City Of Cleveland Heights: Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook Earns Design Approvals Following Extensive Community Input

Press release from the City of Cleveland Heights:

March 7, 2022

March 7, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, please contactMike Thomas,Director of CommunicationsO (216) 291-5794 C (216) 401-0342MThomas@clvhts.com

Cleveland Heights, Ohio -  On Tuesday, March 2, 2022, The City of Cleveland Heights Architectural Board of Review granted final design approvals for the $50 million Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development project following months of public discussion. “It has been the City’s goal for more than 15 years to bring this kind of project to the Cedar Lee district. Now, we are finally making it a reality,” said Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren. “The Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development will draw new residents to Cleveland Heights by offering opportunities to live in one of Greater Cleveland’s most compelling places to shop and dine.” The Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook project will be constructed on roughly 4.8 acres of parking areas and vacant land located at the southeast intersection of Cedar and Lee Roads. In 2021, the City of Cleveland Heights chose a development team for the project led by Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins Properties, one of the Midwest’s largest and most experienced developers of multifamily properties. Cleveland-based City Architecture is also part of the development team. The Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development will include 206 apartment units, roughly 8,200 square feet of retail space, and significant open and gathering spaces. The apartment units will include studios and one- and two-bedroom units ranging in size from 560-1,230 square feet. “We’re excited to move one step closer to a ground-breaking,” Brandon Bogan, Flaherty & Collins’ Vice President, Design & Pre-Construction Services, said. “We ended up with a design that will strengthen the Cedar-Lee area and compliment the mix of businesses and residential options in the neighborhood.”  Following the selection of the development team, Flaherty Collins and the City of Cleveland Heights focused on engaging stakeholders and the public through community meetings and the City’s website, along with holding focus groups with residents about the project. “Residents, merchants, property owners, service providers, and other stakeholders have been key partners in the development of the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook plan,” said Cleveland Heights Planning Director Eric Zamft. “Their input helped make this plan even better, and it shows in the strong support throughout the community for the project’s design, layout, and look.” “The City of Cleveland Heights has shown real leadership in the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook review process,” said Cleveland Heights resident and City Architecture Principal Alex Pesta. “This process encouraged conversations that improved design and has created a new tone that will encourage investment and attract future development. The City should celebrate.” To help support the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook project, the City of Cleveland Heights has made significant investment in the parking structure at the site, undertaken a streetscaping effort, rezoned the property to allow for mixed-use development, and acquired and environmentally remediated a parcel of property at the intersection of Meadowbrook and Lee Roads. “Increased interest in new development in Cleveland Heights has led to more than $200 million in new or planned capital investment during the last five years,” said Cleveland Heights Business Development Manager Brian Anderson. “This project will help attract new businesses and complement the existing neighborhood. It’s a great fit for Cleveland Heights.” Destiny Burns, owner of CLE Urban Winery, agrees. “I’m strongly in favor of this plan because it will help small businesses like mine survive. And as a district homeowner, I am excited about this project’s new, walkable options, which will make the Cedar Lee area better than ever for residents.” In January and February of this year, the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook project received the necessary approvals from Cleveland Heights’ Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission. The next steps for the project involve completing building plans and reviewing the project’s financials, including the approval of public financial incentives by the City of Cleveland Heights and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District. For more information on the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook project, please visit 

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This press release was produced by the City of Cleveland Heights. The views expressed here are the author’s own.