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About UsOUR MISSION: To promote, develop, and guide the Kamm's Corners neighborhood as the best place to live, work, shop, worship, and play.
Contact info: ph: 216-252-6559 Click here for a map of our Ward 19 service area
Our location in Cuyahoga County:
Board of TrusteesOfficers:
Trustees:
Staff Steve Lorenz, Executive Director Cindy Janis, Manager, Commercial Development Tom Keating, Residential Services Coordinator Marilyn Osborne, Community Relations Coordinator Chris Frohring, Neighborhood Real Estate Planner Jackie Wohleber, Manager, Office Operations
Staff Bios Steve Lorenz was hired as Executive Director in June of 2001 after serving as a volunteer on the Board of Trustees for several years. As Director, he is responsible for all KCDC operations. He has lived in the Kamm's Corners neighborhood since 1989. Cindy Janis began her career with KCDC in August of 1992. As Manager of Commercial Development and the Storefront Renovation Program, she directs projects from initial contact with property owners through design development and completion of construction. As a Re$tore Cleveland Manager, she works with Downtown Kamm's Corners to promote the Commercial District and attract new businesses. Tom Keating is Residential Services Coordinator. He joined the KCDC staff in August of 2001 with a 35-year background in the construction industry. Previously, he worked for the United Labor Agency and is a member of Pipefitters Local 120. Tom manages the Residential Repair Rebate Program. Marilyn Osborne joined the KCDC staff in February of 1997 with decades of experience in community relations and publishing. As Community Relations Coordinator, she is responsible for membership activities and KCDC events, such as the annual meeting and community improvement awards. Marilyn is also Editor in Chief of Kamm’s Corners Magazine. Chris Frohring joined KCDC in October of 2007. As Neighborhood Real Estate Planner, he works with residents and commercial building owners to uphold the high housing standards that have made Kamm's Corners a neighborhood of choice. He administers the paint program. He is also involved in the streetscape design and other planning issues. Jackie Wohleber joined the Kamm's Corners team in October 2005, bringing 10 years of administrative experience to the table. Numerous official and non-official duties include bookkeeping, event planning, magazine production support, contract administration, membership and assisting the Executive Director.
The Kamm’s Corners CommunityKamm’s Corners, named after the late 19th century settler, Oswald Kamm, has a long and distinguished history as one of Cleveland’s most desirable and vital neighborhoods. Located on the western border of the city, Kamm’s offers a suburban lifestyle combined with easy access to Downtown Cleveland. Kamm’s Corners features a variety of homes from luxurious to affordable, and has great outdoor recreation with municipal parks and the Metroparks Rocky River Reservation. Of interest is Oswald Kamm’s General Store and Post Office. Built in 1875, the building is now a historically renovated restaurant and anchors a “village feel” in a suburban setting. A feature article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer stated: “The traditional nuclear family – mom, dad, and the kids – dominates this middle-class neighborhood. With the number of single-parent families exploding in big cities and suburbs, Kamm’s Corners is an urban rarity, a place where the percentage of children living with two parents rivals suburban family havens such as Chagrin Falls, North Olmsted, and University Heights. There are more than 4,000 children here, and 80 percent of them live with mom and dad, by far the highest rate of children growing up in two-parent families in Cleveland, the 2000 census found.” Kamm’s Corners is Cleveland’s suburb in the City! For more about the history of Kamm's Corners and West Park, including many old photographs, visit Charles Chaney and Gary Swilik's www.westparkhistory.com.
The History of KCDCKamm’s Corners Development Corporation is a story of progress—thanks to the individual men and women who have been working on behalf of the Kamm’s Corners community for the past 30 years. In 1977, a small group of residents and business owners were concerned about the deteriorating condition of the Kamm’s Corners central business district. They realized there was a direct relationship between a community’s businesses and the fortunes of its nearby residential neighborhoods. Something had to be done to reverse a creeping trend of disinvestment. In June of that year, a steering committee met at Perkins Pancake House (now Gene’s Place) to formalize their good intentions by creating an organization, naming it, and setting up its by-laws. Attending the meeting were:
That organization was called Kamm’s Area Development Corporation and it was abbreviated KAMCO. Howard Schreibman was elected its first chairman of the board, and Carolyn Verlie was the first executive director. Other early leaders included Bob Bohr, Steve Campanella, Norma Buchwald, Chuck Humbert, Paul Gelman, Deanna Hiros, and Dan Chambers. Their mission was to foster the growth and development of Kamm’s Corners. Many development corporations were being formed throughout Cleveland around that time. It was, and remains today, an efficient way to administer government programs, foster targeted development, and advocate for the neighborhood. What was originally primarily a Chamber of Commerce style merchants’ group has grown into the diversified non-profit corporation known today as Kamm’s Corners Development Corporation. Today, the organization has a volunteer board of twelve people and four full-time and two part-time employees. The board consists of neighborhood residents, merchants, and business people as it always has – a hardworking group that has the interest of the neighborhood as their highest priority. It is clear that our efforts have resulted in tangible improvement in our business district during the past 30 years. We have developed an organized approach to helping the businesses and residents take advantage of programs that will continue our success and growth for many years to come. Our efforts include strategic planning, creative marketing, and careful use of available resources that aid in our mission. This approach has enabled us to build an efficient organization and provide superior service to our community. It is appropriate to conclude this brief history by expressing the deep gratitude we feel toward the many people who contribute to the success of Kamm's Corners through membership in our organization as business members or as Friends of Kamm’s Corners. We know they share our pride. We have come a long way together. With the continued support of Councilman Martin J. Keane and the City of Cleveland, we believe the best is yet to come! |
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