Preserve the Kamm's Building!
Preserve the Kamm's Building!
The Issue
This petition is calling on Councilman Slife and Kamm's Plaza (current owners of 17209 Lorain) to
1) Seek city landmark status for the building, to honor our local history
2) Find a permanent tenant and solve the parking situation that has plagued the building for so long.
THE HISTORY:
The Kamm's building has stood at the corner of Lorain and Rocky River Dr. since 1900. This building has seen 120 years of West Park: from its roots as a small farm village, to its annexation into Cleveland and it's subsequent expansion into a dense neighborhood. Many West Parker's have known this building their whole life, though by different names depending on who you ask (It has served as the location for many restaurants.) It has served as the heart of the Kamm's Corner's business district for decades.
The Kamm's Building was originally owned and run by a man named Oswald Kamm, a grocery store merchant and the official postmaster of West Park Village in the 1900s. This building is special to our neighborhood, and special to the history of the area. I mean heck, Kamm's Corners is named after him and this building.
THE PROBLEM:
Over the years, with numerous owners and tenants, the building has not seen the upkeep we as residents would like. The last tenants, Kamm's Cafe, only lasted a few months before they shut down. It has now sat vacant for about two years, waiting for its next tenant to do their best, but ultimately under the current conditions it may not be possible for a business to survive there.
This petition is calling on Councilman Slife and Kamm's Plaza Shopping Center (current owners) to work together to seek a permanent use for the building. Many in the neighborhood have suggested more parking needs to be available in order for it to thrive. Well, the parcel next door is vacant (former Steak n Shake) and now is our chance to seek a solution for this problem.
Let's make this a neighborhood effort to make our business district what it should be. We aren't required to save a historic building in our neighborhood, but it really shows that we are a community that can come together and solve problems if we do.
1,338
The Issue
This petition is calling on Councilman Slife and Kamm's Plaza (current owners of 17209 Lorain) to
1) Seek city landmark status for the building, to honor our local history
2) Find a permanent tenant and solve the parking situation that has plagued the building for so long.
THE HISTORY:
The Kamm's building has stood at the corner of Lorain and Rocky River Dr. since 1900. This building has seen 120 years of West Park: from its roots as a small farm village, to its annexation into Cleveland and it's subsequent expansion into a dense neighborhood. Many West Parker's have known this building their whole life, though by different names depending on who you ask (It has served as the location for many restaurants.) It has served as the heart of the Kamm's Corner's business district for decades.
The Kamm's Building was originally owned and run by a man named Oswald Kamm, a grocery store merchant and the official postmaster of West Park Village in the 1900s. This building is special to our neighborhood, and special to the history of the area. I mean heck, Kamm's Corners is named after him and this building.
THE PROBLEM:
Over the years, with numerous owners and tenants, the building has not seen the upkeep we as residents would like. The last tenants, Kamm's Cafe, only lasted a few months before they shut down. It has now sat vacant for about two years, waiting for its next tenant to do their best, but ultimately under the current conditions it may not be possible for a business to survive there.
This petition is calling on Councilman Slife and Kamm's Plaza Shopping Center (current owners) to work together to seek a permanent use for the building. Many in the neighborhood have suggested more parking needs to be available in order for it to thrive. Well, the parcel next door is vacant (former Steak n Shake) and now is our chance to seek a solution for this problem.
Let's make this a neighborhood effort to make our business district what it should be. We aren't required to save a historic building in our neighborhood, but it really shows that we are a community that can come together and solve problems if we do.
1,338
The Decision Makers
Petition created on September 10, 2020