By Joanna Richards
Over the weekend, a woman died of an apparent drowning in the Cuyahoga River near The Flats in downtown Cleveland. The incident harkened back to an earlier era for the district that many city officials and developers hope is not coming back.
In the mid-1990s, The Flats were known as party central, and drownings, often involving alcohol, were routine.
This weekend, according to a police report, a group of about 10 people had been drinking and using drugs, and jumping into the river.
"There are more users in The Flats. You’re going to have more people down there – you know, unfortunately, you’re also going to probably have more incidents," said City Councilman Joe Cimperman, who represents the area. He said drownings have been rare in recent years partly because of safety measures put in place by City Council more than a decade ago, like life preservers and ladders along the water – but also because the frat-party atmosphere eventually drove people, and businesses, away.
Now that’s changing. Higher-end development along the Flats East Bank – including luxury apartments and an oyster bar – are creating a different environment, said longtime Cleveland developer Richard Pace.
"They’ve got people living there, working there. That was different. Back in the old days of The Flats, it was only an entertainment district. You’ve got a whole built-in group of stakeholders who are going to want to see the quality maintained," he said.
More city involvement this time around has helped to guide development that attracts office workers, families, residents and consumers both day and night, Pace said.