One of the hottest areas in Cleveland for nightlife and shopping is now the center of a hot debate.
Should Ohio City visitors pay to park? It's something the city wants and more and more merchants are fighting.
"We've opened up six businesses," says Sam McNulty.
In the past several years, on one street, McNulty helped contribute to the flourishing West 25th.
"We have people that come down every day for the market when it's open, they come down on the weekends. They're having dinner and drinks with friends in the neighborhood."
It's any neighborhood's dream. But both the merchants and the city agrees, parking is a nightmare. And the "agreeing" pretty much stops there.
The city wants to charge for parking. But vendors and merchants want to keep it free.
'If we erect a pay wall in these lots, people will think twice about coming down as often as they do," says McNulty.
Ohio City Incorporated is working on the plan, which they say will add available parking by combining the two lots behind the west side market, eliminating West 24th and building a parking structure.
"If people can't find parking, then the neighborhood will not continue to be successful," says Eric Wobser, with Ohio City Incorporated.
They've gone back and forth with the West Side Market's vendors, who currently hold a lease on the city lots. Just last week, they proposed parking is free for the first 2 hours instead of the original proposal of 90 minutes for market shoppers.
Ohio City Inc. says they don't want to do anything to deter the crowds, so they'll keep trying to find a solution.
Merchants just want to see the area appreciated.
"Not, how can we make money off the parking lot, the bigger question is, how can we improve the market and help this amazing institution that's 100 years old make it through the next 100 years," says McNulty.
Paying to park won't go into effect until the West Side Market vendors agree to a plan. They hold the lease on the lots for another 2 years.
WKYC-TV