CLEVELAND — After years of planning and critical repairs, the public is finally getting a look at what's in the works for the re-envisioned Shaker Square, which was purchased in 2022 by two nonprofit organizations — Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc.
The nonprofits are unveiling their final vision plan on Thursday night at Atlas Cinemas.
Retailers and neighbors have been watching firsthand as renovations breathed new life into the historic but aging shopping center. Recent improvements include new HVAC systems, new roofs, outdoor lighting, awnings, light fixtures and other updates to address 20 years of delayed routine maintenance.
"We're excited for the new lighting that they've done, the cameras that have been installed, the increased security, and the new management," Cleveland resident, Shelley Tobias said.
RELATED: Shaker Square wraps up $5 million in renovations
Those renovations were the first step toward bringing the shopping center back to its roots and making it a destination again.
Last year, the owners of Shaker Square showed off a preliminary plan and asked for the public's feedback on ways to improve the district, an important anchor on Cleveland's East Side.
RELATED: Shaker Square owners unveil their ideas for public spaces, retail; ask for feedback
The new Shaker Square vision plan focuses on three principles, each with several underlying goals:
INVITING
- Sustain a diverse mix of retailers
- Curate an engaging and memorable ground-level user experience
- Curate a mix of creative, productive and services-providing tenants on the second floor
- Foster cultural production and small-business entrepreneurship that embraces the creative spirit of the surrounding community
- Introduce well-designed and well-maintained market-rate housing
- Steward a welcoming, safe and intuitive environment for all
According to the vision plan, the goal is to fill Shaker Square with more restaurants and shops. Patios are another planned feature, aiming to "provide an unparalleled outdoor dining experience." Redesigned walkways will allow more room for outdoor activities or a place to stand outside the various storefronts.
On the upper level of the shopping center, the plan calls for shops that are appointment-based or non-customer-facing tenants or service providers like wellness and fitness. Other areas will feature meeting spaces to "encourage social interaction of visitors and create a vibrant, inviting atmosphere for all ages."
Another goal is to bring temporary entertainment or shops to the Square with pop-up events.
A plan to increase foot traffic to the Square involves more residential development in the neighborhood. The nonprofits plan to partner with the community to help restore historic apartments and provide housing to middle-income families.
INSPIRING
- Bring Shaker Square to life with activities and events that invite people from both nearby neighborhoods and across the city
- Improve accessibility and connectivity to the surrounding neighborhoods
- Redesign the central green to accommodate both everyday use and special events
- Create a two-sided retail experience with stronger connections between the green space and the promenade
Getting to Shaker Square should be easier in the future, as the owners plan to work with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority to improve public transportation.
Bike lanes and places to store bicycles while you shop are also in the works. Regarding bikes, Shaker Square plans to have more bicycle ride-sharing stations and to improve the overall ability to move to, from and around the shopping center.
Better sidewalks and lighting will make it safer for pedestrians to get around the square. For motorists, revamped parking areas will make it easier to drive in, as well as make it safer for pedestrians.
According to the plans, the goal is to make Shaker Square more than just a place to shop. Dedicated performance spaces and the central green space will attract more foot traffic. The owners plan to partner with schools and local organizations to spruce up the Square with works of art, murals and sculptures.
TIMELESS
- Tell the story of Shaker Square
- Protect Shaker Square’s authentic advantage
- Deploy strategic leasing techniques to attract and retain tenants that complement CNP and BBC’s vision for Shaker Square
- Implement a comprehensive safety, care and maintenance plan for Shaker Square
- Study partnership and funding opportunities to leverage outside capital for Shaker Square
Tobias said she's most excited about the new housing developments.
"I think that would actually bridge the gap, bring more vibrancy to the community. It would also help with the retail spaces and the shopping and things that we love to do," Tobias added.
There's still a long road ahead, but dropping the curtain on this vision is paving a path for what the future has in store.
"This work is expensive and it takes some time, so we'll be out there pounding the pavement, getting more support both in friends and financial to help take the plan and bring it to life," Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc. Executive Director Joy Johnson said.
The plan states that the owners want to "respect Shaker Square's history while stewarding it for the future." To do this, the vision plan calls for preserving the nearly century-old shopping center's cultural heritage and maintaining its historic architecture. Visitors can peek back at the past by viewing old photos and displays.
"Shaker Square has so much value and sentimental value and historic value to the community. It's on the National Register of Historic Places, but it's also historic in people's hearts in the city of Cleveland, not just to city residents, but to the region," Johnson said Thursday night.
Leaning into the shopping center's history is part of the owners' strategy for setting the Square apart from other outdoor shopping districts across Northeast Ohio, including competing properties on the East Side.
The plan's recommendations include prioritizing high-impact tenants. There's been a lot of turnover over the years as tenants from toy store FAO Schwarz to Edwins, a high-end restaurant that recently announced plans to move to the old Nighttown building in Cleveland Heights, have come and gone.
RELATED: Edwins expands, moves out of Shaker Square to Cleveland Heights
- CLICK HERE to read a summary of the 2025 vision plan.
- CLICK HERE to read the full 2025 vision plan.
Johnson said the available retail space in Shaker Square is now open for lease.
While the safety needs of Shaker Square have already cost $5 million, Johnson stated they have another $5 million at their disposal that could bring the rest of their plan to fruition.
"We're realistic. We'll do it in phases. We know we can't do it all at once, but $5 million really helped us to save and stabilize so that the building didn't fall into worse shape," she added. "Let's capitalize on what we have and support it."
Opened in 1929, Shaker Square is one of the oldest planned shopping centers in the country. It has experienced many ups and downs. In 2022, the property was in receivership and at risk of being auctioned off to the highest bidder when Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Burten, Bell, Carr stepped in. They bought the property with financial help from the City of Cleveland and hope to find a more sustainable ownership structure for the Square over time.
"We want to thank the merchants for sticking with us through this process. There's been a lot of uncertainty. They could have packed up and moved their businesses anywhere, but they decided to stay and come along for the vision, so we're very grateful for that," Johnson shared.
RELATED: Historic Shaker Square is in foreclosure, a victim of the pandemic, management company says
