Friday, May 8, 2026 – Cleveland — The City of Cleveland Department of Development, in partnership with Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and Cleveland City Council, is seeking qualifications from professional development teams to redevelop four former school properties: Audubon (3.1 acres), Mount Auburn (1.6 acres), Central (4.5 acres), and Empire (2.1 acres).
The Landmark School Sites Redevelopment Request for Qualifications (RFQ) focuses on preserving and reactivating these historic buildings as long-term community assets.
“We want to build on the development momentum taking place on Cleveland’s east side by transforming the Audubon, Mount Auburn, Central, and Empire school buildings into lasting neighborhood assets,” said Joevrose Bourdeau Small, Director of Economic Development for the City of Cleveland. “This RFQ is an opportunity to return these locally designated landmark buildings to productive use while strengthening the surrounding communities.”
The four properties are located across Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods: Audubon in Mount Pleasant, Mount Auburn in Kinsman, Central in the Central neighborhood, and Empire in Glenville. All four buildings are locally designated landmarks. Audubon and Mount Auburn received landmark designation in 2005, Empire in 2012, and Central in 2016.
“This opportunity continues to expand the list of public-private partnerships created by the City and CMSD to place former school sites and buildings back into productive use,” said Michele Pomerantz, Mayor Bibb’s Chief of Education. “These projects support neighborhood revitalization, preserve our rich history, and reflect our broader commitment to reimagining buildings in ways that benefit residents and communities.”
Qualifications will be accepted from May 6 through June 10, 2026. A development team is expected to be selected by July 22, 2026.
Details on the submission process and evaluation criteria are available on pages 14–19 of the RFQ.
Learn more about this and other asset redevelopment projects and access the full RFQ at Asset Redevelopment | City of Cleveland Ohio.
