Aspen Place Transit-Oriented Development
Key Facts
Location: Cleveland, OH
Parnters: Greater Cleveland RTA and the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization
Summary: Developed, owned, and operated by the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, Aspen Place is an example of transit-oriented development that capitalizes on neighborhood assets and takes advantage of an innovative partnership with Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
About
Launching a trailblazing collaboration, the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO) and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) joined forces to provide transportation options to the transit-oriented development (TOD) project, Aspen Place. The development is a 100 percent affordable housing project with 40 units ranging from one to four bedrooms. The non-profit and public partnership included DSCDO purchasing the TOD site from the RTA and entering into a parking agreement with the authority. The two organizations also negotiated a per-unit purchase of RTA transit passes—one of the RTA’s first arrangements with a residential property owner.
TOD is a growing trend in creating vibrant and sustainable communities that leverage access to high-quality transit. Aspen Place is immediately adjacent to an RTA Rapid Transit Station and serviced by an RTA bus line. The TOD is part of Detroit Shoreway’s EcoVillage project that aims to provide environmentally conscious, pedestrian-friendly design in all new development. EcoVillage also strives to ensure high standards in energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, and accessibility by meeting Enterprise Green Communities criteria, a green building program designed explicitly for the affordable housing sector.
The variety of transportation options, adjacent to Aspen Place, reduces residents’ commuting costs and expands their mobility options—making the TOD especially impactful for seniors and working-class families who are unable to afford a car. Aspen Place’s partnership with the RTA provides passes for each of the units for the full term of the low-income housing tax credit equity, which offers true affordability for residents by reducing the cost burden of housing and transportation on household budgets. Additionally, the development’s proximity to transit reduces the number of parking spaces it requires—a feat that would have otherwise been impossible on the one-acre lot without reducing the total number of units.
Aspen Place represents infill redevelopment on previously vacant land and is a perfect example of small-scale TOD in an urban neighborhood. Enterprise Community Partners, KeyBank, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Finance Fund, the City of Cleveland, and Cuyahoga County financed Aspen Place. They hope this investment will spur additional revitalization efforts in the area, while also providing long-term, affordable housing options in the neighborhood.