At a Feb. 20 budget hearing, Cleveland City Council members zeroed in on nearly $1 million in proposed subsidies for city-owned assets, putting Highland Park Golf Course and the West Side Market squarely in the hot seat. Several lawmakers argued that before the city pours money into marquee renovations, it should first tackle battered pools, worn-out playgrounds and basic park maintenance. The back-and-forth laid bare a split between members willing to wait for long-term turnaround plans and those pushing for quick, visible wins in neighborhood facilities.
During the Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee’s general-fund hearing, council members Mike Polensek, Kevin Conwell, Kris Harsh and Brian Kazy said they could not back a roughly $960,000 subsidy for Highland Park Golf Course and pressed the Cleveland Public Market Corporation over a separate $783,000 request tied to the West Side Market, according to Signal Cleveland. Members also highlighted a steep drop in West Side Market parking revenue, from about $1.5 million to roughly $498,000, and pointed to a parks division that officials said needs to fill 17 to 20 positions, raising fresh questions about how the city is prioritizing its limited dollars. The hearing wrapped without an immediate decision on either subsidy.
Council Members Question the Math and the Priorities
“All morning we heard we don’t have enough revenue for urban forestry, employees, equipment,” Ward 10 Councilman Mike Polensek said, arguing that Cleveland should shore up pools and rec centers before handing cash to a golf course. Ward 4 Councilman Kris Harsh calculated that the proposed subsidy works out to roughly $6,000 for each of the 160 Cleveland kids who played for free and labeled the spending “ridiculous,” according to Signal Cleveland. Other members pressed whether the Highland Park Golf Foundation’s revenue projections are realistic and asked if any future profits would flow back to the city treasury instead of being entirely plowed back into the course.
How the City Structured the Deals
The Highland Park Golf Foundation now runs the 36-hole course under a qualified management agreement the city approved in 2023. The City of Cleveland Legistar record shows the contract includes a transition schedule with capital support and a fixed annual management fee. Legistar documents list a $250,000 yearly management fee and five years of capital support that are supposed to be offset as revenues increase, and they spell out capital projects, including a driving range and other amenities, that are meant to boost income. The West Side Market was shifted to nonprofit operation under a lease and management agreement that authorized an initial $200,000 payment to the operator and envisioned limited annual city support while capital work is underway, according to the market’s Legistar presentation.
West Side Market Masterplan and Fundraising
City and market leaders say the West Side Market’s masterplan will roll out new revenue streams, including a commercial kitchen, an overhauled food hall and event spaces, that are key to pushing the operation toward self-sufficiency. The city has already set aside money for that transformation. The masterplan details estimated capital costs and a strategy for phasing out operating subsidies as new income ramps up, and the administration also announced a new executive director for the Cleveland Public Market Corporation to lead that work, according to the West Side Market and the city’s announcement…