CLEVELAND — Public Square continues to blossom back into the downtown mecca of Cleveland it once was decades ago. As many cities have struggled to redevelop empty downtown office spaces post-COVID-19, Cleveland appears to be ahead of the curveball. However, there are some changes residents in the area want to see made.
Public Square has come leaps and bounds since the early 2000s, when former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson started the push to redevelop the area. In 2011, the city’s “Group Plan Commission” officially kicked off. Fast forward to 2024, as former Chair, Anthony Coyne, looked around Public Square, he’s proud of the work accomplished over the last decade.
“We’ve created a neighborhood downtown Cleveland in part because of these public spaces being improved,” said Coyne.
What’s working best in Cleveland's favor is the reconfiguration of multiple old office buildings into apartment living. The neighborhood residential population has grown from below 500 to over 2,300. This is something many dying downtowns from San Francisco to Washington D.C. are struggling to do.
“For once we are maybe ahead of the curve at addressing this issue and hopefully it will be a successful future for our downtown,” Coyne said.
Dollars also continue to flood into Public Square development as new businesses and restaurants are getting built around the surrounding areas. Fahrenheit moved to Public Square from Tremont six months ago. Owner, Rocco Whalen said it was the best choice for his evolving business.
“The lights, the cameras, the action, the Browns, the Cavs, Public Square, I really felt this corner needed a restaurant space,” said Whalen. “I had my eye on it and once Sherwin Williams kind of put their last irons in the fire and said we’re rolling. We tried to execute a lease as soon as possible.”
Whalen said owning a restaurant on at Public Square has been a childhood dream.
“The fact there’s more density, it gives guys like me or the people of the industry the opportunity to plant a flag and become one is an intermix of buildings,” said Whalen. "I got law firms, residences in this tower, but again with Sherwin Williams opening, there’s more opportunity for entrepreneurial spirit, for that bodega to open or that coffee shop. Or tower city to redo or revamp their food courts.”
As Public Square continues to grow and develop, the biggest gripe residents have is the RTA buses driving through the square. Coyne believes there’s technology that can fix the issue if the city allows it.
“Get rid of these god-awful jersey barricades and to install systems that could close the square for special events much more easily and less expensively,” said Coyne.
Coyne said his three big recommendations for redeveloping dying downtowns are inclusivity, programming, and having a business plan.
