Midline Masterplan by LAND studio

October 2026

The Midline MASTERPLAN Cleveland, Ohio PR E PA R E D F OR

P R EPAR E D BY

City of Cleveland Cleveland City Council Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund LAND studio

Merritt Chase Utile

TH E M I D LI N E • B U S I N ES S D I STRI CT & GREENWAY

Acknowledgments The Midline Masterplan is the result of a collaborative effort among many organizations and individuals committed to the future of Cleveland’s near east side. MASTERPLAN PARTNERS City of Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects Department of City Planning Department of Development Cleveland City Council Council President, Blaine A. Griffin, Ward 6 Councilman Richard A. Starr, Ward 5 Cuyahoga County County Executive, Chris Ronayne Chief of Integrated Development, Debbie Berry Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund Business District Lead

US Department of Transportation Masterplan Funder, Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant JobsOhio Brownfield Remediation Funder Ohio Department of Development Brownfield Remediation Funder Norfolk Southern Masterplan Funder, Thriving Communities Grant Enbridge Masterplan Funder

Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc. Community Development Corporation Midtown Cleveland Inc. Community Development Corporation Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation Community Development Corporation MAGNET Summer Academy Summer 2026 Students East Technical High School Architecture, Construction, Engineering (ACE) Program Spring 2026 Students

The Cyrus Eaton Foundation Masterplan Funder

LAND studio Engagement & Design, Greenway Lead Cleveland Foundation Strategic Partner Cuyahoga Land Bank Site Services 2

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

STEERING COMMITTEE

CONSULTANT TEAM

Sarah Davis Senior Transportation Planner, City of Cleveland

Frederica Mayes-Gates Community Engagement Manager, Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc.

Merritt Chase Landscape Architecture & Urban Design

Kenya Gray Central East City Planner, City of Cleveland

Sherita Mullins Neighborhood Investment Manager East Region, City of Cleveland

Utile Urban Planning

Jerome Hamilton Jr. Neighborhood Planning Manager, Midtown Cleveland Inc.

Niraj Naik Director of Neighborhood Planning, Midtown Cleveland Inc.

Phil Kidd Director of Vibrant Neighborhoods, The Cleveland Foundation

Twila Norris Ward 5 Resident

Lauren Kleve Manager of Parks and Recreation Research & Planning, Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects Catherine Kliorys Senior Portfolio Manager, Verdantas

Shauna Sanders Managing Director, Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation LaRhon Wheeler Ward 5 Resident

Savills Market Analysis Fund for our Economic Future, Power Up Local Advanced Energy District Advisors Lesic & Camper Communications Communications Strategy VioletPR National Communications Strategy Propvizer & Rebel Group Project Financing Advisory

Rev. Dr. Lisa Maxine Goods Senior Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church

Acknowledgements

4Photography / Patrick Fenner

A Letter from the Mayor Photography / Bob Perkoski

October 13, 2026

For decades, disinvestment and the legacy of Cleveland’s industrial past have left a lasting mark on the Near East Side. The Midline is our opportunity to change that trajectory with a clear plan and a commitment to action. Across 21 development sites, the Midline will create the potential for more than 1.5 million square feet of new commercial space, more than 2,500 jobs within reach of public transit, new housing, green space, and critical infrastructure. When fully built out, the Midline is projected to generate up to $100 million in annual city tax revenue. This plan is about making sure the people who call these neighborhoods home are part of what comes next. That is why this master plan was shaped by the people who know this community best. High school students, longtime residents, and community leaders helped us understand what has worked, what has not, and what they want to see change. Their input is reflected throughout this plan and in our commitment to reinvest without displacement. That means investing in what one resident calls the “infrastructure of dignity,” which includes good jobs, quality housing, more green space, and stronger connections to opportunity. This is about creating the conditions for Clevelanders and future generations to build better lives. For too long, Cleveland and other legacy cities have had to react to economic changes happening around us. The Midline allows us to shape what comes next. Together, we can put vacant and underused land back to work, bring new businesses and jobs to the Near East Side, and make sure Clevelanders have a real stake in the next generation of our economy. I appreciate your review of this master plan and, more importantly, your partnership as we move from planning to action, transforming the ideas in these pages into buildings and businesses, homes and public spaces, jobs and lasting opportunity for Clevelanders. Sincerely, Justin M. Bibb Mayor of Cleveland

A Letter from the Councilman Photography / Bob Perkoski

October 7, 2026 I am pleased to support the Midline Masterplan and its vision for transforming underutilized industrial land on Cleveland’s Near East Side into a connected employment district, greenway, and source of economic opportunity for our neighborhoods. As someone born and raised in the King Kennedy public housing estates, I understand the environmental and economic burdens that deindustrialization and disinvestment have placed on families across the Near East Side. Vacant land contaminated industrial properties, lost jobs, and barriers between neighborhoods have affected residents. The Midline offers a different approach. The Masterplan establishes a framework for transforming more than 350 acres into a connected business district and greenway, with up to 21 development sites and more than 2,500 potential jobs. It identifies residents of Central, Fairfax, Hough, and Midtown as central to the district’s future. My support comes with a clear expectation: residents who have lived with the consequences of disinvestment must be among the primary beneficiaries of redevelopment. Community-benefit goals should be incorporated into development agreements and, where legally permissible, established as measurable and enforceable commitments. Those goals should include meaningful hiring, retention, and advancement of Ward 5 and Cleveland residents; family-sustaining wages, benefits, and career pathways; and workforce development and apprenticeship partnerships with East Technical High School, CMSD, Tri-C, organized labor, workforce organizations, and neighborhood institutions. The Midline should also include strong participation by certified minority-owned, women-owned, and Cleveland-based businesses in remediation, construction, professional services, procurement, maintenance, and operations. Local entrepreneurs and neighborhood businesses should have opportunities to participate so community wealth creation extends beyond employment.

Photography / Patrick Fenner 6

Transparency and accountability are essential. Development and landdisposition processes should be clear, particularly when developers receive publicly supported land or assistance. There should be public reporting on jobs, wages, resident hiring, contracting, project milestones, and community-benefit commitments, with appropriate enforcement when commitments are not met. Environmental protections must address truck traffic, noise, lighting, air quality, stormwater, landscaping, buffers, and other potential industrial impacts. Neighborhood engagement should continue as individual sites move from concepts to actual development proposals, and investment in the Midline Greenway, parks, and public spaces should occur concurrently with private development. Public investment should produce measurable public benefit. When public resources are used to acquire, remediate, prepare, or improve land for private development, Cleveland residents should see themselves reflected in the workforce, contracts, training opportunities, businesses, public spaces, and wealth created. Economic development should not require residents to choose between jobs and quality of life. We can create employment opportunities while protecting neighborhoods, improving environmental conditions, reconnecting communities, and investing in public spaces. This cannot become another plan that sits on a shelf. I look forward to working with our partners to ensure the Midline delivers real environmental cleanup, jobs, workforce opportunities, community investment, and lasting economic opportunity for Ward 5 and Cleveland’s Near East Side. Onward, Richard A. Starr Cleveland City Council, Ward 5

Photography / Patrick Fenner 8

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

TH E M I D LI N E • B U S I N ES S D I STRI CT & GREENWAY

Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

Process & Community Input

Neighborhood Context

Planning Recommendations

Next Steps

Midline Masterplan Overview

Who, What, Why

Engagement, Funding, & Land Acquisition

Existing Conditions, History, & Opportunities

Masterplan Framework

Design Guidelines, Greenway & Open Space Schematic Design

Photography / Patrick Fenner

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Executive Summary MIDLINE MASTERPLAN OVERVIEW

Executive Summary

SEC TI O N 0 0 • E X ECU TIVE S UMMARY

The Midline Masterplan

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Masterplan Goals 1. Create a grounded vision for the Midline Business District and Greenway

The Midline Masterplan establishes a framework for transforming more than 350 acres of long-vacant and underutilized land on Cleveland’s near east side. The Masterplan is not a final development proposal, rather a vision that will continue to be shaped by input. The Midline seeks to repair economic and environmental harms created over decades of industrial decline and disinvestment by reclaiming polluted land, creating family-sustaining jobs, and investing in public space and neighborhood connectivity. The vision anticipates up to 21 development sites, 1.5 million square feet of newto-market space, and more than 2,500 jobs, while placing the residents of Central, Fairfax, Hough, and Midtown at the center of the district’s future. The Masterplan builds on years of coordinated land acquisition, environmental remediation, investment, and community engagement. The planning process pairs technical analysis with ongoing community input, recognizing that site readiness extends beyond environmental cleanup to include planning and design, community priorities, infrastructure, and a clear path toward development. Six goals guide the plan: create a grounded vision the district;

Executive Summary

understand realistic industrial development capacity; thoughtfully buffer new industry from existing residences; coordinate utilities; establish a feasible Greenway route; and strengthen connections to community assets. Together, these goals balance economic development with the physical conditions and needs of surrounding neighborhoods. The resulting framework coordinates land use, access, industrial development, and open space. Development test-fits stress-test the plan against real development requirements—including building footprints, employment potential, truck circulation, parking, stormwater, and pedestrian and bicycle access—while remaining flexible enough to respond to future businesses and community priorities. The Greenway provides the connective tissue for the district, adapting to varied rail, street, bridge, and open-space conditions while linking distinct open spaces. Final designs for individual properties and open spaces will be shaped over time by feedback, development partners, and permitting process. Ultimately, the Midline Masterplan provides a flexible, implementable framework for reconnecting land, jobs, neighborhoods, and public space— positioning industrial redevelopment and community investment as complementary parts of the near east side’s future.

2. Understand developable square footage for industrial use 3. Thoughtfully buffer industrial development and existing residences 4. Coordinate utilities and site requirements (power, railroad easements, and stormwater) 5. Ensure a feasible Greenway route 6. Connect the district to existing community assets, open spaces, and transit opportunities

Photography / Patrick Fenner

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Introduction WHO, WHAT, WHY

Introduction

SEC TI O N 0 1 • I NTRO D UCTI O N

Why the Midline and Why Now? The Midline aims to repair economic & environmental harms — decades in the making — by reclaiming polluted land to create a connected employment district with vibrant public spaces for Clevelanders. The Midline is Cleveland’s largest-ever industrial redevelopment, transforming more than 350 acres of long-vacant land in the City’s near east side into a thriving business district and greenway. Situated between Downtown and University Circle, it will create familysustaining jobs, new parks, and a 2-mile trail — connecting the neighbors who have always called this part of the city home to jobs, green space, and each other.

up to

Development sites

The Midline is the result of two organizations joining forces around a shared vision — combining expertise in industrial land redevelopment and public space design. Together, the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund and LAND studio are building a corridor that serves Clevelanders, strengthens the neighborhoods, and raises the standard for what urban redevelopment can look like.

vitality, and build paths to economic mobility and community wealth. LAND studio is a catalyst, convener, and collaborator. For more than thirty years, this organization has managed a wide range of public art installations, cultural programming, and civic space development projects across the City of Cleveland. LAND’s mission is to create places and connect people through public art, sustainable building and design, collaborative planning, and dynamic programming.

Established by the City of Cleveland in 2023, the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund (SRF) is a nonprofit dedicated to reactivating disinvested industrial land to create good jobs. SRF’s mission is to prepare 1,000 acres to generate 25,000 accessible jobs for Clevelanders, advance sustainability, enhance neighborhood

1.5M

$1.3B

Sq ft new-to-market

Projected annual economic impact

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

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"This plan will transform long-vacant industrial land on Cleveland’s east side into a connected employment district, public greenway and a community asset.”

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MIDLINE MASTERPLAN The Midline is the City’s largest industrial redevelopment, transforming more than 350 acres of the near east side.

— Justin M. Bibb Caption

Introduction

SEC TI O N 0 1 • I NTRO D UCTI O N

Who Will the Midline Serve? The Midline is intended to serve the people who live and work in Cleveland’s near east side first, while creating new connections and opportunities for Clevelanders and the broader region. The Midline is not just a development project—it is a commitment to the neighborhoods that surround it. From Fairfax and Central to Hough and Midtown, the nearly 115,000 residents of Cleveland’s near east side are at the center of every decision made about this corridor. Jobs, green space, trails, and parks are only meaningful if they serve the people already here. That is the standard we are holding ourselves to.

Near east side residents

Near east side residents The Midline is designed first and foremost for the people who live in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding it. From access to good jobs and green space to safe trails and community programming, every element of the Midline is shaped with residents in mind.

Future workers and growing business community The Midline Business District will create more than 2,500 familysustaining jobs with a deliberate focus on connecting Cleveland residents to those opportunities through workforce development and local hiring commitments. For businesses and employers, it offers a rare chance to

Future workers and growing business community

grow in an investment-ready urban district with strong workforce pipelines and a community committed to shared prosperity.

Regional visitors and trail users The Midline Greenway will welcome residents, walkers, cyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts from across the region—envisioned to connect the near east side to destinations from Lake Erie to the Opportunity Corridor and beyond.

Regional visitors and trail users

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

MIDLINE COMMUNITY The Midline is built on Cleveland’s near east side, and it is built for the people who live here first.

Introduction

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Process & Community Input ENGAGEMENT, FUNDING, AND LAND ACQUISITION

Process & Community Input

SEC TI O N 0 2 • PRO CES S & CO MMUNIT Y INPU T

Partnerships & Site Readiness The Midline is a project years in the making. It is shaped by civic leaders, designers, and community members working toward the same goal. The Midline masterplanning process builds on several years of coordinated planning, investment, land acquisition, and community engagement. Beginning with early parcel assessments and Greenway studies, the effort gained momentum through the establishment of the Site Readiness Fund (SRF) and the acquisition of key industrial properties needed to assemble viable development sites. Public and philanthropic investment—including $50 million in ARPA funding, a $10 million Cleveland Foundation commitment to seed the Samuel T. Wellman Site Readiness Fund, and federal planning grants—has provided resources for land acquisition, brownfield remediation, infrastructure planning, workforce connections, and the masterplanning process.

Steering Committee providing residents a direct role in shaping the district’s future. This engagement informs not only the greenway, parks, and public spaces, but also broader priorities around access to family-sustaining jobs, workforce development, local hiring, and longterm community benefit. Together, land acquisition, sustained funding, and community engagement establish a framework for moving the Midline from a collection of vacant and underutilized properties toward a connected business district and greenway grounded in the needs of surrounding communities.

Site readiness extends well beyond acquisition and environmental cleanup.

prepare sites for new businesses and job creation. However, true site readiness extends well beyond acquisition and environmental cleanup. It requires intentional and meaningful community engagement, high-quality planning and design, and a clear path toward entitlement and development. The strength of the SRF model lies in site control: by owning land, SRF can help determine what can—and cannot—happen on its properties and ensure that future development reflects both community priorities and public-sector objectives. As a mission-driven, independent nonprofit, SRF can balance these long-term community goals with the ability to act on a timeline responsive to private investment, creating a bridge between public priorities and successful development.

SRF was originally established as a pre-development entity focused on acquiring and remediating environmentally challenged land to

Community input is integral to translating these investments into a plan that benefits the neighborhoods surrounding the Midline. The 2026 masterplanning process brings together technical planning and engineering with input from people who live and work on Cleveland’s near east side, with a Community Site Readiness Process

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

TIMELINE The Midline masterplanning process builds on several years of coordinated planning and community engagement.

Process & Community Input

SEC TI O N 0 2 • PRO CES S & CO MMUNIT Y INPU T

Ideas Translated to Plans Input from the Steering Committee, community partners, residents, MAGNET Summer Academy students, and East Tech High School students directly informed the recommendations of the Midline Masterplan. Engagement throughout the planning process helped establish priorities for how new development, open space, infrastructure, and the Greenway should be organized across the district. These ideas translated into locating light industrial uses closer to major truck routes and transportation corridors, while positioning parks, open spaces, and the Greenway closer to existing residential neighborhoods. Participants also emphasized the importance of celebrating the near east side’s rich history and culture, creating opportunities to incorporate neighborhood stories, art, and interpretation into future public spaces. Environmental priorities—including maintaining and expanding the district’s tree canopy and improving stormwater management—were similarly integrated into the planning framework. Together, this input helped shape a masterplan that balances the practical requirements of industrial development with community priorities for connectivity, history, open space, and a healthier public realm.

MAGNET Summer Academy Bike Tour, July 2026

MAGNET Summer Academy Workshop, July 2026

Planning East Tech Workshop High School Workshop June February 20262026

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Steering Committee Meeting June 2026

Community Meeting March 2026

Steering Committee Tour May 2026

Steering Committee Meeting June 2026

MAGNET Summer Academy Bike Tour July 2026

Planning Workshop February 2026

Process & Community Input

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Neighborhood Context EXISTING CONDITIONS, HISTORY, AND OPPORTUNITIES

Neighborhood Context

SEC TI O N 0 3 • N E I GH BO RH O O D CONTE X T

The Midline Today Today, the Midline is a complex landscape shaped by Cleveland’s industrial past and decades of change. More than 350 acres of properties stretch across the city’s near east side, including active businesses alongside large areas of vacant and underutilized industrial land, brownfields, aging infrastructure, rail

corridors, and fragmented parcels with residential homes. These conditions create physical barriers between surrounding neighborhoods and limit access to jobs, open space, and connections across the district. Vacant properties and gaps in the street and sidewalk network contribute to a district that feels disconnected despite its central location within the city. Understanding these existing physical, environmental, and infrastructural

conditions provides the foundation for identifying where development, new connections, and landscape investment can have the greatest impact. At the same time, the Midline’s central location between Downtown and University Circle, proximity to transit and major transportation routes, existing industrial businesses, and significant areas of available land create an uncommon opportunity to reconnect and reinvest.

Elevated, active rail

Abandoned buildings and deferred maintenance

Existing salvageable industrial buildings

Large, vacant properties

Existing brownfields with site cleanup needs

One- and two-family residential homes

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

EXISTING CONDITIONS Today the Midline consists of parcels along the Norfolk Southern Railroad between Central and Fairfax.

Neighborhood Context

SEC TI O N 0 3 • N E I GH BO RH O O D CONTE X T

Neighborhood History The neighborhoods surrounding the Midline— Central, Fairfax, Hough, and Midtown—grew alongside Cleveland’s rise as an industrial and transportation center, with homes, businesses, factories, and rail infrastructure closely interwoven. The intertwined history of industry, rail, neighborhood life, and culture in Cleveland’s near east side neighborhoods provides an important foundation for the Midline’s next chapter—one that seeks to reconnect employment and investment with the communities that have long surrounded this corridor. Pennsylvania Depot at E. 55th and Euclid Ave

7000 Central

Karamu House THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Indigenous Settlement

Colonial Establishment

East Cleveland Incorporation

Forest City Growth

Public Infrastructure Investment

Euclid Avenue “The Showplace of America”

Pennsylvania RR Euclid Station

Great Migration & Segregation

Depression & Exposition

Redlining & Housing Discrimination

Urban Renewal & White Flight

Hough Protests

Population Decline

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Euclid Ave Station Pennsylvania Railroad, 1912

Warner & Swasey, 1940

Penn Square West Bound Euclid Ave, 1939

Penn Square, 1940s

Penn Square, 1950s

Pennsylvania Railroad Station, 1953

Neighborhood Context

Initial Settlement & Industrial Growth (up to 1933) Early colonial settlement and industrial development of Cleveland’s near east side neighborhoods was heavily influenced by its connection to Downtown along the fan-pattern east-west arterials and the diagonal cut of the freight rail line connecting Cleveland to the larger network of industrial producers throughout the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-atlantic. The Pennsylvania Railroad corridor became a defining feature of the area, and its station at Euclid Avenue and East 55th Street served as an important gateway to Cleveland and helped make the surrounding Penn Square area a center of activity.

Nearby industrial sites provided employment for generations of Clevelanders who lived within the surrounding neighborhoods, creating a landscape where people could live and work in close proximity. The near east side also developed a rich cultural legacy, particularly as Black Clevelanders established communities in Central and Fairfax during the Great Migration. Founded in Central in 1915 and later established in Fairfax, Karamu House became an important gathering place for arts, culture, and community and remains one of the area’s defining institutions.

Study Area

1881 The land along the railroad is platted, but is mostly uninhabited. “Millionaire Row” can be seen along Euclid Ave.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Study Area

1898 Residential and industrial uses are built along the railroad and in the existing neighborhoods.

Study Area

1912 Parcels adjacent to the railroad became more industrialized in response to demand and access.

Neighborhood Context

Disruption, Divestment & Industrial Decline (1933—1980s) In the early 20th Century, Cleveland’s Black population soared, as people moved north in search of industrial jobs as part of the Great Migration. At that time, many Clevelanders could walk to work, forming tight-knit, vibrant middle-class communities. During this same period, though, discriminatory federal lending policies - known as “redlining” - and local “raze and rebuild” urban renewal projects deepened disinvestment in Cleveland’s near east side neighborhoods.

In the mid-to-late 1900s, manufacturing declined and moved production to cheaper land in the suburbs and overseas, and many companies left behind their factories and the people who made them run. In addition to job losses and population decline due to “white flight,” the built environment changed a lot during this time. Urban renewal projects established more “superblocks” in the Central neighborhood while vacancy and demolition resulted in “missing teeth” that made streets less active, engaging, and safe for residents.

Study Area

1933 Federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) is created, ‘redlining’ the near east neighborhoods.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Study Area

1951 Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods were “redlined” and experienced substantial divestment.

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1979 Urban renewal projects created more “super blocks” and building demolition resulted in vacancies.

Neighborhood Context

Stabilization, Reinvention & Revival (1980s—today) Following decades of industrial job losses, white flight, and suburbanization, Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods are working to overcome fragmentation and strengthen connections between assets. The successes experienced to date have been deeply rooted in community, human connection, creativity, and robust partnerships between local residents, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and

PERKIN

community development organizations, City staff, and elected officials. The community healing and repair has generally come with an equally strong focus on physical repair—property stabilization and demolition, new infill development and neighborhood amenities to complete blocks and address ‘missing teeth’ in the neighborhoods, breaking down the scale of buildings and blocks through thoughtful human-scale connections, attracting new employment anchors, and strengthening the neighborhoodjobs link.

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SCALE OVER TIME This map illustrates changes in building scale between today (black and white) and the 1930s (blue)

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

The Midline sits at the convergence of several distinct districts and neighborhoods today. North—the Euclid Corridor, HealthLine and Midtown Innovation District are critical links to the economic and innovation hubs Downtown and in University Circle South—the Opportunity Corridor offers a critical connection to the regional highway system, and RTA rail lines that are a gateway for workers commuting to the district West—significant institutional assets like Tri-C and neighborhood schools as well as Cleveland’s largest concentration of public housing mean this is a critical connection for workforce development, training, and access to economic opportunity

East—residential neighborhoods with smaller-scale 2.5-story buildings on walkable blocks with significant vacancy where homes formerly sat are attracting new residents. With significant City Land Bank ownership and community assets like Karamu House and proximity to University Circle, these neighborhoods are ideally positioned to support new attainable homeownership and rental housing These relationships serve as a foundation for the Midline’s strategies to reconnect and leverage all the assets that are currently segregated by the physical barriers, vacancy, and lack of use.

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2026 Today, the Midline’s proximity to major corridors and assets serves as the foundation of the district’s future.

Neighborhood Context

SEC TI O N 0 3 • N E I GH BO RH O O D CONTE X T

Vacant Industrial Land Cleveland’s industrial history is reflected in the pattern of vacant and underutilized land that exists across the city today. During the height of manufacturing in the 20th century, industry and jobs were concentrated along the city’s rail corridors, creating a network of industrial properties closely tied to freight infrastructure. One of these corridors is the Norfolk Southern rail line that crosses Cleveland’s near east side and remains a major freight connection between Baltimore, Cleveland, and Chicago. As industrial uses have changed over time, many properties along these legacy corridors have become vacant, underutilized, or environmentally challenged.

Site identification and acquisition are critical first steps in returning these properties to productive use. While the Site Readiness Fund works throughout Cleveland, concentrating investment in areas with significant clusters of vacant and underutilized industrial land creates an opportunity to scale the impact of acquisition, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. This concentration of opportunity helped define the Midline. Within the district, SRF has assembled approximately 200 acres, creating the scale necessary to coordinate remediation, infrastructure, new development, and connectivity as part of a larger district-wide vision.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

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SEC TI O N 0 3 • N E I GH BO RH O O D CONTE X T

Employment Hubs Today, the neighborhoods adjacent to the Midline are home to many existing employment centers associated with material and food production, and office and administration jobs. The map below identifies two comparable industrial employment centers within the City of Cleveland

limits and illustrates the distribution of workers across each area. Using worker counts by Census block from the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES), the analysis focuses on five industrial sectors: manufacturing, construction, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, and administrative services and waste management.

The Midline’s proximity to existing job centers and potential to create an additional industrial employment hub within the City and within close proximity to existing residents and workers presents a unique opportunity for the district.

The Midline

Industrial Job Center

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Program, 2023 LEHD Origin-Destination (OD) and Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) Data (LODES)

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Material Production Food Production

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Neighborhood Employment The neighborhoods adjacent to the Midline are home to many existing job hubs.

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SEC TI O N 0 3 • N E I GH BO RH O O D CONTE X T

Existing Access & Connectivity The Midline occupies a central location within Cleveland’s near east side. The Midline has access to several of the city’s most important transportation corridors. To the north, Euclid Avenue and the HealthLine provide frequent bus rapid transit connections between Downtown, Midtown, University Circle, and East Cleveland, linking the district to major employment and institutional centers. To the south, the Opportunity Corridor provides a direct connection between I-490/I-77 and University Circle. Truck access from the Opportunity Corridor, I-77, and I-90 will serve the Midline while also creating opportunities to improve vehicular routes for buses and emergency vehicles. Cross-street and bicycle connections, aligned with the City of Cleveland’s Cleveland Moves mobility plan will help link the Midline to surrounding neighborhoods. Strengthening north-south connections HealthLine along Euclid Avenue

through the district can better connect these major transportation investments while expanding access to future jobs, open spaces, and the Midline Greenway.

space network to connect both sides of the rail corridor to surrounding neighborhoods, transit, and regional destinations.

Despite regional accessibility, connectivity within the Midline remains challenging. The elevated railroad corridor forms a significant physical barrier through the center of the district, separating development sites and limiting east-west movement to a relatively small number of crossings. Vacant and underutilized properties, large industrial blocks, and gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle network further reinforce this sense of separation. The Masterplan provides an opportunity to work with this infrastructure rather than ignore it—strengthening existing crossings, establishing safe and intuitive pedestrian and bicycle routes, and using the Greenway and openOpportunity Corridor

RTA Redline E. 79th Street Station

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Bus Line and Stop* HealthLine E 75 T H S T

E 71 S T S T

E 73 R D S T

RTA Red Line

E 70 T H S T

E 69TH ST

E 66TH ST

Study Area

E 65TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

E 59TH ST

EUCLI

C H E ST E R AV E

E 57 T H ST

E R AV

E 55TH ST

CHEST

Existing Bike Lane

Proposed Bike Lane

D AV E

Truck AccessE U C L I D A V E to Future Sites *each line shown as a separate color

CARN

EGIE A

CEDAR

Bus Line and Stop*

C A R N E G I E AV E

C E DA R AV E

AV E

E 79 T H ST

E 78 T H S T

E 76 T H S T

E 74 T H S T

E 73 R D S T

E 71 S T S T

E 70 T H S T

H T H A C K E R AY A V E

E 69TH ST

E 68TH ST

LO N G F E L LOW AV E

W O O D RD

H AW T H O R N AV E

JAMES BELL POOL

C E N T R A L AV E

7000 CENTRAL

Q U I N C Y AV E

Q U I N C Y AV E E 64TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

EAST TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL

E 7TH ST

M O N TG OM E R Y AV E

E 76 T H S T

E 65TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

E 59TH ST

E 57 T H ST

C H A M B E R L A I N AV E

E 66TH ST

BUNDY DR

E 59TH ST

E 55TH ST

WOODLAND CEMETERY

The Foundry

E 71 S T S T

E 79 T H ST

O U T H WA I T E AV E

WO O D L A N D AV E

E 75 T H S T

E 69TH ST

E 68TH ST

D ST

Neighborhood Context

E 67 T H S T

B E AV E R AV E

E 62 N

Connectivity The Midline has access to several of the city’s most important transportation corridors.

E 65TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

G R I SWO L D AV E

ST JOSEPH CEMETERY ST JOHN CEMETERY

OPPORTUNIT Y CORRIDOR

SEC TI O N 0 3 • N E I GH BO RH O O D CONTE X T

Existing Barriers Barriers throughout the Midline district limit connectivity and comfort. Connectivity throughout the Midline is limited by railroad infrastructure, walls, oversized streets, and long industrial blocks with few safe places to cross. These conditions reflect the district’s industrial past but today prioritize vehicles and create an uncomfortable

PERKIN

environment for people walking and biking. The Midline plan aims to break down these barriers through safer road crossings, expanded sidewalks, and a connected greenway network. Increased tree canopy, vegetation, and streetscape amenities will further improve comfort, safety, and neighborhood connections.

S AV E

Magnet

Willson Tower

CHEST

The Cleveland Foundation

Learning to Grow Penn Square

EUCLID

E 46T

Pierre’s Ice Cream

Future Mixed-Use Development

H ST

ine

eL Warner Swasey Redevelopment

ST CARNE

ay ilw

E C T AV

Sid

PROSP

Colonel Charles Young Park

Dunham Tavern Museum

E U C L I D AV E

AV E Agora Theater and Ballroom

E 71 S T S T

MidTown Greenway

E 66TH ST

E 55TH ST

AV E CHESTER

E R AV

C A R N E G I E AV E

I E AV E

BLOCK SIZE AND CROSSINGS

C E DA R AV E

Large city blocks and long distances E A R AV C E Dmake between crosswalks it uncomfortable to walk.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Fence Grade Transition > 2.5’

C A R N E G I E AV E

AV E

C E DA R AV E

E 79 T H ST

E 78 T H S T

E 76 T H S T

E 74 T H S T

E 73 R D S T

E 71 S T S T

E 70 T H S T

H T H A C K E R AY A V E

E 69TH ST

E 68TH ST

LO N G F E L LOW AV E

E 75 T H S T

E U C L I D AV E

EGIE A

CEDAR

C H E ST E R AV E E 73 R D S T

D AV E

CARN

Rail

E 75 T E 71 S TH SSTT

E 73 R D S T E 70 T H S T

E 71 S T S T

E 70 T H S T

The Cleveland Foundation

E 69TH ST

E 66TH ST

Study Area

E 65TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

E 59TH ST

EUCLI

E 57 T H ST

E R AV

E 55TH ST

CHEST

C H E ST E R AV E

W O O D RD

H AW T H O R N AV E

C E N T R A L AV E

Q U I N C Y AV E

E 7TH ST

M O N TG OM E R Y AV E

E 76 T H S T

E 65TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

E 59TH ST

E 57 T H ST

C H A M B E R L A I N AV E

Q U I N C Y AV E E 64TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

E 66TH ST

BUNDY DR

E 59TH ST

E 55TH ST

WOODLAND CEMETERY

The Foundry

E 71 S T S T

E 79 T H ST

O U T H WA I T E AV E

WO O D L A N D AV E

E 75 T H S T

E 69TH ST

E 68TH ST

Neighborhood Context

D ST

Elevated and sunken railroad infrastructure, walls, fences, and grade changes create barriers across the district.

E 67 T H S T

B E AV E R AV E

E 62 N

BARRIERS

E 65TH ST

E 63RD ST

E 61 S T S T

G R I SWO L D AV E

ST JOSEPH CEMETERY ST JOHN CEMETERY

RD OPPORTUNIT Y CORRIDOR

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Planning Recommendations MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK FRAMEWORK

Planning Recommendations

SEC TI O N 0 4 • PL A N N I NG RECO MM ENDATIONS

Masterplan Framework

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Masterplan Goals 1. Create a grounded vision for the Midline Business District and Greenway

The Masterplan establishes a practical framework for the Midline Business District and Greenway, balancing the needs of industrial development with infrastructure, connectivity, open space, and the existing conditions of the surrounding neighborhoods. Six goals shape the vision: 1. Create a Grounded Vision for the Midline Business District and Greenway Establish a clear, implementable vision for the Midline that balances economic development, neighborhood priorities, mobility, and landscape. 2. Understand Developable Square Footage for Industrial Use Evaluate site constraints, access, infrastructure, environmental conditions, and parcel configurations to establish a realistic understanding of land available for industrial development. 3. Thoughtfully Buffer Industrial Development and Existing Residences Create meaningful transitions between industrial properties and nearby residential neighborhoods through thoughtful building placement,

Planning Recommendations

setbacks, planting, screening, and open space. 4. Coordinate Utilities and Site Requirements Integrate critical infrastructure, including power, rail and roadway easements, stormwater management, access, and other utility requirements, into the overall development framework. 5. Ensure a Feasible Greenway Route Establish a Greenway alignment that responds to property ownership, development needs, infrastructure constraints, safety, and long-term maintenance. The route should be realistic to implement while creating a continuous, comfortable, and identifiable public connection through the district. 6. Connect the District to Existing Community Assets, Open Spaces, and Transit Opportunities Position the Midline as part of a larger network by strengthening connections to surrounding parks, trails, neighborhoods, streets, and transit.

SEC TI O N 0 4 • PL A N N I NG RECO MM ENDATIONS

Proposed Land Uses The land use plan establishes a vision for future development and open spaces across the district.

Light Industrial

Research & Development

Mixed Use Residential Infill

Residential Infill

Precedent projects are provided to illustrate examples of building massings, facade materials, and greenway and open space relationships.

Open Space

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Industrial Use Research & Development (R&D) Use Mixed Use/Residential Infill Use Open Space Energy Asset Truck Route Greenway

LAND USE PLAN The land use plan establishes a vision for future development and open spaces across the district.

Planning Recommendations

Proposed Truck Routes

Truck Route Midline Greenway

The proposed truck routes provide clear, efficient access to industrial sites while minimizing impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. The anticipated truck routes represent those that semi-trailer trucks will likely take from a regional transportation corridor (e.g., E 55th St, Opportunity Corridor) to access each industrial site’s loading apron. These truck 52

routes are informed by access from transportation corridors and parcelby-parcel test-fits studying ideal truck apron locations relative to building placement, vehicular circulation, and public realm considerations. While trucks may approach from different origins and take multiple routes, these paths highlight the shortest, viable ones that, critically, also minimize overlap and conflict with more pedestrian/bike-oriented streets (e.g., Central Ave, Quincy Ave).

Where truck routes overlap with proposed pedestrian/bike-priority streets, the latter’s existing rightsof-way are wide enough to accommodate multimodal street sections, including 12ft wide truck travel lanes and protected bike lanes. Notably, investments to upgrade existing streets for truck traffic also benefit larger public vehicles, such as buses, ambulances, and fire trucks.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Proposed Street Typologies

Active Street Secondary Street Midline Greenway

Street typology organizes circulation by defining the role and character of streets across the district. The proposed street typology map classifies each street in the district as an Active Street or a Secondary Street. Active Streets are pedestrianscaled, with well-designed buildings and landscapes, and lined with ground-floor uses that generate Planning Recommendations

foot traffic, such as lobbies, offices, retail, and maker spaces. Secondary Streets are utilitarian, designed for general vehicular circulation and semi-trailer truck routes. As an active pedestrian- and bike-oriented public corridor, the Midline Greenway is conceived as a third typology that is closer in character to Active Streets than Secondary Streets. The street typologies are informed by the individual parcel test-fits, the alignment of the Midline Greenway,

and the Cleveland Moves Bikeway Vision Network plan. Active Streets are selected based on alignment with existing key streets, proximity to the Greenway, and consistency with the City’s transportation plan. The street typology map also aligns with the Design Guidelines, wherein buildings and open spaces that front Active Streets and the Midline Greenway are expected to achieve a higher standard of design than those fronting Secondary Streets. 53

SEC TI O N 0 4 • PL A N N I NG RECO MM ENDATIONS

Greenway and Open Spaces The greenway and open space plan identifies future park space and the feasible route for the Midline greenway.

Greenway

Open spaces are identified throughout the district and along the greenway as key nodes for community gathering, passive recreation, active recreation, and stormwater management.

Greenway & Stormwater Management

Open Space

Greenway & Stormwater Management

Stormwater Management

Greenway & Stormwater Management

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Midline Greenway Open Spaces Stormwater Management

Clarkwood Park

Ashland Meadows

Rail Spur Plaza

Coyote Den Eco-Park

GREENWAY & OPEN SPACES The greenway, open spaces, and areas for stormwater management prioritize access and connectivity.

Planning Recommendations

Midline Greenway Typologies

The Midline Greenway typologies respond to the different physical conditions of the district with a family of greenway types. As the Greenway route moves through existing and future industrial areas, open spaces, neighborhoods, and transportation infrastructure, its character adapts to available space, adjacent uses, and connectivity needs. Greenway typologies include the Railway, Open Space, Sidewalk, Underpass, Intersection, Alley/ Multi-use, Elevated Railway, and Bridge Greenways. Together, these approaches create a continuous and recognizable route while responding to site-specific constraints and opportunities. Each typology establishes a framework for safe circulation, planting, stormwater management, public space, and connections to surrounding destinations.

Railway Greenway

Open Space Greenway

Sidewalk Greenway

Underpass Greenway

Intersection Greenway

Alley/Multi-use Greenway

Elevated Railway Greenway

Bridge Greenway

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Railway Greenway Open Space Greenway Sidewalk Greenway Underpass Greenway Intersection Greenway Alley/Multi-use Greenway Elevated Railway Greenway Bridge Greenway

GREENWAY TYPOLOGIES The multi-use trail between Euclid Ave and the Opportunity Corridor links neighborhoods, jobs, and RTA stations.

Planning Recommendations

Midline Greenway Open Spaces

Clarkwood Park

Ashland Meadows

Rail Spur Plaza

Coyote Den Eco-Park

OPEN SPACES Open spaces are located along the greenway to bring residents, workers, and visitors together.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Midline Open Spaces

Recreating

Growing

Gathering

Biking

Creating

Playing

Hiking

Phasing

Planning Recommendations

Open spaces along the Midline will create opportunities for a diverse range of outdoor community uses as the district evolves. The Midline Greenway creates the connective tissue for a network of green spaces across the near east side. Four new parks will be linked by a continuous multi-use trail, giving residents a seamless outdoor experience that goes far beyond a single destination. Four unique areas have been designated along the Greenway— Clarkwood Park, Ashland Meadows, Rail Spur Plaza, and the Coyote Den Eco-Park. Together, these spaces will be able to support community gathering, food growing, active and passive recreation, biking, play, hiking, art, murals, outdoor exhibitions, and stormwater management. Programming will respond to the distinct character, ecology, and surrounding uses of each site, creating complementary destinations along the Greenway rather than a single approach to open space. These uses will be phased over time, allowing each space to grow and adapt alongside new development, community needs, and investment in the district.

SEC TI O N 0 4 • PL A N N I NG RECO MM ENDATIONS

Development Test-fits Parcel-scale development test-fits were prepared to evaluate the feasibility, capacity, and implications of future development. The test-fits provide a tool for understanding potential development scenarios and supporting ongoing coordination with prospective businesses and development partners. The test-fits are conceptual and are

not intended to represent finalized site plans. Instead, they stress-test the Masterplan against the functional and spatial requirements of industrial development. The studies evaluate potential building footprints and manufacturing square footage, anticipated employment associated with prospective uses, truck access and turning requirements, parking, pedestrian and bicycle circulation, open space, and stormwater management.

The test-fits also examine the relationship between development, the proposed Midline Greenway, open space, and adjacent residential neighborhoods. Testing these elements at the parcel scale helps identify opportunities and potential conflicts early in the planning process and ensures that the district-wide framework is grounded in realistic development requirements.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Parcel

Industrial Building Footprint (gsf)

Industrial Use Type

118,750

Energy Asset (sf)

Total Impervious (sf)

Req'd Detention Area (sf)

104,525

223,275

1B.1

15,000

R&D

1B.2

103,750

High Bay

71,200

High Bay

66,630

137,830

16,540

1J 2C

Both

Paving (sf)

569,825

High Bay

346,735

916,560

109,987

2C.1

66,825

High Bay

74,250

141,075

16,929

2C.2

108,000

High Bay

58,475

166,475

19,977

2C.3

215,000

High Bay

118,310

333,310

39,997

2C.4

180,000

High Bay

95,700

275,700

33,084

54,610

R&D

22,500

77,110

2D.1

21,950

R&D

21,950

2D.2

32,660

R&D

32,660

35,000

R&D

147,420

17,690

111,180

203,625

24,435

62,935

7,552

640,630

76,876

163,895

19,667

287,290

34,475

205,600

24,672

257,025

30,843

92,445 4B.1 4B.2

4C 4D

High Bay High Bay High Bay

5B & C

High Bay

41,820 50,625 183,580

18,750

354,300

High Bay

5B&C.1

127,500

High Bay

5B&C.2

226,800

High Bay

74,250

High Bay

89,645

160,000

High Bay

127,290

54,000

High Bay

60,000

151,875

Both

105,150

70,875

High Bay

8A.1 8A.2

43,200

R&D

8A.3

37,800

R&D

Total High-Bay Total R&D Grand Total

93,670

197,230

89,100

91,600

1,734,225 (All Parcels except 2D, 3A, and part of 8A) 185,610 (Parcels 2D, 3A, and part of 8A) 1,919,835 (All Parcels)

Note: The test-fists are conceptual and are not specific development proposals. Final designs for individual properties and open spaces will be shaped over time by community feedback, the needs of development partners, and the City permitting process.

DEVELOPMENT TEST-FITS Parcel-scale test-fits were prepared to evaluate the feasibility and implications of future development.

Planning Recommendations

Hough

EU C

LID

AND

Central

ASH L

NT RA LA VE N

AV EN

The Cleveland Foundation

T EE TR S H 55T

D OO KW

CA RN

EG I

R LA

AV EN

CY AV EN

DA R

T EE

TR TS 71S

AV EN

Fairfax

7000 Central Woodland Cemetery

E TR TS S 1 7

E TR HS T 9 7

NT RA LA VE N

RE ST H T 75

AT T

Midline Greenway DL

H 79T

RE ST

AN D

AV EN

OPPOR TUNIT Y

PL W OO

CY AV EN

CORRID

Note: The designs shown in the aerial renderings are conceptual and are not specific development proposals. Final designs for individual properties and open spaces will be shaped over time by community feedback, the needs of development partners, and the City permitting process.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Potential Buildout

Aerial renderings represent 3D visualizations of the parcel test-fits, proposed Greenway alignment, and associated open spaces to help communicate the scale and character of one possible district buildout consistent with the Masterplan goals and associated Design Guidelines. The renderings show long lightindustrial buildings located west of the elevated railway between Cedar Ave and Central Ave. These buildings’ active-use components (e.g., office, research and development), shown in blue, face and complement the Greenway along Ashland Road. On the other side of the railway, mixeduse and infill residential buildings buffer the existing one- and twofamily neighborhoods of Fairfax from proposed industrial uses and the elevated rail. Street walls and active uses are concentrated along Central Ave to create a walkable and vibrant corridor. In the center, straddling the elevated railway, a pair of open spaces hosts passive meadows, active play areas, and working stormwater features.

Parcel

Industrial Building Footprint (gsf)

Industrial Use Type

118,750

Both

1B.1

15,000

R&D

1B.2

103,750

High Bay

71,200

1J 2C

Paving (sf)

Energy Asset (sf)

Total Impervious (sf)

Req'd Detention Area (sf)

104,525

223,275

High Bay

66,630

137,830

16,540

569,825

High Bay

346,735

916,560

109,987

2C.1

66,825

High Bay

74,250

141,075

16,929

2C.2

108,000

High Bay

58,475

166,475

19,977

2C.3

215,000

High Bay

118,310

333,310

39,997

2C.4

180,000

High Bay

95,700

275,700

33,084

54,610

R&D

22,500

77,110

2D.1

21,950

R&D

21,950

2D.2

32,660

R&D

32,660

35,000

R&D

147,420

17,690

111,180

203,625

24,435

62,935

7,552

640,630

76,876

4B 4B.1 4B.2

92,445

High Bay

41,820

High Bay

50,625

High Bay

183,580

High Bay

5B & C

18,750

93,670

354,300

High Bay

5B&C.1

127,500

High Bay

5B&C.2

226,800

High Bay

197,230

89,100

74,250

High Bay

89,645

163,895

19,667

160,000

High Bay

127,290

287,290

34,475

54,000

High Bay

60,000

205,600

24,672

151,875

Both

105,150

257,025

30,843

70,875

High Bay

8A 8A.1 8A.2

43,200

R&D

8A.3

37,800

R&D

Total High-Bay Total R&D Grand Total

91,600

1,734,225 (All Parcels except 2D, 3A, and part of 8A) 185,610 (Parcels 2D, 3A, and part of 8A) 1,919,835 (All Parcels)

Potential buildout square footages

Planning Recommendations

E 66TH STREET

The Cleveland Foundation

EUCLID AVENUE ET

RE ST

Clarkwood Park

AS H

LA ND

RO AD

Ashland Meadows

E 65T H STR

EET

CENTRAL AVENUE

QUINCY AVENUE

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Hough

Industrial Use Research & Development (R&D) Use Mixed Use/Residential Infill Use Open Space Greenway

CARNEGIE AVENUE CEDAR AVENUE

Fairfax

CLA RKW OO

DR OA D

7000 Central

Midline Greenway

Rail Spur Plaza

Woodland Cemetery

Planning Recommendations

Industrial Use Research & Development (R&D) Use Mixed Use/Residential Infill Use Open Space Greenway

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

7000 Central

Central QUIN

CY A VEN U

Woodland Cemetery

Fairfax E 71ST

STREET QUIN

CY A VEN U

Coyote Den Eco-Park

AT T

AV EN

OO W DL

ET TRE TH S

D AN

E 79

EN AV

Midline Greenway

View of parcels between Quincy Avenue and Woodland Avenue looking northwest

Fairfax

D AVEN

AN WOODL

RTA Station Midline Greenway RTA

NITY

RTU OPPO

IDOR

CORR

9T H

ST RE

View of parcels south of the RTA Redline and Opportunity Corridor, looking northeast

Planning Recommendations

Kinsman

ST RE

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Next Steps DESIGN GUIDELINES, GREENWAY & OPEN SPACE SCHEMATIC DESIGN

Next Steps

SEC TI O N 0 5 • N E X T STE P S

Guidelines & Schematic Design The Midline Masterplan establishes a district-wide vision and framework, and its implementation will continue through more detailed planning, design, coordination, and community engagement. Two important next steps are the completion of the Midline Industrial Use Design Guidelines and the Midline Greenway & Open Space Schematic Design Plan. The Midline Industrial Use Design Guidelines will translate the Masterplan’s recommendations into clear principles and standards for future development, addressing the placement of large-footprint buildings, truck access and loading areas, parking, active uses, stormwater and landscape features, and building design. The guidelines will also

evaluate existing zoning and use the Masterplan test-fits to help establish a framework that supports industrial, manufacturing, and fabrication businesses while creating a cohesive district that is accessible and welcoming to people walking and biking. Coordination with the City of Cleveland and project partners will help refine these standards and establish a clearer path from site readiness to implementation. In parallel, the Midline Greenway & Open Space Schematic Design Plan will advance the Masterplan’s conceptual Greenway alignment and four identified open spaces into more detailed designs. This process will continue to center community engagement, moving from program development and evaluation to review of draft plans and, ultimately, validation of preferred designs. The work will further define the character, programming, circulation,

landscape, and relationship of the Greenway and open spaces to surrounding neighborhoods and future development, creating a foundation for technical documentation and cost estimates. Together, these efforts will move the Midline from a flexible masterplanning framework toward an implementable district—providing clearer expectations for private development while advancing the public landscape, infrastructure, and community priorities that will shape the Midline over time.

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

Next Steps

SITE READINESS FOR GOOD JOBS FUND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SITE READINESS FOR GOOD JOBS FUND MIDLINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

SITE READINESS FOR GOOD JOBS FUND STAFF

Fred Nance, Chair | Squire Patton Boggs

Debbie Berry | Cuyahoga County

Brad Whitehead | Managing Director

Ben McAdams, Vice Chair | Common Ground Institute Stephanie McHenry, Secretary/ Treasurer | The Democracy Collaborative

Todd S. Davis | Hemisphere Development

Richard Barga | Director of Site Development

Bradford Davy, Chair | Bloomberg Center for Cities

Orlando Grant | Manager of Engagement

Ricardo León | Cuyahoga Land Bank Debbie Berry | Cuyahoga County Todd S. Davis | Hemisphere Development

Sara Jex | Midline Project Manager Shelley Roth | Former Pierre’s Ice Cream Company

Bradford Davy | Bloomberg Center for Cities

Richard Starr | Cleveland City Council, Ward 5

Richard A. Starr | Cleveland City Council, Ward 5

Ayonna Blue Donald | Enterprise Community Partners

Ricardo León | Cuyahoga Land Bank

Maia Hansen | Carlisle Companies Incorporated

Christine Nelson | TeamNEO Lyneir Richardson | Chicago TREND

Olivia Dong | Real Estate Financial Analyst

Joyce Pan Huang | The Cleveland Foundation

Shelley Roth | Former Pierre’s Ice Cream Company Charles Slife | Cleveland City Council, Ward 15 Jeff Epstein, Special Representative | Port of Cleveland Anthony Gattuso, Special Representative | Cleveland Foundation

THE MIDLINE | Business District & Greenway Masterplan

LAND STUDIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS Colette Jones, Co-Chair | Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)

LAND STUDIO STAFF Joe Keithley | Keithley Instruments

Keisha González | Executive Director + CEO

Ariane Kirkpatrick | The AKA Team Kevin Bailey, Co-Chair & Secretary | Achievement Centers for Children Nick Reif, Vice Chair | Freshwater Capital Scott Fine, Treasurer | Case Western Reserve University

Brent Leslie | DiGeronimo Companies Rupal Malani | McKinsey & Company Chris Malstead | Wells Fargo

Conor Coakley | CRESCO

Zosimo Maximo | Marketing Forward Hospitality Group

Marques Hillman Richeson | Jones Day

Christine Medvedev | Christine Medvedev Design

Dione Alexander | Village Capital Corporation

Julian Rogers | Case Western Reserve University

Kim Beyer | Arrow International

Robin Schachat | Landscape Designer / Conservationist

Kristine Bryan | Finance & Investment Banker

Shannon Thorsen | Karpinski Engineering