Downtown Cleveland Special Improvement District Renewed Until 2032 With City and County Buy-In

Downtown’s Special Improvement District, the pool of funds that help keep the area clean and safe, was renewed Wednesday for another seven years. Credit: Mark Oprea

The Downtown Cleveland Special Improvement District, funded by a pool of money from property owners to help keep the city center safe and clean, was renewed on Wednesday for the next seven years, Cuyahoga County said in a release.

That district, the boundaries of which stretch from East 17th to the Cuyahoga River, will provide Downtown some $43 million in funding through at least 2032.

This year is also the first year that both the city and the county signed on to help fund the district, a handshake that didn’t come without tension. Cuyahoga County Council met with representatives from Downtown Cleveland, Inc., the nonprofit that runs the district, four times since its renewal was first proposed last year.

County Executive Chris Ronayne, who often argued with Council members in favor of the county’s buy-in to the district, reasserted on Wednesday the importance of the $1.3 million total from county taxpayers over the next seven years.

And for a logical reason, Ronayne said: Downtown is Cuyahoga; Cuyahoga is Downtown.

“A strong Downtown drives growth throughout Cuyahoga County,” he said in a release. “We’re proud to partner with Downtown Cleveland, Inc. on this initiative. Together, we’re helping ensure downtown remains a hub of opportunity, innovation and vitality for the entire region.”

That money, doled out by DCI, will help fund yellow-shirted Ambassadors, host concerts, keep sidewalks clean and handle lower-level conflicts. It could also be used for pretty much anything, from hiring security guards to buying Christmas decorations on Public Square. (Or for more AI cameras, as DCI plans to do.)

Much of the delay came from the County’s Economic, Development & Planning Committee, who grilled DCI across multiple meetings on why exactly the County Headquarters Building off East 9th and Euclid needed to be included in DCI’s quota—60 percent of property owners in the district opting in.

Sixty-six percent of the properties in the district boundary, which run from East 17th to the riverfront, will pay a yearly tax to help keep the public realm tidy. Credit: DCI

“Here we are carrying the water again,” District 5 Councilman Michael Gallagher complained to DCI’s VP of Operations, Ed Eckart, during a meeting on March 12. “I don’t mind doing it, because I feel sorry you guys are in a city that doesn’t give a damn about you.”

DCI collects roughly $5 million a year from a district tax. Each fee is determined on building size and land value.

That’s to say, County Headquarters has more chips to toss into the pot than Rebol. The rub is that, according to state law, any city or county properties are only included in that buy-in if they choose to be included.

Cleveland City Council opted in this summer.

“Cleveland is at its best when our downtown is thriving, and this reauthorization of the improvement district will only accelerate that progress,” Mayor Bibb wrote in a statement. “We are committed to building a downtown that’s more welcoming, more vibrant and a place where people and businesses want to invest their time and money.”

Jason Beudert, the head of Hangry Brands, which runs five businesses in and around East 4th—Jolene’s, Society Lounge, Geraci’s Slice Shop, Lionheart Coffee and, soon, The DugOut—told Scene he’s happy to hear about the district’s renewal.

“As a lessee, we’re proud to be there,” he said in a phone call. “Any investment into the city, to make it safer and more inviting and welcoming to, not only residents but visitors, is a huge win for not only my businesses, but every other business around me.”