retailspacescleveland.com matches businesses with location

Area businesses have a tool to match their business expansion and location needs with the space that will work for them by utilizing the website established by Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition (CNDC), an umbrella group for Community Development Corporations (CDC’s) in Cleveland.

 Concerned with the decline of vital neighborhood shopping districts in Cleveland, CDC’s started to discuss critical issues surrounding the future of retail activity in urban neighborhoods. CDCs are non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations that build affordable housing, create jobs, renovate storefronts, rehabilitate distressed structures and tackle other challenges that threaten the livability of neighborhoods.

The Retail Spaces Cleveland website furthers the goal of the initiative to create new tools to help strengthen neighborhoods by increasing the visibility of investment opportunities in Cleveland's varied retail districts. You will find the locations of these opportunities on the Locator Map of the website.

“Sometimes looking for space is what a business seeks to do first. The reality is that while location is important, there are a host of other considerations such as area competition, niche market, and business-planning which are also very important,” stated Wendy Sattin, Director of Planning and Development at CNDC. “CDC’s such as Northeast Shores that serve the Waterloo, East 185th Street and Lake Shore Blvd. commercial districts know the "ropes" and have the tools for accomplishing the business goals. On the website, you can click on the names of the commercial districts, and then be taken to a page with listings of their area's demographics, assets, and space available. The Retail Space website which was established in 2001 consistently logs between 4,000 and 6,000 unique visitors monthly.”

The new American Pride Car Wash which will be starting a renovation on Lake Shore Blvd, initially explored the prospects of several locations on East 185th Street and Lakeshore Blvd before negotiating a purchase. Jack DiCocco, President and General Manager stated, “We spoke with John at Northeast Shores and he mentioned several properties that could fit our needs. We confirmed the availability on the Retail Spaces Cleveland website. We contacted the owner, met with Ward 11 Councilman Polensek, and with technical assistance provided by Northeast Shores and the City of Cleveland, we were able to commit to the location.”

Keeping the area strong and occupied with viable businesses is the goal. The commercial district property owners can also benefit by listing their space on the Retail Spaces Website. If you are a business looking for that ideal location or a property-owner with prepared space seeking a business tenant, you can call or e-mail John Boksansky at Northeast Shores for information (216) 481-7660 or jboksansky@northeastshores.org for further information.