• Plan promotes access to lakefront, recreation and more
• Groundbreaking could occur in two to three years

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority today landed a major step toward implementing a new lakefront development plan that promotes access to Cleveland’s lakefront, recreation and leisure-time activities, economic development and new waterfront communities.

The City of Cleveland Planning Commission approved conceptual plans today, allowing the project to move forward. Groundbreaking could occur within two to three years.

“This is a very important step for a project that represents a huge value proposition for the Port, the city, the county and the region,” said Steven J. Williams, chair of the Port Authority’s Board of Directors. “The ongoing community dialogue concerning this project will be invaluable as we work together to improve the lakefront and support the Port’s maritime business. Meanwhile, the Port will work diligently with the maritime community on an integration strategy that addresses both redevelopment and Port operations as it moves forward.”

The first two phases of the lakefront development plan can proceed without impacting current maritime operations, he said. “Over the longer term, we will continue to explore the feasibility of relocating our maritime operations to East 55th Street.”

Peter Raskind, interim CEO of the Port Authority, noted that the lakefront development plan is key among seven priorities the Port will address in the coming weeks and months.

“While we are delighted by this important approval by the Planning Commission, we are also working hard on many other fronts the board has identified,” he said. “Among other things, we are working with the Army Corps of Engineers to find interim dredging solutions to ensure that our shipping lanes remain open, and seeking an individual with appropriate experience and leadership skills to advance the Port’s important work over the long term.”

For more information regarding this press release, please contact David Hertz at Dix & Eaton at 216-241-2145 (office) or 330-697-8856 (mobile).

For more information about the Port Authority, visit portofcleveland.com

AGENDA
Thursday, August 13, 2009
5:30 – 8:00 pm
Saint Ignatius High School
Sullivan Gymnasium 1911 West 30th Street – Cleveland, Ohio 44113

5:30 – 5:45 p.m.     
Registration/refreshments
Participants sign in and media check-in; receive name tags

5:45 – 6:00 p.m.     
Welcome………Caroline Kovach, Director of Communications, Saint Ignatius High School

6:00 – 6:10 p.m.     
“How We Got to this Point”……Robert Brown, Director, City  of Cleveland Planning Commission

6:10 – 6:20 p.m.     
Success of our Community Engagement Process…..Dr. Eric Johnson, Director of Real Estate, Port of Cleveland

6:20 – 7:00 p.m.     
Cleveland Waterfront Development Strategy….Jill Akins, Principal, Van Auken Akins Architects LLC

7:00 – 7:45 p.m.     
Question and Answer Period…Dr. Eric Johnson, Moderator

7:45 – 8:00 p.m.     
Next steps and final/closing remarks….Dr. Eric Johnson

Cleveland Waterfront Development Project 3rd Community Meeting
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Saint Ignatius High School
Sullivan Gymnasium
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Parking: Southeast Corner parking lot, on the corner of Lorain and West 30th

Free and open to the public

COME AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS…AND ASK QUESTIONS!

This is an open community meeting to continue dialogue about how best to give back the downtown waterfront to the people of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.  This is the third in a series of open community meetings scheduled through September 2009.

Presentation of the preliminary development strategy by world-renowned Waterfront Master Planners, EHRENKRANTZ ECKSTUT & KUHN (EE & K) Architects
Overview by Port of Cleveland Officials
Perspective from City Planning Commission
Question and Answer session
Share your ideas on how to make the Cleveland Waterfront a world-class destination!

This Meeting is Co-Hosted by:
City of Cleveland Planning Commission
Cleveland Public Library

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: www.portofcleveland.com

AGENDA
July 9, 2009
5:30 – 8:00 pm
Cleveland Public Library
Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium – Lower Level
525 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio

5:30 – 5:45 p.m.
Registration/refreshments

5:45 – 5:50 p.m.
Welcome………Holly Carroll, Deputy Director, Cleveland Public Library
Special Remarks……The Honorable Joe Cimperman Member, Cleveland City Council, Ward 1

5:50 – 6:00 p.m.
“How We Got to this Point”……Robert Brown, Director, City of Cleveland Planning Commission

6:00 – 6:15 p.m.
“We Heard You Cleveland and Here’s Our Overall Approach to Cleveland’s Waterfront Development”… Dr.  Eric Johnson, Director of Real Estate, Port of Cleveland

6:15 – 6:45 p.m.
Waterfront Development Strategy presentation…. Stanton Eckstut, Principal, EE&K Architects, and Lead Architect, Master Planning Project Team

6:45 – 6:55 p.m.
Programming Public Spaces………….Meg Walker, Vice President, Project for Public Spaces

6:55 – 7:30 p.m.
Question and Answer Period…Robert Brown, Moderator

7:30 – 7:35 p.m.
Next steps and final/closing remarks….Dr. Eric Johnson

Cleveland, OH – The Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority will host an open community meeting to continue dialogue about how best to give back the downtown waterfront to the people of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. The meeting will take place Thursday, July 9th, from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium at the Main Library, 525 Superior Avenue, in downtown Cleveland.  The event is being co-hosted by the Cleveland City Planning Commission and the Cleveland Public Library.  This is the second in a series of open community meetings scheduled through September 2009.  These meetings build upon the “Connecting Cleveland” Waterfront District Plan of 2004.

The purpose of the public meeting is to make sure that the Port responds to ongoing feedback from citizens and business leaders, and utilizes it in crafting the best and most inclusive development strategy for the downtown waterfront.  This public input is vital to the success of the implementation strategy process—both for the proposed port relocation near East 55th Street and the creation of a world class downtown waterfront that connects the citizens of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio to Lake Erie and all its opportunities for recreation, cultural events and commercial activity.  The Port will also share some preliminary ideas and concepts for the waterfront and introduce the development strategy team led by Stanton Eckstut of EHRENKRANTZ ECKSTUT & KUHN Architects, world-renowned waterfront planners.

“We have an incredible opportunity to develop Cleveland’s waterfront and give it back to the people for their enjoyment,” said Adam Wasserman, President of the Port.  “Now is the time to make things happen with a well organized strategy, and translate the plan into action.”
“My administration is confident we are headed toward creating a spectacular and realistic approach to transforming our most prized asset, our waterfront,” said Mayor Frank Jackson.

The downtown waterfront development is made possible in part because of the proposed maritime port relocation further east. The US Army Corps of Engineers is required to dredge the Cuyahoga River ship channel, and the resulting land mass created in a Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) is suitable for a state of the art maritime Port, capable of attracting a great deal of new maritime business.  Construction on the CDF is projected for 2012.  During this time, the Port also plans to begin commercial maritime activities, which will allow for additional downtown development.  These efforts will ultimately lead to the creation of sustainable jobs, maritime business investment, and an overall boost to the economy in Northeast Ohio.

Dr. Eric Johnson, Real Estate Director for the Port Authority, said “The Port and its partners are poised to make transformative investments in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, extending our economic impact into Ohio and beyond. We think that through our partnerships, we can greatly expand both the economic development and business opportunities in the Region.”

Over the last few months, the Port, the City of Cleveland Planning Commission and the development strategy team led by EE&K Architects have met with multiple constituent groups, business and community leaders and citizen stakeholders to hear valuable feedback about the strategies for waterfront development and maritime Port relocation.  Most importantly, they have discussed the multiplier effects that a new state of the art Port at East 55th Street will have upon the adjacent, underutilized industrial corridor—effectively creating an International Trade District for Cleveland and Ohio.
To view presentations and summaries of previous meetings, and for more information on the waterfront development plans and the community meeting schedule, please visit  www.portofcleveland.com.

For more information, please contact:
Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority
Luke Frazier (216) 544-3824
www.portofcleveland.com
-OR-
GAP Communications Group
Alexandria Johnson Boone (216) 513-6258
Gina M. Hobbs (216) 469-4848