Huntington Bank says it will reopen its branch on Buckeye Road next month. The bank had announced last year its intention to close citing concerns about crime. Then back in February the company said it was closing the branch but just temporarily.
The decision to reopen the branch came after a concerted lobbying effort by community activists in the Buckeye neighborhood, the city of Cleveland and elected officials as well as ongoing discussions with the bank.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb issued a statement on the decision to reopen the Buckeye branch saying it was a “great example of how tough problems can be solved when City Hall, private businesses and the community work together.”
Huntington Bank released this statement regarding the reopening of the bank from Sean Richardson, Huntington’s regional president in Northeast Ohio.
“As we announced in August, our branch on Buckeye Road will reopen on October 28th following steps taken by the city to reestablish the safety of the surrounding area. We’re excited to reopen the branch and to continue our investment in this historic neighborhood. In 2024, Huntington has made charitable donations to a number of organizations that directly serve Buckeye and its residents, including funding for safety improvement grants, home repairs and digital literacy training.
Additionally, after working with the community to better understand the challenges facing Buckeye residents, Huntington launched the Home for Good program here in Greater Cleveland. Home for Good offers a number of enhancements to eligible borrowers, including lower down payment requirements, loosened debt-to-income requirements and closing cost assistance, all of which are aimed at addressing the difficulty many Buckeye residents face in achieving homeownership.
Our decision to reopen could not have happened without the leadership of Mayor Bibb and the Cleveland Police Department, as well as City Council president Griffin and Councilmember Gray. We’re also grateful to the neighborhood residents and non-profit leaders who have spent countless hours working with us to identify solutions to the problems impacting our branch and the surrounding community. Together, we can and will continue to make progress in Buckeye and throughout Greater Cleveland.”
We'll begin Wednesday’s “Sound of Ideas” with the decision by Huntington to reopen the branch on Buckeye with the chief of police and two community activists.
Later, a legend of the Northeast Ohio blues scene has returned to the stage after a health scare last year. We'll hear the story on the latest edition of “Shuffle.”
Guests:
-Robert "R.L." Render III, President, East 128th Community Block Club Association, Community Activist
-Jerrod Amir Shakir, Community Organizer
-Chief Annie Todd, Cleveland Division of Police
-Amanda Rabinowitz, Host
-Wallace Coleman, Blues Artist