City Contractor Smartland Development + More Possible Ties to Cleveland Clinic

[Lori Allen _]

The city acquired the property at 2147 Dowd (at the corner of Dowd & Plover) in August of 2013 due to its dilapidated state (in fairness, it did look bad). It supposedly took the city's architect almost two years to come up with the plans for the remodeling of the multi-family home into a single-family. The house has been under construction for over a year and it appears to be almost complete. Now, there is a large sign in the front yard advertising Smartland Residential Remodeling & Development. Evidently, this was the company that did most of the work on the house.

Steven Gesis is listed as a registered agent for Smatland Residental, LLC, and is also listed on the company's website as the Executive Vice President of sales. Sure enough, the website further states that Gesis formerly worked for the Cleveland Clinic as the operations manager.

This may not seem like a big deal, but consider all of the other companies and contractors that Summers & Co. have given business to that appear to have close ties to the Cleveland Clinic. I have posted about them previously:

- Clifton Pointe Condos = Cleveland Clinic affiliate
- Rockport Square Condos = owned by Forest City Enterprises which is essentially run by Ronald Ratner & Co from the Cleveland Clinic.

Not to mention that the company's website advertises that they accept bitcoin!

http://www.coindesk.com/information/what-is-bitcoin/
https://www.wired.com/2014/04/dark-wallet/

Not that any of this is going on, but it does make you wonder.

It is quite evident that Summers sold out a public asset to the Cleveland Clinic. Is he now going to start outsourcing work and contracts to the Cleveland Clinic and their affiliates?

[james fitzgibbons]

job signs are not allowed in Lakewood.

[Lori Allen _]

James,

It appears that the city is selective with the enforcement. There have been some signs that have sat in tree lawns and yards for months and months. Yet, some contractors tell me the city will not let them put signs in yard.

This is a big, wooden sign too. Probably 3X3 in size and about a foot or two off the ground.

Perhaps Lord invoked his executive power again to allow a possible friend to circumvent the law!

[Lori Allen _]

This is the sign in the front yard.

Smartland Remoldel.jpg (296.99 KiB) Viewed 1521 times

I wonder if this had to go through Summers' Sign Review Board/Commission/Committee/Task Force.