Neighbors Come Together During Challenging Time
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Old Brooklyn Serving our community since 1978 News Neighbors come together during challenging time Published by the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation Spring 2021 2 A year ago, weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic upended our lives, I wrote that change is constant. None of us were ready for the changes that Spring 2021 were about to come. During the past year, as it always has and always will, Old Brooklyn has Old Brooklyn News: changed. Change is necessary for evolution of people, places, ideas, and life. No one wishes for the pain of change from the last year – loss of 5 / Strike Force life, harmed businesses and lost jobs, strained relationships, educational setbacks – but know that we are about to change again. 6 / Small Business Support Looking around the corner into spring, Old Brooklyn knows what lies 8 / New Housing in Old Brooklyn ahead. Pedal for Prizes. The Ben Franklin Community Garden. Honey Hut. The 10 / Community Health Navigators endless days of summer. 12 / St. Luke’s Master Plan Yet we know that going forward will look different because of what we have lived through, and will continue to live through. While the promise 14 / Mollie Alstott Memorial of vaccines gives hope to re-awakening of our collective community actions, spring and summer will be different. 16 / School Pandemic Challenges Where they will remain the same is the promise of joy, and the perpetuity Inside 20 / History - Coronavirus (Part III) of hope. This issue of the Old Brooklyn News will introduce you to that hope. 24 / Church & News Events From the creativity and innovation that our entrepreneurs ideate every day to the excitement of new houses being built in the neighborhood for 25 / Classifieds the first time in two decades. 26 / Community Meetings Every community, household, season, and company continually evolves, and that is good. Reminding ourselves of that, and the ability to grow 27 / Town Crier out of that change, is critical in a community like Old Brooklyn where our residents and businesses live on the edge of hope and transition. We are the accessible, family-friendly Cleveland neighborhood Change is not easy, and comes at different paces. It is easy to celebrate good news in the neighborhood without acknowledging the years of where business and people come to grow. hardship and hard work that goes into a project. It is just as hard to acknowledge where we have fallen short and see the errors along the way instead of shrugging it off. To accomplish that vision, we provide: Community and Special Events, Community Meetings, Small Business Assis- For two hundred years we have been a neighborhood of aspiration, and one that continuously changes. We are poised for that change to come tance, Real Estate Redevelopment, Community Gardening, Housing Rehabili- again, to embrace it, and to lead Old Brooklyn and Cleveland forward. tation, Neighborhood Marketing, Code Enforcement, Old Brooklyn Advocacy, Youth and Families Engagement Interested in advertising in our full color & large distribution magazine? Contact Sandy Worona at 216-459-1000 or [email protected] Jeffrey T Verespej Kristen Wilson Executive Director President, Board of Directors Staff Jeffrey T. Verespej Marissa Jones Executive Director Community Engagement Specialist [email protected] (Healthy Homes Initiative) [email protected] Jayme Lucas-Bauer Board of Directors Neighborhood Development Project Manager Carlos Laboy Kristen Wilson President; , Tiffany Sedlacek Vice President; Dave Margolius Secretary; [email protected] Community Otreach Coordinator [email protected] David Robinson, Treasurer, Mike Caparanis, Reggie Clark, Ramon Claudio, Devin Cotten Liz Hernandez, David Martin, Adam Saurwein, Philena Seldon, Kate Warren. Director of Advancement Lucas Reeve [email protected] Director of Neighborhood Development [email protected] Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) - it holds Hope Fierro Board Meetings at MetroHealth Old Brooklyn Health Center, 4299 Pearl Rd. Community Engagement Coordinator Johnese Sherron every fourth Tues. of the month, 6 - 7:30 pm. [email protected] Neighborhood Development Coordinator johneses @oldbrooklyn.com Britiny Hubbard “During the COVID-19 pandemic, Board meetings may be held virtually. Americorps VISTA Sandy Worona To inquire on the status, call 216-459-1000 [email protected] Outreach Coordinator and Old Brooklyn News Amber Jones [email protected] Meetings open to the public but the board reserves the right to close portions of the meetings. Director, Community Health [email protected] Ed Zubek Wi-Fi Support [email protected] 3 We are here to serve the community. Executive Assistant Assistant DEBBIE HEYINK MOLLY FARRIS WARD 12 COUNCILMAN Anthony Brancatelli PHONE: 216-664-4233 EMAIL: [email protected] RET3 RE-CERTIFIED COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND CHURCHES OF WARDS 12 & 13 BASIC DESKTOP SYSTEMS LAPTOP SYSTEMS START AT $85 $100 - $229 INCLUDES: SEVERAL OPTIONS 17” FLAT SCREEN AVAILABLE TO FIT YOUR KEYBOARD AND MOUSE BUDGET COMPUTERS CAN BE BUILT TO ORDER WITH THE SPECS YOU NEED EXTENDED WARRANTIES AVAILABLE ON EQUIPMENT ALL SYSTEMS INCLUDE WINDOWS 10 PRO AND OFFICE 2010 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLACE AN ORDER: SANDY WITH OBCDC AT 216-459-1000 RET3 AT 216-361-9991 (3/1/2021 - 5/31/2021). WWW.RET3.ORG 4 Old Brooklyn welcomes new Cleveland Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force by Susan Nieves he last buildable land in the Jennings Industrial Park, unfit for industrial development. The budget for the Strike Force immediately east of I-176 at Spring Rd., has become project was estimated by the City of Cleveland to total $10.5 mil- home to the new Cleveland Organized Crime Drug En- lion, including land acquisition and construction which totaled forcement Task Force (OCDETF) facility, also known $8.1 million, tax incentive financing (TIF) at $1 million, and $1.4 Tas a Strike Force. In 2017 the federal government reached out to million for soft costs. Revenue for the project included a landlord’s numerous regional law enforcement agencies regarding an oppor- equity contribution of $2.1 million, the $1 million Strike Force tunity to develop a Strike Force. TIF payment, a $500,000 City of Cleveland loan, and a bank loan Cleveland City for $6.9 million. Councilmember Antho- The City of Cleve- ny Brancatelli remarked, land anticipates an ini- “It was a very competitive tial tax revenue of near- process to get this facil- ly $300,000 per year ity in Cleveland and we based on the transfer of are very excited about the 118 current positions project.” from various law en- The Cleveland OC- forcement agencies to DETF initiative is a newer the new facility with an concept. It was launched estimated annual pay- in 2018 by the U.S. De- roll of $11,800,000. partment of Justice to fa- There is an opportunity cilitate local police agen- for expansion with 25 cies, federal agents, and new positions over the prosecutors to work col- first three years of op- laboratively on investiga- Photo courtesy of the United States Attorney’s Office eration with additional tions into major criminal A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on January 26, 2021 to celebrate the grand opening estimated tax revenue of organizations and their of the Cleveland Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force - Strike Force facility. $62,500 annually. The subsidiaries trafficking building can accommo- narcotics, weapons, hu- date an additional 79 mans and the proceeds of those crimes. employees, and with the anticipated future growth, it will reach Before the construction of the Jennings site, the Strike Force full capacity over the next five to ten years. was housed in various locations throughout the region. The new Regarding the economic impact of the project, Brancatelli 45,000 square foot building consists of space that will be shared said, “This is a multi-million-dollar investment in our community between the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District, Fed- that will bring hundreds of professionals into the area. That trans- eral Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administra- lates to more people spending money locally which will have a pos- tion (DEA), U. S. Postal Inspection Service, U. S. Border Control, itive ripple effect on the local economy.” Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on January 6, 2021 at U. S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Home- the new facility located at 4781 Hinckley Pkwy., where U. S. At- land Security Investigations (HSI), Ohio State Highway Patrol, torney Justin Herdman was joined by various federal and local law Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Cuyahoga enforcement leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the Cleve- County Prosecutor’s Office, Cleveland Division of Police, the In- land OCDETF. dependence Police Department and other local law enforcement Ray Fogg Building Methods, Inc. was the developer that car- agencies. ried out the design and construction of the facility. The company, When residents first heard about the project there were con- which began its operations in the area in the late 1960s, specializes cerns regarding safety, Brancatelli said. He went on to explain that in the development of industrial business parks, office and retail “the new building will provide office space for the operations of space. Today their full range of services includes land development the various agencies. No criminals or prisoners will be located at and commercial real estate leasing and asset management. the facility.” The City of Cleveland was instrumental in helping to bridge the financial gap for the project through a $500,000 forgivable Susan Nieves is a native Clevelander and for- loan and 15-year tax incentive financing (TIF). Cleveland City mer OBCDC Operations Manager, where Council passed ordinances in the summer of 2019 to that effect. she formerly contributed to the Old Brook- Brancatelli explained, “a TIF is primarily used for infrastruc- lyn News.