Landmarks Commission

• The meeting started at 9:15 a.m.
• Agenda [PDF]
• All presentations [PDF]
• The following commission members were present
  • Julie Trott, chair 
  • Robert Strickland, vice chair
  • Calley Mersmann, director of City Planning 
  • Michele Anderson 
  • Mark Duluk
  • Chris Loeser 
  • Raymond Tarasuck Jr. 
  • Michael Sanbury 
  • Regennia Williams 
  • Deborah Gray, Ward 4 City Council member 
• Other attendees:
  • Daniel Musson, commission secretary
  • Jessica Beam, Landmarks staff
  • Sierra Lipscomb, assistant director of Law, City of Cleveland 
  • Rachel Pearce
  • Peter Bohan
  • Tom Turkaly
  • Chad Dasher
  • Carl Ewing
  • John Williams
  • Karl Brunjes, Landmarks staff
  • W. Daniel Bickerstaff Ill
  • Yeni Carreras
  • Donna Grigonis
  • Mike Harford
  • Rich Weiss
  • Rabbi Mendy Alevsky
  • Aldo Dure

Main focus of meeting

Certificates of Appropriateness and schematic review. The following were reviewed for compliance with historic district guidelines and approved (more details about each in the next section of the notes):

• 1200 Starkweather Ave. in the Tremont Historic District
  • Lincoln Park mural renovation
• 2486 W. 14th St. in the Tremont Historic District
  • Be Welcoming sculpture installation in front of St. Augustine Church
• 11401 Lorain Ave. — Cleveland Christian Home for Children
  • Final design for renovations
• 6201 Detroit Ave. in the Gordon Square Historic District
  • Cleveland Public Theatre facade improvements and signage
• 890 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
  • African American Cultural Garden design revisions for final approval
• 9615 Lorain Ave. – Lorain Station Historic District
  • Kim’s Caribbean Kitchen signage
• 11409 Wade Park Ave. – Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District
  • Chabad at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) expansion – schematic design review [Editor’s note: The commission doesn’t vote on schematic reviews. This project will come back for a vote on approval.]

Tremont Historic District

• 1200 Starkweather Ave. – Lincoln Park Mural Restoration
  
  • Project representatives: Angelica Pozo, ceramic artist 
  • Proposal: Replace the Lincoln Park tile mural wall with a new tile mural on the pool house wall and clean and repaint the existing retaining wall (presentation). 
  • History: The Lincoln Park mural debuted in 2016, created by community members, Pozo said. Moisture damage has caused the tiles to fall off, and in 2021, efforts to reapply tiles were halted. 
  • Design notes: The proposal is to rebuild the mural on the walls of the south and west sides of the nearby pool house and create new community tiles with decals for missing historic ones. The existing retaining wall where the mural is would be cleaned, repaired with bonding cement, and repainted as a pointillist rainbow. 
  • Outcome: Approved with conditions: A study about the tile wraparound on the new building and staff review of paint on the retaining wall. 
  • Comments: Tarra Petras, public art coordinator for the City of Cleveland, voiced support. Grigonis, with Tremont West Development Corp., Strickland, and Trott also expressed support for the project. Duluk had specific notes on the position of the mural wrapping around the pool house, and he suggested the mural should start a few feet above ground to avoid damage from lawnmowers and landscaping. He said that any new retaining wall materials must allow moisture to pass through.
    
• 2486 W. 14th St. – Be Welcoming sculpture installation
  • Project representatives: Nancy Boylan, L.A.N.D. Studio, Maria Estes, VP marketing and communications, Community West Foundation
  • Proposal: Sculpture installation in front of St. Augustine Catholic Church, which Boylan said will include removal of a portion of the pipe railing along the sidewalk in front of the church, sidewalk extension inward so the statue can be accessed, and installation of a sculpture face plate. Presentation.
  • History: Estes said the Community West Foundation supports agencies that provide basic needs: Food, shelter and addiction recovery. In the last year, the organization funded over 100 nonprofits and awarded over $3 million. The goals for the statue are to stimulate dialogue and raise awareness about critical social justice issues. A donor gifted the statue to the foundation, and St. Augustine is sharing the cost of installation.
    • Fun fact: St. Augustine Catholic Church holds the only Catholic Mass for the deaf in Cleveland, according to Estes. 
  • Design notes: Estes said the sculpture is by Timothy Schmalz, a Canadian sculptor. Based on Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
  • Outcome: Approved with condition that applicant supply measured site plan of installation and plan for restoring the railings that are being removed.  
  • Comments: Support by Grigonis, Musson, Mersmann, Anderson, Strickland, Loeser. 

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Cleveland Christian Home for Children

• 11401 Lorain Ave. – Cleveland Christian Home Campus
  • Project representatives: Lucas Moore, CPL Team
  • Proposal: Final design review for The Centers’ new H.O.P.E Campus for kids in the Cuyahoga County foster care system. Plans address issues from prior proposal, including revised fencing and keeping windows on central area of the building in line with historic facade. Presentation.
  • History: Discussion tabled on Oct. 23
  • Outcome: Approved.
  • Comments: Support by Trott. Musson said staff is appreciative of the changes made. He said it would be helpful to replicate windows on the second floor with windows on first floor, with 15 divisions instead of 12.

Gordon Square Historic District

• 6201 Detroit Ave. – Cleveland Public Theatre
  • Project representatives: Peter Bohan, Perspectus Architecture; Carter Edman, Marous Construction; Raymond Bobgan, executive artistic director, Cleveland Public Theatre 
  • Proposal: Facade and streetscape improvements, relocate the CPT signage and addition of lighting and banners to the east side of the theatre. Presentation.
  • Design notes: Expand placement of the marquee across both buildings. Addition of LED window film installations that will generate images on the glass while still maintaining visibility on the storefront. Addition of banner signs on the front of the building. Removal of two trees to focus the entrance back on Gordon Square. Removal of trees in front of the Levin Theatre.
  • Outcome: Approved with requirement to provide details on several items in question, including final information on the content of the LED films (moving/static, business/advertising) and operation of the LED screens, scaled drawings and specs of all signage on marquee, and removal or study of the LED strip. All items need to go back to staff, or a special committee meeting should be formed to accelerate the review process. The project team will have to go back to the full commission regarding the LED film information.
  • Comments: There were extensive inquiries by many board members and a discussion of the most efficient next steps considering the timing of the proposal. Overall concerns:
    • Mixed reactions to the proposed LED film, including questions about brightness, opacity, content, hours of operation, and its appropriateness for Gordon Square’s less-glitzy character compared to Playhouse Square.
      • Mersmann commented, “We all want to be intentional about … not overglitzing-y it, like being really true to the identity of Gordon Square Theatre District.”
      • Bobgan responded to the question of LED content: “We are an alternative theatre and as such we are mindful of differentiating our brand from Playhouse Square … we are often running six shows in a two- to three-week period.” Right now, the theatre has to choose who is featured on the marquee, Bobgan said. LED signs could include images of that year’s brochure. Also doesn’t want anything too bright.
    • Concern about adding too many lighting elements (marquee, banner lights, LED film) and potentially compromising the neighborhood’s identity.
    • Questions about how the existing mural on the east side of the building will be treated or integrated
    • Mixed opinions on removing the existing trees, some of which were said to be invasive; some support removal for visibility, others want a site study to determine more appropriate replacements. There were suggestions to reimagine the space as a plaza extension of the theatre, with seating instead of traditional landscaping (Duluk). Bohan said they are working on getting a meeting with Cleveland Urban Forestry. 
    • Bobgan expressed major concerns about Cleveland’s slow permitting process, citing the delays that would jeopardize CPT’s construction timeline, tax credit deadlines, and operational return. Returning to operations is going to be critical for cash flow reasons and operational impact, Bobgan said. “Is there some middle ground? Is there some way we can work with staff ?” Bobgan asked. He said it has been hard to witness Marous Brothers Construction struggle with getting a permit. The commission discussed making a subcommittee that can have approval power to help accelerate the timeline for CPT, and there was positive consensus to try to support CPT. 

Cultural Gardens

• 890 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. – African American Cultural Garden
  • Project representatives: W. Daniel Bickerstaff, Ubiquitous Design LTD
  • Proposal: Previously approved project, but there is a revision to final details regarding materials used. Presentation.
  • History: The idea for the African American Cultural Garden was conceived in 1961. Bickerstaff, lead architect, drew the first designs for the garden after being enlisted by former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. The garden is still fundraising to complete construction, and the Cleveland Landmarks Commission approved plans for phase two in October 2022, Bickerstaff said.
  • Design notes: Polished concrete in lieu of polished granite for budget purposes, placement of the Little Dipper will reflect the sky, and the spillway will be blue tile to simulate water. 
  • Outcome: Approved.
  • Comments: Tom Turkaly, from the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation: Full approval by the Cultural Gardens Federation’s executive board.
    Other comments of support by Trott, Gray, Williams, Loeser. 

Suggested Reading

Two churches and Kamm’s Corner centerpiece in line for landmark status

by Cleveland Documenters December 23, 2025

Lorain Station Historic District

• 9615 Lorain Ave. – Kim’s Caribbean Kitchen
  • Project representatives: Aldo Dure, BNext Awnings & Graphics
  • Proposal: Installation of restaurant signage with channel letters illuminated with LEDs as well as new pole signage. Presentation. 
  • History: Musson: Previously, the commission recommended the pole sign be taken down. On Sept. 24, 2020, the commission denied an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness at this exact same location because of the pole sign. The BNext firm also handled this application from a previous business.
  • Design notes: Existing pole sign will be refaced with the restaurant signage, aligns with other signage in the area.
  • Outcome: Approved, with the requirement of a sightline study for the western approach of the restaurant, and considering the pole sign within a different case.
  • Comments: Several inquiries on the existence and location of the pole sign, and the commission generally agreed it should be handled in a different case. Dure defended the use, saying the owner really wants to use it for advertising, and they fear a monument sign will be too low and at risk for vandalization. Approval on the building signage and considering the pole sign within a different case. 

Schematic plans  [Editor’s note: The commission offers feedback on schematic plans, but the proposals must come back to the commission for formal approval.]

Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District

• 11409 Wade Park Ave. – Chabad at CWRU
  • Project representatives: Jim Ptacek, Larsen Architects; Rabbi Mendy Alevsky
  • Proposal: Addition to the existing building. Presentation. 
  • History: Chabad is both a Jewish religious philosophy and a worldwide Orthodox Chassidic movement. This chapter offers CWRU students and the University Circle community an opportunity to engage in Jewish events. They want to expand their operation.
  • Design notes: Very detailed plans of the basement, first and second floor, and exteriors.
  • Outcome: Members shared concerns about size of the side window, the dark exterior paint color, and the necessity for bike parking. Alevsky replied that the lot next door is vacant and heavily wooded, so the large window on the side would be widely visible from the street. The case must come back for consideration of approval. 

Meeting minutes were accepted from Sept. 9, 2021, Oct. 14, 2021, and Oct. 28, 2021. 

Allan Dreyer’s memorial service is this Saturday, Nov. 15. Dreyer was a Landmarks Commission member and the longtime deputy clerk for Cleveland City Council. 

Next meeting is Dec. 11.

Meeting concluded at 12:28 p.m. 

These notes are by Documenter Maria Shuckahosee. [Editor’s note: Documenter Destiniee Jaram also took notes at this meeting.]

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org  with “Correction Request” in the subject line.