State DOD Funding Will Pay to Demolish 16 Beautiful Historic Homes on E. 115 St.
And I think that’s ridiculous.
The houses are all over 100 years old. They all exhibit exceptional craftsmanship and quality of construction that cannot be recreated today, with wood shake siding, leaded glass windows, and charming architectural details like dormers and bay windows. The apartment building at 2032 E. 115 St. with its remarkable, castle-like, rounded exterior brick form is irreplaceable.
The houses and the street as a whole are eligible for National Register of Historic Places designation.
It is ridiculous that UH is planning to demolish these gems.
And even more ridiculous that they have the nerve to ask the State Department of Development to fork over our tax money, MY tax money, to pay for the destruction of our heritage.
When you look at the homes that other counties are using this demolition program for, the homes are typically in an extreme state of disrepair, with sagging foundations, failed roofs, and sometimes severe fire damage. That is not the case with the 16 solid houses on E. 115 St. The country, and Cleveland, have a housing affordability crisis. The beautiful houses on E. 115 St. could provide needed housing to families in a highly desirable neighborhood that sits between the character of Little Italy and the amazing cultural amenities of University Circle. One could imagine UH offering the houses as an enticement to lure the best and brightest doctors or interns and their families to work at the hospital.
University Hospitals has been mum for over a decade about what those plans are. They said 3 years ago that “We will continue to analyze and incorporate the changing nature of how health care is delivered and health care needs in Greater Cleveland . . . as we map a path forward for the area along E. 115 Street. UH is deliberate and thoughtful in its planning and the potential impact on the surrounding community. Any work done on East 115th Street will embrace the same philosophy.”
Right. Demolishing an entire street of historic homes shows just what they think of their surrounding community.
The Ohio Department of Development has awarded the Cuyahoga County Land Bank $230,000 to demolish 16 historic homes owned by University Hospitals on East 115th Street (“Ohio awards $11.9 million in grants for demolition of blighted buildings,” cleveland.com, July 17). It’s ridiculous that UH is using our tax dollars to wipe out an entire street of viable historic homes.
All the homes slated for demolition on East 115th Street are over 100 years old. They’re prime examples of the Shingle Style, with shake siding, leaded glass, dormers, and bay windows. The houses exhibit a quality of construction that cannot be reproduced today. The brick apartment building at 2032 East 115th Street, with its remarkable, castle-like form, is irreplaceable. The entire street is certainly eligible for National Register of Historic Places designation.
These beautiful houses would be desirable places to live for many Cleveland families and would help address Cleveland’s housing affordability challenges. Other counties are using the state money to demolish structures in extreme disrepair, with sagging foundations, failed roofs, or severe fire damage.
Why does University Hospitals want to demolish these 16 solid historic structures? They haven’t said, but it’s likely for facility expansion. UH should preserve the historic homes they own on East 115th Street. We need to stop this senseless destruction of our architectural heritage.
I am writing in strong agreement with Daniel DeAngelo’s Aug. 16 letter, “Don’t use tax dollars to demo historic homes on East 115th.” After looking up the address noted in his letter and viewing the streetscape, I am fully convinced that this beautiful stretch of vintage homes must be protected from the bulldozer.
Whenever I drive down Euclid, Carnegie, and Chester avenues, it pains me to see the empty lots and decaying structures that have replaced the gorgeous homes of our city’s past. Today, we only have photographs of those historic dwellings. I frequently struggle to understand why these areas were not actively protected and remediated long before they became unsafe or unsightly. If we had prioritized preservation, those historic properties could have been beautifully restored into vibrant multifamily residences or unique community event spaces.
While East 115th Street may not be quite as grand as the major thoroughfares mentioned above, the inherent value and worth of its homes are clear to anyone who looks. We cannot afford to keep treating our architectural heritage as disposable. I urge University Hospitals and our city leaders to halt these demolition plans. Please do not erase the history and character of this neighborhood.
The Ohio Department of Development has awarded the Cuyahoga County Land Bank $230,000 to demolish 16 historic homes owned by University Hospitals on East 115th Street (“Ohio awards $11.9 million in grants for demolition of blighted buildings,” cleveland.com, July 17). It’s ridiculous that UH is using our tax dollars to wipe out an entire street of viable historic homes.
All the homes slated for demolition on East 115th Street are over 100 years old. They’re prime examples of the Shingle Style, with shake siding, leaded glass, dormers, and bay windows. The houses exhibit a quality of construction that cannot be reproduced today. The brick apartment building at 2032 East 115th Street, with its remarkable, castle-like form, is irreplaceable. The entire street is certainly eligible for National Register of Historic Places designation.
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SHAME on University Hospitals SHAME on Chris Ronayne and UCI
Thank you Daniel DeAngelo -Donna Knoll
http://realneo.us/content/russell-berusch#comment-36219
https://www.cleveland.com/letters/2026/08/tax-dollars-would-fund-demolit...
The Ohio Department of Development has awarded the Cuyahoga County Land Bank $230,000 to demolish 16 historic homes owned by University Hospitals on East 115th Street (“Ohio awards $11.9 million in grants for demolition of blighted buildings,” cleveland.com, July 17). It’s ridiculous that UH is using our tax dollars to wipe out an entire street of viable historic homes.
All the homes slated for demolition on East 115th Street are over 100 years old. They’re prime examples of the Shingle Style, with shake siding, leaded glass, dormers, and bay windows. The houses exhibit a quality of construction that cannot be reproduced today. The brick apartment building at 2032 East 115th Street, with its remarkable, castle-like form, is irreplaceable. The entire street is certainly eligible for National Register of Historic Places designation.
These beautiful houses would be desirable places to live for many Cleveland families and would help address Cleveland’s housing affordability challenges. Other counties are using the state money to demolish structures in extreme disrepair, with sagging foundations, failed roofs, or severe fire damage.
Why does University Hospitals want to demolish these 16 solid historic structures? They haven’t said, but it’s likely for facility expansion. UH should preserve the historic homes they own on East 115th Street. We need to stop this senseless destruction of our architectural heritage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am writing in strong agreement with Daniel DeAngelo’s Aug. 16 letter, “Don’t use tax dollars to demo historic homes on East 115th.” After looking up the address noted in his letter and viewing the streetscape, I am fully convinced that this beautiful stretch of vintage homes must be protected from the bulldozer.
Whenever I drive down Euclid, Carnegie, and Chester avenues, it pains me to see the empty lots and decaying structures that have replaced the gorgeous homes of our city’s past. Today, we only have photographs of those historic dwellings. I frequently struggle to understand why these areas were not actively protected and remediated long before they became unsafe or unsightly. If we had prioritized preservation, those historic properties could have been beautifully restored into vibrant multifamily residences or unique community event spaces.
While East 115th Street may not be quite as grand as the major thoroughfares mentioned above, the inherent value and worth of its homes are clear to anyone who looks. We cannot afford to keep treating our architectural heritage as disposable. I urge University Hospitals and our city leaders to halt these demolition plans. Please do not erase the history and character of this neighborhood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/07/ohio-awards-119-million-in-grants-for-demolition-of-blighted-buildings.html
The Ohio Department of Development has awarded the Cuyahoga County Land Bank $230,000 to demolish 16 historic homes owned by University Hospitals on East 115th Street (“Ohio awards $11.9 million in grants for demolition of blighted buildings,” cleveland.com, July 17). It’s ridiculous that UH is using our tax dollars to wipe out an entire street of viable historic homes.
All the homes slated for demolition on East 115th Street are over 100 years old. They’re prime examples of the Shingle Style, with shake siding, leaded glass, dormers, and bay windows. The houses exhibit a quality of construction that cannot be reproduced today. The brick apartment building at 2032 East 115th Street, with its remarkable, castle-like form, is irreplaceable. The entire street is certainly eligible for National Register of Historic Places designation.