Hessler Road re-do: Developer back at it with six 3-bedroom apartments

Nearly two years after developers came to the city of Cleveland with a proposal to build a 23-unit apartment building on a tiny backyard lot on Hessler Road in University Circle, they’re back at the table with a new design that they claim responds to residents’ concerns. This time, developer Russell Berusch is proposing building six 3-bedroom apartments on the site at 11300 Hessler Road, a smaller project that he says better fits the neighborhood’s historic fabric. 

“We’re back with a different design and team and architect,” said Berusch at the Nov. 10 Cleveland Landmarks Commission meeting, where he was seeking conceptual feedback. This is the project’s third iteration. “I’m very excited about it.”

According to materials provided at the meeting, Berusch is now proposing a three-story, 35-foot building with six parking spots (this is about 14 feet lower than the previous design, he said). The structure would also have two handicap-accessible first floor units. It would be connected to 1975 Ford Drive, a property Berusch obtained from University Circle Inc. along with 1981 Ford Drive last year, via a small two-story addition, and the properties would share a common patio and outdoor area. 

Growing pains

The development project’s return once again pits Berusch against Hessler residents who argue that it threatens their fragile, historic community. The ongoing dispute raises a question that residents of Hessler and other older neighborhoods across the city, from Ohio City to West Park to Shaker Square to Collinwood, have been asking themselves in recent years: How can Cleveland balance its need for redevelopment with maintaining and preserving its historic fabric? What’s the right amount – and type – of development to revitalize the city while ensuring that neighborhoods aren’t irrevocably harmed? 

Most people would agree Hessler is a special place. According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, the Hessler Road and Hessler Court Historic District was dedicated by Cleveland’s Landmarks Commission on Nov. 1, 1975. The houses and apartments on the red brick street were built from 1907-1927 to provide affordable housing for art and graduate students, hospital workers, and other University Circle workers. The street has long been known for its “cooperative lifestyle” and street fair. It has also long had a fraught relationship with UCI. In 1976, Hessler residents organized rent strikes to force UCI to repair homes it owned on the street, and the Hessler Housing Co-op was formed when UCI sold five of its properties to the group. Having fought so hard to preserve their street, many Hessler residents do not want to see development that compromises that. 

Redesigning with community input

Kevin Dreyfuss-Wells, the architect with RDL Inc. who designed the project, said the new design addresses neighborhood concerns by blending in with 1975 Ford Road (as proposed, it’s essentially an addition), an overall reduced height, and adding fewer units. “We’ve heard loud and clear that people want this new construction to be as unobtrusive as it can be,” said Dreyfuss-Wells. 

The Hessler Neighborhood Association and other neighborhood residents who submitted comments remain steadfastly opposed to the project. Among other demands, they want the city to fix the historic brick street, address parking problems on Hessler, and complete a stormwater management study. Additionally, they believe the scale of the proposed project is still not appropriate for the historic district, and they’d prefer the property be retained as green space. (View the complete presentation and neighbors’ concerns here.)

In response to resident complaints, the city completed some repairs to the sagging brick on Hessler Road in summer 2021. According to a letter recently sent to residents, the city is planning to restore Hessler Court, the last remaining wood block street in Cleveland, in 2023 at a cost of $680,000. 

Commission feedback on latest design

At the meeting, commission members commented that the building was too imitative of the 1975 Ford Road property, and that it should be its own distinctive building that takes its cues from nearby apartment buildings instead. Additionally, they felt the faux mansard roof was not appropriate. “I think it’s a failure,” said commission member Allan Dreyer. “If you want a mansard roof, make it a real mansard roof.”

Some members were also concerned about building the new property as an addition and felt that it should be a separate building instead. Landmarks Commission member Michele Anderson was concerned about the impact of construction on the street, and said despite appearances, this project would be higher density than before, adding to the number of residents who would be seeking parking in the area. Hessler residents have complained that Berusch rents to students by the room at $1,000 per month at his other properties on the street. Already, Hessler has parking troubles and delivery vehicles and construction crews are forced to park on the sidewalk, according to many residents. 

“It’s unlikely to be families, and more likely to be students renting here,” said Anderson, indicating that the impact of 18 additional residents needs to be considered. 

Anderson also expressed support for residents who have weighed in on the project. “It’s wonderful we have neighbors who are active and involved and really love and embrace their neighborhood,” she said. “We just had an election with 20% turnout [editor’s note: turnout in Cleveland was 29%]. Cynicism is very much part of this city. As much as it can be uncomfortable, we need to welcome and embrace their comments.”

Commission member Anthony Brancatelli said that the city could easily document street and traffic conditions to ensure that construction trucks don’t damage the street, and temporary two-way traffic could be maintained to keep trucks off the fragile wood block street. 

Berusch said he has a parking agreement for an additional 20 spaces for residents across the street in a lot owned by UCI, where the current parking garage there is slated to be demolished. Construction is expected to last eight months. Berusch has an agreement with the nearby Uptown owners to gain access to the property via their driveway, and he would use the basement at 1975 Ford for storage. 

The meeting was for conceptual review only. The developers are expected to consider changes to the project then bring it back to the commission for approval. When the project was first proposed, Berusch was partnering with developer Rick Maron, but Maron has since dropped out of the project.

Joyce Huang, the city’s planning director, waded into the fracas between residents and the developer to try to find a middle ground. “I find it hard to argue against a six-unit building of this mass,” she said. “The city has had a huge influx of studio, one and two bedroom properties, and the 3 bedroom typology offers much more flexibility. It can house families or more likely students and reflects communal living, which is part of the Hessler culture as I understand it. Part of what makes Hessler special is that culture. We don’t necessarily see development as a zero sum game, as far as being able to preserve that culture.”