The saga of Shaker Square: Divisive politics in Cleveland’s Ward 4
The proposed plan to save the iconic Shaker Square garnered widespread support from most Cleveland City Council members, so how did it end up back at square one at the 11th hour?
The proposed plan to save the iconic Shaker Square garnered widespread support from most Cleveland City Council members, so how did it end up back at square one at the 11th hour?
There won’t be a deal to rescue Shaker Square in time for the holidays. Cleveland officials and nonprofit leaders answered questions about a proposed $12 million deal for Shaker Square at a public meeting at York Rite Masonic Temple on Kinsman Road Friday morning, but Ward 4 interim councilwoman Anita Gardner withheld her support, leaving it to her successor to decide.
Marion Anita Gardner is a retired machinist, a survivor of 15 brain surgeries, a community center founder and leader, and a fill-in for a convicted councilman. Grinning and glaring, praising and panning, she always speaks her mind.
The City of Cleveland wants to spend $12 million to rescue Shaker Square from receivership, turn it over to nonprofits for repairs, and sell it to a new owner. Some critics, though, say the city is overpaying for the center and it’s a waste of precious tax dollars. With repair needs looming and tenants leaving the square, City Council is set to vote on a deal as early as next week.
A new video instruction program will offer 500,000 inmates a chance to earn an online culinary degree from EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute.
They’ve revamped menus. They’ve upgraded ventilation systems. They’ve added plexiglass, curtains, fans, ventilators, patio heaters, firepits, chimineas, tents, yurts, igloos, shipping containers, and more. Will it be enough to keep them afloat until they return to normal?
Acclaimed chef and restaurant owner Brandon Chrostowski of Edwins Restaurant and Leadership Institute is opening Edwins Too in the former Fire Food and Drink space at Shaker Square, bringing a much-needed shot in the arm to an area that has struggled with vacancies in the wake of the coronavirus.