Council Meeting Highlights

Mar 03, 2025

City Council held its regular meeting in person tonight in Council Chambers, which was also live-streamed. Council did a second reading of the city's annual budget, which requires three readings. Council will hold a special meeting at 4 pm on Tuesday, March 18th. (There are no meetings on March 10th or March 17th.) Here are today’s highlights:

Second Phase of Churchill Gateway to Get Underway: Council approved selling sell certain City-owned property no longer needed located on East 105th Street and Churchill Avenue to the NRP Group. The NRP Group plans to build phase two of the Churchill Gateway, with the first project known as the Davis Apartments in honor of the former elementary school the project sits on. The new building will be directly adjacent to the first phase which is a 52-unit building with parking in-between.

Churchill Gateway II will include a four-story building with 70 units. The units will include one-, two-, and three- bedrooms. The building will include an exercise room, community area with a kitchenette, outdoor covered patio, playground area, and centralized mail lobby for all tenants. The project was designed to be energy efficient.

Additionally, residents of Phase II will have easy access to the community programming space built into Phase 1 occupied by University Hospitals. The UH Community Wellness Center serves as a venue for UH caregivers to engage with Glenville residents by delivering preventive health care and other solutions. The center’s offerings include healthy cooking demonstrations, a Food For Life Market, support for pregnant women and young mothers, programs to combat senior citizen isolation, telehealth services, and training in workforce and financial literacy. Ord. No. 990-2024

New Submerged Land Leases with the State of Ohio: Council approved the city entering into submerged land leases with the State of Ohio and future consent to sub-lease with various tenants for the submerged land from West 3rd Street to approximately East 49th Street, for a term up to ninety-nine years, with two fifty-year options to renew.

The City of Cleveland constructed the Downtown Lakefront over several decades on artificial fill placed on the bed or submerged land of Lake Erie, beginning in the late 1800s.

In June 2014, the City entered into a master submerged land lease with the State of Ohio for the Downtown Lakefront, which currently includes the parking lot on the western portion of Burke Lakefront Airport, North Coast Harbor, and the area north of Huntington Bank Field. Additional submerged land lease agreements, amendments, modifications, replacements, or extensions are needed with the State of Ohio for the area spanning from West 3rd Street to approximately East 49th Street. These modifications are needed for the various projects outlined in the City’s Downtown Lakefront Master Plan and associated development projects. Ord. No. 1173-2024

Council Opposes Senate Bill 1: Council passed a a resolution, sponsored by Councilman Richard Starr then joined by Councilwoman Stephanie Howse-Jones and Council President Blaine A. Griffin and other members, strongly opposing Senate Bill 1 which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at Ohio’s public universities. If SB 1 is enacted, public colleges could no longer conduct any training or orientation regarding diversity, equity, or inclusion, have an, or use DEI in job descriptions, or offer any new scholarships that use DEI. Universities would have to declare that they will not take positions on any controversial beliefs or policies, meaning a subject of political controversy, including climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.

This bill allows the General Assembly to withhold or reduce funding to a state university if it determines they have failed to comply with these policies. In addition to prohibiting DEI efforts, this bill also bans faculty from striking, shortens university board of trustees terms, and requires students to take an American civic literacy course to include the American economic system and capitalism, among other things.

Students and professors at Ohio’s public universities are concerned that if SB 1 is enacted, students will pursue a college degree in other states outside Ohio where they can learn in a diverse environment and freely express their speech. Res. No. 252-2025

April Designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month: Council approved legislation, sponsored first by Council President Blaine A. Griffin and Council members Stephanie Howse-Jones and Mike Polensek, with other members co-sponsoring, declaring April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Every year, Cuyahoga County receives over 20,000 reports of child abuse and neglect. The national numbers show that 1 in 10 children will be the victim of abuse before their 18th birthday; children under one year represent 15% of all victims and 1 in 40 infants under a year old are victimized by abuse every year. Consistent and early prevention strategies are proven effective in saving lives, protecting resources, and strengthening and preserving Cuyahoga County’s families by ending cycles of abuse and neglect.

Council recognizes that preventing child abuse and neglect is a community responsibility and supports the Canopy Child Advocacy Center in its mission to provide prevention programs, investigations, assessments, prosecutions, and treatment for the children it serves. This Council is committed to protecting the City’s most vulnerable and ensuring that children grow up safe, healthy, educated, and prepared to reach their full potential. Res. No. 236-2025

Introductions  

Legislation was introduced to vacate several streets in Cleveland, including portions of E. 70th Street, E. 71st Place, E. 73st Street, and Hancock Avenue. Res. Nos 298 to 301-2025