As we come to the end of the year, we’re looking back at the best of The Land’s reporting from 2024. Today, we’re celebrating some of the great economy and development reporting our writers did over the past 12 months.
Beyond the buck: The high cost of affordable housing in Cleveland
Cleveland has experienced one of the highest annual rent increases in the country over the past year. As rents continue to rise, Clevelanders face a growing challenge when searching for affordable housing.
A recent report from tech real estate company Zillow shows that Cleveland rents continue to climb, with July seeing a 7.3 percent increase from July 2023. Rising rents reveal that for Clevelanders, affordable housing is about more than just the cost; affordability is interlinked to housing quality, safety, justice and stability.
Cleveland Kitchen fermented foods company fills 80 jobs, expands production space
Brothers Mac Anderson and Drew Anderson and their brother-in-law Luke Visnic started selling sauerkraut in 2014 at a farmers market in Shaker Square.
Major retailers, including Walmart, Giant Eagle, Target, and Meijer, now carry their fermented food company Cleveland Kitchen’s kraut, kimchi, pickles, and fermented dressings. Cleveland Kitchen sells its products in about 14,000 stores across the country, in military commissaries, and stores in Mexico and the Caribbean, said Mac Anderson. It’s the number one kraut and kimchi brand in the U.S and the number four refrigerated pickle brand in the U.S., according to rankings from Spins, a retail data company.
Looking for rebirth and building a better Slavic Village [Photos]
Slavic Village was devastated by the 2008 housing crisis and continues to struggle against stigmas and negative reputations. But community leaders and residents alike want to change those stigmas and return the neighborhood to its former glory of the 20th century. Since its peak in population from the 1930s to the 1950s, the neighborhood saw a decline in residents and businesses that continued through the 2000s.
“We’re not trying to be the next Ohio City or Tremont, we are trying to build a better Slavic Village,” said Ward 12 Councilperson Rebecca Maurer. The village has seen a steady fluctuation of businesses entering and leaving the historic commercial district which served as a lesson to the community on how to improve Fleet Ave.
West 29th Street to become ‘open street’ in late fall or early spring
By Grant Segall
The kids were playing in the middle of the street.
Fortunately, it was closed.
Remi Maron, 7, and his sister, Siena, 5, were chalking the pavement on a half-block stretch of West 29th Street closed to vehicles from Aug. 24 through Sept. 8 and soon to be closed to them again for good. “We’re making the same heart,” Remi said. Then he paused and pondered her contribution. “You did it!”
Eviction-avoidance program helps Clevelanders in Northwest Neighborhoods
By Bob Sandrick
A nonprofit provider of affordable housing in Cleveland has devised an innovative and perhaps groundbreaking eviction-avoidance program that it hopes will serve as a model throughout the city and even the country.
Northwest Neighborhoods, which owns and manages more than 350 rental apartment units on 15 properties in the Cudell, Detroit Shoreway and Edgewater areas, calls the program the Eviction Diversion Initiative.
Since the initiative was launched in January, it has helped more than 50 Northwest Neighborhoods tenants avoid eviction. That’s 100 percent of those who have participated in the program.
How Shore Acres got a Lakefront Walkway in North Collinwood
Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Metroparks and the City of Cleveland are collaborating on a multi-million dollar waterfront development project. The project includes a walkway along the lake where lake-lovers can walk, bike and take in the beauty of Lake Erie. Shore Acres, a neighborhood located between E.149th and E. 152nd in North Collinwood, has such serious erosion problems it had to close its park. Through lucky timing, determination, hard work and the strength of a neighborhood working together, Shore Acres can now look forward to a walkway along the lake and a rebuilt lakefront park.
According to the Board of the Shore Acres Association, erosion in their waterfront park caused unsafe conditions in the stairs leading down to the water and the beach and they say it’s getting worse every year. The Board learned it could cost as much as $150,000 to $200,000 just to have boulders placed on the beach to stop some of the erosion. The regular fundraising activities of the Association were “[A] drop in the bucket of what it was going to cost us to really shore up that lakefront,” according to Maura Schroeder, the Association’s recording secretary.
Old Lorain Road Connector Trail links Clevelanders to the Rocky River Reservation
By Unity Powell
Construction on a new multimodal trail, The Old Lorain Rd. Connector Trail, will soon be underway in Cleveland, promising to bring improved accessibility between the Kamm’s Corners neighborhood and the Rocky River Reservation.
“This isn’t just a recreational trail; it’s really about creating an access point for our neighborhood,” said Joe Dill, deputy director from the West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development. “Our area borders the Rocky River Reservation, but there are very few direct paths for pedestrians. This trail finally gives cyclists and walkers a convenient route down to the reservation without needing to drive.”
Revitalizing Collinwood: A new chapter for the former Dave’s Market site
Since 2003, I’ve called the North Collinwood neighborhood home. Back then, sunny days meant stopping by Sandy’s Frozen Whip for ice cream or taking my children to the park to enjoy family time. I remember grabbing quick dinners from nearby restaurants on busy evenings, picking up necessities at Walgreens, and almost daily visits to Dave’s Market; whether picking up a few groceries, grabbing a snack from the hot food section, ordering a cake, or simply exchanging smiles with the always-helpful staff.
Today, as I drive past these spots, the memories remain vivid, though many of these once-thriving spaces are now gone. One of the greatest losses for our community came in April 2022, when Dave’s Supermarket, a cherished neighborhood staple, closed its doors. Since then, residents have been left to travel to other neighborhoods for groceries and items we once found just around the corner.
Friends of Impett Park, Mayor Bibb cut ribbon on new inclusive playground in Cleveland
In mid-November, Friends of Impett Park (FOIP) hosted a ribbon cutting to officially open the park’s new, inclusive playground. After three years of planning, all with community input, this beautiful new playspace is one-of-a-kind in Cleveland. This event was a celebration for the many volunteers, officials and residents who moved the park forward.
Cleveland’s Mayor Justin Bibb and Ward 17 Councilman Charles Slife were in attendance and spoke highly of the Impett project and announced plans for the future of Cleveland’s parks.
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