Architect David Ellison had been watching the dilapidated cluster of buildings at the southwest corner of W. 41st and Lorain fall apart for years. His dismay only grew as copper thieves looted the property, rainwater poured through the roof, and illegal activity soared in the shadows of the boarded-up building.

When Ellison learned that the City of Cleveland had granted a permit to tear the buildings down, he decided to do something. "One way to improve real estate values is to remove eyesores," he says. "Since I'm a homeowner in the neighborhood, I wanted to protect my investment."

Ellison had a different idea. He purchased the condemned buildings from Ohio City Near West (now Ohio City, Inc.). Four years later, thanks to extensive renovations, he has preserved an important piece of Ohio City's history. After peeling off layers of rotting additions, he brought back to life a beautiful brick Victorian. During the intervening span, he battled city bureaucracy, cost overruns, the credit crunch and the recession.

Ellison recently moved his architectural offices into half of the first floor, and has plans to renovate the second floor as leasable office space. He has applied for financing to finish the project, but has not been able to obtain a loan in part because Lorain Avenue's commercial rental rates make it difficult to justify the costs.

Renovating the upstairs into apartments is another option, but financing for mixed-use projects is notoriously difficult to obtain. "It's tough to get financing for a residential project in a commercial zone," he says.

Although he's discouraged by the slow pace of his project, Ellison says that Lorain Avenue has steadily improved over the years, and his renovation has helped. "The street needs more occupancy so we can push the criminal activity away," he says.

Ellison says that the rebirth witnessed in the Gordon Square Arts District can happen here. The key to success, he says, is diversifying the retail offerings on Lorain so that they serve local residents' needs while also attracting shoppers that live outside the neighborhood.

Source: David Ellison
Writer: Lee Chilcote