By Kevin Cronin, ClevelandBikes board member

It looks like the City of Cleveland is preparing some significant investment in pedestrian and cycling transportation infrastructure as developer Nathan Zaremba proceeds with The Avenue District, a mixed-use (retail and housing) development project on East 12th Street. 

On September 2, you may have seen a Plain Dealer article about the Cleveland Planning Commission approval of the developer's plans, which would lead to the removal of trees in the wide median strip of E. 12th from Lakeside Avenue to Chester Avenue.

I wanted to elaborate, as the plans call for the city to invest $7 million in a more intimate street, with new 5 ft. bike lanes in both the north and south directions. The tree removal seems to be due to the plan to lower the median and widen the pedestrian and sidewalk areas, add trees in the expanded sidewalk area and add in the bike lanes.  

Car lanes would decrease from six to three (one in each direction, with a turn lane).  While trees would be removed from the central median (a 25 ft. space set off by raised 3 ft. concrete barriers), they will be added to the sidewalk areas. The park at Chester and East 12th St. would also get some work. City Architecture principal Paul Volpe also said bike racks would be placed throughout the project, but no details are available. 

I wonder and have concerns for the creation of angled parking, as I've noticed car drivers can be oblivious to bikes and back up abruptly, creating safety risks. There would need to be a lot of bike lane signs in the plan to educate and inform drivers. The plan was approved by the Planning Commission and City Arborist. 

It sounds like an exciting opportunity for cycling. As I hear more, or as public presentations are announced, I'll send around more information.

On September 2, 2006 developer Nathan Zaremba received city of Cleveland Planning Commission approval for the first phase of The Avenue District, a mixed-use (retail and housing) development project at St. Clair Avenue and East 12th Street in downtown Cleveland. The $10 million phase one features for-sale residential with ground-floor retail. It will also feature a new street configuration with wider sidewalks and angle-in parking for the stores (while removing a concrete barrier and street trees in the median).  

Updates

The first ten units of Phase I of Avenue District townhomes are complete and eight new residents have moved in, Downtown Cleveland Alliance reports in Feb. 2008. The second group of townhomes and the condo tower at E. 12th and St. Clair is under construction and should be complete before the end of 2008. So far, the district has made $20 million in sales. 

Phase one, which includes two- and three-story townhomes and 3 1/2 story condo suits, broke ground in September. Phase two would be 10-story condos with ground-floor commercial, Zaremba tells the PD (1-4-07).