Smart Business Magazine, June 2019

24 Smart Business Cleveland June 2019 Making the connection Jeff Epstein is on a mission to make Clevelands midtown neighborhood more than just a pass through between downtown and University Circle Were trying to establish midtown as a place in and of itself that is a dynamic vibrant place that has culture and amenities and people who live here people who work here and places to eat says Epstein executive director of MidTown Cleveland There have been several large steps toward that goal in the past year UH Rainbow Center for Women and Children opened at East 59th Street and Euclid Avenue to provide both pediatric and prenatal care as well as a pharmacy nutritional services social work services and legal aid Nearby on East 61st Street Daves Market Eatery opened this spring with a modern food court and a community teaching kitchen If you take aside the splendor of the Heinens downtown I think its the nicest grocery store in the city of Cleveland Epstein says The most exciting part is not just that weve brought this grocery store into a food desert to serve the east side of Cleveland In that one space we have health care healthy food and culinary education all within a block of one another in midtown A changing environment More projects are under way including a master plan for Carnegie Avenue more bike racks and a new signage initiative to help people find their way While its exciting there are plenty of barriers to overcome Epstein says One of the challenges for any nonprofit organization working in this space in Cleveland is that were fighting against a tide of generational poverty in the neighborhoods around us Epstein says Years and years of structural racism around real estate continue to have a dramatic impact on the dynamics of the city to this day As were looking to create more economic opportunity to create more development to bring more people who live and work here those are things to be overcome Nonprofit work is challenging in terms of the time and effort required to produce results So Epstein and his team MidTown Cleveland seeks to create a vibrant connected community between downtown and University Circle BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PILLAR FOUNDATION AND MEDICAL MUTUAL BY MARK SCOTT mscott@ sbnonline com BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES MIDTOWN CLEVELAND linkedin com company midtown cleveland @ MidTownCleInc www midtowncleveland orgwork hard to find people who embrace MidTown Clevelands mission We play an important role in trying to market our neighborhood and put the best foot forward in terms of what goes on here Epstein says We need to be realistic about the challenges that face our community but we also need to celebrate our successes Neighborhood planning and community engagement are two key elements to MidTown Clevelands ongoing work says Executive Director Jeff Epstein How do people who live in Hough and Central and Fairfax access the jobs the amenities the health care the concerts and the transit line all the things we have in MidTown Epstein says Our strategy is to create a more connected community One of the challenges for any nonprofit organization working in this space in Cleveland is were fighting against a tide of generational poverty in the neighborhoods around us JEFF EPSTEIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MIDTOWN CLEVELAND