We are often asked about the day-to-day work of the Cuyahoga Land Bank from curious residents and community leaders. In this ongoing Behind the Scenes series, we take a look at the extensive environmental assessment work done on every residential and commercial property in the Cuyahoga Land Bank inventory. Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank is pleased to be a part of Opportunity CLE, a collaboration of public and civic leaders working together to attract local and national investment into Greater Cleveland’s Opportunity Zones, a new federal designation designed to spur development in economically distressed areas. Read more ›
Cuyahoga Land Bank President and General Counsel Gus Frangos presented an update on the new $30 million Cuyahoga County Housing Program to Cleveland City Council’s Development Planning and Sustainability Committee in early March. Read more ›
Chief Operating Officer Bill Whitney has announced his plan to retire in June. Bill’s leaving marks the end of an era for the Cuyahoga Land Bank, as he has been an integral part of the team since its creation in 2009. Read more ›
We had a great day of service April 6th as Cuyahoga Lank Bank staff joined in beautifying Cleveland’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood at Envision Cleveland’s Renew the City event. More than 300 volunteers invaded the area picking up trash, tearing down… Read more ›
Jason Knauer Land Reuse Program Manager Date of Hire August 2015 Education B.S. in Urban Studies, University of Cincinnati Describe yourself in three words. Caring. Helpful. Witty. What motivates you in your work? I love getting out and talking with… Read more ›
Over time, by assembling larger parcels of land for specific, new development or for the purpose of creating green space or urban gardens and farms, the Cuyahoga Land Bank is providing a second life for property that has previously been deemed undesirable by its owners and overlooked as too challenging by developers. Read more ›
In February, the Cuyahoga Land Bank bid farewell to Lilah Zautner who will be returning to her environmental roots to become the Property Acquisition Manager for Watersheds at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). Lilah has served as the Manager of Special Projects and Land Reuse at the Cuyahoga Land Bank since 2013. Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank is a national leader in strategic blight removal and community development. It is an essential partner in administering the Cuyahoga County Property Demolition Program, which has eliminated over 2,000 blighted structures in under two years. The… Read more ›
Cuyahoga County Council recently passed legislation to launch the Cuyahoga County Housing Program, a $30 million, six-year effort to stabilize home values, eliminate blight and to encourage renovation and construction of affordable housing. The program will expand the efforts of the Cuyahoga Land Bank to include rehabilitation and housing market stabilization. Read more ›
The Cleveland Housing Court will hold a free seminar for landlords (and aspiring landlords) on Wednesday, March 6 from 3-6 p.m. at the Cleveland Public Library Fulton Branch (3545 Fulton Road) in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Read more ›
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cleveland completed construction on two homes in January and held dedications at which the families received keys to their new homes. Read more ›
Members of the Cleveland Police First District Community Relations team and Councilman Brian Kazy welcomed a mother and her children to their new home on Cleveland’s west side in January. Read more ›
St. Francis School, a vibrant educational institution on Cleveland’s near east side, serves as a beacon of hope and a source of quality education for neighborhood families and children. In 2016, St. Francis’s Principal Scott Embacher contacted the Cuyahoga Land Bank for help in assembling four abandoned and blighted houses directly across the street from its campus. Read more ›
A Cuyahoga County Council committee on Monday approved changes to a proposed $30 million housing program that would allow cities to veto any rehabilitation or demolition of homes within their borders. Read more ›
Family, friends, volunteers and staff of several partner organizations came together in December to welcome Chanelle and her two daughters into their new home in Garfield Heights. Read more ›
Cleveland’s attractive, family-friendly West Park neighborhood continues to experience increases in home sale prices. However, West Park is not immune to tax delinquent blighted houses. Read more ›
For first-time homeowner Bridgette Newell, buying a home from the Cuyahoga Land Bank was a pressure-free experience. After extensive searches for homes on real estate websites, Bridgette, 49, found her two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath fixer-upper on Lamson Avenue in Bedford on the Cuyahoga Land Bank website. Read more ›
Jessie Masters Information and Planning Specialist Date of Hire September 2016 Education B.S. in Architecture, Ohio State University Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University Describe yourself in three words. Persistent. Empathetic. Hungry. What motivates you in your… Read more ›
In 2017, the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation (CDC) purchased this 924 square foot home on Buechner Avenue and promptly sold it to Green Home Solutions in order to save it from demolition. Read more ›
As part of the 100th-anniversary celebration of Poland regaining its independence, the Polish American Cultural Center in Honor of Pope John Paul II hosted a ribbon cutting and grand dedication ceremony for their newly created Polish Heritage Garden November 11.… Read more ›
Court Community Service (CCS) is a not-for-profit agency that arranges community service work for adult offenders designed as a quality alternative sentencing option responsive to the needs of the courts and the community. Read more ›
East Cleveland city leaders and the Cuyahoga Land Bank have been working on a possible city revitalization plan for nearly two years. See NewsChannel 5’s coverage of the story HERE.
Working Together for Solutions From case studies in community redevelopment to rehab strategies for vacant properties, the annual Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s 2017 Ohio Land Bank Conference offered up timely and essential information for land bank board members and staff,… Read more ›
In September, the seven-story, 168-room former Ramada Inn (and later Red Roof Inn) on Rockside Road in Bedford Heights was demolished by the Cuyahoga Land Bank after months of pre-demolition work. The site of the long-vacant hotel will soon be… Read more ›
Community Development Corporations in Cleveland are buying, renovating and selling vacant homes and making an impact in their neighborhoods. See the NewsChannel 5 story HERE.
The NEON Veterans Housing and Support Services (NVHSS) celebrated the completion of Phase One of its Veterans Housing Initiative at a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 18th. NEON board members, local government officials, Cuyahoga Land Bank leaders, veterans and neighborhood residents attended… Read more ›
On Saturday, May 20th and Sunday, May 21st, thousands of people gathered in Slavic Village for the fourth installation of Rooms To Let: CLE. The event, presented by Slavic Village Development Corporation, temporarily transforms vacant homes – all of which are slated… Read more ›
“I didn’t see myself as a homeowner,” says April Waltonen, proudly standing in front of her four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home in Euclid that she closed on in July of last year. “The minute my daughter and I saw this house,… Read more ›
Father and Son Team Up to Renovate Vacant House When Michael Rubin Sr. retired from teaching, he dreamt of taking a well-deserved vacation and spending quality time with his wife and family. His plans, though, were put on hold once… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank recently was named a semifinalist in Harvard University’s 2017 Innovations in American Government Awards competition. The Awards are presented annually by The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of… Read more ›
By Alyssa Platek
At the Cuyahoga Land Bank, we are particularly proud of our partnerships that help make a real difference in the communities we serve. One such collaboration is our work with The Woodrow Project, an organization dedicated to providing a safe, stable and supportive environment for women in recovery. Through the Woodrow Project, women in recovery are able to return to healthy and productive lifestyles, and access needed referrals for outpatient treatment, employment and mental health services. Read more ›
The Discovery Center, a neighborhood child enrichment center that moved into its new home on East 137th Street last year thanks to a partnership between Concerned Citizens Community Council, the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Cleveland City Council, began offering its children’s programming again… Read more ›
In our work at the Cuyahoga Land Bank, we are always on the lookout for innovative ways to bring new life to vacant and abandoned property. A new home construction project currently underway in Lakewood surely fits the bill. On May… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank has many opportunities to partner with community organizations to help improve property values through blight removal and improved green spaces. The latest partnership had the Cuyahoga Land Bank joining an existing partnership between St. Clair Superior… Read more ›
Rooms to Let:CLE brought over two thousand visitors to the Slavic Village neighborhood for the third year in a row of fantastic art exhibits. Great job to Paul Williams Cuyahoga Land Bank, Demolition Inspector who was a featured artist! … Read more ›
You never know what you will find when demolishing a structure. The Cuyahoga Land Bank recently discovered a time capsule at the Masonic Temple demolition site in Shaker Heights. The time capsule was turned over to the Temple, and we can’t wait… Read more ›
Library Project has Neighborhood and Environmental Impact Cuyahoga Land Bank Key to Collaboration with Cleveland City Council, Cleveland Public Library, Ohio EPA, and Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority Community leaders, neighborhood residents and other stakeholders gathered yesterday in Glenville to celebrate a… Read more ›
By: Roxanne Washington, Cleveland.com She and three of her four children were thrilled to be roaming around a two-story, four-bedroom home in Cleveland’s Buckeye neighborhood that will be theirs in a few months, once it has been completely rehabilitated by Greater… Read more ›
Lakewood Alive purchased this vacant lot from the Cuyahoga Land Bank and is happy to announce that the lot will be the future site of a house! Lakewood Alive is a non-profit community development organization that promotes economic development and… Read more ›
Kevin Malone Sr. worked as a construction contractor all of his life. Working with his hands, he raised his family and sent them to college. Kevin’s two sons, Kevin and Colin both graduated from college and entered the work force;… Read more ›
By Sue Botos, Rocky River It was a case of good news, bad news last week as the city’s application for funds to develop a new master plan was accepted by the county. But a bid to fund a park… Read more ›
Nissim Mashmoor recently moved into his new home in Euclid after participating in the Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Deed-In-Escrow Program. Nissim comments “Because of the Cuyahoga Land Bank, I’m a happy home owner. They have helped me achieve my goal of… Read more ›
Christopher Saddler became a first time home owner when he purchased a Cuyahoga Land Bank property in the City of Garfield Heights. “Because of the Cuyahoga Land Bank, I was able to purchase a residential property for me and my… Read more ›
Willie Bethune recently participated in the Deed-In-Escrow Program and purchased a three bedroom home in the Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood. Willie shared about his successful purchase and says “It was a really good experience and a great learning experience to be… Read more ›
In the sixth installment of our FAQ video series, we explore programs available for the purchase and renovation of a Cuyahoga Land Bank home. The most popular program is the Deed-in-Escrow Program. An interested buyer is provided with a renovation… Read more ›
In the fourth installment of a series of Cuyahoga Land Bank FAQ videos, Land Bank President and General Counsel Gus Frangos explains how the Cuyahoga Land Bank acquires properties into our inventory. There are three sources: 1) REO (Real Estate… Read more ›
In the third of a series of Cuyahoga Land Bank FAQ videos, Land Bank President and General Counsel Gus Frangos explains what makes land banks a potent tool. 1) They have the ability to operates as a corporation, which allows… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Deed-In-Escrow program makes it possible for individuals to purchase properties in the Cuyahoga Land Bank inventory and renovate them. Listen to Adam talk about his experience with the Deed-In-Escrow Program. You can learn more about the… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank Deed-in-Escrow program makes it possible for individuals to purchase properties in the Cuyahoga Land Bank inventory and renovate them. Rhonda Derrett, who was renovating a home for her sick father, needed special consideration due to her… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank Deed-in-Escrow program makes it possible for individuals to purchase properties in the Cuyahoga Land Bank inventory and renovate them. Listen to Adam Sywanyk talk about his experience with the Deed-in-Escrow Program. You can learn more about… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank Deed-in-Escrow program makes it possible for individuals to purchase properties in the Cuyahoga Land Bank inventory and renovate them. Rhonda Derrett, who was renovating a home for her sick father, needed special consideration due to her… Read more ›
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ75USveGeo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUGJT1EuXZmZjRaaNyYOkU7Q The Cuyahoga Land Bank Deed-in-Ecrow program was created as a way for investors, professional rehabbers and people looking to renovate a Land Bank property to turn it into their dream home to be able to do so. Program participants… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank helped the Polish American Cultural Center – which had several vacant, abandoned properties adjacent to it – assemble land and demolish structures in order to create a space for a Cultural Garden, meeting space and outdoor… Read more ›
