Covered by Documenter Tina Scott
What happened: Cleveland City Hall is set to get renovations worth at least $14 million. Repairing and restoring the exterior and interior facades – including the doors, windows and light wells – will cost $10 million, according to James DeRosa, director of the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects. Repairing and replacing mechanical systems – mainly piping – will cost another $4 million.
ADA standards: Cleveland City Council Member Brian Kazy asked if bringing City Hall in line with federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards was within the scope of the renovations. Carter Edman, who manages architecture and site development at the city, said the plans could include an ADA review. Kazy said it’s difficult for people with wheelchairs, strollers and crutches to enter City Hall via the front steps. He proposed an amendment to include ADA considerations in the project. The committee advanced the legislation as amended, and full council passed it later that evening.
New soccer fields: Lonnie Burten Park in Ward 5 and Halloran Park in Ward 11 are getting new mini-pitch soccer fields through a donation from the U.S. Soccer Foundation. The mini pitches will have hard surfaces instead of turf. Parks and Recreation Planning Manager Jay Rauschenbach said the city will control the fields’ lighting, and it will be able to lock and secure the fields. Full council also passed this legislation later that night.