West Side Market, at 99, could build stronger footing on sponsorships, marketing efforts

Ohio City Inc. has started wooing potential corporate sponsors for centennial events. The nonprofit expects to publicly launch a new logo, promotional materials and an electronic newsletter for the West Side Market today.

View full sizeGus Chan, The Plain Dealer filePromotional efforts for the West Side Market seem like they center on the glitz of the facility's 100th birthday. But the fuss and fundraising has an economic component: Making the city-owned market more self-sustaining in its next century.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the West Side Market marks its 99th birthday today, its backers are hoping private sponsors will shell out $5,000 to $250,000 for events related to the city landmark's centennial.

Ohio City Inc. has started wooing potential corporate donors.

And the neighborhood nonprofit expects to publicly launch a new logo, centennial-related materials and an electronic newsletter for the market today.

Meanwhile, Cleveland City Council is weighing legislation that would give Ohio City Inc. control of marketing for the facility - a big step toward a public-private partnership to support the city-owned property.

View full sizeReid Brown, The Plain DealerSurveys of West Side Market customers show that shoppers want expanded parking and more local food. They're also interested in different hours and days of operation for the market.

"I hope it's a new model for the city," said Councilman Joe Cimperman, whose ward includes the market.

"We have to empower more citizens to be ambassadors for the city and her assets, across the board. The city's assets are too rich for us not to market, extol and promote them."

At first glance, these promotional efforts center on centennial glitz.

But all the fuss and fundraising is really about economic grit: Supporting small businesses within the market's walls, spurring more growth in a quick-changing neighborhood, and finding the right strategy - and funding sources - to sustain a cultural and culinary hub.

The city and its nonprofit partner hope boosting awareness of the market now will simplify the hard work later: A capital campaign to help fund repairs, maintenance and an endowment for the property.

"We interact regularly with the vendors, and we've been receiving their input pretty loud and clear that the real purpose behind the market centennial shouldn't be just a big birthday cake, and then the market's forgotten," said Christine Zuniga Eadie, the city's on-site market manager.

"We're looking at ways to make the centennial a very meaningful year for the market. That's where the capital campaign kicks in."

View full sizeTwist CreativeA new logo is part of the promotional plan for the West Side Market.

Last year, Mayor Frank Jackson assembled a centennial commission to evaluate the market, the neighborhood and the celebration.

A March report based on the commission's work outlined priorities, ranging from better parking to significant repairs at the building.

Market shoppers also want expanded parking. And they're interested in the possibility of different days and hours, based on the results of 1,200 customer surveys conducted and recently compiled by students at Cleveland State University.

The commission reached no conclusions on controversial topics such as changing the market's schedule or switching up the mix of tenants. But members stressed the need to make the market self-sustaining, less reliant on a municipal landlord during a time of shrinking city budgets.

View full sizeTwist CreativeA centennial version of the logo.

For every public dollar required, the commission identified at least $2 of private money needed to fix up the market, pay for a parking garage, cultivate small businesses nearby, fund a visitors center and remake an old locker room on the market's second floor to host cooking demonstrations and events.

So finding sponsors for events will lay the foundation for another round of fundraising, for the building and its future.

"Any efforts to raise money, especially for capital improvements, are good efforts," said Vince Bertonaschi, owner of Vince's Meats and the head of the market's tenants association.

"I'm not big on the centennial thing. I haven't really been to any of their meetings, but I've got to get this place fixed. There are things that seriously need to be handled here, and that's what I'm trying to do. Not this Mickey Mouse stuff."

View full sizeTwist CreativeA centennial seal could be used on butcher paper, food packages, bags and other items.

Ohio City Inc. has identified more than $700,000 worth of sponsorship opportunities. Amanda Dempsey, an Ohio City Inc. staff member focused on the market and the surrounding Market District, would not identify potential sponsors. She hopes to line up the largest donors this year.

Centennial events would range from a fall 2012 party to an international public markets conference scheduled for September. Dempsey also described a traveling exhibit about the history of the West Side Market and monthly activities highlighting different ethnic groups and foods represented in the building.

City Council expects to vote before year's end on the marketing agreement between the city and Ohio City Inc. According to the legislation, the nonprofit would create and run programs related to licensing rights, revenue-generating events at the market and long-term planning for the facility.

"We're busy plowing snow and picking up garbage," Cimperman said. "If we can get the support of organizations like this to do marketing, then more power to us."