CLEVELAND — City Council approved legislation proposed by Mayor Justin Bibb intended to improve Cleveland’s venerable West Side Market.
Bibb proposed the legislation in February as the market faces a 32% vacancy rate. The market experienced a number of mechanical issues and power outages in recent years, which has drawn ire from vendors.
Within days of taking office, Bibb met with West Side Market vendors promising improvements.
The approved ordinance calls for:
- Hold rent rates at their 2020 levels for 2022 and cap annual rent increases to only a 3% increase in future years
- Allow the city to enter leases for up to three years with one, three-year option to renew (currently, the city is not permitted to enter leases for longer than one year at a time, which prevents some businesses from securing financing and is a disincentive for those who may want to invest in their space)
- Permit short-term leases, which would allow the West Side Market to consider daily pop-up events, seasonal vendors and food trucks
- Charge prepared food vendors at the same rate as traditional (butcher, meat, vegetable) vendors (currently, prepared food vendors pay a 60% premium on space compared to traditional vendors)
- Repeal the City of Cleveland ordinance that prohibits alcohol sales at West Side Market stands
