The bad news continues at the West Side Market, which has been the subject of some rough headlines and high-profile departures this year, as Maha’s Falafil announced it will close its location at the public market as of Dec. 31. It will continue to operate its stands at Dave’s Supermarkets in Ohio City and Midtown.
The city of Cleveland, which owns and operates the market (poorly, at that), has been in spin mode as it faces pressure from vendors, councilpeople and stakeholders in the neighborhood.
Which is why it probably thought it was good PR to issue a press release this week with a bright and shiny list of goals for 2020 at the market. Note, of course, that they are goals, and come with no tangible plans of action. When everyone involved wishes that the city would finally and rightly create a nonprofit structure to manage the market, and when the city has a track record so thoroughly dotted with errors and incompetence, the list comes off as laughable. It’d be easier to take the city seriously if it announced it aimed for basic adequacy rather than more than a dozen major changes, but here we are.
“As we look forward to 2020, the City of Cleveland does not take lightly its important role as the West Side Market’s owner and operator,” Darnell Brown, Chief Operating Officer for the City of Cleveland, said in the press release. “We are committed to preserving this iconic landmark for future generations and look forward to working with our valued tenants to meet our goals.”
Again, the lip service rings hollow, especially given recent history, but everyone will hope for the best.
The city’s goals (which would garner far more optimism if the city were not the one managing the market):
· Assess online and delivery platforms to fulfill customer orders
· Incorporate and respond to the public’s survey responses to expand WSM’s social capacity
· Plan for underutilized second floor spaces for new educational, entrepreneurial and social purposes
· Diversify tenants and products at the WSM
· Expand vision for arcade pavilion to diversify product and develop seating options
· Improve relationships with tenants through the tenants board
· Strengthen safety and security plans
· Improve WSM linkages and accessibility with wayfinding signage
· Integrate cost-effective means for vendors and Market to be more environmentally friendly
· Collaborate on innovative ways to attract new customers and improve customer retention
· Design and complete planned capital improvements
· Create an informative customer concierge area for pick-up orders and deliveries
· Develop comprehensive WSM programming plan
· Create new revenue streams via trademarked merchandise, room rentals, events, etc.
· Build a retail incubator program to attract and support new small businesses similar to Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s Neighborhood Transformation Initiative GlenVillage site at E. 105 St. in the Glenville Neighborhood
This article appears in Dec 25-31, 2019.
In what way is a non-profit functionally different than just restructuring the responsibility within the city administration? Why would the people the city picks to run the non-profit be any more competent or responsive than the people the city has currently chosen to administer it?
I’m not sure how the St Lawrence Market in Toronto is managed, but I believe the city owns it. Wonder if there are lessons to be learned from other successful strategies employed In similar situations elsewhere.
Nonprofits answer to a board charged with actual / fiduciary responsibility. The City treats the Market like an old toy its tired of playing with and apparently no one can force them to give a fuck, thats the difference.
You either hire the right team, which means a nationwide search for people who’ve been #1 or #2 managing a true success elsewhere. Worldwide, these old-world markets are retaining their legacies while updating and upgrading to new world standards, needs and desires. Pumping a boat load of political pals, moving them from one department to another, relying more on their loyalty than their experience, is the perfect storm for continued failure.
I again would re-assert our interest in taking over the east (and mostly empty) east produce wing and proving we can dramatically increase the customer count for every corner of this sacred institution.
Just let Ohio City CDC run the Market. Let them put together a board. The City should get out of the WSM business.
The city will most likely destroy the WSM while trying to save it.
Thanks in advance to Frank and his Rat Pack.
Does anyone notice how there is no mention of fixing the backlog of current work orders? Sure GrubHub is great and the “in” thing, but this market has stood the test of time by being traditional and yet responsive to new trends. The market needs a new manager. The vendors need to be more vocal to the media (which I understand they have provisions in their leases which prohibit discussing problems with the media.) My thought is that if the city can’t live up to it’s terms of a vendor’s lease, then why should the vendor have to remain silent. Bad publicity is this city’s Achille’s tendon folks!
Leave it up to Taxin Jackson and his incompetent minions to run the place, and you will see yet another hefty sales tax or property tax levied on us property owners to pay for their constant mismanagement!!!
It’s time to recall Taxin Jackson out of office now!!!
More lip service from the sorely-lacking “corner office.” Maybe the Mayor’s next idea for the Market will be installing a dirt-bike track – oh wait, he’s already throwing good money into that fantasy. The WSM is quickly losing the merchants that made it everything it was. Soon, there will be little history left to build upon.
The City of Cleveland has failed at operating a lakefront airport. It continues to be a laughing stock among the nation’s: business travelers; airline and transportation experts; and corporate travel managers. While a vendor-managed public asset … FirstEnergy Stadium … is appealing to visitors, a City-managed public asset … Huntington Convention Center … languishes in anticipation of someone – anyone having an Ah-Ha moment.
People compare the WSM to similar properties in: Philadelphia; Boston; Seattle; Toronto; others. They ask the question … “Why not here?” We need look no further than City Hall … and not just the Mayor’s office. City Council bears much of the blame for failing … in the name of re-election, patronage, and simple blind ambition. Northeast Ohio needs a government for the entire area. People from throughout Northeast Ohio use: the sports facilities; the airports; the West Side Market. They deserve to be run by people who might give a crap.
Columbus is what it is today, not because of The Ohio State University or State Government (although they are a part) but by consolidating ring communities into a Columbus. As a result, they’re now bigger than Cleveland … and continuing to grow. Fewer Mayors, Police & Fire Chiefs, City Councils, Building Code committees, etc. Imagine how much less they spend on these redundant costs. In the 1950s, Cleveland was huge; Toronto was a sleepy Canadian city across a couple lakes. Then they amalgamated small communities into a greater Toronto … one of North America’s largest and most diverse Cities. Cleveland is like the Wicked Witch of the West, after she had the bucket of water thrown on her … shrinking / shrinking.
I look forward to the next fairly tale from Frank Jackson and Cleveland City Council. Happy New Year.
I guess it’s just not important enough to the GCP and Frank’s Republican 1%-er donors.
A dirt-bike track in the parking lot would draw a more diverse clientele. Are you listening, Frank? Pay me my consulting fee, asshat!
What if the city gave up and coming entrepreneurs a chance at renting space in the market, at a low cost? Bring in new fresh local blood…kind of pop up shops? Or bring in an element of education?
There’s no shortage of delicious food and vendors in town.
Also some issues may be hours of operation and parking/accessibility?
Rent out the space for parties or dances?
As an east Sider, I tend to stay on my side of town and visit our local markets.
I used to buy all my meats at Fernegels and they are gone too! With so many vendors leaving what does that tell you ? City of Cleveland screwed up AGAIN. The City needs new blood. Get the empty heads who are making decisions OUT. You can’t even call them leadership. If something doesn’t change soon CLEVELAND is done. How sad!
Fernegels is no longer there because the owner retired. He tried to pass on the business to relatives but not enough interest.
Stads, that is not true at all. I know Gordon as well as Lauren. That is NOT what happened.
Everything frank Jackson touches turns to shit.
I must respectfully disagree with Scene here. This article is totally wrong and the City will absolutely do most if not all those things. Take a look at that list again. Pretty much nothing is a quantifiable goal, which is exactly what someone wants if they don’t plan on working real hard at accomplishing much. “Improve _________” “Expand _______” “Plan for ________”. Those are all perfectly achievable because they’re totally intangible. It goes like this:
Have a few meetings with tenants about whatever and leave saying “Ok, we’ll look into all that”. BOOM, you’ve just “Improved relationships”. Check that goal off the list.
Next time everyone in City Hall has to stop working because the FBI raids the offices, have an intern from CSU create a bullet point list of things that could be put in the second floor to make it a more social space. BOOM, everything starting with “Plan for…” gets checked off the list. Damn we’re making progress here!
“Expand the vision….” This one is a softball, people!
The thing that won’t be planned is the execution of these visions, designs, improvements, etc.
I feel like the running of something historical like WSM is a labor of love. If you don’t find someone or some entity who loves it, than it’s just labor which is probably how Darnell Brown views it. It’s his job, not his passion.
Steve Bossin–don’t forget the boondangle empty money pit Med Mart! And the city subsidizing McNultry and cronies parking and security at expense of vendors , rather than making THEM pay for it–shows their hatred of WSM