University Circle

Wade Lagoon stretches in front of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Located on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, University Circle (also known locally known 'The Circle') is a neighborhood dominated by cultural and educational institutions, as well as being the medical hub of Greater Cleveland. Encompassing approximately 550 acres (2.2 km²) of the Case Western Reserve University campus and Wade Park, University Circle is bordered on its south by Cleveland's Little Italy as well as the neighborhoods of Buckeye-Shaker and Fairfax (also known as Midtown). It is also bordered by Hough to the west and Glenville on the east, .

University Circle is a major source of employment in the Cleveland area, currently providing more than 30,000 jobs in a variety of fields. Over 13,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students attend area institutions, and approximately 2.5 million people visit the Circle each year. University Circle Incorporated, a not-for-profit corporation established in 1957, fulfills many administrative and quasi-governmental functions for the area, including security, transportation administration, and marketing. Nearly 50 cultural, medical, educational, religious, and social service institutions are based in the University Circle area, the largest of which is Case Western Reserve University.

Institutions

File:University-Hospital-Cleveland.JPG

A view of Case Medical Center's Lerner Tower.

File:Peter-B-Lewis-Building.jpg

The Frank Gehry-designed Peter B. Lewis building is home to Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management.

University Circle houses a large number of allied and independent institutions, most of which are members of University Circle Incorporated. The Cleveland Museum of Art, a world-renowned art museum situated in front of Wade Lagoon, is currently undertaking a massive expansion project that will more than double its exhibit space. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is located in the Circle as well. Severance Hall is home to the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the United States' Big Five orchestras. The Cleveland Botanical Garden includes a greenhouse offering two ecosystems: Madagascar desert and Costa Rica cloud forest. The Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Cinematheque, and Sculpture Center are located in the Circle. Case Medical Center is one of the nation's premier cancer hospitals and is closely affiliated with Case Western Reserve University. The Louis Stokes Veteran's Administration Medical Center is another medical institution in the area. The Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine is currently located in the Circle, but will soon move to suburban Independence. The Cleveland Institute of Music and the Cleveland Music School Settlement are also located here. The Circle is home to a variety of smaller museums as well, such as The Western Reserve Historical Society and Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, the Children's Museum of Cleveland and the Dittrick Museum of Medical History.

Located nearby are a number of other museums, places of worship, and specialty health care facilities, including the Cleveland Clinic and the Cleveland Play House.

Transportation

The Circle area is served by public transportation, including a stop on the RTA's Red Line. The CircleLink shuttle service (colloquially known as the "Greenie") provides free public transportation within University Circle. On October 24, 2008, the RTA HealthLine began operation, introducing bus rapid transit along Euclid Avenue from Public Square to Louis Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland. University Circle is a major destination on the line, and Euclid Avenue was rebuilt during construction, with the installation of public art, new lighting, and sidewalks along the entire length of the HealthLine.

Uptown project

In the spring of 2006, Charter One Bank announced its $150,000,000 'Uptown Initiative'. The aim of the program is to spur economic development in University Circle, and its surrounding east side neighborhoods. $100 million of the initiative has been earmarked for boosting commercial development, with the remaining $50 million meant for housing renovation and new residential construction.

In addition to this investment, in 2008 Case Western Reserve University, in cooperation with neighboring University Circle institutions and local developers, announced a planto to develop a new 'uptown' district within University Circle, to be centered on the section known as 'the Triangle' at the corners of Euclid, Ford, and Mayfield. Anchored by the planned expansion of the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland's new $25 million home, the development will also provide new commercial space and residential units.

External links

• University Circle from The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
• University Circle Incorporated
• University Circle Guide