SerpApi.Org
Over $3 billion in public and private investment is converging on Cleveland's lakefront, and city leaders continue proselytizing about the once-in-a-generation opportunity to reconnect downtown with Lake Erie.
Why it matters: Previous iterations of waterfront planning stalled out "somewhere between the renderings and the fundraising," City Club of Cleveland CEO Dan Moulthrop said at a summit this week.
- But Mayor Justin Bibb has made the waterfront a tentpole of his tenure, and Cleveland is finally moving from planning to execution.
Flashback: Among Bibb's first and most pivotal decisions was creating the North Coast Waterfront Development Corp.
- This was an acknowledgement that a reimagined lakefront would be decades in the making — beyond any one administration — and a focused, independent organization would be necessary to see it through, NCWDC president Scott Skinner told the summit.
What they're saying: "My organization started with 25 acres of land and an NFL stadium as an anchor," he said.
- "We're now looking at potentially 550 acres of land. This is an opportunity that does not exist in North America and probably doesn't exist anywhere in the world."
The big picture: Skinner believes almost every challenge Cleveland faces as a city "is downstream of a declining tax base."
- Bringing back residents and businesses to underused land on the water, therefore, is a "critically important" piece of how we should be thinking about the future.
Zoom in: Skinner provided a snapshot of the ongoing waterfront work, separating the major development projects into four buckets.
🚧 The North Coast Connector
The nearly $500 million infrastructure project to realign the Shoreway, build a pedestrian land bridge and create a multimodal transit hub is moving toward construction.
By the numbers: The $284 million first phase is fully funded, with construction expected to begin in late 2027.
🏙️ The Browns stadium site
It's back to the drawing board for the 50-acre site where the stadium now sits. Master planning is underway for a new mixed-use neighborhood.
What's next: The stadium itself is scheduled to be demolished in 2029, but Skinner said construction on "permanent public space" and potentially public art north of the stadium could begin as early as next year.
✈️ Burke Lakefront Airport
Despite recent headlines, Skinner cautioned the closing of Burke Lakefront Airport is not at all a done deal.
The intrigue: Katie Lincoln, board chair of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, which partnered with the City Club on the summit, said in opening remarks that she believes the 450-acre Burke site will always be an airport.
State of play: NCWDC is working with regional stakeholders to clarify priorities should the airport close, including private financing.
- "We can't be doing all this advocacy to close Burke and rely solely on public grants and subsidies," Skinner said.
🌳 North Coast Yard
Skinner described the seasonal pop-up park that opened last year as an early proof of concept, demonstrating that Clevelanders want to spend time on the waterfront.
- The space drew roughly 25,000 visitors in its first season and is expected to surpass that total this year.
