Cuyahoga County committee approves $6.81 million amendment to demolish old juvenile court complex

Cuyahoga County’s Public Works procurement and contracting committee voted March 5 to approve an amendment to a construction contract with Cold Harbor Building Company that will expand hazardous‑material abatement work and add demolition of the old juvenile court complex, funded in part by a Brownfield mitigation grant and county matching funds. The resolution authorizes up to $6,810,362 for the work and was approved on a voice vote by members present.

The vote followed a presentation by Matt Reimer, facilities design and maintenance administrator for the county Department of Public Works, who described the amendment as the product of nearly two years of coordination with the Ohio Department of Transportation, the state Department of Development, the county land bank, the City of Cleveland, Campus District and the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority. Reimer read the state grant’s description: "the project will enable the realignment of the I 90 Inter Belt and improvements to the East 22nd Bridal, enhancing connectivity for Cleveland neighborhoods and city services." He said the grant award covers the amendment’s full amount and that prior county abatement expenses were accepted as the county’s match.

Why it matters: County staff said demolition is required both to accommodate ODOT’s Innerbelt Corridor Group 3 project and to clear the remaining portion of the site for future county redevelopment. Reimer said remnants of hazardous materials — including a roof undercoating, window sealant in a 1960s detention wing that abuts CMHA’s Cedar Estates housing area, and pipe insulation in utility vaults — could only be abated safely during a demolition phase because removing them earlier would alter the building’s structure.

Key details:

- Scope and schedule: Reimer said the amendment lets the county continue interior asbestos abatement and then demolish the entire complex. He described two demolition conditions: one focused on parcels needed by ODOT and a separate county‑retained portion held for future use. Plan review and permitting with the City of Cleveland are expected through 2025, with mostly interior abatement May–November 2025 and visible, sectional demolition beginning in late 2025 into 2026. Reimer estimated full site restoration, including work tied to ODOT and county parcels, could continue through 2026.

- Funding and costs: Reimer reported $4,270,000 in county expenses to date on earlier abatement phases; the state accepted those costs as the county’s match to the Brownfield grant. He said roughly $270,000 in additional environmental monitoring and soil‑sampling costs would not be reimbursable under the grant. The committee was told negotiations with ODOT over parcel sale and compensation are ongoing.

- Property and partners: Reimer said the county is negotiating with ODOT to sell the parcels needed for the Innerbelt realignment; the lower‑right portion of the site shown in the presentation would remain county property until a future use is determined. Mike Deber of the Department of Public Works said ODOT will use portions of the site as a temporary easement for construction and that a nearby parking lot currently leased to CMHA is part of those discussions. Reimer added that further engagement with CMHA and Campus District will shape long‑term plans for the county‑retained parcels, with major decisions not expected until 2030–2031.

- Historic items preserved: Reimer said the county archives already removed and preserved hundreds of hand‑painted tiles and that the county has protected a courtyard sundial, the main courtroom fireplace and an East 22nd entry sculpture for removal and preservation before demolition.

- Approvals and next steps: Reimer asked the committee to consider second reading to allow permitting to proceed. A member moved to pass the item on second reading under suspension; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote of members present. Reimer said the land‑bank subrecipient agreement necessary to submit reimbursable expenses was expected to be fully executed this week; further legislation will follow after ODOT parcel negotiations conclude.

At the meeting, one council member asked whether the county would receive compensation for land taken for the ODOT project; Reimer said that is being negotiated and that the state’s grant and purchase negotiations are intended to address compensation. The committee recorded estimated prior county abatement expenses of $4,270,000 and listed approximately $270,000 in additional non‑reimbursable environmental costs.

The committee approved the resolution on March 5; staff will move forward with required permitting and with execution of the subrecipient agreement before submitting reimbursable expenses to the land bank.