City of Cleveland selects ArtCraft building for new police HQ site

Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022 — Cleveland — After a competitive RFP process the city has selected the historic ArtCraft building, located at 2530 Superior Avenue, as the top pick for the new Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) headquarters.  
 
The city will begin negotiations for the site with a team led by TurnDev Development and expects to have legislation ready for city council in January 2023.  
 
“This site presents the best combination of location, timing, functionality, and cost while meeting the needs of our Division of Police,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “I appreciate the hard work and due diligence of the team to ensure we deliver on this important project.”  
 
The city received six proposals in response to its October 2022 RFP. Following review, the ArtCraft building was the clear recommendation.  
 
The ArtCraft building can be transformed into a world-class home for CDP within the existing budget, based on the City’s previous bond issuance, and will save an estimated $40 million when compared to the all-in cost for the Opportunity Corridor site.  
 
This savings accounts for the approximately $9 million previously spent on design, engineering, and consulting costs for the Opportunity Corridor site—much of which was spent on studying CDP’s space and design needs, work that can be translated to the ArtCraft building design process.  
 
Selection of the ArtCraft site will also mean a faster delivery time, bringing CDP into their new home in early 2025—18 to 24 months before the Opportunity Corridor site—saving costs on future lease payments at the Justice Center.  
 
And the 250,000 sq. ft. ArtCraft site allows for a single location for CDP HQ functions, freeing up 2001 Payne Avenue (Public Safety Central) and the Opportunity Corridor site for other potential revenue-generating uses. 
 
“The city remains excited about the future of Opportunity Corridor and bringing high-quality, accessible jobs to the Corridor,” said Cleveland’s Chief of Integrated Development Jeff Epstein. “This decision opens up an incredibly valuable site for future development and job creation.” 
 
The redevelopment of the ArtCraft site will be an adaptive re-use of a vacant historic building in a prominent and highly visible Superior Avenue location that is transit accessible and has highway access. The gut-rehab renovation will include all new building systems, roof, parking garage, and efficient floorplan with the flexibility needed for all CDP functions today and into the future.  
 
“We support the ArtCraft building recommendation and are excited about moving forward,” said Police Chief Wayne Drummond. “This new location will benefit our future direction tremendously, allowing us to not only move into our permanent home sooner, but also increase efficiency by having all HQ functions under one roof.”