Julien, the Chief Marketing Officer at the Cleveland Metroparks, will be on loan to the Group Plan Commission (GPC, not to be confused with the GCP) for a one-year stint during which she’ll oversee the branding and events for the new $50 million flagship downtown space.
Public Square is slated to officially open June 1.
In an interview with Scene, the GPC’s executive director, Jeremy Paris, said that the position will be a permanent one, but that Julien (a veteran marketer whom the Metroparks offered up in the spirit of collaboration) will bring “instant capacity” to a public space that needs to hit the ground running.
Julien will be tasked with building a small staff — a manager of programs and events, a manager of operations, a coordinator of digital marketing, possibly one other position — and will also tackle finding her permanent replacement. (Those positions, in another convolved partnership, will be employees of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, but will be paid from the GPC’s funding bucket.)
Meantime, Julien will coordinate sponsorships — “a concert series brought to you by so-and-so,” Paris explained — and, in Julien’s own words, “really define what [Public Square] looks like, what it feels like and what the community takes away from it when they visit.”
The Group Plan Commission will pay Julien’s salary out of a $3.8-million reservoir they’ve managed to assemble for ongoing maintenance and operations costs. Part of that money came from foundations that chipped in for construction and stipulated that portions of their donations be used for down-the-road upkeep. Paris said that they’re still trying to raise about $3 million more.
Construction costs, at least, have been accounted for. After Mayor Jackson appealed to the state for dollars to put Public Square over the finish line, the state sort of heeded the call. In the Capital budget bill passed in January, Ohio reallocated $3.5 million originally slated for the lakefront pedestrian bridge. That reallocation gave Public Square the last juice it needed; it’s also why the GCP prioritized an $8.5 million ask for the pedestrian bridge in the capital-projects wish list it submitted to the state last month.
When Scene spoke with the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Senior VP Marty McGann, he said that the lakefront pedestrian bridge was in fact the only project GCP felt was important enough to assign a specific dollar figure ($8.5 million, $3.5 million of which represented the Public Square “backfill”).
“Out of deference to the legislature, who wanted to play more of a role,” McGann said, “we said, but for this one project, we’ll let you decide.”
As for Julien herself, Paris said he’s optimistic, due to her passion for Public Square and her leadership credentials.
“With essentially the light of the world right on Public Square for the RNC, we knew we had to get this right,” Paris said. “We’re going to be fully activated after that, and we’re really excited about it.”
As noted above, Julien will now have a CEO title to her name — an on-paper promotion that struck Scene as odd, given the collaborative’s already confusing organizational structure and the fact that Julien will report to Paris, the Executive Director of the Group Plan Commission.
“I actually think it makes a lot of sense,” Paris said. “Sanaa’s team won’t be autonomous, but our role is empowering them, making sure that they have the tools to really execute.
“The vision of this was always as a collaborative,” he went on. [The Group Plan Commission’s] role is to provide funding, oversight and make sure the vision is being met. LAND Studio is a key part of this Collaborative, to ensure the design and construction is carried through, as well as the public art and cultural art component. Downtown Cleveland Alliance, aside from the employment structure, works with how this integrates into the downtown footprint, and collaborates on marketing and communications. And then of course the Metroparks, in providing Sanaa, helps us get up and running.”
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance at the Square — a question Scene has been asking internally for some time — will be, according to Paris, a collaboration between the City of Cleveland and “Sanaa’s team.” The city will handle some of it, and various landscapers with whom Julien contracts will maintain some of the more primo finishings — the permeable pavement, for instance, and the copses of ginkgo.
“I don’t think that means Sanaa will be out there tending the garden personally,” Paris said, “but she’ll have oversight over the landscaping.”
Paris said that the plan for the Square was always for it to be an “activated space,” with not only events, but regular programs and activities.
“And it’s got to be maintained at the highest level,” he said. “We’ve got to nail the fundamentals: It’s got to be safe at all times, and it’s got to be clean at all times.”
THE METROPARKS VACANCY
Julien’s “loaned executive” status leaves the Metroparks without a permanent Chief Marketing Officer on the eve of its Centennial. Communications Director Rick Haase said that the Metroparks’ Director of Marketing and Strategy, Kelly Manderfield, will become the “Interim Chief Marketing Officer” in Julien’s absence.
“In that role, Kelly is responsible for all day-to-day activities of the Cleveland Metroparks Marketing Department,” Haase wrote Scene in an email. That includes formulating the marketing plans for Centennial events.
Haase also said that Julien will remain officially in the employ of the Metroparks for her year on loan. Though the Group Plan Commission will pay her salary, the Metroparks will continue to pay her benefits.
Metroparks’ CEO Brian Zimmerman also chimed in:
“As we approach the Cleveland Metroparks’ 100th anniversary in July 2017, we’re proud to help reshape Public Square – and the City of Cleveland – for the next 100 years,” he said in a press release. “Sanaa Julien’s 30-plus-years of expertise in programming, marketing, corporate branding and identity, and project management… make her the perfect choice to spearhead the Public Square project.”
This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2016.
You can’t tell the executives without a scorecard.
Can someone tell what the salary will be for all these new job titles including her fees? Also isn’t it times to tell the public whom will be operating the cafe? and for Land-Studio to share what the public art will be installed on the back side of the cafe. Jeremy Paris needs to be upfront about decisions made for “Public” Square
Last gasp grasp happy time while can get the $….Wrap THIS puppy up….DONE deal. Keep it sane, safe enough….SURE one of the few last projects. (OK so maybe WHATEVER done far as Justice Ctr).
NOW METROPARKS is gonna get self into trouble over all this bohunk over “Skylift”?. I COULD be wrong but I DOUBT it. Gonna fry itself and its GOOD PR image via OTHER wannabe projects like SKYLIFT? REally? The $, politico will, other NOT there and THAT will be used as a weapon to hang THEM and everyone else out to dry which can count on. HAVE to wonder WHAT ZIMMERMAN’s ‘real goals’ are here….CONSIDERING the JUST VERY RECENT HIDEOUS legal, political warfare just went thru idea HE would want to get anywhere near THIS CRAPFEST is mind boggling to put it mildly……. Scranton Pen? Graffiti park? Reallyy?? What saying,admitting to here? Reached that level of ‘acceptance’ in so many interpretations of THAT ‘word’. OR COOPT. Keep X busy DOWN THERRE? (hmm. Not such a bad idea. ). Few more boat slips,etc. and a park. GOT ENOUGH housing as it is… TIME good old MAY CO.or whoever owns the empty stuff left to get THEIR ‘act together’ and just get it done while still some SOLVENT interest ENOUGH YUPPIES left and call it a day.
Put THIS ANOTHER way… Skylift’s ‘backers’? MOST have run into some REAL BIG TIME legal, other ‘problems’ to put it mildly including even UNITED WAY… SPORK is like one of FEW THAT haven’t heard bad squat about. NOT a auspicious moment here…. and that is before all the security, imminent domain stuff and every other thing. HOW much effort did it take to install a freaking asphalt TowPath Trail ? OR downtown NEW Public Square and had to run to state house? Hoorah Ohio GOP for the newbie ‘gift’…… (gonnna find out what July ’16 is gonna be like)
I CAN interpret THIS In so many different ways and then some. HOW devious do You all want to get…. Suspect stays this white paper study time as interests too busy trying to get THIER deals off the ground while can MAYBE before banks cut em off (WHAT ‘left’ of THAT crew) or lose tax creds or NEXT great recession and RESHUFFLING of whatever survivors left…. dear MMPI SMG GCHC Med Mart forced to renegotiate cuz some of their tenants,other got merged,bought out, downsizing,etc. LOT of the tech,other STILL designed, set up,made,etc. elsewhere. WHAT did THIS crew do BEFORE had said Med Mart? Now got other less then pic perfect ‘future biz’ utilizing said convention ctr….
Far as gondola guys? (OR Scranton P) HOW about a lolly trolley ‘bus’ thing or some deal w/Goodtime III &/or VERY LITE RAIL amusement style ride over to Edgewater or WENDY ISLE…H CHEAPER, LOT FASTER, LOT EASIER to do/maintain/etc. vs. THAT INSANE OVER THE TOP $200 MILLION gee whiz latest ‘musical chair’ ‘toy’ monstrosity were ANYTHING and everything can happen. I am SURE THE COPS to rest just ‘love’ idea of dealing w/WHAT HOW FAR UP ‘there’ whether ‘rescues’ to other. Good luck w/that….or getting ANYONE over @ city hall to issue permits, do survies or any other thing. Just too complicated, wigged out, and every other thing and turns into this rotting,cut up mess flung into a pile waiting for dissolution, sell off via bankruptcy CH docket/OTHER and I AM SURE NO one wants to be around for THAT let alone the red ribbon cutting……. NO ONE wants to hear the flack, other or get investigated or explain away @ election time or ANY OF THE REST OF IT….
LISTEN. FOLKS have cars, etc. Let em just drive over there…THEY got coolers,kiddies and a ton of junk haul w/them to make a day of it ….. LOT of folks have backpacks and every other thing to haul their goop in too….
GOT a fourth or fifth of city that needs to come down, still semi poor, fears the future, NO idea WHAT ‘future’ gonna bring, a semi hostile state capital, still some expat out to surrounding COUNTIES and YOU want to burden selves w/some pricy ‘toys’?
One does NOT have to be a rocket scientist to interpret all this as some coopted, DOWNTOWN biz self gift which is sooo greedy,over the top and idea CITY, COUNTY would fall on swords for anything much beyond NEW PUBLIC SQUARE blows my mind…. I don’t think the will,stomach, $ is there to be honest. Got this semi ugly feeling all this will get gift wrapped, handed off to Stark as some wannabe present in bid to WHATEVER and THAT ONE maybe late to the party or THINKS HE wants, needs that…. WHO is gonna go flying over to parkland when have gal or guy pal along doing the diva thing bar, restaurant hopping or giggling off to Play House sq.area?
way people act think 22K or 44K wannabe Millenial Yups or SOMETHING panting breathlessly baying @ the sky to have a supposed bantied ‘marque’ address down WHERE again @ what prices whether STARK or anyone elses ‘deal’? HOW many lawyers,other types are there really w/THAT kind of $ to go traipsing around there doing the $50 ‘decorated plate’ date rape expense account happy meal times are there when good old FCE really couldn’t, wouldn’t make a go of it UP THERE and selling out (along w/Jacobs. Tax angle or no legal angle) ?! “THEY” semi botched the MMPI ‘deal’ and put everyone in a ringer and carried on sooo badly DOWN @ city hall and SUSPECT put us thru a ringer far as Jimmy D and all THAT thou HE was ON OWN bad trajectory and didn’t need much help to get Him there.
Put it THIS way…THE AVENUE….THAT thing went belly up in what ’09-’11. SECOND OWNERSHIP….
IDEA gonna have folks ‘fly’ over OMG WTH WGW in snowy rust belt bound C Townseeing it all or ‘experiencing’ it all from guys wagging their Little Lizard to bullets flying up is surreal…. sure yacht clubs, NEOSD, port,and rest just ‘love’ idea of whatever flying over head w/web cams doing gosh only knows WHAT (or out the windows) really has ‘appeal’…. NO wonder yacht clubs, REST HAVE FENCING THAT DO…. lost,or lose MEGA $ gear, etc. to idiots who pawn off for pennies on the $. OR other ‘incidents’. AND ROYANE wondered WHY got flack HE did when HE did His schtick. AND HE has insane over the top cop central over THERE to protect the medical industrial complex Cleveland Crown Jewels in last bid to snag all that $ before peaks out in 20 yrs….
Some soccer moms w//some kiddies in tow go giggling over the Cuyahoga to…. What? VAIN hopes the Tent, Jacobs AquaMarina Zoo somehow the savior over there? ($20 is a lot of $ then again compared to other stuff cheap enough) AINT gonna be able to really patrol, deal w/ALL THAT over there and gosh knows ENOUGH of it. Heck. K&D cant make go of STONEGATE II or whatever all THAT was over there. AND THEY got into hot water and finally ‘settled’ @ what cost after all the BS. (let THEM finish up May Co.or whatever they got now. GOT SMART…BOUGHT PARKING GARAGE SPACE. DO have vistors, out of towners, delivery vehicles, etc.) ONLY RECENTLY has there been a boom…. ONLY so many gothic lacey hip chic Hipsters running around doing whatever…. WHAT? SOME bizarre thrill for some couple watching from balcony as whatever snorts Irish Lassie or paints each other silly or fights over a dime bag?! For real?
WHO wants to wind up like DIMORA….
GOT VOTER, TAXPAYER FATIGUE…. IF I CAN FIGURE THIS out You can be sure as….
DOWNTOWN gets a few hundred, thousand more wannabe Yups…MAYBE UNLOADS old May Co. building off the dead bank tax rolls or SOMETHING and life goes on…. lets see which guys or REITs go idiot THINKING sitting on a gold mine and hang onto that 2 or 3 story wreck til FINALLY the city, County does ORC citation thing &/or imminent domain….DONT get greedy cuz I DONT think all that…. likes of the EAST 4 ths MAYBE the tip of it and NOT a wave…… I wouldn’t count on it that is for sure… if had a $ for every yester year tech name that AINT w/us anymore could buy A VERY NICE meal down @ Warehouse District….. PS. Got WHATS APP to STREETLINE TECHNOLOGY to every other thing….depending on HOW peeved off folks get go to EXTREME LENGTHS to co opt, avoid it all or sneak in for free…..
MEANTIME rest of City does whatever it does as levels X…. pay some Homies to do some cleanup, others to do underground jobs &/or putzy jobs @ some fab or customs shop and be thankful. Few commercial,industrial survivors that keep rest of city employed, sort of out of trouble….city gets to do bed tax of cross dressing GBLT dungeon diva and let THAT do their thing over wherever and keeps the guys busy, occupied and panting…. Let the bang busses, hearses, limos haul mess around for awhile..
MMPI? PART of THAT FACILITY may very well go puff…or PARTS or HALF of KEY BANK…a THOUGHT THERE…. like what BP did to old SOCIETY BANK and screwed them…HOW long take to UNLOAD that musical chair AMERITRUST TOWER…LUCKED OUT on THAT puppy… BLESS YOU ED FITZGERALD MY MAN YEAHHhhh!!! Screw the Irish lassie …. license driver thing bizarre..Dylexic? No idea…
You can rebuild downtown out of solid gold, but if you can’t keep the people safe, no one will come.
The term ” Branding” sounds too much like “What Cleveland executive is taking bribes from what corporation ” !
The term “branding” sounds to much like “what executive is taking bribes from what corporation” !