A Downtown For All

A Downtown For You

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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.

Downtown Cleveland’s Advantage

Growing residential population
Competitive cost of living
World-class urban lifestyle
Two transforming waterfronts

From Our Business Community

“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
“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

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

-Rocco Whalen, Fahrenheit Cleveland
“The momentum is here, and the possibilities are limitless.”

-Crain’s Cleveland Business

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

-Jason Beudert, Lionheart Coffee
“Downtown Cleveland is coming back, because of the people who are committed to Cleveland.”

-Ideastream Public Media

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Resources for Retail + Office

You want to be here. We want to make it easy.

Downtown Cleveland Concierge-Level Services

The Downtown Cleveland Economic Development and Planning Business Center is your partner in success. We can help with the following:

• Navigating City processes like permitting and incentives or applying for a variance

• Adding signage to your storefront

• Finding funding sources to fill financial gaps

• Getting market data, and providing marketing support

Opening and maintaining a business is made easier with Downtown Cleveland here to help every step of the way. We’re here to help. Learn more by contacting our Vice President of Economic Development, Silvia Iorio, at Siorio@downtowncleveland.com

Downtown Cleveland Ambassadors

Downtown Cleveland Ambassadors are a visible, unarmed, and uniformed presence working seven days a week, year around to create a clean, safe, investment-ready core.