The Edward Belz House and the Frederick Wirth House on Denison Ave. in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood of Cleveland are still ENDANGERED - 

Comment to Steven Litt article : http://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2015/07/cleveland_landmarks_commission.html

I am one of the original consulting parties on the Section 106 for Wirth House - and I will continue to fight this gross abuse of public dollars.  There is a long back story and much not reported.  I am grateful that Steven Litt covered this particular meeting - but he should have been at the previous meeting to hear the opposition.  I received this email from Dan Musson - he uses a lot of BS language to discourage opposition to the demolition decision and to discourage folks from signing on to be a Consulting Party for this new Section 106 - I ENCOURAGE everyone who values local history to contact Dan Musson and to sign on as a Consulting Party:  Thank you Laura Bala and Kathleen Crowther for speaking out - this fight is not over.  Also contact Lisa Adkins at the State Historic Preservation Office to let her know how the City of Cleveland subverts due process.

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From Dan Musson: 

At this morning’s meeting, the Cleveland Landmarks Commission voted to approve the demolition of 3119 Denison Avenue with the condition that an architectural salvage plan and photo documentation be submitted to Commission staff prior to demolition. The vote was 5 – 3.

After a motion to disapprove the demolition of 3201 Denison Avenue failed with a tie of 4 – 4, a motion passed to allow the demolition of 3201 Denison Avenue after 6 months of intensive marketing with a real estate agent to attempt to sell the property.  If a sale is not finalized and the property is demolished, an architectural salvage plan and photo documentation must be submitted to Commission staff prior to the issuing of a demolition permit.

I will be contacting you all next week in regards to the Section 106 review of this proposed undertaking.  For those who wish to be involved in the consultation of this review as Consulting Parties, please submit an e-mail or letter demonstrating an interest in the undertaking.  A demonstrated interest means that an individual must show a legal or economic relation to the undertaking or affected properties, or an individual can demonstrate concern with the undertaking's effects on historic properties.  All written requests of individuals and organizations will be considered by the City, in consultation with SHPO, to determine who Consulting Parties will be.

Sincerely,

Daniel A. Musson

Project Manager/Compliance Officer

City of Cleveland

Department of Community Development

(216) 664-4044  fax: (216) 420-7965

dmusson [at] city [dot] cleveland [dot] oh [dot] us

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 Selling the properties is a recent proposition - previously the City indicated that the HUD contract would only allow transfer of Wirth House and Belz House to another non-profit.  I blame myself for not thinking of Metroparks,  when Brian Cummins first suggested transfer to the American Indian Center which turned into a bust - later he harassed Amy Craft to consider transfering all of the properties to the "Land Bank" - and tried to persuade her board to move entire organization to the Masonic Building.  She had good sense to turn hiim down - but then was held hostage to go along with the demo scheme in order to get NDA funds from Cummins so she could repair and regrade the cement floor of the Quonset Hut. 

The whole ordeal has a lot to do with the history of "leadership" in the Brooklyn Centre-Old Brooklyn neighborhoods. We have been trashed - even though the neighborhood holds the most potential for linking National Park and Metroparks attractions for families visiting CLE by bike.  I posted photos of the area on Google and I will be writing up my trip today to Akron via the Cuyahoga Scenic Railroad - please see REALNEO for more content.

I recently rode to Akron via Scenic Railroad and met a couple from NJ - riding their bikes, too.  The husband was in the food industry and made the trip a business vacation.

They rode pretty much whole way to Akron by bike and wanted directions from Rockside for CLE.  The next day, they were planning to visit Gordon Square and the Rock Hall.  I wrote out instructions to get off at Old Harvard - take Denison to W. 65th and Detroit Ave. into downtown This allows them to ride on smooth pavement - with stops that allow for bathroom breaks etc. - chance to see Brooklyn Centre, Gordon Square, Ohio City, Downtown - board Redline - to University Circle - all on bike. The photos below are stretch of Brooklyn Centre at W. 33rd -Denison interesection.  The whole fabric of the streetscape will be further eroded by demolition of Wirth and Belz House.

Sherwin Williams could support the front buildings and use as canvas for color that advertises their history in Northeast Ohio - including great NEO artists, like August Biehle, who once worked at Sherwin Williams. The route connects National Park with W. 65th St., Redline Greenway, Metroparks Zoo, Metroparks Brookside Park, Metroparks Lakefront, Gordon Square, Ohio City, Hingetown, Downtown and more:

Because Section 106 requires Art House to list the Belz House - a potential buyer could also purchase the Wirth House to prevent it from being demolished.  Both houses could possibly be purchased for as low as $6,000.  Any use of both houses would have to compliment Art House.  Possible ideas have gone from icecream-teahouse-gallery in the Wirth House and youth hostel, art residency space in the Belz House.  The location is ideal because the FINISHED designated bike lanes on Denison connect families to the National Park, the Metroparks Zoo and west via W. 65th to Detroit Shoreway neighborhood and east via Harvard to Metroparks Washington Park, Slavic Village-Fleet area and to the Nash and more.