Marous Development Group’s Chester 82 development will add 131 apartments on the north side of Chester Avenue in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood (Harrison Whittaker). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Progress Pics: Chester 82, Hough Senior Independent Living, more
Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood celebrated the groundbreaking of its latest residential development just last week. However, several projects which got underway earlier this year have seen major construction progress into the autumn season.
The area’s two most prominent developments are located along Chester Avenue, bringing housing and neighborhood resources within a five-minute walk of 24-hour transit service along the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (GCRTA) HealthLine corridor.
At the northwest corner of Chester Avenue and East 65th Street, Birthing Beautiful Communities is constructing a new headquarters and birthing center (Harrison Whittaker).
At 1802 E. 65th St., nonprofit organization Birthing Beautiful Communities is building a new headquarters and birthing center. Planned uses include offices, birthing suites, community space, and more.
The maternal health campus was designed by City Architecture of Cleveland. The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company is the project’s general contractor.
At the northwest corner of Chester Avenue and East 82nd Street, construction has moved to the fifth and final floor of the Chester 82 development (Harrison Whittaker).
Meanwhile, construction has nearly topped out on Marous Development Group’s $31.7 million Chester 82 development at 1898 E. 82nd St. The five-story apartment building, designed by Sullivan Bruck Architects of Columbus, will consist of 131 affordably-priced market-rate units.
In 2025, the project was approved for up to $30 million in lease revenue bonds from the Port of Cleveland. Construction is expected to wrap up before the end of 2027.
Cleveland Bricks is finishing the second of two infill homes on East 84th Street (Harrison Whittaker).
While Hough has benefitted from affordable infill housing projects such as the scattered-site Parkside Homes development, market-rate infill exists as well. Notably, Cleveland Bricks is wrapping up construction on the second of two owner-occupied single-family homes on the east side of East 84th Street.
Despite the large number of new homes under construction, code violations and neglect continue to put the neighborhood’s historic building stock at risk of demolition — often without plans for redevelopment.
Historic homes are razed on Dibble Avenue, left, and East 71st Street — on a property owned by New Mt. Zion Baptist Church — at right (Harrison Whittaker).
On the other hand, the expansion of form-based zoning across most of Hough is expected to ease structural barriers to new development and speed up approvals by clarifying design expectations and allowing greater flexibility over building uses.
In fact, the first project approved under the new zoning rules last summer is already structurally complete. Developed by nonprofit CHN Housing Partners, the $17.5 million Hough Senior Independent Living development will feature 55 affordable apartments for seniors.
Hough Senior Independent Living, on its namesake avenue on the southeast corner of East 89th Street, has achieved its final form with the construction of exterior finishes underway (Harrison Whittaker).
The three-story building complies with design guidelines by placing parking in the rear — reducing conflicts with pedestrians — and centering the structure on the prominent intersection of Hough Avenue and East 89th Street.
Hough Senior Independent Living was designed by Hiti, DiFrancesco and Siebold (HD+S), a Cleveland-based architecture firm. The building is expected to open in early 2027.
Thurgood Marshall Green sees continued improvements on the former site of John W. Raper Elementary School (Harrison Whittaker).
Other neighborhood improvements include enhancements to existing green space — such as Thurgood Marshall Green, which opened in 2025 on the former site of John W. Raper Elementary School — thanks to work by the nonprofit Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
Through its Cleveland Green Transformation Initiative, the land conservancy aims to utilize city-owned vacant land to develop naturalized green spaces and expand the city’s tree canopy.
The Western Reserve Land Conservancy has been planting trees on city-owned vacant lots such as the one above as part of its Cleveland Green Transformation Initiative (Harrison Whittaker).
The initiative was funded via a $9.95 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund, through its Greening America’s Cities initiative. Cleveland was one of eight cities to receive funding in 2026.
For more construction updates around Greater Cleveland, check out NEOtrans’ other Progress Pics articles.
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