Cleveland Weighs $1M Incentives for Modular Home Maker at 7000 Central Ave.

Cleveland is assembling $1 million in incentives to turn a vacant factory at 7000 Central Ave. into a modular home production site for MMY US, a company that builds homes in large pieces for assembly on empty land.

The Cleveland Citywide Development Corp. approved a $500,000 grant and a $500,000 loan this week. The loan uses federal funds for equipment purchases by companies. Cleveland City Council must still sign off. The city is also weighing an income tax credit. A city spokesperson said the project would bring 120 jobs.

The nearly $25.7 million development is also in line for almost $2.6 million in state historic tax credits.

Separately, Mayor Justin Bibb has increased public attention on industry recruitment. He appeared this week at a ribbon-cutting for Kinomatic, a firm planning knee and hip replacements with virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

On the Southeast Side, Bibb’s senior advisor for redevelopment, Marvin Owens Jr., left his post Sept. 2. Owens had joined City Hall in 2023 and led efforts to renovate homes and draw businesses to Union-Miles, Mt. Pleasant and Lee-Harvard. In a LinkedIn post, he described a “generational” project and said city government cannot do the work alone, calling for philanthropy, corporate leaders, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, community organizations, faith communities and residents to collaborate. Aja Aaron, a Southeast Side community development liaison, will take over his work, according to the mayor’s office.