CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in many employees working from home, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is launching a new initiative aimed at bringing workers back downtown.
Mayor Bibb will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. to kickoff the campaign, which is a collaboration with the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) and aims to "accelerate the return of office workers to Downtown, which is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic" and will "will ensure access to the necessary tools and information for employers to help encourage their workforce to come back to the office."
“Cleveland was built on hard work, resilience and dedication by the people who make up its very fabric,” Mayor Bibb said in a statement. “Our focus now must be on strengthening the core and attracting office workers back to Downtown for our vision of a 15-minute neighborhood to become a reality. The city and region’s economic health depends on it.”
Included in the campaign is the introduction of "Downtown Dollars," a new electronic gift card promoting retail spending at Downtown establishments. Qualifying businesses within the Downtown footprint will be approved by DCA to take part in the program, with patrons able to load funds onto gift cards to spend as cash in order to support a variety of Downtown establishments where Mastercard is accepted.
Additionally, DCA will host a series of weekday downtown experiences, including the following:
- Lunch in the Lane– an exciting weekday, lunchtime block party series from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with live music, outdoor seating, and games:
- May 26th – Euclid Avenue (Eastbound East 6th to East 4th Streets)
- June 2nd – Warehouse District (West 9th/St.Clair - Johnson Court)
- June 9th - Gateway District (Huron from East 8th to East 7th Streets)
- Music on the Malls – a weekly live music and happy hour event on Mall C, June 8th – August 31st from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
“Working downtown is critical to the vibrancy and strength of any city, and that is particularly true here in Cleveland,” said Michael Deemer, Downtown Cleveland Alliance President & CEO. “Partnering with Mayor Bibb and the City of Cleveland to implement strategic initiatives that bring downtown office workers back is an important step to catalyzing and accelerating Downtown Cleveland’s post-pandemic economy. The future of small businesses depends on the daytime traffic of a thriving city center.”