Barons Bus and Greyhound plan move from downtown Cleveland terminal to Brook Park transit site
A long-running downtown transit fixture is set for a location change
Barons Bus Lines and Greyhound plan to relocate their Cleveland operations from the historic Greyhound terminal at 1465 Chester Ave. to a new site in Brook Park, adjacent to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) Brookpark Rapid station. The move is tied to a lease approved by RTA that sets aside land for a purpose-built intercity bus facility to be constructed and maintained by Barons.
The Chester Avenue terminal, a Streamline Moderne building that opened in 1948 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has served as the region’s primary intercity bus hub for decades. Greyhound continues to list the Chester Avenue address as its Cleveland bus station, while also listing a separate Brook Park bus stop at 13315 Brookpark Rd. at Barons’ garage.
What the approved lease covers
RTA approved a 10-year lease of nearly two acres near the Brookpark Rapid station to Barons, Greyhound’s local operating partner in Northeast Ohio. Under the arrangement, Barons is expected to sublease the finished station to Greyhound. Lease terms call for annual rent beginning at $12,000 in 2025 and rising to $15,000 by 2034, with renewal options that could extend the agreement beyond the initial term.
Planning materials described the site as an overflow parking lot near the Brookpark Rapid station in the 17500 block of Brookpark Road. The relocation would place intercity bus service closer to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and within the broader cluster of ongoing transportation and development planning in the Brook Park area.
Timing, service levels and what riders may notice
A publicly discussed timetable has pointed to a summer 2025 transition, though project documentation has also indicated that building designs and a construction start date were not yet publicly specified at the time of the lease approval. Barons and Greyhound together account for about 30 daily arriving and departing intercity buses in the Cleveland market, based on the planning figures reviewed in connection with the relocation.
For riders, the shift changes how intercity travel connects with local transit. The Brookpark Rapid station provides rail access into Cleveland, but the station-area environment differs from downtown in walkable amenities and nearby services.
What becomes of the Chester Avenue terminal
The move follows the sale of the Chester Avenue station property to the Playhouse Square Foundation in April 2024 for $3.35 million, based on county property records. Playhouse Square leadership has described intentions to repurpose the building for potential hospitality and performance-oriented uses as part of a broader theater district expansion, though final plans and schedules have not been fully detailed publicly.
Current Cleveland station address used by Greyhound: 1465 Chester Ave.
Relocation site: near the Brookpark Rapid station in Brook Park.
Lease structure: 10 years, beginning in 2025, with escalation and renewal options.
Intercity bus service is being repositioned alongside a major rail transit stop, while the historic downtown terminal is being prepared for redevelopment.