Site Background & FAQ

The prominent corner of West 74th and Detroit Avenue has been a school site for most of its history. The original, historic Watterson-Lake School was built in 1912 and rested on Parcel No. 002-18-009. In 2015, the historic building was abated and demolished by Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) due to severe disrepair and the presence of asbestos. 

The circa 1970 school building which was attached to the historic building remains on the site, at 1422 West 74th Street. 

1970s building 1422 W 74 Street.jpg

Overall, the site is comprised of multiple parcels, including the historic school building parcel; the current school building parcels; and parking and play space parcels between West 74th and West 75th Streets. This site is located 0.25 miles from the heart of the Gordon Square Arts District, but is at the nexus of extremely diverse sub-districts within the Detroit Shoreway and Cudell neighborhoods.

As part of its Facilities Master Plan, CMSD merged Watterson-Lake with Waverly School, which was rebuilt on West 57th Street and opened in 2019. The Watterson-Lake building has been vacant since 2019, and the community has patiently awaited updates about the site’s redevelopment and transfer from CMSD to the City of Cleveland. Two on-site playgrounds have remained open and accessible for community use during this time period. The Watterson-Lake land swap and redevelopment process were significantly delayed due to an impasse between CMSD and the State of Ohio (Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, OFCC) over what is known as “Segment 8” funding. CMSD and the OFCC have now reached agreement and the process is moving forward.

Timeline (Estimated)

On March 29, 2021, the Cleveland City Council approved Ordinance No. 75-2021, authorizing the Directors of Public Works and Community Development to enter into a property exchange agreement with the Board of Education of CMSD for the transfer of various properties between the parties to facilitate the efficient use of real estate for public purposes.

  • August 2021 – CMSD Segment 8 funding approved by the State of Ohio Controlling Board

  • Fall 2021 – Community engagement process for Watterson-Lake site

  • Spring 2022 - Watterson-Lake Site Engagement Report released

  • Summer 2022 - Draft Request for Proposals (RFP) issued; community feedback sought

  • Winter 2023 – City of Cleveland to issue Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of Watterson-Lake site. The findings of the community facilitation and engagement process will be integrated into the structure and content of the RFP.

  • Winter 2023 - CMSD finalizes demolition abatement documents and the State of Ohio (Ohio Facilities Construction Commission) puts the demolition out to bid.

  • Winter/Spring 2023 – Demolition of existing Watterson-Lake Building begins, an estimated 10-month process

  • Summer 2023 – RFP responses are received and evaluated; a contract is awarded for site redevelopment

  • Summer 2023 – Land swap between CMSD and City of Cleveland formalized once demolition is complete.

Frequently Asked Questions