Our History

Building Cleveland by Design

After launching in Fall 2006, BCbD began working with its partner organizations to determine market needs, interviewing dozens of private developers and public officials. We studied best practices in other cities to determine which could be replicated in Cleveland.

Subsequently, we identified development projects that would allow us to demonstrate principles of quality design. The first such demonstration project to emerge was the Wolstein Group’s Flats East Bank project, which had already received public funding and was close to achieving site control. The developers hired BCbD to manage the project’s certification as a pilot project of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) program. BCbD has also been leading design and implementation of a comprehensive network of green spaces in the Flats neighborhood.

More recently, BCbD has expanded to other parts of the City to seek partnership opportunities. Current projects include the Convention Center and Medical Mart project; redevelopment of the Midtown Corridor between Downtown and University Circle; and the W. 25th Street corridor in Ohio City. BCbD has also been exploring a program to assist building owners and tenants increase energy efficiency in existing buildings.