GiGi's Playhouse Cleveland is searching for a new home. The search poses a challenge for the organization's volunteers and the families it serves.
GiGi's Playhouse Cleveland is looking for a new home.
A Free Resource for Families Touched by Down Syndrome
GiGi's Playhouse describes itself as a volunteer-run organization that provides free therapeutic, educational and research-driven programs for individuals of all ages with Down syndrome, according to gigisplayhouse.org. That no-cost model, built and staffed largely by volunteers, is part of what makes the uncertainty around its physical space especially pressing for the families who rely on it.
The move is tied to a lease deadline: GiGi’s says its lease ends Feb. 28, 2027, after the landlord committed the current space to a new tenant. The organization had planned to expand there, add programs and launch GiGi University, but now says it is working to find and create a new home. Its transition plans emphasize keeping families connected to free programs while it searches for an accessible space suited to those services. The Cleveland Playhouse’s campaign page outlines that timeline and its plans.
The Krueger Group says it transformed a 3,180-square-foot storefront in downtown Lakewood for GiGi's Playhouse, the organization's first Northeast Ohio location.
The former storefront was designed around a range of activities, not just a meeting room: its layout included two learning labs, a kitchen for classes, an open gym and play area, a library, and a multipurpose room. Those features give a sense of the practical challenge in finding a replacement: the next space must support tutoring, movement, cooking and social programs under one roof. The project description from the Krueger Group details the Lakewood location’s design.
What Comes Next
The search comes as GiGi’s Playhouse reports a growing network of families served: its 2025 impact figures include more than 34,400 families and 400,000 hours of free programming, a 17% increase in program hours over 2024. Cleveland’s fundraising campaign sets staged goals of $1 million, $1.25 million and $750,000 to support the transition, secure another space and prepare it for programs. The network’s impact figures and the Cleveland campaign’s goals frame the scale of the effort.
For now, the organization's next steps hinge on finding a new home. Families and supporters watching the search will likely be looking for updates on where GiGi's Playhouse Cleveland ultimately lands.
