Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook

June 2019

Cedar Lee Connection - Proposal dated 5/17/2019

The following press release was issued on June 10, 2019:

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH, 06/10/2019 - Cleveland Heights continues to be a desirable location for development and redevelopment. Situated just up the hill from University Circle, the Cleveland Clinic and a host of museums and cultural attractions, Cleveland Heights is a prime location for new businesses and residential dwellings.

The City is moving forward with redeveloping approximately 4.80 acres of City-owned land in the Cedar-Lee Commercial District, known as the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook site. On June 3, Cleveland Heights City Council authorized City Manager Tanisha Briley to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with Cedar Lee Connection, LLC (CLC) as the City's development partner for this project. This action was a result of Council's review of a development proposal submitted by CLC in response to the City's recent Request for Qualifications and Preliminary Development Proposals (RFQ/RFP). Cedar Lee Connection, LLC is comprised of two principals: Sequoia Realty Corp. and the Snavely Group with LDA Architects as the designated architectural firm for the project.

Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook is located on land consisting of surface and covered parking areas and vacant land, in the heart of, and within easy walking distance to businesses in one of the City's most popular and vibrant commercial districts - the Cedar Lee District. This dynamic, pedestrian-oriented area is one of the largest commercial districts within the City, extending along a one-mile corridor. Cedar Lee has an impressive variety of stores, restaurants, businesses and cultural assets including the Cedar Lee Theatre, the Cleveland Heights/University Heights Lee Road Library, Dobama Theater, and the City's own cultural gem, Cain Park.

The proposal submitted by CLC offers an excellent opportunity to create an amenity-filled development that will add to the unique character of the surrounding Cedar Lee neighborhood and the City. The proposal is consistent with the City's goal to create a dense, vibrant, pedestrian friendly and unique commercial, residential mixed-use development that leverages the placemaking opportunities of the site and the Cedar Lee District. Throughout the redevelopment, the City anticipates a robust community engagement and communications process involving current businesses and neighbors to solicit their input and address their concerns.

More information on this exciting development opportunity can be found at www.clevelandheights.com/clm.

April 2019

Cleveland Heights continues to be a desirable location for development and redevelopment. Situated just up the hill from University Circle, the Cleveland Clinic and a host of museums and cultural attractions, Cleveland Heights is a prime location for new businesses and residential dwellings.

On April 15, 2019, the Cleveland Heights City Council authorized the issuance of a Request for Qualifications and Preliminary Development Proposals (RFQ/RFP) for the redevelopment of the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook site, currently owned by the City. 

• Download and view the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook RFP/RFQ

The site is located on land consisting of surface and covered parked areas and vacant land, in the heart of, and within easy walking distance to businesses in one of the City’s most popular and vibrant commercial districts - the Cedar Lee District. This dynamic, pedestrian-oriented area is one of the largest commercial districts within the City, extending along a one mile corridor. Cedar Lee has an impressive variety of stores, restaurants, businesses and cultural assets including the Cedar Lee Theatre, the Cleveland Heights/University Heights Lee Road Library, Dobama Theater, and the City’s own cultural gem, Cain Park.

The District is truly one of the Cleveland areas most vibrant shopping and dining experiences and the City believes this RFQ/RFP offers an excellent opportunity to create an amenity-filled development that will add to the unique character of the surrounding Cedar Lee neighborhood and the City.

Cleveland Heights seeks to partner with a qualified developer or development team possessing the vision, experience, and financial resources to carry out a wide-ranging development, and that is best suited to work collaboratively with the City to create and execute a development plan that accomplishes the goal of redeveloping this iconic site. The City welcomes and encourages highly creative ideas and approaches to create a dense, vibrant, pedestrian friendly and unique commercial, office, residential or potentially mixed-use development that leverages the placemaking opportunities of the site and the Cedar Lee District.

This RFQ/RFP was issued on April 18, 2019 and proposals will be accepted until Friday, May 17, 2019. At the conclusion of the evaluation process, which is to include interviews with selected development teams and presentations by finalists to City Council, the City anticipates entering into a Memorandum of Understanding followed by a Development Agreement with the selected development partner that will outline the roles and responsibilities of each party and establish timelines for completing this development.

Throughout the process, community outreach and communications will occur to hear from the current businesses and neighbors and to solicit their input and address their concerns. The City seeks to develop the Site in a way which, at a minimum:

1. Creates a dense, vibrant, pedestrian friendly and unique mixed-use development consisting of commercial, office, and/or residential uses that leverages the placemaking opportunities of the site;
2. Dovetails with the architecture and aesthetics of the surrounding Cedar Lee District;
3. Complements and is harmonious with adjacent residential neighborhoods;
4. Creates positive economic and fiscal benefits for the neighborhood and the City;
5. Incorporates greenspace, and/or a strong landscaping plan into the design and construction of the development;
6. Effectively incorporates community feedback into the design;
7. Encourages the inclusion of minority-owned and female-owned business enterprises in the construction of the development; and
8. Strives to achieve LEED certification and, at a minimum, implements sustainability best practices.

Additional Information and Resources

According to the current zoning of the property: “In a C-2X district, use page 95 of the Zoning Code, Schedule 1131.04 to find that your land area is divided by 1740 square feet per dwelling unit to determine the maximum number permitted. Please note that Page 90, Schedule 1131.02 does not allow a stand-alone apartment at this site. The first floor must be commercial uses.”

The most recent survey of the property was done in 2012. Download the 2012 Site Survey (PDF).

AT&T does have an easement that runs through parcel number 678-08-001. It is shown on the 2012 Site Survey. Additional information regarding the easement can be found in the AT&T Easement (PDF).

A geotechnical report was prepared in 2012. Download the Geotechnical Report (PDF).

Questions/Comments About the RFP

Questions regarding the project are encouraged and should be directed to the Cleveland Heights Economic Development Director Tim Boland at 216-291-4857 or email at clm@clvhts.com.

Question or Comment: 

In the RFQ-RFP for the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook site, page 5 states that Heights Music Shop is a business located in the District, and on page 12 that Fix Bistro is a new business in the District that opened since 2016.

Response:

Heights Music Shop has recently been replaced by Blank Canvass CLE, an art gallery/studio, and Fix Bistro has recently been replaced by Elite Bistro.

Question or Comment: 

After redevelopment of this site, will there be sufficient parking for existing businesses on Lee Road? Will there be a strategy/requirement to account for any public parking spaces that will be lost if all the parcels within the site are fully developed? The existing parking garage and surface parking are included within the proposed development site, is the City considering not having parking in that area? 

Response: 

Consistent with the City’s goals, redevelopment of the CLM site must be harmonious with and complement the adjacent residential neighborhood and commercial district. The resulting project should build upon and elevate an already vibrant and successful area. Sufficient parking and safe efficient traffic flow is essential to support this project. The City has built a 377 space structured parking facility on the Site, located directly across the street from the Meadowbrook Road portion of the Site off Tullamore Road. Eighty-two (82) spaces in this garage have been designed with a separate access entrance and intended to be available to help support redevelopment of the Meadowbrook Road portion of the Site. A portion of the Site is also located on what is currently the City’s Municipal Surface Parking Lot #5, comprised of 189 parking spaces. How the existing parking structure and surface lot are integrated into, reimagined and/or redeveloped will be a key element of a successful development plan. It is anticipated that the successful Development Team for this project will be required to submit traffic impact and parking studies as part of the project development agreement. In addition, the City will likely pay the incremental cost of expanding the study to be a District-wide parking study.

Question or Comment:

After redevelopment of this site, how will the development affect property values of the adjacent area east of the development site?

Response:

Consistent with the City’s goals, the City is seeking a Development Partner that has the resources, track record and vision to redevelopment of the CLM site in a catalytic way. It is anticipated that a transformative development with significant investment levels will have a positive economic impact on the surrounding commercial district and residential neighborhoods, including increasing property values.

Updates to the development process will be posted on this website.