CLEVELAND — Nestled between University Circle, its iconic institutions and one of Cleveland's most prestigious universities is a historic strip: Hessler Road. 

What You Need To Know

  • In northeast Ohio, residents of historic districts are working to keep a sense of community as the landscape around them changes

  • Residents of Hessler Road in Cleveland said they hope development doesn’t change what they love about the street they call home

  • In 1975, Hessler Road became the first designated landmark district in the city of Cleveland

Laura Cyrocki is one of Hessler’s longterm residents. She said she was attracted to its artsy vibe and annual art- and music-focused event, The Hessler Street Fair, which drew hundreds of people each year. 

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Hessler Street Fair, which started in 1969, has gone quiet. But conversations about the street's future are still happening as community members, who said they consider themselves more like family, said they're coming to terms with the impact development will continue to have on keeping the street historic. 

“I felt like since it was a historic district, a very dense one, we were protected. And I knew the people who worked and fought to get it designated a historic district and actually to get the Landmarks Commission in place down at city hall,” Cyrocki said. 

It’s been almost a year since University Circle Incorporated, the entity that owns many of the buildings and lots in the area, informed Hessler Road residents of plans for a new apartment building on their street. 

“The first time I got a sense of that, I received an email from University Circle Inc, [a] public meeting about the new development coming to Hessler and Ford, and I opened the email and the development site was outlined in red and I thought wow, how, where, what is this?” Cyrocki said. 

The apartment building is one that Patrick Holland from the Hessler Road Neighborhood Association said doesn’t quite look like it belongs. 

“I understand change is constant — we fully understand that, but I think we also need to remember that change is not always for the best. And if change is going to happen, it should be within some historical context,” Holland said. 

Since last winter, a structure that once housed the Hessler museum has been demolished, but construction on the planned apartment building hasn’t started. These Hessler residents said they have hope that continued conversation with the city’s Landmark Commission — which deemed the area historic — University Circle Inc. and anyone that will listen, they might still be able to keep Hessler historic. 

“The history of this street, ... it's this something worth fighting for,” Holland said. 

The apartment developers said they have worked with residents to scale the project down. The new plan includes decreasing the number of units in the building. They also indicated they are open to additional meetings in the near future. 

 

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