Downtown Cleveland's Project Scarlet redevelopment has landed a marquee dining partner: chef Doug Katz will develop the menu for Ettore, a new restaurant planned as part of the historic Rose Building. The pairing brings one of the city's most decorated culinary names into a project already reshaping the corner of East 9th Street and Prospect Avenue.
The restaurant tie-in was reported by Crain's Cleveland, which described Katz's involvement with Ettore. Katz runs his restaurant portfolio through Edgewater Hospitality, the Cleveland-based group he co-founded with business partner Todd Thompson, according to Cleveland Scene. Katz was named a James Beard Award semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurateur category in January 2025, per his own site, and previously spent two decades running the Shaker Square landmark Fire Food & Drink before launching newer concepts.
Construction Ramps Up After State Tax Credit
Project Scarlet cleared a major financial hurdle this summer. In July, the development received a $7 million Transformational Mixed-Use Development tax credit from the state of Ohio, allowing developer Spark GHC to move from demolition into active first-floor construction on the conversion, according to the same Crain's report. That milestone followed the Port of Cleveland Board of Directors' authorization of up to $120 million in taxable lease revenue bonds and a capital lease structure to support the adaptive reuse plan, as reported by Multi-Housing News.
The site itself has a longer paper trail. Property records filed with the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer in December 2024 show that Spark GHC, operating as East 9th Scarlet LLC, acquired the former Medical Mutual headquarters buildings for $10.95 million, according to a NEOtrans report. The sale covered the 10-story Rose Building at 2060 E. 9th St. and the adjacent six-story Sloan Building at 823 Prospect Ave.
A Marriott First, and a Landmark With History
Once complete, Project Scarlet will mark the first U.S. residential property branded by Marriott, pairing 171 luxury apartments in the Rose Building with a 121-room Marriott hotel in the attached Sloan Building, according to reporting from Cleveland Scene. Residents and hotel guests are expected to share some amenities.
The Rose Building itself carries deep local history. The 10-story structure has housed Medical Mutual of Ohio and is a historic downtown building. Public financing has played a substantial role in getting the project this far — Project Scarlet has been described as a clear example and test case for the Opportunity Zone strategy, as Hoodline previously reported.
Feeding a Growing Downtown Population
Ettore's planned addition is part of Project Scarlet's downtown redevelopment.
Cleveland's dining scene is also drawing more national attention, adding to the city's appeal for new restaurant concepts.
Katz already operates a string of Cleveland-area restaurants, including Kiln, Amba and Zhug, and Ettore will add a new concept to that portfolio. Precise details on Ettore's opening timeline have not been finalized, and how the restaurant's menu will fit alongside Katz's existing lineup remains to be seen as Project Scarlet's construction continues.
