Lorain Council OKs transfer of two park parcels to port authority for RaiseUp housing redevelopment

Lorain City Council voted unanimously to authorize a disposition agreement that transfers two small park parcels now owned by the city to the Lorain Port Authority as a pass-through, enabling RaiseUp (formerly the Metropolitan Housing Authority) to include the parcels in a larger federal-financed renovation of three public-housing sites.

The transfer covers the park parcel inside Levitt Homes on West 20th Street and the parcel inside Westview Terrace near West 20th/4th Street. Matt Kuzner, the city’s director of building, housing and planning, told council the parcels are “completely surrounded by public housing units” and that the ordinance will allow the housing authority to secure financing for a comprehensive project.

The project will renovate Levitt Homes, Westview Terrace and Westgate Apartments together, RaiseUp’s chief financial and development officer said in a presentation. The authority plans to convert the properties from traditional public housing to a multifamily financing structure using HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, FHA lending and low-income housing tax credits. The presenter said that, combined, the three sites represent 353 subsidized units and that the parcels must be in the housing authority’s control for the financing to proceed.

RaiseUp’s presenter said the parcels will remain community space and that no market redevelopment is planned: “There will be no development on the property except for community space,” the speaker said, and added they hope to add playground equipment and a pavilion. Council members repeatedly asked whether public access would change; the RaiseUp presenter and Matt Kuzner said current uses would continue and that residents would not be barred from the sites.

City Law Director (at the mic) clarified one contract detail raised by council: “Section 4 of the disposition agreement says enclosing the transaction, the city shall pay the following costs, the cost of title examinations and any title insurance commitment.” Kuzner then told council staff had reviewed county records and the original plats dedicating these parks; he said there have been no transfers since the original dedications in the 1950s and 1960s and that, in practice, no title-search expense is expected.

Council member comments were uniformly supportive. Several members said the parks are landlocked and that transferring maintenance responsibility to the housing authority would relieve the city while allowing targeted investments. The council suspended the rules, moved for passage and the ordinance passed by unanimous vote.

The disposition agreement sends the parcels to the Lorain Port Authority as a pass-through entity and then to RaiseUp. Council documents indicate ordinary closing items such as title examinations were included as city costs in the form agreement but staff advised those costs are not expected to be material or necessary based on the historical plat research.

What’s next: With council approval, the transfer can be recorded and RaiseUp will proceed with assembling the financing package and construction documents with project partners named in the presentation, including TFG Housing (developer), LDA Architects and Marceli Construction. The housing authority said it will continue to operate the sites after conversion and that residents should not see changes in day-to-day management.