The view from the Idea Center

I'm sitting in for Amy Eddings for a couple of weeks, which means I can temporarily take off the news hat and don the analyst’s chapeau for a bit each day! Thanks for tagging along.
 
Two big business stories broke this morning that should make us think about Cleveland differently.
 
Even as the Sound of Ideas was taking a deep dive into reporting from cleveland.com's Rich Exner that says people aren't moving to our region, a subsidiary of an international business headquartered in London said today it plans to build its American headquarters right here in lil’ ol' Cleveland.
 
Yes, the London Stock Exchange Group's ELITE business services initiative announced the deal in collaboration with JobsOhio and yes, there are incentives that will make their first eight years more profitable for them. But the thing is, G-20-endorsed ELITE chose Cleveland and not the trendier, population-booming, climate-friendlier spots of Austin, Charlotte, Dallas or Atlanta – the four metros where everybody seems to want to relocate – and not San Francisco or Boston or Miami... but Cleveland.
 
As part of the deal, Cleveland will also host Global ELITE Day 2020 – the first time it has ever been held outside Europe. That's folks from 43 countries and up to 1,200 businesses who could be exposed to what makes the North Coast great.
 
The other deal of the day was the $843 million sale and leaseback deal for Dan Gilbert’s JACK gaming properties – that's the casino downtown and the Thistledown Racino in North Randall. JACK Entertainment will continue to operate the gaming sites but VICI Properties is the conglomerate doling out the cash. They too apparently see value in Cleveland that some locals are skeptical about.
 
Note that it all happens the day before the highly touted Cleveland Rising Summit. What could be a better launching point than seeing outsiders inject money and new jobs into the market?
 
So far for this Halloween week, it's all treats and no tricks.
 

See you bright and (I think I'd forgotten just how) early on the radio tomorrow!
Rick Jackson

Need to KnOH

Headlines from Northeast Ohio and Beyond

• Planned Protest At Cleveland Rising Summit Cancelled
• Geauga Park District Levy Renewal Would Decrease Tax
• Dog People Live Longer. But Why?
• Cleveland Music And Film Students Stage Fright For Halloween
• A Year Of Rivers And Barricades: A Cleveland Teacher Reflects On 8th Grade
• 'The Best Part Of The First Amendment': Dave Chappelle Accepts Mark Twain Prize

Your ideas

Are you planning to attend this week’s Cleveland Rising Summit? What do you want to see in the resulting action plan? Call us at  (216) 916-6476 or post on  our Facebook page. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.