Belle Oaks, a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Richmond Town Square shopping mall in Richmond Heights, got port financing to advance its development (Bialosky). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Port also OKs charging stations
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Board of Directors today approved $55 million in bonds for apartments and retail space at the site of the former Richmond Mall in Richmond Heights and $6 million in bonds for new housing planned for Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood.
“By leveraging the Port’s development finance tools, we are helping bring new residents, new investment, and new life to communities from Richmond Heights to Old Brooklyn,” said Rhonda Winslow, vice president of development finance for the Port of Cleveland in a written statement.
The Belle Oaks Marketplace redevelopment will convert the former Richmond Mall site—currently a non-tax-generating property—into a vibrant mixed-use community expected to bring 1,100 to 1,900 new residents to the city. The project is projected to create more than 1,400 construction jobs and, once complete, approximately 500 permanent jobs in future stores, restaurants, and businesses.
The Belle Oaks approval is for two buildings, with $25 million in bonds for a nearly 130,000-square-foot multi-family residential apartment building including 84 market-rate apartments over four floors, with about 8,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Construction on this $30.5 million building is expected to start by the end of this year.
Site plan for the planned Belle Oaks redevelopment in Richmond Heights (Bialosky).
Another $30 million in bonds was provided for a 178,000-square-foot multi-family residential apartment building with 97 market-rate units over four floors, with a clubhouse and amenity space. Construction on this $41.7 million building is expected to start by the end of this year.
Belle Oaks is being developed by DealPoint Merrill, a Los Angeles–based firm specializing in retail conversions and large-scale adaptive reuse projects across the United States.
The board also approved $6 million in Port bonds for Pearl Road Residences, an $8.9 million redevelopment that will convert two former bank buildings—both listed on the National Register of Historic Places—into new housing. Located on Pearl Road near Memphis Avenue, the buildings date back to 1930 and were connected by a basement tunnel in 1949.
The project will create five rental townhomes and 24 apartments. Approximately 12 units will be leased below 100 percent of Area Median Income, supporting workforce housing needs for nearby employers, including a local hospital.
The project will also include parking, pickleball courts, a dog park and tenant amenity space.
The two bank buildings seen on the other side of the Pearl-Memphis intersection in Old Brooklyn are to be converted into housing (Google).
Developing them is TurnDev, a Beachwood-based firm specializing in historic rehabilitation and urban redevelopment. It was formed with the goal of helping revitalize Cleveland. Construction is scheduled to begin this month.
Finally, as part of the Port of Cleveland’s aggressive decarbonization strategy, the board also approved a contract for new electric-vehicle charging systems, charger-management software, and long-term maintenance services. These upgrades are essential to preparing Port facilities for an emission-free future and ensuring that the next generation of electric cargo-handling equipment can operate efficiently and reliably.
Following a competitive bid process, the Port recommended contracting with LilyPad EV LLC, an experienced national provider of electric-vehicle charging solutions. The board approved $816,859 for LilyPad’s hardware, software, installation, testing, commissioning, and maintenance services—funded through the Port’s $94.6 million U.S. EPA Clean Ports grant.
The charging systems will support the Port’s transition to battery-electric forklifts, reach stackers, tugboats, and an electric mobile harbor crane, as well as upcoming shore-power capabilities.
This investment supports the Port’s broader mission to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, improve local air quality, modernize maritime infrastructure, and ensure that Cleveland’s working waterfront remains competitive, resilient, and community-focused for decades to come.
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