City to conduct property appraisals in advance of East-West Corridor project | News

According to a city memorandum, the “objective is to obtain accurate and comprehensive valuations to inform city planning and development decisions.”

“This agreement will provide necessary data to support our ongoing efforts to enhance downtown Cleveland’s infrastructure and economic growth,” the memorandum stated.

The memorandum also states the “detailed market value appraisal reports” for each of the seven properties are due on July 31.

Last year, the Biden Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration announced Cleveland was selected for a nearly $27.5 million Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, which will be used construct a bridge over Third Street’s at-grade railroad crossing, near the former Whirlpool campus in downtown Cleveland.

The new bridge will be part of the city’s proposed corridor project, which will reroute heavy traffic from downtown’s Inman Street, as well as redirect large trucks from the Norfolk Southern’s Inman Street railroad underpass — a frequent site for bridge strikes, where trucks become stuck beneath as they attempt to pass under the 10-foot, 10-inch concrete structure.

The city will provide 20% in matching funds.

According to USDOT, the project will replace the Norfolk Southern Railroad’s “at-grade crossing on Third Street SE and with a grade-separated flyover bridge.”

Once completed, USDOT said the project will “eliminate potential conflict between rail and roadway users; improve reliability for freight rail traffic; reduce travel time for vehicular and non-motorized travelers; eliminate blocked crossings; and provide new dedicated facilities for non-motorized users.”

In 2021, the Biden Administration awarded the city $200,000 to fund the project’s design.

This is a developing story. The Cleveland Daily Banner will provide additional details as they become available.