CLEVELAND — The renovated West Side Market produce arcade quietly opened its doors Friday morning, welcoming shoppers to a space that blends history with modern upgrades.
This week, 11 vendors set up shop inside the revamped east arcade, now named the KeyBank Produce Arcade. The space is the first piece of a roughly $70 million update to Cleveland’s beloved public market, which is staying open throughout construction.
RELATED: 'It is happening.' A behind-the-scenes look at the West Side Market as renovations begin
A ribbon-cutting for the arcade is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Jan. 14, but shoppers can already get a look at the space, dedicated to sellers of fruits and vegetables.
"Just very modern. It's different, that's for sure," said Joslyn Bonkowski, a frequent West Side Market shopper who stopped by on Friday afternoon.
She was toting her daughter, Chaya Stevens, who kept pointing at - and reaching for - the colorful produce.
"They've done a wonderful upgrade to this place," said Yolanda Jones, another shopper who popped into the market hall for a gyro then wandered outside to buy some fruit.
"Now it's really, really organized and the display is gorgeous," she said. "You can't help but buy something here."
The old, elevated produce counters are gone, replaced by sleek refrigerated cases and white display furniture. Some of the stands are set up so that customers can walk in and pick their own produce – or shop outside in the summer, when the businesses will be able to spill out onto a wide sidewalk facing the West Side Market’s parking lot.
And vendors aren’t perched above their customers anymore. Now they’re standing eye-to-eye with shoppers, in a layout meant to feel more approachable.
Perhaps most importantly, the arcade is finally climate-controlled, with heating and air conditioning. For vendors and customers, it's the end of sweltering in the summer and freezing in the winter.
“Which means I don’t have to put on six layers of clothing anymore. So I can come in and take off my jacket, and you’re good to go,” said Tom Boutros, the owner of Boutros Brothers Produce, which has been a tenant in the market for decades.
This week, a few days before the opening, Boutros was finalizing the layout of his new stand and figuring out where everything should go – from mushrooms and squash to lettuce and Brussels sprouts. Boutros Brothers carries more than 100 products.
Now, for the first time, shoppers at the Boutros stand will be able to grab baskets and make their own selections. Employees will still provide old-fashioned counter service for some items – and for customers who prefer that personal touch.
For Boutros and other vendors, it’s a big change.
“You can't lie. You’re anxious. You’re a little nervous,” he said. “It’s a brand-new thing for all of us. For us and the customers. … Hopefully they love it. Because I can see us loving it.”
He asked shoppers to be patient as vendors settle into their new routine – and as construction shifts to other parts of the market.
The Cleveland Public Market Corporation, the market’s nonprofit manager, is putting out signs and staffing an information counter to make sure customers know what’s going on and where to go.
The north arcade, where produce vendors were housed for most of last year, is now closed. It will serve as temporary storage for tenants during construction in the basement – the next stage of the renovation project.
That means shoppers entering the market from the parking lot will walk through the new produce arcade toward Lorain Avenue, then go outside briefly before heading into the main market hall off Lorain or West 25th Street.
Rosemary Mudry, the executive director of the Cleveland Public Market Corporation, gave News 5 a preview tour of the arcade this week. She said the goal was to modernize the barrel-ceilinged space without making it feel too shiny.
“One of the biggest comments is ‘it feels so much bigger in here. It feels so much brighter in here,’’ she said. “And those were the things we wanted customers to feel. … I’m excited for people to kind of explore.”
She knows it will take time for vendors and shoppers to adjust.
“My greatest hope is that customers will come in excited – but also with a lot of patience the first few months,” she said. “That’s part of the reason we wanted to open in January. It is a little bit of a quieter time at the market. We wanted to give folks the chance to reestablish their routines and figure out how to do things before the crush of the summer comes.
“So I would just say to customers, cheer them on, be really kind, be really generous to them," she said of interactions with vendors. “Let them know they’re doing a good job. And understand if you might have to wait an extra minute or two because they’re figuring out where they put everything.”
The Cleveland Public Market Corporation recently won $5 million in state historic tax credits to help finance renovations and a $1.5 million grant from the Cleveland Foundation. That's on top of other money from public, private and philanthropic sources.
RELATED: West Side Market, other local projects win millions in state tax credits
That leaves the nonprofit with about $12 million left to raise this year to reach its final goal – and keep construction moving seamlessly.
Now the nonprofit is accepting donations from the public online and by mail.
“This is the people’s market, right?” Mudry said. “That’s the market’s tagline. And it always has been. … Now we hope the community will continue to support it and see its value for the next 100 years.”
Construction is getting underway in the basement to remake food storage and prep spaces for vendors. The project also will add power generators, a new refrigeration system and climate control. Later phases of the project will include seating areas, a courtyard, a teaching kitchen and event space and a hub for prepared foods.
Tony Anselmo, a produce distributor who grew up working at his father's fruit and vegetable stand in the arcade, was one of the first people in the door Friday. He marveled at the renovated space - in a building he remembers as extremely rustic.
"We would shovel snow off the stands. Light the locks on fire so we could get the key in there. ... It was nothing like this," he said.
Changes to the arcade, he said, were long overdue.
"As much as it's an improvement for the vendors," he said, "it's a great improvement for the customers."
Michelle Jarboe is the business growth and development reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @MJarboe or email her at Michelle.Jarboe@wews.com.
