Downtown Cleveland Alliance Update With CEO Michael Deemer - 11-8-23

Michael Deemer, President & CEO from The Downtown Cleveland Alliance spoke to Bill about Retail Action Plan - Winterland Returns November 25th  - By the Numbers – October Recovery Metric

Retail Action Plan 

• We released our Downtown Retail Strategy, last week at State of Downtown,  
• It serves as a roadmap to create a thriving retail environment in the urban core.  
• This plan is one of Reimagining Downtown Cleveland's near-term economic priorities, aiming to fill gaps in the city center’s marketplace and serve existing residents and businesses. 
• The plan consists of 15 recommended tactics, listed in order of organizational priority. The goal is to identify the quick wins while using the longer-term recommendations as the foundation for planning. Some of those priority projects include: 
  • Establishing a retail attraction program targeting small and minority owned businesses 
  • Establishing a Downtown pop-up vendor market 
  • Investing in a targeted streetscape refresh 
• We will target and focus on the things that we, Downtown Cleveland, Inc., can control, creating the conditions for retail to succeed in the core, and implement the plan through collaboration of our team and our Downtown partners. View the full plan on our website. 

Winterland Returns November 25th 

• On Saturday, November 25, Downtown Cleveland, Inc. invites Clevelanders and visitors alike to experience the kickoff of WinterLand, one of Northeast Ohio’s largest attractions. 
• WinterLand 2023 begins its festive series of events with the holiday tree lighting in Public Square followed by Fireworks. 
• Following the main tree lighting event, a robust schedule of activities will take place all season long with festivities concluding in February. 
• This seasonal tradition is made possible through the support of K&D Group and a host of other sponsors. For the most up-to-date happenings, please visit htps://winterlandcle.com/ 

 

By the Numbers – October Recovery Metric 

• Visitor Recovery: 89.1% recovery compared to Oct 2019 
• Overall Foot Traffic Recovery (visitors, residents & employees): 85% recovery compared to Oct of 2019 
• Workforce Recovery: 67% recovery compared to 2019 
• Return to Office: 55% compared to 2019 

For more information on Downtown Cleveland’s recovery, or if you’re interested in relocating or expanding your business into Downtown Cleveland, visit DowntownCleveland.com