A commitment to the urban core, waterfront connections and investing in creating vibrant communities have steered development from a number of key players involved in Reimagining Downtown.
Progress during the last few years will accelerate with the Shore-to-Core-to-Shore TIF District, unlocking future funds for foundational infrastructure, which is already underway. The Cuyahoga Riverfront banks are being fortified with more than 3,000 lineal feet of new piles between the existing wall and river, making way for development. The bulkhead preserves river health and safety.
Bedrock Real Estate is undertaking an ambitious 38-plus acre site with unprecedented access to the river, says Deb Janik, senior vice president of business development. A riverfront walk will meander through the site, tie into Canal Basin Park on the west end and the Towpath Trail and Cleveland Metroparks investments.
“It gets back to that continuity of place and experience — you’ll be able to actually touch the water — and doing so in a way that connects and closes gaps and ties in the core of Downtown and all of these experiences as a continuum,” she says.
Slam Dunks, Riverside
Riverfront development includes implementing 3.5 million square feet of mixed-use development grounded by the historic Tower City Center and incorporates 2,000-plus units of residential housing from affordable to workforce to market-rate and home ownership, Janik says.
Equity is paramount.
“Diversity in housing is what every urban center needs,” she relates, adding that the Riverfront Redevelopment plan is centered on public spacemaking and accessibility.
A huge win: The Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center in partnership with the Clinic, Bedrock and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Slated as a 210,000-square-foot interdisciplinary center on the riverfront’s west bank, it will serve as an elite training facility for the Cavs, community and athletes from around the world. It positions the city as a global sports science and wellness destination, embracing the river, creating a local icon and elevating experience.
Groundbreaking is anticipated before the end of 2024.
Beyond this, Janik says, “There is an awful lot of investment underway” related to engineering, land development and coordinating public-private partnerships. “This is not framework sitting on a shelf. It’s being executed on and we are looking forward to driving this city forward.”
Progress at the Core
A significant streetscape project dubbed the “phase zero installment” involved planters, trees, benches and upgraded lighting in and around Public Square. Tower City Center’s retail landscape is now 70% occupied, including 10 new tenants, mostly minority-owned businesses. “This is an opportunity to cultivate our own talent,” Janik says.
The Astro Restaurant in the former Hard Rock Cafe offers experiential dining and entertainment, another destination draw in Public Square. (Janik snagged a table without realizing it was May the Fourth Be with You day, and it was bustling, she says.)
“From undertaking Tower City and the Avenue Shops to The May, a Cleveland icon and adaptive reuse success, we are capturing the city’s character and building on that momentum,” she says.
What’s now a wave started as a ripple and hope, then a swell in residents and businesses by demand, explains Matthew Driggs, vice president of commercial real estate at the K&D Group, where he’s worked with the Downtown-focused team since 1997 in various capacities.
Milestones include the Residences at 668 on Euclid Avenue, 16 years ago. Then, Downtown living was a new thing. Not anymore. K&D has pioneered the Residences at 1717 on East 9th Street, along with The Hanna, The Leader, Terminal Tower, 55 Public Square — and more.
These are passion projects for Downtown developers like K&D, Bedrock, SomeraRoad and many other investors and businesses focused on repurposing historic Downtown gems.
K&D completed the extensive 55 Public Square project last summer, and recently introduced Fahrenheit, a move for Chef Rocco Whalen from Tremont to the city center.
“Public Square is evolving with the residential opportunities and retail, and when you have the center of your city bustling with new living options and businesses, that is exciting,” Driggs says.
K&D is currently the largest Downtown landlord, and Driggs says this means living up to tenants’ expectations, both residential and commercial. Within the last year following the pandemic recovery, Driggs says, “The city feels vibrant again. It’s alive. The new [city] administration is focused on that and you can feel it.”
