CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I MAY 20, 2024
Time to plan for a ban on noncompetes Future of an FTC ruling is unclear, but companies should prepare for effects By Jeremy Nobile
$ Botched FAFSA rollout exacerbates the
COLLEGE COST By Joe Scalzo
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ike many college administrators, Janet Stimple, assistant vice president of enrollment services at Cleveland State University, uses the word “disastrous” to describe last winter’s rollout of the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). She’s trying to make sure it doesn’t
have a similar effect on Cleveland State’s fall enrollment. While Ohio’s FAFSA filings were down about 17% as of April 12 — which is better than the nationwide average of 25% — the biggest statewide declines have been in Greater Cleveland. CSU is feeling the effects in a major way, which is bad news for a university that’s already See FAFSA on Page 20
“The biggest decreases are right in our backyard. They’re impacting the school districts whose socioeconomic classes are lower and have a higher racial diversity.” — Janet Stimple, assistant vice president of enrollment services at Cleveland State University
“But you don’t want to be in a position where you can’t react if Though it remains to be seen you need to,” he said. There are already a few legal if an effort by the Federal Trade Commission to ban the use of challenges to the FTCs ruling in noncompetes in the business motion now, including a key case brought by the world is successful, U.S. Chamber of Comcompanies should be How FTC’s merce that seems to be getting a handle now noncompete taking the lead. That on how such a change ban could case also questions the could affect them. “I’m telling clients to impact health FTC’s authority to enact such a ban. take a wait-and-see ap- systems. “This decision sets a proach,” said Eric Baisdangerous precedent for den, co-chair of the PAGE 20 government micromanlabor and employment group at Benesch. “We have agement of business and can time to react. And it is not a dif- harm employers, workers and ficult thing to create new agree- our economy,” the organization ments or invalidate the ones they have.” See FTC on Page 21
The Garden’s backers seek a new home for innovation center Midway Mall is ruled out as a site for the food research institute By Stan Bullard
Midway Mall may be ruled out as a site, but proponents of The Garden, a center for food education, research and vertical farming, continue hunting elsewhere for a home for the complex. Bara Watts, executive director of The Center for Food Innovation, a nonprofit based in Elyria that had Midway Mall on its list of potential locations, said in a
phone interview, “The concept is bigger than the real estate involved. The idea is to nurture Northeast Ohio as a location for agricultural expansion and innovation. Our whole team is on board to continue the search.” That was the upshot of a meeting of The Garden’s backers after the Lorain County Port Authority voted May 1 to award the largely empty mall and its 100-acre site to Industrial Commercial Properties of Mayfield Heights for conversion to a multitenant business park. ICP bid $17 million for the site. The See GARDEN on Page 18
VOL. 45, NO. 20 l COPYRIGHT 2024 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. l ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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SPORTS
ECONOMY
Golf shares the spotlight at Kaulig Companies Championship.
Team NEO outlines lofty expectations for region’s aerospace, aviation industry.
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5/17/24 10:55 AM