At The Elliot, two homes built by Greenlight Building Co. straddle the border of Cleveland and East Cleveland (Harrison Whittaker). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Progress Pics: Circle East District holds Phase 1 ribbon-cutting
Stakeholders and community leaders gathered Friday on Woodlawn Avenue to celebrate the completion of the $4.6 million initial phase of the Circle East district — described as a “new 30-acre neighborhood” spanning the cities of Cleveland and East Cleveland, just east of University Circle.
Those in attendance included East Cleveland Mayor Sandra Morgan, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-11), and Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin who represents Ward 6, including University Circle/Little Italy.
In addition to seven homes built or renovated by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank, 18 existing residents received an average of $18,000 toward home improvement projects. Homes were built to prioritize sustainable living, with most offering rooftop solar panels or energy-efficient designs.
A sign in front of the renovated Mickey’s Building, 12550 Euclid Ave., offers details about ongoing redevelopment at the Circle East District (Harrison Whittaker).
Circle East hopes to add 200 new homes across its six phases and has partnered with developers Greenlight Building Co., Cleveland Bricks, and Martin Premier Homes — all based in Cleveland. Initial construction has focused on Woodlawn Avenue, with subsequent development continuing on streets to the northeast.
Greenlight recently completed two single-family homes at The Elliott, 1881-1885 Woodlawn Ave., featuring craftsman-style designs and green infrastructure like solar panels and EV chargers.
Two homes at the Circle East Brownstones sit beside the completed Circle East Greenway (Harrison Whittaker).
Perhaps the most iconic of the new homes are the Circle East Brownstones, a collection of four traditionally-styled brick residences developed by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank. Three of them have already sold, according to county records.
Next, Cleveland Bricks expects to break ground on a townhome development that would fill vacant lots on both sides of Woodlawn Avenue, while Martin Premier Homes plans to build two single-family residences.
From Penrose Avenue, seating and bike racks line the newly-completed Circle East Greenway (Harrison Whittaker).
The district has also seen big investments in infrastructure modernization, including $10 million in water and sewer line work from the Northeast Oho Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) and roadway reconstruction on Euclid and Woodlawn avenues.
Walking and cycling connectivity have been bolstered by the construction of the $1.2 million Circle East Greenway, creating a mid-block connection between Woodlawn and Penrose avenues and Brightwood and Wadena streets.
Two more homes at the Circle East Brownstones stand on the southwest side of Woodlawn Avenue (Harrison Whittaker).
Improvements are not limited to the Circle East District. In 2025, infrastructure spending citywide in East Cleveland had increased to nearly $30 million — up from zero in 2018.
Earlier this week, the City of East Cleveland along with AT&T and JobsOhio announced that a project to bring fiber internet to over 12,000 homes by the end of 2026 was about 80 percent complete.
A new home at the southeast end of Woodlawn Avenue was developed by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank with Dommus Construction Co. as its general contractor (Harrison Whittaker).
And while new development thus far has focused on the southwest corner of East Cleveland near University Circle, the city quietly passed a massive zoning overhaul this spring, significantly reducing barriers to new construction.
For more construction updates around Greater Cleveland, check out NEOtrans’ other Progress Pics articles.
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