The following is a letter to the editor that appeared in the July 10, 2006 edition of Crain's Cleveland Business.

We are very pleased that the redevelopment of Public Square is receiving renewed interest as a critical element in rejuvenating downtown Cleveland. Further, we applaud the position that the four separate squares be reunited.

The Leadership Cleveland Class of 2004 Public Art Focus Group developed a concept for Public Square that included a greenhouse-type restaurant, amphitheater area, fountain, bike rental kiosks and other features designed to attract residents and visitors alike to this energized green space. During the months that our committee worked on this project, it became very apparent to us that removal of the intersecting roadways of Ontario Street and Superior Avenue is paramount to truly transforming the space and usage of Public Square.

We discussed at great length the challenges of rerouting traffic around the square rather than through it and came to the conclusion that, without the removal of the roads, substantive impact to the square is not realistic.

The roads take up a significant amount of hard space that, if turned to green space, could present a myriad of recreational and entertainment opportunities. We also suggested that a great way to transition to a united square would be to close off the roadways during the weekends and to stage activities such as art fairs and concerts.

There are also many secondary benefits that should be considered. A large amount of green space at Public Square would be welcoming and attractive to commuters and may spark additional residential construction projects nearby. Increased activity in the area would ensure increased business at existing restaurants, cafes and retail establishments.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority would benefit from increased ridership, and, certainly, having attractive green space in the heart of downtown Cleveland could be a great tool in attracting new businesses to our area.

Although others have recently tweaked our concept of Public Square, we stand by our original vision of an active and attractive public green space — one that unites, not divides.

Mayor Debbie Sutherland, City of Bay Village
President, Mayors & Managers Association

Martin J. Sweeney, President, Cleveland City Council

Andrew Roth, President, Notre Dame College of Ohio

Members, Leadership Cleveland Class of 2004