Councilman Jeff Johnson, who tabled the rezoning in early February, could introduce legislation Monday to prepare the 1.4-acre site for 59 apartments. After taking more than a month to deliberate, Johnson has set aside his objections to the density of the development and the target market - renters instead of buyers.
View full sizeA view of a proposed apartment development from Hazel Drive in University Circle. The project requires rezoning, which was tabled by a Cleveland councilman concerned about the density of the project and the choice of apartments instead of for-sale homes.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A $10 million apartment project could move forward in University Circle, now that a Cleveland councilman is willing to support rezoning of land along Hazel Drive.
Councilman Jeff Johnson, who tabled the rezoning in early February, could introduce legislation Monday to prepare the 1.4-acre site for 59 apartments. After taking more than a month to deliberate, Johnson has set aside his objections to the density of the development and the target market - renters instead of buyers.
"I will support the change from single-family home designation to multi-family home designation," Johnson said.
To address Johnson's concerns about home ownership, a neighborhood nonprofit hopes to craft a housing strategy for the area, starting with several blocks north of Wade Park Avenue.
View full sizeCleveland Councilman Jeff JohnsonUniversity Circle Inc., which owns the Hazel Drive property, sees a strong market for high-end apartments aimed at graduate students, young doctors and people with short-term positions in the medical and educational communities. But Chris Ronayne, the group's president, also believes there are opportunities to attract new homeowners, develop vacant lots, renovate existing homes and make Glenville and other nearby neighborhoods more stable.
"It's a peaceable outcome and a sensible one to look at housing strategies that cover the range of housing options in the University Circle neighborhood," Ronayne said, adding that funding sources for a housing study have not been identified.
University Circle Inc. will lease the Hazel site, currently a parking lot, to WXZ Development Inc. of Fairview Park. The developer, who is not seeking public money, expects to build eight three-story apartment buildings. With individual entrances and indoor parking, the apartments eventually could be converted to condominiums.
WXZ President James Wymer said he has secured financing and hopes to start construction by July 1. The apartments could be finished in early 2012.
"We do respect and appreciate the due diligence that the councilman undertook," Wymer said Friday. "We're certainly pleased with his conclusion that we have a project that's the right project in the right place at the right time."
Johnson said he spent several weeks talking to developers, architects and University Circle institutions about the design, density and land use of WXZ's project. Now, he is focused on maintaining owner-occupied housing nearby and getting help from University Circle Inc. to promote and protect existing neighborhoods.
"Just because someone has said they are going to spend $10 million in the city of Cleveland and do a housing project -- that may be good enough for some folks," Johnson said. "I believe any project, whether we're giving money to it or not, needs to be scrutinized."