CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Eric Elmi can safely say he’s never seen two building facade collapses and a major apartment fire over the course of eight months in one city.
But the city’s chief building official told council Monday (Sept. 15) he can now check off that string of catastrophes.
“On Jan. 24, we had the tragic fire at the intersection of Cedar and Lee,” Elmi said during an update to City Council.
“(Much of) an almost $67 million project burned, with nine ladder trucks responding. It took all night and over 5 million gallons of water to put this fire down.”
Thanks to the bitter cold, that water caked whatever was left standing in ice.
The State Fire Marshal’s office launched a six-week investigation that left the cause undetermined.
Demolition started in late March and, aside from reopening that stretch of Cedar Road past Heights High School, more great news soon arrived.
“The engineers notified me that the foundations were still in excellent condition,” Elmi said, adding that, although charred, the elevator shafts remained “entirely intact and in great condition.”
Reconstruction started in July, with city inspections of the framing done the week of Sept. 7 for the first three floors.
Construction of the fourth (top) floor begins soon and framing could be completed in October. Wiring, pipes and mechanical parts would go in after that.
Elmi said the turnaround has been nothing short of amazing, with hopes for project completion by the end of this year or early 2026.
Developers Flaherty & Collins will cover the cost of a “professional, 24/7 fire watch,” both in-person and with cameras, Elmi added in response to a question about security from Council President Tony Cuda.
Meanwhile, in the northern end of town, foundation work on the Nobility Court apartments — a $15 million affordable housing complex — will start as soon as Sept. 22.
That will be followed by framing around the already-constructed elevator shaft.
Elmi also noted that the Heights Medical Building in the Cedar-Fairmount district now has a restored exterior after a facade and parapet collapse on Aug. 18, 2024.
“It was amazing that nobody got injured,” Elmi reiterated, referring to the size and scale of the stone that came crashing down onto the sidewalk around 2:45 a.m.
Engineers came up with a scaffolding design around the building so that businesses could remain open.
The parapets were restored with a much lighter molded fiberglass material that still looks like stone, “using technology to create historic parts.”
Shortly after that collapse, another facade parapet came down on Mayfield Road, attributed to poor construction and lack of maintenance, as opposed to age and weather-related wear-and-tear in Cedar-Fairmount.
In all, “it was a lot for our municipality, but I think it happens for a reason,” Elmi said. “It shows we are strong and we can rebuild it.”
Councilwoman Gail Larson also asked for an update on the $25 million Taylor-Tudor project, part of the Cain Park Village revitalization.
“They have gutted the inside entirely,” Elmi said. “And now they’re into the second phase of rehabbing inside.”
The old exterior’s historic appearance will be conserved “exactly — which I’m excited to see in this coming phase, actually. It’s going to look great.”
When Cuda also asked about a roof replacement, Elmi said it will only be partial.
Heights Music Hop
Going on this weekend, the 13th annual Heights Music Hop is set to take place Sept. 19-21, featuring dozens of acts and bands across town.
Music lovers will find live performances in Cedar-Fairmount on Friday (Sept. 19), Noble and Cedar-Lee on Saturday (Sept. 20) and Coventry on Sunday (Sept. 21).
A complete lineup can be found at www.futureheights.org/musichop,