A more economically achievable high-rise mixed-tower at the Circle Square district in Cleveland’s University Circle was presented today at City Planning Commission and won support from the panel (SCB). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
New design concept wins city support
Having previously received schematic design approval in October 2024, the East Stokes apartment tower in University Circle showed no signs of slowing down. But when the project never returned to the city planning commission for final approval, speculation about its future began.
Despite this, the next phase of the massive Circle Square development is ready to continue once again; sometimes just a little tweaking is necessary to make the numbers work. The development team, led by Cleveland-based PCP Voyager, hopes that a slightly scaled-down programming and increase in the number of market-rate residential units will help get the project across the finish line.
Initially proposed were a podium bump-out facing Wade Lagoon with terraces and 13,680 square feet of office space. Those have now been removed, replaced by an additional 14 residential units (287 total) and five townhomes along MLK Jr. Boulevard.
The townhomes will help screen the tower’s parking garage which increased in number of spaces from 251 to 315. The entire tower, whose height (262 feet, number of floors (24) and materials have largely remained unchanged from last year’s plan, was shifted closer to the north along Chester Avenue as a result of the podium removal.
The expansion of the parking garage and addition of townhomes means the extension of Reserve Court proposed in the previous design is no longer part of the project.
Site plan for the proposed East Stokes mixed-use tower planned between Chester Avenue, Stokes Boulevard and MLK Jr. Boulevard in University Circle (SCB).
“There is a good chance the townhomes will be for-sale, and due to financing reasons they would likely be constructed after the tower is complete,” said project architect Nolan Sit of Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) of Seattle. “Everybody is very excited about the townhomes.”
The phasing image shows how those townhouse lots would look in the intermediary period. About 17,000 square feet of retail is still proposed for the first floor of the project largely facing Stokes Boulevard, which will see landscaping improvements as part of the east block’s first phase.
The developer is also working with the city on the best way to implement bike lanes as part of the streetscape. The Design Review Advisory Committee last week and city planning staff both recommended schematic approval of the project with conditions.
Those conditions include studying how to better integrate the design of the townhomes into the main tower and whether the existing Liberty Oaks trees can remain on site instead of being removed for the construction of the townhomes.
A view of the townhomes along MLK Jr. Boulevard and the lower levels of the apartment tower where the retail will be located (SCB).
As with the last schematic review, the planning commission was equally bullish about the proposal this time around, with nothing but praise for the transparency, attention to detail and professionalism of the developers. The project was unanimously approved for schematic design.
“Job well done,” remarked commission member August Fluker. “I walk by the site every morning and I’m getting really excited. You all have demonstrated your command of visual aesthetics. I have no doubt you’ll master [this building].”
“I actually think that this revision is quite nice,” Commission Chair Lillian Kuri agreed. “I think that this revision works for me because of the townhomes and I absolutely want them to stay in the design. The ground floor actually feels more pedestrian-oriented than the first version for me.”
Steve Rubin, vice president of developer UC City Center LLC, said the updated proposal is now on budget. UC City Center is a company created by Cleveland-based Midwest Development Partners (MDP) to help plan for and deliver the 4.5-acre Circle Square district. It is working in partnership with PCP Voyager on the project.
A north to south cross section of East Stokes, with north at the right. Select floor plans are also shown for the tower (SCB).
The developers said they hope to return in October for final approval after addressing the commission’s comments. From there, they hope to break ground on the tower in the first quarter of 2026, should they receive final approval.
As East Stokes ramps up once again, Rubin noted that completing the master plan for the “main site” on the other side of Stokes Boulevard is a priority. This is the area behind Artisan currently occupied by the old MLK Jr. Public Library and where a future hotel is proposed.
Kuri also asked how leasing figures are looking for Circle Square as indication for the success of East Stokes. “Artisan is currently 93-percent leased,” said Rubin, which he said should increase again as students return to Case Western Reserve University.
“Library Lofts are 70-percent leased, but the leasing trajectory is actually moving quicker than Artisan since construction of the library was completed,” he said. “We’re very happy with it so far.”
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