CLEVELAND — Soon, the city of Cleveland could have a new flag.

What You Need To Know

  • A grassroots organization called the CLE Flag Project is hosting a city-wide competition to redesign the city’s flag

  • So far, more than 200 designs have been submitted

  • Anyone can submit a flag design, regardless of age or skill level

A grassroots organization, called the CLE Flag Project, is currently hosting a a competition to give people in the greater Cleveland area a chance to design and vote on a new flag for the city.

Brian Lachman, the co-organizer of the CLE Flag Project, said so far they have received more than 200 design submissions from people of all ages and skill levels.

“Our idea kind of started a little over a year ago when we visited Chicago and realized how prominent and embedded their flag is in the culture of Chicago and thought that Cleveland was lacking that," Lachman said.

After the flag design competition closes on July 19, the committee will review the submissions and choose the top three flag designs plus the current one that the greater Cleveland community will vote on before it gets sent to city council for final approval.

Judge William Vodrey of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas is a committee member for this project.

He believes that Cleveland is a great city, with a lot to offer, but said it needs a symbol that can unite the community outside of sports memorabilia.

“The flag of the city of Cleveland, which most people don’t even know exists. It looks quite a bit like the flag of France but with the colors reversed and it has the city's seal in the middle of it, a version of the city's seal,” Vodrey said.

“It’s wonderful that I have a chance now, for a city that I love, to perhaps play a role, a very small role, in helping pick a new flag for it,” Vodrey said.

It is possible that there will be a new city flag selected by the fall.