Cleveland’s Committee on Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion voted Dec. 1 to rename the Department of Economic Development the Department of Development and to move a set of real‑estate and housing functions into the new office.

Chief McNair, who led the presentation to the committee, said the change bundles housing development, the city land bank and the asset redevelopment office into a single department to provide “a clear front door” for developers and to speed project delivery. “What we’re doing here really is we’re renaming the Department of Economic Development to the Department of Development,” he said, explaining the move is intended to streamline acquisitions, dispositions and project management currently split across multiple offices.

Why it matters: the legislation transfers roughly 18 staff positions from the Department of Community Development to the new department and creates five additional full‑time positions in the 2026 budget, including an immediately available deputy director of land strategy. The administration estimates the five new general‑fund positions will add a little north of $700,000 annually. The ordinance also includes authority to route surplus parcels to the appropriate residential or commercial land‑bank and does not change council oversight for land dispositions.

Council members pressed administration officials on operational details and neighborhood impact. Councilman Brian Casey and others asked which tasks remain in Community Development after the transfers, and who will handle new housing construction and permit coordination. Officials said Community Development will retain neighborhood stabilization, residential improvement and program operations bureaus, with approximately 60 staff remaining after the transfer. The administration also committed to reflect the changes in the city’s five‑year HUD plan and to provide more detailed staffing charts to council.

Implementation and safeguards: the administration said the transferred positions will continue to be supported by existing federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding where applicable and that the ordinance does not alter land‑bank policy or remove council approvals for individual land dispositions. The reorganization pairs the new Land Strategy office with expanded data and mapping capacity and a post‑closing team to manage projects after contracts close.

What’s next: the ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, and the department will phase in new processes and project tracking tools, including a customer‑relationship/project‑management system the administration said will provide clearer timelines and performance metrics. Council members called for quarterly outcome reporting, clear milestones and stronger neighborhood outreach as the department operationalizes the change.