CUYAHOGA FALLS: Tuesday afternoon was a typical day at Front Street’s Riverfront Pedestrian Mall — “typical” in that it was nearly empty.
In the span of an hour, fewer than 10 people passed by the storefronts, restaurants and offices along a downtown block that was closed to traffic in the 1970s during a national fad that tried to appeal to consumers who were taking their money to shopping malls.
Now imagine this desolate block filled with bustling restaurants and cafe tables lining the sidewalk. Shoppers navigating quaint stores in search of bargains. Boating enthusiasts renting kayaks for the Cuyahoga River that weaves behind the buildings. Kids at a playground. Pets in a dog park. A warm sense of community as neighbors stroll and bike past each other on a sunny summer day while the sound of music filters into the street.
On Friday and Saturday, you can do more than imagine it. You can experience it during Falls Better Block, an event that seeks to show off the possibilities for a new and vibrant Front Street.
Mostly taking place on the block north of Portage Trail, the event will feature faux storefronts and “pop-up” vendors, a stage with live music and outdoor dining.
Samantha Coldwell and Getta Kutuchief, friends and Cuyahoga Falls Class of 2000 alumni, have been working for a year to bring the event to their community, so inspired after helping at a similar event in Akron’s North Hill neighborhood last year.
Coldwell, a Barberton High School marketing teacher, helped generate interest for the North Hill event. Kutuchief, who does community outreach as part of her job at the Summit County Juvenile Court, assisted in organizing volunteers.
Only after the event was completed did they fully understand its potential, and “we fell in love with the concept,” Kutuchief said. “When it was over and we had a wrap-up meeting, we said we want to bring this to our hometown.”
The Falls organizing committee collected more than $20,000 in grants and donations, as well as a team of some 150 volunteers.
It was only after Kutuchief and Coldwell committed to bringing Better Block to the Falls that they learned the city had plans for returning traffic to Front Street by 2018. Struggling business owners say the pedestrian mall suffers from lack of storefront visibility and on-street parking.
That news only increased the chances that a Better Block demonstration would inspire new business owners to take a chance and invest in the area, the women said.
While the two often patronize Front Street businesses, Kutuchief said, “Every time I’m in this area I look at it and think there is so much [untapped] potential.”
Coldwell said the street is filled with historic architecture and “the bones are here, but the element of people and activities aren’t here unless there’s a festival.”
Falls Better Block will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:50 p.m. Friday on the north end of the pedestrian mall. Representatives from the Knight Foundation, Torchbearers, the city of Cuyahoga Falls and the Cuyahoga Falls Chamber of Commerce will join the Falls Better Block committee for a brief presentation. Jason Roberts, founder of the national Better Block program, will also be in town.
The first performer will take the stage at 5 p.m., with festivities continuing until 11 p.m. On Saturday, activities will continue 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cindy Michael, owner of Harps & Thistles Yarn Emporium located just around the corner from this weekend’s activities, was so excited about the Better Block event, she asked if she and her fellow yarn wranglers could “yarn bomb” the festival site.
Kutuchief said she figured that meant wrapping a tree or a light pole in a blanket of yarn, but Michael had loftier goals — she wanted to cover all three stories of the city parking deck stairs, which spill out into the pedestrian mall.
More than 40 people accepted Michael’s social media challenge to contribute to the project, resulting in a colorful mosaic of crocheted and knitted squares that spell out “I (heart) Cuyahoga Falls.”
“I thought people would just submit a few panels, but they went crazy,” said Michael, who collected enough to cover 180 linear feet of concrete, 4 feet in depth.
“One of the most amazing things throughout this whole process is seeing everyone get excited and want to be a part of it,” Kutuchief acknowledged.
The goal of Better Block is to inspire, not be a single-weekend festival. While choosing vendors to participate in this weekend’s event, Kutuchief said organizers looked for people who might consider putting down roots in Cuyahoga Falls.
“One question on the application was, are you interested in potentially opening a business in the area. The ones that seemed excited about that idea are the ones we selected. It’s a perfect opportunity for them to test it out,” Kutuchief said.
Added Coldwell: “I hope to walk this street in five years and see that some of these awesome additions have become permanent parts of Cuyahoga Falls.”
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.