In 2015, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, in collaboration with the City of Cleveland, surveyed every residential, commercial, and industrial parcel in the City – more than 158,854 parcels! That survey captured a snapshot of each property by ranking the current… Read more ›
In November, Fourth District Cleveland Police officers, residents and others gathered to officially dedicate the Officer Derek Owens Memorial Park. The inclusive neighborhood park was built on three vacant lots on Parkview Avenue in Cleveland encompassing the site where Patrol… Read more ›
On behalf of the entire Cuyahoga Land Bank team, I would like to thank everyone for making our 10thanniversary IMPACT! event such a success. On Thursday, October 17, we gathered with nearly 400 of our friends and partners in the… Read more ›
Friends, neighbors and volunteers gathered in September to celebrate the official opening of Bessie’s Place II, a permanent low-income housing opportunity for young ladies age 18-24 who have aged out of foster care. Bessie’s Place II is a collaboration between Bessie’s… Read more ›
Old abandoned gas stations dotting the corners of our cities can be eyesores and blight communities. Cities struggle with what to do about polluted, abandoned gas stations and other petroleum-contaminated properties, commonly called petroleum brownfields. Here’s a look at how… Read more ›
Job Title Demolition Inspector Date of Hire November 2018 Education The University of Akron, Bachelor’s Degree in Geography and Planning; Cleveland State University, Master of Urban Planning Design and Development Describe yourself in three words. Energetic, Passionate, Goofy What motivates… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank regularly transfers blighted properties to local CDCs, which renovate and restore them into attractive, affordable housing opportunities. The Metro West Development Organization, which serves Cleveland’s Stockyard, Clark-Fulton, and Brooklyn Centre neighborhoods, is one of the most creative and productive CDCs in town, using a combination of strategic partnerships and grassroots efforts to ensure its neighborhood’s vibrancy. Read more ›
Friends and supporters of Building Hope in the City (BHITC), a Christian mission organization focused on the renewal of urban Cleveland, gathered on Saturday, June 29 for prayer and dedication of its new faith-based home for soldiers journeying together in… Read more ›
The Environmental Protection Agency announced last month the Cuyahoga Land Bank would receive $300,000 in EPA Brownfields funding to assess environmentally unclean industrial and commercial properties in the region. Grants awarded by the EPA’s Brownfield Program provide communities across the… Read more ›
After more than 10,000 acquisitions. On the heels of more than 7,000 demolitions. After facilitating more than 2,100 home renovations … It’s time to celebrate! Mark your calendars now for IMPACT!, a celebration of the Cuyahoga Land Bank’s accomplishments over the… Read more ›
Community development stakeholders joined local civic leaders and elected officials June 26th to hear the findings of an independent 10-year Cuyahoga Land Bank economic impact study at a press conference and public forum at Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin… Read more ›
A big crowd of supporters gathered June 11th for the ribbon cutting and official opening of the Greater Cleveland Fisher Houses. A big shout out to the Fisher House Foundation and all those in our community who helped make this… Read more ›
Over the last 10 years the Cuyahoga Land Bank has had a $1.43 million impact, according to a recent study. The Plain Dealer looks at the organization’s role in restoring property values by demolishing and rehabilitating distressed structures, returning properties to Cuyahoga County’s tax rolls, and bolstering the local economy with the money it has spent and private-sector investments it has spurred. Read more ›
Another aspect of the Cuyahoga Land Bank’s work is rehabilitating distressed properties with the help of community partners, including dozens of local nonprofits. The Plain Dealer explores how these partners work with the Cuyahoga Land Bank to rehabilitate homes and use them to serve their clients. Read more ›
We’re proud to partner with the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity to offer this homeowner info session on June 26, 2019. Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank proudly sponsored and participated in this year’s Habitat for Humanity, Greater Cleveland 5K/1mi Walk/Run/Mosey at Edgewater Park on June 15. More than 425 participates came out to support Habitat Cleveland’s affordable homeownership efforts and enjoy family-friendly, dog-friendly and… Read more ›
Members of the First District Community Relations team are making great progress on the home they are renovating for a mother and her children on Cleveland’s West Side. Read more ›
The Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Cleveland Tree Coalition member organizations, and community partners hosted an Arbor Day Block Party in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood on April 27. Read more ›
With his knowledge of the local market and expertise in negotiations, real estate agent Ryan DeLuca can spot a hidden-gem home with strong potential to grow in value. Read more ›
Rooms to Let: CLE returned to the Slavic Village neighborhood in Cleveland Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. Dozens of artists and makers created a temporary art exhibition using vacant homes slated for demolition as their medium. Slavic Village… Read more ›
Elizabeth Baptist Church, a pillar of the Hyacinth neighborhood on Cleveland’s east side, has ministered to the spiritual and physical needs of its congregation for nearly a century. Read more ›
Meet the Team: James McGuire GIS and Research Technician Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank’s innovative renovation programs provide quality housing opportunities and encourage responsible homeownership. Acting as a developer itself, the Cuyahoga Land Bank completes dynamic in-house renovations throughout the County. Since 2009, the Cuyahoga Land Bank has renovated nearly… Read more ›
We are excited to see the final touches being put on the Greater Cleveland Fisher House apartments. The final phase of the $3 million project has wrapped in preparation of a formal dedication and ribbon cutting in June. The Fisher… Read more ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
