the Cleveland Browns and the City of Cleveland announced they will be installing a new field surface at Collinwood Athletic Complex As part of the Browns commitment to education as well as youth and high school football the organization will install ForeverLawn high-quality synthetic turf in association with Ohio Cat at the complex this spring It marks the 16th field surface provided to Ohio schools and communities by the Browns courtesy of the Haslam and Johnson families as well as Browns Give Back since the team's long-term field initiative launched eight years ago in May 2016 by installing five field surfaces at Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) schools over a two-year span The field surface at Collinwood Athletic Complex will be the first for the City of Cleveland and the sixth in support of Cleveland Metropolitan School District "We're incredibly proud to continue our field project by installing our 16th field across Northeast Ohio in bringing a new state-of-the-art field to the Collinwood Athletic Complex," said Dee and Jimmy Haslam "Investing in our youth and their educational experiences is a core part of who the Browns are and we believe these fields continue to be powerful tools for growth A primary focus of the Browns' field projects is to offer youth educational tools through "outdoor classrooms," which offer opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities that support attendance school engagement and overall personal growth The surface will also be used by the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and for community activities including the Cleveland Muny Football League's practices "The City of Cleveland is proud to break ground with the Cleveland Browns on the replacement of the synthetic turf field at Collinwood Athletic Complex," said Alexandria Nichols Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Cleveland "This facility will continue to create opportunities that go far beyond the field and provide our neighborhoods with a shared space to grow stronger together This project is a reflection of our belief that when we invest in our communities Cleveland Metropolitan School District has been a partner of the Stay in the Game Attendance Network since its inception in 2019 and are committed to improving school attendance Student engagement is a driver of student attendance and through the installation of the new turf field at Collinwood Athletic Complex the district aims to create engagement opportunities to help students get excited to attend school every day which is the Official Synthetic Turf Partner of the Cleveland Browns is a premium synthetic turf provider based out of Louisville It will provide high-performance synthetic turf from its SportsGrass line of products for the Collinwood Athletic Complex renovation in association with Ohio Cat the Official Construction Equipment Partner of the Cleveland Browns as well as future sites selected by Browns Give Back All of the new fields created through the program are lined for multiple sports including but not limited to football and soccer and serve as a resource to further engage athletes and students in their respective districts and programs Given the stability of the surface and less maintenance needed compared to natural grass the fields are also more readily available year-round to youth and community groups The Cleveland Browns in partnership with the City of Cleveland will host a formal groundbreaking ceremony at the Collinwood Athletic Complex on May 1 to celebrate the official start of the project Haslam and Johnson families and Browns Give Back field project summary: The Cleveland Browns are committed to championing education and youth football while also creating equitable opportunities for advancement in our community and throughout Ohio. Browns Give Back is the Cleveland Browns initiative dedicated to supporting our fans and neighbors. To learn more visit, https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/community/ is the authorized Caterpillar® dealer operating from 14 locations throughout Ohio The Equipment & Power Systems Division of Ohio Machinery Co and service solutions for businesses in support of their equipment and power system's needs Ohio Cat - The Cat Rental Store provides Cat® and non-Cat equipment rental along with rental trench shoring and pump solutions SITECH Ohio is part of a global distribution network built specifically to provide the most comprehensive CAT and Trimble construction technology solutions in the industry FREE and EXCLUSIVE to Season Ticket Members Three current members of coaching staff to take on new roles in 2025 Talent ID Camps help identify the best athletes across the country for opportunities with the U.S Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCLEVELAND Ohio (WOIO) - Cleveland Police are searching for a missing and endangered man last seen in the North Collinwood neighborhood on April 6 38-year-old Christopher Patton was last seen leaving his home in the 17800 block of Delavan Avenue at 8 a.m Police said he was seen on East 185th Street and Eastpark at 8:45 a.m heading westbound on Eastpark Drive towards Lakeshore Boulevard Patton is 5′6′‘with brown eyes and black hair Police said he wears glasses and a hat most of the time Family and friends planned a search party for Patton on Sunday at 3 p.m Anyone with information is encouraged to immediately call 911 or contact Detective Durbin at 216-623-2579 Euclid took home the title last year but Collinwood secured back-to-back Big Clean victories in 2021 and 2022 Who will take the honor this year when approximately 200 volunteers are expected to span both neighborhoods on Saturday Picking up trash at The Big CleanSome argue that Euclid is bigger than Collinwood in area and population while others contend that the Collinwood teams hustle to collect their garbage and keep their competitive edge Organizers say everyone in both cities wins with cleaner neighborhoods they can be proud of “The Big Clean is about bringing neighbors together during Earth Day weekend to build community in support of cleaner streets and a cleaner Planet for us all,” they state The rivalry is heating up, as registration for the Big Clean 2025 is now open and businesses are encouraged to take part and early registration enters the participants in a raffle to win prizes from local Big Clean supporters and sponsors head out to the cleanup location chosen during online registration and get cleaning Once groups have finished cleaning their designated areas bring the haul back to the massive dumpster near C.E Trash tallies will start being counted right at noon Trash bags can also be placed in your city trash can take a selfie with your trash bags and post it to social media bag count with your cleanup city and the tag #thebigclean before 12 p.m Cleanup organizers will use the posts to tally total trash bags Picking up trash at The Big CleanParticipants are encouraged to take selfies with their collected trash bags and share them on social media using #thebigclean These posts will inspire others and highlight the community's success in waste reduction The organizers say the event is a great opportunity to learn more about living sustainably and protecting the planet Participating in The Big Clean provides a chance to earn community service hours The event is meant to ensure cleaner streets The organizers invite everyone to unite for a lasting impact and build a cleaner The former Dave’s Market in Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood will be acquired by the city and included with adjacent properties to create a larger redevelopment site that will be re-envisioned with community input then rezoned and offered to developers (Google) Cleveland city officials revealed their intentions today to acquire and redevelop a closed grocery store property Officials requested City Planning Commission approval to start assembling the land then later rezone it and ultimately offer it to developers through a community-driven request for proposals The commission members unanimously gave their blessing referring the matter to Cleveland City Council for final approval is an authorization for the city’s director of economic development and the commissioner of purchases and supplies to enter into a purchase agreement with Qasim Properties LLC The 4.24 acres of land would then be placed into the city’s land bank also known as the Land Reutilization Program Cost of the acquisition is subject to negotiations The property is valued by Cuyahoga County for tax purposes at $1,579,100 Qasim Properties acquired the site and the 45,000-square-foot store for $1.3 million in September 2022 It reportedly marketed the property to new grocery store tenants but had no luck It and a neighboring, vacant restaurant, built as a Ponderosa Steak House and later operated as J.J. Fish & Chicken, could be part of a larger potential redevelopment site. The since-closed restaurant, 15800 Lake Shore, was acquired last year by the Cuyahoga Land Bank the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corp. Outlined in red is the location of the vacant grocery store and restaurant properties on Lake Shore Boulevard in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood Lake Erie is nearby and so is an expanding Cleveland Metroparks lakefront park as well as the Collinwood Recreation Center at lower right (Google) Both the former grocery store and restaurant were built in the early 1970s and owned for five decades by members or affiliates of the Montlack family Montlack sold the grocery store property to Qasim Properties five months after Dave’s Markets closed it in April 2022 Dave’s had operated the store for 34 years Its closure created a “food desert” — a lack of healthy food choices for the neighborhood “We have a critical mass of facilities (nearby) and with our lakefront plan we think this (purchase) is the action we should take,” said Ward 8 Councilman Mike Polensek He said another grocery store operator offered to open there if the city gave them $6 million “That wasn’t going to happen.” The potential redevelopment site could be as large as 6 acres with neighboring underutilized parcels included the city’s economic development sites specialist She noted there are other emerging opportunities for the neighborhood following the Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s 2021 purchase of the 28.5-acre Euclid Beach Mobile Home Park across Lake Shore The residents of the mobile homes were relocated and their homes are being demolished. The mobile home community, previously the site of the Euclid Beach Amusement Park from 1894 to 1969, will become part of Cleveland Metroparks’ Euclid Beach at Euclid Creek Reservation The site of the closed grocery store and restaurant measures about 5.75 acres owned by the Montlack Realty Limited Partnership is included a potential redevelopment site could grow by another 0.46 acres (Google) “The site is strategically placed near one of the largest natural assets in the neighborhood which is the lakefront,” Deruytter said She also noted that the city’s Collinwood Recreation Center is next to the grocery store and right across Lake Shore from the Metroparks’ growing parks Those could be magnets for residential development and neighborhood-oriented retail The city will acquire the property and hold it for redevelopment City officials plan to prioritize a use that addresses the neighborhood food desert The property is zoned as a shopping center which will likely be changed with community input to allow for a potential of mix of uses on the large site I think this is a fabulous idea,” said Planning Commission Vice Chair August Fluker “But I think we need to be more global about this We should encourage the administration to look at other sites throughout the city City Planning Director Joyce Pan Huang said the city’s development and planning departments along with City Council have created working groups to address the growing number of vacant drug stores in the city Proposed site improvements to accommodate the relocation of Victor Metals Inc Planning Commission recommended vacating a portion of East 166th Street south of St Clair Avenue to accommodate the business (CPC) the Planning Commission approved vacating a portion of East 166th Street south of St Clair Avenue to accommodate a new business relocating from Lake County Jolet Property Management acquired 10 parcels of land totaling about 4.5 acres on both sides of East 166th for $650,000 That buyer is an affiliate of Victor Metals Inc. The metal recycling company has been in business since 1986 and is led by President Paul Varga Vacating East 166th will help with the staging of trucks and provide parking for Victor Metals’ employees Polensek welcomed the company in filling vacant buildings and removing a site of illegal dumping “It’s an old industrial area,” Polensek said “It’s been a problem for years We have this new company coming in from Lake County They said it’s probably not going to be more than 50 new jobs It’s better than having none than we have there and an abandoned building.” The largest structure on the site is a 77,655-square-foot warehouse built in 1951 by the Viking Copper Tube Co. but the Collinwood land still listed to Viking until 1975 when it was sold to Cerro The copper tubing operation continued into the early 1990s The future of our Website depends on revenue from our readers a seafood business has operated out of this riverfront location at Merwin Avenue and Center Street in Cleveland’s Flats That will come to an end when Catanese Classic Seafood relocates to Collinwood in the coming months Cleveland Metroparks bought this building as well as the Grain Craft flour mill visible in the background at left in this wide-angle view Soaring overhead is the Detroit-Superior Bridge (Google) A familiar face in Cleveland’s Flats district is packing up and heading to the city’s east side to make way for the Cleveland Metroparks’ expanding makeover of the Cuyahoga River waterfront is making a move in the coming year to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s facility at 15500 S The move will also accommodate its growing workforce. When Jim and John Catanese founded Catanese Classic Seafood in 2004 in a 7,500-square-foot warehouse on the city’s East Side, they started out with just three employees But not all of them work at their Flats location comprised of eight disconnected buildings dating from between 1880-1980 and total 56,825 square feet truck drivers and others — are based out of other locations But most will make the move to the East Side “Please accept this letter as certification that we will have a maximum of 80 employees working at our new facility on South Waterloo Road,” wrote CEO John Catanese in a filing with the city Building Department NEOtrans e-mailed Catanese seeking more information and comment on their planned move No response was received prior to publication of this article A streetview of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Community Resource Center and Market on South Waterloo Road Catanese Classic Seafood plans to relocate to a space at the right-rear corner of this building (Google) Their move to Collinwood will renovate a 42,2320-square-foot rear portion of the food bank’s Community Resource Center and Market Project architect Shokalook and Associates Inc of Strongsville has designed their new space and submitted the plans to the city Project costs are estimated at $1.8 million according to city Building Department records owned by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Waterloo Real Estate Holding Co. has a 117,163-square-foot warehouse and office built in 2003 and a 13,072-square-foot cold storage warehouse that was added in 2015 200,000-square-foot distribution center nearby on Coit Road that opened in 2021 and freed up space at the Waterloo location The Catanese brothers have more than 30 years of experience in food distribution they and their father Dominick founded Waterfront Seafood Catanese Classic Seafood distributes fresh and frozen seafood to restaurants country clubs and retailers throughout Ohio and nearby states the Metroparks closed on a $4 million purchase agreement with Marlin Investment Group LLC which is owned by the Catanese family Marlin owned the 1.24 acres of riverfront land and the eight buildings set on them Catanese Classic Seafood leased the property from Marlin and now leases it from the Metroparks The image at left shows the orientation of the overall Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Community Resource Center with north at the top shows the portion of the building to be renovated and utilized by Catanese Classic Seafood (Shokalook & Associates) The site has been home to a seafood business for 92 years a family-owned fish market began operations there in 1933 It was one of the largest seafood distributors in Northeast Ohio State Fish went bankrupt in the Great Recession in 2008 and closed The Metroparks may demolish some of the seafood buildings potentially those next to the Cuyahoga River to enhance waterfront access for the public as it is doing elsewhere on the Flats’ Columbus Road peninsula But it is not clear at this early stage which structures may be kept or razed The regional park system will start that planning work after Catanese Classic Seafood moves out Last week, the Metroparks began seeking $2.2 million Ohio Brownfield Program funds for the remediation and possible demolition of the neighboring Grain Craft flour mill Those funds will be matched by about $1.8 million from the Metroparks some of which was already spent for site assessments and property title work the Metroparks acquired the flour mill land to increase public access to the riverfront It paid $3.5 million to acquire 3.3 acres of land owned by Cereal Food Processors Inc The focus of that acquisition was a 1.22-acre parcel on the riverside of Merwin Avenue and having an address range of 1636-1656 Merwin For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features helpful guides and beautiful photography and design Final designs for six modular townhomes called Arcade Place were unanimously approved yesterday by the Cleveland Planning Commission’s Design Review Committee They will be built on a vacant lot on East 156th Street at Arcade Avenue just north of the Waterloo Arts District (HEART Design Group) but their builder says they’re an “historic” next step toward increasing the amount of modular housing in Cleveland City officials and some home builders say more modular homes are needed here to address shortages in quality increase homeownership in Cleveland and build equity The design of those six townhomes, called Arcade Place and due to rise on a vacant lot at the southeast corner of East 156th Street and Arcade Avenue, were granted final approval yesterday by the Cleveland Planning Commission’s Design Review Committee. That authorized their developer, Rebuild Cleveland LLC Plans for the project show the six townhomes would be built along the sidewalk of East 156th with a patio and grassy yard behind then a garage with vehicular access from a driveway off Arcade The design is similar to many 19th-century neighborhoods in Cleveland where garages are behind the homes and accessed by vehicles off an alley Assembling the six townhomes should take only about two days although site preparations will take longer Site plan for Arcade Place with East 156th Street to the left and Arcade Avenue at the top of the site A driveway from Arcade to the six garages behind the six townhomes allows the townhomes to be built along the sidewalk of East 156th ((HEART Design Group) “I am elated that the city of Cleveland is embracing modular housing as an acceptable form of construction and exceptionally proud of our team for accomplishing this milestone with the first-ever development of its kind,” said Task in a written statement “We look forward to a continued partnership with the city to make the dream of homeownership more attainable in Cleveland.” He explained that their goal in developing these townhomes is to offer workforce-affordable high-quality housing with expected pricing under $300,000 — making homeownership and particularly custom home-building more accessible for Cleveland’s residents Rebuild Cleveland has successfully completed and sold its first modular single-family home on Colgate Avenue in the southern part of Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood That project got underway in the latter half of 2023 The Colgate house was assembled and the electricity turned on within five hours Task told the Planning Commission yesterday Commission members expressed excitement about the North Collinwood project but also wanted to make sure that quality and diverse designs are provided for this and future housing products This view of Arcade Place townhomes is from Arcade Avenue showing the vehicular access to the garages Between the garages and the townhomes is a grassy area and patios for each home ((HEART Design Group) “Congratulations — I can’t wait to see them,” said commission Chair Lillian Kuri who is also president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation “I want a tour when they’re done.” The Arcade Place townhomes will be constructed by Champion Homes MI but has more than 30 manufacturing facilities located across the United States and Europe and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide a company that is publicly traded as “SKY” on the New York Stock Exchange Last week, Cleveland issued a request for proposals to modular home manufacturers so the city could attract a factory to Cleveland’s near-East Side While city officials said they want to repopulate approximately 25,000 vacant residential lots across the city and inner-ring suburbs with affordable the nearest modular homes manufacturer is more than 100 miles away as they’re deciding on what company is going to bring a factory here to Cleveland that we be very enjoined in bringing a company and factory that provides for diversity in design because many of those large companies do not,” Task said The Arcade Place townhomes site is within a short walk of the Waterloo Arts District to the south and the Collinwood Recreation Center plus future development sites to the north ((HEART Design Group) Rebuild Cleveland is moving forward with a new single-family modular home on Westropp Avenue with permits already secured and construction set to begin Task said they are working on gap financing applications for several other properties in Cleveland’s Wards 8 and 15 and have the support of City Council members Jenny Spencer and Michael Polensek Task noted that they aren’t limiting their focus on the city of Cleveland He hinted at going beyond the city limits by saying that they are in the preliminary planning stages of “an exciting development in an inner-ring suburb — more to come,” he teased Rebuild Cleveland was formed by Chris Grimaldi executive vice president of Cross Country Mortgage leader of The Task Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices They said their mission is to contribute to the revitalization of Cleveland and surrounding communities through high quality Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — Euclid and Collinwood hosted The Big Clean on Saturday an annual trash pick-up event where hundreds of volunteers pick up trash in their neighborhoods in a friendly competition between the communities to see who can collect more there was a waste-free event where community organizations help educate volunteers on topics like composting and recycling Ohio (WOIO) - Approximately 2,000 customers are without power in the Collinwood neighborhood Friday afternoon Power has been restored in the areas of Dorchester to Parkgrove from E. 152nd to E. 185th. Crews are continuing to work on the area of Lakeshore to South Waterloo from E. 250th to E. 170th.We thank you for your patience as crews work to restore service. pic.twitter.com/ci1INi06vA crews are on scene in the neighborhood to address issues with circuit breakers Cleveland Public Power said they will send out updates when they have more information 19 News reached out to Cleveland Public Power to see if the issue is ongoing and when the outage will be fixed Power has been restored in the areas of Dorchester to Parkgrove from E. 152nd to E. 185th. Crews are continuing to work on the area of Lakeshore to South Waterloo from E. 250th to E. 170th.We thank you for your patience as crews work to restore service. pic.twitter.com/ci1INi06vA Ohio — Cleveland police are investigating after two people were found shot in a car in Cleveland's North Collinwood neighborhood Sunday evening EMS confirms investigators found a 19-year-old man and 19-year-old Mikayla Franklin were shot multiple times inside the vehicle They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment News 5 followed Cleveland police as they surrounded a shot-up black Audi They were called to the 16000 block of Euclid Beach Boulevard just before midnight It's unclear where the initial shooting took place Our News 5 camera captured at least two bullet holes in the windshield and the car was found resting on a nearby tree lawn News 5 is working to learn what led up to this incident The Hospice of the Western Reserve is on track to open a new 32-bed facility in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood in 2026 A recent gift brought the organization within nearly $5 million of its $25 million fundraising goal for the facility The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation awarded the Hospice of the Western Reserve $3.6 million toward the new facility in early March The gift brought fundraising totals to more than $20 million of its $25 million goal with the campaign now transitioning into its public phase "The public phase is when we go more broadly out into the community and try to raise money there," said Elizabeth McIntyre chief marketing and communications officer for Hospice of the Western Reserve But we're spreading the word more and more about our effort to get this building." The Hospice of the Western Reserve plans to raise the last $5 million from smaller Any shortfalls will be met with funds set aside by the organization’s board The new facility will replace the one located on East 185th Street in Cleveland “The facility we have right now is 30 years old and it was built for the 1990s The new facility will provide residents with lake views and accessible patios and suites to increase privacy The Hospice of the Western Reserve has served more than 100,000 patients and their families for nearly 50 years including more than 10,000 patients in 2024 in both hospice and palliative care programs Ninety-five percent of these patients receive at-home care with 5% receiving care at in-patient care units or in hospitals Enrollment at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has dropped by tens of thousands of students in recent decades creating a problem: Dozens of buildings are not fully occupied and thousands of seats don't have students in them Collinwood High School on Cleveland’s Northeast Side has one of the lowest occupancy rates in the district according to district building capacity data Teacher Marcella Hall has watched the decline of students at that school over her 30-year tenure She’s also watched as programming and support for the facility has also declined "Collinwood was the beacon of the neighborhood when I joined," she said Hall said that several decades ago it seemed like every “room and closet” was used Its Olympic-sized swimming pool sits unused And she said its career tech program — situated in a once-bustling industrial hub of Cleveland that's lost many of those businesses — is nonexistent Collinwood High School is a good example of the challenges facing CMSD and urban districts across the country As enrollment has dropped with families leaving Cleveland for the suburbs many districts have been put in a lose-lose situation: maintain buildings that aren’t being utilized fully or close buildings and risk the ire of residents among other potential negative consequences The conversation is especially important now as the district is facing a deficit and asking voters to support a combined operating levy and renewal of a bond issue in November The district did try to close Collinwood five years ago part of a second wave of closures and consolidation after a larger push in 2010 residents and Cleveland City Council Member Michael Polensek pushed back But the district’s approach to Collinwood and the high school has left such a bad taste in Polensek’s mouth “If you strip schools like you did on the East Side of programing and curriculum why would you send your child there?" Polensek said Morgan when he came over to visit us on Council I would not put him in Collinwood High School." CMSD through its spokesperson declined to make CEO Warren Morgan available for an interview for this story But Morgan has discussed the district’s long-term plans — and what he’s called a need to “look at the district’s buildings” — at public appearances in September and this month the district is in the financial position that it's in 'Why don't you close schools,' or 'Why don't you do this program or eliminate this?' It's not that simple,” Morgan said during a Sept because the district has a complicated calculus that includes building conditions which all vary widely from building to building He also said the district needs time to gather public input on its facilities The district has at least 27 buildings that are at 60% of capacity or less according to an Ideastream Public Media analysis of public records comparing each building’s enrollment from May 2024 with their total capacity provided by the district Ideastream forwarded this analysis to the school district on Aug Most of the capacity data provided to Ideastream by the district was from 2019 but it's not clear physical building capacity changes over time or whether the district has updated its data since then It would cost the district $475 million to update 40 of its older buildings with installation of air conditioning according to a district facility assessment created in 2021 and updated in February 2024 And concerns persist about a lack of equity in programming between the city’s West Side and East Side asked Morgan about that perception during Morgan's 2024 State of the Schools speech in October “We often hear as students that there is a favoritism between West Side schools rather than East (Side) schools would you say this is true?" the student asked Morgan responded that the district has upgraded facilities on both the East Side and West Side the district updated facilities on the East Side first after several bond issues approved over the last several decades But enrollment challenges are steeper on the majority-Black East Side of the city where a significant number of residents live in poverty why is it that our East Side schools are lacking in enrollment or the programs that we have?” Morgan said “What are the types of experiences that you and your families want us to provide on the East Side and also on the West Side too?” said it’s clear that the district has too many buildings “The bigger challenge is figuring in the human side of it,” she said with alumni associations and politically connected alumni closing schools potentially harms the fabric of neighborhoods The district closed 13 buildings in 2010 under CEO Eugene Sanders which she called “devastating,” leaving neighborhoods like Cleveland's Slavic Village without a public high school “It is much more complicated than just the numbers," Obrenski said how important that school is to that community And what type of supports having that school provides to that community?" The district would also need to lay off staff working in buildings it closes Obrenski said the union started off the year with about 100 staff vacancies which she said could suggest a place to start for the district if it were to "right-size" itself although she cautioned that the district is still in need of some specialty staff Buildings that are less than 60% full carry their own risk Ohio law requires school districts to make those schools available for use by a charter school a conservative education policy think tank there is no one actively enforcing those provisions," Aldis said as enrollment has fallen in recent decades in urban schools due to demographic shifts Schools district can’t provide the right resources when students are spread thin Obrenski said closing schools could lead to further public school enrollment losses as students choose to attend charter schools now occupying the former public school building Obrenski said schools that lose enrollment are caught in a vicious cycle because fewer students means less funding from the state and fewer teachers assigned to the school building Less staff means less support for extracurricular programs and fewer course offerings That can mean fewer parents want to send their kids there At a parent-teacher night at John Adams High School on Cleveland’s Southeast Side in August played calming music in her room as she met with parents about their kids and her class Dockery-Murray said the school provides high-quality programming including career training like what was once offered at Collinwood and parents and students who stopped in to see her said they liked their time at the school "I want the district to really kind of continue to rebrand and continue to reintroduce how great they are," she said "And I had a conversation not too long ago and I was saying the district really should make sure the public is aware of all of the great graduates that have come through CMSD." The building was also renovated in the last decade or so “We even have a studio where they can record," Dockery-Murray said The music room — a large space complete with sound proofing — and studio space is now filled with old desks "Only music in their heads as they take a test.” head track and field and basketball coach at East Tech High School doesn’t have an outdoor track to practice on There is an outdoor track about a mile away owned by Cuyahoga Community College but Hardaway said scheduling use of of the Tri-C facilities can be difficult He said better amenities for student-athletes translate to students coming to school and staying engaged “We need more money into our athletic programs because this is giving certain kids the opportunity,” he said “They may not get an opportunity outside of the athletic realm to go and further their education Hardaway added the he is aware of only two other outdoor tracks across the school district one at Collinwood High School and Robert Bump Taylor Field at Arnold Pinkney East Professional Center (The board of education had approved $763,000 to renovate Bump Taylor Field in August) Both East Tech and John Adams have seen their enrollments drop by about half since 2010 The school district recently broke ground on a new track and high school football stadium at John F Kennedy High School on the city's Southeast Side Morgan told Ideastream Public Media after the groundbreaking that students having access to more facilities like those could go a long way to bringing enrollment back to the district "When I think about the high school I grew up in we think you have all of the everything there at your school or you don't have to go to another person's school," Morgan said So I think that gives a point of pride for the students CMSD had 33,918 students enrolled as of the October 2023 Its total "adjusted capacity," which takes into account special programs and students with disabilities' needs Barnett Family Professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education said the country has seen a “re-sorting” of its population since the 1950s “There's been substantial mobility across the country generally towards warmer areas there's been a re-sorting of the population towards the suburbs over that period,” Dee said However, much of that exodus in Cleveland has been on the basis of race, statewide enrollment data shows. It's part of a broader pattern of “white flight” across major U.S. urban centers Ohio has also seen an explosion of school choice options starting in Cleveland with the Cleveland Scholarship Program in 1997 the state's first program where families could get vouchers to pay for private school 7,800 students participated in that program up from about 2,000 in the 1996-1997 school year Ohio also drastically expanded access and funding for voucher programs in 2023 In addition, a large number of charter schools have opened in the last several decades, including in buildings that CMSD once operated. Dee, who worked with the Associated Press to analyze enrollment patterns across the country since the pandemic found another emerging trend: More parents are homeschooling their children in Ohio in the last several years and closed four buildings and consolidated others in 2019 CMSD still has about 20 more schools than Cincinnati Public Schools Those decisions to close buildings occurred under the tenures of two different CEOs most recently under CEO Eric Gordon and before that under Sanders Neither responded to a request for an interview longtime teacher Marcella Hall said if the school district tries to close buildings again “We have to say something to the community that not only do we value the community “So you don't have to worry about catching a bus (to a school) all the way to the West Side.” Hall suggested people vote for the school levy this November She said the district’s solution to declining enrollment shouldn’t be to cut its way out of the problem the district is still going to need to cut its budget The district could be out of money almost entirely by the end of the next school year if the levy doesn't pass according to its five-year forecast from spring 2024 “We're going to be looking at our buildings and are going to be looking at our program staffing models," Morgan said "That happens whether a levy passes or not." Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said during his 2024 State of the City speech earlier this year that the district will need to make “hard and necessary choices” about its building footprint we are clear eyed about the hard choices necessary to ensure our children's success,” read a statement issued by the city on Sept “We must all invest in the future of our schools and we know we can’t continue to operate with an outdated building footprint Our schools were built in an era when Cleveland’s population was triple what it is today We need to adjust for that reality in a way that guarantees quality schools for all Clevelanders.” Hall said the school district doesn’t need to close Collinwood so more families want to choose to send their kids there “Figure out a way to keep Collinwood open" Hall said if you listen to the community and you bring one program that the community as a whole believe should take root Catanese Seafood to sail from Flats to Collinwood Read More » Phone: 216-696-6525 Toll Free: 1-800-869-6525 Address: 1404 East 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114   Share this Page Holy Redeemer Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost celebrated the anniversary Mass Bishop Woost began his homily by repeating the refrain of Sunday’s psalm response: “Lord it is good to give thanks to you.” Explaining his own gratitude to Fr Marty Polito for their many years of friendship and shared ministry Bishop Woost invited the congregation to remember the century of blessings that God had poured out on the Holy Redeemer community Bishop Woost recounted the parish’s distinguished history to the crowded church Italian-Catholics settled in the Collinwood section of Cleveland the Italian immigrants petitioned Bishop Joseph Schrembs to create an Italian nationality parish The Bishop established Holy Redeemer Parish in June of 1924 Bishop Woost noted that the parish had been served by numerous priests While the members of the parish staff originally ministered primarily to the Italian Catholic community each successive generation built upon the sacramental and catechetical life of the parish to develop spiritual and social outreach programs for the neighborhood Referring to Sunday’s parable of the seeds sown in the farmer’s field Bishop Woost described how those who ministered at Holy Redeemer and the parishioners themselves had sown the seeds of faith producing a faith-filled community that welcomed many people “Like the mustard seed springing up to become the largest of plants providing shelter for the birds of the sky,” Bishop Woost said “Holy Redeemer has become a community that has welcomed and served a diversity of neighbors in Jesus’ name.” Bishop Woost asked the community to be “always courageous” like the early Christians in Sunday’s second reading Paul reminded the church in Corinth that “we walk by faith not by sight.” “Just like the first Italian immigrants in Collinwood could not have known what their parish community would look like in a hundred years so too you don’t know how the seeds of faith and love you are sowing will impact Holy Redeemer in the future.” Bishop Woost noted “We believe that God who has been faithful and active in the past will continue to bless this community now and in the future you must courageously continue to be a living sign of Christ’s presence in the Church and in the Collinwood neighborhood.” In keeping with the parish’s Italian heritage and the observance of St Anthony bread at the conclusion of the Universal Prayer This bread was distributed to everyone at the end of Mass those in attendance joined in a procession with the Eucharist and the parish’s statute of St An Italian marching band provided music for the procession as they followed a Cleveland police escort and the parish’s altar servers Most of the parishioners joined the procession through the streets on foot while older members rode on a bus provided by the parish A highlight of the procession was an explosive display of fireworks as participants returned to the parish grounds After benediction with the Blessed Sacrament on the front steps of the church parishioners enjoyed a picnic gathering on the parish grounds which included traditional Italian fare please contact local law enforcement and: Kathleen McComb Response Services – 216-334-2999 CLEVELAND — The city of Cleveland plans to buy a vacant grocery store on the East Side in a move that’s about much more than remaking one blighted property City officials say they’ve inked an agreement to purchase the former Dave’s Markets store on Lakeshore Boulevard in the Collinwood neighborhood They plan to demolish the boarded-up building and seek redevelopment proposals for the site in early 2025 The pending deal is an unusual one for the city which rarely uses its power to buy up and stash real estate in an industrial-commercial land bank But the old Dave’s store sits in a key location on a corridor where there’s lots of public and philanthropic money at stake The city’s Collinwood Recreation Center is a short stroll away the Euclid Beach Mobile Home Community is shutting down The 28.5-acre property will become part of the Euclid Creek Reservation creating a lakefront green space comparable in size to Edgewater Park on the West Side nonprofits are working to renovate and build homes and bring new life to tired storefronts sees a rare chance to shore up a struggling commercial district that's barely a quarter-mile from Lake Erie including a long-vacant Ponderosa Steakhouse that could go into a larger redevelopment project this is the type of site that can really swing a neighborhood,” McNair said Dave’s shut its Collinwood outpost in April 2022 after almost four decades of serving the neighborhood the family-owned grocer was wrapping up renovations at its store in neighboring Euclid and said little publicly about its motivations for downsizing increasingly cash-strapped shoppers and friction between Dave’s and its landlord in Collinwood a company associated with locally owned Simon’s Supermarket bought the property RELATED: Announced closure of longtime Collinwood grocery store sparks 'food desert' concerns The building has been languishing for more than two years “There’s no place for the elderly to get the medicines they need who puttered by on his scooter Monday morning “No place for the young folks to get the food they need he gets a ride or takes a bus to Euclid to buy everyday basics “It’s sort of heartbreaking to notice the deterioration of the neighborhood,” he said “As if no one cares what’s actually going on over here.” McNair said city officials do care – and they’re acting They’ve agreed to pay $1.475 million for the longtime supermarket site City Council approved the spending Monday night and the deal is expected to close late this year this is an opportunity to come in and grab civic control – and really go out and find the right user for this site,” McNair said Three-quarters of the price will be paid by the economic development department The rest of the money is coming from Councilman Mike Polensek who is using community development block grant funds from the federal government “We hope this will be a prototype throughout the city of Cleveland for how we develop these large sites of former retail – and not only large sites noting that many neighborhoods are grappling with the loss of everyday retailers “What do we do with abandoned big boxes?” Polensek asked Because we’re seeing even fast-food businesses closing He and other public officials would love to lure a new grocer to the property which is large enough for a mixed-use project But landing another supermarket is a long shot “We have had a ton of conversations … in terms of finding more grocers that want to come into the city of Cleveland is going through a lot of its own issues and transformations.” Could it be a site for other retail opportunities … Acquiring the site is just the beginning of that process.” And there are other food-related uses that might fill part of the void that Dave’s left “It doesn’t necessarily have to be a full-service grocery store,” McNair said “I think that there are a lot of different models at work.” Polensek said the owners of Simon’s Supermarket did see potential in the neighborhood But he wasn’t impressed by the company’s existing stores in Cleveland the amount of subsidy needed to overhaul the aging former Dave’s building was too high for the city to consider “That was not gonna happen in light of some of the challenges that he has with his other stores,” Polensek said “So we told him that we were going to go a different route.” who has lived in the neighborhood for about 15 years is cautiously optimistic about the city’s plans He’s tired of looking at abandoned buildings and vacant lots “We need some new things around here,” he said The abandoned National Acme plant on East 131st Street at Coit Road is getting swallowed up by Mother Nature Demolition crews will soon lend a helping hand by taking down the once-prolific factory so the site can be returned to more uses in the near future (Google) It’s a factory name that conjures thoughts from classic Road Runner cartoons But few are laughing from the enduring health and economic burdens that the long-closed National Acme plant is having on Cleveland’s East Glenville and Collinwood residents Once one of Cleveland’s largest blue collar employers its fate is similar to that of other aging industrial properties across the city Now it offers the surrounding neighborhoods new opportunities thanks to $11.1 million that was amassed in recent days to demolish the rest of the factory clean up the 13.4-acre site and return it to productive use The site could attract a new industrial user who might offer hundreds of new according to the Cuyahoga Land Bank which acquired the tax-foreclosed property earlier this year via a sheriff’s deed transfer After that transfer, things began to look up for the site. It perked up a lot more when the land bank won a $7.6 million Ohio Brownfield Program site remediation grant It was one of many such grants won by the land bank last week And it got even better this week when the city of Cleveland provided $3.5 million via the new Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund (SRF) The Cuyahoga Land Bank is SRF’s fiscal agent “Cleaning up this site is a priority for the community surrounding it,” said Ward 8 Councilman Mike Polensek in a written statement His ward includes East Glenville and Collinwood Village He recalled that his late uncle worked at National Acme in its heyday vandals and rats have made the property a horrible hazard “This redevelopment is not just about removing a public nuisance — it’s about revitalizing this neighborhood and bringing new opportunities to the greater community,” Polensek added offering his sincere appreciation to his colleagues on Cleveland City Council Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration and SRF for supporting the effort the National Acme plant on East 131st Street was far less shrouded in vegetation and not just because an enduring winter was keeping the leaves from blooming But the lack of activity surrounding the plant showed it was no longer a going concern (abandedonline.net) National Acme Manufacturing Co.’s factory was built in 1917 for the manufacture of machine tools The company was formed in 1901 through the merger of the Acme Screw Machine Company of Hartford National Manufacturing Company of Cleveland Manufacturing operations were consolidated in Cleveland resulting in the construction of the East 131st plant that soon employed more than 1,000 workers National Acme became Acme-Cleveland Corp. in 1968 by merging with the Cleveland Twist Drill Co., founded in 1876. Company-wide, Acme-Cleveland had more than 15 factories and 6,300 employees in 1980 with annual revenues of about $5 billion, according to abandonedonline.net But cheaper foreign competition soon eroded its business to the point the firm had to sell off pieces of itself to survive The East 131st plant was operated by DeVlieg-Bullard Inc in 1995 and Acme-Cleveland’s stock was bought by Danaher Corp. DeVlieg-Bullard filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999 and the factory was sold to a real estate holding company Acme Realty LLC the next year A portion of the plant was leased back to DeVlieg-Bullard but it steadily moved operations to a more modern plant in suburban Twinsburg Acme Realty leased the East 131st factory to All Points in 2011 for a cardboard and paper waste recycling facility A portion of the factory was razed illegally; asbestos fibers were released into the environment during demolition piles of debris and asbestos were left out in the open subjecting nearby residents to multiple health hazards three men were convicted of felony charges stemming from their business operations at the factory environmental and health data demonstrates the distress disinvestment and decay of the community around the former National Acme plant Median household income for the community averages about $27,787 well below the state’s median housing income of $61,938 Most recently used as an illegal recycling center was previously a bustling machine tool maker that employed more than 6,000 people company-wide But this East Glenville plant was their biggest factory (abandonedonline.net) the community’s 37 percent poverty rate is nearly triple the statewide rate education levels fall well short of statewide averages and the community is riddled with vacant structures Those living in the community are also exposed to greater environmental hazards than the average Ohioan and are less healthy than most of the state we’re not only addressing an environmental and safety concern but also paving the way for job creation and neighborhood revitalization,” said Brad Whitehead “We look forward to seeing a community-minded business or development partner to join us on the redevelopment once the site is job-ready.” SRF was established in August 2023 by Bibb in partnership with Cleveland City Council with $50 million in seed funding. It acquired its first property in April — the old Wellman-Seaver Engineering Co This nationally unique nonprofit aims to breathe new life into 1,000 acres of neglected real estate building wealth among residents and enhancing environmental sustainability “The National Acme site exemplifies the urgent need for projects like ours,” Whitehead added “Addressing the challenges of contaminated and complex brownfield sites is crucial for unlocking their potential Cleveland has the expertise and infrastructure to turn these sites into valuable assets that will benefit our community for generations.” A fire broke out at a convenience store on the city's east side overnight Crews responded to the fire at the Collinwood Convenient store in Collinwood on St News 5's overnight news tracker saw firefighters cutting into the building to get inside Cleveland fire working a fire inside Collinwood Convenient at E156 and St. Clair. Neighbors said they closed around 10:30pm and saw smoke just after 11pm. Took CFD a while to cut into the store. pic.twitter.com/Kzlbv2aUDG Neighbors said the store closed at 10:30 p.m. Firefighters said there was $200,000 worth of damage CLEVELAND — At NuLife Fitness Camp in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood exercising and eating healthy at Juicy Vegan go hand in hand thanks to Miesha Wilson’s commitment to eating good feeling good and living good while also addressing a critical need fresh food not to mention the lack of grocery stores in our neighborhoods,” said Wilson Wilson said she hopes to change the face of what fast food looks like by introducing the community to plant-based healthy food options restaurant businesses are really taking a hit it’s just been really minimum,” said Wilson Refusing to give up on her dream and community Wilson said she began calling around and found other black-owned vegan businesses who shared the same struggles which eventually led her to launch the "Vegan Food Cash Mob" initiative the community to help us keep from having to close our doors Among the Cleveland businesses participating are Juicy Vegan Mary Johnson’s Vitamin Kandie Restaurant on 7228 Euclid Avenue and Kurtis Williams’ restaurant called Squash the Beef on 1400 East 105th Street where each owner will encourage customers to come back by entering them into a weekly prize drawing “I feel like when I bring this food to our community it’s definitely healthier than some of the other options,” said Williams Williams said his food even has its own unique flavor which he believes will drive customers to his restaurant and the other two businesses so they can all continue to provide healthier food options and a sense of unity to their community “People are already saying how can we help while we’re trying to help the community by offering plant-based options the community is in turn helping us stay relevant as well,” said Wilson The first day to participate in this initiative is Wednesday and the effort will run every Wednesday and Friday throughout the entire month of February CLEVELAND — Caris LeVert is an Ohio guy through and through LeVert made sure people in his home state felt like family with a turkey giveaway ahead of Thanksgiving On Monday evening in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood LeVert partnered with Giant Eagle and Cavs Cares to hold a food giveaway at the Collinwood Recreation Center Local families were able to come out and receive free bags of items Each person also got to grab some Cavs gear to wear proudly LeVert personally handed out 200 turkeys to local families shaking hands and putting smiles on faces as they left the rec center with items of need "I know a lot of families at this time are in need of things like that so anytime I can give back to the community is something I want to do," LeVert said As people walked out with their holiday items not only because they had met an NBA player but also because he chose to give back to their neighborhood "It's beautiful that somebody finally took the time to come into the inner city I really respect the people that are coming out doing this location was just as important as the actual giveaway He wanted the people receiving the meals to feel like family "I have a lot of family still living in the inner city and things like that so I try to approach it as if everyone's my family," LeVert said "I know that a lot of people will need this for holidays." The giveaway helped local families ahead of the upcoming holiday thanks to all the smiles he got to see Monday night "I think just seeing the smiles on people's faces and knowing that the people who came here will get a good meal," he said A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed in the 14000 block of St in the city's South-Collinwood neighborhood Police say that shots were fired from multiple vehicles into a singular vehicle Mendrell Johnson was shot and transported to the hospital but the Medical Examiner's Office later listed the child as 15 years old Detectives collected evidence from the scene and are following up on all leads Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to call the Cleveland Division of Police Homicide Unit at 21 News & Reviews News Wire US Senator urges CSX to reconsider operating changes in Cleveland The letter also says the decision to remove crews in Cleveland will hurt the reliability of operations CLEVELAND – Ohio’s Democratic Senator urges CSX to reconsider its decision to reduce its crew base at Collinwood Yard in Cleveland and reassign workers to terminals at Willard, Ohio saying the decision is bad for railroaders and operations U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, in a letter to CSX President and CEO Joseph Hinrichs says doing away with Collinwood Yard as a crew base will disrupt railroaders’ lives requiring longer drives for engineers and conductors to report to work Willard is about 80 miles west of Cleveland and Buffalo is about 180 miles east The letter also says the decision to remove crews in Cleveland will hurt the reliability of operations and cause more train delays as trains will have longer distances to travel without the availability of an intermediary recrew He also voiced his concerns about the increased risk for blocked road crossings due to stopped trains Trains News Wire reached out to CSX for comment on the Senator’s letter “CSX constantly evaluates our train operations to optimize network fluidity and service to our customers We’ve streamlined some of our train starts at Collinwood Yard in Cleveland and our overall customer service,” says railroad spokesperson Sheriee Bowman this has impacted a small number of employees who will be reassigned to a nearby yard in Willard We will continue to engage with union representatives throughout this process as we assess the success of this operating change and any future adjustments,” she adds Collinwood Yard is on CSX’s former New York Central main line and is a main freight artery between Chicago and the Northeast I would sometimes relieve a crew on the Chicago line They often required two taxis’ because one would go home to Buffalo and the other to Collinwood CSX is streamlining it’s operations based on just how things are After the Conrail split we picked up additional trains running Cleveland-Cincinnati via Columbus We swapped in Columbus with a crew from Collinwood and we took the train to Queensgate Two crews to get the train from one corner of Ohio to another We also knew it was only temporary as CSX was constructing a connection between the Cleveland-Indy line and the Cincinnati-Toledo line at Sydney When this was finished the trains were rerouted and it takes only one crew trains can run Willard to Buffalo in a decent amount of time I believe there will still be some engineers and conductors based at Collinwood Brown is of the “D” persuasion and is up for re-election this year I suspect the Political Operative(s) of one or more RR Unions wrote the comments for a busy Senator and the Hon’s staff released them Well then wouldn’t it be nice if the other Ohio Senator he’s too busy making life miserable for the citizens of Springfield is trying to take care of his constituents while the other one runs around the country lying Sherrod Brown Is doing exactly what he was elected to do That being to look out for the best interest of his constituents I feel certain that he has taken the time to talk with the affected employees and done his research before he approached CSX It would be nice if more of today’s politicians did the jobs they are paid to do rather than looking out for their own best interests I for one hope he’s able to get these men and women some relief Wouldn’t Ohioans in Willard also be his constituents His constituents in Willard have nothing to loose if operations remain the same as they are today Normally I don’t like politicians telling a private corporation how it should run its business No the politician is not correct… As this senator has no inside on CSX crew cycle In fact less crew changes is what’s needed to move the needle on transit Brown can be a typical Democrat up for re-election FWIW just came off the Providence Local at Sharon I had to wonder how many people on the train (including the Keolis crew) ever heard of the New Haven Railroad I was impressed at how Amtrak Northeast Regional and MBTA Providence trains mix on a two-track railroad especially that the stopping trains don’t have the advantage of electrification for acceleration The former New Haven freight yard in Readville (southernmost point of the City of Boston) is still active The on-line light industrial park south of Rte 128 still has the freight spurs the New Haven installed in the 1960’s but it looks like the area is mostly apartment buildings now Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Join Today Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands Ohio (WOIO) - Cleveland Police shot and seriously injured a teen Saturday morning while investigating multiple car break-ins EMS told 19 News that they responded to the 800 block of East 146th Street around 4 a.m Saturday for a 14-year-old boy with a gun shot wound the Cleveland Division of Police Third District Vice Unit was conducting an investigation for over 30 ‘fresh’ car break-ins in the Midtown Neighborhood Police said they were able to identify two juvenile suspects with prior arrests for break ins and ankle monitors detectives had video that showed at least one of the juvenile suspects was armed with a hand gun investigators checked a vacant home in the 800 block of East 146th Street and found a recently reported stolen White Kia Sportage with 3 people inside Detectives tried to make contact with the people in the car as they exited but when they saw officers they returned to the car and fled through an adjacent yard the KIA returned to the area as officers were patrolling Police attempted to make contact with the three people in the car around 4 a.m and discovered the person in the driver’s seat was sleeping or unconscious When the he woke up to the officer’s commands he put the car in drive and struck a police cruiser He then tried to push the cruiser with the car An officer fired at the suspect and struck him in the right shoulder Police removed the teen from the car and rendered aid before EMS took him to the hospital Cleveland Police said its Use of Force Investigation Team will investigate the shooting The officer involved will also be placed on administrative leave Be sure to check back with 19 News for updates