Ten years ago, Cleveland unveiled a dramatically transformed Public Square—replacing a traffic-heavy crossroads with a unified civic green space designed to become Cleveland’s new living room.

Celebrating Cleveland's 230th birthday and 10 years of the new Public Square.Today, Public Square hosts everything from concerts and farmers markets to movie nights, international watch parties, and family gatherings. As Downtown Cleveland, Inc. celebrated the anniversary of the redesign on Wednesday, July 22, president and CEO Michael Deemer says the vision that guided the project a decade ago has become reality—and there's even more ahead.

"Our vision for Public Square is that it is downtown's Central Park," says Deemer. "It is the gathering place for people every day, not just for major events."

That philosophy has guided Downtown Cleveland, Inc.'s recent push to increase programming throughout the square.

"I think the redesign has helped create that environment," Deemer says. "The increased focus on activation more recently is really aligned with our overall downtown economic development strategy and has helped take the experience to a higher level.

“We're really just looking to continue building on that success and continuing to deliver a great experience that helps strengthen the perception of downtown,” he continues, “and helps us advance our overall economic development goals."

The transformation is especially striking for anyone who remembers Public Square before 2016.

Previously, Ontario Street divided the square north to south, while Superior Avenue cut east to west, creating four separate quadrants dominated by vehicle traffic.

"It functioned like almost four separate public spaces instead of one unified public space," Deemer recalls.

Today, the expansive lawn, splash pad, walkways, and gathering areas invite visitors to linger—whether they're attending an event or simply enjoying lunch downtown.

The park's versatility has been on display throughout the anniversary celebrations. On Sunday, July 19, for instance, Public Square welcomed more than 3,000 fans for a FIFA Men's World Cup watch party. The celebration continued with Cleveland's 230th birthday concert, a new lighting display through the Illuminate CLE project, weekly farmers markets, and outdoor movie nights.

"The lawn is full of folks, the splash pad is full of kids having fun, and we've got great Cleveland food trucks and produce vendors," says Deemer. "People are able to experience and support small businesses right on Public Square."

Public Square before the 2016 renovation.A catalyst for downtown
Deemer argues that Public Square's importance extends well beyond recreation.

“As Public Square goes, so goes downtown Cleveland," he says. "If people feel good about Public Square and are comfortable using it and enjoying it, that has a ripple effect over how people perceive and experience downtown overall."

Beyond shaping perceptions, Deemer says the park also generates tangible economic benefits.

"If people are actively using it day in and day out, that becomes a driver for foot traffic to small businesses and an amenity for downtown residents, workers, and visitors that helps drive economic activity downtown."

Public Square after the 2016 renovation.While many weekday visitors live or work downtown, he notes that Downtown Cleveland, Inc. is seeing more people come from cities throughout Greater Cleveland and head downtown to attend concerts, movie nights, and other free events.

To encourage those visits, the organization partnered with the 200 Public Square parking garage on Superior Avenue to offer discounted parking for many Public Square events.

Built through partnerships
Keeping Public Square active requires collaboration among many organizations.

Deemer credits corporate sponsors, the Greater Cleveland Regional Ttransit Authority (RTA), the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Police, and many others for helping make free programming possible.

"RTA has been a great partner in helping us with our strategy for activating the entire square more frequently," he says, noting that many events require temporarily rerouting buses along Superior Avenue.

Deemer also emphasizes the city's ongoing commitment.

"We are stewards of Public Square, but it is the City of Cleveland's property," Deemer says. "Everything we do there is with the support and partnership of the mayor [Justin Bibb] and his team and City Council."

The City of Cleveland also supports Public Square through a 24/7 police presence, smart cameras, improved lighting, and other public safety measures.

"So it takes a lot of partners to make it a special place," Deemer says.

Looking forward to the next decade
Rather than viewing the anniversary as a milestone reached, Downtown Cleveland, Inc. sees it as a launching point.

"We want to see more of exactly what we've been doing," says Deemer. "More markets, more movies, more music, more food opportunities."

The long-term goal is for Public Square to remain active every day of the week throughout the year—from summer concerts, fitness classes, and farmers markets to ice skating, Winterland, and Holiday light shows.

"We really want it to be a place that is active and animated seven days a week throughout the year," Deemer says. "We want to see more employers using it for their employee and client appreciation days. We want to see residents using it as their Central Park."

Physical improvements are continuing as well.

The refurbished statue of 1901 mayor Tom Johnson at the north center section of Public Square.This year, Downtown Cleveland, Inc. completed landscaping improvements in the northeast quadrant of the square, replacing plantings to create a cleaner appearance while improving sight lines for pedestrians.

"The feedback has been wonderful," says Deemer. "People love how it looks. They've noticed how the improved sight lines make the experience feel safer."

Similar improvements are planned for the western side of the square.

"We're constantly thinking about physical improvements, constantly thinking about what are the ways that we can better activate and make it a more attractive space for people to be in," he says.

For Deemer, the transformation of Public Square reflects a broader evolution taking place across downtown Cleveland.

"We're really excited about the momentum that we've built up around Public Square," he says. "We're excited about the investment and momentum taking place across downtown. Celebrations like this week are all about building on that momentum and just keep pushing it forward."