CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s southeast side is one of many areas where people have wanted more investment for decades. The new Opportunity Corridor may finally bring that.

What You Need To Know

  • The Opportunity Corridor is a three-mile stretch of boulevard from I-490 at East 55th Street to University Circle
  • The corridor is right in the middle of the "Forgotten Triangle," which got its name from the lack of economic activity

  • Leaders hope it will bring new investment to the area, create jobs and make it more accessible

  • Orlando Baking Company has been in the area for decades and its CEO is happy to see it open

Seemingly endless lines of bread are being made inside the Orlando Baking Company. John Anthony Orlando said he enjoys watching his family company thrive.

“We’re going through about 800 pounds of flour a week,” explained Orlando. 

The president and CEO is a fifth-generation member of the family business that’s been in Cleveland for more than 100 years. The company has made its impact on the city.

“We support a lot of people. We have over 300 people working here. We’ve been in the area, inner city of Cleveland now since 1979. We’ve always believed in the city and always supported the city,” said Orlando. 

The business has been in this location on Cleveland’s east side for more than 40 years. Orlando said he hopes the construction going on just outside of the building will lead to more investment.

“When we first built down here, they were saying this was going to be a new development zone. Forty years later, it’s finally happening. The boulevard's going to bring more people to this area, it’s going to bring more opportunities to this area and we’re excited to see it come,” said Orlando. 

At a ribbon cutting, state and local leaders opened the three mile stretch of boulevard from I-490 at East 55th Street to University Circle. Leaders hope to make the area more accessible and open more job opportunities. 

“I’m of the generation of baby boomers who was around. I was a small child when the interstate systems and these major projects slashed through poor and minority neighborhoods. We can’t undo the past, but we can invest in a brighter future and this project is a prime example of that,” said Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks.

Orlando's family brought the Italian-born business to Cleveland in the 1800s. He said he hopes this is the beginning of more investment in the neighborhood his family invested in decades ago.

“It’s always been our home. When we moved down here in 1979. We had opportunities to move to Solon and other suburbs, but the family believed in the city, and wanted to be apart of the city, so we moved down here as the, you know, it’s called the 'Forgotten Triangle' and this is going to be a new improvement zone, so we took the chance and came down here and forty years later, it’s finally starting to happen,” said Orlando. 

 

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