One of the first things I notice as I walk or drive around downtown Cleveland (after the beautiful architecture, of course) are the empty and uninviting storefronts.  It really upsets me.

 

So, I had an idea soon after moving here, and have since heard other people talking about this, to create some sort of program or initiative to fill those empty storefronts with art installations or ads for local businesses or architecture/planning renderings.  I'm sure there are other people or entities that would be interested in utilizing a sidewalk fronting storefront.  They could have some simple lighting during the dark hours and I think it would make a walk through downtown feel much more lively, inviting, and safe.  There could be a competition for the art installations and advertisers could pay for their spaces.  Obviously, the property owners would have to be on board, but I would like to think they would support something that would make their property look better - especially if they didn't have to do the work. 

 

What do people think about this idea?  I wonder if the BID would be the best org to do this?  It would require some funding, but I think property owners should pay for the lot of it.  I know there are some storefronts that already do this - I'll try to get some pictures of those - and I would like to see it more.

Who is the contact person for the Downtown BID anyway?  I know I've heard the name before, but it's escaping me now  I think that the BID and the Downtown Cleveland Partnership would be good places to start and if they are unresponsive, it may be the type of program that could work as Civic Innovation Lab startup...

It's a good idea initially - as you mentioned, there are quite a few storefronts already doing something along those lines.

 

I imagine that there could be some obstacles - mainly with getting the owners on board. In many cases the buildings aren't owned by a single person. Quite a few are owned by trusts, or divided up amongst a lot of people and before anyone can do anything to a building - those individuals would have to be tracked down so they could approve of that use of their building. I recall that when Maron was acquiring properties along East 4th - some of the buildings had a list of "owners" that was in the hundreds.

Another issue that's come up quite a bit is the question of what existing property owners and their real estate agents are doing to market their space.  I have to imagine that they want tenants, since tenants = profits, but it just doesn't seem like anyone's trying very hard!  I understand the Lower Euclid situation right now...I wouldn't want to open a business there with all the construction that will happen in the next 2 years, but what about the rest of Downtown?  Are we talking speculation here?  Lazy/absentee landowners?  Ineffective realtors?  If they're actually doing their best or actively don't want tenants right now, then it might be on an outside effort by a group like the ones I mentioned above to initiate a creative effort to enliven vacant storefronts.

 

another question: are their code enforcement issues with property owners downtown keeping their windows clean and their entrances clear of litter? 

 

Yeah, I'm sure there would be obstacles.  But, it could start with just a few that had easier and/or more responsive ownership situations.  If the early ones worked well it would create a 'model' that could be used to 'sell' the idea to others.  Civic Innovation Lab might be a good start, you're right.  Also, I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes if sometimes similar is already in motion.

 

Does anyone think something like this would make a difference downtown (obviously not a huge long-term difference, but as a quick fix of sorts)?

MayDay, you're right on about property owner issues, but Lower Euclid and Prospect are now owned by something like FOUR people after all the land acquisition in recent years.  It's obvious that they are planning for growth and occupancy in about two years, as 515 Euclid is ready to go and all the E. 4th and adjacent properties owned by MRN have been or are being renovated, but what do we do about right now? 

 

MRN is actively renovating several of their stores, so they need barriers and have done creative things with murals...which I like a lot.  515 has gorgeous glass storefronts that are clean and attractive, regardless of the lack of occupants.  But I think we'd all agree that it would be a lot more positive if that CMA display was still in the corner location!  And then there are all the vacancies proceeding east on both Euclid and Prospect in buildings that just look like they've been abandoned.  Are these indicative of real estate speculators waiting for the right time to sell?  How do we engage them at present to be creative and think more progressively?

YSOH, yes, I think it could definitely make a difference in the minds of many Downtown residents, workers, visitors.  We on this forum can easily say that progress is being made and that storefronts will take care of themselves when certain projects come to fruition.  But what about the visitors and workers who don't know what we know?  There are many very high-profile places Downtown (Euclid Avenue being the primary example) that a visitor woud see as a "bombed out" or "blighted" place.  So, yes, doing something in the short term could have an effect there in the minds of passers by.  But I also think that the example this sort of effort would set could build morale and accountability and enthusiasm by all tenants and owners Downtown.  "Hmmm...so and so is doing something cool, so I probably should too!"  etc. etc. 

 

Plus, there could actually be rent-paying tenants that come out of this and provide owners with more $$$ to do bigger improvements...

 

I love the idea of getting artists to paint murals of the inside of a bustling cafe or a shoe store or something, so you get a bit of a feel for how it would look it was a successful business! 

 

Can anyone think of specific people I should contact (besides Civic Innovation Lab and Downtown Cleveland Partnership)?

wasnt this an idea with the ingenuity festival where downtown storefronts had art installations in the windows.  if im not mistaken Spaces gallery had two in the old Higbee building.  I think it would work better to have actual art galleries renting these spaces to show artwork in sort of as an offsite approach to advertising their gallery and to show artwork that isnt found so much in cleveland (installation/new media).

true, but I'd think that if they had the capital to do it, they already would!  I make lots of assumptions like this, but really, we should inteview some people and see what their reactions are.

maybe we could find a way to assist or provide "gap" financing for something like this...e.g: through a CIL program or through the BID or DCP.

It's a great idea, and as zaceman said it was done extensively during the Ingenuity festival. Why we couldn't have simply left the art in the storefronts -- at least until retailers wanted to move in -- is beyond me! But clearly, Levin and Mulready were able to pull it off for at least a long weekend, so the hundreds of property owners are presumably amenable to the idea.

Also, the Cleveland Museum of Art took up a whole store space in the 515 Euclid Garage, showcasing their renovation plans -- that shoulda stayed there! It was beautiful.

Yeah, as I mentioned earlier, we would all love for that display to still be there.  And CMA is renting storefronts at Shaker Square (and elsewhere?), so why not on Euclid Avenue?  I'm curious to know about what effort was made, if there was a conversation, if the price was too high or CMA just not interested...

It is truly mystifying that the Museum is renting a storefront at Shaker Square but not downtown. Who the heck is going to see it out there, apart from neighborhood residents?

 

There could also be a storefront dedicated to the Euclid Corridor...seems like a no brainer, so I wouldn't be surprised if there already is one that I just missed.

 

Maybe I should contact Levin and/or Mulready about how they pulled it off for Ingenuity.  It would be great if that could go on all year around.

YSOH, check your Yahoo e-mail!

^It would be nice to get the Cleveland School of the Arts involved.  Have kids paint neat stuff and make the owners look like great guys for partnering with inner city youth.

 

Or, maybe CIA could offer some help. 

of course!  the possibilities are endless! 

 

shaker square does have quite a few out-of-neighborhood visitors who come in to see movies and to shop in the holiday season...and there's the North Union Farmer's Market, which has regional appeal.  I do agree, though, that Euclid & East 6th is more prominent/appropriate!  Why not both?

isn't there a projet for the Euclid corridor underway?

 

besides... is anyone gonna do anything about the building facades along south side of Euclid between e.4th and e.9th? they look pretty scary if you ask me, especially with all the empty storefronts. thanks to the canopy along the way, people hardly notice the deserted upper facades. but when you do look up... it's like... whoa~ what the hell is that???!!! :-o

 

Issis, I'm not sure what you mean about a Euclid corridor project already underway.  I was talking about a storefront installation with renderings and plans for the Euclid Corridor Project http://www.euclidtransit.org/.  Is that what you were referencing?

"is anyone gonna do anything about the building facades along south side of Euclid between e.4th and e.9th? they look pretty scary if you ask me, especially with all the empty storefronts. thanks to the canopy along the way, people hardly notice the deserted upper facades. but when you do look up... it's like... whoa~ what the hell is that???!!! "

 

If you mean the buildings between East 4th and the Colonial Marketplace, that's called facade restoration and I'm happy to report that people - Maron in particular are fixing them up.

 

If you're referring to the 668/Atrium Building, that's owned by the Goldberg family (who own Ohio Savings Bank). They removed a 60s era facade to reveal the original stone facade underneath. They're hoping to get historic restoration credits to renovate the building - the process is unfortunately slow-going.

Wasn't the foundation of the Atrium determined to be unstable, however? I fear that they will tear it down...

I understand that a lot of these buildings are works-in-progress, but in the meantime -- lower Euclid does indeed appear to be a black hole. It's harmful to both our own morale and to our public image to have the city's front door looking so post-apocalyptic.

If the county had chosen Goldberg's site, he was going to tear it down and build a new building.  As has been said before, its rumored that the foundation is too weak to survive any renovation.  It would not pass code.

How sad. It could be a beauty with some touching up.

 

Issis, I'm not sure what you mean about a Euclid corridor project already underway.  I was talking about a storefront installation with renderings and plans for the Euclid Corridor Project http://www.euclidtransit.org/.  Is that what you were referencing?

 

yeah~ that's the project i was talking about.

i just don't think filling in the windows with pretty stuff is gonna solve the downfall of downtown Cleveland.

you gotta have real stores behind those windows to bring people back!

 

"is anyone gonna do anything about the building facades along south side of Euclid between e.4th and e.9th? they look pretty scary if you ask me, especially with all the empty storefronts. thanks to the canopy along the way, people hardly notice the deserted upper facades. but when you do look up... it's like... whoa~ what the hell is that???!!! "

 

If you mean the buildings between East 4th and the Colonial Marketplace, that's called facade restoration and I'm happy to report that people - Maron in particular are fixing them up.

 

If you're referring to the 668/Atrium Building, that's owned by the Goldberg family (who own Ohio Savings Bank). They removed a 60s era facade to reveal the original stone facade underneath. They're hoping to get historic restoration credits to renovate the building - the process is unfortunately slow-going.

 

i was mostly talking about the building east of Colonial Marketplace up to the parking lot behind the City Club Building.

^Issis, I certainly wouldn't pretend that this plan would "solve the downfall of downtown Cleveland" and that's not the point of it.  In thinking about things that I can do to make my environment feel closer to what I'd like it to be, this seems like a semi-easy creative quick-fix to the problem.  Otherwise we just have to wait until more people live downtown and the businesses follow on their own - I want to see physical improvement now!

Not to mention that this could be a productive exercise for many businesses, artists and the like.  Free or low-cost marketing for those who do the displays, plus additional foot traffic for existing businesses...plus the subconscious effects of people noticing that there are storefronts and that they are enticing and attractive and that there was an effort behind a project like what we're talking about here.  I think that's one of the most significant things for the average visitor to Downtown Cleveland...whether they be an everyday worker or an out-of-towner...that impression of abandonment...that no one cares or is paying attention.  If someone takes ownership of these spaces, the impressions of passers-by and other owners and retailers can only improve...and this kind of thing can be contagious!

Absolutely, MGD! 

The one building that would start to help is the new county owned HQ building at corner of E.9 and Euclid.  These buildings sit a critical intersection and are completely dead exept for the key bank ATM machine.  I would think the county could at least fill the windows up with something, even if it is only "The new home of Cuyahoga County coming in 2007" or something and actually get some lights working on the ground floor at night.  Between east 9 and east 12 along euclid is in terrible shape. 

Someone also needs to kick Oberlin's butt to fill up their gallery at 1305 Euclid!  In fact, I think I'll send them an email right now...

Oberlin Art Dept is quick to respond!  Apparently, they no longer lease the space.  Too bad.

well~ if you just want people to feel better walking along the streets, your idea is a pretty good one~ all i want is just to see people walking on the street.

 

if you think... people are gonna walk by there anyway, why not make it prettier, i absolutely agree with you! and as you said, "this seems like a semi-easy creative quick-fix to the problem.", it's a really quick-fix!

 

what if less and less people would be around? i don't take people walking by for granted, and certainly don't expect people coming just to see the window artworks. how many people would come to downtown if it weren't for work/school? and if those things disappeared in the future? forgive me if i'm not so optimistic on this issue. i do hope there are still people walking by 10 years later. and i do hope they are not just window arts but real store/office/apartment. there gotta be a reason for people to come, work, live, entertain, you name it. it won't change over night, but if it starts now~ the future we'd like to see will happen sooner~ ;)

I am 99.9% optimistic that when you move back to Cleveland in 5 years (maybe sooner!) Euclid Avenue will be a much different place.  Cleveland State is going nowhere but up...their master plan (which you can find on several threads here) is very progressive and turns the cold shoulder that CSU has traditionally had around, creating retail and housing on the avenues and encouraging pedestrian traffic.  Investments like those that we're already seeing on Lower Euclid (MRN's East 4th and the 515 Euclid garage with its retail and potential condo tower) will spread up Euclid and join with the investments that already shine so brightly at Playhouse Square.  I agree that the section of Euclid between 9th and 12th is one of the worst, but with the County moving in sometime in the next 10 years and the Euclid Corridor finishing up in 2-4 years, the market will take care of the rest.  Not to mention the effects that new housing on E. 12th and elsewhere Downtown will have on these prime addresses!  Prospect is looking up as well and I think we'll have several contiguous blocks of vibrant, mixed-use, 20-24-hour urban fabric along these corridors within the next 10 years.

 

This thread is about what we do in the meantime to enliven the empty storefronts and encourage owners to take active interest in the streets now...not just when the momentum is in full swing 5 years down the line.

lol~ yeah~ yeah~ i briefly *very briefly* worked on the new CSU masterplan~ ;D

hmmm~ came to think... when am i coming back...? :)

 

Wouldn't this task be the duty of that group that recently formed to make downtown a cleaner, brighter place? I forget the name and who is financing/running it, but I believe the way it works is that the tenants of a property pay a fee which goes towards fixing up trouble spots. For example: landscaping, garbage, grafitti, damaged facades, etc. I know it was supposed to originally focus around the Theatre District, but surely, lower Euclid is just a few blocks over.

You're talking about the Business Improvement District. I'm not sure what their role will be in dealing with empty storefronts. Anyone know when the BID becomes active, by the way?

I've heard that the first initiative of the BID will be to hire 50 (?) downtown ambassadors who will be a street presence and will clean up while they're at it.  But, they would be a big help with a project like this, once they're in action.

The function of a BID is really up to the BID members.  They can decide one year to include 50% of their program budget towards safety and 50% towards holiday decorations if they want to.  Next year, they can change it to be 10% holiday decorations, 25% marketing, 15% sanitation, 25% capital improvements, and 25% safety.  There's really lots of flexibility in deciding what to spend the money on from year to year.  I think this is the type of thing that could be brought to them by citizens or residents of the BID area, but in the end, it's the choice of the property owners who pay fees towards the BID.  That being said, depending on what kind of budget they've laid out for next year, there may be an opportunity to get some support from them.  But if their whole budget is already laid out on specific programs, it might be another year before money would be available.  Either way, engaging them would be a good idea!

the city also had some branding effort i saw about making E.9 into a true Rock and Roll themed Blvd leading into the HOF.  Maybe this effort could take care of some of the E.9 street level spaces.

 

^Sure!  I see it starting out with maybe 3-5 storefronts and growing from there.  But, it all depends on how many owners/property managers are open to the idea and how many artists we can find that would be interested in a storefront installation.  I'm guessing the former will be much more of a challenge than the latter.

The National City building is a good example.  On Euclid b/w E.9 and E.6 they had breast cancer awareness window materials last month and now something new.  there isn't anything at street level here, but the additional window treatments and lighting make this section of Euclid feel much more active.  The 55 building on public square also has some nice murals in the lobby that really give some energy to an otherwise dull area.

^Absolutely, urbanlife. 

 

Just a funny aside - I was googling around looking for pictures of storefront art to use as examples and when I googled "beautiful storefronts" guess what the second hit was?  A travel.yahoo page on the Terminal Tower!  Ha!

Here are a few shots from today, during the day.  The storefronts are even worse after dark when no lights are on and random people populate the doorways.

 

Between E.9 and E.12

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1305.jpg" alt="">

 

Shouldn't this be a code violation - exposed wiring on the outside of a building?

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1304.jpg" alt="">

 

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1303.jpg" alt="">

 

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1300.jpg" alt="">

 

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1299.jpg" alt="">

 

Even the Statler doesn't appear too worried about empty storefronts - maybe filling a few of these up would have helped them make their mortgage payments.

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1298.jpg" alt="">

 

Here is the 668 Euclid storefront between E.9 and E.6.  They did at least close off the doorways and paint everything black - creating a nice canvas for some future artwork?  who knows.

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1302.jpg" alt="">

 

And here is a pic of the National City 1st floor along Euclid - no retail, but interesting displays/advertising and most importantly lights in the windows at night.

<img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1301.jpg" alt="">

Whats the deal with that old abandon hotel next to the news 8 building. You see it right when you get downtown, its a eye sore! Is anything going to be done to it? Thanks

Urbanlife...good start!  I was out with YSOH the other night and we took a few snaps.  This is just the first block!

 

The former Oberlin art/performance space on Euclid & E. 13th:

m lang, doing it up right!

The brand spanking new Idea Center, setting a fantastic precedent:

 

I'll admit that I've stopped by these displays at ANG more than a few times:

 

more to come...

 

i took a detour inside the Halle building today.  they are redoing the entire first and basement levels, adding comfortable lounge seating, removing the theater motif and installing wi-fi.  they have already moved the art store - the glass walls will come down and that area will have couches and chairs.

 

should be interesting to see how this interacts with the street.  renovations are also underway on 3 upper floors.

you know when I see that many properties empty, it gets my spidey sense tingling...something is brewing.

 

could be as ho hum as 515, but who knows

 

Re: The Downtown Cleveland Business Improvement District (BID), I heard from a reliable source yesterday that it's going live in the spring. Seems like things could shape up nicely for a spring launch of the storefront art program!

there are a lot of cold, dark winter months ahead.  it would be nice to see at least a small start before then.

 

 

This is being sent out to schools, organizations, individuals, etc. around the city. Please feel free to forward it on to anyone you think would be interested and/or reply yourself if you would like to participate!

Call for Ideas!!!

How often do you travel the stretch of Euclid Avenue from the East teens to Public Square?  I walk it almost every day, and every time I do I am saddened at the sight of all those empty storefronts.  I am inclined to scurry past with my head down until I get to my destination.  While scurrying I often think about how that walk would be if all those windows were full of light and color and things worth stopping to see.  Now, back to reality – I don’t want to wait until the Euclid Corridor Project is finished and the number of downtown residents increases enough to encourage retailers and restaurants to fill up those storefronts.  I want to have an enjoyable stroll down Euclid right now, complete with light, color, and window shopping. 

 

Enter: You.  We believe that property owners would be thrilled to fill their empty storefronts with your creative art installation, architectural or planning display, mural, visual poetry, technical wonder, or [place your idea here].  We are setting a goal of filling 5 lower Euclid storefronts by the beginning of 2006, with many more to follow.  Installations will change every 4 months or so to keep passersby on their toes! 

 

We want to hear from you!  If you have an idea for an installation, know someone who you think would want to participate, are a storeowner who would like your storefront to be involved, or just have questions about the project, please email us at clevelandstorefrontsATgmailDOTcom.  Please include as much information about yourself as possible (contact info, brief description of your idea, time it would take to create your vision, location and size of your store, etc.)  Email soon – we’re anxious to get started!