Who owns Severance?

In 2016, Namdar Realty, a Long Island, NY privately-owned firm, bought it in a quick flip from the company that bought it at auction. Namdar sold the property under Home Depot but owns all the remaining real estate inside Severance Circle Road. Today, it also owns two smaller parcels on the northern edge of the Severance property along Mayfield Road.

See Dennis Keating's article in January 2023 Heights Observer article on Namdar Realty.

Does the city of Cleveland Heights have any control over Severance?

The City has several ways to impact what happens at Severance.

There is a 5-member Board of Control headed by the Mayor that has some power of land use regulation for Severance, i.e., the power to review proposed uses for conformance with both the zoning and other terms of the deed.   
See:  Board of Control | Cleveland Heights, OH

The City Planning Commission has the power to initiate changes to the zoning at Severance and must review and approve any changes to existing plot lines.

The City also has the power to inspect all interior and exterior venues at Severance for compliance with the City's repair, maintenance, and safety regulations, to issue citations for violation of the regulations, and impose fines for failure by the owner to correct violations.

Who owns and is responsible for the condition of Severance Circle Road?

The City of Cleveland Heights owns the road and is responsible for its maintenance.  It is also responsible for all of the ingress/egress roads at Severance.

Does the City have an official Vision of what it would like to see happen at Severance and if it does, is it similar to the Concept that SAG has developed?

Yes to both questions.  The City's Vision, generated by the Board of Control, is published on the BoC web page and is nearly identical to the planning elements embodied in the Concept published by SAG.

Does either the City or SAG communicate directly with Namdar (the owner of Severance Town Center),  and if not, why not?

To SAG’s knowledge, neither the City nor any other government or NGO entity is in direct communication with Namdar.  SAG has been reluctant to enter into discussions with Namdar without knowing what might have available to bring pressure on Namdar to sell reasonably, and what inducements the City might be willing to offer to a developer interested in developing the property.  SAG has answers to the first question but is awaiting feedback from the City on the second question.  We also believe that at least one, perhaps two developers with an interest in Severance have had some kind of discussion with Namdar.

The City has historically been opposed to ownership of Severance and has further followed a laissez-faire attitude regarding its development direction.  Thus, it had no reason to enter into discussions with Namdar.  However, over the last two years, in addition to developing the City's Vision for Severance, the administration has become more open to the idea that the City may have to own the property to set the development strategy for the ultimate owner.

Who is the Severance Action Group (SAG) and what is it trying to do?

SAG is a citizens committee, comprised totally of volunteers residing in Cleveland Heights, and originally formed within The Future Heights CDC in 2021.  It became independent in the first quarter of 2023.

SAG's Mission at its most basic level is to find an economically viable way to radically transform the property within the circular road at  Severance into a unique and vibrant central neighborhood that will draw citizens from all over Cleveland Heights and NEO to come to live, work, and play.