Mercedes with Circle 118 Townhome Purchase

University Circle Townhomes Come Complete with a New Mercedes-Benz

University Circle is clearly the driving force and employment engine of Northeast Ohio. It seems every week there is another story about a new expansion, investment or other positive event occurring in this dynamic sector of our city. One of the most recent and quiet success stories has been the sales success of the new Circle 118 Townhome community located at the corner of Euclid and 118^th. In spite of the gloomy news one reads about new home starts, the sales at this community have been consistent and strong since opening up early this year. Why? The reason is clear with a visit to the architecturally exciting model home at Circle 118. This is a bold community that mirrors the exciting new faces of University Circle. Colorful, thoroughly modern designed townhomes built eco-friendly with quality sustainable materials; they offer outstanding views of the vibrant new Euclid Corridor that is growing with shops, people and institutions. One is able to walk to everything the district is world-famous for: University Hospital, The Cleveland Clinic, Severance Hall, Cleveland Institute of Art, Case Western Reserve University, Little Italy and many museums and galleries. Living at Circle 118 is truly urban living at its finest. The builder, WXZ Residential, of Fairview Park, Ohio has enjoyed strong initial sales success and is adding a very unique incentive to keep things going strong. While the excitement of University Circle is but a short walk away, a car is still probably still a necessity for most people. Because Circle 118 is clearly a very classy environment, an equally classy car seems appropriate. For a limited time, a completely paid-for two year lease on a new C-300 4matic Mercedes-Benz from Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted will be part of the closing documents to anyone that buys one of the remaining townhomes currently under construction. They (the Townhomes, not the car) feature two- and three bedroom floor plans that range from 1730 to 1820 square feet. The homes all feature contemporary light-filled spaces, first class finishes and unique, large three story rooftop terraces. All of the homes feature floor-to-ceiling windows, two-car attached garages, bamboo floors, granite countertops, and countless other standard features that are typically upgrades with other builders. There are currently only two homes remaining in Phase I and two homes have already pre-sold in Phase II which is now under construction. With only 17 total homes in the community, you will not want to miss the opportunity to be a part of the exciting urban life that University Circle offers. The Mercedes-Benz offer will not last forever and neither will these homes. Call Scott or Jen with the Keller-Williams Realty sales team at 216-903-6747 for details. The furnished model home is open every weekend from 1 to 5. Stop in then or visit the web site at www.circle118. And no need to measure to check to make sure a new C-300 4matic Mercedes-Benz will fit comfortably in the homes 2 car garage – it will!

Hawken Opening new learning center in University Circle

Hawken, one of Cleveland's most prestigious private schools, got its start back in 1915 when headmaster James Hawken set up shop in a house on Ansel Road.

Fast forward to the present, and you'll find nearly 1,000 students spread between the Lyndhurst Campus for elementary and middle school and the Gates Mills Campus for high school.

But starting later this month, Hawken will go back to its roots, setting up an extension campus in a former mansion on Magnolia Drive -- about 500 yards from the original school building.

This is going to add tremendous value as the Circle tries to advance as a true Ohio hub for education and innovation," he said. "Over the last few years, we've really ramped up an education model that uses Circle institutions as learning laboratories."

Hawken will join a number of schools taking advantage of the neighborhood's museums, hospitals and colleges, Ronayne said. That includes fixtures such as Cleveland School of the Arts and John Hay High School as well as newcomers like Montessori High School, located just a few doors down from Hawken's center.

The official name is the Sally and Bob Gries Center for Experiential and Service Learning, in recognition of the couple who provided the lead gift to pay for it.

For the full article click here

For more information contact Jen Zelko at 440.749.0546

More Development Breaking Ground in University Circle

After decades of discussions and nearly five years of planning, a developer finally is ready to build homes, stores and restaurants along Euclid Avenue in University Circle.

MRN Ltd. closed July 29, 2010 on its financing and plans to break ground Monday August 2, 2010 for the $44.5 million first phase of its long-anticipated Uptown project. Two buildings, comprising 102 apartments over retail space, will sit at the heart of $300 million-plus in ongoing and planned development radiating from Euclid at Mayfield Road. The apartments will replace a dusty parking lot and a dingy shopping strip at East 115th Street, across from the expanding Cleveland Institute of Art.

MRN, the development arm of the Maron family, turned East Fourth Street into an entertainment district. The Marons also are reviving the old United Bank Building in Ohio City, near the West Side Market, and turning the imposing Tudor Arms building at Carnegie Avenue and East 107th Street into a Doubletree hotel.

At Uptown, the Marons plan to build apartments aimed at nurses, doctors, graduate students and professors. A Barnes & Noble bookstore and other, unidentified businesses will fill the ground floor of the building north of Euclid, while restaurants ranging from quick food to fine dining will line the south side of the avenue. The Marons envision tucking an entertainment alley between that building existing residential towers owned by CWRU.

To read the entire article click HERE

For more information call Jen Zelko at 440.749.0546

University Circle continues to lead by example when it comes to green technology

Case Western Reserve University gets the OK to erect wind turbine on campus.

Case Western Reserve University will erect a wind turbine on campus, part of a $6 million effort to boost the region as a research hub and parts supplier for the fast-growing, wind power industry.

Cleveland's design-review officials on Thursday approved erecting the 12-story turbine just west of Adelbert Road, on the school's southern campus.

The 100-kilowatt turbine would be the smallest of three turbines Case Western and seven local businesses plan to erect as they establish a wind-energy research and commercialization center at the university.

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For more information please contact Jen Zelko at 440.749.0546

Greater Circle Living: An innovative University Circle housing program

What is Greater Circle Living?

Are you thinking about moving to University Circle??? If so, you may be eligible for some great financial incentives available in the area. The Greater Circle Living program is an innovative housing program offered to employees of University Circle Institutions. Read the quick summary below!

This forgivable loan program aims to improve access to affordable housing, assist individuals in wealth building, reduce commute times and costs, and enhance quality of life by offering employees of eligible institutions an opportunity to live and work close to world-class cultural institutions and services. It also seeks to increase awareness of the incredible housing opportunities available in the area. To preview available housing, visit www.livecleveland.org/greatercircleliving.

Greater Circle Living includes

• Financial assistance
• Training for home buyers
• Help with the application process
• Education on housing options
• Assistance with budgeting/managing finances

Financial assistance is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Families participating in Greater Circle Living remain eligible for housing assistance programs offered by the City of Cleveland and some other agencies.

Greater Circle Living offers a $5,000 forgivable loan for down payment and/or closing costs for the purchase of an owner-occupied home by full-time employees of any nonprofit institution in Greater University Circle (see map).

Loans are forgiven if the employee continues to work for a participating Greater University Circle institution (see your employer for specific eligibility requirements) and continues to occupy the residence for five years after the loan closes.

Employees of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Museum of Art, Judson at University Circle and University Hospitals may be eligible for an additional $10,000 forgivable loan for down payment or closing costs for the purchase of an owner-occupied home, or one month’s rental reimbursement in Greater University Circle.

Want more information about Greater Circle Living?? Click here for a brochure


For information about available housing in University Circle please contact Jen Zelko at 440.749.0546

Upscale apartments planned for University Circle

WXZ Development Inc. plans to build 60 apartments in University Circle, where hospitals and institutions are driving the need for new homes despite the challenging economy. The project is envisioned to sit on nearly 3 acres along Hazel Drive, near the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Cleveland Institute of Music. The Hazel apartments will cater to people who prefer to rent or who aren't in Cleveland long enough to buy a house. The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University attract medical residents, researchers and graduate students who need apartments for just a few years. That's driving demand for new apartments, such as the proposed Uptown residential-and-retail project on Euclid Avenue, and for high-end existing rentals, particularly those at Park Lane Villa off East 105th Street. WXZ hopes to start construction late this year and open the first apartments by fall 2011. The project could be finished by spring 2012, in time to house medical residents looking for rentals near the hospitals.

Check out the full article: Upscale apartments planned for University Circle neighborhood



For more information please contact Jen Zelko at 440.749.0546

Sustainable Urban Design and New Urbanism

With the increasing commitment to sustainable living and with an increasing demand for houses in urban areas, housing design has taken on a new and crucial role in urban planning. Urban design is about making connections between people and places- about utilizing urban form and integrating nature into the built fabric. It draws together the many strands of place, environment, economic viability and social ties to a community’s beauty and identity. Urban design is also greatly shaped by an area’s landscape, engineering, architectural design, development economics, transportation and planning. Together these pieces come together to create a vision for a community that defines its character and its future.

In addition to urban design, New Urbanism is becoming more of a focus around the United States. New Urbanism in short is when cities reclaim urban areas once thought lost. Whether damage had been done to the community through environmental degradation, misguided infrastructure or design that isolated poor classes, cities are now transforming these deteriorating neighborhoods into vibrant, livable areas that are attracting people with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. As cities rebuild, design becomes a critical process- how will the new housing opportunities connect the people to the community in an efficient, exciting, and sustainable way?

University Circle in Cleveland, Ohio has become a capital for innovative healthcare, arts, education, and culture, and the community has put a great deal of focus on constructing housing that connects its residents to the areas vibrancy. A great example of modern, eco-friendly urban design – Circle 118 has become a breath of fresh air on a once dreary corner in the district at Euclid and E. 118 street. Its pedestrian-centric design maximizes outdoor space with attached garages encircling a private courtyard. Smart building design features increase comfort, reduce utility usage, and provide synergy and vibrancy to the community.

In an article by the Plain Dealer, writer Steven Lit quoted Chris Ronayne, director of University Circle Inc., [who] described the location as a formerly "hopeless piece of land," used by UCI as a parking lot. The site was particularly difficult because the Euclid Avenue frontage angles southeast toward the elevated railroad line just to the east of the new apartments. Sitting next to elevated rail lines, the architects at RDL Architects, have designed townhomes that both embrace their urban setting and integrate nature into every aspect of the building process. Not only are these homes extremely green friendly, they are also interesting to the eye. The townhomes are unique for Cleveland- they sport colorful geometric facades accented by blue panels made in Italy and the sawtooth rear facades of the townhouses are painted in bright shades of yellow, green and orange. A “Vitamin D” palate is often quoted. The effect is upbeat and positive and reflects University Circle’s commitment to art and culture.

More modern, sleek design elements include glassy bedrooms on the second floor that beam over sidewalks are trimmed in red-painted metal panels. Double-pane commercial-grade windows in the living rooms and second floor bedrooms of the townhouses admit tons of light but very little sound. When viewed from inside, trains and Health Line buses on Euclid Avenue appear to pass in near silence. The effect is remarkable. The living room area features a sleek, contemporary interior as well. Angled walls are used to enhance a sense of roominess and are filled with eco-friendly materials and appliances. Roof top terraces over look the rail lines as well as Little Italy and University Circle and can be augmented as green roofs as well.

University Circle president Chris Ronayne had the following to say about Circle 118 and its contribution to University Circle living:

“When it comes to University Circle’s Bring Back Euclid Avenue campaign, Circle 118 is everything we hope for on Euclid Avenue. With its pacesetting modern design, the project complements the emergent modern arts district at our eastern gateway. It anchors the new Euclid Corridor project as a transit oriented residential development. It enhances our effort to become an environmentally sustainable neighborhood. And, its signature address makes Circle 118 a five to ten minute walk to our world class universities, hospitals, arts and cultural institutions that make University Circle a premier urban district.”

For More Information please contact Jen Zelko 440.749.0546

University Circle to be named Cleveland's new Medical District?

Check out this article: Introducing Cleveland’s new neighborhood: The Medical District.

Is University Circle going to be named The Medical District?? That's what some of the smartest marketing minds in town are rallying for to expand Cleveland's reputation as a "healthcare hub"