City Considers Land Transfers for Parks, Public Safety, and Utilities

Cleveland is moving forward with a plan to repurpose land for community growth and essential city services. Through emergency ordinance 552-2026, the Director of Development is authorized to transfer 134 parcels currently held in the City’s Land Reutilization Program to the Departments of Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, and Public Utilities. These transfers are intended to support the expansion and development of local parks, recreation centers, trails, and public facilities across Wards 1 through 14.

What's in the file

The legislation authorizes the interdepartmental transfer of land to support specific municipal infrastructure and recreational goals. According to the 552-2026-Legislative Summary-City Land Bank Transfers, the identified needs include:

The 552-2026 PRESENTATION 7.13.2026 provides a breakdown of the annual property tax exemptions associated with these transfers:

Use CategoryTotal Annual Value of Tax Exemptions
Park uses$104,174.20
Other public uses$61,130.42

To comply with Ohio Revised Code § 5722.07 regarding the retention of "nonproductive land," the city must obtain approval from affected taxing districts, which include Cuyahoga County and the Cleveland Municipal School District.

Who may be affected

Status and timeline

The ordinance has passed. The record indicates the following timeline:

  1. April 23, 2026: The ordinance was introduced.
  2. July 15, 2026: A presentation regarding the land bank parcel transfers was made to City Council.

Residents can verify the details of this legislation by visiting the official Cleveland City Council website.

Source record

File
552-2026
Type
Emergency Ordinance
Status
Passed
Committee
City Council
Introduced
April 22, 2026

View on Cleveland Legistar

Official documents

Sources