Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook Site To Become Mixed-Use Development

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Cleveland Heights City Council unanimously approved the redevelopment of the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook site this week.

City officials estimate the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development is a $50 million project that will create 200 to 225 apartments and 5,000 to 9,000-square feet of commercial, retail or restaurant space. There will also be public gathering and green spaces on the site.

"The potential for redeveloping this site with new residential and commercial construction, within the dynamic Cedar Lee District, is limitless and could be a game changer for our community," said Tim Boland, Cleveland Heights' director of economic development.

Flaherty & Collins Properties and City Architecture will handle the project. Flaherty & Collins are also the developers on Top of the Hill. The next phase of the project will include financial structuring and design, the city said.

The announcement of Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development moving forward will come as a blow to some Cleveland Heights residents who advocated for a permanent park to be built at the site. Yard signs scattered throughout the city read, "Build it! Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook Park!" More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to build the park.

However, many residents and business owners have also advocated for the development of the site, hoping it will spur further economic activity in the Cedar-Lee Neighborhood. Boland, for one, believes apartments and increased retail space could bring new residents to the area.

"This mixed-use development leverages the existing assets of the Cedar Lee District and further strengthens it as a destination that will attract new residents, visitors and businesses to the city," said City Manager Susanna Niermann O'Neil.