12 CMSD Properties Hit the Market, The Pierogi Heckles Cleveland: CLE Daily

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🛝 Summer Fun: Here are 30 ways you can enjoy the month of June in Ohio.

📰 Look Back: In 1927, fascist supporters of Benito Mussolini marched from St. Rocco Church.

⚾️ Guardians Update: The Cleveland Guardians are in first place in the American League East Division with a one game lead over the Chicago White Sox.

ICYMI: New city filings show AmTrust intends to spend millions renovating space at the AECOM Building, an investment that exceeds the recent sale price of its longtime home at 800 Superior.

Today's Trivia

Shaggy-haired high school dropout Don Gray is better known as who, the godfather of Cleveland’s T-shirt-industrial complex?

Historic schools and newer buildings among 12 CMSD sites seeking new life.

Development | By Ken Prendergast, NEOTrans

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and the City of Cleveland are offering up to buyers and developers 12 school properties for redevelopment, with a few surprises on the list.

They include two school buildings built in the last 20 years and several historic, iconic structures.

Why This Matters: The dozen school facilities were deemed surplus as a result of dwindling enrollment and CMSD’s Building Brighter Futures plan, which the school board adopted in December 2025.

• It is projected to save the school district $30 million per year.

The Schools: Adlai Stevenson, Alfred A. Benesch, Bolton, Collinwood, Dike School of the Arts, Hannah Gibbons-Nottingham, Kenneth Clement Boys’ Leadership Academy, Louisa May Alcott, Mary Church Terrell, Michael R. White, Charles A. Mooney and Tremont Montessori.

The New Ones: The newest is Adlai Stevenson School in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood. The school was built in 2009.

• The next newest is Hannah Gibbons-Nottingham School, 1401 Larchmont Road in Collinwood. This school was built in 2006.

• However, the 55-year-old Louisa May Alcott school in the Edgewater neighborhood was thoroughly renovated in 2013.

Michele Pomerantz, Cleveland's Chief of Education: “The diverse sites included in this request for qualifications are part of our community’s history, and we can honor that history through thoughtful redevelopment."

Read more on the schools that CMSD put up on the market.

Talk of the Town

A huge data center project is being proposed in Portage County, according to News 5 Cleveland. Bitdeer, a Singapore-based company, is set to buy 257 acres of land in Shalersville Township. On the land, it wants to build a facility with 15 buildings to serve as a computing hub for artificial intelligence.

Cleveland Police had to deploy a SWAT team to Woburn Avenue on Friday after an alleged domestic violence suspect barricaded himself inside a home. Police say that the standoff ended without any incident and that the suspect was taken into custody. 

After 100 years, Collinwood High School closed, with the last graduating class of just 33 people. Signal Cleveland provided students with cameras to show the last days of the high school through their eyes. 

Cleveland is sending a delegation to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota later this month. The delegation will be tasked with shadowing event organizers there to prepare for Cleveland to host the 2030 Special Olympics USA Games. 

The Philadelphia 76ers hired Olmsted Falls native and Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey to be the franchise's next president of basketball operations. Gansey has been with the Cavs organization since 2017. In 2025, Gansey was one of Cleveland Magazine's most interesting people.  

Sichuan Hot Pot in Asiatown closed this Friday after opening in 2019. A staff member told Cleveland Scene that business had been slow. 

Meet The Pierogi, the satirical news site that's heckling Cleveland.

Commentary | By Kirsten Kimbler

The Pierogi, a parody online newspaper that appeared early this year, has a firm commitment to staying anonymous, and also a commitment to the bit. The site posts hyperlocal satire that requires a functional understanding of Cleveland sinkholes, politics and the emotional turmoil of Browns fans.

• Growing Audience: With a handful of articles and a couple dozen posts on social media, each styled in a similar way to fellow satire page The Onion, the account has gained more than 4,300 followers on Instagram, its most popular platform. And its traction continues to grow.

We caught up with the makers of The Pierogi, who asked to remain anonymous, in an email interview ... and it went about as you'd expect.

• Cleveland Magazine: Who is The Pierogi, and what gap did you feel it was filling in Cleveland’s media or culture?

• The Pierogi: The Pierogi is made up of a group of Cleveland residents, but, like most Cleveland institutions, there is one person at the top who doesn’t live in Cleveland, nor will they ever live there, due to being “scared of everything going on.” The Pierogi is Cleveland’s No. 1 news source; we know a bunch of stuff about a lot of things, so we are very knowledgeable and trustworthy. We felt truth and humor were missing from Cleveland’s media, so we combined them into tumor. So we really consider ourselves to be the tumor of Cleveland.

Read more of our conversation with The Pierogi.

Things To Do This Week

NCAA Division III Baseball Championship (June 1, 3-4): Head over to Classic Park, home of the Lake County Captains, to catch the end of bracket play for the Championship of Division III College Baseball. Grab some of your favorite baseball concessions and enjoy some time outside with great competition to entertain you. $11.50 for students and seniors, $16.50 adult tickets, varying game times, Classic Park, 35300 Vine St., Eastlake, clevelandsports.org

Freak the Mighty (June 2-5): Enjoy a night at the theatre with this new musical following the adventures of a heroic duo, Maxwell Kane and Kevin “Freak” Avery. In this coming-of-age story, themes of friendship and resilience in the face of adversity shine bright. June 2: 7 p.m., June 3-5: 7:30 p.m., $60-90, Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, playhousesquare.org

The Cleveland Orchestra: Matilda in Concert (June 3 and 5): Watch the fan-favorite film from 1996 based on the novel by Roald Dahl with the live score being played by the wonderful Cleveland Orchestra. The orchestra will be conducted by Academy Award-nominated composer David Newman, with narration by actor, producer and director Danny DeVito. 7 p.m., $59-124, Mandel Concert Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandorchestra.com

Little Italy Summer Art Walk (June 5): Take a walk through Little Italy and browse local shops, galleries and boutiques, stopping along the way for a delicious meal at one of the local restaurants. Make the trip to get an immersive experience of the culture and creativity that Little Italy does so well. 5-9 p.m., Mayfield Rd., Cleveland, littleitalycle.com

Yesterday's Trivia Answer

Charley Lupica set a world record in 1949 by sitting on what for 117 days, awaiting the Indians’ return to first place? A flagpole

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

Throughout my childhood, I bounced around among multiple schools because they were building new ones and tearing down old ones. I remember that each time I switched, it changed how my parents got me to and from school. 

In the time of rising prices for gas, food and school supplies, I cannot imagine the trouble the CMSD school closures are causing for the kids, their parents and guardians.