Leaders Break Ground on $53-Million West Side Market Renovation

A rendering of the West Side Market’s future courtyard Credit: City Hall

Two years after plans for a major renovation of the West Side Market were unveiled in Ohio City, the nonprofit spearheading the project kicked off its $53 million transformation with a groundbreaking Monday morning.

Leaders from the city, county and others ushered in what will be the market’s two-year-long first phase of development, which includes a revamp of the produce stands in the East Arcade, new freight elevators, freezers, electrical and HVAC in the building’s heavily-outdated basement.

It’s all with the goal of bringing the 104-year-old West Side Market fully into the 21st century.

And, they said, it wouldn’t have been possible to get funding — and get funding so fast –without the market’s necessary conversion into a nonprofit, the Cleveland Public Market Corporation.

“In 2021, the city raised $300,000 for the West Side Market’s Centennial” celebration, County Executive Chris Ronayne said at the podium. “Now, in 2025, they’ve raised $50 million—for a much larger goal.”

“They raised that much more,” he added. “And they couldn’t have done it had they not been a nonprofit.”

The Cleveland Public Market Corporation’s nonprofit status allows it to bid for and attract dollars from a set of funding sources that it couldn’t receive as a branch of City Hall, or as a for-profit business. That means donors, foundation grants, state and federal funding—and a $23 million chip-in from City Council.

Phase two, which will cost $18 million in funds yet to be raised, will include the addition of a lounge-worthy courtyard (with tables and chairs), an event space, teaching kitchens and a North Arcade made over with leasable hot food stations and two full bars.

More of a market for the people, one could say.

Mayor Justin Bibb, who first pushed the idea of turning the market into a nonprofit on the campaign trail in 2021, had his I-told-you-so moment at Monday’s groundbreaking, alongside his key advisor, Jessica Trivisonno, who helped solidify that transition.

Along with Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Bibb made a light jab at the political winds at the state and federal levels, ones that are hesitant to fund city projects compared to during the Biden era.

A restaurant-style seating space would create the long-needed place for visitors to eat and chat. A sizable event venue behind it could be highly lucrative as a spot for weddings. Credit: City Hall

“This is not just Cleveland’s market,” Bibb said. “This is not just our region’s market. This is the state’s market, as well.”

And it’s definitely the market for the likes of J&J Meats and Ohio City Pasta, who, along with 70 other vendors, have pointed to City Hall for not funneling enough money to keep coolers functioning, freezers modern and installing air conditioning and heat—new infrastructure, in general.

“Our vendors have been very, very patient,” Ward 3 Councilman Kerry McCormack, who lobbied for that $23 million from Council, said. “They have stood by us and trusted us in this process, and are still here with us today.”

In an interview with Scene, CPMC’s Rosemary Mundy said behind-the-scenes work was necessary to get to the more exciting steps of metamorphosis like the teaching kitchen and courtyard.

Bells and whistles Mundry still needs to earmark almost $20 million for—money she hopes will be split across private donors and maybe some generosity from the National Institute of Health. (If not fully defunded this year.)

“But, you know, we’ll see how that funding landscape goes,” Mundy said in a phone call.

“You know there’s a lot of a lot of change happening at all levels of government,” she added, “because of changes in federal funding structure. So, you know, we’re just working closely with those partners to see how things shake out.”