EAST CLEVELAND – July 9, 2024
Cuyahoga Land Bank is thrilled to announce the renovation of 10 homes in Cleveland and East Cleveland in the Circle East District, a 30-acre neighborhood directly adjacent to Lake View Cemetery along Euclid Avenue of which Cuyahoga Land Bank is leading the redevelopment.
The newly renovated properties are all owned and occupied by long-time homeowners, with some residents having been there for more than 40 years! Renovations and repairs averaged $19,000 per home and included the installation of new roofs, siding, porches, doors and windows. These improvements have been designed to keep each home safe and sanitary. Not only have the improvements raised the value of each home, but they also increased the homeowners’ opportunity to build equity, which helps to create wealth in this predominantly African-American community.
Grant funds to complete this round of renovations come from various sources, including Ohio’s Housing Assistance Program, the McGregor Foundation, Carol M. Peterson Housing Fund and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati. An additional $1 million in grant funding will be used for repairs on other owner- occupied homes in the neighborhood.
“Watching residents fall back in love with their homes and neighborhoods is truly rewarding work” said Dennis Roberts, Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Director of Real Estate Development. “Our mission is to return abandoned and vacant land to productive use, but the renewed sense of pride is what makes our efforts worthwhile.”
- Home renovations are key in the first of five phases laid out in Circle East revitalization plan. Other Phase One initiatives include:
- The renovation of a 25,000 square foot commercial building to create new employment opportunities and tax revenue for the city
- The installation by the city of new waterlines, sewers and streetscape on Euclid Avenue, Woodlawn Avenue and Penrose Avenue
- The creation of a community park, which will provide more greenspace and recreational opportunities for neighborhood residents
- The building of 12 new townhomes and 22 new market rate single-family homes to start bringing residents back into the neighborhood
“I’ve lived here for over 50 years and what’s going on now is quite exciting. I look forward to being here to see it completed,” said East Cleveland resident Lela Eskridge.
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The Cuyahoga Land Bank is a private, non-profit, government-purposed entity formed following passage of Ohio Senate Bill 353 in 2009, which granted county land banks the special community development powers needed to improve neighborhoods. The mission of the Cuyahoga Land Bank is to strategically acquire properties, return them to productive use, reduce blight, increase property values, support community goals and improve the quality of life for county residents. Now in its 15th year, the Cuyahoga Land Bank has several initiatives specifically designed to support the revitalization of Northeast Ohio communities, including, Realty Reimagined (a nonprofit real estate brokerage) Land Bank