The Cuyahoga Land Bank hit another major milestone in March as it demolished its 9,000th blighted structure in Cuyahoga County since forming in 2009. The building was on East 126th Street in Cleveland’s Larchmere neighborhood. Our friend the “Demosaurus” stopped by… Read more ›
Transparency builds confidence in our work! We pride ourselves on our earnest compliance with Ohio Public Records and Open Meetings laws, collectively known as the “Sunshine Laws.” Sarah Norman, Document Support Specialist, and her team of diligent records and document… Read more ›
The Ohio Land Bank Association, an organized voice for Ohio’s county land banks, met virtually in March with fellow county land bankers, municipal governments, community development groups and those interested in county land bank work. More than 100 participants joined… Read more ›
Dormant factories, closed gas stations, obsolete warehouses, and other types of vacant and abandoned properties have long plagued many of Cuyahoga’s inner-ring suburbs. These abandoned, blighted properties associate with crime, environmental contamination and plunging property values. Each year, the Cuyahoga… Read more ›
Sarah Drab Presser Environmental Properties Specialist Date of HireOctober 2018 EducationBachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies Describe yourself in three words.Motivated, Trustworthy, Passionate What is your favorite part of your work?Seeing the huge impact we are making in our communities… Read more ›
It wasn’t that long ago the idea of a modular home would bring up images of a flimsily-built, cookie-cutter dwelling. That is certainly not the case today! In partnership with Unibilt Industries, the Cuyahoga Land Bank broke ground last September… Read more ›
Until we came to own them! The Cuyahoga Land Bank often acts as a developer itself and completes renovations of homes in its inventory. Many of these homes require significant renovations, and we work to bring these distressed to the… Read more ›
Cuyahoga Land Bank Homes performs quality home renovations that include modern amenities and updated major systems that make the homes move-in ready. Here we share a collection of stunning before-and-after-kitchen makeovers that are sure to inspire your own kitchen transformation.… Read more ›
Although similar in name and perceived purpose, Land Banks and Community Land Trusts are entirely different entities. Land banking is the practice of aggregating parcels of land for future sale or development. A Land Bank typically intervenes to resolve back… Read more ›
When you think of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), you probably just think of wastewater and that monthly bill that comes in the mail. But there is much more to the work of the Sewer District than most… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank is in a unique position to take vacant and abandoned land, some of which may be hard to develop like wetlands or other challenged property, and take advantage of land conservation opportunities using various available conservation… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank is pleased to announce City of Lakewood Mayor Meghan George’s appointment to the Cuyahoga Land Bank Board of Directors. We look forward to the Mayor’s leadership and working together to continue our impactful work.
In December, County Councilman Dan Brady retired from the County Council after an illustrious and productive career as a public servant. Beginning as a Cleveland City Councilman in the 1980s and then serving in the Ohio General Assembly, Dan finished… Read more ›
We get asked all the time to describe the typical buyer for our home renovation program. The short answer is, those buying land bank homes each have their own stories. In fact, a very diverse group of rehabbers in search… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank uses a sophisticated cloud-based software application to manage and analyze data about properties that are either to be acquired or are currently in inventory. The proprietary software, known as the Property Profile System (PPS), was developed… Read more ›
Many of us were not prepared when winter came roaring into northeast Ohio earlier this month. Maybe we thought the forecasts were inaccurate. Perhaps we were caught off guard because it was nearly 70 degrees just two weeks before the… Read more ›
Friends, The year 2020 certainly wasn’t the year we had expected. The ongoing pandemic has impacted us all in different ways. It has challenged us as individuals and posed additional obstacles for us in our work at the Cuyahoga Land… Read more ›
On November 20th, Cuyahoga Land Bank staff, public officials and neighborhood residents watched in awe as two modular homes were set on vacant lots in Maple Heights. The houses, manufactured in Southwest Ohio by Unibilt Custom Homes, were transported to… Read more ›
“We operated, and continue to operate, under two axioms: (1) hurdles are a good thing because hurdles can be overcome; and (2) we avoid thinking ‘out of the box.’ Instead, maximum creativity to experiment would be to work ‘without reference’… Read more ›
Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity dedicated their 13th house of 2020 in mid-November. The house, located on Wilmore Avenue in Euclid, is now home to Lakeesha, a 42-year-old Regional Transit Authority (RTA) worker. “I appreciate all the good, hard, quality… Read more ›
There are many ways to help boost your home’s comfort and long-term value while keeping your energy bills in check. Fortunately for Cuyahoga County residents, there is a great resource to get you started on the road to savings. Home… Read more ›
Transforming a dilapidated house into a dream home can be a rewarding experience. Finding a house with “good bones” in a stable neighborhood at a reduced price is the key to success. The Cuyahoga Land Bank has a number of… Read more ›
In this season of giving thanks, we extend our wishes for a happy and bountiful Thanksgiving and thank you for supporting our mission throughout the year. As we give thanks, let us also be mindful of those less fortunate who may be… Read more ›
Providing vacant property maintenance is a critical part of managing land bank properties. The Cuyahoga Land Bank, over the past year, has maintained over 3,500 properties in its inventory. These responsibilities include cutting grass, removing debris, and boarding up structures.… Read more ›
By Jacqui Knettel In this ongoing series, we revisit some of our extraordinary collaborations that are making a real difference in our community. It’s no secret that we love a good collaboration at the Cuyahoga Land Bank. Over the years,… Read more ›
With dozens of renovation and new home construction projects underway from Cleveland Heights to Rocky River, the Cuyahoga Land Bank recently debuted a new logo for its yard signage it is developing to build community awareness of our housing development work… Read more ›
Abandoned Property Reimagined into Lakefront Eatery After sitting abandoned nearly eight years, and more than two years of design and renovation work, the Summer House restaurant opened its doors in March. The lakefront eatery is quickly earning a reputation as… Read more ›
James MaherCommercial Demolition Officer Date of HireNovember 2009 EducationUniversity of Cincinnati Describe yourself in three wordsDiligent, friendly, inquisitive What motivates you in your work?Each site is different and has the opportunity for a fresh start. Looking at sites before we… Read more ›
When Amanda and Bernie arrived in Cleveland from Los Angeles in 2017, they planned to buy and renovate a multi-family property in Cleveland Heights as an investment and return to L.A. a few weeks later. But the restoration of the… 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 strategic land assembly work performed by the Cuyahoga… Read more ›
From University Circle to Tremont to Ohio City, Civic Builders has built countless homes and worked on renovations, remodels and new constructions big and small. In 2001, the company set out to meet unanswered demand for city projects and now… Read more ›
A fantastic group of people help make up our Cuyahoga Land Bank team. We’d love for you to meet them! Read more ›
Cleophus Stepeney might have only just put the finishing renovation touches on the home he purchased from the Cuyahoga Land Bank late last summer, but he’s already looking for his next house. Read more ›
Meet the Team: Austin Bloom, Program Liaison Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank works with a diverse group of local contractors in our renovation work. We are always on the lookout for quality contractors that specialize in construction and rehabilitation, including licensed general contractors, sub-contractors and mechanicals. Want to work… Read more ›
This year the Cuyahoga Land Bank celebrated its 10th anniversary. It has been an amazing journey! We count it a profound privilege to have worked with so many partners in the profit, non-profit and faith-based community who serve the community… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank took part in a dedication and prayer service welcoming Star and her three children to their new home in Cleveland last week. Star is a participant of the City Mission’s New Horizons Program, which works with… Read more ›
We recently completed renovations on this gorgeous Cape Cod in Cleveland’s desirable West Park neighborhood. With our commitment to high quality renovations and unique features for all our in-house renovation projects, it’s no wonder this home was quickly grabbed up by a lucky… Read more ›
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 ›
