Now 20 years in the making, this vacant lot on Chester avenue, between East 81st and 82nd streets in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, is finally seeing construction on a major new residential development (NEOtrans). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Three major projects starting on Chester Ave.
ARTICLE UPDATED JAN. 9, 2026
Each new year is a chance to start anew, and three major projects along Chester Avenue in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood are taking that opportunity by starting construction. But none is bigger than a project that’s been 20 years in the making.
That project is the Chester 82 Apartments, 1898 E. 82nd St. Fencing has gone up around the 1.6-acre site on the north side of Chester, between East 81st and 82nd streets. Construction vehicles are on site as is the ubiquitous Porta-Potty, a sure sign that things are getting serious.
But the first sign was the city’s Dec. 22, 2025 issuance of a construction permit for the the five-story, 131-unit Chester 82 Apartments. In addition to market-rate apartments, the building will have 71 indoor and 65 outdoor parking spaces. Amenities will include an elevator, fitness center, package room, dog wash station, and outdoor amenity deck.
The building permit notes that construction costs will be about $21.62 million, however when development costs are added in, the total project cost is $31.7 million. Of that, the Port of Cleveland is providing up to $30 million in lease revenue bonds for financing.
Construction could take up to 21 months, according to a letter of intent filed with the city Dec. 16, 2025 by Emily Herendeen, assistant development manager for Marous Development Group of Willoughby. The general contractor for the project is Marous Builders LLC. City planning approvals for Chester 82 were granted in April 2023.
The new Chester 82 Apartments will have a significant street presence on Chester Avenue, seen here at the northwest corner of East 82nd Street ((Sullivan Bruck).
A pulse for the long-planned project was detected last March when Marous requested a six-month extension to Dec. 17 to submit payment for its building permit that was going to expire in June. But since the city offers extensions of no less than one year, a one-year extension was granted.
“The ownership group is very enthusiastic about the Chester 82 project and proud to be contributing to the continued momentum in the University Circle area,” said Michael Vidmar, Marous’ director of acquisitions. “With strong investment from the universities, local businesses, and healthcare systems, plus convenient access to Downtown Cleveland, we see this as a highly promising development and the right time to move it forward.”
Marous acquired most of the property in 2006 from the city’s land bank and demolished the long-closed, 1926-built Madonna Hall that served as a boarding house and later as a nursing home for women. Originally planned were for-sale townhomes but the Great Recession of 2008-10 has since caused Marous to pursue a multifamily building.
The project is intended to respond to demand for modern, quality, workforce housing between two of Ohio’s largest employment centers — Downtown Cleveland and University Circle.
The construction site for Birthing Beautiful Communities’ Birth Center and Headquarters, seen from East 65th Street. Dave’s Market is on the other side of Chester Avenue in the background (NEOtrans).
Marous wanted to add several dozen more apartments with this project to respond to housing demand. But that would have resulted in an even larger building that city planners considered out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood.
On the same side of Chester but at 1802 E. 65th St., fencing has gone up and equipment is on-site for the start of construction of Birthing Beautiful Communities’ (BBC) three-story Birth Center and Headquarters.
This follows the Nov. 7 issuance of a building permit to Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. of Baltimore for the construction of a 15,340-square-foot structure and two parking lots totaling 35 spaces for staff and visitors. Cost of construction is estimated at $1 million, per the permit.
BBC is a nonprofit organization whose mission it is to address Cuyahoga County’s infant mortality crisis. This crisis is the symptom of other converging problems including poverty, poor nutrition, inadequate housing and unaffordable health care.
Looking north, Birthing Beautiful Communities’ new facility will also have a street presence on Chester Avenue with on-site parking and be a short walk from several bus lines (City Architecture).
For years, BBC has been trying to do its best from a converted brick mansion at 3043 Superior Ave. It shares that cramped 8,300-square-foot space with several other organizations. The new site is accessible from three bus lines — the Healthline on Euclid Avenue, the No. 9 on Hough Avenue, and the No. 16 on East 55th Street.
The new building will have four birthing suites, two exam rooms, a family room, baby boutique, conference rooms, offices, community room, and a training center for doulas — trained professionals who assist mothers before, during and after childbirth.
“We provide birth workers — trained professionals who work with mothers during pregnancy and for up to a year after the baby is born,” said Khrys Shefton, BBC’s chief of growth and expansion, at a recent city planning meeting. “This (facility) will provide a space to celebrate the new life and a safe space for the mother, child and families.”
Between those two new buildings and on the other side of Chester is the third construction project that’s getting underway. Survey stakes are up all over the 5.3-acre property of the Dunham Tavern Museum and Gardens, joined by a newly arrived bulldozer.
Dunham Tavern Museum and Gardens offers a green oasis in the heart of a major city and provides a glimpse of what life was like in Cleveland two centuries ago (Merritt Chase).
They were placed here to guide work on the museum’s new Heritage Walking Trail, a $520,000 project according to its construction permit that was issued by the city on Oct. 3, 2025 to general contractor F. Buddie Contracting Co. of Cleveland.
The same company is also near to getting a permit for a second project at the Dunham Tavern Museum and Gardens which has a non-Chester address — 6709 Euclid Ave., but most of the work is being done closer to Chester, behind the 202-year-old tavern, Cleveland’s oldest surviving structure.
That project is a new 1,615-square-foot visitor center plus site improvements for the area immediately surrounding it. Construction cost estimates for that work is $610,000, public records show.
The North East Ohio Regional Sewer District is funding a significant portion of the walking trail via a $287,326 Green Infrastructure Grant awarded Dec. 20, 2023. Additional funds were raised by the museum.
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