Noble merchants present NABA plan; committee asks for merchant signups as city, county funding options discussed

Four Noble Road business owners and an executive director presented a merchants association plan for the Noble commercial corridor on June 4, proposing a branded Noble Area Business Association ("NABA"), a multi-year marketing and beautification program and an initial budget that would blend grants, city support and merchant dues.

The presenters — Antoinette Mohammed (Salon Productions), Danica Caldwell (Mommy’s Bakery / Mommy Q’s Kitchen), Melka Vincent (Love Light Infant Club) and Jacqueline River (Exclusive Touch), with Myra Orenstein serving as executive director — outlined an initial two-year implementation plan with startup costs, branding, website, a mural and district promotions. “We are redefining Noble as NABA,” the group said in the presentation materials.

Key details presented to the committee included a proposed start-up budget of roughly $470,000 over two years (the group said the full three-year plan was larger), an initial fundraising strategy that assumes merchant dues of $1,000 per merchant per year and a projected merchant pool of as many as 80 businesses with a realistic starting participation estimate of 40–50 merchants. The presenters said they had sought a $10,000 ARPA grant from Cuyahoga County (the presenters said the county was advancing the request toward a second read) and proposed Future Heights serve as fiscal agent until the association is incorporated as a nonprofit.

Specific program items and costs the presenters listed included a professional mural (artist design $600; painting estimated at $35,000), district branding and website design, directory and promotional materials, district planters (an initial estimate used 67 planters), seasonal plantings, events and artist programming (with grant applications to Cuyahoga Arts & Culture anticipated), and small staffing and legal/accounting fees to incorporate a nonprofit and manage operations.

Council members and staff expressed support for the concept but also concerns about scale, sustainability and the city’s role in providing services that SIDs commonly provide. One councilmember called the draft budget “overly ambitious” compared with established SIDs and urged the organizers to pare the plan down and secure more merchant buy-in before the city or county committed substantial funds. The mayor and other members noted that the city has allocated Community Investment Fund dollars for Noble and Taylor districts and that the committee needs a clearer, prioritized one-year ask tied to specific deliverables in order to move funds forward.

Committee direction and next steps from the meeting included: organizers should gather signed commitments from merchants (the committee asked for a small initial merchant contribution to show commitment); presenters should return with a revised, reduced year-one budget linked to immediate deliverables; staff will coordinate with Heights Arts and other city programs to avoid duplication; and the city and county funding timelines and ARPA deadlines should be confirmed with administration staff. The mayor suggested using a limited city allocation plus the county’s pending $10,000 to kick-start first-step activities.

Presenters said they would proceed quickly: they reported creating an executive committee, identifying a prospective board, and preparing materials to incorporate and apply for grants. The committee emphasized the effort must be merchant-driven and asked the group to return with merchant signups and a streamlined year-one budget at the next scheduled meeting.