Our Work

Vision

Downtown Cleveland is a vibrant and welcoming city center that weaves Downtown districts and surrounding neighborhoods into a seamless urban fabric that is greater than the sum of its parts. 

Mission

Downtown Cleveland, Inc.’s mission is to attract talent, jobs, residents, and investment through market influence, community impact, and irresistible experiences.  

Downtown Cleveland Business Centers

Place Management

Clean+Safe

Park Operations + Programming

Public Realm Maintenance

Downtown Cleveland Champions

Organizational Strategy

Advocacy

Marketing + Communications

Investor Relations

Economic Development + Planning

Business Attraction + Retention

Commercial Corridor Development

Market Research

Park Improvement

2025 Downtown Cleveland Action Plan

A Growth Agenda for the Future

Downtown Cleveland is a more influential, ambitious, and focused organization than we have ever been.

We are building an 18-hour, 15-minute neighborhood that all Clevelanders can be proud of. We are enhancing safety, improving walkability, supporting private development, and reducing barriers to doing business. The next phase of implementing Reimagining Downtown: connecting the dots to create a truly seamless urban fabric.

This year, we are building the Greater Downtown Vision - a bold growth agenda for the future of downtown. This webpage serves as a dashboard for board directors and staff to track our progress on the key initiatives of 2025.  

Reauthorize the Special Improvement District

This year we will Reauthorize the Downtown Cleveland and Superior Arts Improvement Districts. This cements our ongoing stewardship of downtown Cleveland by funding 100% of Clean & Safe operations and portions of our economic development and place management work. Successfully securing another term for the district is a vote of confidence from property owners in our work and in where downtown is going.

  • Timeline:  Complete renewal process by mid-year

  • Deliverables: Renewed districts with the support of owners representing over 60% of front footage; unified Clean and Safe services across districts

  • Status:  Have reached the 60% threshold in commitments, currently collecting petitions

It is time to move beyond speaking about recovery and focus on the future. With major investments planned on our two waterfronts and throughout the core, we need to seize the moment. This means securing our organization’s position as the leading voice on policies and plans for downtown’s future. It means strengthening our leadership in the public realm. It means building confidence among the community that the future of downtown Cleveland is bright.

Communicate the Vision and Story

  • A compelling vision requires compelling imagery. We are working with OHM Advisors to pull together existing public and private projects and weave them into a cohesive Greater Downtown Vision that includes future development and connectivity. The final product will be a presentation that tells the story of where downtown is going in the next 5-10 years. The five pillars of the Greater Downtown Vision are Safety, Walkability, Connectivity, Activation, and Growth.

    • Timeline: Complete visual presentation by summer

    • Deliverables: A visual tool to support business attraction, advocacy, marketing, and fundraising

    • Status: Executed contract with OHM; completed preliminary map

  • The team will use digital marketing, influencers, physical signage, and earned and paid media. The goal is to reenergize the Greater Cleveland community (and beyond) around the value of living, working, and visiting downtown Cleveland. There will be a special focus on retail offerings in the district.

    • Timeline: Campaign will launch in April

    • Deliverables: Greater awareness of downtown living and working opportunities with the goal of increasing leasing activity

    • Status: Campaign creative development underway

  • The team will update our digital data dashboard on a monthly basis with the latest market information. We will release two large reports – our Midyear Market Update and our Downtown Champions Year in Review. This year, we will cease “pre-pandemic” comparisons and launch a new metric benchmark reporting strategy.

    • Timeline: Throughout the year; new metric benchmarking to be released in March

    • Deliverables: Data, reports, and collateral that influence decision making by businesses, residents, and funders

    • Status: Developing yearly metric benchmarking

  • Frequent, at-a-glance updates are critical for keeping stakeholders engaged in our work. This year, we are evolving the Downtown Now email updates to be more frequent, shorter communications that focus on actions taken by the organization to address challenges.

    • Timeline: Weekly updates throughout the year

    • Deliverables: Brief weekly updates from Michael to members, board members, and key partners

    • Status: Began weekly updates in February

Downtown Cleveland RAD Security Camera in Public Square

Safety is Downtown Cleveland’s number one priority. Building on a strong year of innovation, our team is leveraging state-of-the-art technology, strategic partnerships, and smart deployment strategies to make downtown safer. Our Ambassadors deploy seven days a week, but safety is about much more than just having uniforms on the street – it’s about having the right systems in place to deter unwanted activity.

Innovate for a Safer Downtown

  • This year, we are building on the success of our Public Square Smart Camera Pilot Project by facilitating the addition of these cameras throughout the neighborhood. We will use real-time data to inform Ambassador deployment based on hot spots and special events. This includes a new special deployment partnership with hotels.

    • Timeline: Implement special deployment strategies immediately; install new cameras by mid-year

    • Deliverables: Complete Smart Camera network connected to the City of Cleveland’s Camera Sharing program

    • Status: Cameras recently purchased for Playhouse Square and North Coast Harbor; in conversation with private property owners about camera purchases

  • This year, our team will operate from Tower City and Perk Park hubs, sharing the spaces with police officers to co-deploy on calls that impact quality of life or involve crises related to mental health or addiction. We supplement this work with our Court Watch program.

    • Timeline: Continuous throughout the year

    • Deliverables: Tougher sentences, reduced recidivism, mental and substance abuse treated.

    • Status: Monitoring over 130 chronic offender cases through Court Watch

  • By removing litter, debris, biohazardous waste, graffiti, and other unsightly issues in the public realm, our Ambassadors foster a more welcoming downtown environment. This year, we are building on this work by improving our system for monitoring, reporting, and resolving infrastructure deficiencies.

    • Timeline: Continuous throughout the year

    • Deliverables: A well-lit and well-maintained public realm

    • Status: Lighting audit completed in January; tracking and reporting repairs ongoing

A high-quality public realm experience is critical to downtown’s success. This year, our team will focus on developing key retail corridors and improving parks and green spaces. The Greater Downtown Vision will guide our work to improve walkability, connectivity, and activation in the public realm.

Activate Public Spaces

  • This project demonstrates our retail strategy in action. We’ve worked with LAND Studio to design sidewalk and streetscape improvements along Huron Road and Prospect Avenue. We are designing a play area at Meet Me Here Park. The vision is a model, well-connected pedestrian-friendly area that supports retail. This project will align with Playhouse Square’s Neighborhood Plan. We then can replicate this model in the Warehouse District, Flats, and Erieview Historic District.

    • Timeline: Sidewalk and roadway construction to be completed within 13 months; design playground in 2025; build in 2026

    • Deliverables: Beautiful, walkable retail corridor that supports storefront business

    • Status: Streetscape design completed; fundraising for sidewalk expansion underway; playground design underway

  • The team will install a programming hub on Public Square through our partnership with Project for Public Spaces. This will allow us to program the space frequently (including third party events) and create a more visible presence. At the same time, we will establish a sustainable permitting and revenue model that can be replicated. Public Square will also be activated with a full, year-round calendar of free programming and events.

    • Timeline: Install kiosk by May; full programming calendar throughout year

    • Deliverables: Welcoming, active downtown central park

    • Status: Programming hub approved by Planning Commission, fabrication to begin in March; contracted with Iterum (former 3CDC executives) for business plan in February; working with GCRTA on Mobility and Connectivity Plan; actively seeking sponsors for summer programming

  • We are the convener and leading voice on projects in downtown’s public realm. This includes improvements to Euclid Avenue, the Erieview Historic District, retail corridors, wayfinding, park improvements, and more. This year, we will use the Greater Downtown Vision as a tool to bring corporate partners to the table to think bigger about downtown’s future.

    • Timeline: Convene corporate, philanthropic, and elected leaders around Greater Downtown Vision this summer

    • Deliverables: Leadership in downtown’s public realm

    • Status: Co-convene quarterly planning meetings with the mayor’s office and downtown stakeholders; working with OHM on Greater Downtown Vision

Intro Boutique is a downtown Cleveland retailer with 2 successful locations downtown

Job growth has stagnated in downtown Cleveland. This has resulted in an ailing commercial real estate market, a challenged storefront economy, slow apartment leasing, and reduced tax revenue. Our team is focused on developing policy prosposals that support business attraction, retention, and expansion; producing well-designed, data driven marketing materials; and convening property owners, brokers, public officials, and regional partners to attract tenants from elsewhere in the region and outside the state.

Advocate for Business + Jobs

  • We are building a comprehensive state and local policy agenda to support business attraction. After months of engagement with the real estate and business communities, our team is putting forth policy proposals informed by the challenges in the market pertaining to commercial real estate and job growth

    • Timeline: Finalize Business Attraction Policy Agenda by March; begin advocacy efforts

    • Deliverables: A strong, simple, marketable local economic development toolbox

    • Status: Policy concepts reviewed by Economic Development + Planning and Advocacy Committees; final materials in development

  • We will increase our capacity and influence at the state and federal levels by hiring a lobbyist to support our agenda. This year’s focus will be on State Operating Budget requests (specifically the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program), business attraction, and real estate investment incentives.

    • Timeline: Contract with a lobbying firm in March

    • Deliverables: Expanded government affairs capacity and proactive advocacy strategy.

    • Status: Reviewing candidate proposals

  • The team is developing a comprehensive “Why Downtown” guide that communicates the value of locating a storefront or office business in downtown. It will include key vacancies, incentives, and critical market data. Our team will act as the catalyst for office-focused business attraction among the region’s economic development partners.

    • Timeline: Guide published by March; convene partners throughout year

    • Deliverables: “Why Downtown” business attraction guide; be the leading voice in office business advocacy

    • Status: Materials are currently in development

This strategy requires the support of the corporate, philanthropic, and civic partners in the community. We will launch a Downtown Growth Fund as a vehicle to raise money to advance the vision. In partnership with board leadership, the team will prioritize funder engagement this year and leverage opportunities to convene stakeholders and the public. This includes major events like State of Downtown, the 2025 Annual Meeting, and regular Future Forums.

Increase and Diversify Revenue: Downtown Growth Fund

  • Our goal is to gain widespread and diverse support for the Greater Downtown Vision by appealing to the interests of various funders. This fund will support business attraction, the retail strategy, public realm improvements, and development.

    • Timeline: Convene funding meetings in Q2

    • Deliverables: New fund of $5M to match DCID assessment revenue by 2027

    • Status: Developing Greater Downtown Vision

  • We revamped our membership program to align with our strategic priorities and focus on advocacy. We have not historically focused on securing support for programming outside of WinterLand and a few other signature events. This year, our goal is to have a title sponsor attached to every activation that we produce.

    • Timeline: Throughout the year; sponsor pitches February-May

    • Deliverables: Expanded member base that solidifies corporate partnerships; sponsorship for every activation

    • Status: Membership packet complete; 2025 sponsor deck in progress

  • Downtown Cleveland serves as a fiscal agent/sponsor for certain programs and organizations that align with our mission. These arrangements not only expand our involvement in important projects, but also they are a source of revenue. This year, we have the honor of facilitating finances for Mayor Bibb’s A Home for Every Neighbor program.

    • Timeline: Throughout the year

    • Deliverables: Well-run program that facilitates housing for those in need

    • Status: At the end of 2024, 112 individuals had been housed through this program