Welcome

Currently, Watterson-Lake is owned by the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), but ownership will transfer to the City of Cleveland. The City has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit interested parties – private, nonprofit, or public sector partners – that are interested in re-envisioning the site and leading its post-school redevelopment. 

In 2021, Ward 15 Councilmember Jenny Spencer allocated funding for a community facilitation process to identify shared values, explore a community vision, and prioritize unmet needs (for example, filling current gaps in the housing or retail market, or other community needs). The findings of this facilitation and engagement process culminated in a Site Engagement Report which was integrated into the structure and content of the City’s RFP. 

The Watterson-Lake site could have one use, more than one use, or a range of multiple uses. The goal of the engagement process has been to identify community vision, needs, and values that will be reflected in the ultimate reuse of the site. Because Watterson-Lake is publicly-owned, this gives the community and the City of Cleveland an opportunity for deeper engagement around the future of this important site.