How Do We Weave the New Casino into Cleveland’s Existing Urban Fabric?

Join us March 5, 2010 from 5-7:30pm at the City Club, 850 Euclid Ave.

Speakers from legal, economic, civic and planning backgrounds will discuss various elements of the casino.

Speakers List:

David M. Schwarz – President and CEO of David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc., Washington, DC and Fort Worth, TX

David Schwarz founded and incorporated David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc.  in 1978. In addition to his executive duties, Mr. Schwarz’s primary responsibility is as Principal in Charge of Design, he leads, orchestrates and reviews the design process of all the firm’s projects.  Mr. Schwarz received his B.A. at St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD, and Master of Architecture at Yale University. His projects have received awards from a wide range of organizations, including the American Institute of Architects, the Society of American Registered Architects, the Masonry Institute, the Landscape Contractors Association and the Art Deco Society of Washington.  Among his featured work: The Ballpark in Arlington, The Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, Cook Children’s Medical Center, Yale Environmental Science Center, Southlake Town Square, American Airlines Center, and Schermerhorn Symphony Center. He is currently working on The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, University of South Carolina Upstate College of Business and Economics, and a retail, dining and entertainment district for Harrah’s in Las Vegas.

Len Komoroski – President, Cavaliers/Quicken Loans Arena

Cavaliers/Quicken Loans Arena, which includes the newly-christened Quicken Loans Arena – “The Q”, in April 2003. He spent the previous seven years as senior vice president and chief of business operations for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. A seasoned business executive, Komoroski brings more than 25 years of experience in professional sports and entertainment to the organization. His leadership and business initiative bring a solid foundation from which the Cavaliers and The Q can continue to thrive and flourish. For the 2003-04 season, Komoroski oversaw the restructuring of how the Cavaliers approached the business community, including the development of a staff featuring some of the top sports marketing executives in the industry. The collective efforts both on and off the floor resulted in one of the top business turnaround stories in NBA history. The Cavaliers had the largest year-over-year attendance increase in NBA history, progressing from a league-low of 11,497 per game in 2002-03 to 18,288 in 2003-04 – a 59% increase. Television ratings were up 300% and featured revised broadcast agreements resulting in the largest number of locally-televised games in team history. Radio ratings also increased by more than 200% and local merchandise sales grew by 500%. The Cavaliers also experienced the largest increase in corporate partnership revenue in the NBA last season. He also led the charge in the transformation of the Cavaliers communications efforts and dramatic changes in developing one of the most dynamic game experiences in the NBA. Komoroski also played a leadership role in developing one of the top cable television relationships in the NBA with FSN Ohio, encompassing 70 regular season games, as well as for the entitlement of the Cavaliers new state-of-the-art player development facility – Cleveland Clinic Courts. In addition, Komoroski played a key role in the acquisition of its American Hockey League franchise, the Lake Erie Monsters, and his business team worked to prepare them for their inaugural season at The Q.

Thomas V. Chema – President of Hiram College

Thomas V. Chema was named the 21st President of Hiram College in 2003. During his presidency, Hiram has experienced tremendous growth in enrollment, new programs, and campus facilities while enjoying increased visibility and an enhanced position in the higher education marketplace. A native of East Liverpool, Ohio, Chema was a 1968 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a 1971 Cum Laude graduate of Harvard Law School. He began his career with the Cleveland-based law firm of Arter & Hadden in 1971 and became a partner in 1979. He took a leave of absence in 1983 to serve as Executive Director of the Ohio Lottery Commission. In 1985, he was asked to become Chairman of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. In 1990, he was appointed Executive Director of the Gateway Economic Development Corporation and was responsible for overseeing the public/private partnership that led to the financing and construction of Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. He then resumed his law practice and in recent years has consulted across the country on sports and entertainment-related economic development projects as President of Gateway Consultants Group, Inc. Chema is recognized as an expert on energy and telecommunications economics and regulation, infrastructure planning, and developing public/private partnerships. He has published numerous articles on these topics and frequently lectures throughout the country, including assignments at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

Christopher Diehl – Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, College of Architecture & Environmental Design, Kent State University

Christopher Diehl led the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative in its evolving role as a vital forum for architecture and design in the NE Ohio region.  As Director of Design for URS Cleveland, Diehl has been responsible for several award winning Projects including Tri-C’s Corporate College East, Simmons Hall at University of Akron and the historic renovation of the Idea Center at Playhouse Square, Cleveland.  He is an active, creative force in the Cleveland cultural community, where he has authored projects on public art and been a strong voice supporting urban revitalization. Diehl has taught architecture at the Pennsylvania State University, Ohio State University and Miami University. He received his master’s degree in Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University (’88) and a bachelor’s degree from Miami University.

Moderator:

Eric Wellman – 90.3 WCPN ideastream

Eric Wellman is the  host of Morning Edition on 90.3. His newscasts and interviews can be heard weekdays 6-9 a.m. Eric caught the public radio bug while he was still in high school. He landed a summer internship at NPR station WBUR in Boston where he worked in their newscast unit. He was hired the following summer as a producer on their syndicated news/magazine Here and Now. Eric was born in Cleveland Heights, but grew up a Red Sox fan on the east coast (he has since severed those ties and roots exclusively for the Tribe). He got his B.S. in Broadcast Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Eric s work has appeared on the BBC in London, the CBC in Toronto, and NPR. He even did a stint on a radio station in Strasbourg, France! Eric s work has been recognized nationally by the Hearst Foundation, and regionally by the Radio-Television News Directors Association, The Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press, and the Ohio Association of Broadcasters.