Business Development Specialist Job Posting

Northeast Shores is the local community development corporation that creates a better North Shore Collinwood for everyone to live, work, and visit. We are proud to serve this mixed income, mixed race neighborhood located on the shores of Lake Erie. We are a non-profit organization that increases homeownership in the neighborhood and helps entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to market. Over the last 10 years, our activities have resulted in over $44 million in neighborhood investment.

Northeast Shores is seeking a Business Development Specialist who will develop beneficial relationships with existing neighborhood businesses and recruit new businesses to locate in the neighborhood.

The Business Development Specialist will

1. Contact existing businesses via telephone and own vehicle on a continuous basis to promote neighborhood connections.
2. Promote availability of vacant space to new businesses through cold calling, setting appointments, personal contact and site visits.
3. Direct and perform analysis on potential new businesses and budding entrepreneurs.
4. Develop various initiatives to improve entrepreneurial opportunities.
5. Maintain property owner relations through setting appointments and servicing property owners via telephone, correspondence and personal contact.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree (B.A. / B.S.) from a four-year college or university; and less than one year related experience or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. The successful candidate must have access to a personal vehicle.

This position is a full-time salaried position with benefits. The annual salary for this position is $30,000 to $34,000 depending on qualifications. This position is exempt from overtime compensation.

If you are interested in becoming part of a high performing, mission based nonprofit organization, please forward a resume and cover letter by December 27 to Brian Friedman, Northeast Shores, 317 East 156^th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44110, or email to bfriedman@northeastshores.org. Fax number is 216-481-7660. No phone calls please.

Collinwood Rising - December

When our organization started developing models for artist housing several years ago, we were operating from two basic premises: that artists without an ownership stake are all too often financially pushed out of communities by the positive change they help make; and that vacant properties, when left unchecked, have a huge, detrimental effect on community psychology. If we could help artists purchase extraordinarily affordable, structurally sound but currently vacant houses and storefronts, we realized, we could address both issues in a meaningful way.

It was a simple concept. But as we reflect on how that work has unfolded, we are struck by just how transformative that one idea has become.

Over the past two years, ArtPlace’s investment in the intersection between artist service and reimagining vacant space in Collinwood have exploded into a wide variety of community-driven changes. A new floor is installed in a start-up dance studio in a formerly vacant storefront. A neighborhood artist launches a series of family-friendly movie screenings in vacant lots around our arts district. An art student converts a little-used side yard into a popular new sculpture garden. Artists, from around the corner and around the world, put up 17 murals in a matter of months, many on vacant buildings. An artist converts a vacant house into a new work/live facility focused on installation art. Constructions bids go out for a new ceramics co-op taking over a vacant storefront and industrial garage. Vacant offices turn into rehearsal space for the many bands associated with the Beachland Ballroom.

And on and on and on. We have seen an incredible amount of activity within a short timeframe –with the build-out of vacant space, space ownership for 11 artists and the launch of 36 different community art projects. Individually, any one of these projects might not have much of a ripple in a big neighborhood. But together, they are changing the entire narrative about what makes the Collinwood neighborhood unique, why its future looks bright … Why it is a place of value.

That’s been our ArtPlace experience. This whole whirlwind experience was not always easy; we definitely didn’t suffer from too much down time! It’s taken the simple work that we’ve been engaging in for years and given an even bigger and more profound role to the individual decision maker and the grassroots leader. ArtPlace has enabled our neighborhood stakeholders to reimagine a place they love … And then to see that collective imagination spring to life in real time.

So as we wind to the unfortunate end of our amazing year with ArtPlace, we’re excited to roll up our sleeves and keep that energy and that sense of empowerment alive. Thanks to additional support from The Kresge Foundation, 2014 promises to be a year of even more vacant housing and storefront conversions, the launch of dozens of new artist-led projects … And our first foray into artist live-work apartments.

As we continue in these efforts, we’re going to continue to reach out to our ArtPlace family for advice and inspiration. That’s been our big take-away from the experience – as busy as you get in your placemaking efforts, make sure to take advantage of all the genius in the room! We’ve still got goose bumps about the great work of ArtPlace colleagues like Springboard for the Arts, Power House Productions, City of Asylum and the Wormfarm Institute. These and other voices will continue to touch our approach to placemaking for years and years to come. So don’t be strangers. Let us know how we can help, how we can get engaged with your efforts, how we can continue to make towns and cities across the country vibrant, creative and authentic places.

Northeast Shores Lands $1 Million Dollar Grant for Waterloo Arts District

September 25, 2013- (CLEVELAND, OH) – Exciting times are upon the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District, with a new streestcape beautification project underway, and a surge of artists moving into the area, the neighborhood is currently undergoing a transformation. But with any transformation comes construction. To keep business flowing as usual and celebrate the neighborhood’s recent growth, The Kresge Foundation has chosen Collinwood’s Northeastast Shores Development Corporation to be a recipient of a 1 million dollar grant that will keep the community flourishing during the year-long transformation.

“We are beyond thrilled to have received this grant. With it, our goal is to add even more art-placed businesses and maintain neighborhood vibrancy during the construction period,” said Brian Friedman, Executive Director of Northeast Shores Development Corp. “We saw what happened with a lot of businesses during Cleveland’s Euclid Avenue construction project. A lot of them were highly affected in a negative way because construction deterred people from coming into the area. With this grant, we hope to create the opposite effect,” continued Friedman.

So, how exactly does the non-profit organization plan to do that? With a portion of the 1 million dollar grant, Northeast Shores will be working to host a variety of one-day events at existing businesses located around the area. This may include pop up concerts, community-gathering events, networking opportunities, dinners and more. The possibilities are endless and will be determined by the existing independent businesses currently open.

“How it works, area businesses apply to receive a portion of the grant to host an event at their location. This includes what they want to do and how they plan to utilize the funds. We then will review the project applications and then promote those events to encourage visitation to the community,” continued Friedman. “It’s our goal that by continuing to bring people into the neighborhood with exciting events and opportunities that the district will continue to grow, rather than take a year long hiatus during the construction.”

In addition to providing a variety of district-wide events, the majority of the new grant will help create a ceramics co-op studio, further develop artists’ live-work spaces in the neighborhood, and convert former foreclosed homes into new homes for artists and musicians.

The Kresge Foundation award builds on other placemaking activities that Northeast Shores has conducted recently. The Kresge Foundation is also a funder of ArtPlace, which is an association of funders. Northeast Shores previously received a $500,000 grant from ArtPlace to support its efforts to engage artists around issues of vacancy.

“At The Kresge Foundation, we are very much looking forward to playing a role in the Waterloo/Collinwood grant program called Collinwood Rising. We love the idea of creating a neighborhood that is built on the foundation of fantastic artisans and musicians,” said Regina Smith, Program Director. “The idea of using the grant funds to offer living spaces, working studios and events that keep the entire community involved during a transitional period, was something that really appealed to us and what we stand for as a foundation.”

In the coming months from October 2013 to June 2014, a variety of events and announcements will be coming out of the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District. “We are very much looking forward to sharing with the greater Cleveland community all the exciting events that our neighborhood has to offer,” said Friedman. “Stay tuned!”

For more information on Collinwood, please visit www.welcometocollinwood.com. For more information on Northeast Shores Development Corporation, please visit www.northeastshores.com. To learn more about The Kresge Foundation, please visit www.kresge.org.

To arrange media interviews or for hi-res photography, please contact Becki Cooper at Becki@RebeccaAdele.com or via phone at 440-227-8794.

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ABOUT COLLINWOOD
Collinwood’s Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District is a regional destination, bringing in tons of visitors to the neighborhood. The district is home to an eclectic mix of Indie music venues and art galleries, the perfect place for artists young and old to launch their career or expand their practice. All of this sits just blocks away from miles of lakefront parks and streets lined with trees and large-historic houses.

ABOUT NORTHEAST SHORES DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Northeast Shores is the local community development corporation that creates a better North Shore Collinwood for everyone to live, work, and visit. We are proud to serve this mixed income, mixed race neighborhood located on the shores of Lake Erie. The organization is a non-profit that increases homeownership in the neighborhood and helps entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to the market. Over the last 10 years, the organizations’ activities have resulted in over $42 million in neighborhood investment.

ABOUT THE KRESGE FOUNDATION
The Kresge Foundation is a $3 billion private, national foundation headquartered in Metropolitan Detroit, in the suburb community of Troy, that works to expand opportunities in America’s cities through grantmaking and investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, community development and our place-based efforts in Detroit. In 2012, the Board of Trustees approved 410 awards totaling $130.5 million; the $150.3 million was paid out to grantees over the course of the year.

Welcome weekend changes perceptions and wows visiting artists

Psst!  Did you ever have a secret that you just couldn’t keep to yourself and wanted to tell everybody?  Well, so do we! Some of you, of course, already know the awesome secret….that our city has a thriving arts scene and wonderful opportunities for artists. Thanks to the fun filled and impressive Welcome to Cleveland Weekend….it’s not a secret anymore.

From August 1st through August 4th, attendees from around the nation had the chance to come together and celebrate what both Collinwood and Cleveland has to offer them … and all at a ridiculously low cost! Hotel accommodations, ground transportation and meals were included along with opportunities to check out some of Cleveland’s most artist-friendly neighborhoods. To add to the experience, they were able to meet and network with a wide range of fellow creative spirits that lended their voices and insight to what makes our city such a great place to live, work and play.

The much anticipated event was co-hosted by Northeast Shores Development Corporation and the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC); and was designed with out-of-town artists in mind who may be considering a move to Cleveland.  Our beautiful City was showcased along with opportunities that are available to artists that may not be attainable in places like New York City or Chicago.

Visitors enjoyed a 3 night stay at the Hyatt Regency Hotel inside of the historic Arcade building downtown. Weekend highlights included guided tours of Cleveland’s premiere artist neighborhoods and institutions, behind the scenes access to some of Cleveland’s great cultural organizations, complementary daytime and evening arts programming, tours of houses and storefronts that are being targeted for artist ownership, and first hand experiences of Cleveland’s culinary scene.  The annual Euclid Beach Blast! also proved to be an awe inspiring treat to the Welcome to Cleveland attendees.  Great food from local eateries, live theater and music, dancing, prizes, giveaways and more….all while enjoying a beautiful view of Lake Erie….was another testament of how wonderful it is to live in the North Collinwood neighborhood.  A breathtaking sunset rounded out the evening and a fun time was had by all!  The weekend concluded with a delicious brunch at the Beachland Ballroom where guests enjoyed delectable food, networked with local artists, and shared their thoughts about their Cleveland experience.  The weekend getaway provided participants with an amazing up close and personal look into why our city truly rocks and is one of the top locations in the country for artists, musicians and creative entrepreneurs!

Northeast Shores and CPAC are continuously working every day to get artists' access to space ownership, grants and loans ... and making sure that artists get a chance to play a big role in neighborhood revitalization.  Find out about all sorts of artist resources unique to Cleveland and how they're helping artists pursue their dreams by visiting www.welcometocollinwood.com.

WCPN Interview

Last week, David C. Barnett of WCPN (90.3 FM) interviewed our Executive Director, Brian A. Friedman. The interview focused on our efforts to attract artists to our housing in the North Shore Collinwood neighborhood. We are very proud to be interviewed and hope you check the story out at:
http://www.ideastream.org/news/feature/55328