The West Side Market is a historic institution that we must preserve and protect for future generations. Mayor Bibb’s administration is focused on transitioning operations of West Side Market to a non-profit and to making immediate investments to upgrade facilities and support vendors to drive growth at the West Side Market.
TRANSITION PROCESS
Following national best practices, the City of Cleveland is maintaining ownership of the building and preparing to transition management and operations to Cleveland Public Market Corporation (CPMC), a non-profit focused exclusively on Cleveland’s iconic public market. As of July 2023, the transition process has achieved two important milestones:
- Establishment of the new non-profit, tax exempt status from the IRS, selection and initial meetings of a diverse, skilled, and representative board, and a national search for the executive director.
- Completion of a Master Plan for the Market that addresses merchant mix, stall layout, building infrastructure, program development, and financial modeling—resulting in an implementable plan that will guide the new non-profit once it assumes operational responsibility.
The next important step in the transition process is a Lease and Management Agreement between the City and CPMC that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of each organization, ensuring that West Side Market is well positioned for future success. This agreement, which must be authorized by City Council, will identify when CPMC takes over management of the Market.
For more information about the planned transition, read our FAQs.
WEST SIDE MARKET MASTERPLAN
The West Side Market Masterplan builds off the 2019-22 West Side Market Revitalization Plan. The Masterplan Phase 1 report, submitted in January 2023, presents research and analysis, and proposes a lofty but achievable vision for the Market. The Phase 2 report includes the core strategies, proposed program elements, design concepts, management plan, and pro forma analysis that will help CPMC and the City achieve their goals.
The Masterplan was presented to the community in June 2023. Presentation Meeting
West Side Market Advisory Committee Meetings
- Advisory Committee Meeting August 11, 2022
- Advisory Committee Meeting October 6, 2022
- Advisory Committee Meeting November 10, 2022
- Advisory Committee Meeting December 6, 2022
- Advisory Committee Meeting February 8, 2023
PROPOSED PHYSICAL CHANGES
The West Side Market basement renovation aims to improve functionality for merchants while updating equipment to meet modern needs:
- Individual walk-in coolers for merchants
- Elevator directly connecting the Arcades to the basement
- Shared commercial kitchen for use by merchants and new entrepreneurs
- Pallet jack charging area
- Office space for facilities staff and staff lockers
The first floor of West Side Market aims to create a welcoming, authentic market experience for customers while improving functionality for merchants and creating spaces for prepared food and over 350 new seats of public seating:
- North Arcade (see rendering) with eight (8) spaces equipped with exhaust fans for new prepared food vendors, two additional leasable spaces, and two full-service bars
- Courtyard (see rendering) with retractable glass wall hallways between the North Arcade and Market Hall to protect customers from the elements when moving between buildings. The new courtyard will accommodate events and public seating
- East Arcade (see rendering) for produce merchants with heating and cooling and adequate utilities to accommodate refrigerated cases
- First-floor accessible bathrooms in the Northeast corner of the Market Hall that will help serve North Arcade and second-floor event space
- Customer elevators on the northeast and southwest corners to ensure balconies, offices, and new event spaces are all ADA accessible
The second floor of West Side Market activates long-underutilized spaces for public and Market staff use:
- The Mezzanine (see rendering) on the East side of the second floor reimagines the long-abandoned men’s locker room as a space for events and public seating, accommodating over 100 new seats and adding seating on a new balcony in the Market Hall. The new balcony also creates easy access to the demonstration kitchen on the Southeast side of the Market Hall
- A Teaching Kitchen (see rendering), on the Southeast side of the Market Hall, will provide opportunities for people, including students, to learn about the preparation of healthy foods, enjoy evenings with chefs, and will support the adjacent event space
- Renovated offices on the Northwest and Southwest sides of the building will accommodate Cleveland Public Market Corporation staff, made ADA accessible by the new Southwest elevator
West Side Market Mezzanine – birds eye view of the new second floor mezzanine. This space will be across the Market Hall on the opposite side of the existing balcony where customers sit above the radiators to overlook the Market
- Accommodates 100 people seated (64 inside, 36 on the balcony) or approximately 250 standing
- The Mezzanine will be available for event rentals. Events will be an important source of new income for West Side Market
- The door in the middle of the space opens and closes. The interior portion of the mezzanine can be separated from the balcony if needed
- The mezzanine is accessible via stairs and elevator from the northeast side of the Market
- The Teaching Kitchen on the second floor and shared commercial kitchens in the basement will support event catering in the mezzanine
North Arcade - Twelve (12) new leasable spaces to accommodate prepared food vendors and bars will allow West Side Market to diversify the types of cuisines offered while still maintaining the authentic, fresh food focus of West Side Market
- The North Arcade could operate different hours from the rest of the Market. The North Arcade could be open later to accommodate the dinner crowd
- North Arcade vendors will be charged both a base rent and rent based on a percentage of their sales, which will help keep rents affordable for fresh and specialty food vendors who create the Market’s authentic shopping experience
East Arcade - 24 stalls for produce vendors with building-wide air conditioning, heat, and adequate electrical and water connections. With updated infrastructure, vendors can use refrigerated cases, improving produce quality and cutting down on labor
- Rendering shows both a traditional West Side Market produce vendor layout with one large counter and new proposed layouts where individuals could “walk in” to their produce vendor’s space
- With a new elevator in the Arcade, vendors will no longer need to go outside to bring their goods up from the basement
Courtyard - New hallways between the North Arcade and the Market Hall can protect customers from the elements. They have retractable doors that can be opened in accommodating weather
- The new interior courtyard provides public seating and an additional event venue. Event revenue can be an important source of income for the Market
Teaching Kitchen - a hands-on teaching kitchen provides a dynamic space for a variety of programming, including hands-on cooking classes for children and adults, merchants’ product demonstrations, chef dinners, and nutrition education. The kitchen can also support catering that takes place in the mezzanine event areas.
FINANCING IMPROVEMENTS
Based on initial conceptual plans, the physical improvements described in the masterplan are estimated to cost about $49 million. The actual cost will be refined during the design and engineering phases of the project.
In May 2023, Cleveland City Council allocated $10 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to masterplan improvements. With the masterplan now completed, the City and CPMC have initiated the process to identify additional sources of funding which are likely to include federal and state tax credits, foundation grants or loans, and debt.
CLEVELAND PUBLIC MARKET CORPORATION
About Cleveland Public Market Corporation
Board Members
Amanda Dempsey, previous West Side Market Manager
Ann Zoller, Senior Advisor, Strategy Design Partners
Carrie Carpenter, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager of Corporate Affairs, Huntington National Bank
Colette Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, Cleveland Foundation
David Abbott, retired president of The George Gund Foundation
Dr. Don Malone, President of Cleveland Clinic's Ohio Hospitals and Family Health Centers
Henry Hilow, Attorney, Hilow & Spellacy
Jason Russell, Vice President, Operations and Leasing, Bedrock Detroit
Kerry McCormack, Ward 3 Councilmember
Ramat Wiley, Culinary Creative and Owner of Adun Spice Company
Randy McShepard, Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Talent Officer, RPM International, founder of Rid-All Green Partnership
Shelly Cayette, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tanisha Velez, Owner, Cleveland Fresh Microgreens
Tom Nagel, retired from DB Schenker
Tom McNair, Executive Director, Ohio City Inc.
PROGRAMS & IMPROVEMENTS
With the West Side Market’s transition to a non-profit operation underway, we are in the market for progress, opportunity, and so much more. The In the Market for Progress speaker series discusses the many ingredients needed to help Cleveland’s public market thrive for generations to come. Watch the series here.