Description. Ohio City was incorporated as its own municipality in 1836 just two days before the incorporation of the "rival" City of Cleveland. It was subsequently annexed to Cleveland in 1854. Housing in Ohio City dates principally from the late 19th century. The predominantly Victorian-style one- and two-family buildings range from modest working class houses to the luxurious residences on portions of Franklin Boulevard and Clinton Avenue. The commercial district at Lorain and West 25th was first established in 1840 as " Market Square". The neighborhood is home to many institutional uses and social service agencies. Lakeview Terrace Estates, built in 1935, was among the first public housing projects in the country. The history, location and major assets of the neighborhood have spurred the renovation of large areas of the neighborhood over the past 30 years.
Assets. Among the neighborhood’s most significant assets are:
- the West Side Market, which was built in 1912 and replaced the older Pearl Road Market
- proximity and views of Downtown, Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga Valley
- Lutheran Medical Center which specializes in orthopedics and spine, behavioral health and chronic wound care
- St. Ignatius High School , a prominent Jesuit institution which since 1886 has provided college preparatory courses for young men
- Many architecturally significant buildings that contribute to the Ohio City Historic District
Challenges. Among the challenges faced by the Ohio City neighborhood today are:
- high concentration of social service agencies and subsidized housing units
- improving the appearance of commercial corridors like Detroit and Lorain Avenues and West 25 th Street
- deteriorating older housing stock
- vacant industrial brownfield sites in need of redevelopment
- junkyards negatively impacting prospects for adjacent redevelopment
Vision. Take advantage of Ohio City?s historic building stock, proximity to Downtown Cleveland and the Flats, and emerging levels of entrepreneurship to create a premier mixed-use neighborhood. Among the development opportunities and initiatives proposed are the following:
- create transit-oriented mixed-use development adjacent to RTA’s Ohio City Red Line Rapid Transit station at West 25 th Street and Lorain Avenue
- implement phases 7-12 of the Stonebridge mixed-use redevelopment project
- develop infill housing on two large former industrial sites at Fulton Road and Monroe Avenue
- create mixed-use district along Detroit Avenue between West 25 th and West 45 th Streets
- implement Riverview Hope VI scattered site housing project
- develop contemporary light-industrial park in Queen Barber area at West 25 th Street-I-90 interchange
- facilitate relocation of Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority facilities to parts of Whiskey Island and new island to the north in the lake as proposed in Waterfront Plan
- create better access to the portion of Whiskey Island to remain as open space
Printable version: can be downloaded here.
Maps (current as of May 2007): Assets, Development Opportunities, Land Use (existing and proposed), and Retail Strategies are available here. (PDF)
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