In September 2024, the expansion of the Cole Eye Institute was just starting to get its white cladding to cover up the green construction material. The original 1999-built Cole Eye Institute is seen at right from the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Latest addition to Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus
Cleveland Clinic Foundation continues to keep the ribbon-making industry in business as it cut another streamer today in opening the latest addition to its growing Main Campus near University Circle. The new building is part of a $172 million expansion and renovation of The Jeffrey and Patricia Cole Pavilion at Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute.
And that investment is part of a $1.3 billion capital improvement program Clinic-wide. In opening the new 150,000-square-foot eye care structure, 2042 E. 102nd St., it will allow for the renovation and redesign of the neighboring, 130,000-square-foot Cole Eye Institute building that was built in 1999.
“We are incredibly proud of the opening of the new Jeffrey and Patricia Cole Pavilion at Cole Eye Institute,” said Andrew Schachat, interim institute chair of Cole Eye Institute and the holder of the Ed and Joey Story Professor of Ophthalmology Chair.
The two Cole Eye Institute structures are linked by a new, three-story glass atrium, creating a unified eye care center designed to improve the patient experience and offer expanded space for comprehensive eye care, research and education, he added.
Significant features and areas of the Cole Eye Institute and its newly opened expansion at Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus (CCF).
“This expansion marks a significant milestone in our commitment to advancing patient care and expanding access to quality eye care to our community,” Schachat said in a written statement. “This state-of-the-art facility is a reflection of our ongoing dedication to improving the lives of the patients we serve and furthering advancements in the field of ophthalmology.”
The expansion was made possible in part by a $31.5 million lead gift from Jeffrey Cole and his wife Patricia O’Brien Cole. It was also his lead gift, along with that from his company Cole National, which was the world’s largest provider of commercial vision care services and based in Cleveland for 60 years, that founded the Cole Eye Institute in 1999.
“Having witnessed firsthand the profound difference that vision can make in a person’s life, I truly understand its importance,” said Jeffrey Cole. “The opening of this new facility is a deeply meaningful moment for my family and me. This expansion allows Cole Eye Institute to reach more individuals in need and provide essential eye care, both for the local community and across the nation.”
Philanthropy has been critical to this expansion with $125 million raised to support this project, including funds for capital expenses and expanding patient care, research and education, Clinic officials said.
This view from November 2024 shows the glass atrium linking the old and new Cole Eye Institute buildings. And, by this time, most of the white exterior cladding had been installed on the institute’s expansion (Mike Giammo).
They considered the Cole Eye Institute as one of the world’s most advanced eye centers and a leader in ophthalmologic research. Serving almost 400,000 patients annually, including over 21,000 surgical cases, it has one of the highest ophthalmology patient volumes in the nation.
The institute is home to nearly 200 professional staff and trainees who diagnose, treat and investigate all eye conditions, including macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. This expansion project was driven by the growth of Cole Eye Institute over the past decade.
Located on East 105th Street, just south of the original Cole building in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood, the four-story new structure includes 60 outpatient exam rooms, eight operating rooms, procedure rooms, and administrative space, with the capacity to increase to meet future needs.
The expanded footprint will allow Cole Eye Institute to meet the growing ophthalmologic needs of the community and provide exceptional clinical, diagnostic and surgical services for the entire range of eye diseases, Clinic officials noted. Renovation of the existing building should be completed by the end of 2025.
A rendering of the expansion of the Cole Eye Institute from East 105th Street and showing the new building’s southern façade (CCF).
The design of the new building was focused on increasing the institute’s capabilities and enhancing patient experience. The three-story glass top atrium connecting the two buildings allows for additional natural light to enter the space and features a hanging art installation.
Large flat-screen monitors were added to each outpatient room allowing providers to directly review enhanced imaging with patients during visits. With dedicated spaces for check-in and discharge, the design focused on reducing patient wait times and foot traffic between spaces.
The second phase of the expansion project includes renovation and redesign of the existing 130,000-square-foot building. The renovation will include a dedicated space for pediatric ophthalmology on the first floor, and updated imaging on the second floor. The project is projected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Other buildings currently under construction on the Main Campus include the 1,064,000-square-foot, 15-floor Neurological Institute on Carnegie Avenue between East 86th and 89th streets. And, rising on Cedar Avenue, on both sides of East 100th Street, are a pair of new buildings totaling 296,000 square feet. They comprise the new Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health.
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