20120716-NEWS--1-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 7/13/2012 1:25 PM Page 1 $2.00/JULY 16 - 22, 2012 Effort gears Bank seeks up to mount receiver for school levy Akron-based campaign lumber firms In lawsuit, Huntington Backers will seek help fears Empire ‘insolvency’ from businesses, but By MICHELLE PARK face a crowded ballot [email protected] The future of a group of lumber By TIMOTHY MAGAW companies based in Akron is unclear [email protected] after a judge ordered a receiver to take control of the companies amid The coalition that got behind allegations that a large amount of legislation to reform the operations the assets pledged as collateral for of the Cleveland Metropolitan School millions of dollars in bank debt either District is scrambling under a tight does not exist or may be at risk. deadline to put together a campaign In a lawsuit filed June 11 in Cuya- aimed at passing this November a hoga County Common Pleas Court, school operating levy for the first time STAN BULLARD attorneys for Huntington Bank re- in 16 years. Forest City Enterprises is considering converting to apartments the Halle Building, on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleve- quested that a receiver be appointed The coalition of Mayor Frank land, shown here looking east on Euclid. to operate Empire Enterprises Inc., a Jackson, school district officials, the forest products and building materials Greater Cleveland Partnership and distribution holding company; its local foundations is on the verge of subsidiary, Empire Wholesale Lumber tapping a consulting firm to lead the Co., which has been in business for campaign. Firms already interviewed Halle Building could enter 63 years; and two other affiliated for the job are led by seasoned polit- entities. ical gurus Bill Burges, Alan Melamed “By all accounts, defendants are and Jeff Rusnak. unable to pay plaintiff amounts due downtown apartment mix to it, thereby creating a presumption of insolvency,” Huntington stated in its lawsuit. The filing said the bank By STAN BULLARD could be relegated to memory if the “reasonably believes that a signifi- Office space on [email protected] Cleveland-based developer pursues cant portion of the inventory and the idea. receivables defendants pledged to upper floors would The Halle Building in downtown Forest City is weighing converting plaintiff may not exist or may be in Cleveland, well-known thanks to part or most of the structure in the danger of being lost or materially be replaced by up “The Drew Carey Show” and a cele- PlayhouseSquare neighborhood to damaged.” Roman Jackson brated role as the former home of more than 200 apartments and “The immediate appointment of a Mr. Jingeling, may become apartments retaining its first floor as retail space, receiver is necessary as (Empire is) to 200 rental units under a plan Forest City Enterprises Also, GCP is gearing up to solicit according to a source who declined unable to pay their debts as they Inc. is considering. the business community to help foot to be identified because he is not See LUMBER Page 7 under nascent plan The former Halle department the bill for what advocates anticipate authorized to discuss the plan. store at 1228 Euclid Ave. is now an will be a $1 million effort. Although Forest City isn’t showing office building on its upper floors “Clearly we will ask business com- its hand, real estate observers agree INSIDE with retail space on the first floor munity to fund the campaign effort, the concept makes sense. Downtown and basement, but the office use See HALLE Page 6 and we’ll start that soon,” GCP UH continues to bolster president Joe Roman said. “But even its cancer program more importantly than that, because NEW PROJECTS ABOUND In addition to its $260 million this will be such a crowded and expen- A sample of planned or proposed May Co. Building: The Florida- at 1717 E. Ninth St., also for conver- Seidman Cancer Center, opened sive campaign field, we’ll work very apartment projects in downtown based owner, Morgan Reed Group, is sion to apartments. last year, University Hospitals has hard with our members to ensure Cleveland, a list to which the Halle studying whether to turn the empty Truman, Schofield buildings: A opened a new facility in Westlake their Cleveland-resident employees Building could be added. upper floors of the building on Public total of 76 apartments are proposed and is upgrading one in Geauga have the information necessary to Avenue Tower: A joint venture has Square into apartments. for the buildings, at 1020 Euclid Ave. County. PAGE 7 make an informed decision.” proposed to buy the long-stalled tower Hanna Annex: K&D Group of and 2000 E. Ninth St., respectively, Even John Kasich, Ohio’s Republican PLUS: condo project and turn it into 57 high- Willoughby announced plans to buy by their longtime owners, groups governor who worked with Cleveland’s end rentals. the building from the PlayhouseSquare associated with principals of CRM ■ Some Cleveland marketing Democratic mayor to move a bill Rosetta Building: MRN Ltd. plans Foundation for conversion of the office Real Estate Services of Cleveland. agencies are pitching themselves enabling the reform plan’s implemen- to spend $17 million to convert five building into 102 apartments. Plans for the Schofield Building continue as the perfect coach for sports tation through the Legislature, is floors to 85 market-rate apartments at East Ohio Gas Building: Reports to include a hotel. teams and organizations. PAGE 12 See LEVY Page 5 629 Euclid Ave. have K&D as the buyer of the building SOURCE: CRAIN’S REPORTING SPECIAL SECTION 27 7 WHO Read about TO some of the WATCH industry’s NEWSPAPER IN brightest Entire contents © 2012 74470 83781 by Crain Communications Inc. HEALTH CARE Vol. 33, No. 27 0 Page 13 20120716-NEWS--2-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 7/13/2012 12:02 PM Page 1 2 CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS WWW.CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM JULY 16 - 22, 2012 COMING NEXT WEEK IT’S A STEAL Auto thefts in Ohio in 2011 declined for the eighth straight year, but they went in the wrong 2012 Women of Note direction in the Cleveland and Akron markets and increased. New data show more than 6,600 cars were stolen last year in the Cleveland/Elyria/Mentor market, up 17.3% from We profile 15 of Northeast 2010, while Akron thefts rose 16.9% to 1,217. Relatively speaking, though, Ohio is not a 700 W. St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, high-auto theft state, with only the Cleveland and Toledo markets ranking in the top 100 Cleveland, OH 44113-1230 Ohio’s most prominent and nationwide in theft rate per 100,000 residents. Here’s the data for the six Ohio markets in Phone: (216) 522-1383 successful female busi- which at least 1,000 cars were stolen last year: Fax: (216) 694-4264 ness leaders, employed at www.crainscleveland.com 2011 2010 2011 thefts per 2011 Publisher/editorial director: some of Northeast Ohio’s City auto thefts auto thefts 100K pop. nat. rank Brian D. Tucker ([email protected]) biggest companies. Editor: Mark Dodosh ([email protected]) Cleveland/Elyria/Mentor 6,603 5,630 319.25 57 Managing editor: Scott Suttell ([email protected]) REGULAR FEATURES Columbus 4,223 4,445 227.23 104 Sections editor: Amy Ann Stoessel ([email protected]) Cincinnati/Middletown 3,039 3,404 144.53 207 Assistant editor: Big Issue ..................9 Letter ......................9 Joel Hammond ([email protected]) Classified ..............18 List: Nursing homes..17 Toledo 1,784 1,722 274.35 79 Sports Editorial ..................8 Personal View ..........8 Senior reporter: Dayton 1,647 1,683 194.82 133 Stan Bullard ([email protected]) From the Publisher ..8 Reporters’ Notebook..19 Real estate and construction Reporters: Akron 1,217 1,041 173.51 164 Going Places ..........11 The Week ..................19 Jay Miller ([email protected]) Government Chuck Soder ([email protected]) Technology Dan Shingler ([email protected]) Energy, steel and automotive Tim Magaw ([email protected]) Health care and education Michelle Park ([email protected]) Finance Ginger Christ ([email protected]) Manufacturing, marketing and retailing Research editor: Deborah W. 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