Committee approves permanent easement for Tamir Rice Memorial at Kudel Commons

A Cleveland council committee approved an emergency ordinance to revoke an earlier encroachment permit and replace it with a permanent easement granting the Tamir Rice Foundation rights to improve and maintain the Tamir Rice Memorial in perpetuity.

Director DeRosa explained that when the memorial was built the city issued an encroachment permit because some memorial elements sat within a public right-of-way; the administration now proposes vacating the relevant portion of Old West Boulevard and substituting a deeded easement of equivalent size so the memorial will have permanent, in-perpetuity easement rights.

DeRosa told the committee that Old West Boulevard had previously been relocated but the right-of-way remained through Bridal Commons where the memorial sits; the ordinance follows an earlier resolution signaling the city's intent to vacate the right-of-way. "Once that vacation is done, we will revoke the encroachment permit and we will put in its place a permanent easement," DeRosa said.

Committee members spoke in support, calling the memorial "wonderful" and endorsing the step as the right administrative move. The committee recorded approval of Ordinance 44-2025 in the transcript. No public comments were recorded at the committee meeting on this item.

The ordinance was described as a three-step process tied to the right-of-way vacation: (1) city resolution of intent to vacate; (2) formal vacation of the right-of-way; and (3) revocation of the encroachment permit and replacement with a deeded easement of the same size. The committee approved the ordinance as presented.