Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry

Hrbek, a Lutheran pastor, spent much of the civil rights era in Alabama where he attempted to desegregate churches. In the early 1970s, Hrbek was hired as one of the first staff members of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry.

A variance approved by the Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals means renovations can move forward to convert a Franklin Boulevard building into a drop-in center for unhoused youths. Opponents of the facility, to be operated by Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, previously threatened to sue if the board approved the variance.

A proposed drop-in center that would offer resources for youth experiencing homelessness has residents in disagreement.

A conflict has been brewing over the last year over the location of a drop-in shelter for youth experiencing homelessness in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, pitting some neighbors against each other.