Mad props to University Circle from today's NY Times!

 

November 8, 2006

Square Feet

 

A Resurgence in Cleveland

By LISA CHAMBERLAIN

 

CLEVELAND — Nottingham Spirk, an industrial design firm, was founded in 1972 by two recent graduates of the Cleveland Institute of Art, in an area known as University Circle. The young designers set up shop just off campus and proceeded to build a multimillion-dollar company.

 

Having outgrown their old space but reluctant to leave the area, the two men, John Nottingham and John Spirk, bought a historic church and invested $10 million to convert it into both an industrial design studio and a prototype manufacturing center. They moved in last year, keeping 70 high-wage, high-skill jobs in the area.

 

“Our being here is a microcosm of what could and should happen in Cleveland,” Mr. Nottingham said. “The University Circle area is the single hottest square mile in Ohio in terms of real development activity.”

 

According to research by the Brookings Institution, the potential for high-wage job growth is less likely to be found in traditional downtowns than in districts like University Circle, areas referred to as “eds and meds” for their typical concentration of educational and medical institutions.

 

“What’s been happening, through partnerships, eds and meds institutions are becoming actively involved in revitalization efforts,” said Jennifer S. Vey, senior research associate at Brookings, a policy research organization in Washington. “While they’ve existed in these places for a long time, now they’re expanding physically, developing real estate and forming partnerships to reconnect to surrounding neighborhoods that they might have turned their backs on.”

 

Cleveland’s eds and meds district, four miles east of downtown, is on the verge of a major transformation as a result of $2 billion worth of infrastructure investment, with another billion dollars worth in the planning phase. Severance Hall, where the Cleveland Orchestra performs, has already been renovated, as well as the Cleveland Botanical Garden, and a new housing district has been developed by Case Western Reserve University.

 

Other projects under way include a new heart center at the Cleveland Clinic, an expansion of the Cleveland Museum of Art by the architect Raphael Viñoly, a new wing at the Stokes Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, a new cancer center at University Hospitals Health System, and a newly integrated arts and sciences high school campus for the Cleveland Public Schools. A research park called the Quad by Case Western Reserve University is in the planning phase, as well as a renovation of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and others, all in anticipation of 10,000 new jobs over the next 10 years.

 

Some officials say all of this activity provides an opportunity to begin turning around a city that was identified by the Census Bureau this year as the poorest big city in America for the second time in the last three years.

 

“Right now, University Circle is a patchwork of hospitals, universities and cultural institutions, and some beautiful but underutilized public space,” said Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle Incorporated, a business improvement district founded in 1957. “What it could be is a world-class destination with its own brand identity. Getting all of these institutions to work together toward a common goal, and leveraging their considerable resources, is the only way that is going to happen.”

 

University Circle institutions have not always collaborated well, according to people who have been trying for years to coordinate development plans. But that has begun to change.

 

“About a year and a half ago, I was looking around Cleveland at our opportunities and challenges,” said Ronn Richard, president of the Cleveland Foundation. “The city has become very poor, and the mayor doesn’t have the tax receipts to invest.”

 

“I thought we could kill about four birds with one stone if we could create a lovely arts, culture and housing district” in University Circle, he said.

 

The Cleveland Foundation put up $1 million of its own money and challenged University Circle’s major institutions to help pay for infrastructure improvements, like rebuilding rundown train stations and reconfiguring what is known as “suicide circle.” This dangerous convergence of streets is the gateway to the 100-year-old Rockefeller Park, but it is also the site of an average of 100 auto accidents every year. Efforts to fix the infrastructure problems are being undertaken not by the city, but by the foundation and its partners in the University Circle neighborhood.

 

“There’s a convergence of benefits that overlap and make them possible to get done because they’re important to the institutions, the neighborhoods, the circle and the city as a whole,” said Lillian Kuri, a full-time consultant to the Cleveland Foundation who is coordinating the University Circle initiatives.

 

There are ripples of commercial development activity as a result of collaboration among University Circle’s partners. Case recently announced it was negotiating with MRN Ltd. and Zaremba Inc., two local developers, to turn a site of eight and a half acres into a mixed-use arts, retail and residential district. The $100 million project would produce more than 400,000 new square feet on Euclid Avenue, the main street that connects University Circle to downtown.

 

“Up until now, we’ve built undergrad dorms and academic buildings galore,” said Russell Berusch, vice president for commercial real estate at Case. “This is different in its orientation. Really this is a community project sponsored by Case and developed privately by a team.”

 

In addition to retail and residential units, it will also become the new home of the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, the first building in the United States to be designed by Foreign Office Architects, based in London.

 

Another residential project under way is Lane Park Villas, once a residential hotel overlooking Rockefeller Park. It is being transformed by the Finch Group, based in Boca Raton, Fla., into 96 market-rate rental units using tax credits for historic preservation and low-interest loans from the city. The apartments will range from $955 for a one-bedroom unit to $2,355 for a three-bedroom unit.

 

“We’re putting significant equity into the building because of what’s happening in the University Circle area,” said Robert A. James, executive vice president of Finch. “It’s the most active cultural life in the city and a very convenient place to live.”

 

The question of housing has been a difficult one for the area. Few people live in University Circle, and the surrounding neighborhoods tend to be poor. To that end, Charter One Bank of Ohio recently announced that it would make $100 million in low-interest loans available to develop and improve housing in the neighborhoods that surround University Circle, as well as small-business loans for local enterprises in University Circle.

 

“The opportunity there is unquestionable,” said Ned Handy, president and chief executive for the bank. “University Circle is a world-class gem, and everyone agrees the neighborhoods around University Circle need to be included to make this a vibrant center of the city.”

 

Other housing initiatives being spearheaded by University Circle Incorporated with development partners include the $3 million rehabilitation of a building formerly known as the Commodore Hotel into 198 units, 25 percent to be sold at market rate and 75 percent below market rate; and 60 upscale town homes and condos on land jointly owned by University Circle Incorporated and the Western Reserve Historical Society.

 

“For some of these cities, they’ve had employment loss and population loss over a long period of time,” Ms. Vey said. “The ability to turn these cities around takes a concerted effort on the part of everyone throughout the entire metropolitan area. But this is the exact right approach, to focus on the existing assets.”

 

...

 

ok, so there are a few typos and what not... this thing was a full page spread in today's paper...with pictures!!!

^i want the pictures!

 

but seriously, "suicide circle"? Does it really have 100 accidents per year? I've never seen one there in all my years in cleveland and at case.

I'm doing traffic counts today just south of there and I believe it.  There are horns a-blarin' during rush hour!  I'm not sure exactly where the numbers on accidents come from (ODOT? CPD?), but I know that there have been recent traffic studies on the intersection that show it failing with the additional traffic from VA and West Quad in the near future.

yeah, don't get me wrong, its a horrible intersection, I was just questioning the number of accidents.

 

 

The New York Times seems lately to have been promoting Cleveland better than any of our local media outlets have during the 4.5 years I've lived here.

here are the pics from the article

The Nottingham-Spirk Innovation Center, an industrial design firm, in Cleveland. The firm relocated to this historic church last year.

 

 

A scarecrow stands near a sign marking the entrance to the University Circle area in Cleveland, Ohio. There is a high concentration of educational and medical facilities in the district.

 

Construction is underway for a new Heart Center facility at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The center will feature a 10-story hospital tower and a technology center. It is scheduled to open in 2008.

 

Visitors at the newly renovated Cleveland Botanical Garden. The renovation is part of a $2 billion investment to transform Cleveland's University Circle

 

The architect Rafael Viñoly designed the $258 million renovation and expansion project at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Completion of the project is slated for 2010.

 

Park Lane Villas, a residential project underway in the University Circle area, overlooks Rockefeller Park. Apartments will range from $955 for a one-bedroom to $2,355 for a three-bedroom unit.

 

A view across Wade Oval on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. Left, the Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Frank Gehry-designed Peter B. Lewis Building

 

The Peter B. Lewis Building, which anchors the Weatherhead School of Management at Case, was completed in 2002.

 

Severance Hall's original detailing was restored during its two-year, $36-million renovation and expansion. The hall, which is home to the Cleveland Orchestra, was built in 1931.

 

Case has negotiated a $100 million project with two local developers to produce more than 400,000 new square feet along Euclid Avenue, which connects University Circle to downtown Cleveland.

oh, that's what the construction at the former church of scientology has been all about.

 

nice to see the elephant made it in there too.

 

thanks urbanlife

Wow, all those pictures were included in the Times article?  What section of the paper?  It seems like a lot.

Those were probably in the online edition, with maybe one or two in the print edition, I'm guessing.

 

Lisa Chambelain has made a cottage industry out of writing about Cleveland for the Times! And I love her for it!

Great shots!  Thanks for posting.  I still haven't seen the article in person.  This raises a question I had earlier... do the non-NYC editions of the NYT have different content from the NYC edition?  I know the advertising is different.  Is it possible that they'd have Lisa Chamberlain writing for the Midwest edition and not have her content in the NYC print edition?  Just curious...

Here is the link to the story:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/realestate/commercial/08cleveland.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

 

 

I'm hopeful that it ran in NYC. There is no NYT/midwest website.

I looked it up on Lexis-Nexis. It ran in Section C (Business/Financial), page 8. It says "Late Edition - Final," nothing about a special regional edition or whatnot.

 

Also, the two photos that actually ran with the story were one of the Nottingham Spirk building and one of the Gehry building.

Great shots!  Thanks for posting.  I still haven't seen the article in person.  This raises a question I had earlier... do the non-NYC editions of the NYT have different content from the NYC edition?  I know the advertising is different.  Is it possible that they'd have Lisa Chamberlain writing for the Midwest edition and not have her content in the NYC print edition?  Just curious...

 

I'm pretty sure they do.  Most news "media" does.

 

I know we run different media on CNN accross various regions; TIME, Fortune/FSB, Money & People break it down buy city and niche (ie I'm a doctor in Cleveland; a Lawyer in Akron; I'm a banker in Lorain; A teen in Medina) they will each get a different target issue - totally differnent than what is on the newstand or internet.

Good move for the area, although many will think it is adding another hassle to developers. I wonder if the Peter Lewis building would have been built the way it is if this board was in existence then?

 

From the PD:

 

University Circle open to suggestions

Design review panel for district urged

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Tom Breckenridge

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

University Circle, the arts-and-medicine district criticized for its closed-door planning, is ready for public scrutiny of its fast-growth future.

 

The Cleveland Planning Commission recommended Friday that the city create a design-review body to oversee building in the 1-square-mile neighborhood...

 

 

more at:  http://www.cleveland.com

This is a ok idea considering the Hessler Street group seems to slow down growth.  They are constantly griping about projects that add to the city.  Granted we need public input but the hessler group as well as the Duck island people slow down whats needed for the city.  can we just have a visionary leader to get the the job done and streamline the process. Instead of Mr so and so, "do u like the plans", "mrs andrews is it ok"", the buildings are to big", "I can't get to my house"," the houses are too expensive", "the new housing looks too cool for this are", "too much congestion".  I am miserable so I want everybody too be miserable along with me" Stop already and build so me and my friends in atl, chi, ny la and dc can move back damnit!!

This is a ok idea considering the Hessler Street group seems to slow down growth.  They are constantly griping about projects that add to the city.  Granted we need public input but the hessler group as well as the Duck island people slow down whats needed for the city.  can we just have a visionary leader to get the the job done and streamline the process. Instead of Mr so and so, "do u like the plans", "mrs andrews is it ok"", the buildings are to big", "I can't get to my house"," the houses are too expensive", "the new housing looks too cool for this are", "too much congestion".  I am miserable so I want everybody too be miserable along with me" Stop already and build so me and my friends in atl, chi, ny la and dc can move back damnit!!

 

Agreed. 

 

I love Hessler Ct., but the residents of this beautiful, historic treasure of a small street have gotten way too self important and, for years, have been nothing but obstructionists to the betterment of the U.Circle retail district.  Hessler killed a housing plan for the Euclid strip in the mid-90s b/c of traffic, then they verbalized legal threats against the Heritage Development, Inc. high-rise condos along the Euclid-Ford-E. 115 strip because they would drop shadows on Hessler's historic homes, and the threat, once again, sent planners back to the drawingboard to try and appease the Hessler folks ... Excuse me, is this a progressive, big city urban area or a yeahoo, podunk-ish small country town?   I wish Hessler would actually help for positive development of this key Cleveland neighborhood and stop playing the classic Cleveland game: I've got mine, to hell with you... that has stymied development for so long in this town.  Hessler needs to stop being so damn insular and selfish.  This one small group has seriously held back development and helped keep U. Circle retail-wise and residentially a dysfunctional conglomeration rather than the  progressive district it could and should be.

^I think that's a bit harsh.  IMO, the complaints of the Hesslerites are pretty dead on...which is why UC is by and large an under-achieving, bland institutional ghetto despite its remarkable assets.  The folks on Hessler shouldn't call all the shots but they are, after all, among the few adults who actually, um, live there (thanks in large part to their own tenacious preservationism).  I think they should get some credit for opening this process up. 

 

As for the Heritage Dev. scheme: the last renderings I saw in the 1990s were egregiously bad.  Not sure if a revised scheme was ever floated and if so, if Hessler was the actual culprit for killing it.  Needless to say, developers have not shown a lot of confidence in this area (which I think is a mistake).

"The folks on Hessler shouldn't call all the shots but they are, after all, among the few adults who actually, um, live there"

 

Yes, but complaining that a ten to twelve story residential structure would "ruin" their neighborhood because of shadows has prevented any other adults from living there. We weren't talking about a high-rise of any sort - and I recall that was one of their biggest gripes. Sure, there needs to be better dialogue but if it ends up being "death by committee" because someone's tomato plant gets a little less sunshine, what has that dialogue accomplished?

"The folks on Hessler shouldn't call all the shots but they are, after all, among the few adults who actually, um, live there"

 

Yes, but complaining that a ten to twelve story residential structure would "ruin" their neighborhood because of shadows has prevented any other adults from living there. We weren't talking about a high-rise of any sort - and I recall that was one of their biggest gripes. Sure, there needs to be better dialogue but if it ends up being "death by committee" because someone's tomato plant gets a little less sunshine, what has that dialogue accomplished?

 

they can stop complaining about their tomato plants, Case (or is it UCI), claimed back their land with the garden.

"The folks on Hessler shouldn't call all the shots but they are, after all, among the few adults who actually, um, live there"

 

Yes, but complaining that a ten to twelve story residential structure would "ruin" their neighborhood because of shadows has prevented any other adults from living there. We weren't talking about a high-rise of any sort - and I recall that was one of their biggest gripes. Sure, there needs to be better dialogue but if it ends up being "death by committee" because someone's tomato plant gets a little less sunshine, what has that dialogue accomplished?

 

 

Yeah, I know- I agree that knee-jerk anti-development is not good for the nabe, I just suspect that Hessler is a bit of a scapegoat for the "beach" site.  And its residents' suspicion that the institutions that surround them will erect crap buildings if not challenged is pretty well founded.

 

On a related note, anyone else remember when either RTA or CPP (I think RTA) tried to demolish a row of houses in Little Italy (Arey Road I think) to build a power substation a few years back?  After some negotiations RTA backed off and agreed to the daring plan of building the substation on unused marginal land between the tracks and Circle Drive where it stands today.

I was able to go to UCI's annual meeting/lunch yesterday. Boy, Chris Ronayne has turned that place 100% around since starting last December.  Here is the latest idea:

 

University Circle exploring service assessment

Fee could cover police, maintenance

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Tom Breckenridge

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Faced with rapid growth, University Circle leaders will study new ways to fund safety and cleanup efforts in Cleveland's medical, cultural and educational mecca.

 

University Circle Inc. announced at an annual meeting Monday that it will explore creating a special-improvement district, similar to one that uses bike and foot patrols to secure and clean downtown Cleveland.

 

"Whether it makes sense for University Circle, that's what we want to look at in the next few months," said lawyer R. Thomas Stanton, head of the UCI board...

 

 

more at:  http://www.cleveland.com

 

 

It was quite an inspiring meeting.  Wish you all could've been there!

By the way, at the meeting, UCI announced the launch of their new website.  There are still a few glitches, but I believe you can test it out at www.universitycircleinc.org. 

 

Please let me know if it works for you...especially the interactive map.  We worked really hard on this!

Ok, so the website is a little choppy right now.  One page that you should all enjoy is the following:

 

http://www.universitycircleinc.org/content/planning_development_department.asp

 

Any questions?

Hmm, I dunno about those planning interns ;-)

I wouldn't trust a one of 'em!

I couldn't open a few pages, but are there public transportation directions to UC?  and individual directions via public transportation to each venue in University Circle?

 

I think that would be helpful.

I'm looking into this right now.  The interactive map is not up to expected standards.  Also, I couldn't seem to find any "directions to" of any mode on the site.  I'll look into that as well!

 

On the question of public transportation, the interactive map has an entire layer of public transportation.  Ideally, you could find your destination and then click on any number of transit lines to get more information.  However, it's a bit confusing to navigate (we wanted to make it analagous to the RTA system... built without the user in mind!).  I'm trying it out and hopefully we can make some improvements.

Look for Rite Aid and an extended suites hotel to be going up on Chester and E.93rd. I don't know the time frame. From what I hear, they will be built up to the street.

 

Also, the Cleveland Foundation has been working with Heartland and another developer to build 400 units of housing just the north and east of the new hotel (Upper Chester).  Also, the CF will be working with some unnamed partners to offer substantial incentives to University Circle institution employees to buy homes in the area. There will be a substantial marketing push to spur along this effort.  Also, CF will be working with the school district to, how do I say this, enhance public school options for those who live in University Circle and parts of the surrounding neighborhoods. 

I sure wish I covered the University Circle area. Thats some great fodder for articles!

ohh chester and 93rd, that makes sense, they already demolished that gas station that was there.  its a small parcel, i wonder how big they want to make that hotel.

Good news and great topic, Wim. 

 

On the subject, there is a thread on GCBL that begins to discuss this:

http://www.gcbl.org/node/1437/

ohh chester and 93rd, that makes sense, they already demolished that gas station that was there.  its a small parcel, i wonder how big they want to make that hotel.

 

Actually, the hotel and drug store would go on the north side of Chester.  The gas station was torn down to make room for the new blvd (with fancy reflecting pools/water fountains in the middle) that will lead up to the new Heart Center.

^Ok I was wondering what was going to happen to the existing Rite Aid, but I guess it will be torn down. Do you know how many rooms they want in the hotel?

^its going to be an extended-stay inn. That's all I know.

wait, developing crossing north across chester? can't wait for the clinic to leave is monstrous suburban minded footprint in Hough.

^the hotel and rite aid will be built up to the street. The rest of the development will be a mix of townhome and detached single-family homes.  There will be nothing suburban about this.

^so maybe finally someone is getting something right in the greater clinic area?

wait, developing crossing north across chester? can't wait for the clinic to leave is monstrous suburban minded footprint in Hough.

 

There's been enough monstrous suburban designs plunked down in Hough. A little imagination and a lot of care in good urban design can go along a way to revive a once-great neighborhood.

I've heard that the Hazel Drive townhomes (between WRHS and the Gestalt Institute on Hazel Dr.) have had some extremely strong preliminary interest. 

^i love that little hidden neighborhood back there. Not that its a bad thing, but so many of the homes have been converted to institutional use.

I've heard that the Hazel Drive townhomes (between WRHS and the Gestalt Institute on Hazel Dr.) have had some extremely strong preliminary interest. 

 

You people aren't doing your homework, are you?  Wimwar is the only one to mention this, though it's been posted on the new website for weeks!  It's actually quite exciting!

I've heard that the Hazel Drive townhomes (between WRHS and the Gestalt Institute on Hazel Dr.) have had some extremely strong preliminary interest. 

 

You people aren't doing your homework, are you?  Wiemar is the only one to mention this, though it's been posted on the new website for weeks!  It's actually quite exciting!

 

There was homework, Prof. MisterGoodDay?!

^^Is that the project Coral is doing? I heard Peter Rubin is considering building the townhouses green, which would be super cool.

most likely and yes.

Green townhouses, eh?  What a novel idea!  The first new single family home construction in years (Wade Park Townhomes on E. 118th Street) was a big deal, but that's only 5 homes.  This would be 8-10 townhomes and 20+ condos, all wrapped around 200+ car parking garage.  It's a prime opportunity to set the tone for joint public-private development ventures, of which there will be many in UC in the near future.  Case's new dorms were shooting for LEED certification (not sure where that stands) and everything built in the Circle should be doing that or better!

Actually, I wouldn't say completely 'green'.  There is a good chance that they would have some green elements to them. 

If Coral is doing Hazel Drive I hope there is significant over sight by UCI.  Nothing they have done to date that I am aware of makes much of an impression on me and they are slow (actually, propably just cautious, which makes sense for a development firm).

From what I've seen, I really like the design.  It goes above and beyond what we were initially hoping for and I think it has the potential, due to the location and resulting high price points, to be a very impressive project.

^I agree with MGD.