Wednesday is market day, but Renee Williams can't move hundreds of pounds of product to her West Side Market stall.
鈥淚 have six, five gallon buckets of pickles sitting at home in my cold garage, because I couldn鈥檛 bring them to work because I can鈥檛 get them up to my cooler,鈥� she said.
The only freight elevator that鈥檚 been functional for months gave out Wednesday, leaving dozens of West Side Market vendors like Williams stranded. While some worked to move their product up two flights of stairs by hand, others had to refuse delivery trucks or even close up shop for the day.
The elevator's failure is just the latest in ongoing infrastructure problems at the multi-stalled, indoor/outdoor market on the city鈥檚 Near West Side. As the more than century old building continues to age, business owners are putting more pressure on City Hall to make capital improvements.
鈥淚f they kept maintenance up over the last several decades, we wouldn鈥檛 be scrambling now,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淏ut here鈥檚 where we are now, and at this point it鈥檚 affecting hundreds of people.鈥�
Mayor Justin Bibb promises changes are coming. In his final round of federal pandemic relief fund spending plans, he unveiled a proposal to invest $20 million in the city-owned market as they transition to nonprofit leadership to pay for a prepared food hall and improved plumbing, heating and air conditioning. After negotiations with council leadership, he dropped his ask to $15 million.
Still, some council members are standing in the way, saying the money could instead go to other city neighborhoods.
鈥淎ll Cleveland neighborhoods need investment, even the areas people from suburbs don't visit once a month to play city,鈥� Ward 17鈥檚 in reference to the market proposal.
鈥淣o one is trying to take away from any neighborhoods,鈥� said third-generation butcher Amanda Chucray. 鈥淐ouncil is looking at this market as just Ohio City鈥檚 responsibility鈥� but this is everybody鈥檚 market. I have just as many East Side customers as I do West Side customers as I do suburban customers.鈥�
As the legislation awaits council鈥檚 decision, Bibb took to social media Wednesday to point to the broken elevators as support for his proposal.
The is in desperate need of infrastructure upgrades. Bandaid fixes aren鈥檛 working anymore. That鈥檚 why we are asking to pass our $15 million proposal to fund basic repairs.
— Justin M. Bibb (@JustinMBibb)
鈥淭he city is the landlord,鈥� Chucray said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the city鈥檚 responsibility to maintain these things, and they have not been, and we finally have the opportunity to do something with these federal funds.鈥�
She said the fate of businesses at the market, including her 63-year-old Czuchraj Meats, is in the city鈥檚 hands.
鈥淗onestly, if we don鈥檛 get these funds, I don鈥檛 know how much longer this place can survive,鈥� she said, citing plumbing issues and the leaky roof. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been pretty bad.鈥�
Chucray isn鈥檛 the only one worried about her livelihood being at stake. Williams said business owners may not have the time for the political debate to play out.
鈥淭his is a whole lot of blood, sweat, tears, time, history invested, and I would hope not to have to walk away from my business because of bureaucratic red tape,鈥� Williams said.
