TEAM CONTACT
Niraj Naik
Director of Real Estate & Planning
nnaik@midtowncleveland.org
216-391-5080 ext. 109
PROJECT DOCUMENTS
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PROJECT
TIMELINE
2020-2021
Visioning: Develop Neighborhood Vision Plan, which included strategies for Payne Avenue included measures for improved sidewalks, greening, pedestrian safety, and new bike lanes.
2022-2023
Design: Preliminary Design for Phase 1 (E 13th to E 30th) and Phase 2 (E 30th to E 55th)
2024-2025
Construction: Phase 1 construction began in 2024 and Phase 2 construction in 2025. All of Payne Avenue is slated to be complete by end of 2026.
2025-2027
Additional Amenities: Led by MTC, design for culturally reflective wayfinding began in 2025 alongside a group of residents and stakeholders. Phase 1 of wayfinding will be installed Fall 2026 with future phases to follow. Additionally, over 20 trees will be added to Payne Fall 2026.
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In 2020, MidTown’s Neighborhood Vision Plan prioritized the reimagining of Payne Avenue as a the central commercial corridor of the AsiaTown neighborhood.
We’re partnering with the City of Cleveland 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 Mingyue Place 明月 at a former grocery store site, improvements at the AsiaTown Square Dancing Park supported by the Transformative Arts Fund, the Gund Foundation, and the Mandel Foundation.
Community Vision & Research
Payne Avenue has long been the heart of AsiaTown, and as the neighborhood grows, we have the opportunity to reimagine a Payne Avenue that supports current businesses and lays the foundation for future investment.
We’re addressing the core pain points we hear—high speeds, uncomfortable crossings, too little bike protection, and a lack of shade and greenspace—while coordinating with the City’s work so improvements arrive in the right order.
The City will remove excess concrete to create tree lawns with the goal of planting new street trees in 2026. Together with quick-build fixes and community programming, these moves help Payne Avenue read as AsiaTown’s main street.
Pictured : The debut of "For those who call here home"
OUR APPROACH
CITY REDESIGN & ENHANCEMENTS
Work includes
- Selective full-depth pavement repairs (replacing concrete where damaged) and full resurfacing
- Targeted sidewalk and ADA curb-ramp replacements
- An 8"→12" water-main replacement; drainage/catch-basin upgrades
- Added tree lawns
- Pedestrian upgrades including decorative crosswalks
- Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at E. 32nd, E. 36th, E. 38th, and E. 45th.
- Traffic signals at E. 32nd, E. 36th, and E. 45th will be removed
- Existing mast arms at E. 40th will be refurbished.
The corridor shifts from two lanes each way to one lane in each direction with turn pockets where needed. That “road diet” design reduces speed and weaving.
Parking-protected bike lanes will be installed where the bike lane sits: the bike lane sits by the curb, with the parking lane acting as a buffer from moving traffic—more comfortable for people biking and walking and more predictable for drivers.
See the City of Cleveland's plan here.
AN EXCEPTIONAL GROUP OF
PROJECT PARTNERS
