Council Meeting Highlights

Dec 02, 2024

City Council held its regular meeting tonight, both in person in Council Chambers and live streamed. This is Council's last regular meeting of the year. Council meetings resume Jan. 6th. Here are today’s highlights:

Gateway Economic CDC Gets Needed Funding: Council authorized the City of Cleveland to contribute $20 million to the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland for repairs and improvements to Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The funding is coming from several sources, including $10 million from unused bond funds that were moved into the general fund, $5 million in general fund dollars and $5 million from federal revenue recovery funds. Gateway was established before the new basketball and baseball fields were constructed. Gateway owns both Progressive Field & Rocket Mortgage Field-house and leases these facilities to the Cleveland Guardians and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively. Gateway is responsible for capital repairs and the sin tax money that supports Gateway hasn't kept up with the cost of capital repairs. If Gateway closed the original agreement lays out a process for turning the ballpark over to city ownership and the arena to the county in the future. The Board is appointed by elected officials of the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Ord. No. 1219-2024

Long Vacant Former National Acme Site to Get Demolished and Remediated for New Uses: Council authorized the city to accept a Brownfields Remediation Program Grant from the Ohio Department of Development to conduct demolition, asbestos and waste removal, and site remediation, as well as any other services needed for future redevelopment of the former National Acme site, located at 170 and 221 East 130th Street. The grant award is $7,628,055 with the city having to put in 25% matching funds of $2,542,685. The city then plans to market the 15-acre property to industrial users. Ord. No. 1009-2024

New Support for Seniors and Others with Disabilities: Council approved selling 10 City-owned parcels in the Land Reutilization Program. The parcels, located on Superior Avenue near E. 105th Street, are needed for the development of Glen H.A.V.E.N., a mixed-use building. Glen H.A.V.E.N. will provide short-term and transitional respite care on the two upper levels, and retail space on the ground floor. The project will bring medical care services, particularly for seniors with mental health/dual diagnosis, and others with disabilities. Ord. No. 1244-2024

New Connector from Kamm's Corner to the Metroparks Rocky River Reservation: Council approved the city enterinto into agreements with the Board of Park Commissioners of the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District. The Cleveland Metroparks plans to construct a 1/3rd-mile, 10-foot wide multi-use trail from Riveredge Road to Little Met Golf Drive. Once constructed, the trail will directly connect Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital (CCFH) and the Kamm’s Corners neighborhood to the CMP Rocky River Reservation and Emerald Necklace Trail System. The City has committed $750,000 of the estimated $2 million total project cost. Ord. No. 1048-2024

Helmet Facility to Expand Gets City Support: Authorizing the City to to enter into an agreement under the Job Creation Income Tax Credit Incentive Program with Team Wendy, LLC, and/or its designee, to assist with project financing for the facility located at 17000 St. Clair Avenue. The financial assistance and incentives, by means of a credit against net profit tax due to the Central Collection Agency. Eligible applicants for such credit, will create a minimum of fifty (50) new full time jobs in the City. The Company plans to locate approximately 200 new employees and $15,000,000 in additional annual payroll ("Project") at its existing 17000 St. Clair Avenue location ("Project Site") because of the closure of another facility in Irvine, California, and increased customer demand, particularly from the Department of Defense. The company has been developing and manufacturing leading-edge products that serve to protect against serious impact-related injuries. The Company has a long-standing partnership with the U.S. Military and National Industries for the Blind, supplying more than seven million helmet pad systems to men and women in uniform since 2005.Ord. No. 1275-2024

African-American Cultural Garden Gets Funding Boost: Council approved accepting $325,000 in unspent grant funding for the African-American Cultural Garden. The garden was established after a task force of prominent business and civic leaders and community activists identified the garden’s mission as promoting education and interest in African American culture and heritage and a spirit of friendship among all people. The unspent grant funding from the Cleveland Foundation being held by the City of Cleveland for donor engagement and the phase two construction of the African American Cultural Garden will now go toward phase two. Ord. No. 1327-2024

Governor and State Lawmakers Must Adopt Property Tax Relief for Residents: Council passed a resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Jenny Spencer, urging Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly to immediately adopt targeted property tax relief for Ohioans who are being taxed out of their homes. Over the past decade, elected leaders at the State of Ohio have made the deliberate and intentional choice of tax shifting; state policymakers have shifted more of the responsibility for funding essential services off the state and onto our communities, forcing middle-class families, working people, veterans, and seniors to pay more in taxes. The Ohio State Legislature has a menu of options it could adopt today to provide targeted, direct relief for those who are being taxed out of their homes – without running afoul of the Ohio Constitution or siphoning away critical resources for public education, first responders, and other public services necessary for strong communities and a robust economy. Res. No. 1359 - 2024

Introduction 

Legislation was introduced that would authorize the City of Cleveland to give consent to the Director of Transportation of the State of Ohio to stabilize the foundation of the Tower B of the Detroit-Superior Bridge also known as the Veterans Memorial Bridge. Ord. No. 1353-2024