Our neighborhood projects encompass a broad spectrum of initiatives, ranging from small-scale community endeavors to large-scale transformational efforts.
These initiatives are purposeful actions undertaken to address specific needs or goals within our neighborhood. They are the heart of our work, representing our commitment to enhancing the community's well-being, prosperity, and vibrancy. From organizing local events and revitalizing public spaces to implementing economic development strategies and advocating for positive change, our initiatives span various sectors, from arts and culture to sustainability and education.
To gain a better understanding of the multitude of projects we're involved in, check out this comprehensive list of initiatives that we're currently working on. Each initiative contributes to our overarching mission of fostering a thriving and inclusive neighborhood, making a tangible difference in the lives of our residents and stakeholders.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
WARNER & SWASEY
A catalytic development, decades in the making.
In 1985, Warner & Swasey closed its factory and offices. Cross & Trecker was struggling with declining orders and low prices. Giddings & Lewis, a Wisconsin-based firm, absorbed Cross & Trecker and shut down Warner & Swasey’s last plant in Solon, Ohio, in January 1992, ending nearly 111 years of operations in the Cleveland area. The iconic building at 5701 Carnegie Avenue, vacant for forty years, was acquired by Pennrose in September 2025 for adaptive reuse into mixed-income housing.
MINGYUE PLACE
Community Engagement and Reflecting Cultural Heritage
Midtown Lofts, now officially named Mingyue Place, is a proposed 120-unit mixed-use, mixed-income residential development located within Cleveland’s AsiaTown neighborhood. The project redevelops the former Dave’s Supermarket site at 3301 Payne Ave, a highly visible and long-underutilized property that has been identified by community members as a critical opportunity for reinvestment and neighborhood revitalization.
STREETSCAPE INITIATIVES
E. 55TH STREET
A catalytic development, decades in the making.
East 55th Street is one of MidTown’s most important north–south streets. It links jobs, homes, health care, and recreation and cuts right through the heart of our district. Today, it’s carrying heavy traffic with limited protection for people walking and biking. Our work aims to make East 55th safer and more welcoming while keeping it functional for everyone who depends on it.
E. 66TH STREET TLCI INITIATIVE
The revitalization of a critical neighborhood connector.
E. 66th Street is a significant street in the Hough neighborhood. From League Park to the Fatima Family Center, Chateau Hough to the many historic churches along E. 66th Street, institutions and businesses in this corridor have served the community for years.
Exciting new things are happening. The Cleveland Foundation has moved headquarters from downtown to E. 66th Street and Euclid Avenue, the Hough branch of the Cleveland Public Library now stands at Lexington and E. 66th Street, and various organizations and residents are continuing to move into the neighborhood.
PAYNE AVENUE
Reimagining the central commercial corridor of the AsiaTown neighborhood.
Over the next two years, we’re partnering with the City and neighborhood groups to make it safer, greener, and easier to use whether you’re visiting for lunch, working in the area, or living nearby.
The city’s planned public upgrades align with private and philanthropic investments, including MidTown Lofts at the former Dave’s grocery store site , improvements at the AsiaTown Pop-Up Park supported by the Transformative Arts Fund and the Gund Foundation, and Mandel Foundation placemaking.
NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING
HOUGH CULTURAL
PRESERVATION
A project born out of a decade of resident-led efforts to celebrate and share the neighborhood's rich cultural history.
Hough holds deep history in its streets, homes, and gathering spaces. Along Euclid Avenue, Black brilliance shaped Euclid Avenue as an entertainment hub from the 1950s through the 1970s. During the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, community members and councilpeople led the effort to rebuild the neighborhood from the inside out. Now, as Hough becomes an intriguing opportunity for investors and developers, The Hough Cultural Preservation Project mobilizes residents as the primary authors of neighborhood change through leadership, cultural narratives, youth pathways, and coordinated community systems. Residents, artists, business owners, and community leaders will carry history, build culture, and shape what comes next.
PENN SQUARE
Bringing life back to a historic hub at the heart of MidTown.
Penn Square, the geographic center of MidTown at Euclid Avenue and East 55th Street, was historically a vibrant and active public square dense with mixed-use buildings and businesses, and a place thousands of people arrived daily for work.
It is one of the remaining historic squares in Cleveland yet to be restored. We are working to change that with an ambitious vision for public art, greenspace, and places for people to gather.
ASIATOWN SQUARE DANCING PARK
Working to craft a permanent, resident-designed park for the AsiaTown community.
A key component of the Mingyue Place project is the donation of the Square Dancing Park to MTC at no cost. This provides MTC and the AsiaTown community members a pathway towards designing the future of the space with permanence in mind.
This park is envisioned as a direct response to community requests, the restoration of a missing neighborhood amenity, and a flexible space for cultural programming, informal gathering, and community events. In addition, this project includes signalized crosswalks that will make crossing Payne easier and safer.
PUBLIC SAFETY
MIDTOWN SPECIAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
A Special Improvement District (SID) is a defined geographic area in which property owners elect to pay an additional property tax assessment in order to fund public improvements and services that benefit the district. The purpose of a SID is to support the growth of a mixed-use district through services that enhance the area’s vibrancy, improve its safety and cleanliness, and attract investment.