Covered by Documenters Kellie Morris (notes), Marjorie Preston (notes) and Christina Easter (live-tweets).
New ‘Residents First’ housing legislation
Cleveland City Council will consider a set of laws aimed at creating more accountability for property owners called ‘Residents First.’
If passed, the laws would require:
- Properties not occupied by the owner would need a “Local Agent In Charge (LAIC)” if the owner lives outside of Cuyahoga County. Those agents would be legally responsible for the properties.
- The laws would also overhaul the city’s current rental registry process and vacant property systems to close loopholes and allow for more enforcement through a ticketing system.
ArtCraft Building no more–future police headquarters taking shape
In November 2022, Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration announced that the ArtCraft Building at the edge of downtown would be transformed from an arts space into the city’s new police headquarters. The city is currently renting space for its headquarters in the county-owned Justice Center.
Architects from Vocon presented a proposal that includes a 450-car garage for staff, restored historic entrances and a police museum.
More murals coming
Multiple public art contracts were approved for murals across Cleveland.
The contracts all went to local artists with proposed murals in neighborhoods such as Slavic Village, Detroit-Shoreway and Old Brooklyn. Two of the projects were presented by Destination Cleveland, which is working with local artists to create more murals across the city.
Midtown food trucks and more
The commission approved the initial concept for a year-round sports bar and seasonal performance space in Midtown.
Derrick Childs, director of Construction at Container Homes USA, also received design approval for a Midtown Food Truck Park. Childs’ proposal includes four food trucks, a sports bar and an outdoor amphitheater. The proposed location for the park is 7412 Carnegie Avenue.
West Park townhomes
The planning commission granted design approval to a new housing development project on Warren Road. Project partners include Young Design Studio and Maverick Builders, who hope to put up 19 townhouse units each containing three or four bedrooms.
Read more from Documenter Marjorie Preston:
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Christina Easter:
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Monthly natural gas bills are up 84% since 2024 in Ohio, state data shows
Monthly gas bills have exploded since 2020, with the past two years among the worst. Experts blame a mix of cold weather, economic forces, regulator-approved cost increases and other factors.
Safety issues with Cleveland school buses prompt state action
State officials say they have been trying for more than a year to get Cleveland schools to fix problems with district transportation including unsafe drivers and mechanical issues with buses.
Cuyahoga County leaders invested millions in a new crisis center in Central. Now it’s at risk.
Millions have been committed to the new crisis center in hopes of diverting people from the jail and emergency rooms.