KJP

Where is 185 acres of clean, contiguous land owned by willing sellers in Cleveland? The Site Readiness Fund is just getting going thanks to a rare $50 million shot in the arm from the feds. Yes, this should have happened sooner but better late than never. And even then, stitching together and cleaning up 36 acres of land like the National Acme site (one of the largest, if not the largest redevelopment sites in the city of Cleveland) is going to cost nearly $20 million. By contrast, DiGeronimo paid the city of Brecksville $5 million for 102 acres of the former VA Hospital site. And many large cornfields go for much less than that. Very hard for the city of Cleveland to compete with that, but at least they're finally trying.

Maybe the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad extension?

Port OK’s $92M for Cleveland, Brecksville projectsBy Ken Prendergast / June 12, 2025 A trio of projects — two in Cleveland and one in Brecksville — got a total of $92 million in financing approved by the Port of Cleveland to help get them closer to construction. Two are mixed-use housing developments in Cleveland totaling 355 residential units. The third is a new, 136-room AC Marriott hotel at Valor Acres, the former Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital site in Brecksville. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/12/port-oks-92m-for-cleveland-brecksville-projects/

I figured I'd better post this before this thread gets locked.... 😉 Port OK’s $92M for Cleveland, Brecksville projectsBy Ken Prendergast / June 12, 2025 A trio of projects — two in Cleveland and one in Brecksville — got a total of $92 million in financing approved by the Port of Cleveland to help get them closer to construction. Two are mixed-use housing developments in Cleveland totaling 355 residential units. The third is a new, 136-room AC Marriott hotel at Valor Acres, the former Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital site in Brecksville. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/12/port-oks-92m-for-cleveland-brecksville-projects/

Port OK’s $92M for Cleveland, Brecksville projectsBy Ken Prendergast / June 12, 2025 A trio of projects — two in Cleveland and one in Brecksville — got a total of $92 million in financing approved by the Port of Cleveland to help get them closer to construction. Two are mixed-use housing developments in Cleveland totaling 355 residential units. The third is a new, 136-room AC Marriott hotel at Valor Acres, the former Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital site in Brecksville. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/12/port-oks-92m-for-cleveland-brecksville-projects/

Capitol Theatre may need a new plot writtenBy Ken Prendergast / June 11, 2025 It's a tough time for the film industry, and an even tougher time for historic theaters like the Capitol Theatre, 1390 W. 65th St., trying to pay its bills. The 104-year-old venue in Cleveland's Gordon Square Arts District has an uncertain future regardless of its owner trying to spin the creation of a Capitol Theatre Stewardship Board as "an exciting new chapter" in a press release issued today. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/11/capitol-theatre-may-need-a-new-plot-written/

@sonisharri Yep, November.... https://www.riderta.com/majorprojects/W117

So I was digging around trying to find the Hopkins expansion plan from 25 years ago that involved the demolition of the I-X Center and I found these dreamschemes of mine from 20 years ago.....

Industrial user lined up for Highland Hills siteBy Ken Prendergast / June 10, 2025 NEOtrans has learned that the developer of a 30-acre spread of land in suburban Highland Hills isn’t marketing the assembled parcels to a new, job-rich end-user. The reason is that the developer already has one lined up for the land, located in the 22700 block of Millcreek Blvd. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/10/industrial-user-lined-up-for-highland-hills-site/

Bedrock to add steam plant site to Riverfront plansBy Ken Prendergast / June 9, 2025 If you like what Bedrock Real Estate has planned for its huge Riverfront Development in Downtown Cleveland, expect more of it at the site currently occupied by closed Cleveland Thermal steam heating plant, 2274 Canal Rd. That’s what public records reveal in the application for Ohio Brownfields Program funding that was awarded last week. But not all of the steam plant may be affected. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/09/bedrock-to-add-steam-plant-site-to-riverfront-plans/

Maybe someday they'll reopen the West 117th station. It looks like they've removed the work area speed limit from the station, as I saw a Red Line train sail across the bridge over West 117th at about 55 mph. I hope the homeless don't come back to the station, whenever it reopens.

Cross-posted from the CVSR thread.....

CVSR pursues Downtown Cleveland link with CSXBy Ken Prendergast / June 8, 2025 On March 16, family, friends and colleagues of Thomas V. Chema received horrible news. The 78-year-old leader of civic causes and institutions died suddenly at his home in Downtown Cleveland. Chema was in the midst of excitedly pursuing his latest civic endeavor — the extension of Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad trains into downtown. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/06/08/cvsr-pursues-downtown-cleveland-link-with-csx/

It looks like A Place For Us-Clark Ave. But seriously, where the heck did this come from? Last time I went by there a few days ago (or so it seemed), this was just a hole in the ground.