With deference to the classic movie “Casablanca,” of all the abandoned industrial sites in North America, the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Hines Student Competition picked Cleveland’s vacated Lake Shore Power Plant site as the canvas for its 2025 design competition. Four finalists were announced today in the competition that drew 82 entries from universities worldwide, with the winner to be named April 3 in Cleveland.
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Friday, February 21, 2025
Public Square info hub gets grant, design approval
Improvements to Cleveland’s Public Square took a step forward today when the City Planning Commission unanimously approved a temporary, yet robust programming hub. The hub, designed to replace tents currently used by staffers for downtown events would not only provide workers shelter and a place to store materials, but also function as a kiosk for posting event schedules and wayfinding.
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Watterson-Lake Apartments design approved
Efforts by city officials to repopulate Cleveland neighborhoods don’t always go smoothly when residents and community officials have gotten used to not having people, density and activity around for decades. But a mixed-use project intended to restore some of that urbanity got approved today by the Landmarks Commission in a contentious meeting.
Pioneer/Jaja restaurants at INTRO set repair plans
Just after 3 a.m. on Halloween 2024, an Audi crashed at high speed into a section of the INTRO mixed-use complex, at 2050 Gehring Ave. in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. While the driver wasn’t seriously hurt, the damage to the structure was so severe that two restaurants, Pioneer and Jaja, affected by the crash are still closed and repairs won’t be completed until 10 months after the initial impact.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Rebuild Cleveland, FutureHeights unite to add housing
Rebuild Cleveland, LLC and FutureHeights, Inc. have embarked on an official collaboration to bring transformative infill housing development to Cleveland Heights. This partnership leverages Rebuild Cleveland’s considered approach to residential development and FutureHeights’ extensive track record of creatively engaging the community to develop exceptional housing that is responsive to the community’s needs and respectful of its architectural heritage.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Van Aken District’s next big project starts in March
![]() |
The Arcadia at the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights is scheduled to see construction start in March with completion set for Fall 2026 (RDL). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM. |
When one project is completed at a megaproject district, a good sign of its health is to see another project in same area start soon thereafter. That’s what is due to happen in a couple of weeks at the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, according to a Columbus-based developer.
Monday, February 17, 2025
Lake Shore Power Station site redo a long play
The owner of one of Cleveland’s largest privately owned lakefront properties announced its intentions to redevelop the site. But some of its proposed uses were not welcomed by a lakefront advocacy group.