Supporters of a downtown district showcasing the region's strengths in product design will test the concept with a furniture fair in mid July.
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Here's what the Cleveland District of Design might look like, viewed from where Huron Road East meets Euclid Avenue.
Jan. 18, 2010: Amish furniture makers and Cleveland planners explore benefits of Euclid Ave. design district
May 23, 2008: Old World Amish craftsmen seek global market in Cleveland
May 15, 2008: Cleveland's District of Design moves beyond being a concept
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Supporters of a downtown district showcasing the region's strengths in product design will test the concept with a furniture fair in mid July.
The Cleveland Furniture and Millwork Fair will gather the region's furniture makers -- most of them Amish -- at the Halle Building on Euclid Avenue.
For more than 3 years, top officials at Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Institute of Art have pitched the idea of a District of Design near PlayhouseSquare. The area would feature consumer-product showrooms and design studios that would attract buyers from across the country.
At one time, the district had a half dozen solid prospects as tenants, including several prominent consumer product manufacturers.
But the Great Recession has cooled interest, said Edward "Ned" Hill, one of the originators of the concept and dean of Cleveland State University's college of urban affairs.
"The (fair) marks the beginning of a more aggressive stage," Hill said. "We're declaring the recession over and we're getting on with it."
The design district proposal dovetails with the Downtown Cleveland Alliance's strategy to boost restaurant, retail and entertainment along Euclid Avenue.
Cleveland Furniture and Millwork Fair
When: July 14-15
Where: Halle Building, 1212 Huron Road East, downtown Cleveland
Who: Regional furniture makers, many of them Amish-owned, will display their work and attend seminars.
Hours: Wholesale buyers will tour the displays from morning to mid-afternoon. The public can check out the furniture from 3 to 7 p.m. both days. Display models will be available for sale to the public after 5 p.m. July 15.
"We're looking at complementary uses up and down the street," including high-end discount retail near Public Square, said Joe Marinucci, chief executive of the alliance.
At the proposed District of Design, Amish furniture makers could be a key tenant. They offer a distinctive, regional product that could catch the eye of big buyers, officials said.
The guild likes the idea and considers the furniture fair a test of the concept, said Shasta Mast, director of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau.
"It's a great opportunity for them to really test the waters as far as exhibiting in an urban setting," Mast said Monday. "It will be the first time many have done that."
Furniture makers and artisan woodworkers will attend seminars July 14 and 15 on the latest designs and color trends, Hill said.
Architects and furniture buyers, including those for college dormitories in Ohio, will attend. Some will lead a seminar for furniture makers to learn how to do business with buyers, Hill said.
"It's a professional show but we also want to celebrate the hardwood furniture industry, because people don't realize how big it is," Hill said.
The furniture guild represents companies employing 3,000 workers. The businesses do about $280 million in annual sales, Mast said.
"A lot of our builders have not been exposed to these markets before," Mast said. "Probably, they just never thought of it. They think of themselves as providers of dining room furniture for families, rather than bunk beds for a dormitory."
From morning to mid-afternoon both days, furniture wholesalers and larger buyers will check out exhibits of Amish-made furniture.
From 3 to 7 p.m. both days, the public can check out the furniture and order pieces through local stores, Hill said.