Back to the Future II: The Waterfront Tour Wednesday, September 17, 2014 6 PM- 8PM

Mayor Jackson: Good evening and thank you for coming on this cruise to learn about some of the projects that we are working on for ’s waterfront. Cleveland is one of the few American cities with both a riverfront and a lakefront. The waterfront helped build the city and is a vital part of Cleveland’s future – the important thing going forward is that we do it right. The projects and development we will see this evening are part of an overall vision to connect all of Cleveland with and the Five years ago, we did a similar tour, and now, is a good opportunity to see how much progress has been made. My goals for redevelopment along Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River are to  Protect our natural resource  Encourage economic development, including increased maritime trade; and,  Create opportunities for recreation and quality of life amenities. These are the things that will help Cleveland reclaim its heritage – make Cleveland a city where people choose to live, work and visit. This evening – I want to share with you some of the progress we have made in working towards these goals.  Some projects are fully funded and in the process of either design or construction.  Some projects are still in the early planning phases.  But all are important for the future of Cleveland and it’s important that you have the opportunity to see the projects and to provide feedback.

Now, to lead the discussion of the projects along our tour route, I will turn the microphone over to our Chief of Regional Development, Ed Rybka.

Remarks as prepared. Remarks may differ upon delivery.

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Back to the Future II: The Waterfront Tour Wednesday, September 17, 2014 6 PM- 8PM PROJECTS

Remarks by Ed Rybka, Chief of Regional Development, City of Cleveland

Redevelopment of North Coast Harbor – As we leave North Coast Harbor, take a look at the property surrounding the Harbor. This property comprises Phase 1 of a lakefront development option the City is pursuing with Cumberland, TCC, LLC earlier this year. The option resulted from a competitive selection process in 2013, and we expect Phase 1 to include several restaurants (including one at the former Captain Frank’s site) and potentially a boutique hotel in the North Coast Harbor area. The North Coast Harbor and the museum assets located around the harbor will be linked to downtown, Mall C and our new convention center via a $20 million pedestrian bridge that is now under design. North Coast Harbor Pedestrian Bridge – Access We are now passing through the location of a $6 million planned pedestrian bridge. The bridge will offer pedestrian and bicycle access between Voinovich Park and Dock 32, where the next phase of lakefront development will take place. The City will soon start construction. You can see the design for this bridge at a stand in the ship’s main dining area. Developing a World-Class Downtown Lakefront – Amenities and Access As we approach Stadium, look at the two warehouses lying north of the Stadium. Dock 32, the eastern most dock, just north of the Great Lakes Science Center, is part of Phase 1 and would include 250 units of market rate housing, 80,000 square feet of office space and related retail. Docks 28 and 30 are in Phases 2 and 3 of Cumberland’s option. If Cumberland exercises its option, over the next four years Phases 2 and 3 will become a walkable, mixed- use maritime development including housing, retail and a school site. Coast Guard Station Renovation and - Amenities We are passing the Port of Cleveland, a major inlet port on the Great Lakes and a significant part of our local economy. The Port Authority Board and management have taken on an ambitious project to further link our City’s manufactures to the world with an initiative to transport cargo to and from Europe. The initiative is off to a promising start. If you now look straight ahead,

2 we are approaching the City-owned historic Coast Guard Station. This Station has been the site of the Burning River Festival for the last several years. The Station was partially renovated in 2010 through a $500,000 rebuilding of the boathouse roof consistent with the specifications of the original historic structure. We are looking at several options regarding the building’s long-term use, one of which is a special event venue. Willow Street Bike Lanes – Recreation & Access Now look to your right, down the River a little bit, and you’ll see a gray metallic bridge. This is the Willow Street Bridge. The City has repaired the Willow Street Bridge in several stages:  First we used $5 million of federal stimulus monies to make structural repairs to the bridge deck and mechanical equipment. That work was completed last year.  Then we set aside $160,000 of City capital monies to study the feasibility of widened lanes on each side of the Bridge.  This could allow for better access to Whiskey Island and Wendy Park by pedestrians and bikes.  We would need State or federal moneys for construction funding to build the widened lanes.  Meanwhile, Cuyahoga County and others are studying the feasibility of building a bridge across the railroad tracks to reach Wendy Park and Lake Erie, while preserving the industrial uses south of the rail line. Flats East Bank – You’ll now need to move to the other side of the ship’s deck and look to your left. You’ll see the completed office tower, hotel and restaurants that make up Phase I of East Bank project. Closer to the River, and now under construction, you’ll see the 243 apartments and ground-level retail establishments that make up Phase II of Flats East Bank. The City of Cleveland has been a major investor in both phases of the project which is led by Scott Wolstein and Iris Wolstein. Project development will include a 1,200 foot Boardwalk that provides public access to enjoy our riverfront. The new development will also include a variety of entertainment venues including: Club FWD, a seasonal out-door entertainment venue, and Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill: a live country music venue with regional appeal, a brand-new Panini’s with waterfront access, The Big Bang, a dueling piano bar, and several additional venues.

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West Bank – Music Box Supper Club – On the west bank of the River is the new Music Box Supper Club, Cleveland’s newest live entertainment venue, which hosts national music acts in a Supper Club atmosphere. The Dept. of Economic Development provided funding to help revitalize vacant space into this unique entertainment asset Lake Link Trail – You need to move across the deck and look to your right to see the next two projects. On the West Bank of the Flats, several streets back from the River, there’s an overgrown railroad right-of-way. Back in 2009 Land Studio received a $1.3 million Clean grant to fund acquisition and initial development of a Flats West Bank trail in this Cuyahoga & Mahoning railroad right-of-way. The trail can connect the Towpath Trail and Canal Basin Park to the Willow Street Bridge crossing we just passed. Last month the Cleveland Foundation awarded $5 million to the Trust for Public Land which will push funding for the Trail well over the halfway mark. Aquarium – Continue to look to your right, where you will see the large Powerhouse Building on the West Bank. When we took our 2009 tour, the Jackson Administration had just introduced authorizing legislation to for a $2 million loan to complete the City financing for this project. In January of 2012, the new $33 million Aquarium opened to the public. It has become a major new recreational and tourist attraction in the Flats, averaging well over 300,000 in attendance per year.

I will now turn the microphone over to the Chief Executive Officer of , Brian Zimmerman, who will describe the next several projects.

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Back to the Future II: The Waterfront Tour Wednesday, September 17, 2014 6 PM- 8PM PROJECTS Brian Zimmerman, CEO of Cleveland Metroparks Remarks as prepared.

Canal Basin Park/ Towpath Trail The City of Cleveland is partnering with Canalway Partners, Cuyahoga County, and Cleveland Metroparks on the planning and development of both Canal Basin Park and the final 6 miles of the Towpath Trail. The 21-acre Canal Basin Park will serve as the northern terminus of the Towpath Trail, a 110-mile regional multi-purpose recreation trail that extends south to New Philadelphia, Ohio. Canal Basin Park celebrates the original site of the confluence of the historic Ohio & Erie Canal with the Cuyahoga River. The $47-million Towpath, which will be extended from its current Harvard Avenue terminus at the Cleveland city limits, will follow the route of the historic Ohio & Erie Canal. Rivergate Now look to your left, where we are approaching the 9-acre site of the former Commodore Yacht Club at the bend in the River next to the Columbus Road Bridge. The site can be easily connected to Canal Basin Park and the Towpath Trail, and it’s a short bike ride up the hill to Ohio City’s Market District. Many of you know that the Cleveland Rowing Federation attracts over 500 high school, college and adult athletes to the banks of the River each year from March to November. Rivergate is Cleveland Metroparks’ first downtown park. It includes a permanent home for the Rowing Federation, a bicycle co-op, a kayak and dragon boat public loading area, and the Merwin’s Wharf restaurant. Now I will turn it back over to Chief Rybka to discuss Cleveland Skate Park and remaining projects.

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Ed Rybka, Chief of Regional Development Remarks as prepared

Cleveland Skate Park – On your left, just behind the Cleveland Rowing Federation boathouse and the parking lot is a small parcel where Mayor Jackson expects to open a new state- of-the-art skate park next month. The new Cleveland Skate Park was designed through an extensive community process and uses best practices in skate park construction.

Scranton Flats/Towpath Trail Now, if you look to the right you’ll see a new 2/3 of a mile trail segment that was just dedicated in July. This $9-million public improvement project includes a new park and the first publicly funded section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the City of Cleveland. This Trail restored 3,000 feet of natural shoreline, creating a major fish habitat and a new tourism spot via a pier over the River and an iconic Cleveland viewing stop for birders and ship fans.

New Innerbelt Bridges near Tow Path Trail We are now approaching the Innerbelt bridges. The westbound bridge – the first of the pair – was opened to traffic in November. The other to carry eastbound traffic is slated for completion some time in 2016. This project is headed by ODOT. The original bridges built in 1959 were demolished and construction of these bridges will protect the businesses that operate from the Flats as well as people living and working in the Tremont neighborhood. By the end of completion ODOT will have invested over half a billion dollars in the city of Cleveland over a six-year period.

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CHIEF RYBKA CONCLUDING REMARKS: These projects all have two common purposes: using the waterfront to rebuild the City and connecting people to the lakefront. This means that the waterfront development we are planning and have underway places value on that which created Cleveland in the first place and a new focus on quality-of life amenities – re-positioning Cleveland as one of the world’s great waterfront cities. Projects like these will help revitalize Cleveland’s downtown neighborhoods, encourage people to connect to the City and help us attract additional economic development. Thank you for taking the time to come on this cruise and hear about these projects.

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