DESTINATION: UNIVERSITY CIRCLE

When you think of the area bordered by the MLK traffic circle, Euclid Avenue, East Boulevard, and all those small streets in between, what comes to mind? The Cleveland Museum of Art? The Museum of Natural History? Maybe Case Western Reserve University? Recent research has shown exactly that. University Circle Inc. (UCI) has discovered through its destination marketing research that people often think of one major attraction in University Circle rather than thinking of the Circle as one destination with many attractions. Market research also confirms that people view University Circle as difficult to find and confusing to navigate. To address both of these issues, UCI is working with its institutional partners, as part of the second phase of its destination marketing campaign, Find Yourself in the Circle, to create greater awareness of University Circle as a destination center that’s easier to find, easier to navigate, and easier to enjoy.

With the help of its institutional partners, UCI chose Brokaw, Inc., a successful Cleveland-based advertising firm, to help tell the University Circle story to wider audiences. Brokaw started by interviewing marketing directors from around the circle and conducting focus groups and an online study of people throughout our 17-county region. While the audience does indentify University Circle with single institutions, many were shocked to learn about everything else they can find here. More importantly, the research shows that UCI and its partners have an opportunity collectively to market University Circle as a destination center to millions of people who don’t know about everything that they can find here.

The work to raise awareness has already begun. During this past summer, UCI launched its first television and radio spots under the Find Yourself in the Circle banner promoting WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays to a mass of viewers and listeners throughout the region. Surveys at WOW! have shown that the advertising is working. With its partners, UCI will do more television spots and targeted media to its regional audience to raise the awareness of University Circle as a premier destination in the region.

While UCI will convey the compelling University Circle story to new regional audiences and raise the Circle’s awareness, the actual visitor experience is just as important. And UCI President, Chris Ronayne, pushes his staff daily to attend to every detail of the visitor experience. You can see some of these results with the new wayfinding signage created by Studio Graphique and Wagner Electric Sign Company, unveiled by UCI in July 2009.

Today, visitors know when they’ve found University Circle because they’re greeted by 10 prominent 20-foot gateway signs that boldly announce their arrival into the Circle. As visitors travel the district, they can follow 64 more signs of a simplified and better connected wayfinding system that takes them from a grand gateway to their ultimate destination. The signs make it easier for visitors to find University Circle’s major attractions, and also help with branding the district with their size, scope, and consistent color scheme.

The challenge for UCI and its institutional partners is making the Circle’s patchwork of world-class institutions a promising place for millions throughout the region to visit. Taking the message to these masses and making their visit a welcoming and easy experience will likely make the difference for this special destination.

Euclid Avenue is Back!

If you find yourself in the Circle this fall, one thing you might find is that Euclid Avenue, the booming legend of the twenties and thirties, is making a comeback. But rather than returning to a time long gone, the “great main street” is honoring history by transforming into a model for the future.

As part of its Bring Back Euclid Avenue campaign, UCI raised more than $7 million for investments with the help of the Kent H. Smith Charitable Trust to complement the contributions of the transit renovation and revival project. With this investment, improvements have been made that include the Visitor and Living in the Circle Center (opened in summer 2008), new directional and wayfinding signage (unveiled this past July), and streetscape enhancements such as lighting, benches, flower baskets, and banners that are currently underway.

But to get the full experience of the new Euclid Avenue, you really need to take a quick tour.

Let’s say you’re a staunch west-sider who rarely travels to the east side except for the occasional exhibit or event. You take the HealthLine from downtown to meet some friends for lunch in University Circle, because it’s only $2 and you’ve always been intimidated by the traffic. The last time you were in the neighborhood, Euclid Avenue was all torn up. The first thing you might notice as you enter the Circle is a new, bold sign on Stokes Boulevard that welcomes you to the neighborhood. You continue heading east, finding more signs of the same design with directions to the museums and hospitals. Even with construction, things seem a lot easier than you remember. Don’t blame your memory. Things have changed, and they keep changing for the better.

You get off at the Cornell Road stop, which is full of people waiting to board who are covered by scaffolding because the new University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center is being built. It should open in about a year. To your left is the historic Commodore Place, with new, large glass windows, a brighter stone façade, and new retail. As you cross Cornell, you walk through the recently remodeled Uptown Plaza where students, construction workers, professionals, and hospital employees are enjoying lunch in a more accessible and attractive landscape. The project was completed this October.

Continue down Euclid Avenue across Mayfield Road, past the Uptown development location and the future site of the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA), all the way to the recently revamped Euclid Tavern, and you’ll find a beautiful building next to it that opens October 5: the new home of the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center. The second major sustainable development in University Circle (Case Western Reserve University’s Village at 115 is considered the first), the center is a silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building. The development was part of a $16 million campaign called Strong Voice Sound Tomorrow.

Across from the new Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center near the east end of University Circle is yet another project taking shape. Circle 118 is a collection of 17 modern townhomes championing sustainable design on Euclid Avenue. Construction is underway with the first set of four-story, eco-friendly townhomes that make use of sustainable materials while offering luxury standards.

The obvious contrast and unfussy mix of things old and new on Euclid Avenue is what makes University Circle a unique place to explore. So take a trip soon and see for yourself.

For more information on development updates in University Circle, visit www.universitycircle.org and look for our online-only annual report to be published this November.

An Incentive to Live Near the Circle

Rob Kinsey walks to work every day and walks home for his lunch break to walk his dog, Cocoa. He lives in Cleveland. And he’s one of University Circle’s newest residents because of the Greater Circle Living Program (GCL Program), which provides down payment assistance to eligible employees of nonprofit institutions in and around University Circle.

A software developer at Case Western Reserve University, Rob recently purchased a restored condominium at University View, located at E. 115th and Ashbury. After living in other Cleveland neighborhoods, Rob decided to buy his home within walking distance to his work in University Circle.

The GCL Program offers forgivable loans between $5,000 and $15,000 for down payment and/or closing costs towards the purchase of a home in Greater University Circle, which includes parts of Glenville, Buckeye/Shaker, Little Italy, Hough, Fairfax and East Cleveland. Rental assistance and matching funds for exterior home repair are available to eligible employees of Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, The Cleveland Museum of Art and Judson at University Circle.

The GCL Program complements UCI’s mission to build a premier urban district in University Circle that’s open 24 hours a day 7 days a week with new residents, like Rob, who live, work, and play here. The program includes help with the application process, training for homebuyers, and assistance with budgeting and managing finances, in addition to financial assistance.

Rob received $15,000 toward the purchase of his condominium. He credits the GCL Program for ending his life of renting for the luxury of owning a home. While Rob didn’t have a particular neighborhood in mind when he began his home search, his decision to settle near University Circle placed him steps away from his job and the world-class attractions of University Circle.

For more information about GCL or to learn more about housing options in Greater University Circle, please stop by the University Circle Visitor and Living in the Circle Center at 11330 Euclid Avenue or contact Genna Petrolla, Greater Circle Living Manager at 216-707-4642 or gpetrolla@universitycircle.org.

From Broadway to the Oscars: The Memorable Music of The Cleveland POPS Orchestra

Cleveland can easily claim one of the country’s richest musical heritages, with venerable institutions such as The Cleveland Orchestra and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame leading the way in classical and contemporary music, respectively. Adding to this rich diversity is University Circle Inc.’s newest partner organization, The Cleveland POPS Orchestra.  Established in 1996, The Cleveland POPS is one of the only orchestras in the country to play symphonic pops exclusively, which includes light classical, swing, jazz, Broadway, Dixieland, and Klezmer music.

Like many great organizations, The Cleveland Pops began as the dream of its Music Director, Carl Topilow. Topilow, who has a lifelong passion for Pops music, also serves as conductor and director of the orchestral program at The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), and has guest conducted with nearly 100 orchestras, including those in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. When asked what inspired him to follow his dream and found his own orchestra, he replied, “I have a wife who supported and believed in me. We put together a board of directors, and had our first concert in 1996. ” When asked about his enthusiasm for Pops music, he replied, “[Pops] is really great music. It’s American classical music.”

The Cleveland Pops performs at the Palace Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, Blossom Music Center, Severance Hall, and many other venues. This year, they have the distinction of opening the Performing Arts Series at the new Breen Center at St. Ignatius High School. Their musicians come from all walks of life. “We have CIM professors, teachers, and recent grads,” said Topilow. “Our musicians represent a tremendous cross-section of the community.”

The 2009-2010 concert season will bring some of Tinseltown to the area. “It’s all about the movies this season,” said Topilow. “Movies are the great art form of our time. At many of our concerts, we’ll show live movie clips while the orchestra plays.” These concerts include “A Night at the Oscars,” “Broadway Goes to the Movies,” and the ever-popular “10^th Annual Salute to our Armed Forces.” Concertgoers will be treated to their favorite tunes and movie clips from classics such as Rocky, The Godfather, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Bridge on the River Kwai, The Patriot, and Braveheart, as well as songs from Broadway shows that have made their silver screen debut, such as Chicago and Sweeney Todd. Other exciting concerts include “When Swing was King,” “Holiday in Toyland,” “14^th Annual New Year’s Eve Concert & Dance,” and “Cirque de la Symphonie: The Encore.”

The future of The Cleveland Pops Orchestra is a bright one within University Circle and Greater Cleveland. “We want to continue doing what we’re doing,” said Topilow.  “We want to offer a greater variety of concerts and to stay involved with the community.” He added, “Anybody that comes to a Cleveland POPS concert will be excited because they’ll recognize the songs. We really try to involve the audience, and I promise an entertaining evening of music.”

Hear a sample from An Affair to Remember: Richard Rodgers Waltzes

For more information on The Cleveland Pops Orchestra, call 216-765-7677 or visit www.clevelandpops.com.

Summer 2009

Clean. Safe. Attractive. Included: Interviews with University Circle Police Department Chief John Pavelich and the new University Circle Ambassadors; a new UCI member and the expansion of UCI’s career-readiness education program, Future Connections

Celebrating 50 Years with the UCPD

fullCircle: How did the UCPD start?

Chief John Pavelich: The UCPD was founded on March 15, 1959. The story I heard over the years was that crime in the area had gotten so bad that some of the institutions were thinking of moving out. UCI had a study done that recommended a private police department to patrol the University Circle area. It more than likely would not have gotten off the ground if not for UCI. Our very first station was located in a garage behind one of the fraternity houses on Magnolia Drive, so you can imagine what that was like. We moved to a couple of other locations before finally settling in our current building in the early 1980s.

fC: How long have you been with the UCPD?

JP: I started in 1968, not long after I got out of the Army. My best friend Lt. Louis Adoryan was an officer in University Circle, and he was the one who convinced me to apply for a position. It was close to home for me. I lived off of Buckeye Road, which is a short distance southwest of the Circle.

fC: How has the area changed and evolved since you started?

JP: For one thing, the area has grown. When I started, there were maybe 20 institutions as opposed to the 40 we have today. We’ve seen some pretty major events as a police department. The Hough Riots took place right before I started. The UCPD was also involved in a major shootout in Glenville in 1968, during which four armed militants and three police officers were killed. The National Guard was brought in to restore order.

When the mafia was more active in Cleveland, someone shot at John Nardi (a well-known Mafioso in the ’60s and ’70s who was later killed by a car bomb) from the bridge on Mayfield toward Little Italy. During demonstrations against Vietnam, students blockaded Euclid Avenue. When they refused orders to move off of the street, we had to help break them up.

Most recently, the UCPD helped bring down the shooter in the Peter B. Lewis building on Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU) campus. But even as the area has grown, crime on the whole has gone down because of the UCPD.

fC: What service does the UCPD provide?

JP: We help make the Circle safe, without making headlines. We are on duty 24-hours per day, 7 days per week. We stay highly visible by having our officers patrol the neighborhood. We also provide security escorts when needed, special event support, traffic control, and accident investigation. Upon request, we also go to the institutions to give crime prevention presentations. We work closely with CRWU’s and University Hospitals’ police departments as well.

fC: How are University Circle and the UCPD different from other neighborhoods and police departments?

JP: Statistically University Circle is one of the safest parts of the city. I cannot tell you how many studies have been done over the years, usually when budgets were the issue, to see if we were worth the cost. The UCPD is very customer-oriented. Community policing is a relatively new concept to much of the area, but it has been the purpose of the UCPD since day one. Our officers really go above and beyond. Community policing is never saying, “That’s not my job.”

fC: What are some of your goals for the department?

JP: If we were able to hire a few more people, I would like to create an investigator position within the department and have officers patrolling in street clothes as well as in uniform. Also, we are working with UCI and the institutions to expand the service area of the UCPD. Something I feel we’re doing well that I want to continue to do is stay highy visible, and to be proactive instead of reactive.

fC: What are some of your favorite things about working in University Circle for the UCPD?

JP: Every day as a police officer is different. I have always loved University Circle and I think of the UCPD as a family. Plus, I met my wife back when she was working on her master’s degree at CWRU!

A Well Maintained, Attractive Front Door

As UCI launches its destination marketing campaign and invites you to “Find Yourself in the Circle,” it is focused on what visitors experience when they arrive. You may have recently noticed two gentlemen in red vests carrying brooms, buckets, and bags along with visitor guides and maps. Meet the University Circle Ambassadors, a growing team assembled by UCI to keep University Circle a safe, clean, and attractive place.

Derrick and Scott are responsible for light street maintenance and hospitality services, and can be found most days (including weekends) on their route up and down the revamped Euclid Avenue and other key areas of the district, like Wade Oval. Laura Kleinman, director of shared services at UCI, said the goal of the ambassador program is “to create a well maintained and attractive front door to University Circle that benefits institutions and businesses and acts as a main entry point for visitors from nearby neighborhoods to communities throughout the region and beyond.”

People have noticed. Museum staff acknowledged the added presence and cordiality of Derrick and Scott. Disoriented visitors expressed the convenience of immediate and accessible directions. And a neighborhood resident, who is also a local real estate developer, was pleased to see the two ambassadors on Euclid at East 118th Street near his home. The ambassadors have begun a special project pressure-washing sidewalks and cleaning off graffiti under the murky bridge that has marked the east end of the district.

Now more than ever, you really can find yourself in the Circle with the help of University Circle’s official visitor representatives and maintenance crew. They have already proved a needed addition to the community with extra security, as their quick response to a recent car accident has shown. Both Scott and Derrick said they love being outside, which makes their job a perfect fit. As a former concierge at the Glidden House, Derrick is especially knowledgeable about University Circle and he’s excited to talk it up:  “For me, it’s all about the interaction with the public.” Look for the duo on Euclid Avenue or at one of the WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays concerts this summer, and don’t be shy to ask them a question or two. They’re ready to help.

Dying with Dignity

Modern medicine has undeniably improved individuals’ quality of life, allowing them to live healthier and longer.  It has also worked miracles in the face of diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and even AIDS.  But what happens when the science behind the medicine is not enough to save someone’s life?  For these times, a different form of treatment is needed—one that prepares an individual and their loved ones physically, spiritually, and emotionally for the realities of death. For more than thirty years, Hospice of the Western Reserve has been providing compassionate care and guidance for people facing the end of their life’s journey.

Serving a 5-county area and more than 1,300 patients and families per day, Hospice of the Western Reserve provides palliative end-of-life care.  Palliative care involves pain management, symptom control, and emotional and spiritual support.  “When a serious illness or health problem arises, there is a swirling of anxiety and turmoil,” said David Simpson, chief executive officer of Hospice of the Western Reserve. “We consider hospice to be emergency medicine.  Our sole focus is the provision of comfort for all people connected to a particular patient.”

Hospice of the Western Reserve provides many valuable services to the community, including grief counseling and programs dedicated to dementia, cardiopulmonary disease, renal disease, AIDS, and pediatric hospice care.  Their newest program, Peaceful & Proud, serves the unique needs of veterans facing the end of life.  “The dying phase of life is a developmental phase,” said Simpson.  “It has predictable characteristics, one of which is the need for closure.”  Hospice of the Western Reserve encourages music and art therapy, and the development of ethical wills.  Ethical wills are an expression of values that reflect the lessons people learned throughout their lives.

UCI is excited to have Hospice of the Western Reserve as one of its newest partner organizations because of its mission and close ties with other University Circle institutions. What makes Hospice of the Western Reserve unique from other hospice care providers in the area is its singular dedication to Cleveland and its commitment to affordable care.  As a local nonprofit, independent organization, Hospice of the Western Reserve reinvests what it earns back into the community.  Last year, they provided more than $2 million in charity care, and an additional $3 million in uncompensated care. Hospice of the Western Reserve has close ties with area hospitals, including University Hospitals, The Cleveland Clinic, and the VA Hospital.

“We are a part of this community,” said Simpson.  “We are working to raise awareness that dying well is a facet of living.”

Expanding Program, Expanding Minds

Now in its 12th year, UCI’s career readiness and internship program, Future Connections, has grown and matured in many ways like its participating students. As part of UCI’s Life Long Learning campaign, Future Connections links traditional education to real life work experience. And this year is the first time these connections will extend beyond Cleveland’s borders to the city’s inner-ring communities.

The program, which gives rising high school seniors the opportunity to apply and interview for internships with a number of the region’s biggest employers, has had a long history of exclusive collaboration with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). But this summer, Future Connections will add students from Maple Heights and East Cleveland.

Describing the new direction, Future Connections Program Manager Charolette Harris said, “It’s important to diversify the schools and businesses because many of the students bring people to the Circle and expose them to these previously unknown opportunities.” She continued, “As we’ve interviewed students from inner-ring suburbs, we’ve found that a lot of them had never been to The Cleveland Museum of Art, or the Museum of Natural History, or the Botanical Garden.”

And for many past students, Future Connections has been instrumental for this exposure. Michael Robinson, a 2008 graduate of the program, is an outgoing, charismatic young man whose close relationship with Stanley Miller, executive director of the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP, helped secure the mentor as a guest speaker for Michael’s commencement ceremony at Jane Adams High School this past June.

As an intern with the NAACP and the Cleveland Fire Department, Michael learned everything from time management and organization, to fire safety and prevention, to the socio-economic realities of the underprivileged. Applying his knowledge from the NAACP to his daily life, Michael helped reverse the unlawful firing of his sister at a neighborhood McDonald’s by bringing her story to the attention of NAACP civil rights advocates. This fall, Michael will enter the Cleveland Fire Department Academy, while continuing his formal education at Cuyahoga Community College. When asked what qualities or skills have enabled him to get where he is now, Michael tends to credit everyone but himself. He did finally concede, “I guess I’m just good at working with people.”

With the wider reach that Future Connections’ expansion will bring, more students throughout the region will also have a chance, like Michael, to begin a lifetime of learning in University Circle.