Cuyahoga Land Bank partnered with one of the country’s oldest planned cities to attract and retain residents with a new and unique model of adaptive, infill housing.

Over the last decade, Shaker Heights has been focused on the development of infill housing to bring new options to its city where, according to recent Cuyahoga County housing report, more than half of the housing stock was built before 1950.

Building in the historic inner ring suburb – which per the housing section of the Shaker Heights website is committed to, “proactively preserving its high-quality historic housing while simultaneously keeping pace with changing market demands …  for all ages and stages of life,”- presents both opportunity and challenge, explains Marcelina Sladewska, Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Special Projects Manager.

“Shaker is known for these historic homes, great neighborhoods and city services,” Sladewska said.

But with nearly 44% of all the existing homes in Shaker Heights at 86 or older and the median home age slightly below that at 81, the homes’ historic design, which includes multiple levels and stairs, narrow hallways and inaccessible bathrooms and kitchens, present a host of obstacles for people with mobility and balance concerns.

The Land Bank connected the city with commercial and residential developer, Harry Giltz, founder of Giltz & Associates Inc., to build, from the ground up, quality housing designed specifically to be physically accessible for seniors or people with disabilities rather than make special adaptations later.

Giltz used multiple vacant Land Bank parcels on either side of Menlo Road in Shaker Heights to build two townhouse-like adjoining homes, with one on each side designed to comply with many of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) housing standards.

Designing with mobility-issues at the forefront is much more effective than retrofitting an existing home, Giltz explains.

“It is the best way and the least expensive way,” he says. “Rather than tearing apart an older house, renovating it to comply with ADA standards, we built it for someone with mobility issues.”

The single-story side of each “townhouse” property was built with an open concept living room, dinning room and kitchen. Glitz points out this design allows for a comfortable 360-degree turn for someone using a wheelchair or walker.

There are extra-wide hallways and door openings; the main bath has a zero-entry shower; and the kitchen counters and cabinets are lower than the standard design.

Another unique feature is an intentional covered walkway spanning the distance between the home and oversized garage for an above-ground rather than basement storage option.

“The wider doors and open space allow for wheelchairs to easily move in the space. These details throughout were all deliberate,” Sladewska said. “The design takes into consideration the weather with owners having to move a wheelchair or walker through mud and snow.”

On the other side of each of the properties – connected by a shared, covered porch – there is a two-story, three-bed, two-bath home, also with open-concept living and eating space and rooms on the second floor.

The single-story, two-story adjacent homes create the possibility for separate and independent spaces that can accommodate a variety of multi-generational or care-dependent living situations.

“The homes are unique and offer an opportunity to have someone close but still offer them a sense of independence,” Sladewska explains. “The other benefits are living in this neighborhood with proximity to a public transportation, shopping and good schools.”

Even though the newly built properties are unique in design and concept, Giltz said, the goal was to make the two adjoining homes look like one cohesive and seamless larger home.

Inside the homes, the solid-wood (rather hollow) doors, Shaker-style molding and large, non-vinyl windows set it apart from other builder-grade new construction.

The back and forth on both with the city on exterior and interior design details coupled with COVID shutdowns and supply chain disruptions meant the project took nearly two years to complete.

Giltz looked at the project as a way to enter the low-to-moderate-income housing market which is “hot” he said due to a massive shortage across the state.

“Working with Cuyahoga Land Bank property gives developers like me an incentive to try and build these types of projects,” Giltz said. “It takes some of the risk out trying something new and allows developers to pass saving on to the prospective buyer.”

Even with the reduced land costs, gap financing and other cost reductions, time delays and rising construction prices means each home will be priced around $225,000 or more,” Giltz said.

“With the way the cost of construction, labor and everything else is going up, what you thought it would cost to build something for and what you can build it for is way up and in reality you can only sell for market rate housing prices now,” he added.

Each of the four homes, part of the two properties, is eligible for a 100% owner-occupied tax abatement (about $700 a month in tax savings) and for some buyers there is grant assistance from the city of Shaker Heights.

Giltz said he envisioned some buyers would be interested in purchasing both sides of the Menlo properties possibly for a group home or for the sandwich generation – families with young children and older parents.

He said that there have been inquiries from veterans’ groups and from some buyers interested in using one side for rental or Airbnb.

Both properties are on the market as of mid-November 2025. In a city where the majority of residents 75 years and older own their own home.

Sladewska added that it will take time to make people, “realize that this type of housing is available in Shaker because homebuyers, who want to age-in-place, may not specifically looking there.

“We hope that changes,” she added.

Giltz is waiting to see how the Shaker homes are received before recreating the model in other cities.

“The design review process was tough, longer than I anticipated just to get through everything required,” Giltz said. “But now we will be able to recreate the design, and I think it will be much faster the next time around.”