FutureHeights invites Heights residents to share their ideas about how to make the Cedar Lee Mini-Park—which many people walk through on their way from the parking lot just east of Lee Road—into a special place. FutureHeights will host a visioning workshop on Saturday, June 2, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at CLE Urban Winery, 2908 and 2180 Lee Road.
Situated near Cleveland Heights’ newly renovated high school, the exceptional restaurants, bars and shops in the Cedar Lee Business District, and the Cedar Lee Theatre, the mini-park gets significant foot traffic. We believe the site has the potential to be much more than just a pass through. It could become a place where residents and visitors gather, converse and spend time. Through careful design, it could become as unique a place as the district itself, and positively impact its surrounding businesses and neighborhood.
RSVP for the June 2 session. Can’t attend the event? Take the online survey and share your ideas for the site.
The Heights Observer’s Bob Rosenbaum will participate in a panel discussion on the role of citizen journalism following the 4:15 p.m. showing of “Acorn and the Firestorm” at the 42nd annual Cleveland International Film Festival on Wednesday, April 11. Moderated by Nick Castele of ideastream, other panelists include Reuben Atlas, film director; Roldo Bartimole, Point of View; Mitch McKenney, Kent State University; and Sam Pollard, film director.
FutureHeights’s Heights Observer is a partner of the 42nd annual Cleveland International Film Festival, which runs April 4-15. Use code “FTRHTS” to receive $2 off the ticket price. See the program line-up and purchase tickets at www.clevelandfilm.org. The Cedar Lee Theatre Evening takes place Tuesday, April 10; learn more here.
FutureHeights, in partnership with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and US Bank, will host a branding, signage and merchandising workshop for business owners on Friday, April 13, 9:30–11:30 a.m., at SBDC, located on the second floor of the Lee Road Library (2340 Lee Road).
Speakers Brad and Judy Swimmer, of AlphaGraphics, will talk about the importance of having a foundation, understanding your target market, creating a strong brand identity, the value of compelling signage, and budgeting for signs and other marketing materials. They’ll present ideas for generating creative ways to help your business stand out; developing skills that will help you market yourself, your brand and your product; and creating storefront signage that boosts awareness among potential customers.
The workshop is a component of the FutureHeights Planning & Development Committee’s initiatives to attract, retain and support the local businesses in Cleveland Heights and University Heights.
“Because the Heights has so many storefront businesses and they depend on sales from the pedestrian foot traffic in their districts, we thought it would be important to focus on branding, signage, window displays and merchandising,” said Micah Kirman, committee chair. “Many Heights businesses already do this well, but there is always more to learn, and it will give business owners an opportunity to share their own ideas and get feedback.”
Register for this free event at futureheightssbw2018.eventbrite.com.
SBDC provides no-cost, confidential, one-on-one counseling for businesses that will, or currently do, employ fewer than 500 employees. Additional services include training, e-counseling, quality-based assessments, technical assistance, loan packaging guidance, and information on federal, state, and local regulations and programs. For more information, contact Katie Van Dyke, SBDC director, at k.vandyke@csuohio.edu or 216-321-1633.
Support for the FutureHeights Small Business Workshop Series is provided by US Bank. For more information about FutureHeights’ programs for local businesses, call 216-320-1423 or e-mail info@futureheights.org.
Coinciding with Fair Housing Month, FutureHeights invites residents to attend a free public forum, Choosing to Make the Heights Home, on Tuesday, April 24, 7–8:30 p.m., at The BottleHouse Brewing Company, 2050 Lee Road.
Speakers will include experts on current housing trends, as well as residents who have recently purchased homes in Cleveland Heights. The panel will lead an open and candid discussion about the decision-making process of buying a home.
The diversity of housing stock and walkable business districts are major assets in Cleveland Heights. The forum will explore what else drives buyers’ decisions on where to purchase a home. Does Cleveland Heights have what buyers are looking for? What more could the city do to promote its amenities to potential homeowners? How can the community build on its assets to make it a more desirable place to live?
Register for this free event at https://cleheightshome.eventbrite.com.
The FutureHeights Neighborhood Mini-Grants Committee awarded $3,577 to five projects in the spring round of its grant program. Awarded were Noble Neighbors, $500 for Talent of the Heights; Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church, $750 for Beautify the Hill; CUE, $1,000 for Lower Shaker Lake Public Space Reclamation; Montford Community Garden, $327 for Gardening Set-Up Grants; and Friends of the Delisle Center, $1,000 for Beautifying the Delisle Center’s Outdoor Spaces. Congratulations! Sept. 15 is the next grant application deadline. Learn more here.
In association with the Ohio Small Business Development Center and with the support of US Bank, FutureHeights will host a series of six free workshops in 2018 for small business owners to increase their knowledge of current trends and give them new skills to thrive in today’s environment.
The first of these workshops, Social Media & Retail, will be held on Friday, Feb. 16, from 9:30–11:30 a.m. at the Small Business Development Center, located at 2340 Lee Rd, in Cleveland Heights.
Speaker Chris Smith is a social entrepreneur, small business development consultant and graphic designer. His entrepreneurial experiences began in college competing in several business plan competitions across the nation. He currently works for JumpStart, Inc., supporting several programs working with technology and on-technology companies throughout Northeast Ohio. Smith’s talk will focus on using social media to assess community needs, market to a wider audience, and create lasting relationships with customers and neighbors.
Whether or not you are well versed in the use of technology, this workshop will add critical information and provide new perspectives on social media’s use in the retail market. All are welcome, from well-established vendors to students and start-ups.
RSVP here. For more information, contact sbasu@futureheights.org or call 216-320-1423.
FutureHeights hosted Community-Building for Change, a public forum and interactive workshop on Jan. 23, from 7-8:30 p.m., at The BottleHouse Brewing Company, 2050 Lee Road.
The workshop helped Heights residents gain the knowledge and skills needed to create and maintain strong, effective neighborhood groups, and empowered residents to take action to support and improve their community. Topics included civic engagement, effective organizing and creatively solving challenges.
Brenda May, one of the leaders of Noble Neighbors; Kaela Geshke, wealth initiatives and community network builder of Neighborhood Connections; and Travelle Harp, director of Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope (NOAH), collaboratively led the interactive workshop and discussion. View video of the forum here.
The City of Cleveland Heights has formed a working group to work out the details of FutureHeights’ partnership with the city as its community development corporation. FutureHeights selected the following to participate: Deanna Bremer Fisher, executive director, and Robert Brown and Micah Kirman, board members. City Manager Tanisha Briley will serve with the group and selected Karen Knittel, city planner, and Tim Boland, economic development director, as the additional city staff members. She also appointed three independent members: Tom Stone (formerly of MtPleasantNow), Benjamin Nichols (VP of National Initiatives for Enterprise Community Partners), and Ken Surrat (Deputy Director of Housing for Cuyahoga County). Strategy Design Partners will facilitate the group’s meetings.
The first meeting took place on Nov. 29 at Cleveland Heights City Hall. Participants introduced themselves; city staff discussed the city’s programs and services, structure and community development priorities; and FutureHeights discussed its programs and services, structure and priorities. The next meeting is set for Dec. 21.
Learn more about candidates for local elections at the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland, CH-UH chapter and FutureHeights Candidates Night. The event begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the CH Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd. The order of the program is as follows: UH Mayor, 7 p.m.; UH City Council 7:25 p.m.; CH-UH Board of Education, 8 p.m.; CH Municipal Court Judge, 8:45 p.m.; CH City Council, 9 p.m.
Also check out the 2017 Voters Guide to Candidates and Issues, which is published as a public service by the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland, CH-UH chapter and FutureHeights. It is inserted into the print issue of the Heights Observer and is available online at www.heightsobserver.org.
On Friday, Oct. 20, Heights residents headed to Lee Road for the annual night of safe trick-or-treating with the merchants. Check out some of the zany, funny & imaginative costumes!
This event is co-sponsored by Cedar Lee Special Improvement District and FutureHeights. Photos are by Gabe Schaffer.