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Demolition of parts of Lakewood Hospital has already begun. The city is looking for submissions for redevelopment of a 5.7 acre site to a mixed-use area. (Carol Kovach, special to cleveland.com)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- The city wants to create "Lakewood's finest multi-functional outdoor community gathering space," on the site of the former Lakewood Hospital, which closed its doors early last year.

The city wants the 5.7-acre site to be a mixed-use, with residential and commercial opportunities, according to a news release. A request for qualifications seeks responses from developers who could partner with the city, Mayor Michael Summers said.

City Council would like to consider a proposal by the fall, according to the city's website.

The controversial decision to close the century-old Lakewood Hospital and sell land to the Cleveland Clinic has dragged out for years, with lawsuits and referendums.

The city has been working on demolition for months at the downtown site, on Detroit Road. The Cleveland Clinic plans to open a new family health center and emergency center, expected to be completed by mid-2018.

A community conversation to discuss the process of redeveloping the site will take place 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at Lakewood City Hall.

Questions about the redevelopment? What would you like to see on the site? Leave them in the comments below.