City Moves to Demolish Former Lakeshore Chevy Buildings

The former Lakeshore Chevy site is set to be demolished with funding from the Cuyahoga County Property Demolition Fund.

For many years, the Lakeshore Chevrolet dealership in Euclid served the automotive needs of residents throughout Northeast Ohio.  Since the dealership closed in 2008, however, the group of decaying buildings along East 185th Street have sat empty and abandoned.  That will likely change as the City of Euclid takes steps to demolish the buildings and prepare the site for redevelopment.

With help from the Community Improvement Corporation of Euclid and the Cuyahoga County Department of Development, the City began to strategically acquire the abandoned and tax-delinquent properties through the foreclosure process in late 2013.  The multiple structures on the 1.33 acre site were later condemned by Building officials due to severe structural deterioration. 

After soliciting bids, the City awarded a contract for the demolition of the buildings to Pro-Quality of Campbell, Ohio.  Funding for the project will come from the City’s $1 million grant award from the newly created Cuyahoga County Property Demolition Fund.  Work is expected to begin in the fall of this year. 

Demolition of the buildings and parking area will not only remove a blight from the community, it will also create a shovel-ready development site.  With its close proximity to Euclid Hospital, Hospice of Western Reserve, Villa Angela St. Joseph High School and University Hospitals, and along the up-and-coming East 185th Street business corridor, the site has tremendous potential to attract future development.

Market-based redevelopment options as well as potential interim greenspace uses for the Chevy site are being prepared as part of the East 185th Street Land-use and Transportation Plan.  The plan is a collaborative effort between the City of Euclid, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County Planning Commission and Northeast Shores Community Development Corporation. 

Jonathan Holody

Jonathan Holody is Director of Planning and Development for the City of Euclid.

Read More on City
Volume 6, Issue 9, Posted 6:16 PM, 09.08.2015