Reporter at News 5 Cleveland
After years of delays and failed plans, the site of the former Lakewood Hospital is finally getting the facelift it needs.It started in 2019, when Lakewood Hospital was torn down, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of the city.
RELATED: Former Lakewood hospital space in final steps before breaking groundSince then, plan after plan has been presented—and failed—earning the site the nickname “The Pit.” At one point, a group even pushed to leave the land empty and convert it into a park.Now, after years of uncertainty, Lakewood City Council has finally given the green light for construction to begin.Usually, when Carlos Ramos, owner of Tea Lab, headed to his business off Detroit Avenue near Belle, he saw an empty field across the street surrounded by a fence. But recently, he noticed another fence had been added, along with barricades and caution tape, signaling that change is finally coming.“I'm eccentric. I mean, I know we're in for a long two years of earth dust, but it's been a long time coming,” said Ramos.Since Lakewood Hospital closed, false hope has been all too common. But this week, Lakewood City Council gave final approval to move the plans forward and break ground.Councilman Tom Bullock told News 5 that two key pieces of legislation had to pass—and they did during Monday’s meeting.“One is for the actual sale of the property, because it belonged to the city of Lakewood, the people of Lakewood, and the second is for the final approval and execution of the of the tax structure,” said Bullock.Now, the 5.7-acre lot will soon be home to a $115 million mixed-use project. It will include 298 apartment units, hundreds of parking spaces, retail space, and a community public plaza.“They're going to be able to work first in the parking garage and then second on the first building with apartments and retail space in it,” said Bullock.The project is expected to take about two years.“I know I’m going to have a lot of dirty windows for a couple years, but it's going to, you know, it's going to be fun watching in the process,” said Ramos.And that’s something the community doesn’t seem to mind—because finally, “The Pit” will be no more.But even with fencing up and plans in place, one big question remains:When will the first shovel actually hit the ground?Well—that’s still up to the mayor to decide.
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