Westside Market nonprofit outlines $70 million transformation, asks city for $783,000 operating subsidy while council presses equity and projection questions

Rosemary Mudry, executive director of the Cleveland Public Market Corporation, told the City Council finance committee on Feb. 26 that the nonprofit managing Westside Market has secured major financing for a multi‑phase renovation but still needs city support to operate while construction continues. “We secured, $9,000,000 in philanthropy,” Mudry said, and “we closed on $52,000,000 which was stage 1 of the construction project,” covering critical infrastructure work and the East produce arcade.

The presentation and follow‑up questions centered on two immediate financial facts: the transformation project is now approximately $70 million in total cost with roughly $12 million left to raise, and the market expects an operating subsidy from the city this year. Finance staff explained the proposed support payment — roughly $783,000 — is a general‑fund transfer to cover the nonprofit’s estimated operational shortfall, based on CPMC’s revenue and expense estimates.

Why it matters: Council members said they welcome the market’s progress and programming but pressed Mudry and city budget staff for more conservative forecasting and clearer signals on how subsidies will decline. Several council members cited both the market’s community benefits — Mudry said the reopened KeyBank produce arcade lifted January foot traffic almost 20% year‑over‑year and the market now records more than 900,000 annual visits — and the importance of protecting and extending access to fresh food citywide.

Mudry credited the market’s nonprofit transition for unlocking tax‑credit financing and new philanthropy. She described ongoing construction milestones — a May 2025 groundbreaking, restoration of a historic smokestack, elevator pit work and the East Arcade reopening — and said the basement renovation and commercial kitchen are slated to complete in 2027, creating new revenue streams. “The city has committed to this project very deeply,” she said, adding that the city’s commitment helped leverage outside dollars.

Council members pressed operational details. Councilman Casey asked how the $783,000 subsidy will be used; the budget administrator said it is transferred to cover the market’s shortfall across operations. Councilman Harsh and others challenged the realism of projections that assume new income from an event space, commercial kitchen and the North Arcade; Mudry said the projections are grounded in the master plan and peer market benchmarks but acknowledged they are partly aspirational and that CPMC will pursue multiple “levers” — parking, events, leasing — if particular revenue lines underperform.

Equity concerns surfaced repeatedly. Councilman Conwell urged the city to prioritize food access across neighborhoods and asked why large investments have been concentrated at Westside Market while East Side markets and grocery deserts remain under‑resourced. Mudry and other speakers invited council members to tour the market and explore programmatic partnerships — like the Produce Perks coupon program, which Mudry said in May 2025 involved 287 households and roughly $40,000 in redeemed vouchers.

Council requests and next steps: council members asked for more granular information during reconciliation, including quarterly reporting on how the support payment is disbursed, OEO compliance data for construction contracting, a list of current vendor rents, and a site tour before next year’s budget hearing. The chair scheduled a market visit and asked staff to follow up with the requested details.

The committee did not take a vote on the market’s operating subsidy during the hearing; council members signaled both support for the market’s cultural and community role and skepticism about revenue timing and the need to balance investment across neighborhoods.