CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I JUNE 5, 2023
City Council rolls out strategy for ARPA spending Plans detail using $15 million to jump-start redevelopment in five struggling communities BY KIM PALMER
Cleveland City Council members heard plans around the use of American Rescue Plan Act funding to address blight and deterioration in neighborhoods where disinvestment has left communities struggling to keep both residents and businesses. The three pieces of ARPA legislation presented by members of Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration on Tuesday, May 23, to members of the Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee detailed a comprehensive strategy to use $15 million to jump-start redevelopment in five micro geographies within the Mount Pleasant, Harvard-Lee and Union Miles communities. The southeast neighborhoods investment plan calls for $5 million in
house rehabilitation and repair, $5 million in catalytic site remediation, and $5 million for commercial and storefront redevelopment. The spending mirrors other citywide ARPA programs, including a $50 million fund for site development and $10 million for citywide home repair and rehabilitation already approved by council. “We have to start somewhere,” said Bibb’s chief of staff, Bradford Davy, referring to the historic disinvestment that has left the southeastern neighborhoods struggling. “We will mobilize the power and full support of the city administration behind this plan and want to focus resources on small areas to have a greater impact.” See ARPA on Page 16
Guardians boost sales, attendance, TV ratings Momentum, weather and promotions give the team a spring upswing compared with last year BY JOE SCALZO Four floors of the Bulkley Building will be converted to apartments in a venture led by Playhouse Square Foundation. | ALAMY
Playhouse Square plans next office-to-apartments project BY STAN BULLARD
More changes are in the wings for Playhouse Square Foundation’s The Bulkley Building, at 1501 Euclid Ave., than the addition of a golden marquee that is going in at the attached Allen Theatre. The operator of the city’s restored
theaters and its theater district development corporation plans to add 84 apartments in the nine-floor Bulkley Building. It’s another example of vacant office space getting new use serving the growing downtown residential market. Craig Hassall, Playhouse Square president and CEO, said in an in-
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terview he is excited that the project, which has an estimated cost of $22 million, will support the organization financially and artistically while also advancing Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s goal of increasing downtown’s population. See BULKLEY on Page 16
This spring, the only place the Cleveland Guardians are struggling is at the plate. Thanks to some offseason momentum, better-than-average weather and timely promotions, the Guardians have seen increases in pretty much every key business metric through the season’s first two months. The biggest boost has been at the box office, since that category helps drive increases in other areas like merchandise sales and concessions. The Guardians are averaging 18,910 fans per game through the season’s first 26 games, a 20% increase over 2022’s first 26 games. But that’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, since Cleveland only played 13 home games
in April and May last season due to the lockout and rainouts. If you make a pure year-to-date comparison, home attendance is up 32%. “One of our goals coming off such a great season (in 2022) was to increase attendance,” said Curtis Danburg, the Guardians’ VP of communications and community impact. “That’s a goal every year, but we definitely wanted to be strategic about it this year.” To that end, the Guardians introduced the Ballpark Pass in March. The $49-per-month standing room only ticket sold out in April and May and is expected to sell out in June as well. The pass has been particularly successful with first-time customers, “which is the goal,” Danburg said. See GUARDIANS on Page 17
SPORTS BUSINESS Columbus-based Pickle and Chill to open new pickleball facility in Beachwood.
REAL ESTATE Superior Avenue warehouse, church may be reborn as a new entertainment complex.
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