Cheers could be heard coming from the West Side Market in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially celebrate the opening of the new KeyBank Produce Arcade.
It is the first piece of a roughly $70 million renovation project at the historic and beloved market.
We've been following all the developments closely because of how important and meaningful the market is to so many people.
RELATED: FIRST LOOK: Revamped produce arcade opens at Cleveland's West Side Market
It is difficult to find a Clevelander who doesn’t have a special memory tied to the landmark, including Mayor Justin Bibb.
“Coming down with my late grandma,” said Bibb on Wednesday.
She loved the fresh fruits and vegetables, a tradition that will carry on for future generations, he said, thanks to the work underway to preserve, improve and refresh the 114-year-old structure.
The new produce arcade feels brighter, more modern, and warmer. At least right now, during the winter, because it’s finally temperature-controlled, so that no matter the season, there will be heat or air conditioning.
But vendors said it also feels different because the energy is different, and it feels more vibrant.
"It's amazing,” said Jessy Harb. “It's beautiful. Much needed!”
Harb’s Produce is among the dozens of diverse vendors who’ve been here for decades.
Harb's parents, George and Samia, immigrated to Cleveland and started Harb’s Produce 35 years ago. She has been helping out since she was a little girl.
"Eight years old, carrying groceries for the elderly out to their car to get money for candy,” she said.
Harb said she and her parents are so grateful for the new space, and for the community both inside and outside the market.
She said it truly is the people who make the experience so rewarding.
“It’s just a big family,” she said. “It's unmatched how much support we get throughout the year from each other.”
"A project this complicated and this big has many, many essential partners,” said Dave Abbott, West Side Market Board President.
From KeyBank, which was an early supporter, to the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the state and the market’s nonprofit manager, all were present Wednesday to celebrate and also highlight a call to action.
They have raised 80% of the $70 million needed for the project, said Abbott.
Bibb said he’s confident the team will get it done.
He said it’s about what the West Side Market means to not just the city of Cleveland, but the entire region.
"There is no better symbol of what this country represents than what you're seeing right here in this market,” said Bibb. “People of all races, backgrounds, and nationalities coming together to build community, and that's what this nation needs right now more than ever.”
State Representative Bride Rose Sweeney said research shows the West Side Market has one of the highest usage of SNAP benefits, with the state program that allows recipients who spend those SNAP dollars on fresh produce to double it.
"People are not going hungry because of the West Side Market,” said Rep. Sweeney. “And people are making family memories, and there aren’t many places where you can have those kinds of interactions with people of different backgrounds.”
The focus of the renovations now shifts to fixing up the basement.
The market’s nonprofit manager, Cleveland Public Market Corporation, has a station set up in the new KeyBank Produce Arcade where visitors can stop in and learn more about the project and what to expect.
The three-year project is expected to wrap up in late 2027 or early 2028.
