CLEVELAND — Late last year, the Flats East Bank was the center of chaos, including two separate shootings. Fast forward to now, and change is in the air.
In early September, during the Browns home opener, a mass shooting left six injured.
RELATED: Shooting in The Flats left 6 people injured; 1 suspect in custody, police say
Within the same month, there was another shooting that stemmed from an argument.
Cleveland Police said it left one person injured and killed a 21-year-old.
RELATED: Authorities identify 21-year-old shot, killed in the Flats; alleged suspect in custody
Within four months of those shootings, several bars closed their doors, including Margaritaville, Punch Bowl Social, Inferno, Rum Runners, and Play.
The owner of both Inferno and Rum Runners, Sly Restaurant Group, said, "This decision was carefully made after evaluation of our operations and the economic pressures currently affecting the hospitality and nightlife industry. While we explored multiple options, continuing under current market has proven unsustainable."
RELATED: Inferno, Rum Runners shutter due to 'economic pressures'
Laurie Torres, the President of Cleveland Independents, which is a group of locally owned and operated restaurants, said she wasn't surprised.
"Independent restaurants continue to struggle. The overwhelming kind of cumulative cost of inflation has really affected the small independent restaurants, and we see a lot more closings or cutting of hours and stuff in restaurants in downtown," Torres said.
But, as downtown Cleveland gears up for its busier season, more investments are being made and finished.
A bar that has recently opened a new location, Good Night John Boy, has been bustling for the last four weeks.
"It's been exciting," Forward Hospitality Group CEO Michael Schwartz said on Wednesday. "There are some grand plans for next year as well. We've (Forward Hospitality Group) been down here a long period of time. I think there's cycles with the economy or what's going on in people's lives. There's hardships that people go through, but I always look at The Flats trying to make improvements and strides with all the owners every year. I think there might have been a slight, you know, maybe call it a small setback last year, but there's a great team effort."
Good Night John Boy said opening this new location on Old River Road comes with a large outdoor patio, spacious bathrooms, boat docking availability, and new lighting systems.
Schwartz told me the Forward Hospitality Group has spent "significant amounts of money" to create a new vibe in The Flats.
"I am like stoked about the future. It's going to be something special. This area has the potential and I believe it will be one of the top entertainment districts in the country, not just in Ohio or in the Midwest," Schwartz said.
Not only did Good Night John Boy open up in the last several weeks, but so did another called Lost On The River, which is a rooftop bar that serves an intimate experience.
On the horizon are a few more, too.
Moving into the space Inferno was previously located in is BarFlyy.
BarFlyy's website describes itself as a retro bar where college memories are made.
It has one location in Kent.
On Wednesday, from what we could see on the outside, the bar is now decked out in college flags and gear. Sound systems were also being tested.
BarFlyy's website has a countdown clock on it for its Cleveland location. It's set for the end of the summer.
Next to it is the old Rum Runners location.
There appeared to be slight construction, but no signage indicating what it would be, nor any updates to the decor that we could see.
Down the street, next to Cocky's Bagels, will be Agave Social.
Agave Social's Instagram page doesn't reveal an opening date, but says "soon."
As of June 8, it was looking to hire servers and bartenders.
Agave Social describes itself as a "new destination for handcrafted cocktails, elevated flavors, and unforgettable experiences."
Torres is excited to see more business starting to boom in downtown Cleveland.
"It's more an indication of the enthusiasm for the industry. I'm hoping it's a positive sign. I want the best for those places. There is some growth. What we're finding, though, is a lot of the growth in the industry is from operators taking price, meaning price increase because foot traffic is still not up like it was before," Torres explained. "One of the problems here is not necessarily restaurants, there's just nothing else to do. There's not places to shop."
She hopes more businesses will pop up because it will attract that necessary foot traffic and provide healthy competition.
To maintain the safety and continuity of that foot traffic, the city of Cleveland is also taking action.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's senior advisor, Lucas Reeve, said rideshare pickup spots have been created for the first time ever in Flats history.
"A really great opportunity to do a couple things. One, make sure that people are safe, and have a good idea about where to access Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare options, but also really just part of a larger plan to have traffic move much more easily through The Flats just to make sure that it's a much more seamless experience for folks no matter how they are coming down here," Reeve said.
The two pickup spots are located on Old River Road and West 11th.
Next on the list: A part of the boardwalk that was struck by a barge in June 2025 is also close to being fully repaired.
RELATED: Freighter stuck at mouth of Cuyahoga on East Bank of Flats was trying to back into 'Old River'
"The upgrades and repair to the boardwalk is in progress and should be done reasonably soon. Things down here are sometimes challenging just by nature of having to coordinate with so many different agencies, whether it's the city, the port, the Coast Guard, and so on," Reeve said.
Over on West 11th, there's no more construction shutting the portion of the road down in front of what was Punch Bowl Social.
As part of a beautification project, the stonework has been fully repaired.
More landscaping, lighting, and sidewalk repairs have also been added to The Flats.
"Not only will folks start to notice that things look a lot better, but it's going to feel a lot better down here too. We're already starting to see folks coming down to The Flats in greater numbers and hoping that, that continues throughout the summer," Reeve said.
Additionally, within the next week, boating dock permits are set to be approved, according to Reeve. That will allow boaters to reserve a dock butted up against Flats East Bank venues.
Lastly, Reeve said the city is in partnership with Cleveland Police to have a "solid safety plan," which includes more officers in the area.
Reeve added that there are also private security contractors through local property owners who have helped enhance the safety plan.
Reeve told me the city has been meeting with local stakeholders and property owners for many months in preparation for everything both the city and those in The Flats were looking to update.
"That coordination has really led to an increase in visitorship down here. The Flats looking better than it ever has before. Recognizing that when you get outside of City Hall and work directly and collaborate directly with folks here on the ground, you can really make a difference, and it's really their vision that we're helping to support, and there's nothing more exciting than that," Reeve said.
