Kentucky firm to oversee clean' district downtown

Administrators of the new special improvement district in downtown Cleveland have picked a Louisville, Ky.-based company to run its so-called "clean and safe" program, which will include safety ambassadors and sidewalk maintenance crews.

The Downtown Cleveland Alliance, formed to run the day-to-day operations of the improvement district, selected Block By Block, a division of Brantley Services Inc. Block By Block, which has operations in 20 cities across 12 states, already serves improvement districts in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo.

Fourteen firms bid for the renewable one-year contract. Block By Block, which beat out several Cleveland companies, hopes to sign a final contract by next week.

The improvement district will devote about $2.25 million of its $3 million annual budget, paid for by property owners, to its clean and safe program.

"It was a tough decision," said Joe Marinucci, acting president of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "But at the end of the day, we chose Block By Block because they specialize in clean and safe and they're already in Ohio markets."

When it is fully operational, Cleveland's improvement district will be the largest in the state. It will have the equivalent of 45 to 50 full-time workers who will give directions, clean sidewalks and remove graffiti.

Organizers were aiming to launch the clean and safe program by the Indians' home opener on April 7. They're now hoping to have it running by the end of April.

Jeremy Curran, president and chief executive of Brantley Services, said Block By Block will set up its office at 1648 St. Clair Ave. Senior personnel will be in Cleveland to recruit and train personable workers from the janitorial, security, retail and other service industries.

"We like to say that we look at personality first and train for skills," Curran said. The jobs will pay $10 an hour and include health and retirement benefits.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

cmontgomery@plaind.com, 216-999-4059