The Whirlpool Property
Advocacy | Vision | Sustainability
The Neighborhood that Built Cleveland
Blythe Oldfield is known as “the neighborhood that built Cleveland” because of its industrial history in the city. As the first planned neighborhood in Cleveland, Blythe Oldfield housed a population of workers who supported the downtown manufacturing economy. Even so, Blythe Oldfield has always been physically and experientially disconnected from downtown; an abandoned factory site and freight railroad tracks with only one crossing render this neighborhood isolated from its greater city.
Abandoned
The Whirlpool Plant is mostly covered by a flood plain, restricting new construction to a small area . Whirlpool has since moved their operations to a larger site that accommodate their growing industry. The abandoned plant site is now a significant obstacle between Blythe Oldfield and the rest of Cleveland. However, there serves a unique opportunity for responsible development, growth, and investment of the brownfield site that is in the best interest in the life of the community.
The Future
The future holds great potential for a large park area, community pond, bike trails, pickleball, entertainment amphitheaters, beautiful streetscapes and more. The property was purchased by Phoenix Investors in 2022, leaving the door open for purposeful revitalization. We commit to advocacy through partnership with the Cleveland City Council and Phoenix Investors to achieve this plan and put it into action.
