Council Meeting Highlights

Oct 18, 2021

Cleveland (October 18, 2021) -– City Council held its regular weekly meeting tonight. The next council meeting will be held Monday, October 25th. Here are tonight’s highlights:

*Adopted legislation authorizing the Director of Economic Development to enter into a Tax Increment Financing Agreement or TIF for 5506 Detroit, LLC, to fund eligible project costs or projected debt for the financing of the Waverly & Oak Apartments Project. The TIF diverts the increase in future property taxes – based on improvements – for up to 30 years though it does not exempt the developer from payment in lieu of taxes (PILOTS) to ensure CMSD receives what it would have otherwise received but for the TIF. The $47 million project includes 126 market rate rental units built over street level commercial environment with approximately 17,300 square feet of retail space with below grade and surface parking. The project will be the first new construction, mixed-use development along Detroit Avenue in Gordon Square. Ord. No. 557-2021.

*Adopted legislation authorizing the Director of Public Works to enter into a license agreement with Case Western Reserve University to use and occupy City-owned properties located within the Doan Brook watershed to be used as outdoor learning environments for students in its Environmental Heroes program and to conduct water quality sampling and field investigations, for an initial term of three years and automatically renewing year to year unless terminated by either party. Ord. No. 765-2021.

*Adopted legislation authorizing Cleveland police to join a statewide task force that investigates human trafficking. The legislation enables the Director of Public Safety to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission to assist with investigating human trafficking activity in Cleveland.

Human trafficking has been and continues to be a grave problem on a worldwide scale as well as locally throughout Ohio and in Cleveland. Victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers use violence, manipulation, or false promises to lure victims into trafficking situations. Ord. No. 781-2021.

*Authorized the city to enter into a $1.3 million loan agreement with the non-profit Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp. and its partner McCormack Baron to assist financially with the development of a residential building at Hudson Avenue and East 105th Street along the Opportunity Corridor.

The project will include approximately 80 apartments: 20 studios; 44 one-bedroom units; and 16 two- bedroom apartments. The project will include market rate and workforce housing. Along with neighboring development projects, this will be the first attempt to develop marketrate and workforce housing at scale outside of downtown, University Circle and the Near West side neighborhoods.

The additional financial help is needed because market rents are not expected to reach the levels that “hotter” market of the city are commanding and as such will not be able to subsidize the lower “workforce” rents as well as the increase in construction costs because of the pandemic.

This first building is part of larger, long-term plan Fairfax has to expand Innovation Square with more building and houses to make it a pedestrian-friendly urban residential community that is inclusive of all income levels and life stages and providing opportunities to attract new residents while retaining Fairfax’s long-term and committed residents. Ord. No. 840-2021.

*Authorized the Commissioner of Purchases and Supplies to sell City-owned property no longer needed for public use located at 10700 Churchill Avenue to The NRP Group LLC for purposes of implementing the future Churchill Gateway project; and authorizing retaining an easement and entering into an easement agreement for the public purpose of vehicular and pedestrian access.

This is the step in the redevelopment of a long idled, soon to be demolished school. The NRP Group is working on the first phase of a multiphase development known as Churchill Gateway, and will consist of a four-story 48-unit apartment building and four townhomes, for a total of 52 units. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom units will be affordable to residents at or below 60% of the area median income.

In addition to delivering much-needed affordable housing to the neighborhood, NRP is collaborating with the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and University Hospitals to develop a 2,500-square-foot Community Outreach Center, which will focus on health education and workforce training. Ord. No. 841-2021.

*Introduced legislation sponsored by Councilwoman Jasmin Santana to establish a program to make feminine hygiene products free and accessible in all restrooms in City Hall and Neighborhood Youth and Adult Education Resource and Recreation Centers in the city of Cleveland. Several other council members have signed on as co-sponsors.

The legislation notes that feminine hygiene products are rarely provided despite being a necessity for women during menstruation and that vulnerable populations, including lowincome women, school-aged girls, homeless women, incarcerated women, and women experiencing cycle irregularity, are especially affected by lack of access to free feminine hygiene products.

Access to free products in public buildings is important considering the financial burdens on women; on average, one woman spends $13.25 each month on menstrual products, totaling about $6,360 in her reproductive lifetime.

The legislation also encourages other public entities and businesses to offer feminine hygiene products at no cost in their restrooms. Ord. No. 925-2021.