City of Cleveland looking forward to future of downtown apartments
Photo by Rhianna Barrow.
The Cleveland Summit Apartments residents, located on Inman Street in downtown Cleveland, were recently relocated to provide the city with options for downtown improvements.
City Manager Joe Fivas said the city began a three-step plan to prepare the historic structure for redevelopment in February.
“We want to make it our shining star downtown,” he said, according to the Cleveland Daily Banner. Fivas said the first step in the process will be to hire an architect to develop an internal demolition plan to open up the structure. They hope to hire an architect this spring.
In 2019, the Cleveland City Council announced the master plan for the revitalization and redevelopment of downtown Cleveland. In these plans, the city notified Cleveland residents that the old Cherokee Hotel, which is now the Cleveland Summit Apartments, would be redeveloped, and the apartment complex residents would be moved elsewhere in town.
This decision raised many concerns about potential gentrification and how the relocation would impact the low-income, Summit residents.
Before being emptied, the Summit Apartments were in a state of decay and great need of renovation. Many apartments were without running water or central heating and air, the walls needed fresh paint, and the electrical wiring needed upgrading, among other issues.
“Some didn’t have electricity, or they didn’t have air conditioning or heating. Hot water didn’t work in some of the homes, there were mold issues, and the deferred maintenance and deterioration of the building, in general, is really dehumanizing,” said Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Ruth Wienk. “So, I think that there are some really good benefits that can come from finding better housing.”
The Summit Apartments owners were given the option to either renovate the building they were currently occupying or make an arrangement with the city that would benefit both Summit residents and the interests of the city.
“We could find a way with the owners to purchase the Summit, where they would get the money they needed to build something nice and new for the residents rather than [renovating] that building,” said Dr. Bill Estes, city councilman and Dean of Education. “That’s what we did. We got an agreement where [the residents] got what they needed and [the city could build] a new place.”
After the city purchased the Summit, the residents were relocated to a newly built apartment complex nearby. The residents moved to the newly constructed, 78-unit Cleveland Court apartments in December 2020. The new apartment building is located off South Lee Highway, according to the Cleveland Daily Banner.
Cleveland residents had many concerns about the relocation of the Summit occupants centered around food, social service and work availability.
“I think they’re equally as close if not closer to Save-a-Lot than they were before,” said Estes, referencing the supermarket on Keith Street. “They certainly have a better facility to live in than they would have been if they rehabbed the [Summit] building.”
The residents are also located near a CERTA bus stop, allowing them access to the bus system in Cleveland. The city is working on installing sidewalks near the complex, allowing for safer foot travel.
As for the fate of the Cleveland Summit Apartments, the details are still unclear.
The city hopes private investors will turn the space into an office complex, boutique hotel or other potential developments that would serve downtown Cleveland well.
One possible plan for the seven-story structure includes opening a 65-room boutique hotel through private investment, as proposed in a Downtown Revitalization Master Plan unveiled in 2019.
Other proposals for the landmark include retail shops and an outdoor restaurant on the top floor, offering 360-degree views of the city while dining, reports the Cleveland Daily Banner.
“I was up on the roof last week, and it’s amazing and would make a great restaurant,” said Estes. “There’s so many possibilities for it.”
With the Summit residents moved elsewhere, the city has the liberty to turn the parcel into whatever the city and investors think would most benefit downtown Cleveland.
Dr. Lisa Stephenson, the director of Lee’s benevolence program, encourages students to continue seeking to care for the low-income community of Cleveland.
“I think our moral and ethical obligations come in terms of being aware of the situation — forget the situation — just being aware of them as people that exist in our community and making sure that their needs are met and that they’re being taken care of,” said Stephenson.
Before the residents moved to their new apartments, Lee students frequently visited the residents at the Summit.
“One of the reasons they go over there is because of the location being close to our campus and being close for students who don’t have cars or who just like to touch base with the community that immediately surrounds us,” said Stephenson.
Former Summit residents may not receive the same level of outreach from Lee students due to the residents being moved farther away from Lee’s campus.
“I’m sure that [the relationship] will be sustained even when they move, but I’m sure over time that some of those relationships are going to change because it’s not as easy to go visit someone now,” said Stephenson.
With the redevelopment of downtown, the city will change, but Lee’s commitment to benevolence and community building remains the same. For information on how to get involved in serving marginalized Cleveland residents, click here. For more information about the redevelopment of downtown, click here.
