Vision For The Valley: Cuyahoga Riverfront, Flats Project Seeks Public Input

The project aimed at reshaping Cleveland's Flats and riverfront moved ahead last week with the reveal of the near-final draft of recommendations for the Vision for the Valley.

The City of Cleveland initiated the plan with backing from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency or NOACA, the Cleveland Metroparks and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. 

Working with OHM Advisors based in Michigan, the Vision for the Valley seeks to position Cleveland as a two-waterfront city. The plan emphasizes finding one vision for the river and Cleveland that can balance the various needs and expectations of those using the riverfront.

Over the next ten days or so, a series of on-line office hours will gather input from the public on the Vision for the Valley recommendations.  The pandemic and social distancing guidelines has meant the meetings for the project have had to be held virtually and online.

Ohio businesses began reopening in May after the state had shuttered many businesses and industries to hold down cases of the coronavirus and the serious illness it causes, COVID-19.

But, reopening doors did not mean a return to business as normal. The virus remains ever-present in Ohio including here in Cuyahoga County and has prompted many to reduce the amount of time they spend outside their homes. In an effort to help the region's businesses, Destination Cleveland plans to relaunch this week its Rediscover Cleveland campaign-- part of a three-part approach to help the region's tourism economy.

Mystery seeds have been arriving in Ohio and many other states with international postmarks on the packages mainly from China.

The people receiving the seeds did not order them.  While the packages may seem harmless, agricultural experts say it is very important that recipients do not plant the seeds. Instead, they want people to mail or bring the seeds to investigators so that they can be property identified.

There is another component to the mystery seed packages beyond the potential agricultural implications.  The FBI says it appears that the seed mailings may be part of a scheme known as brushing.   

For more information on the topics discussed on The Sound of Ideas, see the related links below.

Related Links:

Vision for the Valley Recommendations and Virtual Meeting Dates and Times

Destination Cleveland Rediscover Cleveland Campaign

Rediscover Cleveland Resident Resource Guide

Ohio Department of Agriculture Mystery Seeds Reporting Info

Federal Trade Commission FAQ: Unordered Merchandise

Freddy Collier Jr., Director of City Planning, City of Cleveland  
Aaron Domini, Senior Planner, Principal, OHM Advisors 
David Gilbert, President & CEO, Destination Cleveland 
Dan Kenny, Plant Health Division Chief, Ohio Department of Agriculture 
Jon Miller Steiger, Director, East Central Region, Federal Trade Commission