Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority loses another top manager; real estate director headed for Akron

Friday, July 09, 2010

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerEric Johnson's replacement will assume responsibility for oversight of the lakefront development project, an urban village planned to be built on 30 acres north of Browns Stadium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The new boss at the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has another top job to fill.

Real Estate Director Eric Johnson is leaving later this month to become executive director of the University Park Alliance, an economic development organization committed to the revitalization of the neighborhood surrounding the University of Akron.

"I want to thank Eric for his service to the port and this community," port Chief Executive Officer and President William Friedman said in a news release. "While Eric is leaving Cleveland we're glad that he's not leaving Northeast Ohio. I'm sure he will continue to make positive contributions for the region."

Three other officials have left the tax-subsidized agency in the past 10 months. Former Maritime Director Patrick Coyle and Government Liaison Rose DeLeon resigned last fall. Their departures came within weeks of the resignation of former CEO Adam Wasserman, who left in November with a $335,000 buyout and three years remaining on his five-year contract.

Johnson, who earned $122,850 as real estate director, was in charge of the port authority's plans to redevelop 30 acres north of Browns Stadium. The $27-million urban village of retail shops, restaurants, hotels, condos, offices and parks is still in the planning stages.

Construction of roads, sidewalks and utilities was tentatively scheduled to begin in 2012, Friedman said. Johnson's departure is not expected to delay that timetable. A formal agreement still needs to be reached with the city, which owns the land. The entire 100-acre project will cost $162 million, but won't be completed for about 20 years.

Replacing Johnson is the latest assignment for Friedman on a long "To Do" list he inherited when he assumed leadership of the port authority last month. He is in the process of filling the jobs of maritime director and a combined communications director-government liaison.

Six other top-level port employees were laid off and will not be replaced, saving the agency more than $760,000 in salaries and benefits.

Friedman's other priority is to find new disposal sites for tons of sludge dredged from the Port of Cleveland. Unless a new dump site is found or built soon, dredging at Cleveland's harbor could end by 2015, threatening the viability of the shipping channels.