After years of plans and public meetings, visible progress at Lakewood Common is finally front and center along Detroit Avenue. Fresh city photos show the main parking garage and the northern mixed-use building climbing above street level, giving residents the clearest sign yet that the former Lakewood Hospital block is shifting from paperwork to steel and concrete.
Belle Ave Partners LLC, an affiliate of Columbus-based CASTO, is steering a roughly $115 million overhaul of the 5.7-acre site. Plans call for about 293 apartments, around 30,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a 536-space parking garage, according to NEOtrans. The project also includes renovation of the historic Curtis Block and creation of a new public plaza at Detroit and Belle.
What's Being Built And Who Is Paying
According to Cleveland Magazine, Lakewood City Council signed off on multiple tax-increment financing packages along with a $5 million loan to help pay for the parking garage. A preliminary schedule shared with officials puts the garage first, with an estimated 12 to 14 months of work, while the northern mixed-use building is expected to take roughly 18 months. City financing and lease revenue bonds approved by the Port of Cleveland are slated to be repaid from future project revenues as each phase opens.
Design, Amenities And The Site
The official project website highlights amenities that include a raised amenity deck with pool, secured parking and programmed community events, and pitches the ground-floor retail as a way to keep Detroit Avenue active, per Lakewood Common. Marketing materials spotlight one- to three-bedroom apartments along with commercial leasing opportunities for the new storefronts and plaza space.
City Photos And The Schedule
In a July 14 photo post, the City of Lakewood lays out a phase chart that tags each planned structure with projected timelines: Building 1, the north mixed-use building, is listed for completion in summer 2027, Building 2, the main parking garage, in spring 2027, Building 3, apartments east of the garage, from fall 2026 to fall 2027, and Building 4, the south apartments, from spring 2027 to spring 2028, according to the city's Facebook post, City of Lakewood. The post notes that Building 1 and the main garage have made significant progress in the first half of 2026 and includes multiple site photos showing foundations, columns, and early framing in place.
What To Watch
City leaders describe the TIF structure and loan as tools to speed up construction without an immediate hit to property tax bills, though some revenue will be redirected through service payments and long-term bonding, Cleveland Magazine reported. The development is expected to reserve about 20 percent of units as affordable housing and to restore the Curtis Block, elements officials say are meant to stitch new housing and retail into downtown Lakewood while generating revenue to cover project bonds.
Officials say more updates will roll out as work advances. Residents can track construction photos, leasing announcements, and official notices on the project site, Lakewood Common, and on city channels. Neighbors and nearby businesses are urged to watch for posted construction alerts and temporary changes to street access or parking as the garage and first buildings rise.
