{"id":30819,"date":"2023-12-29T12:54:30","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T20:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=30819"},"modified":"2023-12-29T12:56:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T20:56:50","slug":"americas-best-example-of-turning-around-a-dying-downtown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/12\/29\/americas-best-example-of-turning-around-a-dying-downtown\/","title":{"rendered":"America\u2019s best example of turning around a dying downtown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"\"Editorial<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the Editorial Board<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dec. 19 at 7:30 a.m. (WashingtonPost.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cleveland's<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to Cleveland, the city that leads the nation \u2014 by far \u2014 in finding new uses for empty office buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is Public Square in the heart of downtown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It used to be a transit hub full of cars and buses. A 2016 makeover turned it into an urban \u201cliving room\u201d where people gather to eat, ice-skate and enjoy concerts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2016, developers have converted five office towers around the square into residences. New restaurants and coffee bars have also opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key to Cleveland\u2019s success? Focusing the transformation efforts on a compact area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apartments immediately around the square increased from about 40 in 2016 to more than 1,200 now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When there are lots of office-to-residential conversions in one place, it changes the neighborhood vibe from \u201c9-to-5\u201d office work to an 18-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week place to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empty downtown office buildings pose a formidable challenge to cities such as San Francisco and D.C. It doesn\u2019t help that construction costs have surged and that interest rates are at a two-decade high. Real estate investments are largely on hold <\/a>as developers wait for prices to fall. But Cleveland offers hope \u2014 and a useful model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our year-long project <\/a>studying how to revive downtowns has identified three keys to success: First, to focus on a few blocks at a time (what urban planners call a \u201cnode\u201d). Second, to make it as easy as possible to convert <\/a>old office towers for new uses, via tax incentives<\/a> and expedited permitting. Third, to offer unique amenities<\/a> for residents, workers and tourists. Cleveland did all three in the area around Public Square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former mayor Frank Jackson, who served from 2006 to 2022, says that when he entered office, \u201cyou could roll a bowling ball downtown after work and you wouldn\u2019t hit anybody. It was a ghost town.\u201d Cleveland epitomized the Rust Belt; businesses were leaving, and people were fleeing. Initial attempts at revival focused on a new convention center<\/a>, spruced-up sports stadiums and a downtown casino. But something was missing: a great public space for everyone to gather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The push to renovate Public Square began in 2011. Anthony Coyne, a lawyer who chaired the city\u2019s Group Plan Commission, kept handy a PowerPoint deck with a vision for a square as vibrant \u2014 and green \u2014 as New York City\u2019s Bryant Park or Chicago\u2019s Millennium Park. He showed it to any business executive, civic leader and philanthropist who would listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
The Public Square as it appeared in the early 1900s. (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The square started off in the 1800s as a pasture for animals. By the early 20th century, it had become a bustling shopping center. Many remember visiting department stores there such as Higbee\u2019s and the May. By the late 20th century, high-rise office towers had taken over. The city put two big roads through Public Square that chopped the park into four tiny quadrants. The overarching goal was to make it easier for workers to commute from the suburbs. It typified what so many American downtowns had become in the previous 40 years: functional but sterile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Cleveland won the bid to host the 2016 Republican National Convention, the city rushed to show a rejuvenated face to the world. It completed a $50 million renovation<\/a> of Public Square, partly funded by donations<\/a>. The result was a well-lit park that removed most traffic lanes. Half the square is devoted to a big, grassy area with many trees and benches. The other side of the square has a cafe, a Civil War monument and an ice rink (which turns into a splash pad in the summer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The makeover had an immediate impact. Families brought kids to play in the water park. Office workers and students came to sit on benches and grab lunch at REBoL, an organic eatery on the square. Rallies and festivals such as Pride in CLE filled the square. And real estate developers began to buy the surrounding (mostly vacant) office buildings with a plan to turn them into rental apartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A view of Terminal Tower in Cleveland. (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Some of the recently converted buildings in the Public Square area. (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Standard, a former union headquarters, was turned into 287 apartments that began leasing in 2018. Cleveland\u2019s iconic Terminal Tower became part office, part residential with 297 units that began leasing in 2019. The May, the former department store, opened with 307 units in 2020. Two more former office towers \u2014 55 Public Square and 75 Public Square \u2014 were turned into luxury apartments that began leasing in the past two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young professionals are the main group moving in, especially because all the units are rentals. But empty nesters, judges, athletes and even a few young families have also leased properties so they can be near museums and Cleveland\u2019s sports stadiums. For the first time in years, a yellow school bus makes a daily stop at the square to pick up kids living there. \u201cWe\u2019re a neighborhood church again,\u201d said the Rev. Stephen Blonder Adams, senior pastor of Old Stone Church, which has been on the square since 1820. His blessing of the animals is a hit with dog owners living by the square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public Square is luring businesses, too. Paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams is building its new headquarters on what used to be a nearby parking lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Urban planners say focusing on a node in this way gets momentum going. Success then spreads: Developers are transforming more old offices nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are more people out and about in the evenings now compared with before the pandemic, according to Spectus, a cellphone location data solution by Cuebiq Group. Malisse Sinito, the owner of restaurants around the square including Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar, Marble Room Sushi and Il Venetian, said revenue and the number of diners are now exceeding pre-covid levels. \u201cI\u2019ve never watched downtown grow at this pace before,\u201d said chef Rocco Whalen, who opened the restaurant Fahrenheit at 55 Public Square this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleveland downtown foot traffic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foot traffic picking up again<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Average foot traffic from May to mid-June of 2023, as compared with the same period in 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some cities have not used this concentrated node approach. D.C.\u2019s map of buildings slated for conversion, for example, shows a scattering of sites. That should be reconsidered in 2024. A denser population attracts grocery stores, coffee shops and pocket parks, among other amenities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Revitalizing Cleveland also took government support, in the form of a 15-year property tax abatement for repurposing an old building. The state of Ohio offered a sizable tax credit for rehabilitating historic properties as well. Cleveland leads the nation in the percentage of its office space<\/a> that is being turned into apartments hotels and used for other purposes, according to CBRE, a commercial real estate services and investment company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithout the state tax credit, we couldn\u2019t have done it,\u201d said Doug Price III, chief executive of K&D Group, which has renovated numerous downtown properties, including Terminal Tower and 55 Public Square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the city where you live revitalized its downtown in a similar way to what Cleveland is doing, would you ever consider moving there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A. Absolutely, I\u2019d be one of the first to move in.B. Maybe. I\u2019d wait a few years to see if it sticks first.C. Maybe. If the price is right, I\u2019d give it a try.D. No way. I prefer living in the suburbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city of Cleveland and the state updated zoning codes to address the unique needs of converting older buildings. For example, the city began allowing residents to move in once a floor was completed instead of having to wait for the entire renovation to be finished. Mayor Justin Bibb (D) wants to replicate the success of Public Square with a similar transformation of the nearby riverfront and lakefront districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Ice skaters at Public Square\u2019s rink on Dec. 7. (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If there is one mistake Cleveland has made, it is that it is still catering to vehicles in Public Square. A bus lane still cuts the square into two parts. The road is unpopular with city residents and should be removed. There was also a recent shooting in the square<\/a> that startled the community, and Cleveland, like many cities, is struggling with unhoused people living downtown. Mr. Bibb calls public safety his \u201cfirst, second, third, fourth and fifth\u201d priorities. He has boosted police pay by at least $8,000<\/a> for rank-and-file officers. He is also changing tax incentives <\/a>next year to try to spur more development in parts of the city that have seen less investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the flaws, Cleveland\u2019s Public Square is a beacon to other cities looking to transform. Anna Huttner is one of the young professionals working at a firm on the square and living at the May \u2014 the place where her mom and grandfather used to shop. To Huttner and many of her peers, downtown is the place to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Cleveland can do it, other cities can, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press Enter to skip to end of carousel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this story<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The satellite images of Cleveland were captured in June 2023 from Planet Labs. Greater Cleveland Partnership<\/a> and Cleveland-based City Architecture<\/a> helped develop the visual assets of the article. The foot traffic analysis of the area around the Public Square was done by Amir Forouhar and Karen Chapple at School of Cities, University of Toronto, using anonymous location data provided by Spectus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Post\u2019s View | About the Editorial Board<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Editorials represent the views of The Post as an institution, as determined through discussion among members of the Editorial Board<\/a>, based in the Opinions section and separate from the newsroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Editorial Board:<\/strong> Opinion Editor David Shipley<\/a>, Deputy Opinion Editor Charles Lane<\/a> and Deputy Opinion Editor Stephen Stromberg<\/a>, as well as writers Mary Duenwald, Christine Emba<\/a>,Shadi Hamid<\/a>, David E. Hoffman<\/a>, James Hohmann<\/a>, Heather Long<\/a>, Mili Mitra<\/a>, Eduardo Porter<\/a>, Keith B. Richburg<\/a> and Molly Roberts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youyou Zhou<\/a>, Sergio Pe\u00e7anha<\/a> and Chloe Coleman<\/a> contributed to the story.Comments<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. Choose your plan \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By the Editorial Board Dec. 19 at 7:30 a.m. (WashingtonPost.com) (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post) (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post) (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post) Welcome to Cleveland, the city that leads the nation \u2014 by far \u2014 in finding new uses for empty office buildings. This… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1670,202],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30819"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30819"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30821,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30819\/revisions\/30821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}