ACG Cleveland: Riverfront Redesigned Bedrock Development Panel, Sponsored by Oswald Companies

Aaron is a partner in the Vorys Akron office and a member of the corporate group.  He regularly represents issuers, underwriters, developers and conduit borrowers on tax-exempt and taxable borrowings to support their projects.  In addition, Aaron counsels' developers, operating companies, political subdivisions and investors on utilizing tax credits, economic development incentives, abatements, economic development financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships and special economic development entities to support projects such as mixed-use developments, corporate headquarters, data centers and other large-scale real estate and infrastructure investments.

Jeff Epstein is the Chief of Integrated Development for the City of Cleveland as a part of Mayor Justin Bibb’s Cabinet. In his role, he supports equitable community and economic development in the city, overseeing the departments of planning, economic development, community development, and building and housing. Jeff works to advance Mayoral development priorities such as breaking down silos between departments, modernizing City Hall, and advancing growth and equity throughout the City of Cleveland.   

Prior to joining the City, Jeff served as Executive Director of MidTown Cleveland, a 501(c)(3) economic and community development organization that serves the area between downtown Cleveland and University Circle, and director of the

Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor, an umbrella effort to attract innovative health-tech and high-tech businesses to the area.  In his roles with MidTown and the Health-Tech Corridor, he was responsible for marketing, strengthening and redeveloping the neighborhood, attracting and assisting business growth, and connecting the business and residential community.                                                                                                                    

Under Jeff’s seven plus years of leadership at MTC and the Health-Tech Corridor, the neighborhood saw $230 million of transformative real estate development, including the new Dave’s Markets grocery store, The Cleveland Foundation headquarters, Hilton Tru hotel, and market rate and affordable housing projects. During this time, Jeff integrated racial equity principles through all aspects of the organization and refocused MTC’s strategy to comprehensive and equitable neighborhood development. MTC also grew from four full-time employees to fourteen, more than tripled the organizational budget, and substantially increased grant funding and corporate giving.

Jeff joined MidTown and the Health-Tech Corridor from The Coral Company, where he served as Vice President of Development, overseeing residential, commercial, and mixed-use development projects, capital markets transactions, and consulting projects.  Prior to joining Coral, Jeff participated in the Cleveland Executive Fellowship, a one-year civic leadership development program. 

Jeff holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and an undergraduate degree in Public Policy Studies from Duke University. Following law school, he clerked for the Hon. Solomon Oliver Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. 

Deb Janik serves as Bedrock’s Senior Vice President of Business Development in Cleveland, where she accelerates and advances all Cleveland projects and programs while strengthening key public-private and civic sector relationships.

At Bedrock, Janik applies her more than 30 years of experience in real estate development and her skills in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. She plays a key role in Bedrock’s revitalization of Tower City Center and the public-private partnership with the City of Cleveland to reimagine a riverfront neighborhood as part of the City’s Vision for the Valley on the Cuyahoga riverfront. 

Prior to this role, Janik served as Senior Vice President of Major Projects and Real Estate Development at Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP). She was responsible for driving engagement and development in the City of Cleveland and surrounding metro area and led public-private partnership efforts on catalytic business and large-scale real estate developments. Janik also served as a board officer for Cleveland Development Advisors, GCP’s real estate development affiliate and as Senior Vice President, Business Growth & Development Services.  

Janik previously served as Chief of Staff and Chief Development Officer for Mayor Jane L. Campbell at the City of Cleveland, has held leadership positions at the Cuyahoga County Port Authority, Neighborhood Progress Inc. (now operating as Cleveland Neighborhood Progress), KeyBank and at the City of Cleveland with the Voinovich and White Administrations. Janik was named to Crain’s Cleveland’s Class of 2024 40 under 40 and to their list of Notable Leaders in Real Estate in 2023. Globe St. also recognized Janik as a Women of Influence in 2024.