February 19, 2015
Public SquareFor the most up to date information on detours during the construction of the makeover on Public Square please use the links that you will find on www.bomacleveland.org (click on the Resources tab and then on the “Street Closures” tab). For the duration of construction (which will last until July 2016) Ontario Street and Superior Avenue through Public Square will be closed completely to traffic. Motorists are encouraged to utilize St. Clair Avenue and Huron Road as their primary detours to travel East or West through downtown. Streets between West 9th Street and East 9th Street and within the St. Clair Avenue and Huron Road boundaries should be used only for local traffic (e.g. employees, residents and people with business to conduct).Republican National ConventionThe dates have been set! July 18-21, 2016 will be the official dates of the Republican National Convention. There will be a lot of information forthcoming about the RNC as it grows nearer – including a General Membership meeting you can look forward to this May! Details on that event are still being ironed out. Early reports indicate that the Greater Cleveland area can expect over 40,000 visitors as a result of the RNC.Model State LegislationOne interesting proposal that came out of BOMA International’s Winter Business Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona (see photos on page 8), happened in the State Government Affairs Committee: BOMA International will begin to develop model state legislation. What does this mean? It means that a subcommittee of the State Government Affairs Committee (comprised of local BOMA Government Affairs staff members – which includes Scott Esterly of BOMA Greater Cleveland) will consider various proposals and draft legislative language that could theoretically be introduced to any state legislature in the country.NOACA Both the Board of Directors and the Government Affairs Committee of BOMA Greater Cleveland have often identified infrastructure as an area that we should focus on as an organization. A natural entity to get more involved in is the Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency (NOACA). NOACA is a transportation and environmental planning agency that serves Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. In early February Scott Esterly had the pleasure of being appointed to NOACA’s Business Advisory Council, which will assist the External Affairs Committee by providing insight and feedback on how NOACA’s programs and policies affect business and economic development in Greater Cleveland.Government Affairs CommitteeAfter three fantastic years as Chair of the Government Affairs Committee, Byron Bright, MCR, stepped down and Judy Simon, CPM (and also the Secretary/Treasurer of BOMA Greater Cleveland) has taken over. Byron, the Chair Elect of BOMA Greater Cleveland, will also serve as President of BOMA Ohio for the next two years. Read more about BOMA Ohio and what will be happening at Advocacy Day at the Statehouse (April 22nd) on the back cover.