An early concept for a multi-family building on the southeast corner of Cleveland’s Shaker Square district was shared with the Landmarks Commission prior to its approval of the demolition of a decayed retail strip facing Van Aken Boulevard at right, and Drexmore Road at left (Paran). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Van Aken retail strip gets city OK to be razed
Although the demolition of an historic retail strip in Cleveland’s Shaker Square district was on Landmarks Commission’s docket, much of the panel’s discussion focused on what might follow the demolition. Ultimately, the commission unanimously approved razing the two-structured Van Aken Plaza located at 2742-2782 Van Aken Blvd. for a landscaped greenspace — for now.
The long-term play for the 1.7-acre site at Van Aken and Drexmore Road is to construct a 110- to 135-unit market-rate apartment building here, as has been considered by Paran Management Co. since it acquired the property in 2018 through its affiliate Bonwit Teller LLC. Paran has marketed the site to potential development partners but the property’s legal status has precluded any progress.
In June 2019, the owner was cited for building code violations for interior and exterior maintenance and had one month to respond. The matter was referred to Cleveland Municipal Court’s building and housing docket later that year. The case is still pending, court records show.
The building’s condition is the result of a decision decades ago to build a vehicle ramp behind the retail strip and pave a layer of asphalt on its roof to allow cars to park there. The combined weight weakened the structure, causing portions of the roof to collapse, said Dan Musson, secretary and chief city planner at the Cleveland Landmarks Commission.
Two structures comprising the Van Aken Plaza on the southeast side of the Shaker Square district, the heart of which is at upper-left, are to be demolished. Building 3 is a 1939-built structure and Building 4 was constructed in 1979 (Paran).
“It seems like the decision in the early 1950s to park on the roof of this building is ultimately what condemned it,” Musson said. “It just took us a while to get here. The building is essentially obsolete. Even bringing it back online to add more retail to an area that’s struggling to fill retail spaces seems a bit counterproductive. It certainly contributes (architecturally) to the district but it’s beyond its salvageable life, in our opinion.”
In October 2021, the northern part of the retail strip, a 1939-built structure, was declared unsafe and condemned by the Cleveland Building Department. That notice was followed by another that was issued in January 2024 for building code violations regarding additional exterior decay, according to public records.
A second structure to the south was built in 1979. Both are vacant and were recently cleared of hazardous materials, Joe Del Balso, managing director of Paran Management told the Landmarks Commission yesterday. In November 2024, Paran received $802,369 in Ohio Brownfield Program funding to remediate and remove the 34,000-square-foot Van Aken Plaza.
“We don’t really have a transition plan at this time, other than the site being marketed toward multi-family development,” Del Balso said. “We had interested parties that are interested in the site including the ownership group themselves participating. But at this point our focus is on the demolition.”
Both structures that are to be demolished are outlined here. This view shows the 70-plus-year-old vehicle ramp at the backside of the Van Aken Plaza that allowed cars to be park on the roof of the 1940-built retail strip. The weight of the asphalt layer on the roof plus the parked cars structurally compromised the building (Paran).
“We need to get the property out of housing court so we can transition to the next step,” Del Balso added. “And we’ve really determined that the only way out of housing court is to get the building down.”
The owner’s demolition contractor, Sitetech Inc. of Grafton in Lorain County, submitted a demolition permit application in December with a projected cost of $495,000. But since the building is in the Shaker Square Historic District, it cannot be razed without a certificate of appropriateness from the Landmarks Commission. The certificate was approved yesterday.
The contractor will retain all salvage rights to materials that are removed from the property. The exception is that the contractor will attempt to detach bulkhead panels from the demolished structures for potential reuse and repair of any damaged panels on the adjacent building at 2720 Van Aken.
A post-demolition interim use as a parking lot was considered. But when the demolition request first appeared before the Greater Cuyahoga Valley Historic Design Review Advisory Committee, it expressed concern that a parking lot would endure for decades. So a landscaped greenspace was urged instead and not objected to by Paran. Landmarks Commission echoed that recommendation.
Remediation of hazardous materials at the vacant Van Aken Plaza has been completed, funded in part by an Ohio Brownfield Program grant. The rest of the grant will be used to pay for the demolition and removal of the plaza (Google).
The demolition was supported by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) which co-owns with Burten Bell Carr Development Inc. the commercial buildings surrounding Shaker Square. The curved, two-story, 85-year old office building at Van Aken and Shaker boulevards, also owned by the Bonwit Teller affiliate for Paran’s offices, will be retained.
“We believe that by expediting the demolition of the strip center and parking lot a longtime nuisance will be eliminated and opened up for new development opportunities,” CNP’s letter of support to the commission read. “The retention of the (curved) Bonwit Teller Building allows for the historic nature and continuity of the building fabric of the surrounding neighborhood to be maintained.”
“I’ve lived in this area for a long, long time,” said Ward 4 Councilwoman Deborah Gray, also a member of the Landmarks Commission. “And I remember when this particular area was one of the most beautiful, inspiring, busy areas back in the day. Over time, times change, people change, demographics change, areas change.”
“What’s needed for this area now is something for the community and for the future,” she added. “To see this historical building deteriorate like it did, it is time for it to go and for us to look into the future to have something new there.”
This curved building, also owned by a Paran Management affiliate, at the corner of Van Aken and Shaker boulevards will not be demolished. It contains Paran’s offices (Google).
“Paying close attention to however this site moves forward is critical for the rebirth of this area,” said Landmarks Commission Chair Julie Trott. “Attention to the scale and architectural character of the area will allow that future redevelopment to be successful.”
A new development could include the use of English-themed architecture like Tudor and Georgian styles which predominate Shaker Square today. But commission member Michele Anderson wanted Paran or other developers to first invest in reviving the aging apartment buildings along South Moreland, south of Shaker Square.
“I realize you’re a private developer; you can do what you want,” Anderson said. “But if there’s new construction that’s not tied into the upgrading and renovating of the existing (apartments nearby) I don’t think it’s good for either.”
“A thriving area is good for everyone,” Del Balso replied. “We see ourselves as part of the square. So even though we’re a different ownership and disconnected, we have ties to the square, we want to complement it and be a part of it.”
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