Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers Working Hard to Defend Championship Title

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Cleveland Cavaliers

Just as everyone hoped, the Cavs appeared to be on course to successfully defend their championship title with an impressive 28-8 performance at the season opener. Recent wins over the Rockets, Magic, Raptors, and Knicks have boosted confidence in the camp with fans rallying for another championship year, especially when the Cavs came out victors against the Celtics who fought hard. Like the season before, the Cavs’ incredible run appears to be reliant on home-court advantage.

But, just when everything appeared to be right on track, the Cavs fell apart with a disappointing record in January. Some fans were beginning to doubt whether the team could pull off another championship victory. Worst of all, injury issues came from all corners with All-Star forward Kevin Love forced to sit out a Dallas game, which they eventually lost. According to Tyronn Lue, Cleveland Cavaliers coach, Love has back problems and had to leave the court in the first half of a game that saw them overcome Oklahoma City.

The good news is this is not the end. As January ended so too does their misfortunes (we hope) scoring a nice rebound in the first week of February. First, LeBron James seems to have his mojo back. He has an average of 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. The team is also relying on the efficiency of Kyle Irving who posted a 32-point lead against Houston. And with the big three (LeBron James, Kyle Irving, and Kevin Love) on the court, the Cavs have their sights on another championship title for Cleveland.

“In fact, the Cavs’ impressive win against the Vikings shot Cleveland to the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 33 wins and 15 losses,” mentioned Victor Bierman III, Ohio lawyer and business expert. Their closest rival in the conference, the Celtics, are 31 and 18. LeBron James and Kevin Love are proving their worth to the team once again with an average of 25.7 points and 11 rebounds, respectively. Every player is focused on defending the title. Their guns are blazing, a clear indication that they are after nothing but to make sure the title remains at The Q. Already the Cavaliers are off to their best start in 40 years and if this run continues (excluding January) will no doubt bring success at the end of the 2016-17 NBA season.

Image Credit: Erik Drost

Cleveland Scores Big with NBA Championship

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Quicken Loans Arena Cleveland

After years of urban decay and neglect, Cleveland is making a well-deserved and long overdue comeback. And with the recent Cavaliers’ NBA championship victory for the first time in franchise history, the city seems to be on an unstoppable trajectory of growth.

Cleveland is alive and thriving again. For the first time in years, you can feel the energy and excitement beaming around town. Consumers are coming back to downtown Cleveland. Businesses are opening again. Residents are moving back in. It’s now the place to see and be seen in Northeast Ohio.

It is estimated that over $6B in new investment has poured in to the city in the last six years and approximately 3,000 new jobs created in the last three years. This has helped to reverse the trend of residents leaving the city. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated Cleveland population in 2015 was 388,072. This is down slightly from 2012 estimates of 390,928 residents. If this trend continues, the city’s population could easily top the 400K mark by the next official census in 2020.

Even more impressive is the area welcomed its largest increase in employment in 2015 with the addition of 23,000 jobs to the area, based on a report published by the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

The crown jewel of downtown Cleveland was the recent completion of the Public Square renovation project. Not only is this an open-space that brings the city together, it has become a symbol of civic pride.  In addition, the park has spurred a number of residential and commercial development projects. Major employers including IBM and New York Life have created hundreds of new jobs. Retailers have expanded or opened up shop around the square. The old East Ohio Gas Building has been renovated and is now a prime residential complex. With apartment occupancy hovering at 96 percent, hundreds of new units are planned to come online downtown in the near future.

But perhaps downtown’s most important and vital redevelopment project is the renovation of 200 Public Square. Soaring 45 stories it is one of the tallest buildings in Cleveland.  When the renovation is complete, this location will undoubtedly be one of the most prestigious downtown addresses. And Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is expected to open in the space later this year.

Not surprisingly, Millennials are helping to fuel the growth in downtown Cleveland. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance reports that the area ranks 8th, along with Miami and Seattle, among college educated 25-34 year-olds. “Downtown is particularly attractive to millennials. There is plenty of green space, exciting shopping and dining options, and a vibrant nightlife and two professional sports venues outside their door,” said Victor J. Bierman III, Ohio lawyer and business expert. “Downtown Cleveland is fast becoming an exciting city to live, work and play.”

Image Credit: Erik Drost | Flickr