CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State University rejected a plan to relocate the city’s Greyhound bus terminal on its grounds, saying “the safety and security of the CSU campus, and the strategic and financial priorities of the University, must come first,” according to a spokesperson.
The new transit center, instead, will move to suburban Brook Park, about a dozen miles from the central city, on land owned by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
Brook Park Mayor Edward Orcutt said he was happy to welcome Greyhound and Barons Bus to the city.
“The Goebel family has done business in Brook Park for many decades,” said Orcutt, referring to the family that owns Barons Bus Line, which operates in partnership with Greyhound and is headquartered in Brook Park.
“They run a very good operation,” he said. “We’re proud to have them in our city.”
The decision to relocate to Brook Park, on a large parking lot to the east of RTA’s Brookpark Rapid Station, comes two months after Cleveland State pulled out of conversations to put the new intercity bus terminal at the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center on E. 22nd Street, adjacent to the CSU campus. The transit center is on CSU-owned land that is leased to RTA.
In April, RTA spokesman Robert Fleig said the transit authority and Barons were “completing due diligence” on a deal that would allow the bus companies to use a portion of the transit center for intercity bus passengers.
Reena Arora-Sánchez, executive director of communications for Cleveland State, said the university negotiated in good faith.
“CSU is in the early stages of developing its next strategic plan,” she said in an email. “This, coupled with the costs, safety, security and logistical aspects of the proposed use, made it financially and operationally unfeasible. Accordingly, in June, we informed all concerned parties of our decision to withdraw from any further discussions or negotiations.”
Cleveland City Councilman Kerry McCormack said he was disappointed with Cleveland State. McCormack, whose represents downtown on city council, favored the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center site and believes the bus terminal should be downtown.
“This is very disappointing,” he said. “A lot of college kids need access to transportation. It’s already a bus station. It seems like it has the capacity. It’s a great location.”
Paul Marnecheck, economic development commissioner for Brook Park, said he was aware of no opposition to the bus station moving to Brook Park.
“It’s already an RTA station,” he said. “It’s not a new concept. RTA is expanding its capabilities at that site. It’s increasing what’s offered.”
He said he viewed the addition as an economic development opportunity for the city.
“It makes it easier to get to my town,” he said. “The more people you get into town, the more they spend in your town. We want people spending money in our town. If this brings them to town to support the local diner, that’s great.”
The city’s planning commission approved plans for the new terminal earlier this month. Plans call for a modest, 2,100-square foot building, with restrooms and spaces to buy tickets and wait for the bus.
Marnecheck said he did not know when the building would be constructed.
John Goebel, vice president for Barons, declined to comment.
The dislocation of intercity bus travelers has been a chronic problem nationwide, as stations across the United States have been bought up for alternative development.
“The situation [in Cleveland] is playing out like in several other cities where the neighbors push back and good options are removed from consideration,” said public transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development in Chicago.
In Cleveland, the historic Greyhound station was sold in early 2023 to a real estate investment firm, which sold it to Playhouse Square earlier this year.
Playhouse Square has not said how it plans to redevelop the building, open since 1948 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. It is likely to be converted into some type of mixed-use development, possibly with dining, entertainment and residential components.
Schwieterman said he would have preferred that the new station remain downtown. Still, he said, the solution in Cleveland is better than in some cities, including Philadelphia, where Greyhound customers are picked up on the curb.
“The [Brook Park] site gives people a secure, climate-controlled environment and buys the city time for a better, long-term solution,” he said. “Given the national crisis underway, this at least gives Cleveland a reasonably workable option.”
Marie Zickefoose, press secretary for Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, said the city was working to retain some intercity bus service in the central city.
“The city is committed to locating curbside stops downtown,” she said. “We believe that having access to intercity bus service downtown is crucial, as most of our public transit network brings people to the heart of our city.”
Several travelers at the Greyhound station on Monday said they weren’t happy about the pending move.
“That will cost me an arm and a leg,” said Sharon Black, who lives in Euclid and travels on Greyhound every other month or so. When she can’t get someone to drop her downtown, she takes an Uber ride to the station.
“Getting on Interstate 480 is a hair-raising event,” said D. Logan of Shaker Heights, who was dropping a friend at the downtown station Monday morning. “This location is much more convenient.”
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