St. Clair Superior Community Building Project
Infrastructure | Housing | Economic Development
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COMMUNITY BUILDING
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, in partnership with St. Clair Superior Development Corporation (SCSDC) is working on a Community Building Project with DumontJanks, a renowned planning and design firm from Boston. Scroll through this page to learn more about this visionary effort to shape a more connected, vibrant and inclusive neighborhood. This page will be your go-to hub for information about the project, how the community has been involved and updates about the project as it moves forward.
A special thank you to the Lakefront Working Group, a collective of local organizations that joined together in 2023 to influence community building efforts in St. Clair Superior, including projects centered around the lakefront. We are grateful for the support of:
- Cleveland Metroparks
- Enterprise Community Partners
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
- LAND studio
- St. Clair Superior Development Corporation
- Strategy Design Partners
- Western Reserve Land Conservancy
INFRASTRUCTURE
Placemaking can have a significant impact by creating spaces in which people want to be and by providing visual evidence of positive change. Several key streets are included in this project:
• St. Clair Avenue. Traffic volume on St. Clair do not require the large number of travel lanes in the
street’s current configuration. As a result, the street’s width acts as a barrier. Recommendations are to remove two travel lanes and introduce a bike lane, which can link with the broader city wide bike network, improve tree plantings, lighting, and signage.
• 55th Street. 55th is a crucial corridor, being one of only two direct links between St. Clair Superior
and the lake. The city has significant plans for the street which are worthy of support. This includes
the introduction of bike lanes, improved wayfinding, reinforced street tree plantings, lighting, and an
open vista to the lake.
• 72nd Street. 72nd is the other existing direct link between the district and the lake. Recommendations again are to introduce a bike lane, improve wayfinding, add street trees, lighting, and an open vista to the lake and marina. In addition, new residential infill could enhance the street’s character.
MODERNIZE ST. CLAIR SUPERIOR
HOUSING
Improving the available housing portfolio is crucial to attracting new residents to St. Clair Superior. We also need to increase the percentage of owner-occupied homes in the district and add more choices into the market by providing apartments and lofts in new or reused larger buildings on or near St. Clair Avenue, townhouses proximate to St. Clair, and different types of detached and attached single family units on the north-south streets intersecting St Clair.
There are good opportunities for small-parcel infill housing development, including on E. 67th Street, which would make a good location for a potential pilot project. These parcels are appropriate for modular homes, townhouses, and zero-lot line single-family attached housing.
Three proposed nodes—East Gateway, Civic Crossroads, West Gateway—have good options for medium-sized lots and mixed-use residential development. The study’s full report includes specific examples of potential development sites, with appropriate densities, parking, mix of uses, etc. Examples include both single-family infill and mixed-use development ranging from about 40,000 gross square feet to about 80,000 gross square feet.
PRESERVE ST. CLAIR SUPERIOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The final key element of revitalizing St. Clair Superior is a focus on economic development. We must improve the district’s economic well-being and quality of life. This means supporting existing residents and businesses, attracting new residents and businesses, incentivizing both public and private sector investment, helping with job training, and improving public infrastructure.
In St. Clair Superior, potential sites for various kinds of anchors include:
• West Gateway is well-suited to a civic anchor non-profit, or bank, or post office.
• Civic Crossroads already hosts a major school and recreation center, and could host additional municipal or community center uses, or even potentially a new library.
• East Gateway would be a good location for new public safety facilities or a community arts building.
Economic development resources should also be directed toward façade improvements. New infill buildings can then also be designed to appropriately enhance the street’s historic character. Finally, the establishment of a low-interest loan program would allow property owners to implement the recommended improvements.