Playhouse Square Center - PlayhouseSquare Today

PlayhouseSquare Today

The reopening of the State, Ohio, and Palace Theatres encouraged further development on Playhouse Square, including the $40 million Renaissance Office Building and a Wyndham Hotel. Other recent projects include the multi-million dollar transformation of the Playhouse Square Building and the Haig Avedesian Building into One Playhouse Square and the Playhouse Square Corporate Center, respectively, as well as the Huron Point and Perk Plaza parks. One Playhouse Square is now the downtown headquarters for Cleveland's WCPN public radio and WVIZ/PBS television station, incorporated together as ideastream. Recently, ideastream and the Playhouse Square Foundation Arts Education Department formed a partnership known as "Idea Center," located on the three lower levels of One Playhouse Square, which will house ideastream's broadcasting studios and provide arts education and performance facilities. Playhouse Square has even taken a page from New York City's Times Square District. In 2005, three video projection monitors were installed on the Wyndham and Hanna Buildings with news tickers broadcasting news and advertising for Cleveland businesses. East 14th, Huron, and Euclid are Cleveland's equivalent of Times Square.

In 2007, while Broadway Stagehands struck in New York, Broadway plays were going on at Playhouse Square, because the Cleveland I.A.T.S.E has a universal contract with Playhouse Square. Since all the theaters are under one umbrella, Cleveland stagehands have one agreement, unlike in New York where theaters are privately owned.

In 2008, the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project opened and Playhouse Square has a station on the Corridor. The Corridor connects Public Square to University Circle via the Cleveland Clinic.

In January 2008, the Hanna Theatre underwent a thorough renovation with improvements to its stage including a new hydraulic lift system. The renovation was completed in October.

In 2009, through a collaboration called “The Power of Three,” Cleveland Play House partnered with PlayhouseSquare and Cleveland State University to create the new Allen Theatre Complex in downtown Cleveland. In July 2009, CPH sold its building on 85th Street to Cleveland Clinic. In September 2011, CPH kicked off its the 96th consecutive season in a reinvented Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare. Two new venues adjacent to the Allen Theatre were brought on board in January 2012. A new production center is now located along the lakeshore in Cleveland, and administrative offices and education center are on East 13th Street.