Rendering by City Architecture (?) - probably.
University Circle/Little Italy Station Public Meeting
February 21, 2013
Holy Rosary Church Hall
6pm
Feb. 21: Public meeting regarding University Circle – Little Italy Station
The public is invited to attend an RTA-sponsored meeting to discuss the Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposed University Circle – Little Italy Rapid Station. The EA, prepared by RTA and Michael Baker, Jr., Inc., in cooperation with the Federal Transit Administration, compares the Build Alternatives to a No Build Alternative, and identifies potential social, economic, environmental and transportation impacts of the alternatives.
The meeting will take place at 6:00pm Thursday, February 21, 2013 at Holy Rosary Church Hall, 12021 Mayfield Road, Cleveland. The meeting site is served by the #9 - Mayfield bus route.
EA Documents:
Environmental Assessment (includes partial Appendix A), 19.2MB PDF
Appendix A - Maps and Plans (documents not included in the main document above), 31.2MB zip file
Appendix B - Planning Background Reports, 63.2MB zip file
Appendix C - Cultural Resources, 56.1MB zip file
Appendix D - Environmental Site Assessment, 40.5MB zip file
Appendix E - Noise and Vibration Analysis, 3.5MB zip file
Appendix F - Agency Coordination, 12.1MB zip file
Appendix G - Public Involvement, 24.4MB zip file
After February 11, 2013, the EA documents may also be reviewed at:
- Case Western Reserve University, Kelvin Smith Library, 11055 Euclid Ave.
- Cleveland State University, Michael Schwartz Library, Rhodes Tower, 2121 Euclid Ave.
- University Circle Inc., 10831 Magnolia Dr.
- Alta House, 12510 Mayfield Road
- Cuyahoga County Public Library branches at 4645 Mayfield Road or 4415 Northfield Road
- Cleveland Public Library branches at 325 Superior Ave., 1962 Stokes Blvd., 11535 Shaker Blvd., 11900 St. Clair Ave. or 10200 Superior Ave.
The public review period will take place from February 11 - March 13, 2013. Comments received by March 13, 2013 will be part of the official record.
To comment via postal mail, or to request hardcopy of the EA documents:
Maribeth Feke
Director of Planning & ProgrammingRTA1240 W 6th StCleveland, OH 44113
To comment via e-mail, or if you require special accommodations:
Valerie Webb, vwebb@gcrta.org
Phone: 216-566-5260
PLUS!
Planning & Development: Major Projects - University Circle - Little Italy Rapid Station
Updated Feb. 8, 2013
in 2008, a
transit-oriented development (TOD) plan for the Red Line rail station at Euclid Avenue and East 120th Street called for the station location to be moved several blocks to East 119th Street and Mayfield Road, where it will be closer to Little Italy. It will be called University Circle - Little Italy Rapid Station.
The design is 90 percent complete. Construction is slated to begin in summer 2013.
On Feb. 21, 2013, RTA officials will hold a community meeting to discuss the Enviornment Assessment as it nears completion. Details on the meeting, the review / comment period and the Environmental Assment can be found here.
Background
In December 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation, via the Federation Transit Administration, awarded RTA a $12.5 million grant.. It was part of the TIGER III program for national infrastructure investments. TIGER stands for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery.
The $17.5 million project cost includes the design and construction of the station and rehabilitating two transit track bridges. One of RTA's goals is to improve the sidewalks and lighting under all of the bridges on both sides of Mayfield Road, for pedestrian access to and from the station.
On July 31, 2012, RTA held a community meeting with area stakeholders on the environmental impact of the new station. City Architecture presented information on the environmental impact and the design concepts. Residents were asked to view the presentation, read the handout, and submit comments.
In May 2011, The Plain Dealer wrote:
The project aims to mesh with a burst of development along Euclid Avenue, including the residential-retail Uptown project; the proposed, new home of the Museum of Contemporary Art; and the consolidation of the Cleveland Institute of Art into the Joseph McCullough Center for the Visual Arts. When completed, the station should be a strong example of what planners call transit-oriented development, in which rail stations complement residential, retail and institutional growth in neighborhoods.
To help fund the design effort for the station area, RTA worked with the Cleveland Foundation, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), Little Italy, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University.
Proposed development in the surrounding area includes:
- Two buildings (one five-story, one seven-story) featuring first-floor retail and nine floors of apartments.
- Retail use of approximately 24,000 square feet dedicated to convenience-oriented uses, such as a small grocer, dry cleaner and restaurants.
- Apartments in Building One (four floors, 48 units) designated to temporary corporate (institutional) housing. CWRU, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic or other institutions and businesses could lease an entire floor or two.
- Each floor would contain 12 units, averaging 1,000 square feet per unit.
- Apartments in Building Two (five floors, 72 units) would be designated for market-rate apartments, with the future opportunity for these to convert to condo.
- The institutions would be able to offer their visiting professionals a place to stay on a short-term basis at the designated corporate housing area. A separate key card to create exclusivity would access these floors.
- The medical resident group and their families would look to this project as a place to rent for their 3 +/- year stint in Cleveland, rather than searching for housing in other areas.
- The first floor would feature convenience-oriented retail for the residents, as well as the 30,000+ employees of University Circle parking nearby or walking by.
- The building should offer services to distinguish it from other building and service the residents, such as a concierge for dry cleaning, car wash, theater tickets and dinner reservations.
- Incentives would be limited to new markets tax credits and tax abatement.
No comments:
Post a Comment