Renovation of a municipal facility in Cleveland, Ohio. Completed plans call for the renovation of a municipal facility.

https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/landmark/agenda/2026/AGENDA_CLC5-28-2026.pdf Case 26-035: Cleveland City Hall/Mall Historic District Cleveland City Hall – 601 Lakeside Avenue East Modernization Ward 8: Councilmember Howse-Jones Project Representatives: Mark Duluk, City of Cleveland ----------- https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/04/council-shelves-mayor-bibbs-7m-city-hall-basement-renovation-sends-plan-back-to-drawing-board.html CLEVELAND, Ohio — A $7 million proposal to transform City Hall’s basement into a “People’s Lobby” is on hold after Cleveland City Council sent the plan back to the drawing board, questioning whether the price tag makes sense as other city infrastructure is “falling apart.” The decision halts Mayor Justin Bibb’s proposal that would knock down walls, relocate departments and move security checkpoints in City Hall’s basement – rebranded as the “garden level” – to recreate an open concept lobby where residents can more easily access city services. Council President Blaine Griffin said council supports parts of the plan, including renovating City Hall’s west entrance to create a more accommodating ADA accessible entrance. Still, he said council didn’t have the appetite for the broader proposal that includes a coffee shop, cafeteria upgrades and new restrooms. “We have roads and recreation centers and other things in this city falling apart,” Griffin told cleveland.com. “So, at the end of the day, we just don’t believe that this big renovation should be a priority over those things.” Jamie DeRosa, director of the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects, told council during Monday’s finance meeting that City Hall is technically ADA-compliant today, but the current setup is not accommodating. Fixing that would be “the right thing to do.” The initial renovation plan said renovating the west entrance to become accessible would cost $1.4 million. But DeRosa said at Monday’s finance committee meeting that Cleveland would have to spend more than $4 million to make the basement level more accessible, including changes made inside the building. The $7 million basement renovation is part of Cleveland’s $105 million capital improvement plan, which the mayor and council negotiate and approve each year to fund public infrastructure through bonds. Parts of the capital plan have already been approved, but most of the legislation is scheduled for a Monday night vote following weeks of committee hearings. Council is set to move ahead with spending on residential street resurfacing, new city vehicles, fire station upgrades, fixing pools at recreation centers and fixing tree-damaged sidewalks — just to name a few projects. Some work at City Hall will continue including office renovations on the building’s upper floors and adding lighting to the Willard parking garage attached to the building. Bibb’s City Hall modernization proposal, however, will be separated from the broader capital plan and must advance through council as standalone legislation. Council put the $7 million basement renovation on hold, as well as $500,000 to create new offices in the Public Auditorium building for the Parks & Recreation staff, who would be moved from City Hall in the “People’s Lobby” plan. The basement renovation is one piece of a larger, multi-year investment in City Hall. Documents shared with council show the administration envisions about $22 million in spending on City Hall projects between 2026 and 2030. Council has scrutinized the mayor’s plans since early March. DeRosa has said in past meetings that City Hall has suffered from years of deferred maintenance and needs upgrades to function as a modern facility. Council members, however, have balked at the price tag for the amenities Bibb is proposing. In past council meetings, DeRosa and City architect Mark Duluk said Bibb’s plan aimed to create a more welcoming City Hall. As it currently stands, there are only two ways for visitors and employees to enter City Hall. One is the front entrance, where people — sometimes carrying strollers — must climb steps and pass through ornate doors before going through security. The other way is the back entrance, where people come through the Willard parking garage and a narrow back entrance before immediately hitting a security checkpoint. The elevator that runs to the surface level is the only way to avoid the back entrance’s steps. DeRosa and Duluk said the People’s Lobby concept will create an open, more inviting space that welcomes people and allows them to visit some city departments without going through security and scanning an ID. People can enter from either the back and west entrance and enter the same lobby. City Hall has entrances on the east and west that bring visitors down to the basement level but have remained closed for years. The east entrance did have ADA-accessible ramps in the past, though city officials have told council that entrance is no longer compliant. And it is not close enough to the back entrance to create the open-concept lobby. ---------------------------------------------------- The City of Cleveland is seeking qualified Construction Manager at Risk Team Partners to provide construction services for City Hall modernization. The project delivery is Construction Manager at Risk, overseen by the Mayor's Office of Capital Projects through the Division of Architecture and Site Development. The work includes improvements focusing on modernization of common areas and improved accessibility, including accommodating the relocation of select departments and divisions within City Hall or to Public Auditorium. The Construction Manager at Risk may be responsible for evaluating the need for separate bid packages to serve the City's economic interests. The City has retained an Architect and Engineers of Record who will remain under contract with the City through the end of construction to complete construction documents and perform construction administration activities. Question Deadline 03/27/2026 at 12:00 PM ET Questions should be directed/addressed via City's OpenGov eProcurement Portal Question & Answer feature. Site visit info : Leave adequate time to get through security. Photo ID is required.