Momentum Building for Cleveland's 'Middle Neighborhoods' Plan
When Frank Camardo and his older brother, Sam, bought a cluster of vacant commercial buildings in Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood, they expected it to take five years to fill the forlorn storefronts and sketch out the future of the surrounding land.
Then they heard about a pilot program that offered matching grants of up to $50,000 for interior renovations along commercial corridors. That funding, through Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, allowed the developers to white-box the space — redoing the floors, patching the walls and creating a nearly move-in-ready canvas.
Now, two years in, they've fully leased their storefronts on Pearl Road. The Geek Peek, a shop that specializes in collectibles and games, opened in July. Lekko Coffee is preparing to open next door. And the Camardo brothers, with development partner John Ellis, recently submitted plans to the city for a seven-unit townhouse project on adjacent property.