Rock Hall Schedules Oct. 5 Groundbreaking for $135 Million-Plus Expansion as Precursor to City’s Lakefront Makeover
To paraphrase the 2021 campaign slogan of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame isn’t waiting.
On Bibb’s watch, the city is planning an ambitious downtown lakefront makeover designed in part to reduce the relative isolation of North Coast Harbor and the Rock Hall, one of the city’s biggest attractions.
But the Rock Hall isn’t waiting for the city’s plans to gel. The 28-year-old museum, which attracts roughly half a million visitors and says it contributes $250 million in economic impact annually, said Tuesday that it will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking on October 5 for a sizable new expansion that will increase its footprint by a third.
The museum also said it has raised $135 million for the project — far more than the $100 million target it previously announced. Roughly $9.5 million, or 7%, has come from the State of Ohio. The remainder has been donated by private sources including the American Electric Power Foundation, Aramark, Baker Hostetler, and Patty and Jay Baker.