20 New Homes in Glenville, Delayed Since Jackson Administration, Set to Be Completed

When some people drive through Glenville, sometimes all they see is blight. But when Anthony Burton takes a ride through the neighborhood, which is located just north of University Circle, he sees nothing but possibilities.

Burton, the African-American contractor behind Bequest Builders, is set to build 20 new homes here thanks to a deal with the city to purchase vacant lots from its land bank. The homes will be located on lots that are scattered between Ashbury Ave. to the south and Superior Ave. to the north, and E. 105th St. to the west and E. 118th Street to the east. The project was started several years ago by the Orlean Company and will now continue under Burton’s company.

In an interview, Burton said the 1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath homes will start at $330,000. He intends to build most of the homes once he already has a signed contract from a buyer in hand, but is considering building a speculative model home sometime next year.

The developer was recently approved by city council to buy the lots from the city’s land bank for an undisclosed price. He touted the benefits of building in Glenville near University Circle. “It’s just a great opportunity,” he said. “You’ve got folks coming from all over the city, transitioning into that area because of University Circle, Glenville and all the growth here.”

The 20-home project was originally part of Mayor Frank Jackson’s Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI), a $25 million public investment into three neighborhoods: Glenville, Fairfax and Clark-Fulton. The Orlean Company built six homes here before pulling out of the project. Now Burton, who was previously a construction manager on the project, is taking it over.

Stacy Biedleman, a real estate agent with FASS Real Estate Services in Shaker Heights, said these new homes are a great opportunity because the price point is lower than in other parts of the city and because they address a shortage of homes in the market. “Right now, we don’t have a lot of existing homes for sale,” she said. “The benefit we see is that new construction is what’s going to pull us out of this seller’s market. We don’t have enough units for sale, so new construction is absolutely needed right now.”

Biedleman said because of the city’s 15 year tax abatement policy, it’s often cheaper to buy a new house than to purchase an older home. That policy changed under Mayor Bibb’s administration, but Glenville still qualifies for tax abatement. According to the city’s website, tax abatement ranges from 85-100 percent of value with a max cap of $350,000 on new homes.

“It’s a good opportunity not only for professionals transitioning into the market but also for first time homebuyers,” she said.

Burton, who said he plans to sell five units a year and finish the project in four years, wants to break ground on the homes next year. With the increase in building prices, it’s almost impossible to build a new home for less than $300,000, he said, which can prove to be a challenge with buyers. Right now, he said he’s getting 10-12 inquiries per week, half of them from people who want a house immediately and half from people who are willing to wait for a new build.

“My hope is come spring time we’re ready to put up some more units based on sales,” he said.

Ward 9 council member Kevin Conwell said he’s glad to support the project, which he says builds on the investment that’s already taking place in his neighborhood. Recent investments include the Glenvillage project, Sara J. Harper Village, Fisher House, The Davis affordable housing project, and more.

“You’ve gotta create more African-American developers,” he said. “Children need to see success every day. When they see African-American males doing it, then they start dreaming and believing they can do it, as well.”

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