Description. West Boulevard is named after the north-south thoroughfare designed to connect Edgewater Park, on the north, with Brookside Park, on the south, as part of parkway system envisioned to encircle the City. The winding roadway's 130-foot right-of-way is one of the City's widest and its broad tree lawns provide a park-like setting for hundreds of solid, well-kept houses. The principal portion of the neighborhood was incorporated in 1902, as part of Linndale, before the Cleveland annexed most of that community one year later. Housing in the neighborhood tends to become newer the farther west one goes. The Clark/ Lorain/ Denison area has a large amount of housing from the late 1800s whereas the West 117 th/Bellaire area is predominantly post World War II construction. Lorain Avenue forms the neighborhood?s main commercial street and industry is limited to sites with direct access to the rail line that forms the border with the City of Brooklyn.
Assets. Among the neighborhood’s most significant assets are:
- the Lorain Station and West Boulevard historic districts which center on two of the neighborhood’s main arterials
- St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church , a familiar landmark on the corner of West Boulevard & Lorain Avenue
- good access to both interstates 71 and 90
- the Lorain Avenue retail district which includes the Westown Shopping Center
Challenges. Among the challenges faced by the West Boulevard neighborhood today are:
- housing stock deterioration in various areas throughout the neighborhood
- proliferation of less-than-desirable commercial uses (i.e., used car lots, taverns) and vacant storefronts along Lorain Avenue
Vision. The West Boulevard neighborhood, although primarily residential, has important commercial connections that require sensitive reinvestment. Among the development opportunities and initiatives currently underway or proposed are the following:
- implementation of Lorain Avenue Master Plan
- working to save Louis Agassiz school from demolition
- stimulating reinvestment along West 105 th Street, perhaps through promotion of Live-Work district
- identification of potential townhouse redevelopment sites along Denison Avenue
- undertake improvements to create bike routes along West Boulevard and Bellaire Road
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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