Impact Of New Economic Development
Economic development is the engine the drives strong communities. While redevelopment often brings continued or increased income tax to the city it is in, redevelopment sometimes does not make as much of a difference to the entities driven by property tax, such as our schools, libraries, Metroparks and many county services. On the other hand, new development, on vacant land, can be both an engine for cities that are driven mainly on income tax and the entities noted above that are driven mainly by property tax.
In Seven Hills we have an opportunity before us for new development. The owners of the private property on Rockside Rd. close to and along Crossview Rd. have submitted a new proposal to the city. The most significant reason for the new proposal is to incorporate the Cleveland Rehabilitation Hospital and frontage outparcels into the development master plan.Note this proposal is in the earliest of phases business development and is contingent on several factors such as economy, approval of our planning commission, city council and economic incentives from the Parma City School District. Further, all vested partners will need to come to a development agreement before this proposal can move forward.Therefore, please understand what we have before us is only a proposal, not too different than some of the proposals that have previously come before us regarding this privately owned property.
If all parties can come to an agreement, the first phase of the project will encompass the northern 11 acres of the site and will include mass grading and stormwater management, installation of utility mains with extensions for southern portions, construction of the required shared access ways, a 60 bed 3-story orthopedic and stroke rehabilitation hospital, and multiple outparcels along Rockside Rd. The front 11 acres would consist of two terraces. The hospitals will occupy the terrace further from the Rockside Rd, while the lower terrace fronting Rockside Rd. will be reserved for the development of office, commercial, retail and/or restaurant uses consistent with our (PUD) planned unit development ordinance. One major difference between this submittal and those previously submitted is that it does not include any plans for apartments over retail/commercial.
The Cleveland Rehabilitation Hospital would be an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) operated by Nobis Rehabilitation Partners. IRF’s provide intensive rehabilitation services using an interdisciplinary team approach in a hospital environment. Admission to an IRF is appropriate for patients with complex nursing and speech-language pathology. Approximately ninety (90%) of the patients come from acute care setting with an average stay of 12-14 days so that they can be discharged back to their homes. On any given day, the average occupancy of this proposed 3-story, 60 bed facility will be approximately 85-90%. Nobis facilities of this size typically staff approximately 60 people during the day and 40 at night.
The potential tenants for the lower terrace have not been identified but restaurants, some retail and office are the excepted uses of this area.
Plans for the southern section of the development call for a residential area with remain townhouses and some single-family homes along the southern most section.
The goal of this district remains to create a welcoming, thoughtful, and coordinated development that is responsive to market needs, a regional draw, and be an asset to both the community of Seven Hills and the Parma City School District.
Tony Biasiotta
Mayor, City of Seven Hills. Ohio