Mayor Justin Bibb wants to transform the basement of Cleveland City Hall into a welcoming public café — but City Council isn’t reaching for their wallets just yet.
The proposal calls for a roughly $7 million renovation of the lower level at 601 Lakeside Avenue. The city has already begun calling the space the “garden level” in official communications. Plans include a full public-facing coffee shop, a new ADA-accessible entrance, and updated restrooms. The goal: make City Hall feel less like a closed-off government building and more like “the people’s house.”
This larger vision follows the recent opening of a small first-floor coffee kiosk called 601 Coffee House, powered by UnBAR Cafe. Mayor Bibb personally celebrated the kiosk’s launch, calling it a meaningful step toward making City Hall more inviting for employees, visitors, and downtown workers.
Supporters argue the area around City Hall is essentially a food desert — with limited nearby options after the closure of the Doubletree Hotel café. A full café downstairs, they say, would serve city staff, residents conducting business, and people working downtown, building on the test run of the smaller kiosk.
However, several City Council members are pushing back hard on using capital improvement dollars — money typically reserved for neighborhood projects — to fund what they see as a luxury amenity at City Hall.
Council members like Michael Polensek have expressed skepticism, emphasizing that City Hall is a place “to come and do your business and leave,” not a spot to “hang out.” Others have questioned whether the renovation should be a top priority when neighborhoods across Cleveland still need infrastructure investments.
As a result, the ambitious $7 million basement overhaul has been put “on ice” for now, according to discussions on cleveland.com’s “Today in Ohio” podcast. Council appears largely supportive of improving accessibility (such as a new west entrance) but remains cool on the full café concept.
The small 601 Coffee House kiosk remains open and operational on the first floor near the citizen support center.
This brewing debate highlights ongoing tensions at Cleveland City Hall over spending priorities: making government more approachable versus directing limited funds straight into residential neighborhoods.
Cleveland Leader will continue monitoring the situation and seek updated comments from Mayor Bibb’s office and City Council leadership.