It was a giant demolition project-a 25-unit apartment building, costing nearly 18 times more than a single-residence demolition-but the Cuyahoga Land Bank was up for the challenge.
The opportunity came about through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Cuyahoga Land Bank and the City of Lakewood, stating that the Cuyahoga Land Bank would assist in property clearances related to nuisance abatement. Such nuisances include vacant properties, homes that are abandoned and repeatedly broken into and vacant lots with overgrown weeds.
“These are properties that are a blighting influence on a struggling neighborhood,” says Cheryl Stephens, Director of Acquisitions, Dispositions and Development for the Cuyahoga Land Bank. “They have a negative impact on the community and the way to eliminate the problem-to abate the nuisance-is to demolish useless buildings that are beyond rehabilitation and clear the land.”
The apartment building was the first project implemented under the new agreement. National Stabilization Program (NSP-2) funds, allocated to Cuyahoga Land Bank activity in Lakewood and 19 target areas across Cuyahoga County, were used to cover the cost of demolition.