When the Opportunity Corridor opened in the fall of 2021, it did so with great fanfare. State and local leaders joined with a drum and bagpipe band to open the new road connecting I-490 to University Circle.
The corridor is billed as a boulevard with a speed limit of 35 mph and includes paths for bicycles and pedestrians.
The expectation for the Opportunity Corridor, however, extended beyond making it easier for West Siders to reach University Circle and for East Siders to get downtown. The purpose for building the corridor also involved spurring economic development, especially for those living along the route of the new roadway. The area of Cleveland between I-490 and University Circle has been labeled the “Forgotten Triangle” due to the lack of economic activity.
To begin Wednesday’s “Sound of Ideas,” we are going to discuss what progress has been made regarding Opportunity Corridor. Now that the corridor is open, we ask, 'has the opportunity also followed?'
Later in this hour, the baseball season is at its mid-point, the All-Star Break. The headline for the season league-wide, so far in 2023, has been a rebound in attendance. The Guardians are putting more people in the seats this year. The attendance comeback is being driven by a number of factors, including changes made by Major League Baseball to make the games shorter and more action-packed. Fans are noticing.
Guests:
-Lee Chilcote, Founder and Editor, The Land
-Terry Schwarz, Urban Design Collaborative, Kent State University
-Joy Johnson, Executive Director of Burton, Bell, Carr Development, Inc.
-Jeff Epstein, Chief of Integrated Development, City of Cleveland
-Joe Scalzo, Reporter, Sports Business, Crain's Cleveland Business
