Since the Cuyahoga County Property Demolition Program kicked off in the spring of 2015 to address the problem of blighted and abandoned properties, the Cuyahoga Land Bank has helped communities across Cuyahoga County accomplish their commercial demolition and redevelopment goals. The $26.2 million program aided in the demolition of 1,839 residential units and more than 1.1 million square feet of dilapidated commercial structures. From an aged frame house in Berea to a seven-story former Ramada Inn in Bedford Heights; from a former convent in Lakewood to a former tavern in North Collinwood; from an environmentally contaminated metal plating company in Newburgh Heights to a golf course clubhouse in Parma; from a former YWCA in Middleburg Heights to a former YMCA in Brooklyn Center; and from a 500-square-foot tiny house in South Euclid to the 136,000-square-foot former St. Peter Chanel High School in Bedford, the Cuyahoga Land Bank has made a significant impact in 27 cities, towns and villages across the county. The last demolition under the program took place in February 2023.
“This County Demolition Program served as a huge benefit to communities struggling with a strategy to demolish expensive and blighted residential properties and commercial buildings,” says Gus Frangos, Cuyahoga Land Bank President and General Counsel. “The program has helped communities in the county turn blighted properties into cleared land that is attracting investment, business, and jobs.”