Lakeview Terrace Master Plan

Master plan prioritizes health, equity, and diverse housing options for residents of one of the country’s oldest affordable housing developments

Situated in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, Lakeview Terrace is one of the oldest public housing developments in the country. Built in 1937 on a 22-acre hillside overlooking Lake Erie and the Old Cuyahoga River Channel, it includes row houses, apartment units, and a high-rise residential tower. Once an ideal affordable housing solution for Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) residents, Lakeview Terrace has suffered from isolation and pollution over the decades due to surrounding development, including a freeway and adjacent industrial property uses.

The adoption of the “Vision for the Valley” plan in 2021 spurred a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine Lakeview Terrace and improve the living environment for its residents. Led by OHM Advisors, this regional planning effort focused on sustainable growth and future development within the Cuyahoga River Valley. Preserving Lakeview Terrace as an affordable and desirable place to live emerged as a key priority in the redevelopment plan.

OHM Advisors collaborated with CMHA to develop a master plan for Lakeview Terrace that promotes CMHA’s goals of creating a healthier, more equitable community with increased diversity in incomes and housing types. The plan aims to integrate residents more seamlessly into the neighborhoods of Ohio City and Flats Forward. OHM Advisors led a team of five subconsultants through a robust resident and stakeholder engagement process to ensure that redevelopment recommendations are fully inclusive and align with CMHA's aspirations. The final deliverable outlines a vision for Lakeview Terrace, through phased improvements.

The OHM Advisors team provided a land survey, market assessments and recommendations, financial models, redevelopment programming, funding recommendations, a physical master plan with graphic visualizations, and cost estimating services for a minimum of 600 affordable housing units, with the potential for additional units across the income spectrum, up to market rate.