district instead, according to a source familiar with the decision.
_______________________________________
After outcry, Cuyahoga County transition leaders agree to scrap closed-door meetings
February 17, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Democratic Lakewood Mayor Ed FitzGerald, independent businessman Ken Lanci and Republican former state Rep. Matt Dolan spoke at the Northeast Ohio Apartment Association Political Forecast Dinner at the downtown Ritz Carlton, aiming to convince dozens of apartment owners and managers to vote for them next fall.
_______________________________________
New Mayor Gary Norton hopes to bring big changes to struggling East Cleveland
February 14, 2010, The Plain Dealer
This time, it could be different for East Cleveland.
_______________________________________
Suburbs losing jobs faster than city of Cleveland
February 13, 2010, The Plain Dealer
The worst recession in our lifetimes has hit suburban workers far harder than people in Cleveland, new data show.
_______________________________________
Cleveland signs agreement to build small fuel plant fueled by municipal waste
February 12, 2010, The Plain Dealer
The city of Cleveland has signed a $1.5 million agreement with a New Jersey company to design a small power plant fueled by municipal waste.
_______________________________________
After outcry, Cuyahoga County transition leaders agree to scrap closed-door meetings
February 11, 2010, The Plain Dealer
After citizen outcry and threats from the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, Cuyahoga County transition leaders have decided to make all their committee meetings open to the public.
_______________________________________
Number of home foreclosures drops from December, but surge is expected
February 11, 2010, AP
The number of U.S. households facing foreclosure in January increased 15 percent from the same month last year, and a surge in cash-strapped homeowners who've fallen behind on mortgages could be on the way.
_______________________________________
MetroHealth names John Corlett VP of government relations and community affairs
February 10, 2010, The Plain Dealer
John Corlett, who spent 21 months directing Ohio's Medicaid office and has helped pass two health and human services levies in Cuyahoga County, has taken a job with the MetroHealth System. Corlett, 51, started Monday as vice president of government relations and community affairs for the hospital system, which serves Cuyahoga County's poor.
_______________________________________
Former State Rep. Matt Dolan Officially Declares Candidacy for County Executive
February 09, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Former State Rep. Matt Dolan might seem like an outside shot for the inaugural Cuyahoga County executive: a recent transfer from Geauga County, a Republican in a region dominated by Democrats.
_______________________________________
Ohio Sen. Dale Miller files Petitions for Cuyahoga County Council's District 2 Seat
February 08, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Longtime legislator Dale Miller will give up his Ohio Senate seat in hopes of grabbing a spot on the new Cuyahoga County Council.
_______________________________________
Forest City Enterprises sells interests in three properties to Hyatt Corp.
January 28, 2010, Crain's Cleveland Business
Forest City Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: FCEA, FCEB) said a subsidiary has closed the sale of its partnership interests in three supported-living apartment communities to a subsidiary of Hyatt Corp.
_______________________________________
First-time claims for unemployment benefits drop to 470,000
January 28, 2010, AP
Evidence that the economic rebound remains sluggish emerged from reports Thursday on new claims for unemployment aid and orders to U.S. factories.
_______________________________________
$400 Million Earmarked for Ohio's 3C Rail Project
January 27, 2010, The Cleveland Leader
President Barack Obama's administration has revealed that they've earmarked $400 for Ohio's 3C rail project that would link Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati by high-speed rail.
_______________________________________
Digital agency Rosetta plans to bring nearly 400 jobs to new downtown Cleveland offices
January 25, 2010, The Plain Dealer
An interactive marketing agency plans to bring nearly 400 jobs to downtown Cleveland, into a largely empty office building just off Euclid Avenue near East Fourth Street.
_______________________________________
Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority approves bonds for Flats east bank project
January 20, 2010, The Plain Dealer
A $278 million development on the Flats' east bank landed its next-to-last piece of public financing on Wednesday, when the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority voted to approve more than $34 million worth of authority-issued bonds.
_______________________________________
Stimulus programs to jump-start 4 affordable housing projects in Northeast Ohio
January 20, 2010, The Plain Dealer
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency is using federal stimulus money to help developers jump-start construction on 13 affordable housing projects, including four in Northeast Ohio.
_______________________________________
Ohio Rep. Matthew Dolan steps down from seat as he eyes Cuyahoga County executive job
January 13, 2010, The Plain Dealer
State Rep. Matthew Dolan resigned from his seat today to concentrate on a probable run for the newly created post of Cuyahoga County chief executive. In an interview, Dolan, a Republican, said he is "strongly considering" running for the county executive job created when Cuyahoga County voters approved a reorganization of county government.
_______________________________________
Businessman Ken Lanci kicks off independent bid for Cuyahoga County executive
January 13, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Businessman Ken Lanci kicked off his campaign to be Cuyahoga County's first executive today by presenting himself as an unknown at a time when familiar faces are trouble. Lanci, surrounded by dozens of friends and supporters in a warehouse at his Cleveland printing company, took aim at old-guard politics. He pledged to work for $1 a year, decline campaign donations from county employees and be a cheerleader for job growth.
_______________________________________
Lakewood Mayor Ed FitzGerald to seek Cuyahoga County executive seat
December 16, 2009, The Plain Dealer
Lakewood Mayor Ed FitzGerald, a prominent opponent this year of a sweeping Cuyahoga County reform measure, now hopes to lead a new government he did not want. FitzGerald will launch his candidacy for the powerful county executive job this morning at his campaign headquarters in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood.
_______________________________________
New county executive will have to be everything to everyone: 'Road to Reform'
December 13, 2009, The Plain Dealer
A savvy politician and efficient budget master, able to crack the labyrinth of Cuyahoga County politics and streamline its bureaucracy. A problem-solver with a stiff skin and a flair for collaboration. A visionary driven to accomplish a dream.
_______________________________________
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland make a lasting impression in national health debate
December 3, 2009, The Plain Dealer
President Barack Obama's visit to the Cleveland Clinic this summer is making a lasting national impression. Since the president held up the region's largest health system as a model for high-quality and cost-efficient care, the media's spotlight has shined on the Clinic and, in turn, Cleveland.
_______________________________________
Maintenance
Building Owners Usually Not Responsible For Falling Ice, Icicles
February 23, 2010, NBC4i
From falling ice Downtown to icicles on area apartment buildings, churches and businesses, it is easy to get hit by winter if you are not paying attention, and the law may not be on your side if it happens.
_______________________________________
How to Build Your Own Bedbug Detector
Multifamily Insiders
Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have created a homemade bedbug trap using a plastic cat-food dish, an insulated jug and some dry-ice pellets.
_______________________________________
Marketing
Social Networking Sites Report More Baby Boomers
Multifamily Insiders
There is this perception that adults over 50 only dabble on the Internet, but research is finding that they are spending more time online and interacting in robust social networking communities. Baby boomers using social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube are not as uncommon as you may think.
_______________________________________
Signage - An Under Utilized Opportunity
November 19, 2009 Multifamily Insiders
Lost among the hoopla of the growing importance of the Internet as the best marketing for apartments is signage.
_______________________________________
Craigslist: The Messiest, Greatest Apartment-Hunting Site?
September 2, 2009 Multifamily Insiders
Craigslist, a mass of classified ads for everything from jobs to dates to furniture, has a love/hate relationship with apartment seekers and apartment providers alike.
_______________________________________
Environmental
Deadline for lead: EPA requirement leaves local remodelers scrambling
February 22, 2010, Finance and Commerce
Contractors who work in older homes have until April 22 to meet the requirements of a new federal EPA rule pertaining to lead safety, but many won’t meet the deadline and some contractors have fears of unintended consequences.
_______________________________________
March 1, 2010, KansasCity.com
The new Environmental Protection Agency regulation requires anyone who does repair work on a house built before 1978 to complete a certification course and become licensed to work around lead-based paint.
_______________________________________
February 23, 2010,The Plain Dealer
At least four Northeast Ohio electroplating companies are dumping an unregulated, but potentially dangerous, chemical into their sewers -- and eventually untreated into Lake Erie, environmental officials said.
_______________________________________
February 15, 2010, Energy and Environment Monitor
The Ohio EPA said drinking water from a Cleveland plant is safe even though the city's Division of Water did not use enough of one chemical during treatment last year.
_______________________________________
EPA says Cleveland water safe despite slip in corrosion control treatment
February 15, 2010, The Plain Dealer
The Ohio EPA said drinking water from a Cleveland plant is safe even though the city's Division of Water did not use enough of one chemical during treatment last year.
_______________________________________
Eco-Friendly Bathroom: 6 Ways to Go Green
HGTV.com
Some simple adjustments to a bathroom can reduce its impact on the environment.
_______________________________________
Oil and gas drilling's threat to our drinking water is local, national debate
February 14, 2010, The Plain Dealer
Sandy Mangan draws a small glass of water from her kitchen faucet. It stinks and small bubbles slip up the side of the cup.
_______________________________________
