Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity installed five modular homes Oct. 23 at 11830 Matherson Ave. on Cleveland’s West Side. Each was a three-bed, two-bath, 1,350-square-foot home and was the first significant project to build new homes in Ward 11 since 2005. But the nearest plant for building modular homes is more than 100 miles away. City officials want one in Cleveland to increase the supply and reduce transportation costs (Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
City issues RFP for modular homes factory
The city of Cleveland and the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund announced today they have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to modular home manufacturers across the United States and internationally to establish a manufacturing facility in Cleveland. The city and fund officials said they are responding to industry requests for such a facility.
The strategic move to attract a modular homes manufacturer comes as Cleveland addresses the challenge and opportunity of repopulating approximately 25,000 vacant residential lots across the city and inner-ring suburbs. Continuing to build with traditional methods is necessary to accelerate home building.
Bringing additional building capacity with modular construction is important to help close the gap, city officials said today. With the nearest modular home manufacturer currently located 100 miles away, local, regional, national and international builders have already expressed significant interest in the opportunity.
“Cleveland is taking a bold step forward in addressing our housing needs while simultaneously growing our manufacturing base,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb in a written statement.
East 71st Street and Quincy Avenue. The railroad was once a four-track line and had many industries clustered along it. Now the area is largely devoid of employers and poverty is far above the national average. City, county and private leaders are working to assembly and clean properties to market them for redevelopment (Site Readiness Fund).
“By attracting a modular home manufacturer to our city, we’re not just creating jobs, we’re creating a sustainable solution to provide quality, affordable housing for our residents,” he said. “The comprehensive incentive package we’ve assembled together with other actions to support increased home-building demonstrates our commitment to making this vision a reality.”
The Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund, a collaborative initiative between the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and the Cuyahoga Land Bank, has identified a strategic site on Cleveland’s east side that offers ample space for both immediate manufacturing operations and future expansion.
Although the press release didn’t identify the site, the fund’s Managing Director Brad Whitehead said they have several criteria for the site that is included in the RFP. He said he would be able to provide more detail in the coming weeks, most likely during the second phase of the RFP.
“We currently have several sites under consideration for the factory, but it has not yet been finalized,” Whitehead told NEOtrans in an e-mail. “The ideal Cleveland site will be a minimum of 15 acres with good transportation access and accessibility to a local workforce.”
In September, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity installed 19 modular homes among the Cleveland neighborhoods of Cudell on the West Side and Collinwood on the East Side of the city. This one was installed on West 83rd Street. Many more homes are needed but there isn’t enough manufacturing capacity to meet demand (GCH4H).
One of them is likely the former Wellman-Seaver Engineering Company, 7000 Central Ave. The 183,000-square-foot building and 10-acre property were acquired by the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund in April.
Other nearby properties were acquired by the Cuyahoga Land Bank recently as well. The Cuyahoga Land Bank serves as the fund’s fiscal agent. But 7000 Central was the first property acquisition by the city’s new fund to return blighted industrial properties to productive use.
“The Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund was established precisely for opportunities like this,” Whitehead said. “This project represents the perfect alignment of our mission to prepare sites for manufacturers while addressing critical community needs. The selected site offers the scale and infrastructure necessary to support a significant manufacturing operation.”
The initiative aims to renew the use of disinvested commercial property and to create new manufacturing jobs while also addressing the city’s housing needs and utilizing thousands of residential vacant lots. City officials created the Site Readiness Fund last year to return neglected, polluted industrial properties called brownfields to productive use again. The fund is an independent nonprofit established with a $50 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Another possible location for the modular home factory and other redevelopment is the former TRW predecessor Thompson Aircraft Products Co. (TAPCO) and, at right, the East Cleveland Railroad Co.’s streetcar electric power plant at Central Avenue and Ashland Road. These properties are owned by the Cuyahoga Land Bank (Google).
“This project represents a win-win for Cleveland,” said Ward 13 Councilman Kris Harsh. “We’re not just bringing manufacturing jobs back to our city – we’re addressing our housing needs with an innovative, high-quality and cost-effective solution that will benefit generations of Cleveland residents.”
The success of modular housing in Cleveland has already been demonstrated through local initiatives. Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity is currently midway through constructing 24 modular homes throughout the city.
“Our experience with modular homes has been exceptional,” said John Litton, CEO of Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. “These homes are built to high-quality standards, often at a lower cost than traditional construction methods. The controlled manufacturing environment ensures consistent quality and greater efficiency, allowing us to provide more families with safe, affordable housing options.”
The RFP was published today to manufacturers that have already expressed interest. Additional manufacturers and media are welcome to express interest in receiving the RFP by contacting Richard Barga at the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund at rbarga@sitereadycle.org. Proposal submissions are due Jan 17, 2025.
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