LeBron offers new digs

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By JAY MILLER

LeBron James' business team came through with a big win today for the Glenville neighborhood on Cleveland's East Side.

To a standing-room crowd of about 150 people packed into a tent in the pouring rain, the Cavaliers basketball star unveiled Parkside Townhomes. It's a $4.7 million, 20-unit strip of upscale condominiums at East 101st Street and Superior Avenue that LRMR Development Co. - the company Mr. James is helping to bankroll - is building.

Mr. James described the effort as "bringing good things to the 'hood."

The first phase of the townhomes will be available in the fall. Prices for the 2,000-square-foot-plus units will range from $260,000 to $325,000.

"We never had an opportunity when we were growing up to have people put up three-bathroom, three-bedroom houses" in our neighborhood, marveled Mr. James. "It was one bedroom, one bathroom, one door."

While it was Mr. James' drawing power that brought the crowd to Glenville and the wealth he has generated as a basketball player that was important to making the project happen, the basketball phenomenon credited his partners and friends, especially Glenville native Richard Paul, with making the project happen.

"We're four young men determined to making this a better place for the people of Akron and Cleveland," said Mr. Paul, a graduate of Benedictine High School.

LRMR Development is a company comprised of Messrs. James and Paul, as well as Randy Mims and Maverick Carter. Messrs. James and Carter were high school basketball teammates. Mr. Mims is a James family friend and Mr. Paul met Mr. James when they were in high school.

In addition to LRMR, financial partners in the deal are National City Bank, National City Development Corp. and the city of Cleveland's Housing Trust Fund. The homes also will be eligible for 15-year tax abatement.