Plans for Brooklyn American Greetings site in the works

BROOKLYN, Ohio - After American Greetings announced its plans to build a new headquarters in Westlake, the company's CEO and Cuyahoga County Executive are now making plans to attract jobs to the old site in Brooklyn.

On Thursday, American Greetings CEO Zev Weiss and Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald issued a press release regarding the company's partnership with the county and the state, reaffirming American Greetings' commitment to bringing new jobs to Cuyahoga County.

The parties have agreed to pursue a reuse for the existing headquarters that will hopefully attract future American Greetings employees and other tenants.

Weiss also announced that American Greetings is willing to donate or make available some or all of its Brooklyn facility to a non-profit organization in partnership with the county and the state so the property can continue to generate economic benefits for both Brooklyn and Cuyahoga County.

“With the right support from the county and the state, the facility could be a magnet for certain types of jobs, and in that context, we would be an enthusiastic partner,” said Weiss.

Weiss said that one Cleveland arts organization has already looked at the facility and is very interested in the site.

“We welcome this potential net job creation in Cuyahoga County and will continue to work with American Greetings to make that happen,” said FitzGerald. “We will also explore all opportunities to reuse or redeploy the Brooklyn facility so it continues to generate ongoing revenue for the City of Brooklyn and the county. I appreciate American Greetings’ willingness to work with us and be creative in finding new occupants for this space. By offering to contribute the building, they are going out of their way to do the right thing for the community.”