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Fahrenheit Executive Chef Rocco Whalen Brings His Game to The Q: Rocco’s Nachos & Tacos
January 26, 2012 – 11:18 am
Whalen and Former Cavalier Elmore Smith Join Michael Symon to Expand Quicken Loans Arena’s Culinary OfferingsCleveland, OH— Yet another favorite Cleveland chef has created a menu of his signature specialties to serve up at Quicken Loans Arena. Executive chef and owner of the popular Fahrenheit in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, Rocco Whalen is open for business on The Q’s main concourse with “Rocco’s Nachos & Tacos.” Teaming up with the Cleveland Cavaliers and ARAMARK—The Q’s exclusive food and beverage provider—Chef Whalen is giving the traditional southwest fare his own unique American contemporary flair just for fans attending Cavs games and events at The Q.
Whalen joins Cleveland native, Food Network star and award-winning chef Michael Symon in bringing his signature cuisine to his own branded location at The Q. Symon’s two locations, “B Spot” and “Bar Symon,” opened in 2009. Rocco’s Nachos & Tacos, located at section 110 on The Q’s main concourse, is open during Cavs games and a majority of arena events.
“I am very excited to bring my passion for Cleveland, its sports franchises and its food to fans at The Q,” said Chef Rocco. “Enjoy the tacos!”
Inspired by his Fahrenheit menu, Rocco’s Nachos & Tacos features:
Rocco’s Tacos• Spiced chicken tinga, baby greens, jack cheese, scallions, lime-avocado sauce and salsa fresca
• Braised beef brisket, sweet teriyaki glaze, jack cheese, crispy tortillas and salsa fresca
• Braised pork, greens, jack cheese, green chilies, lime-avocado sauce and salsa fresca
• Garlic-buttered shrimp, greens, jack cheese, grilled scallions and salsa fresca
Rocco’s Nachos
• Crispy potato nachos with goat cheese fondue, scallions, Parmesan cheese, crisp bacon, fresh herbs and sea salt
• Crispy potato nachos with sea salt and malt vinegar aioli
“We are pleased to have two of Cleveland’s own culinary powerhouses in Rocco Whalen and Michael Symon contributing to the variety of delicious food offerings we have at The Q,” said ARAMARK General Manager Kelly Romano. “In working with both Rocco and Michael, we very quickly learned that the secret ingredient to their incredible recipes is their Cleveland pride.
“In addition to Rocco’s Nachos & Tacos, we are also welcoming several new local favorites to our family including former Cavalier Elmore Smith’s Smokehouse BBQ,” added Romano. “We encourage everyone who comes to The Q to come hungry!”
Former Cleveland Cavalier and barbeque extraordinaire Elmore Smith brings his signature flavor to fans at The Q. Located at section 108 on the main concourse, Elmore Smith’s Smokehouse features beef brisket, chicken and pulled pork, all smoked in-house, and then finished with one of Smith’s all-natural, gourmet sauces.
Chef Michael Symon has also added some zest by introducing new items to B Spot and Bar Symon menus. B Spot, voted Best Burgers in America at the 2010 and 2011 SoBe Wine & Food Fest, is now serving up his Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon milkshake and chili cheese fries, in addition to its signature lineup of burgers, brats and craft beers. Bar Symon is adding bold specialties such as a pork pastrami sandwich and “Uptown Sides” of short rib nachos, Lola fries and fried brussels sprouts to the well-rounded menu. (B Spot is located on The Q’s main concourse next to the Cavaliers Team Shop. Bar Symon is located at section C125 on the Huntington Bank Club Level (Level 4).
“Enjoying great food is a big part of a fun night out and the total fan experience when coming to The Q,” said Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena President, Len Komoroski. “Working with ARAMARK to offer an ever-evolving menu of exciting, high-quality food options is another example of how fan satisfaction is our top priority.”
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GREATER CLEVELAND AQUARIUM GRAND OPENING CEREMONY
January 19, 2012 – 11:59 amHow do you make the FirstEnergy Power house more fun, Just Add Water!
Cleveland (January 19, 2012): The grand-opening ceremony for the Greater Cleveland Aquarium took place today in the FirstEnergy Powerhouse at the Nautica Entertainment Complex to officially open the new world-class aquarium. The festivities included Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Council President Martin Sweeney, Councilman Joe Cimperman, and private partners of the project joining together to release dozens of balloons from a 200-gallon container, creating a water-like cascade above the entranceway to symbolize the “Just Add Water” theme of the aquarium.
Partners in the Greater Cleveland Aquarium include Jacobs Entertainment, Inc., owner/developer of the Nautica Entertainment Complex, and Marinescape NZ Limited, the world’s leading developer of walk-through aquariums. The aquarium is also supported by FirstEnergy Corp. and AMPCO, the parking lot operator for the Nautica Entertainment Complex, both contributing funding to the project.
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is offering preview days for annual pass holders on January 19th and 20th, and will open to the public beginning January 21st. Features include 10 aquarium exhibition areas with 35 tanks integrated into the historic FirstEnergy Powerhouse that create an exciting underwater environment with special emphasis on the building’s unique architectural elements. Visitors will be impressed by Marinescape’s SeaTube®, a world-class attraction that allows people to walk through a 500,000 gallon tank offering panoramic views of marine life, including 15 sharks of various species, some up to 7 feet long.
Exhibition areas are identified by themes, including Everglades, Florida Keys, and Ohio Lakes and Rivers. A “Touch Tank” exhibit actually allows visitors to lean in and touch marine life including rays, baby sharks and starfish.
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium utilizes Windows on the River’s banquet facilities and Jacobs Pavilion for aquarium-related special events. Annually, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is expected to attract 400-500,000 visitors to downtown Cleveland, generate $9.6 to $27.2 million of local economic impact and create 50 full and part-time jobs with a payroll of $1.6 million.
“The Greater Cleveland Aquarium adds a new dimension to tourism in Cleveland and continues the wave of new development on both sides of the river,” said Jeffrey P. Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Investments, Inc.
“The aquarium is one of the many new attractions that will help reinforce downtown Cleveland as a destination for residents, international visitors and businesses,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “Cleveland has tremendous assets to build off of such as our waterfront, and projects such as this help to transform our city into an international destination,” added Mayor Jackson.
“We’re proud to play a role in this exciting project, which will continue to preserve the value of Cleveland’s historic Powerhouse while fostering economic development in the region,” said Charles E. Jones, President of FirstEnergy Utilities. The FirstEnergy Powerhouse originally served to generate electricity for Cleveland’s streetcar system back in the late 19th century.
Marinescape has developed 23 major walk-through aquariums throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Russia over the past 26 years. The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is Marinescape’s first aquarium development in the United States and builds on its successes with new, cutting-edge technologies. Marinescape created a winning formula that helped transform aquariums into dynamic visitor attractions with the SeaTube® and its “Three E’s” philosophy. Marinescape aquariums have successfully used this “Environmental Education through Entertainment” formula to provide environmental education to over 150 million aquarium visitors worldwide.
“The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is our first aquarium in North America and we have made it a special one,” said Ian Mellsop, Managing Director of Marinescape. “Our designers worked overtime to develop some very creative ideas in this extraordinary building,” he added.
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium has classrooms and a teaching staff that will offer lessons developed in conjunction with local boards of education. The staff is expected to collaborate with local schools and universities on research projects and develop local community-based ecological and educational outreach programs.
General admission charges are $21.95 for adults, $15.95 for children ages 2 to 12, and children under 2 are free. Annual passes begin at $50 and allow pass holders express admission. The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is open Monday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For further information, visit www.GreaterClevelandAquarium.com.
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Ferro Corp former HQ sold
January 17, 2012 – 3:57 pmLast month, Ferro Corp.’s (NYSE: FOE) former headquarters in downtown Cleveland was sold to Parkwood Corp, an investment firm formed by the Mandel brothers, who built and sold the former Premier Industrial Corp. in the city’s Midtown neighborhood.
The 44,000 square foot office building located at 1000 Lakeside Ave, was sold for $2.3 million, according to Cuyahoga County land records. According to a recent Crain’s article, Morton L. Mandel, Parkwood CEO, said the firm would move its 51 employees to the building in a few months after it modernizes the 1965-vintage structure.
Ferro put the 3-story building up for sale last October after its move to space in Mayfield Heights; it took about 90 days from coming on the market for the building to be sold, according to Rocco DiPuccio, partner, at Ostendorf-Morris, who handled the sale for Ferro.
DiPuccio said, “Almost half a dozen parties were interested, majority of the interest from tenant’s already located downtown. But that only tells part of the story. The willingness of existing tenants to consider a change from a leasing position to an ownership position shows a commitment to downtown and reflects positively on the state of things.”
He equates the success of the quick sale to the fact that 40,000+ square feet of free standing office space is a good size for a number of companies in the area. In addition the building offers underground parking an added benefit and value for any owner.
News of this sale and the announcement from AmTrust at the end of last year to bring nearly 1,000 jobs Downtown this year, is a plus not only for Downtown, but also for the NineTwelve District. NineTwelve is an effort led by Downtown Cleveland Alliance, in partnership with several downtown partners to reshape the city’s former financial district as a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood.
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Member Spotlight: Cleveland State University
January 17, 2012 – 10:45 amTransforming a university and the neighborhood around it
With $500 million in recent construction, the transformation of Cleveland State University continues to alter the downtown landscape. CSU President Ronald Berkman, along with Mayor Frank Jackson and a host of community leaders broke ground in November for a new $50 million mixed use residential and retail development on Chester Avenue between East 21st and East 24th streets.
The development was dubbed Campus Village, and it will bring more than 600 new residents to downtown, who will take advantage of campus amenities such as the CSU Rec Center and the Campus International School for K-12 students. The development will include more than 300 market-rate apartments geared toward young professionals, graduate and law students, faculty and CSU staffers.
Early in 2012, the University began moving its extensive arts programs into the new CSU Arts Campus in PlayhouseSquare. The campus includes the newly renovated Allen Theatre and the Middough Building, the new home for Cleveland State’s theater, Dance and art departments. CSU’s Art Gallery will soon be moved into the area as well, housed in the former Cowell & Hubbard Building at the corner of East 13th and Euclid.
The spaced will be shared by Zack Bruell’s newest restaurant, Cowell & Hubbard, honoring the name of the opulent jewelry store that occupied the building in the peak of Euclid Avenue’s Millionaire’s Row. CSU will be sharing the Arts Campus with the Cleveland Play House, which recently vacated its longtime theater near the Cleveland Clinic. The arrangement provides Cleveland State with the only undergraduate theater program in the nation working side-by-side with a professional theater company.
Two blocks to the east, at 1836 Euclid Avenue, CSU is renovating the historic Union Building at a cost of $18 million. That facility will serve as the new Cleveland office of the Northeast Ohio Medical University in its growing partnership with Cleveland State. Together, the two schools have developed a medical school track that will produce primary care physicians trained specifically to serve urban communities.
The arrangement is the only one of its kind in the country that addresses a growing and urgent need for family medicine in urban centers, where healthcare is frequently scarce or inaccessible. To jumpstart the program, President Berkman has been forging partnerships with area hospitals to create tuition-for-service plans, where medical school costs are paid in exchange for future service in an underserved urban community.
The physical changes at CSU are just the beginning of an overall transformation that is sweeping CSU. For the past two years, the incoming freshmen classes have been the largest and most academically competitive in the university’s history. CSU continues to attract nationally recognized faculty, and financial gifts are breaking new records. Watch for more exciting news from Cleveland State in 2012, and see how a strong urban university can benefit an entire community.
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Ferro Corp’s Former HQ sold
January 17, 2012 – 9:55 amLast month, Ferro Corp.’s (NYSE: FOE) former headquarters in downtown Cleveland was sold to Parkwood Corp, an investment firm formed by the Mandel brothers, who built and sold the former Premier Industrial Corp. in the city’s Midtown neighborhood.
The 44,000 square foot office building located at 1000 Lakeside Ave, was sold for $2.3 million, according to Cuyahoga County land records. According to a recent Crain’s article, Morton L. Mandel, Parkwood CEO, said the firm would move its 51 employees to the building in a few months after it modernizes the 1965-vintage structure.
Ferro put the 3-story building up for sale last October after its move to space in Mayfield Heights; it took about 90 days from coming on the market for the building to be sold, according to Rocco DiPuccio, partner, at Ostendorf-Morris, who handled the sale for Ferro.
DiPuccio said, “Almost half a dozen parties were interested, majority of the interest from tenant’s already located downtown. But that only tells part of the story. The willingness of existing tenants to consider a change from a leasing position to an ownership position shows a commitment to downtown and reflects positively on the state of things.”
He equates the success of the quick sale to the fact that 40,000+ square feet of free standing office space is a good size for a number of companies in the area. In addition the building offers underground parking an added benefit and value for any owner.
News of this sale and the announcement from AmTrust at the end of last year to bring nearly 1,000 jobs Downtown this year, is a plus not only for Downtown, but also for the NineTwelve District. NineTwelve is an effort led by Downtown Cleveland Alliance, in partnership with several downtown partners to reshape the city’s former financial district as a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood.
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The Gateway District recently honored with Ohio American Planning Association award
January 12, 2012 – 1:45 pm
Last month, The Gateway District: Re-Imagining the Public Realm plan was recently honored with the “Focused Planning Project” award from the Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Ohio).This is a highly prestigious award in which projects compete with one another on a statewide level, and one of only five awards given to planning efforts throughout Ohio this year. A panel of judges from both Ohio and surrounding states reviewed the various submissions, and recommended the winners. Projects were judged based on the concepts of their innovation, transferability, quality, implementation, comprehensiveness, relevance and community interaction.
The Focused Planning Project award category was defined in the nomination as, “a planning project, the study area of which includes the state of Ohio, of unusually high merit dealing with a specific subject, e.g. economic development, environment, housing, preservation, transportation, urban design, etc.”
The Gateway District: Re-Imagining the Public Realm Plan represents a comprehensive study of infrastructure and redevelopment initiatives within the Gateway Neighborhood that resulted in recommendations for the public realm intended to rebalance the nature of the streets to transform what today are separate individual blocks and destinations into a unified multi-modal district.
City Architecture prepared the study; throughout the process of developing the plan with Downtown Cleveland Alliance, stakeholders and residents, initiatives were envisioned for the district that focus on people’s needs while bringing vitality to the streets and public spaces in a way that will continue to catalyze neighborhood investment. This vision is particularly important with the emerging casino, convention center, medical mart, and discussions regarding the revitalization of Public Square as connecting downtown are vital to our future.
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Casting Call for Home Renovation TV Show in Cleveland
January 10, 2012 – 11:27 amRivr Media
A Network television show is coming to the Cleveland area to help redecorate and rebuild an area of your home! If you’ve been gravely affected by some kind of catastrophe like a fire, flood or even mold, Rivr Media wants to help you.
They’ll use your homeowner’s insurance to clean up the mess, rebuild the space and then a nationally recognized designer will come in and fully decorate the area…and all over the course of just one week. With the help of their highly skilled team of experts, you’ll be able to move back into your house quickly and your home will be even more beautiful than it once was.
If this sounds like something for you, please send Rivr Media an email at clevelanddisasters@gmail.com with the following:
- Name
- Contact Information (email and/or phone)
- Home Address (just zip code is fine)
- Brief description of the disaster
- 1 photo of the EXTERIOR of the home affected
- 2-3 photos of the INTERIOR of the home affected
- 1-2 photos of yourself and/or anyone living in the home affected (group shots preferred)
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Ohio ICSC Alliance Program & Downtown Cleveland Alliance present City Centers, Casinos and Retail, a panel discussion
January 10, 2012 – 11:05 am
Thursday, February 16th International Council of Shopping Centers in partnership with Downtown Cleveland Alliance presents the Ohio Alliance program, City Centers, Casinos and Retail, a panel discussion on Thursday, February 16th at 11:30am at Tower City Center. The new casino developments have been generating lots of interest over the last few months.
Join ICSC and Downtown Cleveland Alliance for a panel discussion to discuss the downtown Cleveland casino project and its impact on retail opportunities. The panelist of experts includes: Duane Bishop, Executive Vice President, Forest City Commercial Group; Nathan Forbes, Managing Partner, The Forbes Company; Joseph A. Marinucci, President &CEO, Downtown Cleveland Alliance and Chris Warren, Chief of Regional Development, City of Cleveland.
The Alliance program is a special ICSC initiative that provides forums for the public and private sectors to network, share ideas, discuss industry issues and explore retail development opportunities. For more information about this event or to purchase tickets visit www.icsc.org
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Craig Thompson named Cleveland MMCC Convention Sales Director
January 6, 2012 – 11:20 amFormer I-X Center National Sales Manager to recruit non-medical trade shows
CLEVELAND, OH (January 5, 2012) - Craig Thompson was named Convention Sales Director for Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center (Cleveland MMCC), it was announced earlier today by Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI). An Ohio native with more than 15 years of local and regional tradeshow industry experience, Thompson will be responsible for recruiting non-medical trade shows and conventions to Cleveland MMCC, including initiating, developing, and maintaining relationships with industry tenants, prospects, and associations. Under the direction of Brian Casey, Vice President and General Manager, Thompson will work closely with Anthony Prusak, Cleveland MMCC Director of Convention Sales, who will continue to coordinate recruitment of healthcare industry trade shows and conventions.
“Craig Thompson brings more than 15 years of convention center and tradeshow industry sales and special events experience,” said Casey. “During his successful tenure at the I-X Center, Craig has also proven to be successful in selling Cleveland as a tradeshow and convention destination. His sales experience coupled with his enthusiasm for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio will be valuable assets for our team as we continue to expand our sales efforts nearing the fall 2013 opening date.”
Thompson joins the Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. Cleveland-based team after serving as National Sales Manager at the International Exposition (I-X) Center in Cleveland for the past eight years. At the I-X Center, Thompson was a member of multiple show production teams and focused his sales efforts on trade shows and corporate events, including recruiting trade shows, negotiating contracts, generating proposals, and working closely with the Cleveland Airport Hotel Group. Prior to joining the I-X Center, Thompson served as Associate Director of Special Events at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Director of Events at SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo.
“Within the tradeshow and convention industry, Cleveland MMCC is already on the radar as a future destination location and I am delighted to join the team and expand our sales opportunities as we gear up for the opening of the facility,” said Thompson.
Thompson earned both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Bowling Green State University, majoring in facility management and hospitality and earning the Andrews/Hooley Award for academic excellence.
Managed by Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., Cleveland MMCC will integrate state-of-the-art permanent showrooms in a 235,000 square foot medical mart with world-class trade show and conference facilities in an adjoining 230,000 square foot convention center underneath the medical mart and Malls B and C. The facility also includes more than 90,000 square feet dedicated to meeting rooms and a grand ballroom looking out onto Lake Erie. Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. is the world’s leading owner and operator of showroom buildings and trade show facilities, bringing buyers and sellers together in more than 300 market events, trade and consumer shows and conferences each year.
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Now accepting applications for DCA City Advocates Program
January 5, 2012 – 4:02 pmDowntown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) is now seeking new participants for the DCA City Advocate program. Launched in 2009, the program serves to provide civic education and fosters active engagement for rising leaders in the Downtown Cleveland community.
Through this unique program, participants gain access to Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s staff and board and engage in open dialogue with many established leaders in the private, public and non-profit sectors. In addition, participants work collaboratively on self-selected projects that support Downtown’s quality of life and ability to attract residents, businesses and visitors. To learn more about the program visit the DCA City Advocate’s page on our website.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the 2012-2014 class of DCA City Advocates click here for our application guidelines. The deadline to apply is Sunday, February 5th at 5pm. Please contact Laura Kushnick via email at lkushnick@dcacleveland.net or call 216-736-7799 with any further questions