Redevelopment Planned for Martin Luther King, Jr. High School Site

August 2, 2026

Cleveland City Council has passed an emergency ordinance to facilitate the redevelopment of the former Martin Luther King, Jr. High School property. The legislation, identified as Ord. No. 661-2026, updates a previous 2025 ordinance to ensure the site at 1651 East 71st Street can be legally transferred to a developer for future housing construction.

What's in the file

The ordinance amends Ordinance No. 1116-2021 to address administrative changes and clerical corrections necessary for the project to move forward. According to the legislative summary from the Department of Development, the changes include:

Updating the authorizing official from the Community Development Director to the Development Director to reflect recent departmental restructuring.
Correcting an incorrect address listed in the original ordinance.
Granting authority to the Development Director to execute the agreements and documents required to finalize the sale of the property to Structures Unlimited, LLC for housing development.

Who may be affected

Ward 8: The project site is located within this ward.
Department of Development: This department has assumed responsibility for the real property transaction from the former Department of Community Development.
Structures Unlimited, LLC: The entity designated to receive the property for future redevelopment.

Status and timeline

February 10, 2025: Ordinance No. 1116-2021 was originally passed regarding the acquisition and sale of the site.
May 15, 2026: Ord. No. 661-2026 was introduced to amend the previous legislation.
June 12, 2026: The emergency ordinance was officially recorded as passed.

Residents can verify these details by reviewing the official record for Ord. No. 661-2026 through the Cleveland City Council website.

Key facts

Project Site: 1651 E. 71st St
Ward: 8
Developer: Structures Unlimited, LLC

Source record

File: 661-2026
Type: Emergency Ordinance
Status: Passed
Committee: City Council
Introduced: May 14, 2026

View on Cleveland Legistar