1
4
2
3
5
6
Aaron Pechota (The NRP Group), James Doyle (BWE) and Michael 1 12th Annual Cleveland Commercial Real Estate Summit Smith (Green Harvest Capital) 2 ‘Game Changers’ Panel: Brian Zimmerman (Cleveland Metroparks), Dan Whalen (BEDROCK), Debbie Berry (Cuyahoga County), Jason 5 Cleveland Market Sector Update Panel: Craig Miller (Duffy + Duffy Russell (North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation), Daren Cost Segregation Services), Christopher McFarland (Anchor Retail), Schnee (Dealpoint Merrill) and Moderator Kevin Malinowski (Colliers) Warren Blazy III (CBRE), David Leb (Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate), John Funderburg (Dollar Bank) and Moderator Tara 3 Keynote speaker Ashlie Flegel (NASA Glenn Research Center) 4 Multifamily/Apartment Market Update and Forecast Panel: Rose (Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP) Moderator Charles K. Schulman (Carlyle Management Co.), 6 Michael Christoff (Vocon), Aaron Pechota (The NRP Group), Charles Michael Christoff (Vocon), Charles Gagliano (Marcus & Millichap), K. Schulman (Carlyle Management Co.) and James Doyle (BWE)
Strong Signals for Cleveland Market 12th Annual CRE Summit explores market trends, transformative development projects By Properties Staff | Photos by Mark Watt
N
ortheast Ohio’s commercial real estate market continues to show resilience and opportunity despite ongoing challenges, according to industry leaders who gathered June 25th for the 12th annual Cleveland Commercial Real Estate Summit at The Aviator Cleveland.
Panelists pointed to continued strength in the industrial sector, sustained demand for multifamily housing, growth in retail development and renewed momentum in downtown Cleveland. While the office market continues to face headwinds, speakers noted improving leasing activity for Class A properties and expressed confidence in the region’s long-term outlook. The summit opened with a keynote presentation by Ashlie Flegel, acting director of technology, integration and partnerships at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, who highlighted the agency’s research and innovation efforts in Cleveland. Following the keynote, three panel discussions explored trends shaping the region’s commercial real estate market. The 8
Multifamily/Apartment Market Update and Forecast panel featured Michael Christoff (Vocon), James Doyle (BWE), Charles Gagliano (Marcus & Millichap), Aaron Pechota (The NRP Group) and Michael Smith (Green Harvest Capital), with Charles K. Schulman (Carlyle Management Co.) as moderator. The Market Sector Update panel, moderated by Tara Rose (Hahn Loeser & Parks), addressed success stories and challenges in the office, retail, finance and construction sectors. Speakers included Warren Blazy III (CBRE), John Funderburg (Dollar Bank), David Leb (Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate), Christopher McFarland (Anchor
Retail) and Craig Miller (Duffy + Duffy Cost Segregation Services). The event closed with a “Transforming Downtown and Suburban Development – Game Changers” panel, which highlighted some of the largest, most impactful development projects taking place in the area. Kevin Malinowski (Colliers) served as moderator with a panel that included Debbie Berry (Cuyahoga County), Jason Russell (North Coast Waterfront Development Corp.), Daren Schnee (DealPoint Merrill), Dan Whalen (Bedrock) and Brian Zimmerman (Cleveland Metroparks). The annual summit was presented by Northeast Ohio Properties and Midwest Real Estate News. P Properties | August 2026