Midline Master Plan Envisions 2,500 Jobs
A new plan for Cleveland's near-East Side would redevelop 21 sites into a business district with trails and public space.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Remote Work
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Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund released a master plan for the Midline Business District on Cleveland's near-East Side. The plan envisions more than 2,500 jobs and 1.5 million square feet of development across 21 sites.
Why it matters
The Midline's polluted, empty factories, legal liens, and unknown owners make the land difficult for private investors to redevelop. The plan is intended to make the area ready for new employers in Cleveland.
The plan projects more than 2,500 jobs and 1.5 million square feet of development across 21 sites in an area of more than 350 acres, about 150 acres of which are occupied by active businesses that will remain in place. Timelines and funding commitments for these projections were not included in the plan summary.
The players
Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund
A city-created fund that works with the Cuyahoga Land Bank to acquire, clear, and assemble underutilized land for redevelopment.
Cuyahoga Land Bank
A public land bank serving Cuyahoga County that acquires and manages tax-delinquent and vacant properties for redevelopment.
Justin Bibb
The mayor of Cleveland whose administration created the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund three years ago.
The details
The plan guides development through form-based zoning standards that create a consistent street wall across the district, placing factory or warehouse offices next to major-street sidewalks with manufacturing or storage behind. It also encourages more than 2 miles of all-purpose trails called the Midline Greenway and at least 10 acres of open public space.
Timeline
Three years ago: Mayor Justin Bibb's administration created the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund.
Late-20th century: Major employers closed, leaving devastation in the Midline area.
Friday: The plan seeks input and support from the City Planning Commission.
Market Landscape
The Midline's brownfields are harder to redevelop than the large, clean, green lands at the outer fringes of suburbia, which developers have found easier to build on. The master plan positions the near-East Side as an urban alternative that the city is preparing for new employers.
For residents of Cleveland's near-East Side, the plan points to new employment and trails near their neighborhoods if the projected development proceeds. Workers in the area could see new job options, though the plan does not state when those jobs would become available.
The takeaway
Redeveloping brownfields like the Midline can turn long-idle industrial land into a source of jobs, but the path depends on cleanup, assembly, and public investment. Residents watching the process can track the City Planning Commission's review as the next checkpoint.
What happens next
The master plan will seek input and support from the City Planning Commission on Friday.
Further reading
Explore more on Remote Work to see how the shift in where jobs are located is reshaping cities like Cleveland.
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Do you support public investment to redevelop old industrial land in your city's neighborhoods?
