Start Right Development Corporation has launched an ambitious initiative focused on strengthening the community along the border of East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. The organization is committed to revitalizing the area, focusing on replacing vacant lots with new residential structures.

Revitalization Strategy: Building New Homes

Rev. Hicks, a former Cleveland Heights councilman who served from 1998 to 2006, detailed the group's strategy. “We’re going to revitalize this neighborhood,” Hicks explained. “We’re going to put new homes where there are vacant lots.”

New Home Specifications and Funding

The planned construction involves one-story homes, each measuring 1,500 square feet. These single-family designs will feature three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Financing for these projects is secured through the Cornerstone Fund.

Furthermore, the new residences are slated to come with a 15-year tax abatement, an incentive designed to attract residents and stabilize the area.

Progress in the Cardonia Neighborhood

Start Right has already completed the construction of one home on Nela View Road. Work is scheduled to commence soon on a second vacant lot along the same street. This effort directly addresses blight in the Cardonia neighborhood of Cleveland Heights, located near Noble Road.

Hicks pointed to approximately 40 markers indicating vacant lots in the area. “Our goal is to build on each of these lots,” he stated, emphasizing the scale of the undertaking.

The Nobility Courts Project

A significant part of Start Right’s vision includes the Nobility Courts development. This project involves 52 units planned for the site of a former McDonald’s restaurant that has remained vacant for over three decades.

Start Right holds a 25% partnership stake in Nobility Courts. A key commitment stemming from community input involves operating a coffee shop within the development. “We’re twenty-five percent partners in Nobility Court and we’re responsible for putting in the coffee shop and making sure it is running,” Hicks noted, ensuring residents receive requested amenities.

Nobility Courts is scheduled to open this coming fall. In addition to new construction, Start Right has rehabilitated twenty existing homes within the neighborhood and assisted in establishing a local hunger center.

Future Outlook and Pricing

The group plans to continue building new houses as soon as the recently completed homes are sold. The current listing price for these newly constructed homes is approximately $250,000.