The proposed commercial tenant to occupy the ground floor, behind the red facades, of AsiaTown’s newest development will be the Cleveland Public Library. It will open a satellite location in the neighborhood (MA Design). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Midtown Lofts renamed as Mingyue Place
Cleveland Public Library (CPL) will open a new satellite location in the city’s AsiaTown neighborhood in a couple of years, at the Mingyue Place apartment complex, according to community officials. If that apartment complex’s name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because it doesn’t exist yet.
But it has been talked about and reported on quite a bit ever since September 2024 when NEOtrans broke the story of the planned development, previously called Midtown Lofts. It will be located on both sides of the street — at 3301 and 3338 Payne Ave.
The $42.3 million, 120-unit apartment development’s new name and the booking of its commercial tenant were announced at a community meeting held yesterday evening at the Cleveland Chinese Christian Church in AsiaTown.
The CPL satellite location will be located in a 3,500-square-foot space on the ground floor at the east end of the north-side Building B of Mingyue Place. A second building, called Building A, will be on the south side of Payne. Both are planned to rise on the site of the vacated Dave’s Supermarket and parking lot.
“Mingyue” in the name Mingyue Place means “bright moon” in Chinese. The new name was selected through a community-driven process led by residents and stakeholders and reflects themes of gathering, belonging, and cultural identity rooted in AsiaTown, officials said.
Building B with its satellite library and 61 apartments will be built on the north side of Payne Avenue. On the south side will be Building A and its 59 apartments (MA Design).
“We’re proud to build on the legacy of this neighborhood with Mingyue Place, and to partner with MidTown Cleveland, Inc. and the Cleveland Public Library to support the needs of the community,” said Aaron Pechota, executive vice president of Development at Cleveland-based NRP Group in a written statement.
The mixed-use development’s design could be approved later this month by the City Planning Commission. It is scheduled to be reviewed at the commission’s May 15 meeting. It received support by the commission at a hearing last month.
“This project is rooted in the voices of the AsiaTown community,” said Ashley Shaw, executive director of MidTown Cleveland, Inc. “Mingyue Place reflects what residents told us they wanted – a development that honors culture, supports connection, and creates welcoming spaces to gather.”
“Partnering with Cleveland Public Library helps bring that vision to life in a meaningful way,” she explained.
The vacated Dave’s Supermarket at left on the north side of Payne Avenue will be demolished for Building B of Mingyue Place. The store’s parking lot, at right, will host Building A of the planned mixed-use development (Google).
CPL’s planned new satellite location in AsiaTown is intended to expand access to neighborhood-based learning, resources, and cultural programming, said Felton Thomas, Jr., CPL’s executive director and CEO.
“Cleveland Public Library is proud to partner on Mingyue Place and excited to expand our presence in AsiaTown,” Thomas said. “The AsiaTown satellite reflects our commitment to providing free access to resources, lifelong learning, and culturally relevant programming. We look forward to continuing to serve this vibrant community and growing alongside it.”
The project got a big boost in December 2024 when it won from the Ohio Housing Finance Authority 4-percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to subsidize about 30 percent of the development costs. That will allow it to offer housing that’s affordable to more people.
Mingyue Place will offer a mix of one- to three-bedroom apartments affordable at 30, 60 and 80 percent of the area’s median income (AMI), supporting a range of income levels. According to the US Census, Cleveland’s AMI per household in 2024 was $40,801.
On the south side of Payne Avenue will be Building A, measuring 60,997 square feet or roughly 10,000 square feet smaller than Building B (MA Design).
The project plans to have solar panels and will meet LEED Gold certification, reflecting a commitment to sustainability and long-term affordability. Also planned are 127 parking spaces for the new development.
Over the past year, The NRP Group and MidTown Cleveland have hosted multiple community meetings and worked closely with the AsiaTown Cultural Committee – a group of residents and stakeholders formed to help guide how the project expresses and reflects Asian culture.
Through this process, community members emphasized the importance of creating a development that feels rooted in AsiaTown’s identity, supports small businesses, and offers welcoming third spaces for gathering, programming, and connection.
CPL branches have co-located with other recent residential developments. The new Martin Luther King Jr. Branch opened in January 2025 on the first two floors of the 11-story Library Lofts, 10555 Euclid Ave. in University Circle. And a new Walz Branch Library is being built into the ground floor of the four-story, under-construction Karam Senior Living apartments, 7910 Detroit Ave. in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
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