eNewsletter: October 2012

William D. Friedman
President & CEO

Cleveland took root along waterways that fueled the growth of the city and economy, and we believe Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River are as intertwined in our region’s future as its past. To sustain Cleveland’s waterways and make our waterfronts more accessible and vibrant, the Port of Cleveland has launched a series of initiatives that are both innovative and cost effective. 

Each story in this eNewsletter demonstrates both the importance of maritime to Greater Cleveland, and the Port’s approach in addressing needs and opportunities on the docks, along the water, and in the community.

In this edition, we’ll take you on a journey along the Cuyahoga with a giant ore freighter; explain what’s causing Franklin Hill to slowly slide into the river and how we aim to fix it; and highlight Project YESS, a leadership development program that provides teens with lifelong skills and confidence as they sail aboard a tall ship on Lake Erie. These stories offer just a few examples of how the Port is working creatively and collaboratively to sustain jobs, solve critical infrastructure problems, develop civic assets, and maximize our benefit to the community.

To help fund our strategic initiatives focused on investments on jobs, the river, and the lakefront, the Port has placed Issue 108 on the countywide fall ballot. If the levy is approved, nearly all  of the funds generated will be used to help connect people to the riverfront and downtown lakeshore with pedestrian bridges, and protect the jobs and commerce that depend on our waterways.   The lake and river represent our history and our present, but also, and most importantly, our future.  The Port is dedicated to making the most of these assets, securing the maritime economy, and doing our part to help build a community where young people like the teens from Project YESS see their own futures here in Cleveland.

DID YOU KNOW

• Nearly 18,000 jobs, $1 billion in family income, and $112 million in local and state taxes are tied to the Cleveland’s Port-and-river maritime activities and investments.
• Later this month, the Port’s newly built work boats – Flotsam and Jetsam – will begin removing logs, trash, and other floating debris from the river and downtown lakeshore.
• The new Cleveland Harbor Belt Railroad – which operates on the Port of Cleveland’s newly expanded rail system – recently handled its first move. More than 240 metric tons of generators were transported via rail to American Electric Power in Ironton, Ohio.

To read other eNewsletter stories click here.