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Cleveland – June 13, 2024 —

The board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority today approved $55.2 million in bonds for three projects in Cleveland and Mayfield Heights, the majority of them dealing with new and renovated housing. A smaller project involves construction by a facilities provider at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

The projects include:

$32 million in tax-exempt, multifamily housing revenue bonds for an extensive renovation of the 191 unit Gates Mills Villa Apartment Building in Mayfield Heights. The $48 million project includes modernization of all units, significant upgrades to common spaces, mechanical repairs and replacements, new free WIFI, new windows, new roofs, landscaping and other site improvements. The property serves older tenants, age 62 and above; 167 of the 191 units are under Section 8 contracts. 

• $15 million in lease revenue bonds for 46 two- and three-bedroom affordable housing apartments and 8 two-bedroom market rate units to be known as the Gordon Crossing Project in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood. The new $17.1 million project is expected to begin construction in Q2 2024.
• $8.2 million of taxable bonds for construction of a cargo and aircraft storage hangar, cargo terminal, pass-through passenger terminal and vehicle parking spaces for Jets FBO at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The total project is planned to cost $12.6 million. Jets FBO and its subsidiary provide Ohio airports with fixed base operator aircraft services, including aircraft storage, fuel sales and de-icing.

“The items the board approved today represent a wide range of tools in the Port’s development finance toolkit which are being used to move these projects forward,’’ said Rhonda Winslow, Vice President of Development Finance. “Two of those projects will help with affordable housing which is something that is in demand. The renovations planned at Gates Mills Villa will bring significant upgrades to the senior citizens who live there, and the Gordon Crossing Project includes affordable housing for the City of Cleveland. And the Jets FBO project will help a great business expand its services.”

The Gates Mills Villa rehabilitation involves renovating an existing L-shaped eight-story building on about 4.28 acres at 6755 Mayfield Road in Mayfield Heights. Work is expected to start in Q3 2024 and be completed about a year later. Related Companies, L.P., is the developer and is one of the largest owners of affordable multifamily apartment complexes in the country. 

Woda Cooper Development Inc. and Frontline Development Group LLC are co-owners and co-developers of the Gordon Crossing project. Woda Cooper operates more than 350 properties with 16,000 housing units in 16 states, ranks among the top affordable housing developers and owners in the country, and has a development portfolio of $1.5 billion. Frontline Development Group, LLC is a female and minority-owned real estate development company based in Cleveland. Frontline develops real estate projects that are committed to innovative economic development and partners at each step of the development to grow the balance sheets of economically and socially underutilized businesses.,
 
“Woda and Frontline are excited to team up with the Port to access their development finance tools in order to help bring this project to the Cleveland and Hough neighborhood,” said Sheila Wright, President of Frontline. “This collaboration is unique as Frontline is not just a local partner but a co-owner, actively making decisions and contributing significantly to the project’s success. We hope our success with this project encourages stakeholders to continue to trust and invest in emerging companies to take on more ownership roles as real estate developers in the region”

Jets FBO provides storage for aircraft in the hangar and on ramp, fuel sales (both management of client fuel and direct fuel sales), deicing, and related aircraft services typical of a fixed base operator. Michael L. Hillman and Douglas N. McConnell have over 70 combined years in the aviation industry and are the sole owners of Marichaels LTD.

“The project concept gathered traction with the support of Manufacturing Works and the Aerozone Alliance,” said Hillman. “Bringing the funding to fruition required the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. Working with the Port has been win for us on a complicated project.  With the FAA, municipalities and land leases involved, it takes unique lender expertise that Rhonda Winslow and her team poses.”

Port authorities in Ohio can offer an array of benefits in the real estate and economic development space. Since 1993, the Port of Cleveland has provided more than $5 billion to more than 160 projects in Cuyahoga County and beyond. Projects have ranged extensively in size and have included the Eaton World Headquarters in Beachwood, Sherwin-Williams new headquarters in Cleveland, Dave’s Supermarket in Cleveland, Saint Ignatius High School renovations & new construction in Cleveland, Crocker Park in Westlake and a Hotel at Canton’s Hall of Fame Village.

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Cleveland – May 28, 2024 – 588 vacationers arrived to explore The Land

Both Viking’s Octantis and Pearl Seas opened the passenger cruising season in Cleveland on May 26. This is the second year that both cruise lines will have multiple calls at the Port of Cleveland.

“Our cruise partners have said the Great Lakes region is booming for tourists because they want to experience the diverse cultures that make this region so unique,” said David S. Gutheil, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Cleveland. “It’s part of the U.S. that these passengers have not seen before. Cleveland alone has very diverse neighborhoods with deep cultural backgrounds, which help explain it’s growing popularity as a cruise ship destination and helping make tourism a vital part of our local economy.”

Last year, well-known travel adviser “The Points Guy” called Cleveland – yes Cleveland – the hottest new cruise destination in North America.

Great Lakes cruise ships have become an economic engine for Cleveland. Cruise ships started docking in Cleveland in 2017 — there were nine that year — and this year 24 cruise stops are planned and more than 50 are already on the Port’s schedule for the 2025 season.

Estimates report that each cruise passenger in Cleveland spends about $150 — or $1.5 million for 10,000 travelers — and other economic impact includes the salaries of dock workers, tour operators and others.

The Pearl Seas, a 210-passenger ship, is the only cruise ship coming through Cleveland which has full private balconies for every room and is a fully stabilized ship.

Viking’s Octantis can carry up to 378 guests. Viking cruise ships first came to Cleveland in 2023. It made eight stops in Cleveland last year and will make eight calls again this year.

Passenger shore excursions in Greater Cleveland include the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the West Side Market, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, a walking tour of downtown Cleveland or Little Italy, a hike or biking tour in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a beer tasting at Great Lakes Brewing Company, a culinary tour and an excursion to Amish country in Geauga County.

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Cleveland – March 29, 2024 – Despite sincere efforts to enable the potential conservation one of the Hulett Ore Unloaders in its entirety, the Port of Cleveland encountered unforeseen challenges with a proposal aimed at doing so. As a result, the Port has entered into a new contract with Northern Ohio Scrap Service that will allow the port to continue to salvage two of the Huletts most historically significant pieces – an arm and a bucket – while the vendor handles the removal of remaining pieces.

Last week, the Port contracted with Maple Leaf Demolition, selected in part for the company’s intent to reassemble one of the Huletts on its site in Canton. Regrettably, Maple Leaf could not provide the necessary bonding and insurance required.

The new contractor is a Cleveland-based company with significant experience with this type of work.

Dave Gutheil, Chief Commercial Officer for the Port of Cleveland, expressed disappointment at this but reiterated their commitment to the initially envisioned solution of preserving several significant pieces on-site. He underscored the acknowledgment of their importance in Cleveland’s industrial and maritime history, emphasizing the desire to grant preservationists more time to find a suitable display solution.

Additionally, a shunt engine that was part of the Hulett unloading system will be salvaged and publicly displayed at the American Industrial Mining Museum in Brownsville, PA.

The Huletts were taken down in 1999 and two have been stored at the Port’s Cleveland Bulk Terminal since that time. Initially intended for storage for just five years, the Port has withheld actions to remove the pieces for over 24 years in an effort to accommodate preservation efforts.

The Port has agreed to store the pieces for a year to provide more time for preservationists to secure a suitable location for their display and raise funds for their removal.

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