Thursday, February 5, 2026

Variety Theater sold to investor group

Following its pending sale, there is a new future for the Variety Theater, its ground-floor retail
spaces and second-floor apartments. But what that future holds remains to be seen (CRESCO).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In the 36 years following the Variety Theater’s closure, a parade of owners have sought things for the 99-year-old venue — new uses, money and luck. Sadly, each of those have been beyond the grasp of each proprietor. Now, another owner is bringing another opportunity to change the theater’s fortunes.

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Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Seeds & Sprouts 35 – Public House, National Foods Packaging, A to Z Furniture to expand, Downtown warming shelter, Airport cargo demo

Two historic buildings on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland’s Kamms Corners neighborhood are
about to unite in ownership for the first time. At left is a 151-year-old building at the south-
west corner of Lorain and Rocky River Drive built by Oswald Kamms. At right is the
Public House, built 100 year ago (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In this edition of Seeds and Sprouts, business expansions are happening with the Public House in Kamms, National Foods Packaging in Cudell, and A to Z Furniture in Kirtland-Goodrich. Meanwhile a Downtown warming shelter for the homeless is coming and a Hopkins Airport cargo building is going away.

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Parkside Homes give East Side boost

On East 91st Street in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood, Parkside Homes fills two lots that sat
vacant for more than a decade (Harrison Whittaker). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

As older Cleveland homes continue to age beyond repair, reactivating a vacant or abandoned property can feel like taking one step forward while the neighborhood takes two steps back. In Glenville, Hough, and Buckeye-Shaker, CHN Housing Partners is reversing that momentum — filling empty lots by the dozen.

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Tuesday, February 3, 2026

As Amtrak invests in Downtown Cleveland, Greyhound leaves it

Cleveland’s Amtrak station bustles with activity each night but is silent during the day. It’s
that nighttime activity that requires improved access — and that’s what Amtrak plans
to address with a planned $6.3 million project (NEOtrans).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Starting this spring, Amtrak will undertake two years worth of construction and improvements to its Cleveland station on downtown’s lakefront. Meanwhile, downtown’s Greyhound bus station closes today after 78 years, in favor of a modular depot in suburban Brook Park.

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Monday, February 2, 2026

Battery Park’s next big project

This apartment complex is planned at the southeast corner of West 73rd Street and Battery
Park Boulevard in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood. This view is looking south
(EAO). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

J-Roc Development is one of those Cleveland real estate firms that, when they advance an idea into construction, it’s advisable to look around to see what they’re planning to build next. The reason? They aren’t content to sit and collect rent from their last project.

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Irishtown Bend hillside ready for next step

Irishtown Bend was in the midst of a hillside stabilization effort last summer as a crane
installed a new bulkheads along the Cuyahoga River. This followed the removal of fill
dirt that in the 1960s was placed on the hillside in the background which, over time,
increasingly threatened to slide into the river and block commercial navigation
(Port of Cleveland). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

As project sponsor, the Port of Cleveland has officially completed the stabilization of the Irishtown Bend hillside, marking a historic milestone for public safety, economic resilience and environmental stewardship along the Cuyahoga River.

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