Co-creating the Shaker Square Vision!
“We need the confidence and the energy of the community to start coming back to the Square on a regular basis. … We have to give them a reason to come.”
– Tania Menesse, President and CEO of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
On September 19, Agency was in Cleveland to unveil a first glimpse of the community-based vision for reviving Shaker Square, a storied neighborhood retail center that is grappling with the challenges of the modern retail market and the socioeconomic stratification of metro Cleveland. Merchants, residents, and community leaders co-created the draft vision plan that rests on three principles: strengthen and restore the original design and function of the Square, ensure that retail can thrive in a challenging environment, and make Shaker Square both a Cleveland destination and a neighborhood-serving hub.
The draft vision imagines a revamped central green that provides venues for everyday recreation and special events alike for a multitude of users from youth to seniors. It proposes a refurbished retail promenade that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor, expands public space for walking and lingering, and leverages the public realm to drive business. The merchandising strategy seeks to distinguish Shaker Square through its authenticity and heritage, and balance the provision of everyday goods and services with destination retail that will draw in visitors. The vision is confident demand can be induced through the curation of a remarkable place that people want to seek out and dwell in.
The consensus-building event was held in the future home of Cafe Indigo, a recently-signed lease with local Black woman entrepreneur, Melissa Garrett. Cafe Indigo will fill the space formerly occupied by sorely-missed Dewey’s Coffee, which residents consistently emphasized provided a needed “third space” for the community to gather. Over 100 attended the event, which featured food from Shaker Square’s own Zanzibar Soul Fusion, live music, and free screen printing.
Local nonprofits Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc purchased Shaker Square with support from the City of Cleveland with the mission of stabilizing the property. They enlisted an Agency-led team that includes Cleveland-based urban design practice, Seventh Hill and place consultants, Streetsense. The final plan, which will include a roadmap to implementation, is expected to be completed this winter!
Check out more by heading to News 5 Cleveland, Cleveland.com, or our project page.