Council committee approves sale of East 90th parcels for SpringHill Suites; parcel 11909041 added

A Cleveland City Council committee approved Ordinance 1223-2025 to authorize sale of multiple city-owned parcels on East 90th Street and East 90 Third Street to Ortho School Properties LLC for construction of a SpringHill Suites hotel, and the committee voted to amend the ordinance to add parcel 11909041.

The proposal covers four (previously four) city parcels near East 90th and East 90 Third in Ward 7 and the amendment added a fifth parcel, 11909041, after staff and the developer discovered it was a city-owned parcel. Developer Mike Bowen said the project has secured a Marriott SpringHill Suites commitment and described the hotel as a 127-room, approximately $21,000,000 development intended for long-stay guests near the Cleveland Clinic.

The hotel developer described expected employment and community benefits. “It’s gonna be 127 rooms, it’s gonna be approximately $21,000,000 hotel development,” Mike Bowen said, adding the project could create roughly 300 construction jobs and about 25 full-time positions. Bowen also said the developer is talking with “Director Mitchell” about a community benefits agreement and workforce programming tied to the hotel.

Why it matters: the parcels are surplus city-owned land that must go through a legislative surplus determination before sale; the site borders residential properties and will require design review, planning commission approvals and final construction drawings before property conveyance and transfer of title.

City process and terms Commissioner Green and city staff said the parcels will be sold at fair market value determined by appraisal. An appraisal for the initially listed parcels was completed by “McDaniel’s and associates,” staff said; the newly added parcel will require a surplus-land review and its own appraisal before final sale. Commissioner Green noted that the land will not transfer until the developer completes final construction drawings and obtains necessary design and zoning approvals.

Several council members raised neighborhood and resident concerns. Councilwoman Santana pressed the developer about outreach and the status of a community benefits agreement; Bowen said staff were scheduling meetings and that the developer had begun outreach. Councilman House Jones asked that his recusal be entered on the record, saying he could not be objective on the matter because a close relative lives on East 90 Third Street; he asked to be recused and the record reflects that statement.

Amendment and vote Councilman Harsh moved to amend the ordinance to include parcel 11909041; the motion was seconded and the committee approved the amendment by voice vote. The ordinance as amended was then approved by the committee.

Next steps City staff and the developer said the project still must proceed through planning and design review, zoning (if applicable), surplus land determination for the newly added parcel and final appraisal and closing steps. Staff emphasized that the city will not transfer title until construction drawings and other pre-construction conditions are satisfied.

Ending note Council members and staff indicated they expect more detailed community engagement and planning review as the project moves toward permitting and design review; final sale price for the newly added parcel and timing of conveyance were not specified at the meeting.