University Heights City Council approved plans for the JCU Gateway North development at Fairmount Circle and Warrensville Center Road (Vocon). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Construction could start in May 2025
John Carroll University’s (JCU) transformative Gateway North project, a mixed-use retail and residential complex, has taken a significant step forward with approval from the University Heights City Council yesterday. Plans for the project had been under review by several city panels in this eastern Cleveland suburb for several months.
The project, which will be located at Fairmount Circle, bordered by Warrensville Center Road, John Carroll Boulevard and Milford Road, is designed to enhance the student experience, add modern student living accommodations, and provide vibrant retail options for the community.
Standing five stories tall, the Gateway North development will feature retail on the first floor, including a specialty grocer and space for a restaurant, with student living accommodations located above.
Site plan for the planned Gateway North development in University Heights (Vocon).
The project will measure 157,000 square feet of gross building area. In it will be 351 beds in 96 residential units, offering two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments for junior and senior JCU students. On the ground floor will be 27,940 square feet of retail space, envisioned as a hub for JCU students and the greater University Heights community.
“The Gateway North project represents a new chapter for John Carroll University and University Heights,” said Al Miciak, president of John Carroll University, in a written statement. “This project is a reflection of our commitment to enhancing the student experience at John Carroll while fostering a deeper connection with the surrounding community.”
Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2025, with the entire project expected to be completed by December of 2026. The project will bring new life to land recently purchased by the university that was previously occupied by a gas station and a soon-to-be-closed Mr. Tire shop.
A view of the Gateway North development from John Carroll Boulevard, as one would see it in entering the campus from the south via Fairmount Circle (Vocon).
JCU leadership first introduced the Gateway North plans to the city in December 2022 as part of a broader vision to revitalize the gateway to campus. University officials said this vote marks a pivotal milestone following extensive reviews and approvals by the city’s Planning Commission, Architectural Review Board, and the Board of Zoning Approvals.
“John Carroll University is investing in a future where it remains a vibrant and successful institution, as well as a partner to University Heights,” said University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan.
“The approval of this project is not just good news for JCU, it’s good news for the city and all of our residents,” Brennan added. “I am thrilled to work with JCU at being better together, and finding ways to make our goals align. John Carroll and University Heights are moving together in one direction — forward.”
The development as seen from the John Carroll University campus with the Gateway North parking lot partially visible through the bushes (Vocon).
Updates on the project, including the identity of the specialty grocer anchoring the retail space, will be shared in the near future. The store was described as a boutique grocer that sells a lot of its own items and which has a following and is not a large grocery store.
The approval for this project comes as JCU is nearing the completion of its ambitious three-year, $100 million investment strategy to expand the academic portfolio, elevate the student experience, and transform facilities across campus.
Earlier this month, as part of the growing College of Health, the institution debuted new Exercise Science laboratories in the D.J. Lombardo Student Center. Next semester, the university will complete phase two of its renovations to Grasselli Library and Breen Learning Commons, and finish construction of its new Athletic, Wellness & Event Center.
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