Jason Russell, the Cleveland developer known for city-planning work and recent roles at Bedrock, is stepping into one of the city’s highest-profile civic jobs. On Thursday, April 23, 2026, he joins the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation as vice president of real estate development and planning, where he will lead NCWDC’s push to master plan and redevelop the downtown lakefront, a site city officials have flagged as a multi-decade priority.
The hiring was first reported by the Cleveland Business Journal, which notes that Russell will oversee the nonprofit’s real estate strategy and planning work for the lakefront. According to the report, he will serve as the point person on development proposals for the stretch north of Huntington Bank Field.
Russell is hardly an unknown quantity in local development circles. He helped transform Shaker Heights’ Van Aken District and previously served as a planner in Lakewood before moving into a senior operations role at Bedrock, as detailed by Cleveland Magazine. He has also served on civic boards, including a city-backed nonprofit tied to the West Side Market, according to reporting by Ideastream Public Media. That blend of public-sector planning experience and private-sector execution is exactly what NCWDC says it needs as the lakefront effort shifts from broad vision to on-the-ground implementation.
Where the Hire Fits In the Lakefront Push
NCWDC is already deep into turning years of talk into actual projects, which means Russell is walking straight into a heavy mix of negotiations and community engagement. According to a City of Cleveland news release, NCWDC has selected DiGeronimo Development as the preferred master developer for roughly 50 acres of downtown lakefront. The release also notes the organization plans to select a master-planning consultant in early 2026 and share a preliminary plan in summer 2026.
In other words, Russell is stepping in just as big decisions about design, phasing, and public benefits are starting to crystallize.
Why His Bedrock Experience Matters
Russell’s time at Bedrock, a firm leading a multibillion-dollar riverfront vision in Cleveland, gives him hands-on experience with complex public-private projects, infrastructure coordination, and long development timelines. Cleveland Magazine has documented the scale of Bedrock’s riverfront plans and the financing and permitting hurdles that come with any major waterfront effort.
That background could prove useful as NCWDC tries to connect neighborhood concerns, funding strategies, and private development partners while the lakefront master plan takes shape. The challenges are familiar, even if the shoreline setting is different.
Next Steps and What To Watch
NCWDC and its chosen master developer are entering an exclusive negotiating period to hammer out development agreements and community benefits commitments. Russell will be tasked with translating those high-level deals into buildable project phases and organizing public outreach around them.
The City of Cleveland release states that the partners will negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement that covers housing affordability, workforce goals, and local contractor participation, and that residents should expect public-facing planning updates this summer. Russell’s arrival drops a veteran of large, complicated development bets into the center of those conversations just as NCWDC moves from placemaking concepts to concrete project delivery.
His hire comes as the lakefront conversation shifts decisively from planning to execution, and his blend of local relationships and private-sector experience will be tested as design teams, funders, and residents debate what the shoreline should look like in the years ahead. NCWDC has not released additional details of Russell’s portfolio or his start date beyond the initial announcement.
