Once a month our whole staff gathers for an off-site meeting that is part continuing ed and part connecting together as a team. We visit places that offer us insights into the newest things happening in our region so we are always on top of the facts and info about Cleveland & Akron and can pass that along to our clients as they consider a relocation to NE Ohio.
This month, thanks to Jeff Epstein, Executive Director of Cleveland’s Health Tech Corridor we explored the 5 mile stretch that connects downtown to the cultural and eds/meds district of University Circle. HTC stretches over 8 separate Cleveland neighborhoods and runs right down the main drags we all think of as MidTown Corridor. Here are some of the highlights of the district outlined on the map below:
photo courtesy Health Tech Cooridor
What makes this stretch of Cleveland ripe for health tech companies? Most importantly it’s the close proximity of world class health institutions and universities including:
- Cleveland Clinic
- University Hospitals Health System
- VA Medical Center
- St. Vincent Charity Hospital
- Cleveland State University
- Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland Institute of Art – world famous for its industrial design program
Other factors contributing to the success of this rapidly growing business district are:
- RTA’s HealthLine – the bus/rapid transit connecting the two districts opened in 2008
photo courtesy Greater Cleveland RTA
- Large number of warehouses that are being re-purposed along the main routes of Euclid Ave. Carnegie Ave. & Chester Ave.
- Steady expansion of One Community’s broadband high speed internet (by the end of the year, it will be the fastest internet available in the entire county)
- Dozens of successful spin off companies from the doctors and researchers at these institutions including medical device companies, pharma, health information & IT firms and technology companies
More than 100 biomed companies now call this district home as well as more than 30 IT/tech firms. They are supported by organizations such at BioEnterprise, JumpStart, MAGNET and others. But there are also cool funky things happening here:
- Culinary Launch Kitchen, a commercial kitchen space for those in the food industry who are experimenting, need collaboration or just need to
photo courtesy Cleveland Culinary Launch Kitchen
rent kitchen space for the day/month. And opening up in this space in 2015 will be Hudson’s Western Reserve Cooking Schools‘ 2nd location - Every Tuesday in summer months, all the food trucks line up on E. 46th near Euclid and up to 400 lunch seekers arrive
- CWRU’s Think Box – techie playground in the basement of the engineering school building, but is headed for it’s own 7 story 50,000 SF home on Cedar (largest of any university in the country). It is used by students to build prototypes and experiment together!
- The Cleveland Agora – legendary in music circles, the building this rock concert hall is located in was built in 1912 for the Metropolitan Opera during Cleveland’s heyday when Euclid Avenue was Millionaire’s Row. This building houses startup companies, a cafe and has 2 venues for live music (mostly heavy metal, but C&W and other genres will be added soon)
Why is this important to executives relocating to NE Ohio? Because it shows how Cleveland is shedding the rust belt economy and charting a new path for itself. Young, entrepreneurial firms are attracting and retaining a highly educated young workforce which keeps our city steaming along. And if anyone else in your family will be in the market for a new job (spouse, partner, college kids) this vibrant sector of our city is growing and expanding!
To learn more about how Executive Arrangements Guides can help your company or organization to attract & retain the best talent by educating them about the quality of life in our region an matching their interests with the lifestyle available here, call us at 216.231.9311.