Downtown Cleveland Retail Guide

Why Downtown?

Downtown Cleveland stands out among peer cities with a strong sports community, vibrant arts and culture, and a robust food and beverage scene. With unique destinations such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the second largest theatre district in the country, waterfront music venues, three professional sports stadiums, and welcoming green spaces, downtown booms with activity year-round. 

Consumers

  • Approximately 21,000 residents 

  •  58 residential buildings within the Downtown Cleveland Improvement District 

  • Over 1,500 housing units planned or under construction  

Residents

Commuters

  • We welcome between 126-177K people daily 

  • `Compared to peer cities, Cleveland ranks:

    • #1 in building conversions

    • #3 in post-pandemic downtown recovery

    • #3 in income growth over the last decade

    • #7 in business growth 

Visitors

  • We welcome over 36.5M visitors annually 

  •  229.8K downtown visitors day of Juneteenth Freedom Fest 

  •  181K downtown visitors day of Winterland Tree Lighting Ceremony 

  • Numerous conferences and conventions each year

Hotels

  •  18 hotels totaling 4,693 rooms 

  • Hospitality occupancy peaked at 76% in 2024 

  • The $51 million renovation of the Huntington Convention Center will help expand the portfolio of regional, national, and international events downtown, averaging over 100 major events per year.

People Are Talking About Downtown Cleveland

  • “Downtown Cleveland is an exciting opportunity for Dogtopia. The Downtown Ambassadors are very present keeping the place safe and clean. The RTA system makes it convenient to visit or work.”

    -Alex Mazzenga, Dogtopia

  • “I’ve never watched downtown grow at this pace before.”

    -Rocco Whalen, Fahrenheit Cleveland

  • “I love the development that’s happening downtown. The more residents we get eating and shopping downtown is key.”

    -Jason Beudert, Lionheart Coffee

In the Media

  • “When there are lots of office-to-residential conversions in one place, it changes the neighborhood vibe from “9-to-5” office work to an 18-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week place to be.”

    - The Washington Post

  • “The momentum is here, and the possibilities are limitless.”

    -Crain’s Cleveland Business

  • “Downtown Cleveland is coming back, because of the people who are committed to Cleveland.”

    -Ideastream Public Media