Cleveland
Chain
Reaction

The Cleveland Chain Reaction Project is being produced to create jobs, investment and prosperity in Cleveland’s neighborhoods while providing education and coaching for entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners for the greater benefit of our community.

La Villa Hispana

La Villa Hispana is nestled within the Clark Fulton neighborhood of Cleveland’s near west side, expanding outward from the intersection of Clark Avenue and West 25th Street. Housed within ward 14, which has the densest Hispanic population in the state of Ohio, La Villa Hispana is an intricate network of local businesses, affordable housing, and culturally diverse residents. La Villa Hispana is home to a variety of minority-owned small businesses that welcome the opportunity to further diversify the mercantile fabric of the neighborhood while continuing to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of both merchants and aspiring businesses. La Villa Hispana’s efforts are led by the mission to be “The economic and cultural center of the Latino community in Greater Cleveland,” and has started three foundational projects to begin the physical presence of La Villa Hispana. Metro West CDO has been able to develop a small business pipeline for La Villa Hispana, by guiding budding entrepreneurs from concept to right-size operations. Leveraging the entrepreneurial spirit of Clark Fulton’s Latino community, La Placita was created for home-based businesses to be exposed to the formal economy. Metro West CDO has been able to connect startups, merchants and property owners to one another and introduce dynamic opportunities for collaboration while leveraging city and county resources. Metro West demonstrates a high level of capacity to help business owners by representing organizations on the project’s Steering Committee and leadership at the Executive Committee level. Inter-departmental collaboration has resulted in the identification of historical trends in use and occupancy while helping property owners establish best uses.