The replacement of a historic public housing complex that had fallen into disrepair on Cleveland鈥檚 East Side has hit a significant milestone.
Local officials celebrated the opening of Woodhill Station East, a 64-unit apartment building about a mile away from the original Woodhill Homes location, the third phase of the six-building project.
The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority started the project in 2021 to redevelop the Woodhill Homes complex in the city鈥檚 Woodland Hills area.
CMHA CEO Jeffrey Patterson said Woodhill Station East will spark a new energy in the neighborhood.
鈥淎ll of a sudden, you start to see the progress," Patterson said. "You see one building go up, two buildings go up, three buildings go 鈥� people moving in in each phase. That gives people hope that as we move to the next site that we'll be able to continue that momentum and keep it going.鈥�
54 of the units in the new building are designated for low-income residents.
CMHA received a $35 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) to rebuild the 81-year-old Woodhill Homes neighborhood.
With several buildings from this project either built or planned around the neighborhood, the goal was to rethink the model of Woodhill Homes, where housing was much more densely concentrated.
Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin lives nearby.
鈥淭his neighborhood that has dealt with so much benign neglect, so much redlining, so many government sanctions, things that have caused these communities to be in decline for years 鈥� well now, Buckeye Shaker and Woodland Hills is coming back,鈥� Griffin said.
When fully complete, the multi-building project is expected to have about 700 total units with a mix of low-income and market rate units.
Woodhill Homes had about 550 apartments. Across the newly built or incoming units, 325 of them will be designated to legacy Woodhill Homes residents.
CMHA helped the remaining legacy residents find homes outside of the project, such as affordable units in privately owned properties or other CMHA properties.
鈥淓very resident of the original Woodhill Homes site and property has first dibs on all the new apartments,鈥� said Matt Schmidt, CMHA chief or modernization and development. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working with each of those families to make sure that we identify what works best for each of those families and each individual.鈥�
