Anyone who has lived in or near Euclid knows where Shore Cultural Centre is. The beautiful old building is a few blocks south of Lake Erie, and has stood in the same spot since 1918, when it was erected to serve as a high school. Those who lived in Euclid in the late 60s and early 70s remember it as a junior high, and for those of us who grew up in the 80s, Shore Centre was a location for an annual summer festival, with amusement rides and the chance to see local theater. By the late 90s and early 2000s, Shore Cultural Centre was struggling.
“The city was running Shore, and it wasn’t going well,” says Laura Kidder, the building manager at Shore. The building had fallen into disrepair and required a lot of work. In 2005, a large investment was made in turning the basement into a cafeteria and culinary school, but the building was still struggling. In 2009, the City of Euclid sent requests for proposal (RFPs) to more than 40 firms, seeking prospects for the management and revitalization of the building. The Coral Management Company was chosen, and Laura Kidder was appointed property manager. “We knew that we needed to increase revenue, so we came in, interviewed the residents and businesses here to learn what they liked and what needed to change.” Now, just over a year after Coral Management Company took over operations, the Shore Cultural Centre is alive, buzzing with energy and community.
“The Coral Management Company grabbed hold of Shore Centre when it was just about to the wrecking ball,” says Frenche Picshe, a Euclid resident, involved with the Shore Centre's Euclid Community Farmers Market, held each Friday. “Because of their great management abilities, they turned it around and made it a plus,” he says. “It’s looking better every week.” Now, Shore offers everything from free GED preparation courses and music lessons to artists' studios and yoga classes. The Euclid Symphony Orchestra is in residence at Shore, and there is a charter school using one of the wings for its operation. Parents can bring their children to Love n’ Care Daycare and sign them up for pottery classes, paper-crafting classes, sewing classes and jewelry-making.
