February 14Feb 14 19 hours ago, KJP said: Cleveland, Lakewood projects boosted by Port By Ken Prendergast / February 13, 2025 Three redevelopment projects — two on Cleveland’s west side and one in Lakewood — were awarded financial assistance today by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority’s board of directors to advance them to construction in the coming weeks. The assistance totaled more than $97 million worth of financing, sales tax savings and bonds. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/02/13/cleveland-lakewood-projects-boosted-by-port/ I had no idea the Lakewood project was waiting on funding. They've been pushing dirt at the site and doing demo for a few weeks at least.
February 14Feb 14 8 minutes ago, CLEeng said: I had no idea the Lakewood project was waiting on funding. They've been pushing dirt at the site and doing demo for a few weeks at least. Sounds like they were pretty confident they would get it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 20Feb 20 It's NIMBY season in Lakewood--this time over a bike path on Bunts. Do these people realize that if traffic is calmed, some of it will find its way to other streets and away from theirs? Its almost like they want to make traffic move faster--like PLEASE MAKE MY STREET 5 LANES WIDE! Grrr..... One of Lakewood's busiest streets might be getting a bike lane LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Some longtime residents of Bunts Road in Lakewood are concerned that an improvement project scheduled to begin next year could exacerbate traffic instead of helping to relieve the problem. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/one-of-lakewoods-busiest-streets-might-be-getting-a-bike-lane
February 20Feb 20 Quote "We did have an extensive public engagement process with residents receiving letters, yard signs, placed, public meetings, multiple public meetings," said George. "And you know where we're at right now is, the plans have been submitted, and we are, quite frankly, past the point of making any changes," Well this is good news. Hopefully the NIMBYers are too late and they can move forward without much hassle.
February 20Feb 20 This is the type of mindset that continues to hold Lakewood back. They need to take notes from their east side counterparts
February 20Feb 20 24 minutes ago, TDi said: This is the type of mindset that continues to hold Lakewood back. They need to take notes from their east side counterparts Heck, just compare to Gordon Square or Ohio City and Lakewood seems stagnant in comparison. It doesn't make sense to me.
February 21Feb 21 I don't think this is the typical NIMBY situation. And calling the proposal a bike lane is a little misleading. The proposal is to create a 10' wide, multi-modal path (like they have in the Metroparks) through people's front yards and crossing every driveway on the street. As a frequent walker and biker in Lakewood, I'm all for walkability and biking. But, I think there are legitimate questions about whether or not this is a good idea. I don't think this makes walking OR biking any more safe or desirable on Bunts.
February 21Feb 21 From what I can gather from reading about it, this seems to be doing little traffic calming or lame reduction. 75% of the length of this corridor is staying the same width, it's only losing width between Clifton and Detroit. So for the most part, the bike path is coming at the expense of the tree lawn. Hopefully they will minimize harm to existing trees, and plant high quality tall native trees when they are done. https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/bunts-rehab/ https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/accordions/bunts-road-frequently-asked-questions/
February 21Feb 21 At least these feel like wins: Fresh resurfacing of the sidewalk/path 5 feet of additional width The City taking responsibility for maintaining the path (instead of individual homeowners paying for patchwork maintenance on their sidewalks) Will be nice to see forestry dept. bring in appropriate replacements as you mention...
February 22Feb 22 On 2/21/2025 at 8:57 AM, Dino said: As a frequent walker and biker in Lakewood, I'm all for walkability and biking. But, I think there are legitimate questions about whether or not this is a good idea. I don't think this makes walking OR biking any more safe or desirable on Bunts. As another frequent walker and biker, I'm certain this would make both walking and biking more desirable. Many people don't want to be forced to choose between riding on a narrow road with car traffic or biking on a bumpy and uneven sidewalk where they can't pass pedestrians. And pedestrians usually don't like getting hit by bikes. Whether people are willing to give up some of their lawn for better biking and walking amenities is another matter. Source: I have an asphalt multi-use path just like this on my street.
March 2Mar 2 Lakewood senior housing planned at ex-theater site By Ken Prendergast / March 2, 2025 The site of the former Hilliard Square Theater that closed in 1988 and was demolished in 2017 could become an affordable senior housing development if its developers win highly competitive Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and a loan from the state. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/03/02/lakewood-senior-housing-planned-at-ex-theater-site/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 2Mar 2 4 minutes ago, Jax said: wow, interesting. where do you get that number from? would be very interested to compare different cities in the area. 60% seems really high to me but maybe it isn't? 9 hours ago, TDi said: It also doesn't help that Lakewood continues to let the for sale housing be converted to rentals. It's up to something close to 60% of the total housing stock is now rentals putting even more strain on the for sale supply Going to bring this into the Lakewood thread. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lakewoodcityohio/BZA010222 This is a few years old now, but owner occupied housing units were at 44.5%. It would not surprise me at all if that number has dropped a few percent with the way the housing market has been and the seemingly further shift towards people/companies buying homes to rent them out post covid.
March 2Mar 2 35 minutes ago, PlanCleveland said: Going to bring this into the Lakewood thread. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lakewoodcityohio/BZA010222 This is a few years old now, but owner occupied housing units were at 44.5%. It would not surprise me at all if that number has dropped a few percent with the way the housing market has been and the seemingly further shift towards people/companies buying homes to rent them out post covid. Yeah it's one of highest percentage of rentals out of any city in Ohio. Percentage of renters continues to increase. Owner occupied is 43.8% as of 2024. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/04/what-cities-lead-ohio-with-the-largest-concentration-of-renters.html Edited March 2Mar 2 by TDi
March 2Mar 2 Thanks for the info Ken! Especially for an affordable project, this is very attractive looking infill. Kudos to the developer, and hopefully some of the other affordable developers in Cleveland take notice of this design. As for the rental discussion, I am genuinely surprised rentals are trending higher in Lakewood. I live here and have watched the flippers run rampant. The homes generally sell within a week, so there's clearly no shortage of demand. I am wondering if maybe it is the corporations buying everything up like someone else suggested? Lakewood certainly "checks all of their boxes" for what they look for. If so, rather annoying
March 2Mar 2 5 hours ago, KJP said: Lakewood senior housing planned at ex-theater site By Ken Prendergast / March 2, 2025 The site of the former Hilliard Square Theater that closed in 1988 and was demolished in 2017 could become an affordable senior housing development if its developers win highly competitive Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and a loan from the state. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/03/02/lakewood-senior-housing-planned-at-ex-theater-site/ Good news....but putting people aged 55+ to "age gracefully" right next to what could be the most dangerous intersection in town is certainly a decision.
March 2Mar 2 4 hours ago, PlanCleveland said: Going to bring this into the Lakewood thread. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lakewoodcityohio/BZA010222 This is a few years old now, but owner occupied housing units were at 44.5%. It would not surprise me at all if that number has dropped a few percent with the way the housing market has been and the seemingly further shift towards people/companies buying homes to rent them out post covid. Before COVID, investors were buying up doubles in Lakewood and converting them to single-family homes. They would be under contract within hours of listing. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 2Mar 2 3 minutes ago, KJP said: Before COVID, investors were buying up doubles in Lakewood and converting them to single-family home. They would be under contract within hours of listing. I haven't actually looked at the data, but I suspect they moved on to single family homes during/post COVID. I was searching for my house in Lakewood during that time and every worthwhile house would be under contract in 24-48 hours from listing, usually going for 10s of thousands over asking price, and in all-cash at least a quarter of the time (it felt). Because of that it took multiple years, a seriously understanding agent and some good luck to finally break through. I can't help but wonder how many others gave up in the same time frame and moved to another place.
March 2Mar 2 57 minutes ago, surfohio said: Good news....but putting people aged 55+ to "age gracefully" right next to what could be the most dangerous intersection in town is certainly a decision. Lakewood really should look at redesigning that intersection.
March 2Mar 2 2 hours ago, Rustbelter said: Housing inventory in Lakewood for something that doesn't need a lot of renovations is limited it seems. Even many of the renovated houses are half-baked and have a lot "quirks" from what I've seen. Tough to find something there without some compromise. I think in a more expensive housing market a lot of those houses would get torn down for larger houses or gutted down to the studs and expanded. As it stands I'd think new for-sale townhomes or cluster home developments would do well in Lakewood, but there are only a few such developments for whatever reason. Does anyone know happened to the 20ish townhomes that were supposed to be built at the corner of Madison and Marlowe? They tore down that building 4 or 5 years ago now, and the land is still vacant.
March 2Mar 2 6 minutes ago, PlanCleveland said: Does anyone know happened to the 20ish townhomes that were supposed to be built at the corner of Madison and Marlowe? They tore down that building 4 or 5 years ago now, and the land is still vacant. Covid?
March 3Mar 3 Lakewood has all the ingredients to be one of the best places in America. I see that clearly, but what should be happening doesn’t seem to be happening. Or maybe it is happening, but on a timeline outside of my lifetime. Thats okay I guess. Even so, I will never sell my house in Lakewood. For the most part I live and work elsewhere, but I will continue to make “home” at my little house there in Birdtown. I want this place to be perfect and will continue to invest in this house and in the community. It is special. I’m not even from Ohio, but from here on out Lakewood will always be home for me.
March 3Mar 3 I think a lot of us forget how rough Lakewood was for a long time, it was cheap, inner-ring housing stock, even more so than it's comparables like Cleveland Heights. A lot of the renovations I've seen cited came as a result of that. Not saying Lakewood can't and shouldn't do more and improve, but it's well known across the state as a place you should be looking at if you're coming to Cleveland for a reason (source: me, I work all over the state and most people have at least heard of Lakewood, no matter what part of the state they're in). Clearing hurdles for developments in the city really needs to be a higher priority for the city and administration. They've paid lip service to the issue, but I haven't' see any real progress, which is disappointing.
March 4Mar 4 Some pretty solid progress with redeveloping the former Misencik Funeral Home in Birdtown (across the street from the new Birdietown Golf & Lounge). Slated to become a Korean restaurant and market.
March 9Mar 9 Dan Deagan to Open an Arcade Bar at Former Deagan's Kitchen Spot in Lakewood By Douglas Trattner on Fri, Mar 7, 2025 After closing Deagan’s Kitchen in 2023, Dan Deagan sold the business to a group of partners, who opened Solstice later that year. That business closed a year later and Deagan, at the time, was too busy to focus much attention on the space. “At the time the building became available, I had just opened Wine Dive, was opening Wolf & Co. and I didn’t have time to do anything else,” Deagan says. “But now that those places are up and running, I can concentrate on this.” “This” is a new business that Deagan and partner Andrea Tsiros are opening in the former Deagan’s space (14810 Detroit Ave.) in Lakewood. The as-yet-unnamed venture will be a lively bar filled with classic and modern arcade games, pinball machines, Skee-Ball, billiards and tabletop games like air hockey and foosball. Expect leagues to form around various games. https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/dan-deagan-to-open-an-arcade-bar-at-former-deagans-kitchen-spot-in-lakewood-46194629
March 15Mar 15 Gnarly! Freshly bowled Lakewood Skatepark reopens on 70-degree day Published: Mar. 14, 2025 By Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Ams, thrashers and, yes, even posers who’ve been waiting all winter to drop-in at the redesigned Lakewood Skatepark finally got their chance on Friday. ... The park, built in 2005, closed following Labor Day last year to undergo the long-awaited second phase of its construction, which included adding a bowl, a second grinding rail and a “taco” -- a small, rounded quarter pipe that resembles the shell of its crunchy namesake. The city last year hired California Skateparks to design and build the skatepark’s $550,000 makeover. The company has designed skateparks and courses across the world, including for the last two Summer Olympics in Paris and Tokyo. https://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/2025/03/gnarly-freshly-bowled-lakewood-skatepark-reopens-on-70-degree-day.html
April 3Apr 3 This will hopefully help, but this isn't enough. I would like to see Lakewood eliminate right-on-red throughout the city, start making cross walks speed humps, and add curb bump outs. The bike lanes at least need bollards, but on streets with street parking the bike lane should be between the parking and sidewalk, not between traffic and parking. Traffic signaling generally could also be improved through the city... Lakewood seeks solutions at dangerous intersection near park Published: Apr. 02, 2025 By John Benson, special to cleveland.com LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Safety at the Hilliard Road and Madison Avenue intersection near Wagar Park has come into question after two high-profile incidents. ... [Short-term measures] includes marking the area’s four crosswalks with high-visibility striping, along with adding green paint and bollards to sections of the bike lanes approaching the intersection. ... Incorporated into Lakewood’s annual road program, the permanent striping requires a warmer temperature, with the city planning to add them once the weather breaks. https://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/2024/12/council-to-consider-tax-incentives-for-developer-of-lakewood-school-board-buildings.html Edited April 3Apr 3 by Luke_S
April 14Apr 14 The Roundstone Insurance space at 15422 Detroit is going back to a church! Kings Church announced on their Instagram this week they’ve purchased the building. King's started in Lakewood at the Masonic Temple and for the past few years has been doing services at the Civic Auditorium, but looks like this’ll be their new permanent home. Edited April 15Apr 15 by outjet
April 15Apr 15 3 hours ago, outjet said: The Roundstone Insurance space at 15422 Detroit is going back to a church! . Kings Church announced ion their Instagram this week they’ve purchased the building. King's started in Lakewood at the Masonic Temple and for the past few years has been doing services at the Civic Auditorium, but looks like this’ll be their new permanent home. So from a growing company of a few hundred good paying jobs, to leaving because of Lakewood’s incompetence, to now a building that’s owned by a non profit generating zero tax dollars.
April 15Apr 15 10 hours ago, marty15 said: So from a growing company of a few hundred good paying jobs, to leaving because of Lakewood’s incompetence, to now a building that’s owned by a non profit generating zero tax dollars Or....to a beautiful building that will be reactivated and used for its historic purpose and bring hundreds of people to downtown Lakewood every week? I'll take it!
April 15Apr 15 ^ Hundreds? I don't know about that. Maybe, but l suspect that we're more likely to see it back on the market down the road than we are to see a thriving church in that building. I'll take the hundreds of jobs and a hq. over a church any day but that's probably because l'm agnostic and my bias is showing. Then again, a church is still much better than an empty building. But yeah Lakewood, you dropped the ball again and as a Lakewood home owner l'm not too happy about that.
April 15Apr 15 ^Yes, hundreds. Drive by Lakewood High School on a Sunday morning, they get a large crowd. This isn't a fly-by-night storefront church. Anyway, that site was never big enough to host hundreds of jobs. Roundstone had to move due to growth. Lakewood's ability to keep them in Lakewood is a different story, but as far as this building goes, i think this is good news.
April 15Apr 15 I literally live next door to the high school. I can hear the announcements on the morning. This church draws hundreds if not close to a thousand people for service. I am not a member myself, but they for sure are always out there in between service with signs trying to get new members.
April 15Apr 15 So wait.. I don't follow lakewood news too often, but what the hell happened to the hospital site housing roundstone? Now they're leaving lakewood? I think we definitely have a contender for a NEO city dropping the ball harder than cleveland typically used to. What's the city administration doing that's making development so hard?
April 15Apr 15 16 minutes ago, FutureboyWonder said: So wait.. I don't follow lakewood news too often, but what the hell happened to the hospital site housing roundstone? Now they're leaving lakewood? I think we definitely have a contender for a NEO city dropping the ball harder than cleveland typically used to. What's the city administration doing that's making development so hard? The short version is essentially the old hospital site was more contaminated than was previously known, in particular where the old hospital laundry was. There was a disagreement over who was responsible for the cleanup between the Clinic, City and Developer. Developer could no longer afford the project because of it and walked away, City re-engaged the second place team to develop the site. I don't remember if Roundstone was part of that second development or not though. The second development has been moving at a snail's pace though. Roundstone has a brand new shiny building in Rocky River now because of that.
April 15Apr 15 33 minutes ago, FutureboyWonder said: I think we definitely have a contender for a NEO city dropping the ball harder than cleveland typically used to. Oh there's a lot of competition for that "honor".
April 15Apr 15 Lakewood church to become church again By Ken Prendergast / April 15, 2025 Only a decade old, the Lakewood-based King’s Church has acquired its first permanent home by purchasing the former headquarters of the Roundstone Insurance Co. after it relocated to Rocky River last fall. But that former HQ is going back to its originally intended purpose. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/04/15/lakewood-church-to-become-church-again/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 15Apr 15 1 hour ago, FutureboyWonder said: So wait.. I don't follow lakewood news too often, but what the hell happened to the hospital site housing roundstone? Now they're leaving lakewood? I think we definitely have a contender for a NEO city dropping the ball harder than cleveland typically used to. What's the city administration doing that's making development so hard? Contender for sure. Not only did Lakewood lose Roundstone but the entire hospital site project is a shell of what was proposed at first. If it ever even gets done what is now proposed is essentially a giant parking garage with very little housing or retail for the size of that site.
April 15Apr 15 I guess l haven't been paying enough attention to what is going on right in my Lakewood back yard. Even though l live here my focus is on Cleveland and then mostly downtown and UC. At any rate l had no idea there is a very successful church growing here. Maybe it's my fault but when l think of a growing church my thoughts go right to those mega-churches of which all of my Texas family are members. When l visit them l go to church services just to be nice. They're always trying to sell me but l'm not buying. They're Trumpers too but we don't talk about that. Anyway, back to this church in Lakewood. Good luck to them and like l said upstream... a church in place IS better than an empty building.
April 15Apr 15 1 hour ago, TDi said: Contender for sure. Not only did Lakewood lose Roundstone but the entire hospital site project is a shell of what was proposed at first. If it ever even gets done what is now proposed is essentially a giant parking garage with very little housing or retail for the size of that site. Lakewood is perplexing. There should be more development going on, but for whatever reason, it is slow going.
April 19Apr 19 The article ends on an interesting point. The Grant building and East Rockport School was sold back in 2018 to Liberty Development Company for $500,000. The school board chose Liberty because they were the only developer who didn't propose tearing down the 1899 building and instead wanted to renovate the buildings into a mixed use space. Liberty's Vice President of Development, Dru Siley, was formerly Lakewood's Development Director. In the seven years that Liberty has owned the buildings the city has extended multiple tax incentives to redevelop the site, including a 75% commercial tax abatement and creating a TIF district at the property to reimburse Liberty for energy efficient renovations. Apparently those incentives weren't enough for Liberty to get the project across the finish line, in seven years, and in December Siley told City Council they would consider changing the plan to be exclusively office spaces if they could find enough commercial tenants. Evidently Lakewood City may end up being that commercial tenant for Liberty... Something seems off about this series of events... Did Liberty make a proposal for the Roundstone HQ? Goodbye Lakewood City Hall? Mayor to pitch council on move to historic site Published: Apr. 18, 2025 By Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Lakewood Mayor Meghan George on Monday will propose moving the city out of the 70-year-old City Hall on Detroit Avenue and into the historic school board site on Warren Road. ... The city last year began a review of the current City Hall. That review found that the space, particularly the police department, was outdated and lacked sufficient facilities for the rising number of female officers. The cost to renovate the building to modernize the police department alone would cost $10 million, the city said in December. ... Under the proposal, the city would allow the police department and municipal court to stay in the current building and expand their footprints. The city would also sell the annex building that houses the tax department and move all city departments into a single building. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2025/04/goodbye-lakewood-city-hall-mayor-to-pitch-council-on-move-to-historic-site.html
April 23Apr 23 Anyone know if there is any movement on this lakefront trail in the Gold Coast area? Asking here because the lakefront development thread is locked. https://www.countyplanning.us/projects/cuyahoga-county-lakefront-public-access-plan/focus-areas-implementation/highland-bluffs/
April 23Apr 23 Haven't seen anything since this terrific report was released: https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/coastal/Highland Bluffs Shoreline Access Plan.pdf "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 23Apr 23 Wow! That's incredible. I had no idea something like that was even on the table. So those plans stay on the shelf and join all the others in the pantheon of "No shortage of great Cleveland plans, just a shortage of money and will." Unfortunate.
April 23Apr 23 Just now, cadmen said: Wow! That's incredible. I had no idea something like that was even on the table. So those plans stay on the shelf and join all the others in the pantheon of "No shortage of great Cleveland plans, just a shortage of money and will." Unfortunate. Yes, because "it's too hard" and we might offend some stick-in-the-mud self-interest group. The most important things worth doing are the most difficult ones to achieve. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 23Apr 23 I think this project would likely need some Federal & State match funding and that is in short supply
April 28Apr 28 On 4/23/2025 at 9:34 AM, KJP said: Yes, because "it's too hard" and we might offend some stick-in-the-mud self-interest group. The most important things worth doing are the most difficult ones to achieve.I don't understand the unwillingness we have as a society to pursue large scale and/or transformational projects. Where is the ambition?Leadership really needs to be willing to stand up to these self-interest group types. Driving down Bunts Rd in Lakewood seeing every single yard with a sign protesting the bike path makes me sick. Stop letting these self-righteous "a"-holes bully you into their short-sighted desires!We quite literally empower local leaders to make these types of development decisions. Yet, they are scared to do their job as outlined in their job descriptions.
April 28Apr 28 I could probably scroll through this thread, but could anyone refresh me on what two projects are going on on either side of Detroit at Brockley/Orchard Grove Ave? Drove past yesterday and was surprised to see all the dev sites in progress, but I'm drawing blanks lol
April 28Apr 28 26 minutes ago, Geowizical said:I could probably scroll through this thread, but could anyone refresh me on what two projects are going on on either side of Detroit at Brockley/Orchard Grove Ave? Drove past yesterday and was surprised to see all the dev sites in progress, but I'm drawing blanks lolhttps://neo-trans.blog/2024/11/27/lakewoods-barry-buick-to-fall-apartments-to-rise/
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