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Council committee advances $50,000 ARPA award for East Cleveland's Circle East District safety patrol
Summary
The committee advanced Resolution 20250007 to award up to $50,000 from a District 7 ARPA community grant fund to the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation to fund a neighborhood patrol for the Circle East District in East Cleveland; presenters described a large redevelopment effort and asked the county to fund a 6-month patrol runway while additional funding is pursued.
Dennis Roberts, chief strategy officer for the Cuyahoga County Land Bank, told the Public Safety & Justice Affairs Committee that the Circle East District redevelopment is a roughly 30-acre effort just east of University Circle aimed at turning dozens of vacant parcels into a mixed neighborhood of townhomes and single-family houses.
Roberts said the full project could cost about $122,000,000, with roughly $17,000,000 raised to date and commitments including $4,000,000 from the city of East Cleveland and about $3,000,000 from the land bank. He said JobsOhio and other public and private partners have contributed to specific renovations, including the "Mickey's Building," which he said is under contract to Vernet Bio Labs and expected to create more than 100 higher-paying jobs if the sale closes.
To address safety concerns that Roberts said deter potential buyers, the land bank asked the county for a $50,000 grant to fund a neighborhood patrol vehicle. "The safety patrol car is one of many factors that creates a feeling of safety," Roberts told the committee. He said $50,000 would cover about six months of patrol operations and that a full year would need roughly $100,000.
Committee members asked operational questions about patrol hours, target buyers and coordination with city leadership; Roberts said the patrol would not be 24/7 and that target buyers include Cleveland Clinic and University Circle employees, younger professionals and out-of-town buyers. Council President Miller said the committee had discussed the request with land-bank representatives and signaled the possibility of adding another $50,000 from the community development fund when the item reaches later readings.
The committee moved and seconded the item for a second reading and voted in favor to advance the resolution. The vote recorded in the meeting was "Aye" with no dissent noted at the time of the committee vote.
Next steps: the item will return for additional readings where council may consider amendments, including supplemental funding from county community development resources.
