20 Years of Redevelopment Progress
The rebirth of the Warehouse District began in the mid-1970s when the Higbee Company launched the Settler's Landing project - resulting in the renovation of the Western Reserve Building. Simultaneously, the Cleveland Landmarks Commission initiated action to preserve what was left of 19th century Cleveland and plan for its future. The Commission developed a comprehensive plan for the area and in 1980, the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation (HWDDC) was formed to coordinate and stimulate redevelopment and create a unique, mixed-use neighborhood for downtown Cleveland. The nonprofit local development corporation was formed from two groups: downtown business interests and architects who believed in the economics of historic preservation and the people who had moved into one of the under-utilized warehouses, creating their own loft living spaces. This newly formed "neighborhood organization", with the help of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, had the Warehouse District declared a Cleveland Landmark District in 1982. Landmarks designation put a halt to indiscriminate demolition by mandating a design review process for demolition or any exterior alteration. Later the same year the Warehouse District was designated a National Register Historic District by the Secretary of the Interior. These strong preservation actions by HWDDC stopped the demolition of Cleveland's oldest downtown area and changed the way Clevelanders looked at the original platted section of downtown.HWDDC's first and primary belief was that the Victorian commercial buildings in the District and its location between Public Square and the Flats and proximity to Lake Erie made it the ideal location for a downtown residential neighborhood. While residential development was being planned, significant commercial reinvestment took place. The commercial real estate boom of the mid-1980s had an impact on the redevelopment of the Warehouse District. In 1985, HWDDC developed a detailed set of urban design guidelines. The Cleveland Landmarks Commission adopted the resulting "Historic Warehouse District Plan Concepts and Design Guidelines" as the framework for design review and for encouraging adaptive reuse.
As a result of the use of historic tax credits in the rehabilitation projects, and the City of Cleveland's creative use of old UDAG project dollars, adaptive reuse housing projects began in earnest. In 1992 the old City Mission was converted into the 54 unit Grand Arcade apartments. Completion of the 250-unit Bridgeview Apartments project in the old Otis Terminals complex in 2000 has brought the total number of housing units to 1,217, with approximately 1,800 residents. The Bingham Building, under construction, will add another 339 residential units for approximately 500 new residents. The Marshall Building and the Erie Building projects will provide another 69 housing units with street-level retail opportunities.
The District is growing rapidly and HWDDC's long-standing commitment to the creation of a viable downtown neighborhood remains, but the focus has changed. Although HWDDC is still concerned with overseeing the adaptive reuse and development of the area's many historic buildings, attention is refocused on actively supporting residential and commercial concerns, attracting and stabilizing existing retail, and providing support services for the neighborhood. This will be achieved through aggressively implementing the updated Master Plan.
HWDDC continues its work to provide sustained program funding for District security, streetscape and green space creation and maintenance, and marketing support resources for all aspects of the Warehouse District. HWDDC also continues its historic preservation easement program. The program's underlying premise is to protect and preserve into perpetuity the District's rich building stock. In addition, HWDDC provides limited technical assistance through the design review process and the City's Storefront Renovation Program. With 40% of the Warehouse District comprised of surface parking lots, there is an opportunity to solidify the District through compatible new residential units that people are able to own. Parking is becoming a premium. As called for in the Warehouse District's Master Plan, townhouses and mid-rise condominiums will infill the surface parking lots and parking garages will need to be built to provide resident, retail, commercial, office and visitor parking in the mixed use district. For-sale housing will also bring another sector of the housing market to the predominately rental market of downtown.
The Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation will continue to evolve with the needs of the district as we guide Cleveland's first neighborhood in the new century.
HWDDC Staff
Executive Director: Tom Yablonsky Project Director: Tom Starinsky HWDDC
614 Superior Avenue, N.W.
Suite 714
Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone: (216) 344-3937
Fax: (216) 344-3962
E-mail: staff@warehousedistrict.org
