City of Cleveland issues RFQ to redevelop the McCafferty Health Center Site into affordable housing

Thursday, August 29, 2024 - Cleveland - The City of Cleveland invites professional real estate development teams to respond to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to redevelop the McCafferty Health Center Site to address the need for affordable housing in the Ohio City neighborhood.

The 19,000-square-foot clinic, constructed in 1971, is largely underutilized, with approximately 25 percent of the space occupied by the Cleveland Department of Public Health. The relocation of the public health center offers a unique opportunity for reinvestment in the 1.3-acre site on Lorain Avenue-a thriving commercial corridor in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. The City and Councilman Kerry McCormack are seeking project visions for affordable housing with ground-floor uses aimed toward nonprofit or social services that support neighborhood residents.

Transforming this city-owned site to meet the neighborhood's affordable housing needs has long been a part of Councilman McCormack's vision and Ohio City's Strategic Plan. This initiative is further supported by the Cleveland 2030 Housing Equity Plan, as well as local, state, and national studies that validate the need for affordable housing due to the rising number of households that pay high percentages of their income toward housing costs.

"In order to sustain a vibrant and equitable City, we believe that it's critical to maintain and create housing opportunities where individuals do not have to pay more than 30 percent of their income on this basic need," stated Trudy Andrzejewski, Bureau Chief of Neighborhood Revitalization in the City's Department of Community Development. "Projects like this are an opportunity for the City to play a part in reducing the intense housing cost burden of Clevelanders at various income levels, in this case, focused on the rental market."

To ensure this opportunity is place-based and rooted in community voice, the Department of Community Development collaborated with Ohio City Incorporated to release a Community Values survey on July 1, 2024. This survey will remain open throughout the RFQ process and can be accessed here. Community partners at nearby institutions, including the May Dugan Center, the Spanish American Committee, the Young Latino Network, and the West Side Catholic Center, have also administered the survey to their clients.

"I want to thank all of the public health professionals who have served the Cleveland community from the McCafferty Health Center for decades," stated Councilman McCormack. "Their work has touched the lives of many people in need of medical services in our neighborhoods. As we move forward, I am excited about the future of this site continuing to serve a public purpose by providing affordable housing and social services to the neighborhood. I appreciate the hard work of City staff and look forward to future community engagement to ensure this is the best project possible."

Qualifications will be accepted through October 1, 2024, with selection of a development team no later than November 1, 2024. A virtual info session will be held on Friday, September 6, 2024, at 1 PM EST. Please register here, if you plan to attend.

The Submission Process and Evaluation Criteria and can be found on pages 19-21 of the RFQ.

Learn more about this and other asset redevelopment projects and access the full RFQ at Asset Redevelopment | City of Cleveland Ohio.