Politics & Government

19-Home Development Eyed on Sloane Avenue

City hosting a public meeting July 6 to discuss the proposal further.

A developer is eyeing some large chunks of land on Sloane Avenue to build 19 townhomes along the Rocky River.

However, the plans for the multi-million-dollar project on the city’s western border are only in the preliminary stages. 

Andrew Brickman, the developer who built Eleven River — the upscale townhomes on the other side of the river — approached the city in January with a proposal to demolish three homes in the 1300 block of Sloane Avenue to make way for upscale, cluster townhomes.

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Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers said the plans “have been percolating at a rational, slow pace until now."

He said he hopes for some input at a public meeting July 6 to discuss the proposal further. 

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“This puts houses where houses have never been before and that's going to be very interesting,” he said. “This would be a fairly dramatic engineering undertaking.”

Plans call for 19 townhomes to be built, extending to the Rocky River, but Summers said that too many homes could make the neighborhood feel “congested.”

“But that's what the meeting is for,” he added. “We want to make sure that folks who might be affected know what we're doing."

Ward 1 Councilman David Anderson, who represents Sloane Avenue, said he’s listening to the proposal with an open mind.

“The opportunity to convert three multi-family properties into 19 townhomes is the type of economic development that leads directly to neighborhood and economic growth and works to ensure Lakewood's future,” he said. “Obviously, though, should the project go forward, we must understand all concerns and questions neighbors have about this project.”

At least two of the three homes included in the deal are on the market.

Not everyone is thrilled with the proposal.

A resident in one of the homes included in the plans, named Steve — who asked that his last name not be used for this story — said he worries that should a deal go through, the homes would be demolished and the project would stall.

 “We’ve seen renderings of really nice condos (farther up Sloane Avenue) and those never came through,” he said. “If you start the project and you finish it, fine. Just get it done.”

Although the in the neighborhood, Steve — who rents the home — said he didn’t receive one, but added he has been hearing all the rumors of the deal.

“As far as I know the properties haven’t been sold,” he said. “So what we’re talking about is a developer with possible ideas. There’s no movement yet — as far as I know.”

The public meeting is slated to take place at St. Peters Episcopal Church at 7 p.m. July 6.


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