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Downtown Cleveland is the , and was recently rated by the Brookings Institution as one of America's "Emerging Downtowns", due to its 32.2% growth rate over this period. Brookings Institution Study of American Downtowns , 2005 There are several new developments, both residential and commercial, planned for downtown. PUBLIC SQUARE and the Society For Savings Building ]] See Also: Public Square The heart of downtown and first settled area, concert by the Cleveland Orchestra . At one time Public Square was fenced off and inaccessible to vehicles. Public Square hosted the Perry Monument early in its history, which was a memorial to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry 's victory in the Battle Of Lake Erie in the War Of 1812 . The monument was dedicated in 1860, and placed in the center of Public Square. In 1892 it was moved out of the square, which by then had the fences removed after lobbying by commercial interests. Public Square is also home to the Soldiers' And Sailors' Monument , which commemorates residents of Cuyahoga County who served in the Civil War . In addition the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Public Square is home to a statue of Moses Cleaveland, founder of the city, a statue of Tom L. Johnson , the city's most famous mayor, a large amount of shrubbery and other landscaping, as well as a large public fountain. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: Public Square . Accessed May 12, 2007. Notable buildings on Public Square include the , leaving that side of the square open to this day, with only a surface parking lot on the site. Ameritrust Center . Accessed May 12, 2007. The region is currently debating the best use of Public Square, and several residents and organizations have called for the square to be closed to traffic during non-peak hours of the weekday. Plans floated for a square redesign include an ice skating rink, amphitheater, farmer's market, restaurant with outdoor seating, and other ideas, all of which are designed to draw people to the square as a gathering place.[The Plain Dealer, "Civic leaders envision revitalized Public Square; Plan includes shops, dining, amphitheater. June 11, 2006. HISTORIC WAREHOUSE DISTRICT See Also: The Warehouse District Cleveland's first neighborhood, . Historic Warehouse District: District Life , Accessed May 13, 2007. This most recent transformation from empty, run-down warehouses to hip, happening clubs and restaurants is only the latest in a long life cycle for the historic area. It was announced at the end of 2005 that local developer Robert L. Stark, of Stark Enterprises, is planning a $1 billion redevelopment of what are currently surface parking lots in the Warehouse District, adding retail, office, housing, and structured parking in a series of buildings from the lakefront to Public Square Stark Enterprises Interview with Cleveland Jewish News , Accessed May 13, 2007., see "Stark Project" below. HISTORIC GATEWAY DISTRICT in the late 1960s.]] The Historic Gateway District was one of the first revitalized areas of downtown, thanks largely to the , the first indoor Shopping Mall in the United States and a stunning display of period architecture. The Arcade Cleveland: History of the Arcade , Accessed May 13, 2007. CIVIC CENTER As its name suggests, the Civic Center district includes most of Cleveland's public buildings. City Hall is here Cleveland Landmarks: City Hall , Accessed May 13, 2007., as is the , Malls A, B, and C, also known as the Burnham Malls, serve as public green space and gardens fronting the lake. The Cleveland Group Plan , Accessed May 13, 2007. One of the two plans for a new Cleveland convention center includes adding an additional mall that extends north towards the lake, the other being a new center built at Tower City.The Plain Dealer, "No consensus on best site for new convention center" October 19, 2005. FINANCIAL DISTRICT Cleveland's financial district consists of the areas around East 9th street, with a dense conglomeration of banks in the area. The district is home to the , which served as headquarters of The Cleveland Trust Company and its successor, Ameritrust, until its acquisition by Key Bank . The rotunda features a large stained glass window on its ceiling, and was recently purchased by Cuyahoga County, which is planning to reuse it as the centerpiece of the county's new administration center. The County plans to tear the building down and build a new tower that connects with the rotunda.The Plain Dealer, "County likely to raze old skyscraper", March 29, 2007. NORTH COAST DISTRICT See Also: North Coast Harbor Home to the on the north and also includes Voinovich Park and a fishing pier. Future plans for the city's lakefront include adding thousands of housing units, retail shops, a marina, and other amenities to North Coast Harbor, see "Lakefront Plan" below. THEATER DISTRICT Home to the second largest performing arts complex in the U.S. Playhouse Square Center: Volunteering , Accessed May 18, 2007., 2006 . The building, which had its official opening in the fall of 2005, is now known as the Idea Center , and includes high definition television studios, control rooms, radio studios, and performance space fronting Euclid Avenue, as well as a variety of high-tech business startups and other tenants located on the building's upper floors. About Idea Center , Accessed May 18, 2007. QUADRANGLE DISTRICT The Quadrangle District is home to 's Metro Campus and St. Vincent's Hospital. FLATS DISTRICT See Also: The Flats Once the most popular nightlife district in Ohio, The Flats have recently fallen on hard times. Though there is no one reason for the decay, a series of incidents have garnered a reputation for unruly behavior. The Flats crowd migrated east to the Warehouse and the Gateway Districts as trendy and more upscale venues have emerged. The west bank of the flats, home to numerous restaurants, bars, and new housing continues to thrive, and is the site of a large urban apartment/condo complex known as Stonebridge. A local developer, Scott Wolstein of Developers Diversified Realty is demolishing the structures on the east bank and replacing them with a new mixed-use neighborhood, and the flats will be reborn once again as a residential neighborhood. The Flats were the place Moses Cleaveland first landed when he founded the city, and thus the area is reclaiming its past heritage as a residential area. In addition to the East Bank development, there have been plans floated for the Irishtown Bend area, in addition to more housing on the west bank in the area near the Powerhouse entertainment complex, currently a large surface parking lot. NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND PROJECTS Euclid Corridor One of the city's major projects, the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project will connect downtown Cleveland through from Public Square to beyond University Circle, located approximately 4 miles east of downtown, and will include bus-only lanes with center-median station boarding, priority signaling, and fast commute times. In addition to transit and road improvements, the transportation project will also invest heavily in the streetscape of Euclid Avenue, rebuilding the street from storefront to storefront, removing old vaults and streetcar tracks, and building new sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. Euclid Corridor Project: Goals The project includes a large public arts component, with different areas of the Euclid Corridor route being addressed by local and national artists. Euclid Corridor Project: Public Art Plan , 2005. The project expects to spur investments in residential, retail, office, and mixed-use redevelopments, including over 4,000 residential units along the corridor. Construction of the $200 million dollar project has begun, with full bus/rapid service slated for 2009. Euclid Corridor Project: Timeline , 2005. In addition to the BRT line, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance has funded a study on retail feasibility on the avenue. The study will focus on the area between CSU and Public Square.The Plain Dealer, Business C1. March 30, 2007. The Flats The long-suffering entertainment district on the east bank of the Flats is planned to be reborn in a proposal put forth by Scott Wolstein of Developers Diversified Realty, Inc. Wolstein's plans include a complete demolition of the current east bank, realignment of Old River Road, and the construction of hundreds of apartments, townhouses, and retail over parking, connections to the RTA Waterfront Line , and a new office building that is being pitched as the new home for the local Defense Finance And Accounting Service office, scheduled to add over 500 jobs in Cleveland over the next two years.The Plain Dealer, Metro B1. April 25, 2006. The development will also include a boardwalk and marina, and is part of a larger plan to develop the lakefront and river shores of downtown that has included a large number of apartments built on the west bank of the flats, in an area called Stonebridge. The east bank redevelopment plan was approved and the developer is currently demolishing properties on the riverfront.The Plain Dealer, Metro B1. March 1, 2007. Current East Bank property owners were offered an appraised amount for their property, with the owners who refuse to sell subject to Eminent Domain proceedings by right of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority . There are several holdout property owners currently fighting the Port and Wolstein on the prices offered for their properties, and a decision on the case is expected in May of 2007. The Plain Dealer, Metro B3. May 8, 2007. Wolstein expects the development to be ready for residence by late 2008 or early 2009. Recently Wolstein has announced that former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar will be developing a steakhouse in his development, as well as a bookstore and movie theater. He also said he is close to getting a "gourmet" grocery. The latest East Bank plan also incorporates a formerly-separate project on land at West 10th Street, called "Lighthouse Landing". The former owner of this parcel, currently a surface parking lot, sold the property to Wolstein's group previously. Gomez, Henry J. "Bernie cooking in the flats". The Plain Dealer, may 22nd 2007, online edition. On May 22nd, 2007, Wolstein and Bob Corna, developer of the West Bank's Stonebridge neighborhood, announced a partnership to unite Wolstein's East Bank plan with Corna's Stonebridge Development, and debuted a new development plan for the neighborhood (pictured). There will be several large pedestrian bridges built over the Cuyahoga River, and the developers intend to market the area as "The Flats", without regard to east/west, as they have stated the rest of the country still knows the area by its full name. Home to condominium towers known as Stonebridge, the developers of this project wish to extend high-rise towers throughout the west bank area on current surface parking lots, eventually building out to several thousand housing units on the West Bank, in addition to the several hundred included in Wolstein's East Bank Proposal.The Plain Dealer, Page One. Sept 21, 2006. Avenue District Cleveland is also slated to add to its higher income downtown housing with the Avenue District. The Avenue District . Accessed May 26 2006 . Located immediately east of Erieview Tower on the site of several parking lots on East 12th Street, the development is slated to include over 400 condominiums, including lofts, townhomes, penthouses, street-level retail, garage parking, and pedestrian friendly sidewalks and streets.The Plain Dealer, Business C1. Feb 17, 2006. The developer is touting this as downtown's new upscale, quiet neighborhood with easy access to the attractions and amenities of downtown. The development is a project of Zaremba, Inc., and construction has begun as of Fall 2006, with plans to open the buildings in 2007 and 2008. Zaremba Press Release: Groundbreaking , 2006. The Avenue District will be built in phases, with future surface lot development based on market demand. East 4th Street MRN Ltd has bought most of the buildings along East 4th Street and is currently installing street retail such as high-end clothing, restaurants and coffee shops with outdoor seating, hundreds of loft apartments in the upper levels, and an upscale martini bar/bowling alley/restaurant created by the founders of Gameworks, called the Corner Alley.The Plain Dealer, Business C1. August 31, 2006. East 4th Street is home to Pickwick and Frolic and the Hilarities 4th Street Theatre, a comedy club / restaurant, and the House of Blues Cleveland, located in the former Woolworth's Building. Lola Bistro, a well-known local restaurant, has recently opened a downtown location here, and an East Coast-style "ultralounge", known as View Nightclub, recently opened as well. East 4th Street: Attractions . Accessed May 12, 2007. MRN will be adding more apartments to the area in conjunction with the Corner Alley martini bar / bowling alley, with funding assistance from the City of Cleveland. Lakefront The Cleveland City Planning Commission recently completed plans for a lakefront revitalization to stimulate national interest in the City of Cleveland as an exciting place to live.The Plain Dealer, Page One. December 18, 2004. These include thousands of housing units, retail shops, public parks, connections to the Light Rail waterfront line, an 18 hole Golf course, office buildings, a boardwalk, and other amenities. The Plain Dealer, "Lakefront could get housing, cable cars; Plan will be unveiled at meeting tonight". March 24, 2004 Cleveland's current industrially-oriented lakefront is slated to become a thing of the past, and a new, public-minded and recreational lakefront will rise in its place. The chief roadblock to the implementation of this plan is the relocation of the Port of Cleveland to an area west of the river, as well as converting of Ohio Route 2, better known as the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway to a low-speed, at-grade boulevard. The Shoreway is currently an expressway that currently blocks downtown from the lakefront, separating lakefront developments and reducing pedestrian access. The boulevard will enable substantially more intersections with north-south streets stretching from Edgewater Park at the city's western border through downtown and east to Gordon Park. Lakefront West: Plan Overview . Convention Center Cleveland is working on a long term replacement for its outdated Convention Center , currently located underground beneath Mall B , a grassy open space stretching from North Coast Harbor through the Civic Center District.The Plain Dealer, "Report in hand, convention panel breaks out sales pitch; New study promises new jobs, tax revenue". May 4, 2005. Plans vary from replacing the current center beneath the mall to construction of an addition to Forest City -owned Tower City Center .The Plain Dealer, "No consensus on best site for new convention center" October 19, 2005. Recent cost projections have put the underground site at an estimated cost of over $500 million dollars, which is well over what the city and county wish to pay. Forest City, who had withdrawn its Tower City site from consideration, has recently proposed that the location be reconsidered.The Plain Dealer, "Tower City won’t be convention site; County office choice kills plan, owners say" June 7, 2005.The Plain Dealer, "Tower City site again on agenda for center; Forest City reverses itself on its property as convention site", Sept 2, 2005. The site is considered a front runner as it would cost around $350 million to expand a convention center onto it, a figure closer to the city/county budget.The Plain Dealer, "Two convention center sites being evaluated", Sept 14, 2005. Stark Enterprises Project Robert Stark, of Robert Stark Enterprises, spoke of assembling a coalition of developers to redevelop large areas of downtown and to inject a large number of residents, workers, and retail into the long-languishing district. He identified an area that he coined the "Y" of Downtown Cleveland. The bottom of the Y is Forest City-owned Scranton Peninsula . The upper right of the Y reaches along Euclid Avenue, where revitalization is already under way via the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project, and the other arm of the Y is the Historic Warehouse District, currently choked by a surplus of surface parking lots. Stark plans to build on the 21 acres (8.5 hectares) of surface parking lots that have prevented the area from becoming a true urban neighborhood. On the largest area of parking, measuring 8 acres (3.2 hectares) within the block bounded by Superior Avenue, West 3rd Street, St. Clair Avenue and West 6th Street, Stark will build phase one of his development. Phase I will be a $1 billion multi-building, mixed-use development of retail, offices, housing, and structured parking.The Plain Dealer, "Cuyahoga's Budapest; Developer envisions a 'new city' linking downtown to Lake Erie", April 23, 2006. Stark has plans to open the development by 2009. Stark has secured the majority of land needed for the project and is working to secure retailer interest in the project.The Plain Dealer, "Developer gets downtown deal; Stark secures control of land for Warehouse District project, May 18, 2006. The next phase of the plan includes extending the downtown street grid from the Warehouse District to the lakefront, developing a large section of waterfront land currently in use by the Port Of Cleveland . Others 515 Euclid Avenue, a parking garage that recently opened, is slated to become a 28+ story condominium tower. Business Wire, August 1 2005. Tower City Center continues to attract downtown shoppers, and Forest City Enterprises says they are waiting for the downtown housing market to mature before it plans housing developments on its Scranton Peninsula, across the Cuyahoga River from Tower City.The Plain Dealer, "Reviving the peninsula; Forest City dusts off Scranton plans to snare convention center", July 26, 2003. Additional developers have floated ideas for developing the peninsula and areas surrounding the Flats with housing as well; in particular, local developer John Ferchill has announced plans to build housing along the river's edge at Scranton. The project will represent Ferchill's first project in Cleveland in many years, as he refused to work with previous Mayor Michael R. White .The Plain Dealer, "Notching victories in rust belt; Developer Ferchill Group finds fertile ground in aging big cities", Feb 21, 2006. Quicken Loans , owned by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert , has opened a large online loan center downtown near the arena, with hopes to employ over 600 people when fully staffed.The Plain Dealer, "Gilbert throws '$1 billion' party; Quicken owner rewards workers for reaching mortgage sales mark", Feb 8, 2007. New housing condo/apartment projects are frequently announced, and Cleveland is projected to increase its downtown population to over 20,000 by 2010. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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