The Influentials: Bob Stark

President and CEO, Stark Enterprises

Bob Stark’s always been a little ahead of his time, putting thought into things like scale and sidewalk music back when other developers were building strip malls on the cheap. Then, he launched Crocker Park — a lively blend of stores, restaurants, houses and offices. But it’s only his most recent proposal — to turn blocks of parking lots in the Warehouse District into an exciting urban neighborhood — that offers anything for Cleveland itself. Want proof that he’s serious about the city? Stark’s already moved his offices downtown. The man’s been calling himself the “poet developer” for years. We’re starting to believe him.