• Three historic homes to be demolished to make way for townhomes

       (Plain Press June 2025) The developer of Ferrante Village on W. 14th plans to demolish three historic houses to make way for new townhomes. The houses to be removed are at 2915, 2929 and 2937 W. 14th Street.    Bob Gardin, who served on the City of Cleveland’s Near West Design Review Committee when…


  • Neighborhood residents protest proposed gas station

    PHOTO BY BRUCE CHECEFSKY Friday, September 6,2024; Residents protest proposed gas station at former CVS site at 10022 Madison Avenue: Christine Ferges’ sign says, “People over cars”. PHOTO BY BRUCE CHECEFSKY Friday, September 6,2024; Residents protest proposed gas station at former CVS site at 10022 Madison Avenue: (L-R) Nikki Hudson (Rear), Gloria Still, and Sunny…


  • Development at W. 11th and Fairfield rushed while issues raised at block club go unresolved

    PHOTO BY DEBORAH ROSE SADLON Tuesday, March 21, 2023; W. 11th and Fairfield: Despite objections raised at the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on June 27,2022, the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance allowing 5,000 square feet of retail space as part of a project by 1209 Fairfield LLC in a multi-family residential district.…


  • City of Cleveland Planning Commission begins pilot program to place signs at Board of Zoning Appeals case sites

    SCREEN SHOT BY LAURA CYROCKI Monday, August 22nd Virtual Meeting of the Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals: At the end of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meeting on August 22nd, Maurice Ruelens, Chief City Planner for the Cleveland Planning Commission, shared with the board information about a new pilot program. Ruelens said he will…


  • Board of Zoning Appeals again postpones vote on Lincoln Park Flats

    by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, January 2021)    When Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) committee member Tim Donovan suggested postponing a vote on the Lincoln Park Flats project in Tremont to allow developers 60 days to conduct a parking study in the middle of the winter, in the middle of the worst pandemic in 100 years,…


  • In Memory — Ted Thelander

    In Memory Ted Thelander (Plain Press, November 2020)                 Ohio City resident Ted Thelander died at age 85 on June 11th of this year. Ted Thelander was instrumental in offering advice, sharing his expertise, and mentoring Near West Side residents in many battles with political corruption and troubling nightclubs. Thelander also became involved in addressing a number of…


  • Update on project proposed for W. 14th and Kenilworth

    Update on project proposed for W. 14th and Kenilworth by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, November 2020)           At the October 5 meeting of the Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals, Kenilworth LLC requested to postpone a decision on their Tremont Park Flats project until the full five-member board is present. A previous vote ended in a 2-2 tie when…