Mayor announces acquisition and clean-up of what will be Cleveland’s largest future job-ready site
CLEVELAND – April 3, 2025 — City leaders today marked a major milestone in Cleveland’s strategy to bring jobs and investment to long-neglected corridors with the launch of demolition and environmental cleanup at the long-vacant National Acme industrial site. The effort will transform the 13.3-acre property at 170 East 131st St., along with a smaller 0.85-acre parcel across the street, into a clean, development-ready job site.
A Game-Changing Land Acquisition
Mayor Justin Bibb also announced the acquisition of an adjacent 22-acre parcel—a former Republic Steel fabrication center closed since 2011—through the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund (SRF). Combined, the parcels create a rare 37-acre, contiguous site, one of the largest industrial redevelopment opportunities in Cleveland. The adjacent shovel-ready site along Kirby Avenue further increases the development potential of the area.
$11 Million Cleanup to Ready Site for Job Creation
The transformation is made possible through a joint investment of $7.6 million from the State of Ohio and $3.5 million from the City of Cleveland. Cleanup work at the former National Acme site includes asbestos removal, demolition of remaining structures, waste disposal and soil remediation. Once completed, the site will be marketed for advanced manufacturing or other high-employment industrial uses.
Mayor Justin Bibb said this project was an example of why his administration, in partnership with Cleveland City Council, created SRF.
“Brownfields like this one have held our neighborhoods back for too long,” Mayor Bibb said. “We’re now flipping the script—turning a dangerous, decaying eyesore into a world-class job site. With this scale of clean land now in public hands, Cleveland is finally positioned to compete for some of Ohio’s largest economic development opportunities.”
Reviving a Long-Dormant Industrial Giant
This long-awaited $11 million cleanup marks a major step forward for a site that has stood in limbo for decades. National Acme filed for bankruptcy in 2000, leaving behind environmental contamination and an unusable industrial footprint. Early remediation efforts began nearly 20 years ago, when Cuyahoga County and the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund invested $1.75 million to jumpstart cleanup. Today, those efforts are being realized at a transformative scale.
Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel attended the celebration.
“This project is more than just demolition—it’s a commitment to Cleveland’s economic future,” Lt. Governor Tressel said. “By transforming long-neglected spaces into opportunities for growth through our Brownfield Remediation Grants, we’re paving the way for new jobs, new investment and a stronger community.”
Local Impact and Community Transformation
Located at the crossroads of East Glenville and Collinwood—neighborhoods with a 37% poverty rate—this project is designed to spark broader revitalization in a community facing significant disinvestment and vacancy.
“This cleanup and demolition has been a long time coming,” said Ward 8 Councilman Michael D. Polensek, who represents the area. “From the day I became councilman for that area, I was determined to reimagine and repurpose this historic site. This was one of the worst industrial brownfields in the entire city—contaminated, crumbling and a constant source of danger. Today marks the beginning of real, meaningful change for this community.”
Councilman Anthony Hairston, whose ward borders the site, added, “This isn’t just about one property—this is about opportunity. It’s about putting our neighborhoods in position to attract investment, grow jobs and give people in this area a fair shot at economic stability.”
Infrastructure and Workforce Advantages
The massive site’s proximity to major highways, rail access and utilities makes it especially attractive to employers. SRF Managing Director Brad Whitehead emphasized the unique competitive advantages.
“We’re clearing the way for progress, prosperity and people,” said Whitehead. “With a capable workforce of nearly 100,000 people within a 30-minute walk, bike or transit ride of this site and with the right employer, this will be a game-changer.”
Positioning Cleveland for Statewide and National Competition
Whitehead noted that Ohio has ranked second nationally for large-scale economic development projects for three years running, with tens of thousands of new jobs announced in 2024 alone.
“For too long, Cleveland has been stuck on the sidelines, missing out on opportunities because we lacked clean, ready-to-go industrial land,” Whitehead said. “Not anymore. In just 18 months, we’ve secured more than 200 acres of land, and many of those sites will be ready for business by this fall.”
Marketing a Regional Asset
Once cleanup is complete, the site is expected to support the creation of 250 or more new jobs. SRF will market the land in partnership with Team NEO, JobsOhio, the industrial brokerage community and other partners, targeting both local businesses and out-of-state or international firms looking to expand into the Midwest.
Team NEO CEO Matt Dolan praised the project. “The competition for high-quality jobs is fierce,” he said. “This site—and others being advanced by the Site Readiness Fund—will help Cleveland compete on a level playing field.”
Cuyahoga Land Bank Takes the Lead on Clean Up
The cleanup is being managed by the Cuyahoga Land Bank, which serves as SRF’s fiscal agent and execution partner.
“Reclaiming this land is critical for the city’s economic future,” said Ricardo León, President and CEO of the Land Bank. “These efforts take time, money and coordination, but the payoff will be real and long-lasting for Cleveland residents.”
A Strategy for Citywide Industrial Renewal
According to SRF, Cleveland contains an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 acres of vacant or underutilized industrial land—roughly the size of the entire city of Shaker Heights. Few of these sites, however, are clean, contiguous and connected enough to support modern job-creating industries.
“We need to attract new businesses to the city, businesses that have been choosing neighboring areas instead, simply because we lacked available land,” said Council President Blaine A. Griffin. “Not just any land, though; we need land that’s ready for redevelopment. This is the start of meeting those needs.”
Whitehead added, “There are hundreds of acres of potential job sites sitting dormant across our city. We’re committed to cleaning them up and partnering with developers and employers who want to help build Cleveland’s future.”
About the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund
The Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund (SRF) is an independent nonprofit launched in August 2023 through a $50 million investment provided by the Bibb Administration and Cleveland City Council. Its mission is to transform contaminated, fragmented and underutilized brownfield sites into vibrant job centers, reclaiming 1,000 acres to create an estimated 25,000 good-paying jobs and new sources of neighborhood wealth by 2040.
SRF emphasizes its connection to Cleveland’s neighborhoods, ensuring that economic growth benefits the communities where it occurs.
SRF’s partners include Cuyahoga Land Bank, City of Cleveland, JobsOhio, Team NEO, Cuyahoga County, The Cleveland Foundation, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Fund for Our Economic Future, Greater Cleveland Works and community development corporations across the city.
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