Green Space + Parks

Eastside Greenway envisions future connections
The ambitious Eastside Greenway project will take years to accomplish, but leaders are taking small steps to connect Cleveland's eastern suburbs through trails and corridors.
Social entrepreneurs making waves in Northeast Ohio
Now in its seventh year, Sustainable Cleveland 2019 held its annual summit this week with the Year of Water. These social innovators are taking the theme seriously.
This Weekend in Cleveland: Salute to Summer and more
The dog days of summer are here. Get all your last hurrahs. This weekend, explore the newest happenings on Waterloo Road, celebrate Guide to Kulchur’s expanded location, soak up the late summer sun at MIX and more!
Luxury high rise in University Circle set to break ground in January
Construction is slated to begin in January on a 20-floor luxury apartment building at Euclid Avenue and Stokes Boulevard in University Circle. The new high rise would add another high-end residential option in this booming, popular community.

One University Circle, at 10730 Euclid Ave., should be ready for occupancy by January 2018. The 280-unit building will include 268 units averaging about 1,000 square feet, 12 additional penthouses, a four-story parking garage, outdoor grilling area, fitness room and yoga studio. The building also will have a café and market, business center and residents’ lounge.

Dimit Architects designed the building, which includes a window wall and terracotta panel system for the exterior of the building. All of the units will have floor-to-ceiling glass, and some of them will have balconies or patios.

University Circle Inc. president Chris Ronayne, who likens the project to similar apartment projects in New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Millennium Park, envisions a diverse group of tenants, from academics and millennials to empty nesters. “You’re going to see a pretty diverse cross-section of people in One University Circle,” he predicts. “People who appreciate the amenities.” The building will offer easy access to the RTA HealthLine.

Ronayne adds that the rising demand for city living in Cleveland will contribute to One University Circle’s appeal.

It’s all about density when it comes to revitalizing any neighborhood, he comments. The residential component is just one factor. Retailers and public transportation are the other components that contribute to a thriving city.

“When you’re looking at 280 units on 1.3 acres, you’re looking at the density of a major city,” he explains. “You need that kind of density to create foot traffic, retailers, for public transportation. We want a complete neighborhood where in a 20-minute walk you can find everything you need. The Circle has become a complete neighborhood.”

A portion of the land at 10730 Euclid Ave. currently houses the Children’s Museum, which will be moving to the Stager-Beckwith mansion in Midtown.
 
First Interstate Properties and Petros Development are partnering with University Circle Inc. on the project. Panzica Construction will be the general contractor.
This weekend in Cleveland: Mimeo Revolution Artist Book + Zine Fair and more
This weekend, check out the zine scene at MOCA, drop in at Night Market Cleveland, attend Pecha Kucha Volume 26, support the nonprofit CAN Journal and more.
Unique urban cycling event returns for a second year
From high-flying adventure to hidden secrets: the Metroparks' top 10 discoveries
An obstacle course amid the treetops, miles of mountain bike trail and a mysterious 130-year-old rock? We've got that and then some: Fresh Water Cleveland has rounded up ten of the Metroparks' best hidden gems, quirky trails and thrilling courses.
Afghan refugee leads game-changing urban farm
Mohammad Noormal, who resettled in Cleveland in 2014, now leads the Learning Garden and Production Farm at Urban Community School.
This weekend in Cleveland: World Festival, Inkubator and more
This weekend, celebrate the cultures that make up Northeast Ohio at Cleveland World Festival, experience a fusion of Asian food and culture at Night Market, embrace the power of writing at Cleveland Inkubator and more.
Playing for keeps: 'Making Our Own Space' initiative puts design in the hands of youth
Parks and other play spaces are designed for young people, yet youth are seldom asked for their input. A new initiative engages Cleveland kids in design and encourages them to consider careers in this area.
Summertime in the city and by the lake: one in the same in the 216
Now under the wing of the Metroparks, Cleveland's lakefront and riverside green spaces are home to an array of outdoor programs, activities and entertainment options that abound from Edgewater Beach to Wildwood Marina.
 
Inviting transformation begins on East 22nd Street corridor
Last Friday, work began on the $4.3 million East 22nd Street improvement project. The effort will revitalize the nearly one-mile corridor between Orange and Euclid Avenues with new pavement; curb, drainage and sidewalk work; median improvements and new traffic signals. Upgrades will also include new streetscaping elements such as signage, benches, brick pavers, bike racks, trash receptacles, trees and shrubs.
 
The project is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the city of Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). Road work is slated for completion this fall, with streetscaping amenities to be complete in the spring of 2016.
 
"East 22nd Street really will become our north/south 'Main Street,'" says Bobbi Reichtell, executive director at Campus District, Inc., noting how the project will improve the connection between Saint Vincent Charity Medical CenterCleveland State University, and Cuyahoga Community College.
 
"There are a lot of students that go between CSU and Tri-C. They take classes at both," she says. "It is literally a 12-minute walk. It's not a pleasant walk right now. It's barren and institutional. No one walks or bikes it."
 
Reichtell is confident that will change when bike lanes, greenery, neighborhood signs and public art created by local artist Augustus Turner are all in place.
 
"It's just going to be a much more pleasant experience for biking and walking," she says. "We expect to have many more walkers and bikers between CSU and Tri-C."
 
As usual, before Clevelanders see improvements they'll have to endure some orange barrels. East 22nd Street will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction between Orange and Carnegie Avenues. Between Carnegie and Euclid Avenues, which is already one-way northbound, traffic will be reduced to one lane. Motorists are advised to be aware of signal modifications during construction as well.
 
Ironically, this does not necessarily come as bad news to many within the Campus District, including Reichtell, who expresses as much with words rarely heard in Northeast Ohio. "We are so excited to see orange barrels," she says. "Even though it will bring short term pain, this is a long time in coming. We're finally getting what we've been asking for."
 
This weekend In Cleveland: Wade Oval Wednesday, PorchFest and more
This weekend, enjoy the kickoff of WOW’s free summer concert series, view 30 bands on 30 porches at PorchFest and dust off your dancing shoes for free vinyl dance parties at Beachland and B Side.
Fighting blight in the 'burbs
Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights and Lakewood are on the forefront of using the CDC model.