The city of Warrensville Heights has seen housing value surge, over the last five years – brought on in no small part by a Cuyahoga Land Bank program to revitalize suburban real estate markets. 

The most recent Cuyahoga County sexennial reappraisal in 2024 found median home value throughout the southeastern suburb increased on average 32%, and the city’s median property value went from $111,200 to $121,100 – about a 9% increase across the board. 

The spark that helped guide what had been a lethargic residential housing market began with a Cuyahoga Land Bank program designed to jumpstart housing suburban markets experiencing challenges like population and industrial losses. 

“We targeted areas throughout Warrensville Heights close to community and commercial anchors – like schools, hospitals or industry,” Cuyahoga Land Bank Chief Strategy Officer Dennis Roberts explained. “We wanted to work in a weaker housing market, jumpstart it and move out to make way for private investors.” 

The Land Bank, using County Housing Program funds and parcel-level housing data, went to work evaluating tax delinquent, vacant and privately-owned properties located in those neighborhoods close to the city’s viable commercial centers.  

Land Bank housing data allowed specific streets and parcels to be analyzed for the highest impact properties to construct new housing.  

“Three streets were identified as the area where a concentration of new market rate housing would have the most impact,” Roberts said. After acquiring the properties, three new single-family homes were built – using a combination of modular and traditional stick-build construction. 

The new single-family homes were sold at a loss to Land Bank, however the higher-than-median home sale prices proved to private developers that market rate housing in Warrensville Heights can be successful. 

“With rising material and labor costs, it has become increasingly difficult to build affordable homes in depressed markets,” Roberts said. “But by providing examples of viable modern housing in these areas, it spurs on private development.” 

The Land Bank’s efforts have paid off. The three-home construction, which began in 2022, was the springboard subsequent partnership between Warrensville Heights and GLH, LLC to bring more than a dozen single-family homes built on city-owned vacant lots.  

The proposed 15 concrete-paneled homes, partially constructed off site, are expected to sell in the mid-to high-$200,000 – currently above the city’s average home price – and come with a 15-year, 75% property tax abatement. 

Building on the success of the vacant lot development program, the Land Bank moved from construction to financing, offering a Housing Construction Gap Grant to smaller real estate developers to cover construction costs versus appraisal value-funding gaps in distressed markets.  

“We wanted to test if building three high-quality homes in one strategic and targeted neighborhood would catalyze more new construction. This will also determine the best tool the Land Bank can use to create the biggest ripple throughout the market. If it doesn’t spur change, it does not make sense,” Roberts said.  

The wave of new development, including a plan to add new senior-housing in the city for the first time since 2006, proves that small but targeted investment by the Land Bank can stimulate private investment and help solve one of the county’s most challenging housing market problems. 

The post Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Targeted Revitalization in Warrensville Heights Spurs Private Investment  appeared first on Cuyahoga Land Bank.

Efforts to restore that corner of the city have been ongoing for nearly 10 years, with Cuyahoga Land Bank leading the charge on demolishing abandoned buildings one at a time, while the OEPA has managed the illegally dumped trash alongside Cuyahoga County and its Solid Waste District. Also, part of the team, the County Sheriff deals with security to prevent more illegal dumping from happening. Projects of this magnitude require substantial resources, partnership, and coordination. Collaboration on this effort was especially important.   

Illegal dumping sites like the one at Elderwood and Chapman rarely appear overnight. What often begins as a few discarded items can quickly escalate once a property appears neglected or unmonitored.  

Urban planners refer to this pattern as the contagion effect. Visible disorder, such as trash piles, abandoned structures or vandalism, signals that a space is not being actively cared for. Additional dumping and deterioration often follows. Over time, the presence of visible blight can discourage investment, lower property values, and erode residents’ confidence that their neighborhood is being protected.  

“Cleaning up a site like this is incredibly intensive,” Land Bank Director of Community Stabilization Adam Stalder said. “Removing 250 tons of trash shows just how severe illegal dumping can become when it’s allowed to spread. These sites don’t just appear; they grow over time because people see a property that looks abandoned. The scale of this cleanup shows both the toll that blight can take and the importance of stepping in before it spreads further.”  

Beyond aesthetics or property values, large trash accumulations also present serious public health concerns.  

Improperly managed waste can contaminate soil, water and air and expose nearby residents to harmful pollutants. Decomposing waste can release gases that irritate the respiratory system and contribute to respiratory illness. Chemical runoff from dumped materials can contaminate groundwater or nearby waterways.   

Dump sites also create environments that attract rodents, insects, and other pests that can carry disease, increasing risks to surrounding neighborhoods.   

Studies of communities living near unmanaged waste sites have identified increased risks of respiratory problems, headaches, gastrointestinal illness, and other health effects tied to exposure to pollutants or disease associated with waste accumulation.   

These health impacts are reason enough to address environmental conditions that are central to community development. A healthy neighborhood is not defined only by housing or infrastructure; it also depends on safe physical environments that support the health of the people who live there. When piles of trash accumulate on vacant land, they undermine those conditions and can directly affect the wellbeing of residents.  

Across the United States, illegal dumping is a widespread problem. An estimated 1.5 million tons of trash are illegally dumped each year, placing significant financial and environmental burdens on communities trying to remove it.   

For Cuyahoga Land Bank, tackling these conditions is core to its mission.  

“Our collaborative work is about removing the conditions that make healthy living harder for residents,” said Joan Chase, Cuyahoga Land Bank Chief Operating Officer. “When illegal dumping takes over a property, it affects more than the land. It impacts public health, community pride, and people’s overall sense of place. Addressing sites like this directly aligns with our mission to remediate conditions that are averse to healthy living and help restore the environment that neighborhoods deserve.”  

The cleanup at Elderwood and Chapman represents more than a one-time removal effort. It reflects an ongoing commitment – shared by the Land Bank and Cuyahoga County – to address blight and restore properties so they can once again contribute positively to their communities.  

For East Cleveland residents, the removal of 250 tons of illegally dumped debris is not just a cleanup. It is a visible step toward reversing the cycle of neglect and reinforcing that their neighborhood matters.  

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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.

CMHA hoped to transfer this large portfolio to a single buyer with a mission aligned to its own: creating affordable housing opportunities by putting non-productive properties back into use to strengthen area communities. The Land Bank was a natural partner, given the organizations’ history of successful collaboration and shared commitment to neighborhood stabilization.

Turning that vision into reality, however, required significant time and coordination. Because federal funds had originally been used in connection with the properties, each home carried deed restrictions. Before the properties could be transferred, those restrictions had to be reviewed and removed through a detailed federal process.

That meant clearing titles, documenting ownership histories and coordinating multiple public meetings held jointly by CMHA and the Land Bank. It also meant navigating a lengthy federal review process with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including sending documentation to Washington, D.C., waiting for responses and working through a 45-day federal government shutdown that temporarily stalled progress.

“We did everything we could because it was in everyone’s interest to move the project forward,” Cuyahoga Land Bank Director of Acquisition and Disposition Kim Steigerwald said. “But because federal funding was involved, the properties had deed restrictions attached to each home. The process of clearing title and removing those restrictions was lengthy, requiring multiple public meetings and extensive documentation submitted to HUD for review and release.”

Despite the long timeline, both organizations remained committed to ensuring the transfer could move forward. The Land Bank even invested resources into maintaining and stabilizing some of the properties before the transfer was finalized to ensure they remained in good condition for future redevelopment.

“To ensure the homes stayed in good shape for when we received them and could share them with our partners, we spent time and resources maintaining and making repairs – even before we officially owned them,” Steigerwald said.

“CMHA is proud to partner with the Cuyahoga Land Bank to create new pathways to homeownership within our community. Focused efforts like this strategically advance CMHA’s 2045 Initiative while delivering lasting benefits, helping families achieve stability, self-sufficiency and a stronger future,” said Jeffery K. Patterson, CEO of CMHA.

Now that the transfer is complete, the Land Bank is moving quickly to determine the best path forward for each property. The portfolio is being organized into several categories to ensure the homes can be used in ways that best serve community needs.

Some homes will be renovated directly by the Land Bank as part of its own rehabilitation programs, including initiatives focused on stabilizing neighborhoods and supporting homeownership opportunities. Other properties will be transferred to nonprofit organizations that work with specialized populations, including groups focused on housing for veterans.

A significant portion of the homes will also be transferred to trusted housing partners, including CHN Housing Partners and Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, both of which have programs ready to renovate the homes and prepare them for qualified buyers.

Meanwhile, the Land Bank is continuing to evaluate the vacant lots included in the portfolio to determine how they can best support neighborhood reinvestment.

While the process to reach this point was complex and lengthy, the outcome represents something far more meaningful than a completed transaction. It reflects what can happen when organizations with aligned missions work together with patience and persistence.

With the properties now in the Land Bank’s hands and partners ready to begin renovations, homes that once sat vacant will soon become places for families to live, invest and build their futures, bringing renewed life to the neighborhoods around them.

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Last year, Cuyahoga Land Bank transitioned from a near-exclusive focus on residential work by adding more commercial and industrial programs – including more than $140 million of brownfield-related projects – to its growing list of services.

This year’s Land Bank President and CEO Ricardo León explains that the team will continue that growth strategy by capitalizing on the organization’s strengths.

“From a development perspective, we expanded our partnerships, started working with a lot of new groups and faces, and we are joining conversations we haven’t historically been part of,” León said.

He added that it is critical, as the Land Bank enters its 16th year, to grow and adapt to the economic uncertainty of the current environment. “In 2026, we are targeting ways to export the Land Bank’s unique expertise in order to significantly increase the organization’s impact by expanding services and adding more community and business engagement,” León said.

Exporting Expertise
Last October, León and Land Bank Data Scientist Dr. Ryan Sutter set-in-motion a service they plan to scale up in 2026. In a partnership with Omaha Municipal Land Bank, Sutter created a 10-year in-depth economic analysis highlighting the city land bank’s impact on its region of Nebraska.

The report, modeled after Cuyahoga Land Bank’s 15-Year Economic Impact Analysis, was what León hopes is just the first consulting project using the Land Bank’s specific expertise.
“With the Omaha report, we provided a granular study, including a parcel-level analysis for another land bank,” he explained. “This is a unique service our organization has developed. It is something that sets us apart, and we want to deploy that work outside of our region and on a national level.”

Another area where León wants to apply the Land Bank distinctive skill set toward efforts in the region to attract companies looking to relocate or grow. The Land Bank staff, he points out, can tap into a custom-built, analytical property database for site selection identifying which companies are best suited to relocate to the growing number of shovel-ready sites throughout Cuyahoga County.

“We are well-positioned to create highest and best use studies and identify the appropriate industry sectors for the sites. We can even provide outreach and problem-solving for commercial sites like the former National Acme plant property,” León said.

The Land Bank is well positioned to support site-targeting and business-attraction efforts for the City of Cleveland’s Site Readiness program, he added.

In 2026, the Land Bank is working to compile property and demographic data as part of the creation of a parcel-level map with a modeling function – in preparation for any future site selection consulting service.

Expanding Community Engagement and Partnerships
The pursuit of new partnerships, revenue growth and alternative streams of funding is another major initiative the Land Bank, with funding support from the Cleveland Foundation, will undertake this year.

“We continue to evolve the organizational structure,” León said. “The Land Bank is moving away from operating as a mom and pop, grassroots nonprofit and growing into a significant regional civic organization.”

The pivot away from traditional Land Bank operations will allow the organization to not rely solely on a static, restricted funding stream as it has the last 15 plus years.

The move, explains Senior Director of Engagement Anne Borchert, means the Land Bank is looking to operate more like a traditional nonprofit.

Going forward with a strategy aimed at increasing revenues through partnerships and services will require a bit of rebalancing and reshuffling of the deck, Borchert explains.

“By broadening how we generate resources, we’re better positioned to reinvest in neighborhoods, deepening those partnerships and taking on more ambitious work. That will go a long way to help stabilize housing markets, expand opportunity and deliver long-term benefits for residents across the county,” she said. “This shift gives us the flexibility to meet communities where they are today, while also plan and respond to needs for the future.”

Expanding services over the new year for the Land Bank which León stresses, accomplishes a lot for a relatively small group,” to as the saying goes – change the tire while the car is still moving.

“We have to keep doing what we historically have been good at – continuing to deliver on those services – while also adapting to a changing ecosystem and economic realities. We are looking for solutions, including new partnerships to drive the mission – and we have to do both at the same time,” León added.

The post Land Bank 2026: Plans for Growth 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 full home renovation comes nearly a decade after the Land Bank partnered with North Randall in the successful bid to replace a former 1970s era mall with a new Amazon fulfillment center bringing with it a corresponding 2,000 plus jobs. 

North Randall Mayor David Smith reminisced about the partnership and work acquiring the sprawling mall property for redevelopment.

“I remember years ago, sitting in my office with Gus Frangos, God rest his soul, to buy the whole [Randall Park Mall] property,” Mayor Smith said. “It turned out that we paid a little more than nothing for the property that began Amazon.”

Home to the former Randall Park Mall, now Amazon Fulfillment Center, and Thistledown Racino which make up more than 2.3 million square feet, North Randall is officially classified as “a village” due to the fact there are are fewer than 600 total housing units and only around 950 residents, according to the 2020 Census. 

In a place like North Randall where there are less than 200 single-family detached homes, it only made sense that the Land Bank seize the opportunity to help support and restore a small piece of that critical housing stock, explains Cuyahoga Land Bank Chief Strategy Officer Dennis Roberts.

“We were particularly excited about working in North Randall, because you guys are efficient, effective and inviting,” Cuyahoga Land Bank Chief Strategy Officer Dennis Roberts told Smith and attendees at the December open house for the newly renovated home. “Every time we had an issue, we were able to call you directly to smooth things out. We look forward to continuing this collaboration.”

Both Smith and Roberts talked about the long standing partnership between North Randall and the Land Bank at the fully updated, market-rate single-family home located at 4738 Derbyshire – one of the few residential streets in North Randall.

As of mid-December the three-bed, three-bath 1,734-square-foot home – after months of construction and weeks of interior prep – is (for now) on the market listed at for $299,900. 

While at the event, Smith again praised the work of the Land Bank mentioning another situation staff was asked to help with one of the few North Randall-residential parcels. 

“We tried everything we could to have that home taken care of. We met with the owner, the family, but they abandoned the house. So I was forced with the decision to remove the blight and tore the house down,” Smith explained. After the home was demolished, Smith said, he reached out again to Frangos and asked if the Land Bank’s Real Estate Development Team would build a new house on the now vacant property. 

The Land Bank did build a new home and the story demonstrates the many things the Land Bank can help with – even for village with only a few residential streets. “What you see is a collaboration, a partnership,” he added.

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The all-boy’s high school was established in 1927 by the monks of St. Andrew Abbey who settled in what back then was an Eastern European immigrant neighborhood. 

The current high school, built around 1939, is still in use and shares a 13-acre campus, with a monastery, abbey, field house and football field.  

In the 1950s and 1960s, when enrollment at Benedictine was at its peak, the Buckeye neighborhood was known as “Little Hungary” and considered the epicenter of the largest population of Hungarians outside of Hungary. During that time, Dave Schroeder, President of Benedictine High School, explains that school enrollment grew to about 1,000 students.  

In the 1970s the school’s demographics changed with the neighborhood, which, like many in Cleveland, saw a significant population loss compounded by a massive homeowner shift during the 2008 foreclosure crisis. 

“The neighborhood, since the monks opened the school, has changed but the monks take a vow of stability; and even when they’ve had the opportunity to leave the Buckeye community, they stayed true to their mission,” Schroeder added. 

Today, around 300 students attend Benedictine and Schroeder said he is looking to grow that number while simultaneously supporting local development. He wants to do this by leveraging the school’s longstanding relationship Cuyahoga Land Bank. 

Assembling land to help build out the campus is where Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Director of Acquisition and Disposition, Kim Steigerwald comes in. 

The Land Bank, Steigerwald explains, has a history of helping the school find, acquire and manage properties around the campus. Steigerwald utilizes a series of maps customized for Benedictine to identify properties at risk or heading into tax foreclosure and forfeiture. 

“We will let the school know if there is a property they can bid on or the Land Bank will bid on,” she said. “We acquired a vacant house adjacent to their entrance that was in really bad shape and owned by Fannie Mae. Since we have a long-standing relationship with Fannie Mae, we were able to acquire it, and then we tore it down and passed the land to the school.”  

Steigerwald will bid on Sheriff Sale properties if needed and take care of all the paperwork – conveyance agreements, purchase agreements, deed search and even filing with Cuyahoga County. 

The Land Bank handles all the property development details so that Schroeder and staff can focus on Benedictine’s core mission of educating students. 

“The Land Bank is low touch;- we get a phone call asking, ‘Are you interested in this property?’ And then the next thing I know, I’m asked to signand submit a payment. It is a turnkey type of relationship that saves me a ton of time, and it saves us from having to go out and hire third party realtors or developers,” Schroeder said. 

The acquisition of vacant and blighted properties throughout the neighborhood with the help of the Land Bank serves multiple goals, Schroeder stresses. 

Schroeder points to the fact the 91 students in Benedictine’s freshman class have come from 54 different schools – some as far as Newburry from the east, Elyria from the west and as far south as Canton, adding that the goal is  “to put our best foot forward, make families feel safe sending their students here.” He also wants to ensure the school contributes to the resurgence of the Buckeye neighborhood. 

“We anticipate our enrollment to continue to grow, and we are adding additional programming to the academic side, which will require us to have new facilities. But in addition to growing the campus footprint,we also want to be a catalyst for the Buckeye area transformation happening in the area with the Opportunity Corridor.” 

The construction of the Opportunity Corridor, just south of Benedictine, significantly improves the school accessibility, reducing commute times for students, and is a big part of the school’s marketing and enrollment push, Schroeder said. 

Partnering with the Land Bank and having a long, constant presence in the Buckeye community affords a level of trust as the school looks at properties outside of the campus footprint.  

Urban schools like Benedictine, he said, are looked at as an anchor in the community and if capable, can help broker and drive housing and commercial investment. 

“When we are opportunistic in acquiring local properties, Buckeye benefits from having less vacant and under-utilized land. We also feel like we’re doing our part, for our students and the community, if we can help bring a new restaurant or retail tenant to some of these vacant properties,” Schroeder explains. 

The work and partnership between Benedictine and the Land Bank to transition the Buckeye properties back into productive use, Schroeder said, is an example of values and principles in alignment. 

“We look for partners that share values with Benedictine. And I think some of the values and the principles that the Cuyahoga Land Bank should stand for is also very important to us and what they provide the community.” 

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In the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, a pair of newly constructed houses were now sit in the massive shadow of what was once the largest clothing manufacturing plant in the country. 

The duplexes, built by Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM),PadSmart and in partnership with Cuyahoga Land Bank and Cuyahoga County, mimic the modest homes that once dotted the neighborhood outside of the 638,000 square foot/17 acres footprint of the Richman Building.

The four 500 square foot, high-efficient, solar-powered efficiencies mark the initial phase of LMM’s $2.2 million Breaking New Ground housing initiative and the first foray into new construction for the organization. 

“These four units are special for (LMM). As our first new build, they round out our own housing continuum which consists of shared housing for singles, now efficiencies for singles and houses for families,” LMM President and CEO, Maria Foschia told attendees at a ribbon cutting for the nearly completed homes.  

The new construction on Luther Avenue, Foschia said, was funded by investments from personal, family and corporate foundations using land and financial help from the city and Cuyahoga Land Banks, Foschia explains. 

As a philanthropic organization focused in part on housing equity, the goal is to build homes for those in need while also revitalizing the neighborhood, devastated by the Richman closure in 1992 and housing crisis in 2008, around LMM headquarters. 

“This project comes on the heels of our housing rehab project. Just down the road from here, our affordable housing portfolio will reach over 36 units by this time next year,” she added. 

SOLAR HOMES  

The studio-style units on Luther Avenue are also serving as a pilot program. The units were constructed using extra insulation and come with a rooftop covered in solar panels. The design aims to lower utility costs, which along with below market rent makes the units affordable for tenants transitioning from homelessness.  

The 500-square feet space is comprised of a lofted living/dinning space which includes a full-kitchen. In addition, there is an accessibly-designed bathroom with a walk-in shower and a utility room outfitted with a dual washer/dryer. 

The aptly named “Solar Houses” are located on land owned by Cuyahoga Land Bank and Cleveland Land Bank and uses panelized construction built by workers, some of whom have experienced homelessness themselves. 

LMM partnered with Cleveland-based PadSmart, the company that designed and eventually constructed the walls and roof panels at an off-site warehouse 

Co-founder Packy Hyland said the wall and roof panels have a combined total of 10 inches of insulation, and the buildings have highly efficient HVAC systems. The homes are also outfitted with all-electric appliances.  

The combination of thick insulation and solar panels are expected to cut energy consumption by at least half of that of a traditional home. The panels are expected to provide enough energy to power the entire building for about eight months out of the year. 

“We are projecting these to be net zero, with the houses producing as much energy as they consume,” Michael Searing, LLM Chief Program explains. “These homes will save about 15% of the (traditional) costs, over $100,000 over the next 20 years, making them affordable for our tenants, who will be moving in by year’s end.” 

Combining the off-site construction cost savings with lower utility payments and using Land Bank property allows LMM to offer rent under the market rate, Searing explains. 

Searing added that the development will serve as a pilot allowing LMM to analyze the energy data, efficiency and costs associated with the four units. The plan is to scale the project to building out more units on the street and eventually other areas of the city. 

The homes come just as the city of Cleveland and St.Clair Superior Development Corporation embark on an expansive Community Building Project, which includes street scape, intersection and business “frontage” improvements down East 55th Street or the “West Gateway” district. 

The plan is to attract a civic or business anchor to build a walkable commercial district around and increase the number of homeowner residents from the current 35% to at least 50%.  

Ricardo León, Cuyahoga Land Bank CEO said the Land Bank is interested in partnering on building out Luther Avenue, along with other parts of the St. Clair Superior neighborhood, with more solar-powered, efficient, panelized duplexes.  

“It is exciting that LMM is willing to break the mold and push forward using this new strategy in neighborhoods where there is not typically much new development,” León said.  

The Land Bank along with the Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga County Council, Dollar and US Bank donated to LMM’s Solar Houses and upcoming 3-D printed housing pilot projects.  

León said he believes LMM’s “innovative” approach to figuring out how to make housing in low-income communities in need of revitalization is scalable.  

“This is about forward-thinking, and my hope is that this will be a model for how we can build more in our city, our county and our region,” León said. 

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