611

STUDIO

CAMPUS DISTRICT PLAN

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CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY MASTER OF URBAN PLANNING, DESIGN, & DEVELOPMENT SPRING 2013 | UST 611 | STUDIO PROJECT

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY
The Campus District Plan

FOUR OUTCOMES
LAKE ERIE

The 500-acre Campus District in Cleveland, Ohio, is blessed with an impressive location and powerful assets that it could use to leverage an exciting future through institutional collaboration and creative placemaking. It sits astride an interstate highway next to the downtown of a major American city. To its west, the district borders the nations second-largest unified theater district, PlayhouseSquare. To its north lies Burke Lakefront Airport and Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes, which together hold 20 percent of the fresh water on the worlds surface. To the east lies a business district linked by a new bus rapid transit line to one of the worlds most distinguished medical centers, the Cleveland Clinic. And to its south, beyond I-77 lies the industrial valley that helped forge the fortunes that made Cleveland a great city at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Assets of the District include Cleveland State University, a campus with 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students, with strengths in fields including education, nursing, urban affairs, law and engineering. St. Vincent Charity Hospital, another pillar of the District, is known for its Spine and Orthopedic Institute, its Center for Bariatric Surgery, its Cardiovascular Services, and other specialties. Cuyahoga Community Colleges Metro Campus lies on the southern flank of the District, alongside the regions largest array of publicly assisted housing, managed by the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. Shaped in the 20th century by several large-scale Urban Renewal Programs, and by the positive and negative consequences of the interstate highway system, the District faces significant challenges, but also has enormous opportunities. It is poised for revitalization if it can mobilize the latent energies it possesses, develop a shared vision and find the resources and energy to act. The following summary gives highlights of a plan developed by Studio 611, a group of students at Cleveland State University led by Professors Robert A. Simons and James Kastelic. The report is offered in the spirit of the following mission: ... To Make the Campus District a successful example of collaboration among anchor institutions.

LAKESHORE BIKEWAY EAST

SUPERIOR AVE BIKEWAY EAST

MUTIMODAL HUB

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warehouse bluffs old chinatown

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asiatown

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art quarter
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playground

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dog park . Chester Ave

EUCLID CORRIDOR BIKEWAY EAST

playhouse square
Prospect Ave.

collegetown
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Euclid Ave .

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campus district plaza cap phase I plaza cap phase II plaza cap phase III

prospect ave. historic district

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gateway
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Cedar Ave

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cedar-central st. vincent

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... To Engage residents in building a vibrant, livable and sustainable downtown neighborhood. ... To Provide excellent education and entertainment for all citizens.

CONNECTION TO TOWPATH

GREENSPACE & GREENWAYS

GREENSPACE
PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III

GREENWAYS
EXISTING COMPLETE STREET IN PROGRESS COMPLETE STREET PLANNED COMPLETE STREET RECOMMENDED COMPLETE STREET RECOMMENDED COMPLETE & GREEN STREETS

SCHOOL, RESIDENTIAL, SHARED INSTITUTIONAL

HISTORIC ADAPTIVE REUSE HOUSING

PHASE I PHASE II

Prepared by: Steven Litt

OLD CHINATOWN / ART QUARTER PLAYHOUSE SQUARE / COLLEGETOWN

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY
HOUSING

PLAN SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The basic conclusions of the Studio 611 Plan for the Campus District are as follows:

Building Re-utilization
Studio 611 was asked to investigate potential highest and best uses for three structures within the Campus District, the Third District Police Station, Mather Hall, and the historic Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Building. The group recommends that the police station be renovated as the permanent home of the Cleveland International School, a joint project of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cleveland State University. Mather Hall has high potential as graduate student housing, possibly with a special connection to the upcoming Center for Innovation in Health Science Building scheduled for construction on the site directly across East 22nd Street. And, finally, Studio 611 recommends that the former Juvenile Court Building be renovated as a jointly-shared office facility for use by the three big institutions with the biggest stake in the future of the Campus District: CSU, Tri-C, and St. Vincent Charity Hospital. Studio 611 proposes that the building should be called the Bridge Center, to emphasize its role in creating a strong connection between the north and south segments of the Campus District currently bisected by the Innerbelt.

Based on extensive research, Studio 611 has pinpointed recommended sites for as many as 1,615 units of student and mixed residential housing in eight separate locations sprinkled around the Campus District. Proposed sites include that of the Jewish Community Federation Building at 1750 Euclid Ave., which could either be renovated or replaced with new construction, and the parking lot immediately to the south. Other recommended sites include the parking lot immediately to the east of the YMCA Building on Prospect Avenue at East 22nd Street, and a site at the southeast corner of Central Avenue and East 24th Street. The dispersion of suggested housing locations is envisioned as a way to spread the beneficial aspects of new residential activity throughout the district, to encourage north-south pedestrian movement in an area dominated by east-west vehicular movement, and to provide options for additional housing, given the possibility that certain sites not be readily available in the immediate future. Studio 611 has concluded that adding new housing may also trigger a need for additional structured parking, which could be located in areas presently occupied by surface lots. Cleveland State University could provide a reliable income stream for private parking lot developers by creating a new Healthy Hangtag for pre-paid parking that would require users to walk slightly longer distances to campus than from parking lots located closer to campus.

Greenways, Bike Paths and Open Space

The Campus District is widely perceived as a gray zone with few attractive public spaces. Studio 611 recommends that the district be improved with a series of complete streets, parks of various sizes, and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle paths on surface streets that cross over the Innerbelt freeway. Studio 611 also recommends that serious consideration be given to caps or landscaped platforms that would cover portions of the Innerbelt either at Euclid Ave., and/ or East 22nd Street, the latter of which would be called Bridge Center Plaza to reinforce its connection to the proposed renovation of the nearby Juvenile Court Building. A more visionary option would be that of covering the entire portion of the Innerbelt trench from Euclid to East 22nd Street, creating a linear park over the highway that would function as an outdoor amenity and as a new address for businesses. Additionally, Studio 611 recommends creating a network of complete streets, a bike network, a trolley loop, and a series of parks including an improved Campus Green, a dog park that would occupy the infield of the Innerbelt on-ramp at Chester Avenue. New way-finding and signage would help to create a stronger identity and sense of place in the District. Green roofs, rainwater cisterns, bioswales and rain gardens would improve the Districts lighten the load imposed by the district on the regional sewer system and would reduce storm-related combined-sewer overflows. Moreover, additional greenery, parks and trees would soften the Districts harsh, gray appearance and reduce its tendency to become an urban heat island in the summer.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS
Studio 611 did not find convincing evidence through the survey of student spending and demand to justify immediate creation of a defined Entertainment District in which state regulations would streamline access to liquor licenses. Existing restaurants and bars within the district appear to satisfy existing demand. However, should the Campus District wish to pursue the idea of an Entertainment District, Studio 611 recommends examining three potential footprints that include areas along Prospect and Euclid Avenues, the Old Chinatown area centered on Rockwell Avenue one block north of Superior Avenue, and a zone along Superior Avenue in the Art Quarter.

EXECUTIVE
Plan Vision and Goals

SUMMARY
The Studio 611 Plan for the Campus District is based on a five-point Vision and Goals Statement that calls for the following:

Vision 1.

Build a Complete Neighborhood for Mixed Users and Mixed Uses

Vision 4.

Attract a residents base that addresses the full life cycle (students, families, empty nesters, elderly) Offer a different housing real estate package than downtown Create a family-friendly neighborhood Facilitate neighborhood functions such as a convenient store, a grocery store, dry cleaner, open space, schools and gathering places for the community Improve the identity of the district

Create quality green space that serves people and the environment
Establish a strong multi-modal, north-south connection Create pedestrian friendly environments Increase public and open spaces and improve green space functionality Maximize green stormwater infrastructure Encourage shared parking solutions Increase access to existing lakefront connections and potential future connections

Vision 2.

Foster an Engaged Learning Community

Vision 5.

Increase student population in the district Integrate student population with neighborhoods and avoid student enclaves Encourage senior living and learning Involve artist community Engage Institutions in Partnerships for key projects

Promote regional and local equity

Vision 3.

Build a 24-7 neighborhood

Encourage mixed use developments Attract businesses that benefit from the proximity to the institutions Provide spaces for student-owned businesses Create retail options that serve the whole community (residents, employees, visitors) Increase safety and improve perception of safety. Collaborate to leverage development opportunities

Keep the neighborhood affordable and welcoming to current and future residents Support current industries that benefit from the location close to rail, highway, water and airport Attract development that prevents a regional zerosum game Promote a sense of place enticing people to stay that might otherwise leave Create net population growth- no stealing or poaching Build upon the strength of the HealthLine connection to University Circle, proximity to PlayhouseSquare, and downtown, as well as Asia Town and the lakefront

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY
STUDENT SURVEY STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS

Data Gathering and Principal Findings

Land Use, Infrastructure, Brownfields
The Campus District currently possesses a diverse mix of land use areas and zoning that create a strong appearance of segmented sub-districts. Distinct boundaries separate a light industrial area on the north side of the District from the educational and institutional zones in the center of the District, which are in turn separated from residential and medical uses to the south by the Innerbelt. The infrastructure of the Campus District emphasizes the east-west flow of the major avenues that traverse the Innerbelt trench; north-south movements are more difficult and less direct. While principal streets and avenues are often in fair to good condition, a detailed analysis of roadway conditions showed that subsidiary roads off the main pathways are often in fair to extremely poor condition. Bike paths are almost non-existent, and walkability for pedestrians is often very poor. One great shining exception is that of Euclid Avenue, recently rebuilt from building face to building face as the result of the $200 million federal, state, and local project to turn the roadway into a bus rapid transit facility. Bike paths and enhanced sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping were also part of the project. The predominant brownfield issue in the district concerns buried fuel tanks, but an analysis by Studio 611 showed that most have attained the status of No Further Action from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The extensive survey of Cleveland State University Students undertaken by Studio 611 revealed that nearly 50% of 420 students said yes in response to the question of whether they would live in the Campus District. A similar percentage of respondents said that additional housing units were needed within a 20-minute walk of the District. Sixty three percent said a grocery store is needed, while nearly 50% said a drugstore is needed. Nearly half, or 47%, wanted to see additional live music venues in the District. Fifty six percent wanted additional dine-in restaurants, and 65% wanted an organic, wholesome food store.

Of the nearly 50 stakeholders whose interviews were tallied for this report, nearly 22% said the Campus District lacks a clear identity, while close to 40% said the Districts identity is closely tied to its three big institutions: CSU, Tri-C, and St. Vincent Charity Hospital. Also, nearly 40% of the interviewees said the District feels safe, even though a smaller percentage feel that it is not safe, that it needs additional policing, and that nuisance crimes committed by the homeless, including public urination, are an ongoing problem. Interviewees were skeptical about whether significant public investment should be made in creating a physical link to the Cleveland lakefront over the highways and railroads that border the northern side of the District, but nearly half wanted to see portions of the Innerbelt capped with landscaped platforms when the highway is rebuilt in coming years by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Campus District History

An examination of the history of the Campus District showed that its present physical form is in large part a legacy of Urban Renewal and public housing programs that erased a formerly lively and fine-grained if somewhat chaotic, mixed-use district to make way for the creation of Cleveland State University and the St. Vincent Charity Hospital complex. Additionally, the construction of the Innerbelt freeway system, which joins I-90, I-77 and I-71, created a vast, curving chasm that slices across the southern flank of downtown Cleveland and which creates a pronounced barrier between the Central Business District and portions of the Campus District to the south. Further north, the highway trench borders the eastern edge of the Campus District, separating it from portions of Midtown, Asiatown and the Superior St. Clair District to the east. The barriers are more than physical; the Innerbelt has acted as a virtual moat separating the downtown business core from the largely African-American residential area, dominated by public housing that lies to the south and southeast.

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY
Existing Plans

THIRD DISTRICT POLICE STATION

Data Gathering and Principal Findings cont.

Existing plans created by institutions within the district create a strong foundation for recommendations by Studio 611. A Campus District Plan from 2009 recommends leveraging the power of the districts anchor institutions to encourage development of additional housing and retail. A 2012 study by the Campus District, funded by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agencys Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative recommended revamping East 22nd Street as a major north-south connector within the district as a way to overcome the barrier created by the presence of the Innerbelt freeway trench. A 2004 master plan at Cleveland State University articulated a powerful vision of the university as a more transparent, welcoming and pedestrian-friendly campus. The plan argued that the university should demolish or renovate certain structures to soften its harsh, Brutalist architectural style. The plan also set in motion a $300 million wave of construction projects largely completed during the presidency of Michael Schwartz, predecessor to current CSU President Ronald Berkman.

MATHER HALL

Demographics and Crime and Safety

The 2010 Census counted 4,803 residents within the Campus District, although research by Studio 611 shows it is unclear how many students or homeless were included. Seventy four percent of those counted, or 3,567, are African-American, while 18% (889) are white. No other racial or ethnic category exceeds 5% of the population. Residents aged 20 to 30 years represented the largest single segment of the population, or about 27%. Some ninety three percent of residents were renters. The median income for the District is $11,056. And 67% of the households have an annual income below $15,000. Data reported by Cleveland State University indicated minimal statistical criminal activity on campus with 21 major crimes reported in all of 2011, a decrease from earlier years. The rate of crime is one major crime per 818 people, which compares favorably to the per capita crime rate of the City of Cleveland, which was one major crime per 14 residents in 2010. University data indicate an incrase from 37 drug and alcohol offences in 2007 to 159 in 2011, a change that coincides with the opening of 600 dorm rooms on campus in the Euclid Commons. The university has recently implemented stricter policies for residence halls. Data indicate that the campus crime rate is consistent with that of other urban universities in northern Ohio. Despite such data, the perception lingers that the Campus District is not safe.

Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

Conclusion and Implementation Options

Studio 611 has concluded that the three major institutions in the Campus District, CSU, Tri-C, and St. Vincent Charity Hospital, collectively have a strong potential to generate demand for additional new businesses and to change the Districts character from that of a commuter center to that of a more residential neighborhood. An increase in population may justify the creation of a formal Entertainment District. Underutilized buildings, such as Mather Hall, the Third District Police Station and the Juvenile Court Building should be viewed as powerful opportunities. The abundance of surface parking in the District also represents an opportunity to insert more dynamic land uses into the area. The Studio 611 plan contemplates several scenarios to be approached in phases depending on the directions Campus District Inc. wishes to take. These are summarized in tables located within the report in the formal Conclusion chapter. Additionally, Studio 611 suggests that the Campus District investigate potential changes in zoning and policy, private investment and tax incentives, in collaboration with the City of Cleveland and private developers. A policy to encourage best practices in stormwater management is also recommended. Given that the Campus District has no site control itself and does not own land, it might be aided by the creation of a Special Design Improvement District, which could private leverage in negotiations with private developers. Improvements in wayfinding are recommended, along with investments in new street furniture and landscaping. In sum, the District literally is a neighborhood at a crossroads. Located next to some of the most dynamic urban areas in the State of Ohio, with a new bus rapid transit line traversing its midsection, and with three powerful institutions in its core, the District appears to be poised for a exciting future. It could follow the example of University Circle, where a number of large institutions collaborated to create the internationally renowned $150-million-plus Uptown project, which combines housing, cultural institutions, retail and entertainment venues. Uptown provides a vivid example of the potential for the Campus District, which could fashion itself as a new, University Circle West. Given the brilliant opportunities that appear all but within reach, it would appear that now is the time for the city, the Campus District, and its member institutions to redouble their efforts to capitalize on the rich investments recently made in the area. The opportunities are exciting and too tantalizing to waste.

CAMPUS DISTRICT PLAZA RENDERING

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