• Cleveland City Council has a chance to do the right thing as it reviews tax abatement policy

    Cleveland City Council has a chance to do the right thing as it reviews tax abatement policy by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, August 2020)            Cleveland City Council announced in a July 23rd press release that it plans to hear a presentation from the Department of Community Development on a tax abatement study at its…


  • Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon calls for levy renewal and 5-mill increase

    Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon calls for levy renewal and 5-mill increase Open letter to the editor: Dear Friends and Supporters of Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD): (Plain Press, August 2020)            This evening (July 7, 2020), I made a recommendation to the Cleveland Board of Education that the Board consider asking the…


  • Cleveland City Council declares racism a public health crisis

    CITY COUNCIL POLICIES CONTRIBUTE TO CLEVELAND’S HIGH CHILDHOOD POVERTY RATE Cleveland City Council declares racism a public health crisis CITY COUNCIL POLICIES CONTRIBUTE TO CLEVELAND’S HIGH CHILDHOOD POVERTY RATE by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, July 2020)    At its June 3rd meeting, Cleveland City Council declared racism is a public health crisis. The legislation was unanimously passed by…


  • Cleveland City Council gets tough with dollar stores and hands out tax subsidies to developers

    Cleveland City Council gets tough with dollar stores and hands out tax subsidies to developers by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, July 2020)    Cleveland City Council held a virtual meeting electronically on June 17, 2020, in compliance with Ohio’s Open Meetings Law.  Council President Kevin Kelley, who represents Ward 13, of which Old Brooklyn and part of…


  • Clark Fulton neighborhood plan seeks input from target area residents and stakeholders

    Clark Fulton neighborhood plan seeks input from target area residents and stakeholders by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, July 2020)                MetroWest Community Development Organization has joined in partnership with Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmin Santana, the City of Cleveland, MetroHealth Medical Center, and the Cleveland Foundation to develop a master plan for a target area that includes all…


  • Concerns about proposed Lincoln Park Flats Project expressed by Auburn-Lincoln Block Club members

    Concerns about proposed Lincoln Park Flats Project expressed by Auburn-Lincoln Block Club members by Bruce Checefsky  (Plain Press, July 2020)    A recent report released by RealtyHop ranked Cleveland #99 out of 100 cities in terms of having a strong housing market. Cleveland saw a -6.83% change in the asking price in June, according to Nina Furseth, Corporate Communications…


  • Ohio Supreme Court green lights fast-track process that gives homes to developers, but fails to compensate owners and taxpayers

    Ohio Supreme Court green lights fast-track process that gives homes to developers, but fails to compensate owners and taxpayers In 2019, Taxpayers lost at least $11.25 million, While Homeowners and Banks lost up to $77 Million, But Title to Revamped Houses Remains Sound by Lucia Walinchus (Plain Press, July 2020)    This article provided by Eye…


  • Market Square Project


  • Local economy faces uncertain future during COVID-19 pandemic

    Local economy faces uncertain future during COVID-19 pandemic by Bruce Checefsky Sean Watterson is doing everything possible to keep his business from going under. As co-owner of the Happy Dog on Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square arts district, he’s responsible for 30-40 full and part-time employees all of which have been laid off since…


  • Talk of the Town Community Conversation at Franklin Circle Christian Church

    Talk of the Town Community Conversation at Franklin Circle Christian Church by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, April 2020)    Providing affordable housing is a critical need as real estate development expansion continues in neighborhoods once considered low to moderate income like Ohio City and Tremont. To address the issue, Ohio City Incorporated (OCI) hosted the first…