letter from TOLEDO, OHIO
demand as old warehouses and lofts are being snapped up for residential and commercial use. Current downtown residential occupancy is estimated at over 90%. But there’s another reason we feel that we’re getting it right this time – teamwork. As I interviewed leaders of Toledo’s business, arts, and cultural institutions, one thing became clear. They genuinely enjoy each other’s company, and they enjoy working toward a common goal. Brian Kennedy, director of the Toledo Museum of Art told me, “I have a meeting tomorrow morning at 7:30 with Connect Toledo. In fact, I have lots of 7:30 morning meetings with this group. Know why? It’s because we really like working together and believe in what we’re building.” Several blocks west of the explosion of growth surrounding ProMedica on the Maumee River is the main branch of the Toledo Lucas County Library, located in a stunning art deco building that combines 1940s elegance with a light and airy addition from 2001. I spoke with library director Clyde Scoles about the services provided beyond borrowing books. Literacy is a focus, but the library’s vision goes much further into new territory. The downtown branch is about to close for a year to reinvent itself. Ushering people who lack home computers or Wi-Fi into the digital age is a priority. The new library will provide numerous computer stations where people will be coached on job applications online, filing taxes, or even starting businesses. Business incubators and
entrepreneurial advisors will be available to help jumpstart new ventures. And then there’s the Toledo Museum of Art. Toledo’s first jewel remains its shiniest as the museum has grown from a single neoclassical building to an architecturally significant campus with six buildings on nearly 40 acres, including a postmodern addition by Frank Gehry. Plans are afoot for expanding facilities and programs even further, providing an anchor for redevelopment of Toledo’s handsome
Harvard faces off against the University of North Carolina in the 2019 NCAA basketball tournament.
Hank Blaustein | © 2015 Grant’s Interest Rate Observer. Used by permission. www.GrantsPub.com
American Consequences 39
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