The morning after the total solar eclipse captivated Cleveland, construction crews got right to work cutting open Superior Avenue at Public Square. 

The square is undergoing a $3.4 million repair project to fix concrete damage and install protective bollards around the park at the heart of downtown. Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority leaders inaugurated the work in late March with a ceremonial removal of the jersey barriers that have obstructed the view at Public Square for years. 

It’s a big deal for Mayor Justin Bibb, who promised as a candidate in 2021 to take down the jersey barriers – but who has seen as mayor that City Hall doesn’t move at the pace of a political campaign. Expect the work to be done in July. 

As Signal Cleveland first noted in February, other changes are afoot at Public Square. It may be getting a new landlord. Right now, the Group Plan Commission, the nonprofit that managed the massive renovation of the square that was completed in 2016, is in charge and is overseeing the current construction. But behind the scenes, civic leaders and downtown groups have been maneuvering to take control of the square’s future development and activities, which include concerts, rallies, holiday celebrations and special events. 

Downtown Cleveland Inc., a nonprofit that promotes downtown, is expected to become the square’s new manager when the current work is complete. Downtown Cleveland Inc. was known as Downtown Cleveland Alliance before rebranding itself in 2023. It hasn’t publicly commented on whether it will in fact be the square’s new landlord.

Asked for an update and comment on a possible handoff, the organization offered a benign statement that reads in part, “Downtown Cleveland, Inc., the Group Plan Commission, and the City of Cleveland continue to work together to build a stronger, more sustainable model for park and public space management in the downtown neighborhood.” 

This means that for now the Group Plan Commission is the entity handling permitting for summer events and all other operations on the square. 

Tri CLE Rock Roll Run all at Edgewater Park this year

This time of year – when rain, high wind and cool temperatures greet us nearly every morning like bad breath – it’s hard to imagine running, biking and swimming along the shores of Lake Erie. 

But that’s all Mark Brandt thinks about. 

The energetic founder and organizer of the Tri CLE Rock Roll Run sprint triathlon is rallying the triathlon community around this year’s Aug. 18 event, which will see a big change. He announced in January that swimmers will not be getting into the water at North Coast Harbor near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is undergoing a major expansion. Construction makes holding the swim portion of the fourth annual event there impractical. So all three legs of the event will transition to Edgewater Park.

Brandt is pumped by the easier logistics for athletes, who enjoyed a harbor-protected swim but didn’t love having to be bussed early from Edgewater Park. He said he hopes for some calm waters. He said he will listen to the athletes about whether to return to the harbor in the future.

“We survey our racers every year, and boy do we get a lot of information this way,” he said. “If they say go back, we go back.”

Brandt said registration for this year’s triathlon is strong, and the buzz has been boosted by a recent “10Best Readers’ Choice Award” poll that ranked his Cleveland event the fourth best in the country out of 20 nominated triathlons. 

Cleveland State to offer more buyout details

Cleveland State University employees should circle two dates on their calendars: April 16 and May 2.

That’s when President Laura Bloomberg is set to “present the most up-to-date information on our strategies to address our operational deficit and shape a shared vision for CSU’s bright future for years to come,” according to an email she sent to faculty and staff Thursday. 

Plus, she added, employees might find it beneficial to attend each of the hour-long online forums because the sessions “include the most recent updates.”

Translated, the school is going to talk about budget problems and the voluntary buyouts.  

Signal Cleveland’s Amy Morona first noted the discussion of Cleveland State’s proposed buyouts earlier this month. And this week, she detailed how trustees approved tapping into the university’s reserves to pay for those offers. 

Government Reporter (he/him)
I follow how decisions made at Cleveland City Hall and Cuyahoga County headquarters ripple into the neighborhoods. I keep an eye on the power brokers and political organizers who shape our local government. I am a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with more than a decade of experience covering politics and government in Northeast Ohio.

Managing Editor, News (he/him)
I assist a team of storytellers as they pursue original enterprise and investigative stories that capture untold narratives about people and policies. I use my decades of experience in print, digital and broadcast media to help Signal staff build skills to present stories in useful and interesting ways.

Higher Education Reporter (she/her)
I look at who is getting to and through Cleveland’s three biggest colleges, along with what challenges and supports they encounter along the way. How that happens -- and how universities wield their power during that process -- impacts all of the city’s residents as well as our collective future. I am a first-generation college graduate reporting for Signal Cleveland in partnership with the national nonprofit news organization Open Campus.