New Walz library branch to feature affordable senior housing
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The ceremonial groundbreaking. Photo: Courtesy Northwest Neighborhoods CDC
The Cleveland Public Library and Northwest Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation have at last broken ground on the new Walz branch in Detroit Shoreway.
Why it matters: The revamped west side branch will be a joint development with Karam Senior Living, offering 51 units of affordable senior housing with direct connection to the library.
State of play: The $34 million project has been long delayed by cost increases and stalled fundraising.
- Library patrons in Detroit Shoreway and Edgewater have been without their neighborhood branch since it closed in early 2022.
Catch up quick: The project site at West 80th Street and Detroit Avenue was formerly home to the Detroit Chateau, an apartment building operated by Northwest Neighborhoods.
- CPL and the local community development corporation saw an opportunity for a "co-located model blending affordable housing with library services," a news release explains.
- The units will be made available to seniors 62 and older with incomes 60% or less than the area median income.
Zoom out: Cleveland voters in 2017 approved a levy increase to fund CPL's 10-year, $100 million facilities master plan, which aims to refresh or rebuild all 27 neighborhood branches.
- CPL last year completed its new Martin Luther King Jr. branch in University Circle, which was also topped by apartments — the Library Lofts.
What they're saying: "Karam Senior Living isn't just housing," said Bridget Kent Márquez, executive director of Northwest Neighborhoods.
- "It's a promise that aging in place with dignity is possible, and that all residents can remain vital members of our community."
What's next: The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority anticipates opening a waitlist for the Karam Senior Living units in the fall of 2026.