In March 2022, the City of Euclid was featured in Brooking’s Placemaking Postcards blog series that highlights best practices in fostering inclusive economic growth and development. Euclid is a historically industrial city with around 47,000 residents, and most are people of color. It is an inner-ring suburb on Cleveland’s east side and otherwise would be considered a legacy city by GOPC.

When planning how to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Euclid prioritized helping local families build wealth through businesses and supporting a thriving downtown. The City committed to implementing a twofold strategy: promote economic revitalization and inclusive outcomes by supporting local, Black- and Brown-owned, small-scale manufacturing businesses to contribute to “more energy and commerce to downtown” (Preuss 2022). Euclid’s efforts include:

1. Training entrepreneurs in small-scale manufacturing

2. Identifying flexible commercial spaces

3. Providing targeted rent subsidies

4. Promoting the target area and its businesses

In 2021, the City of Euclid participated in Recast Leaders, a 10-month program where City staff worked to identify local small-scale manufacturers, understand their needs, and undergo specific activities to support them. The City defined small-scale manufacturers as businesses that create products for sale in storefronts and/or online (e.g., hot sauce or purses); they are often owned by residents and/or supply local jobs (Preuss 2022).

Euclid kicked off its efforts with local stakeholder interviews to understand their opportunities and challenges — targeting typically underrepresented individuals and small businesses and entrepreneurs who have already taken advantage of the City’s and partners’ existing programming. The City hosted a small business competition providing winners with training and flexible storefront lease agreements in response to this community feedback. The City also worked with a downtown property owner to lease 4 buildings and established a $165,000 fund to subsidize rents. Additionally, Euclid is renovating a downtown school building into shared kitchen space for entrepreneurs in the food industry, which is expected to be complete in 2022.

To learn more about how Euclid assessed residents’ needs, addressed resource gaps, and continues to expand on its support for downtown, small businesses, and inclusivity, visit: How Euclid, Ohio is filling vacant Main Street storefronts to recover from the pandemic

Cover Photo courtesy of the City of Euclid