Demolition is not about tearing down; it is about making way. It removes hazards, eliminates blight, restores confidence and creates the conditions necessary for reinvestment. Across Cuyahoga County, this work has transformed long-neglected properties into assets that can once again serve communities. 

Demolition as a Catalyst for Economic Growth 

One of the clearest examples of demolition’s impact is the former industrial site at 19701 S. Miles Road in Warrensville Heights. At the request of the City, the Land Bank stepped in to acquire a tax-foreclosed property that had become a liability. The building was obsolete, underutilized and no longer viable for redevelopment in its existing form. 

Through strategic demolition, the site was cleared and repositioned for new use. Today, that land is home to a Heinen’s manufacturing facility, a transformation that represents jobs, investment and renewed economic activity. What was once a burden is now a productive contributor to the local economy. 

“The strength of Cuyahoga Land Bank is in its ability to improve communities through a focused vison of neighborhood revitalization by partnerships that have a unified strategy to eliminate obstacles and blight by making land productive once again,” said Warrensville Heights Mayor Bradley D. Sellers.  

This is the essence of Cuyahoga Land Bank work: identifying when a structure has reached the end of its useful life and ensuring the land beneath it can once again serve the community. 

Removing Blight, Restoring Opportunity 

Few sites illustrate the scale and importance of demolition better than the former National Acme facility at Coit Road and Kirby Avenue in Cleveland. Once a major employer, the property sat vacant for decades, becoming both an eyesore and an environmental concern for surrounding neighborhoods. 

“The Land Bank, alongside local and state partners, has led efforts to demolish and remediate the site – transforming it into a shovel-ready location for future development,” said Adam Stalder, Cuyahoga Land Bank Director of Community Stabilization. “Community leaders have described the project as a symbol of hope and progress, emphasizing its potential to attract investment and create jobs.”  

This work is not just about aesthetics. Long-abandoned industrial properties often carry environmental hazards that prevent reuse. By clearing these sites, barriers to development are removed and opportunities are created for new industries, housing and community amenities. In fact, projects like Acme are expected to support significant job creation and long-term economic revitalization. 

Protecting Residents and Stabilizing Neighborhoods 

Demolition also plays a critical role in protecting the health and safety of residents, particularly in communities burdened by large, unsafe structures. The Huron Place apartments in East Cleveland are a current example. 

Long vacant and deteriorating, the building has posed ongoing challenges for the city and its residents. In 2026, local officials finalized a plan in partnership with the Land Bank to move forward with demolition, with work expected to begin soon. 

This project reflects a broader truth: leaving severely distressed properties standing can perpetuate instability. Vacant buildings often attract illegal activity, depress surrounding property values and strain municipal resources. Removing them is a necessary step toward restoring neighborhood confidence and creating a safer environment. 

As seen in past East Cleveland projects, large-scale demolition efforts can provide immediate relief to residents while assembling land for future housing or commercial development, turning areas once defined by abandonment into places of possibility.  

A Strategic Tool—Not a First Resort 

At the Land Bank, demolition is never the starting point. It is used thoughtfully and strategically, only when rehabilitation is not feasible. But when it is needed, it is incredibly effective. 

Across Cuyahoga County, demolition has helped remove thousands of blighted structures, paving the way for redevelopment, increasing property values and improving quality of life. It is a critical part of a broader toolkit that includes renovation, land assembly and partnerships with municipalities and developers. 

From Blight to Bright Futures 

Every demolition tells a story, not of loss but of transition. It marks the moment when a property stops being a liability and starts becoming an opportunity. 

From Warrensville Heights to Cleveland to East Cleveland, these projects demonstrate that community stabilization often begins by clearing the past to make room for the future. Whether it’s a new manufacturing facility, a job-ready industrial site or safer neighborhoods, the outcomes are tangible and lasting. 

The post Clearing the Way: Why Strategic Demolition Is Essential to Community Stabilization appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

The towering apartment buildings that covered entire blocks in East Cleveland are gone. But because of the work of Cuyahoga Land Bank Commercial Demolition Officer, Jim Maher, more than 100 tons of Ohio-mined sandstone from multiple East Side demolitions have found new purpose in the Circle East District. 

About 50 pallets worth of Northeast Ohio’s Berea sandstone has been salvaged over the last few years from the Land Bank’s demolition of East Cleveland’s Burnette apartments on Euclid Avenue and from a half-dozen separate apartment buildings running the length of Chapman Avenue of Euclid Avenue. 

“The Chapman buildings had this incredible sandstone veneer that spanned the entire block,” Maher said. “Each building had a slightly different design but together it created a cohesive wall of sandstone going down the street.” 

When dust had settled, so to speak, the Land Bank, Maher said, was able to salvage about 30 percent of the usable sandstone from Chapman Avenue. That number might not sound like much, but it has provided material for everything from retaining walls to seating in Circle East’s greenway, and much more is in storage. 

The salvaged pieces came in different shapes and sizes, Maher explains, some pieces were perfect for the Circle East District’s Greenway, a green neighborhood pathway parallel to Euclid Avenue located just Northwest of Daffodil Hill at Lake View Cemetery. The pathway, created from vacant Land Bank lots cuts through multiple side streets – including Penrose Avenue and Brightwood Street – and uses the recycled sandstone for seating and marking the edges of the path interspersed between gazebos, bike racks and picnic tables. 

Other larger foundation pieces of sandstone were used in the $3.5 million renovation of Mickey’s, an art-deco-inspired building originally-constructed in 1949 as a Buick dealership.  

Large sections of the stone now make up a retaining wall along the edge of the parking lot near the corner of Euclid Avenue and Lakeview Road – part of the commercial renewal of the Circle East District. 

“Some of the material was even used to build a small, Greek-like amphitheater at one end of the Circle East Greenway. It is not a large amphitheater, but it is unique because and a great and unique thing we could add to the greenway and the community,” Maher said. 

Reusing the sandstone in the Circle East District ticks off a few of the project’s overall priorities. The repurposed material is a physical manifestation of the historic East Cleveland neighborhood while also representing a hope of real, sustainable renewal. And the environmental and cost have a minimal impact on the project overall. 

The massive haul of sandstone isn’t the only historic treasure the Land Bank has been able to salvage from the properties and buildings demolished over the years. 

Maher helped oversee a plan between Slavic Village Development’s Krystal Sierra and Rebuilders Exchange (RBX) – a local construction debris recycling and reclaim business – to save a piece of local history. 

Sierra worked with RBX to mobilize a crew to carefully move a massive two-story, neon-sign from the Brown Brother’s furniture store on Broadway Avenue in Slavic Village, before the hollowed-out building was demolished. 

The building was abandoned for about two decades, but the sign was a reminder of better times for the once busy commercial corridor. “We were able to save that sign and find someone who could safely remove and store it,” Maher said. “The keys to any salvage are that it has be safe and there has to be a place to store it.” 

Sandstone and signs are not the only things worth saving, Maher explains. This past winter, he also worked to rescue yet another nostalgic symbol of Cleveland’s history during the clean-up and remediation of the former Euclid Beach Mobile Home Park.  

Before the more than 28-acre lakefront property became a small mobile home park, for 74 years it was known by families in and around Ohio as the Euclid Beach Amusement Park, which at its peak had more than two million visitors a year. 

“In the middle of the mobile home park was this concrete ticket booth from the Euclid Beach Amusement Park days,” Maher said. “We told the Metroparks that it was there and still standing, and they were quick to send out a crew to get it. It is in storage now but eventually, it’s going to have a place here once the new park is completed.” 

Unfortunately, not every salvage ends with a successful recycle or reuse story. Maher remembers another attempt to rescue a large neon sign, which resulted in a big crash. There was another time that after he gave permission to a neighbor to pull siding off a house scheduled for demo, police were called and that person ended up spending the weekend in jail. 

There is also a lot of potential liability when salvaging materials in distressed buildings, Maher cautions. 

“We took down a building once and gave away the salvage rights to a third party that does wood salvaging. It was like a four-story apartment building on St. Claire, and during the salvage all these structural pieces were removed, which made it very unstable. It was a scary tear down,” Maher pointed out. 

The post Creative Destruction: The Land Bank finds creative uses for salvaged materials from distressed buildings appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

This multi-tool approach is at the core of how we create lasting economic impact across Cuyahoga County. By combining acquisition strategies, title work, demolition, environmental remediation, and strategic partnerships, we’re able to move properties from distressed and dormant to vibrant and valuable. 

Here are a few recent projects that demonstrate how this approach works in action. 

Reimagining Euclid Beach: From Mobile Home Community to Public Greenspace 

The transformation of the former Euclid Beach Mobile Home Community is a powerful example of collaboration paired with a comprehensive toolkit. 

Working alongside the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and with facilitation from Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek, the Land Bank played a central role in repositioning this lakefront property for public benefit. The project required a layered approach: accepting property through deed in lieu of tax foreclosure, clearing complex title issues, holding the land tax exempt, and ultimately overseeing demolition.  

“The Land Bank was an exceptional partner in the Euclid Beach Transformation project,” Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s Chief Urban Program Officer, Isaac Robb said. “From participating in land use planning to helping navigate complex legal and environmental challenges, their team brought both deep expertise and a solutions-oriented mindset. The tools they bring to any project are remarkable: legal help with challenging title issues, real estate and tax expertise, not to mention housing accommodations, and demolition was critical in moving the project forward. Just as important was the professionalism and genuine compassion they bring to their work, ensuring that the process remained grounded in community impact.”  

The process was anything but simple. More than 100 occupied mobile homes were located on the site, requiring careful coordination and compassion. Residents were successfully relocated with the help of Realty Reimagined, ensuring a people-first approach throughout the transition. 

From there, the Land Bank managed demolition and tackled the unique legal hurdles tied to mobile homes. 

“Mobile homes are treated as vehicles,” Land Bank Director of Acquisition & Disposition Kim Steigerwald said. “So, on top of clearing the taxes, we had to go to the BMV to transfer the titles into our name so that we could demolish the mobile homes.” 

After clearing the site and holding it tax exempt, the property was transferred back to the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and ultimately to the Cleveland Metroparks. The result is a once-inaccessible stretch of land now poised to become a major recreational asset. 

“It would appear that Euclid Beach Park could become the Eastside Edgewater,” Steigerwald noted. “The more recreation space you have for people, the healthier it is for them.” 

Building Opportunity: Westinghouse Electric Site Assembly 

At 2175 Ashland Road in Cleveland, the Land Bank’s multi-tool approach is helping lay the groundwork for future job creation. 

This long-vacant, tax-delinquent industrial property had gone through foreclosure and multiple unsuccessful sheriff sales before the Land Bank acquired it on behalf of Cleveland’s Site Readiness Fund (SRF). Using acquisition from forfeiture and a tax-exempt hold, the Land Bank stabilized the site while a broader redevelopment vision took shape. 

The strategy didn’t stop at a single parcel. Through coordinated efforts, additional nearby properties on Longfellow, Thackery, and Hawthorne were assembled, which created a contiguous site of more than 10 acres. 

Environmental challenges remain, but the Land Bank is addressing them head-on. “This was one of the first sites we acquired for the Site Readiness Fund,” Steigerwald said. “We applied for a U.S. EPA cleanup grant for more than $1 million that would allow us to clean up the site with help from the Ohio Department of Development demolition fund.” 

The payoff of this approach is clear. Steigerwald continues: “The more parcels that can be assembled, the more attractive it is for manufacturers to use the site to create jobs.” 

By combining land assembly, environmental funding and strategic holding, the project is transforming a long-neglected industrial area into a competitive development opportunity. 

Stabilizing a Key Development Site in Bedford 

At 200 Egbert Road in Bedford, the Land Bank stepped in at a critical moment to preserve momentum on a high-potential redevelopment site. 

Formerly home to the Taylor Chair Company, the property had already undergone demolition and environmental cleanup under a private developer. However, financial challenges stalled progress, putting the future of the more than 20-acre site at risk. 

Through a deed in lieu of tax foreclosure, the Land Bank acquired the parcels, cleared title issues and is now holding the property tax exempt on behalf of the City of Bedford. This intervention ensures that the site, which is considered prime for development, remains viable and positioned for future investment.  

By stepping in with the right tools at the right time, the Land Bank helped prevent backsliding and preserved a major economic opportunity for the community. 

Connecting Community Assets: Madison Park Expansion in Lakewood 

Strategic demolition can be just as impactful as large-scale redevelopment, especially when it enhances access to community assets. 

In Lakewood, the removal of a residential structure on Halstead Avenue created a new entrance and connection point to Madison Park. This project illustrates how targeted intervention can improve neighborhood connectivity, usability, and overall quality of life. 

By clearing the way for expanded park access, Cuyahoga Land Bank helped unlock additional value from an already beloved public space to demonstrate that even smaller-scale projects can deliver meaningful community impact. 

From Nuisance to Neighborhood Asset: Westlake Forfeiture Rehab 

Not every project requires demolition. At 2916 Walter Road in Westlake, the Land Bank used acquisition from forfeiture and strategic rehabilitation to completely transform a distressed property. 

Once a severely blighted hoarder house with extensive debris and mold issues, the property was acquired after failing to sell at sheriff’s auction. Following a thorough cleanout, the Land Bank determined the home could be saved. 

The renovation was extensive and included mold remediation, new mechanical systems, roof, siding, windows, and a full interior redesign to create a modern, functional layout. The result was a high-quality home that blended seamlessly into the neighborhood. 

The project earned the Remodel of the Year Award for Best Entire Home Renovation under $250,000 from the Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland. 

“A former nuisance property has now been given a new life and was sold at market rate to a new homeowner after renovation, putting it back on the tax rolls,” said Jennifer Vasquez-Norman, Director of Real Estate Development. “The home went from being a major source of concern for neighbors to a beautiful, high-quality renovation.” 

The Power of a Multi-Tool Approach 

These projects may differ in size and scope, but they share a common thread: success requires more than a single solution. 

By combining tools – legal, financial, environmental, and operational – Cuyahoga Land Bank has been able to: 

• Remove barriers to redevelopment 

• Stabilize and assemble land for future investment 

• Return properties to productive use 

• Support job creation and economic growth 

• Improve quality of life for residents 

This flexible, comprehensive approach allows us to meet each property where it is and move it toward where it can be. And when the right tools are used together, the impact is greater than the sum of its parts. 

The post Maximizing Impact: How a Multi-Tool Land Banking Approach Transforms Communities  appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

The 32,000 square feet of state-of-the-art cold storage Miceli’s plans to complete in April 2026 was made possible in large part by partnering with the Cuyahoga Land Bank, explains Maria Miceli, vice president of marketing and third generation of the founding family.

The Land Bank was integral in securing a $2 million in Ohio brownfield funding for the remediation of the Gray Barrel & Drum Co., a storage drum incineration and reconditioning facility – which was fined $1.5 million by the EPA and state of Ohio.

Assembling the individual, contiguous parcels needed for the large facility’s footprint near where the original Miceli site was a priority, explains Maria Miceli, vice president of marketing and third generation of the founding family.

“My dad and my uncle were adamant about cleaning the property up – first because this is where we make our product but also for the overall benefit of the neighborhood,” Miceli said. “It took several years, and the Land Bank worked hard to help us assemble this land. We had to find different groups of ownership and work through a lot of liens and back taxes that were owed.”

Miceli’s is dedicated to keeping and growing, the nearly 75-year-old company, known for its Italian cheeses, including ricotta, provolone, fresh mozzarella and mascarpone, within the city of Cleveland’s borders.

The third-generation family business has grown to be one of the largest Italian cheese producers in the country and boasts 13 family members working at the East 90th Street where John Miceli, a milk delivery man turned cheese producer, started the business after immigrating from Italy.

The company has grown consistently throughout the years, currently employing about 250 people with plans to increase that number to 300 by the end of 2026, Miceli said.

Miceli’s expansion comes on the heels of the opening of Cleveland’s Opportunity Corridor in 2021. The multi-lane east-to-west roadway provides a direct route to I-490 improving logistics and accessibility for crucial deliveries and distribution, and makes it easier to bring in visitors and employees, Miceli points out.

“It great for our trucks. It provides a direct path for our milk deliveries, which we get about 10 times a day,” Miceli explains. “It’s also great for our existing employees and for recruiting more workers. It’s also great for visitors and customers to show them the real Cleveland when they drive here.

There is also about 1,000 acres surrounding the three-miles of Opportunity Corridor, just a block from Miceli’s production facility. 

The land assembly of just one six-acre plot that Miceli’s wanted for the most recent expansion included dealing with everything from tax delinquencies, property in probate, properties abandoned by owners, and parcels with blighted and burnt down buildings, Kim Steigerwald, Cuyahoga Land Bank’s director of acquisition and disposition said.

“Land assembly in these old neighborhoods can take years. Sometimes we must negotiate with current owners. We’ve had to work with utility companies that had investment in the area and that was a lot of red tape to go through,” Steigerwald said. “There has been a lot of properties in this neighborhood where we can’t easily track down the owner.”

Steigerwald said even with the Land Bank’s help, some parcels that have been particularly difficult. Some are tied up in estates with multiple heirs for what she says is, “an eternity.”

“We’re trying to acquire a property for the Food Bank, and it is part of a probate with multiple siblings, and all the siblings have to transfer their interest to the one owner. We had to create a couple fun databases so that they can find and call all the phone numbers associated with the land,” Steigerwald added.

Properties owned by LLCs are another challenge. The companies will stay current on taxes for land with relatively low value in an effort to wait out the market. The work to unravel deed ownership is so time consuming and difficult that sometimes companies are forced to hire private investigators to help.

Land assembly work by the Land Bank, Miceli stresses, has been and will be crucial for the company’s upcoming $128 million phase two and three of expansion planned for just west and north of the manufacturing facility built in 2010.

“The whole Buckeye-Woodland neighborhood is undergoing a little renaissance right now,” she continued. “The Land Bank has helped us with abandoned property the city owned that we had been maintaining. What the Land Bank did was assemble the whole group of parcels together as one purchase.”

Even with the unique challenges of land assembly in the mixed residential/commercial neighborhood around Miceli, the company and its multi-family owners plan to stay and grow.

“We are growing and growing our employee base here,” Miceli said. “A lot of our workers are from the neighborhood and actually walk in looking for jobs. We provide solid jobs, overtime, benefits, and we have a lot of employees with us for 20-30 years, and then they bring their whole families here. This is a family business but it’s not just my family. We have a lot of families that work here, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

The post Land Bank Battles Titles, Taxes and LLCs for Miceli Expansion appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

In 2025 patience paid off for a number of projects – seemingly forever stuck in the planning, design or funding stage, explains Cuyahoga Land Bank executive director Richard Leon.

The demolition of a former EPA superfund site on the city’s East Side, the completion of gap funding for a 100-year-old factory in Cleveland’s Midtown and – after years of court hearings – the transfer of a tax-burdened synagogue in Cleveland Heights, he said, are just some of the significant progress we saw in 2025.

“Sometimes, it takes a while before we see shovels in the ground on an anticipated project,” León added. “But if you look at the work that happened in 2025, there are a lot of different shovels that represent so many different partners all working together to bring these plans to life.”

Last year substantial progress was also made on the massive “core-to-shores” plan for Cleveland’s lakefront transformation. And also in 2025, Cleveland passed measures to help fund and assemble commercial land development and Cuyahoga County worked on bespoke zoning and development reform.

Discussions around the need for more affordable housing continued. In 2025, the Land Bank worked along side a group of business, government and philanthropic partners to help craft a pair of strategic funding models aimed at constructing and renovation more housing. The unique programs – focused on the region’s distressed neighborhoods – already have projects in the works and are designed to help remake the housing market over the next few decades.

“There continues to be a push for housing that’s affordable, flexible in neighborhoods where a lack of investment has allowed the market to atrophy,” León said. “In 2025, the Land Bank worked with two new housing funds created to provide significant support for large projects over the next few decades. It has been a great experience for the Land Bank to be part of projects that meet the need of residents on sites that have long been vacant or blighted.”

Here are 12 of the most significant housing, development and Cuyahoga Land Bank-related stories of 2025.

1. As expected, 2025 brought with it notable demolition, remediation and renovation projects. Whether you call it the old Medical Mutual or Project Scarlet, the renovation of Downtown’s Rose Building was one of the most exciting projects of 2025. Nearly $2.5 million in state brownfield funding from the Land Bank was awarded to help the $120 million transformation of the former offices to a 123-room Marriott hotel with high-end restaurant. And in the works, at the corner of East Ninth Street and Prospect Avenue, are 154 apartment units and office space.

The post Cuyahoga Land Bank’s 2025 Year in Review appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

The Cleveland area, despite a recent national housing market slowdown, has continued to see steady increases in home sales and uptick in home values.

A Redfin report found that in Cuyahoga County home prices jumped 11% in the last year. And according to RentCafe, Cleveland saw a 26% increase in both rental searches and demand in 2024.

The strong housing market is good news for sellers, but rising home prices coupled with housing stock shortages causes affordable issues for renters, longtime residents in aging homes and first-time home buyers looking to buy into an affordable neighborhood.

Seniors looking to age-in-place in legacy neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmin Santana explains.

“I have only about 40% owner-occupancy in my Ward,” Santana said. “The goal is to increase that owner occupancy number and have more families, own their own home and be able to stay in their neighborhood.”

Traditionally adding more housing to meet demand lowers overall housing costs but Santana said the market-rate for new construction remains too expensive for her Clark-Fulton residents.

“We know that there’s still a high cost to build homes in our area. I wanted to see if we would be able to get more for our dollars with modular homes,” Santana said.

In late October, the first 1,494-square-foot, three-bedroom, energy-efficient ranch-style modular home touched down at 3157 Walton Avenue using $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars managed by the Land Bank.

The decision to use modular homes for half of her eight total housing projects came after Santana and Habitat reached out to Clark-Fulton residents.

“We made a point to reach out to understand the prospective homeowner’s wants and needs,” Habitat’s Bob Whitney said.

“The majority said they want somewhere they can stay long term. We wanted homes people could get older in without needing to leave. That’s why we’re only building aging-in-place homes with first-floor bedrooms, bathrooms, washer and dryer access, and even grab bars for accessibility.”

A total of four modular homes sites is slated for in and around the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, which hasn’t seen development in decades, Santana said. The homes will be sold at a below market rate but yet-to-be-determined price point to buyers selected by Habitat.

One of the appeals of modular home construction is that because they are assembled in an offsite factory and transported to prepared sites, an estimated 20-30% savings is shown in building supply, labor and site security costs.

Whether that savings is realized, Whitney said the 30-50% shorter construction timeline is enough of an argument to make the modular housing model the right option for Ward 14.

The construction, he explains, is not affected by weather delays and the site can be prepared at the same the home is being built.

For the pilot, professional builders are contracted to finish the two separate modules of the home. Those crews also handle appliances and utilities hook up but the period from contract to move-in is eight to 12 weeks compared to the 18-24 months with traditional construction.

To make the home more affordable, buyers will be able to access Habitat’s 0% down, 0% mortgage rate and sweat equity financing program. Also, the energy-efficient construction means lower utility costs and the houses are eligible for a 100%, 15-year tax abatement.

The city could see higher cost and timelines savings, if Cleveland’s plan to bring modular construction company a 20-acre site in Collinwood, where the former General Electric plant was located. It’s set aside $50 million in federal funds and issued an RFP in hopes that a modular manufacturer sets up shop in Cleveland to help address the city’s 15,000-unit housing shortage.

For now, Habitat will continue to work with city council to fill in the affordable housing gaps and partner with the Land Bank’s Legacy Communities Revitalization Program to help existing homeowners in proximity to the new modular construction pay for home repairs.

The post Partnerships Speed Availability of Affordable Housing in Cleveland appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

Let’s start with highlighting our vital role as a pass-through entity to facilitate economic development and community revitalization. We spoke with Kim Steigerwald, Director of Acquisition and Disposition for the Land Bank, to explore this process and learn how Cuyahoga Land Bank and a local development firm are working together to revitalize an important commercial district in Cleveland Heights, specifically the historic Taylor Road Synagogue (Oheb Zedek). 

For more than a decade, the large structure has been sitting in Cleveland Heights in tax delinquency. In fact, with a staggering $7.2 million owed, this property is the most tax-delinquent in Cuyahoga County.

When WXZ Development realized how this space could be used to benefit both the entire city and immediate community in various ways, it asked for the Land Bank’s help, which we were happy to offer. Here is a look at how serving as a pass-through works, leveraging an example of a great property that will benefit the whole city!

Can you explain the Land Bank’s role as a pass-through?

Steigerwald: Absolutely. In this case, and in many others, the Land Bank acts as a temporary custodian. We acquire properties, particularly those with significant tax delinquency, environmental contamination, or blight, to clear the path for responsible redevelopment. We’re not necessarily the end-user. Instead, we streamline the process for developers and/or and community organizations that have viable revitalization plans consistent with our mission and values.

How has this tool been used in Cleveland Heights?

Steigerwald: Cain Park Village is a Cleveland Heights project that has been years in the making. It includes the development and revitalization of various sites to transform the commercial district along South Taylor Road next to Cain Park. By working with the City, we have served as a pass-through entity by acquiring through foreclosure a trio of historic Tudor Revival buildings known as Taylor Road Plaza. We then transferred the properties to Cleveland Heights in 2021, by which point they had created a National Register of Historic Places district around the buildings and several other historic structures to prepare for the issuing of an RFP for the redevelopment of Taylor Tudor Plaza.

WXZ  Development, Inc., a local development firm, responded to the RFP with a proposal that outlined a holistic revitalization plan not just for Taylor Tudor Plaza, but the broader commercial district. The City selected WXZ’s proposal in the spring of 2022. Since then, WXZ has acquired the Taylor Tudor Plaza buildings, worked with the Land Bank to secure a Brownfield Remediation Grant award from the Ohio Department of Development, and commenced  environmental remediation and construction activities.

WXZ’s vision for Cain Park Village included the preservation and adaptive reuse of the former Taylor Road Synagogue building, a property neighboring Cain Park. For well over a decade, the large structure’s physical condition has been deteriorating while the property’s tax delinquency grew to a staggering $7.2 million, the largest in Cuyahoga County. Additionally, this property’s immense size and architectural significance presented a unique challenge. To overcome this challenge, WXZ sought the Land Bank’s expertise. We acquired the property through foreclosure, effectively clearing the tax lien. This crucial step allows for the building’s redevelopment, preserving the structure and thereby safeguarding its future.

This project illustrates how the Land Bank’s ability to serve as a pass-through entity can result in turning significant liabilities into major assets that contribute to a neighborhood’s revitalization. Furthermore, by working with WXZ to secure the Brownfield Remediation Grant award, we are addressing a significant health concern posed by asbestos, lead paint, and mold. In this respect, the magnitude of the Land Bank’s role is amplified as the project is located in a disadvantaged census tract where the share of people who have been diagnosed with asthma is in the 96th percentile and the share of homes that are likely to have lead paint is in the 99th percentile.

How does this pass-through role contribute to economic development?

Steigerwald: By removing the burden of back taxes and addressing blight, we reposition these properties that are liabilities and work with developers and community organizations to turn them into assets for communities throughout the County. This stimulates investment, creates jobs and generates tax revenue. In the case of the Cain Park Village project, this has already resulted in more than $25 million of investment in the Taylor Tudor Plaza buildings, including nearly $3 million in environmental remediation. Once complete, the three Tudor buildings will house more than 11,000 square feet of commercial space, 44 apartments, and eight live-work units that will accommodate local artists and artisans. The former synagogue is next to Cain Park, a magnificent 22-acre park that draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. WXZ’s plans will create a center for performing arts to serve as an indoor complement to the Evans Amphitheater, allowing Cain Park’s programming to extend year-round. Additional uses include an art gallery, ticket box office, administrative office, conference/event space and 24 residential units. To the building’s rear, seven townhomes will be constructed, offering sweeping views into the park below. Between Taylor Tudor Plaza and the former synagogue property, the Land Bank has helped to usher in a tidal wave of economic development in a portion of Cleveland Heights that has experienced prolonged disinvestment over the course of decades. The project will completely transform the commercial district. Without the Land Bank’s intervention, these properties would likely remain vacant, deteriorating and a drain on the community.

How has the Land Bank used this tool to create economic activity?

Steigerwald: We’ve used this strategy successfully in numerous projects across Cuyahoga County. For instance, we’ve acquired and transferred large commercial buildings to developers who have transformed them into mixed-use spaces, attracting businesses and residents. We’ve also worked with community development corporations and groups like Habitat for Humanity to acquire and transfer vacant land and abandoned homes to renovate or construct affordable housing, stimulating economic activity and addressing critical housing needs. We often do this with former industrial sites as well. A great example is the recent restoration of the former American Gas Association (AGA) building in Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. The building, which stood vacant for decades, was reborn thanks to acquisition and pass-through by the Land Bank as the vibrant new headquarters for YaYa & Co.

What is the ultimate goal for the Taylor Road Synagogue site?

Steigerwald: The Land Bank, WXZ, and Cleveland Heights came together in a public-private partnership to revitalize an important commercial district for the furtherance of historic preservation, sustainability and the arts.

The goal for this site is to preserve this historic structure through an adaptive reuse that expands arts programming and increases accessibility to the arts for the entire community. To facilitate the building’s preservation, WXZ will nominate the property to the National Register of Historic Places, ensuring that all necessary rehabilitation work is carefully planned and meticulously executed per the requirements of the National Park Service and the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office.

This phase is a critical component of the Cain Park Village project. Not only does it return the building to its rightful position of prominence and serve as the anchor of this commercial district, it will foster connection by linking Cain Park and the commercial district. Equally important, these plans expand Cain Park’s performing arts venues, allowing for additional live production events and programming. This increases the diversity and frequency of arts programming available to the community while broadening Cain Park’s ability to generate revenue, thereby providing for its long-term viability and growth over the next 100 years.

The project’s arts and cultural uses will meld with residential uses to create a dynamic and unprecedented community arts hub, bringing new life to the district and benefiting the surrounding neighborhood. It’s about preserving a piece of history while creating new opportunities for the future.

The Cain Park Village project exemplifies Cuyahoga Land Bank’s commitment to strategic intervention and its ability to catalyze positive change. By facilitating responsible redevelopment, we transform liabilities into assets and build a stronger, more vibrant Cuyahoga County.

The post Land Banking Tools 101: Cuyahoga Land Bank Serves as a Pass-Through appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

The Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund (Site Readiness Fund) recently announced that the State of Ohio has awarded a $7.6 million brownfield remediation grant for a critical project in East Glenville and Collinwood. This funding will be used to clean up and demolish the former National Acme industrial facility on East 131st Street, a long-abandoned relic of Cleveland’s industrial past.

The once-bustling factory has stood abandoned for decades, a deteriorating reminder of a bygone era. Its crumbling facade, marred by graffiti and time, has become a symbol of neglect and decay. Once home to a major machine-tool manufacturer, the building eventually became a dumping ground and an environmental hazard. But now, thanks to a generous grant, this dilapidated structure filled with the dangerous pollutant asbestos is finally set for a long-overdue transformation.

National Acme is a textbook example of why the Site Readiness Fund was created,” said Brad Whitehead, the Fund’s Managing Director. “Addressing the multifaceted challenges of contaminated, fragmented and legally complicated brownfield sites is imperative. Remediating complex brownfield sites like this is essential to restoring vitality, creating opportunities, and ensuring sustainable development in Cleveland’s neighborhoods.”

The cleanup process could cost about $11 million, and the City of Cleveland generously contributed an additional $3.5 million. The funding will be allocated to Cuyahoga Land Bank, which will serve as the fiscal agent for the project.

“I am greatly appreciative of the Cuyahoga Land Bank for their involvement in the cleanup of the historic site known as National Acme,” City of Cleveland Ward 8 Councilman Mike Polensek said. His ward includes East Glenville and Collinwood Village. “This factory site had been a critical business in our community since 1918. Since its closure and subsequent abandonment, it has become an absolute eyesore. With the Land Bank’s engagement through the Site Readiness Fund, I hope this will, once again, be a site for employment and opportunity for the Greater Collinwood and Glenville communities.”

The project promises to not only improve the neighborhood’s appearance but also pave the way for future development. Rick Barga, Manager of Site Identification and Development for the Fund, added, “This cleanup will bring relief to residents and businesses alike. Once the site is ready, we look forward to welcoming a community-focused partner that will drive job creation and economic growth here.”

The Site Readiness Fund was established in August 2023 by Mayor Justin Bibb in partnership with Cleveland City Council with $50 million in seed funding. This nationally unique nonprofit aims to breathe new life into 1,000 acres of neglected real estate, catalyzing the creation of 25,000 jobs, supporting neighborhood vitality, building wealth among residents and enhancing environmental sustainability.

Learn more about the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund HERE.

The post Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund Secures $7.6 Million Grant to Clean Up National Acme Eyesore appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

What has been an empty commercial property for decades will become a hub of activity, an opportunity for jobs and income, and the anchor of a thriving neighborhood!

On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, Cuyahoga Land Bank with East Cleveland celebrated the official completion and pending sale of the iconic Mickey’s building. The $3.5 million renovation of the 25,000-square foot commercial building is slated to create up to 100 jobs and a $2.5 million payroll in the city that has only experienced decline over the past few decades.

The potential buyer, Verdynt Biotech, led by two Cleveland natives, and its partner SKYLIIT Labs, are the potential buyers. Verdynt’s expertise is in restoring science buildings in urban areas, while SKYLIIT plans to invest $12 million and bring up to 100 jobs to the property when the project is fully realized.

Beyond economic opportunity, the building serves as the neighborhood anchor for Circle East District, a 30-acre up-and-coming community one mile east of University Circle.

As Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Director of Real Estate Development said in his interview with WEWS Channel 5, “[The completion of Mickey’s] is the first critical piece because people can actually see the investment. This company is going to dump millions of dollars into this particular location.”

Work on this development began years ago with conversations and ideas; public surveys and input; holistic strategizing; discussions with local governments; and so much more. From underground infrastructure to above-ground amenities that make this once-thriving neighborhood buzz again, the team leading the charge considered all the necessities and tools that make a community just that.

Circle East District will evolve into complete fruition through five phases, the first of which is in full forward motion and includes (beyond the Mickey’s renovation):

• The updates to existing homes in the neighborhood through home renovation grants, 10 of which are complete;
• The building of 12 new townhomes and 22 new market-rate single-family homes, five of which will break ground in early fall;
• The installation of new waterlines, sewers and streetscape on Euclid Avenue, Woodlawn Avenue and Penrose Road, which begins late this summer.

Circle East District is on its way to prosperity, community and activity, and we are grateful to all for the support and energy given to this initiative!

The post Completion of Mickey’s Renovation, Pending Sale Give Circle East District Next Big Boost! appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

Imagine a cityscape transformed. Vacant lots teaming with possibility, replaced by thriving businesses and vibrant communities. This isn’t a scene from science fiction; it’s the vision driving the newly established Cleveland Site Readiness Fund (SRF), a bold initiative to reactivate blighted and abandoned industrial properties in Cleveland in order to attract good jobs, build neighborhood wealth, and reduce blight.

Building on Foundation

Cleveland has grappled with underutilized land for decades, a legacy of industrial decline and shifting urban landscapes. Instead of succumbing to these challenges, the SRF recognizes them as untapped potential. By strategically assembling and preparing these underused sites, the Fund creates “shovel-ready” parcels primed for development, attracting businesses and generating much-needed jobs.

The SRF Fund, seeded with $50 million in federal pandemic-recovery cash pledged by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration, aims to revive 1,000 acres of vacant or underutilized industrial land, focusing on sites of at least 10 acres. Proponents believe this will spur the creation of more than 65,000 jobs, including 25,000 at businesses on revitalized sites within the next decade.

More Than Bricks and Mortar

The SRF isn’t merely about bricks and mortar but building bridges — bridges connecting businesses to opportunities, residents to jobs, and communities to a brighter future. The Fund targets projects aligning with strategic economic development plans, prioritizing sectors with high growth potential, and focusing on creating quality jobs for local residents.

A Collaborative Canvas

The initiative isn’t a solo endeavor. Through a partnership with the Cuyahoga Land Bank, the Fund fosters collaboration, working hand-in-hand with government agencies, community organizations, and private developers. This synergistic approach ensures responsible development that enhances existing neighborhoods, respects environmental concerns, and prioritizes community input.

Brad Whitehead Tapped as Managing Director of Fund

Brad Whitehead, the former director and founder of the Fund for Our Economic Future, has been tapped as Managing Director of the new site fund. Whitehead is responsible for fundraising to augment $50 million in seed money from the city. He will also oversee efforts to find and prepare sites to lure manufacturers to city neighborhoods. Whitehead has a long track record of meaningful public service work focused on economic and workforce development and land use. He helped establish and provide initial funding for many of the region’s leading economic development organizations.

“People don’t want blight in their neighborhoods. They want safe, clean, and vibrant places for their families and an economic reason to stay and build a life,” says Whitehead. “This initiative is aimed at meaningful economic improvement in the lives of all residents.”

“The Site Readiness Fund is a proactive approach to an urgent problem,” says Gus Frangos, President and General Counsel for the Cuyahoga Land Bank. “We look forward to doing what we can to help turn the page on the past and transform these vacant lots and buildings into engines of prosperity.”

The post How a Land Development Fund is Ushering in a New Era for Cleveland appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.