Choice Neighborhoods Buckeye-Woodhill Transformation Plan

Leading a major transformation of Woodhill Homes and the surrounding Buckeye-Woodhill community

What Is The Woodhill Transformation Plan?

The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) together with the City of Cleveland, The Community Builders City Architecture and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, is leading a major transformation of Woodhill Homes and the surrounding Buckeye-Woodhill community. Shaped by the vision and priorities of current residents, this transformation plan includes: new housing, streets, public space, and programming for a thriving community. The Transformation Plan’s creation was funded through a competitive 2017 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant awarded to CMHA from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and has subsequently been adopted by the City of Cleveland’s Planning Commission and accepted by HUD.

What Changes Will We See In The Community?

The #WoodhillUpNext Transformation Plan is structured into three distinct sets of strategies – Neighborhood Housing and People – to realize comprehensive change in the Buckeye-Woodhill Neighborhood over the next 5-7 years. Success will be the result of coordinated efforts with dozens of partners to implement the vision of over 800 participants who engaged on social media and at events. The physical improvements and social programming implemented will:

Create the infrastructure that links people, places and opportunity

Create concentrated nodes of investment and activity

Create a positive neighborhood identity via targeted placemaking and public space enhancements

Stabilize and strengthen neighborhood housing by retaining current residents and attracting new neighbors through new construction and renovation

Create opportunities for employment, ownership / entrepreneurship and wealth-building

Moving From Planning To Doing!

In December 2020, CMHA and the City of Cleveland were co-applicants in a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant application for $35 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A 2019 proposal resulted in #WoodhillUpNext being selected as one of five finalists, but not ultimately selected. 2021's refined and strengthened proposal was successful. The #WoodhillUpNext initiative has been awarded a $35 million grant to enable the Choice Neighborhood partners to implement the Transformation Plan and move forward to realize the community’s vision.

CMHA and The Community Builders have engaged City Architecture to complete the architectural designs for the first two phases of new housing. The project is on track to start construction in 2022. The City is committing funding for neighborhood improvements through the Mayor’s Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. The Community Builders developed new education and employment training programs that launched in 2021.

Housing

The Housing Plan achieves transformation through the replacement of outdated housing units with thoughtfully located new replacement and mixed-income units throughout Buckeye-Woodhill. It consists of 800 new and replacement units built in six phases. This placed-based approach amplifies new investment in the community to improve the well-being of Woodhill Homes residents and create the conditions to grow future demand and additional neighborhood investment.

Phases 1, 2, and 3

Will be constructed on off-site parcels in the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood

Phases 4, 5, and 6

To be constructed on the original Woodhill Homes site

Strategically Introducing

Transit-oriented development
Bridging the short distances to strong housing and employment markets in adjoining neighborhoods

Meeting Modern Family Needs

Integrate accessibility within the design
Include critical Wi-Fi connectivity

Timeline

Developing a Choice Neighborhoods Master Plan

The Transformation Plan’s creation was funded through a competitive 2017 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant awarded to CMHA from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).

#WoodhillUpNext is a Choice initiative aimed at transforming the Buckeye-Woodhill community to create a healthy, safe and supportive environment in which people can thrive.

Applying for Implementation Funding

In May 2021, HUD awarded CMHA and the City of Cleveland as a winner of their highly competitive Choice Neighborhoods grant program.

This grant will enable CMHA and Woodhill Homes residents the opportunity to be a part of a project that will bring more than 500 new, affordable housing units to the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood.

Implementing the Choice Neighborhoods Vision

The $35 million grant award enables the Choice Neighborhood partners to implement the Transformation Plan and move forward to realize the community’s vision.

The housing plan consists of six phases. The project will start construction in 2022.