Maingate Market Place plan could bring renewal to East 55th Street and Woodland Avenue

CLEVELAND - Cleveland's East Side could soon get its own version of the city's West Side Market.

The Maingate Business Development Corporation has proposed a plan to turn a vacant lot at the intersection of East 55th Street and Woodland Avenue into a large market place.

The $30 million project would include a seasonal farmers market, restaurants, retail outlets for local food distributors, a greenhouse, plus the renovation of an office and warehouse building just west of the intersection.

The main building would be open-air, but would also have enclosed areas to keep it running year-round.

Maingate will test the viability of the idea in mid-September by sending a request for proposals to developers. However, the company's main challenge is money. Maingate can't finance the development alone, but hopes a private developer will step up.

Maingate Business Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization that represents 500 businesses with 15,000 employees in Cleveland.