Building Community-Led Change
Strong neighborhoods are built and propelled by engaged community members who hold a vision for the neighborhood they know best. MidTown Cleveland, Inc's (MTC) Community Engagement team works alongside neighbors, community organizations, businesses, and institutions to advance resident-led initiatives, strengthen local connections, and advance projects that reflect community priorities.
Whether through planning processes, infrastructure projects, cultural programming, leadership development, or grassroots groups, our team’s goal is to create meaningful opportunities for residents to lead and co-design to shape the future of their neighborhoods.
MidTown Cleveland serves as a connector, facilitator, and capacity-builder within the communities we serve. Our engagement work is guided by several core principles:
Resident voices and gifts are essential elements for equitable neighborhood development
Community knowledge is equally valued alongside professional expertise
Relationships are built through earned trust, accountability, consistent communication, and transparency
Cultural identity and neighborhood history are not only celebrated, but also leveraged as a lens for future planning efforts
The best solutions often come from the people closest to the problem
We believe that meaningful and catalytic community development happens when residents are provided the opportunities and platforms required to shape their neighborhood, block by block.
SUPPORTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Advancing Resident Leadership
MTC’s engagement team helps to identify, support, and connect resident leaders to one another and to resources as they seek to care for and advance their street, block or the broader neighborhood.
Over the years, we have worked closely with Neighborhood Connections to help connect residents to over $50,000 in micro-grants to support, and in some cases upstart block clubs, resident-led arts and culture groups, resident-driven greenspace teams, senior-led resource groups, and more. Our neighborhoods benefit deeply because of these residents who care so deeply for neighborhoods in which they live. If you are a resident interested in starting a resident group, applying for a grant, or gaining leadership experience, please reach out to us.
Some current examples of resident groups in MidTown, AsiaTown, and Hough:
- The AsiaTown Square Dancing Group is one of the neighborhood’s longest-running resident-led activities. What began as a small gathering of Chinese women residents have grown into a visible symbol of community connection, promoting physical wellness, social engagement, and cultural expression in a welcoming public space.
- Friends of AsiaTown Park is a resident advisory group that helps guide the stewardship, programming, and long-term vision of AsiaTown Square Dancing Park.
CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS
MTC leads and supports a variety of annual events that take place throughout the neighborhoods we serve.
These events are vital community gatherings that not only bring visibility to the community, but also contribute to the overall vitality and connectivity of our communities. Our team is always interested in supporting or starting new events and gatherings that celebrate neighborhood culture and align with community goals.
SMALL BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT
Community Engagement and Reflecting Cultural Heritage
MTC hosts monthly business leader gatherings connecting small business owners and nonprofit organizations to important neighborhood resources and information while also bridging connections between our entrepreneurial and business community. Subscribe to our newsletters to learn more about Business Resource Meetings.
In partnership with Oberlin College, MTC manages the MidTown Community Dashboard, which is an interactive community calendar and jobs board
With screens across the neighborhood located currently at Dave’s Market, Fatima Family Center, Wilson Tower, Asia Town Center, Asia Plaza, Foundry Lofts, Hunger Network, Oriana House, and Learning to Grow Daycare, this tool offers easy access to what's going on in the MidTown community.
You can add your own event or initiative or simply stay up to date by heading to the Neighborhood Hub above.
PROJECT-BASED STRATEGY
In 2026, we adopted a project-based engagement strategy to serve two important populations in our neighborhood;
- Real estate developers, planning firms, or the city officials leading infrastructure or development projects in MidTown, AsiaTown, or Hough,
- Community members looking for a predictable and reliable pathway to offer their perspective on projects with confidence that their voice will be respected, heard, and integrated into project outcomes.
MTC’s project based engagement strategy bridges the gap between these populations while also creating a mutually supportive environment where resident voices and development priorities are both sincerely considered.
Mingyue Place
Community engagement has been foundational to the development of Mingyue Place.
NRP Group has worked closely, consistently, and responsively with MTC, AsiaTown community leaders, and City of Cleveland partners through a combination of formal meetings, design‑focused conversations, City‑ and CDC‑led outreach, and informal one‑on‑one discussions. Engagement began during initial concept development and zoning review and has continued throughout the entitlement process, with a shared commitment to ongoing dialogue through construction completion.
E. 66TH STREET TLCI INITIATIVE
The revitalization of a critical neighborhood connector.
E. 66th Street is a significant street in the Hough neighborhood. From League Park to the Fatima Family Center, Chateau Hough to the many historic churches along E. 66th Street, institutions and businesses in this corridor have served the community for years.
Exciting new things are happening. The Cleveland Foundation has moved headquarters from downtown to E. 66th Street and Euclid Avenue, the Hough branch of the Cleveland Public Library now stands at Lexington and E. 66th Street, and various organizations and residents are continuing to move into the neighborhood.
PAYNE AVENUE
Reimagining the central commercial corridor of the AsiaTown neighborhood.
Over the next two years, we’re partnering with the City and neighborhood groups to make it safer, greener, and easier to use whether you’re visiting for lunch, working in the area, or living nearby.
The city’s planned public upgrades align with private and philanthropic investments, including MidTown Lofts at the former Dave’s grocery store site , improvements at the AsiaTown Pop-Up Park supported by the Transformative Arts Fund and the Gund Foundation, and Mandel Foundation placemaking.
Every neighborhood project is different. Our engagement approach is tailored to meet community needs while ensuring residents have meaningful opportunities to participate throughout the process.
get involved
you can make a difference
Whether you are interested in volunteering, leading a resident group, attending or volunteering at an event or helping to support the neighborhood in another way, we invite you to connect with us.