The Flats may not be the nicest part of Cleveland today, but it was once a very important part of the city. It has gone from a manufacturing and distribution center to an entertainment city containing bars, clubs, and concert arenas. It has two separate ‘sides’ to it, in which one of them is a ghost town today and the other is still full of entertainment plazas. Three elements that show that The Flats are a good part of Cleveland today are; they had a successful and powerful past, people still go down there to have a good time today, and they are already making and changing plans for the future.
The Cleveland Flats economy fluctuated in the past. It had many accomplishments and many times that were not good for their reputation. One very important accomplishment is that it was home to Cleveland’s first settlers, the Lorenzo Carter family. An unfortunate moment in its time is that when the 1970’s came around its business decreased. There is no exact reason why but it became a deserted area and no one ever came around that part of Cleveland anymore. A lot of restaurants closed leaving only a few open. By the 1980’s and 1990’s, there was an increase in people and business. More companies and businesses opened including Joe’s Crab Shack, Hooter’s, Landry’s Steak House, and Gentlemen’s Clubs that are still there today. Because of all these additions, there was less parking space and cheap happy hours, the business decreased again but, The Flats eventually recovered from that and there was more business.
The Cleveland Flats today is separated into The East and West Banks. Sandy Mitchell from About.com stated, “In the summer of 2000, three people drown in a river after a night of partying, the east bank grew as a place of crime and violence”. In 2001, a safety task force raided nine clubs and boarded up six of them on the spot. The east bank never recovered and is still in the same condition today. Even though the east bank is a disappointing side of The Flats, the west bank is a much more successful side. The west bank still boasts the Powerhouse today. It also still holds the Plain Dealer Pavilion Concert Revenue, Summer Nautical Charity Poker Tournaments, and The Nautical Queen Dinner Cruises (Mitchell). Also, it still has many bars that are still used today. The area is being rebuilt so some places have been torn down to do so.
The future of the flats is uncertain. The area is to be rebuilt eventually in the future. It will have underground parking, residential buildings, retail and restaurant, and much more. Several property owners are fighting this project to try and get it to stay the way it is so none of their businesses are destroyed in the process. The city has threatened to invoke Eminent Domain.
The Cleveland Flats was once a very important part of Cleveland, Ohio. It was also a fun place for people that want to have fun. It has had its ups and downs, but it has had quite a few drastic transformations. It has had a successful past and is still in descent shape today. Its future will hopefully be just as successful if not better than the past. The Cleveland Flats have been around for many years and will stay for many more.
