Browns Kick Off New Season. Lake Erie Ferry to Canada Floated: CLE Daily

🌤️ 76°; Pleasant

🍺 Taking Flight: Cleveland's own Great Lakes Brewing Co. is heading to Pittsburgh International Airport, opening an airport taproom there this fall in partnership with Air Ventures — GLBC's first outpost at an airport.

🛍️ Tax Break: Ohio's back-to-school sales-tax holiday returns Aug. 7–9, but it's scaled way down. Instead of two weeks with nearly everything under $500 tax-free, it's one weekend covering only clothes and shoes under $75 and school supplies of $20 or less.

🏙️ Top of the Town: Naia Noir — Cuyahoga County's first lakefront high-rise in 53 years — is about three weeks from topping out above Edgewater Park. The 13-story, 110-unit tower will have an infinity pool on its amenity deck, with completion targeted for around Memorial Day 2027.

ICYMI: After shuttering its Pinecrest location, RED the Steakhouse opens Aug. 13 at Eton Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere, taking over the former Heritage/Fleming's space with a more approachable look, an all-night bar menu and a dozen cuts running up to a 35-ounce prime tomahawk.

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Trivia Question

Robert Manry used this sailboat — now on display at the Cleveland History Center — to cross the Atlantic, becoming the smallest craft ever to do so.

Development: Cross-Lake ferry service between Northeast Ohio and southern Ontario in the works.

By Ken Prendergast, NEO Trans

The Port of Cleveland and Milo Harbour Inc. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate a new cross-lake truck ferry service between Northeast Ohio and Southern Ontario. The proposed Cross-Lake Truck Ferry Project would establish a cargo terminal at Milo Harbour in Wheatley, Ontario, connecting directly with the Port of Cleveland and the USA.

Expectations:

• Launch in early 2028

• Create a direct maritime connection across Lake Erie, providing manufacturers, shippers, trucking companies, and logistics partners with a reliable alternative to one of North America’s busiest and most congested border crossings

• Accommodate up to 300 round-trip truckloads per day

• Estimated one-way transit time of approximately two to three hours for the 55-mile cross-lake trip (current travel time over the 210-mile land route from Cleveland to Wheatley is about three and a half hours)

David Gutheil, Port of Cleveland chief operating officer: “This new service further solidifies the Port of Cleveland as a leader in providing innovative services within the Great Lakes maritime trade. We are proud to partner with Milo Harbour, who shares our vision to seek solutions that build the maritime trade relationship between Ohio and Canada.”

Kieran Stewart, Milo Harbour project director: “This project represents a strategic opportunity for Wheatley, as well as the province of Ontario and all of Canada. The team at Milo Harbour Inc. is committed to supporting Ontario and Canada’s plan to diversify trade and ensure our supply chains are stronger than ever.”

Impact: The Port of Cleveland serves as one of only two current container ports on the Great Lakes with international container service and provides multimodal connections to rail, interstate highways and global markets. The proposed truck ferry would further strengthen the Port’s role as a strategic logistics hub connecting North American manufacturers with domestic and international supply chains. 

Read the full story.

Talk of the Town

How many officers does East Cleveland have? The city won't say. After a former employee claimed the force is down to four patrol officers and one detective, city officials denied it. Still, they refused to release staffing numbers, citing security — even as outside estimates and News 5 put the count around six active-duty officers, with the county sheriff providing weekend patrols.

New Medicaid work rules are coming. By Jan. 1, many Ohioans on Medicaid ages 19 to 64 will have to prove 80 hours a month of work, school or volunteering to keep coverage — and the state could begin reaching out to those affected as soon as this summer. Medicaid covers about a quarter of Ohioans.

A bigger convention center — already? Just two years after a $52 million renovation, a new consultant's report says Cleveland should add roughly 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and up to 2,100 nearby hotel rooms to keep pace with peer cities — even as the center touts a record 2025. No expansion is in the pipeline yet. 

Fracking bids in Ohio's only national forest. The Bureau of Land Management will auction 2,840 acres of Wayne National Forest for fracking on Sept. 15 — part of a broader 40,000-acre plan — with a public-comment period open through Aug. 17.

Cleveland Clinic broke ground on a $322 million Avon expansion, nearly doubling the size of its Lorain County campus with a new bed tower, more operating rooms and a larger emergency department — aimed at bringing care closer to Lorain County patients who've been driving long distances for Clinic services. Opening targeted for 2029.

Sports: Browns open training camp, drawing good crowds to Berea.

Photographed by Alyson Garfield

The Browns' quarterback battle is still up for grabs. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are splitting first-team reps as training camp continues at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea through Aug. 12, with open practices for fans. All of these open practices are already sold out. Sanders was one of the fan favorites during the open session this past Friday in Berea.

Things to Do This Week

 Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Mets (August 4-6): The Mets are in town this week for a three-game series against our Guards. Wednesday is extra special, as the team will be celebrating its 125th Anniversary, with the first 15,000 fans receiving an anniversary tumbler. Wednesday is also Marvel Night, with “Spidey and His Amazing Friends” Comic Book Giveaway for 5,000 kids six and under. Tue. and Wed,-6:40 p.m., Thu.-1:10 p.m., $20-$186, 2401 Ontario St., Cleveland, mlb.com 

NFL Season Kickoff at Pro Football HOF (August 6): The NFL’s 107th season is kicking off in Canton this week at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Arizona Cardinals will face off against the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals were one of the first teams to compete in the Hall of Fame game when it started in 1962, and have since appeared four more times. Carolina has not participated in the Hall of Fame game since 1995. 8 p.m., $92-$336, 2121 George Halas Drive, Canton, profootballhof.com

Joe Gatto at Hilarities 4th Street Theatre (August 6-7): At this 21+ event, comedy star Joe Gatto will bring the laughs. Known most notably for his time on Impractical Jokers, Gatto and the Jokers have sold out crowds at some of the nation’s largest stadiums. This time around, he’s solo, and he will be here in Cleveland through Saturday night. Thu-7 p.m., Fri-7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., $54-$66, 2035 E 4th St., Cleveland, hilarities.com

Vintage Ohio Wine Festival (August 7): The premier food and wine event of the year includes wine tastings at local wineries, delicious food, cooking demonstrations, live music and shopping — what more could you need? Non-drinkers and children are also welcome to enjoy the festival, spanning Friday and Saturday. Begins at Noon, $15-$75 (children 17 and under-$4, ages 3 and under-free), 8800 Euclid Chardon Road, Kirtland, visitvintageohio.com

Friday's Trivia Answer

What East Side venue, which featured regular performances by historic jazz, blues, soul and R&B acts in the 1950s and 1960s, was called by comedian Dick Gregory "the most fully integrated nightclub in America?" Leo’s Casino

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question

From the Editor

One thing that never ceases is the development around town — the city shows signs of growth and struggle at the same time. The Browns are moving beyond the city limits. Heinen's Downtown grocery store closes. Sherwin-Williams builds a new skyscraper, and all kinds of buildings are going up near the arena and down by the river. 

Soon there will be plenty of activity in the suburbs, too, including Brook Park. It's always a cycle of new and old. We hope you stick with us — this newsletter, our website and social channels, and our print magazine — as we chronicle it all across Northeast Ohio.

— Ron Ledgard, Managing Editor

Have a story idea? Tell us what we should cover at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.

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