Huntington to reopen Buckeye Road branch that closed due to surging crime

CLEVELAND (WJW) — A spike in crime caused a local bank to close, but residents, police and city leaders fought back, and now the branch is reopening.

“You see the soul of Buckeye today. We as a community said, ‘We want this bank here,’” said Blaine Griffin, Cleveland City Council president, representing Ward 6 where the bank is located.

The Huntington branch at 11623 Buckeye Road in Cleveland closed this past February due to safety concerns for employees and customers.

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But rather than give up, 1,100 residents signed petitions and Griffin went to work with other leaders and law enforcement.

“So we worked on some safety efforts and initiatives,” he said. “Myself and Councilwoman Deborah Gray are going to make sure we do private investment in safety. Also, Commander Ralph Valentino stepped up with the microgrid to focus on quality-of-life issues.”

Cleveland police stepped up patrols in the area and cracked down on nuisance crimes like prostitution which, in turn, helped reduce other criminal activity.

Huntington recognized their efforts and announced Monday they would be reopening the bank branch in October.

“We’re excited to continue to serve the Buckeye community, as we have for the last 20 years,” said Sean Richardson, Huntington’s regional president in Northeast Ohio, is quoted in a news release.

The bank also announced more than $250,000 in philanthropic contributions to the Buckeye neighborhood expected this year, including:

• $25,000 for Burten Bell Carr Community Development Corporation, to fund safety improvements for small businesses

• $100,000 each to Community Housing Solutions and Home Repair Resource Center to fund home repairs

• $30,000 to Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People/Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging to fund its Connecting Our Seniors to Technology program, which trains senior citizens on using technology

“This is a big win for the neighborhood,” said Griffin. “That’s what good corporate citizens are supposed to do.”

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When the bank reopens, the ATM and drive-thru will operate normally, but the lobby will be by appointment only for now.

Griffin said it’s just the start of many good things coming to and building a more prosperous Buckeye.

“Something special is happening in Buckeye,” he said, “This is a pivotal point in our community to turn our trajectory towards the future. So Buckeye Woodland Hills is vibrant once again.”

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