Merchants support mixed-use development at Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook

The below-signed merchants in the Cedar Lee Business District strongly support a mixed-use development at the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook (CLM) site (the vacant land on the east side of Lee Road at Meadowbrook Boulevard, and on the municipal parking lot between Tullamore and Cedar roads). As Cleveland Heights City Council reviews and evaluates two proposals for CLM development, we strongly support the selection of a developer who can minimize the impact of construction disruption on our businesses by shortening and maximizing the construction period with a single phase of development for the entire project. We are excited about the catalytic possibilities of the CLM project, just as the Top of the Hill project is bringing to Cedar Fairmount.

The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely impacted small businesses like ours. A new mixed-use development at CLM would fill a gap in the district, create excitement, and attract more residents and customers to support our district and our city. The CLM development project will be a significant catalyst for economic recovery in our community, and we urge CH City Council to select a developer and proceed with this mixed-use development project as soon as possible.

Development of this nature will create some disruption to traffic, parking, and access to our businesses and residences as it progresses. Therefore, we ask the support of city council, city staff and our Cleveland Heights neighbors to:  

• Support a development approach for CLM that completes the entire project in a single phase as quickly as possible, to minimize the disruption to the business district, our residential neighbors, and Cleveland Heights High School.
• Require a districtwide parking study be completed as part of this project, to ensure business, residential and school parking needs are addressed in a systematic way.
• Ensure that current parking and access to existing businesses in the district remain as convenient as possible during construction.
  
  

In addition, we want to note that because we, too, live and work here, green spaces are important and valued by us. Two wonderful Heights parks, Cumberland and Cain, are within walking distance of our district, and we also support the continued development of the Cedar Lee Mini-Park in the heart of the district. We are also very glad to see that developer proposals include green and/or public spaces in their initial plans.

This is a rare opportunity to revitalize both the Cedar Lee district and Cleveland Height, and we must not miss it.  We urge CH City Council to select a developer now and move the mixed-use project forward. We stand ready to work with the city and the developer to make it a great success for our entire community.