CLEVELAND, Ohio — The city of Cleveland and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance laid out a “Reimagining Downtown Cleveland” plan Tuesday aimed at revitalizing the area over the next five years to help make downtown a “15-minute” city.
By 15-minute city, officials mean a full concentration of places for people to live, work and play within a 15-minute walk.
“Reimagining Downtown Cleveland takes us from sidewalk to skyline and everything in between,” said Michael Deemer, president and CEO of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance.
Downtown is at a point of transformation, coming out of the pandemic when many people began working remotely and some employers have since left the city.
“This is a pivotal moment,” Mayor Justin M. Bibb said during Tuesday’s breifing on Mall C downtown. “Togther, we can capture the momentum we had before the pandemic, shaping downtown into a destination that offers memorable experiences for visitors and that draws more people downtown to live and work.”
Officials said downtown Cleveland is the fastest growing neighborhood in the city with 32% population growth since 2010, aided by $9 billion in investments.
The plan, though short on many of the details at this point, focuses on three major aspects:
Short-term goals prioritize identifying barriers in attracting retailers, particularly female and minority owned businesses, as well as determining future retail capacity and implementing a plan to attract retail.
When it comes to mobility, the city of Cleveland and the alliance hopes to increase accessibility by foot, expanding bike and scooter networks, as well as wheel chairs, mobility devices and transit.
Other aspects of this sector include real estate, housing development and mobility, which would be tackled by DCA in partnership with Destination Cleveland.
The plan calls for creating a clean, safe and welcoming environment for employees, residents and visitors by assuring safety and security.
One way officials hope to do this is by working with community and business partners to install more lighting, which would start on Public Square and extend to Euclid Ave and Mall B in the first year of the plan.
DCA said it also planned on hiring 20 new ambassadors to provide more support to these projects throughout the fall and winter months.
Officials would also like to continue its efforts to allow for safe and easy access to the city’s lakefront and riverfront. The city aims to add more trees, seating and opportunities for children to play.
The plan also called for funding of a public art program to bring murals and creative art.
The city and the downtown alliance said they were partnering with the county, Destination Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Partnership.
“It connects our urban core to our waterfronts to create a world-class neighborhood, destination, and business hub, improving overall quality of life for residents and workers while showcasing Cleveland’s diversity and distinctiveness to visitors,” Deemer said of the plan.
This story will be updated with additional information.
Megan Sims covers real estate for cleveland.com. See previous work at this link.
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