April 30: Development, Planning, and Sustainability Committee, Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenters Tucker Handley (notes) and Regina Samuels (live-tweets)
Owens home moves closer to landmark status
Cleveland City Council’s Development, Planning, and Sustainability Committee approved the former Cleveland home of Olympic athlete Jesse Owens, at 2178 E. 100th St., for Cleveland landmark status.
Owens first came to Cleveland in 1922 at the age of nine. He lived in the home when he competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where he became the first American track and field competitor to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.
Full council still needs to vote to approve the nomination. The Cleveland Landmarks Commission signed off on the proposal last December.
‘Unicorn’ housing development on Woodward Ave.
The committee also approved the city’s plans to sell land at E. 101 St. and Woodward Ave. to developers for a 54-unit apartment building. Committee members met with City of Cleveland Community Development Director Alyssa Hernandez and Sheila Wright and Angela Bennett of Frontline Development Group to discuss the project.
Wright and Bennett said 85% of the units will be offered as affordable housing, which Council President Blaine Griffin referred to as a “unicorn.”
Other committee members expressed their pleasure in seeing a diverse team of development representatives. Frontline Development Group is both led by women and minority-owned.
The legislation gives the Cleveland Board of Control final signoff on the sale of the land parcels at no cheaper than $200 each.
Small business assistance
The committee also met with the city’s director of Economic Development, Tom McNair, and approved supporting two programs meant to assist small businesses throughout Cleveland.
UBIZ Venture Capital helps Black-owned businesses in Cleveland with training, and financial planning and assistance, through the Urban League of Greater Cleveland. UBIZ President Michael Obi said the program served 1,920 clients in 2023, with a goal of reaching 2,000 in 2024. Several council members praised the work of the UBIZ team and consistent growth in the program’s outcomes. The committee approved legislation that would let the city give up to $300,000 in support.
JumpStart, Inc. assists Cleveland-area small businesses with technical support and accelerator programs. The committee approved giving JumpStart up to $443,000 to provide outreach and engagement with at least 40 Hispanic-owned businesses. The money will also support implementing several small business impact programs, and assisting other small businesses with capital.
Left wondering
Documenter Tucker Handley wrote, “I find it confusing to watch presentations where organizations create their own progress reports about performance on specific metrics. Is it possible for the city to create a simple chart for each organization listing metrics and the quarterly/yearly goals and have the organization provide numbers to fit the chart? I think this would be much easier to follow.”
Read more from Documenter Tucker Handley:
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Regina Samuels:
Suggested Reading
Olympic Gold medalist Jesse Owens’ Cleveland home slated for landmark status
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens’ home on 2178 E. 100th Street received a landmark nomination from the Landmarks Commission.