CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tower City opened in Downtown Cleveland more than 30 years ago with fanfare, big crowds, and a lot of hope, but over the years, that all faded, and it was no longer the place to be. That's all set to change.
In 2016, Dan Gilbert's company Bedrock bought Tower City, and we've been following through on the progress since as new businesses move in with hopes of bringing back the crowds.
Bedrock announced three more new businesses this week, with many more to go. One of those businesses is Mike the Hatter, which has specialized in hats for over 80 years.
"Mike the Hatter is one of the largest hat stores in the U.S.; besides just selling hats, we also clean them, customize them and repair," said Gavin Reiland, the store manager.
Now, they are expanding their business to the historic Tower City.
"Hopefully to reach a different market with the expansion to Tower City and all of the people coming back to work and the expansion Sherwin Williams is doing," said Reiland.
Not far from the hat shop is another brand-new business, Shake & Slide, which held its soft opening on Oct. 25.
"Shake & Slide is a 70s-themed milkshake and Burger Bar. I wanted to create a concept that lets people go back into a place in time to music and food," said owner Atasia Etheridge.
Etheridge says she first hesitated to open in Tower City, but that's all changed.
"I love it here; I love the great people, all the tenants and my neighbors," said Etheridge.
Jason Russell, Bedrock's vice president of operations and leasing, said that the flood of new businesses is part of Tower City's effort to revitalize and revamp the once lively historic mall.
"We want to create entertainment for individuals to enjoy; we want to provide food and beverage, retail and the opportunity for personal services as well to benefit hotel guests and residents," said Russell.
However, some stores and restaurants have tried and closed over the years.
"We're trying to understand the right uses, and some uses just haven't worked. It hasn't been the right spot for them," said Russell.
Bedrock says it's trying to fill those vacant storefronts, but when News 5 asked how many there were, it didn't say. Instead, they focused on the positive, bringing in 12 new companies in 2023.
"We want to transform Tower City to really complement what we're planning at the riverfront, and I'm going to say it again, a destination marketplace," said Russell.
As the coming soon signs only grow in the mall, the businesses that have already opened their doors are excited for what's next.
"It really feels like we're getting on the ground floor of like something really amazing," said Reiland.
"It's exciting. What makes it even cooler is a lot of us are locally owned, so we're not competing with the big anchor stores. There's a lot of local people who live in Cleveland and come to work every day," said Etheridge.
