Although it’s too soon to have project-specific renderings of the JFK High redevelopment, the 2024 Lee-Harvard Masterplan used this concept for the Avondale Estates’ Town Green in Georgia as an example of a public space surrounded by mixed-use to show what could be built here (APD Urban Planning + Management). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
City selects developer Eagle’s Nest Realty Group
The largest redevelopment site in Cleveland’s Lee-Harvard neighborhood now has a development team selected to repurpose it with a vibrant, mixed-use district of housing, neighborhood retail, civic uses and public spaces, according to a community vision crafted last year.
That site on the city’s Southeast Side is the former John F. Kennedy High School and Recreation Center, 17100 Harvard Rd., just east of the Lee-Harvard Shopping Center. The team, called the Eagle’s Nest Realty Group LLC, was selected by the Bibb Administration to reactivate the 14-acre site.
It is hoped that construction could begin in 2027, with community engagement remaining a priority throughout the process. Details on upcoming meetings and engagement opportunities will be released over the summer.
Eagles Nest is a partnership of development and design professionals rooted in Greater Cleveland, led by Fairmount Properties, a national real estate development firm headquartered in suburban Orange.
Location of the former John F. Kennedy High School and Recreation Center, both of which was demolished earlier this year, and their proximity to the Lee-Harvard Shopping Center (Google).
Fairmount is perhaps best known for developing the Pinecrest mixed-use project at Harvard Road and Interstate 271. It also built The Medley Apartments over the Meijer grocery store at East 105th Street and Cedar Avenue in Fairfax and partnered with Wolstein Group on redeveloping the Flats East Bank downtown.
In the JFK High site redevelopment, Fairmount is partnering with The Presidents’ Council Real Estate Development LLC, a Cleveland-based, minority-owned real estate investment and development firm focused on equitable urban redevelopment. Both partnered on the Medley Apartment-Meijer store project.
The team is engaged in early discussions with Ozanne Construction, McTech Corporation and Coleman Spohn to create a historic construction management joint venture and is supported by the esteemed architecture and design firm Robert P. Madison International. The Bibb Administration solicited expressions of interest from development teams for the JFK site starting in October 2023.
“This is about more than bricks and mortar — it’s about people, pride and progress,” said Mayor Justin Bibb in a written statement. “The Eagles Nest team is not only incredibly skilled, but they also bring deep community ties and a shared commitment to inclusive growth and long-term neighborhood impact. Their passion for Lee-Harvard is evident, and their track record speaks for itself.”
A site plan design concept for the former JFK High site showing a new walkable town center with new streets, park, shops topped by apartments, multi-family residential buildings and townhomes (APD Urban Planning + Management).
The development team takes its name, Eagles Nest, from the proud legacy of John F. Kennedy High School. The school continues to inspire fierce alumni loyalty and community spirit. Brian Hall, chairman of the Presidents’ Council Real Estate Development company, managing member of Eagle’s Nest Realty Group and a 1976 JFK alumnus, said the name reflects the team’s commitment to honoring the past while building for the future.
“I and many of our members grew up in Lee-Harvard and revere the excellence this neighborhood has always represented,” said Hall. “We are committed to developing a vibrant, inclusive destination that reflects the history and aspirations of the Southeast Side. This is a project built by and for the community.”
The Eagles Nest concept was shaped by the Lee-Harvard Community Plan, a collaborative visioning process completed in 2024 and led by the Harvard Community Services Center, in partnership with the City of Cleveland, City Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP).
That plan centers on the creation of a walkable, mixed-use district that fosters multigenerational, mixed income living, supports local entrepreneurship, and expands homeownership opportunities.
Two similar design concepts for the former JFK High site were presented to 83 attendees of a community input meeting. Those present said they favored the slightly more densely developed concept because it would support the neighboring shopping center and address a need for more quality housing in the neighborhood (APD Urban Planning + Management).
The development team envisions creating a cultural and civic hub that honors the storied history of Lee-Harvard incorporating the JFK George E. Mills Gallery of Excellence as part of the storytelling within the new design.
For the community plan, a vote was taken from among 83 persons at an Oct. 19, 2023 community open house on a design preferences of the JFK site. That vote showed that the residents preferred a mixed-use project that could potentially include housing, retail and other amenities.
The participants said they felt comfortable with the idea of a higher-density development at this site due to its proximity to the Lee-Harvard Shopping Plaza to the west. The second and third highly-ranked options were a community center/green space that could serve as a gathering spot for residents and office space.
The planning team said the site is large enough that a high-density mixed-use development and community green could all be incorporated into the former JFK High School and Recreation Center site.
The former John F. Kennedy High School on Harvard Road, just east of Lee Road, was demolished earlier this year. What comes next depends on plans by the Eagle’s Nest Realty Group LLC which was selected by the Bibb Administration to redevelop the 14-acre site on the city’s southeast side. This is how the school looked in April 2023 (Google).
In fact, the vision suggested a mix of 187 multifamily units, 50 townhomes, 34,000 square feet of commercial space, a 1.25-acre central green space, and 10,000 square feet of institutional space. Fire Station No. 6 would remain in place
“Fairmount Properties is thrilled to be partnering again with The Presidents’ Council real estate group,” said Adam Fishman, principal of Fairmount Properties. “Fairmount’s first endeavor together with The Presidents’ Council resulted in bringing a grocery store into the Fairfax community and providing much needed high-quality apartments to support the growth of the Cleveland Clinic and the surrounding environs.”
Demolition of the former school and recreation center was completed by the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) earlier this year. The Eagles Nest team is now in the due diligence and design phase, with the goal of securing necessary approvals by Spring of 2026.
“For too long, historic Cleveland neighborhoods like Lee-Harvard have not benefitted from the level of investment and progress happening in other parts of the city,” said Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones. “I believe this development will be transformational and will attract additional partners, institutions and investors to Cleveland’s Southeast Side.”
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