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University Circle is comprised of nearly 45 member institutions – many of them are "greening up" their design, construction and operations. Join the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the USGBC (as part of Cleveland Museum of Natural History's three day Conservation Symposium) as we stroll around University Circle stopping at five locations to learn and see their individual sustainability initiatives from alternative energy installations to waste / recycling applications to stormwater management.

The five scheduled locations currently are:
University Circle Visitors Center
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Hawken School at Gries Center/ Montessori High School
Case Western Reserve University
Abbington Arms / MOCA

Our tour guides will also be sharing a one page handout that list the many, many green highlights from other University Circle institutions who are emerging as a green leaders in Northeast Ohio.

We ask that all partipants be prepared to walk this less than 2 mile path. The tour will commence rain or shine.

COST: $15 per person

Go to the Events page at www.neogreenbuilding.org to register

Oberlin College may have the world-wide reputation and another "A" on its report card for sustainability, but Case Western Reserve University is closing fast by investing in a plan with a $600,000 annual line item from its facilities department in green initiatives. Standing in the flickering shadow of the school's gleaming wind turbine on a breezy day last week, Case Facilities Director Gene Matthews explained where he spends his time and budget: mostly on ‘low hanging’ energy efficiency initiatives because they are starting to pay off handsomely, but also why the university is pursuing high profile (read: longer payback) renewable energy installations on campus.

“We did our first energy retrofit of a campus building back in 1999,” Matthews recounts. “That project produced a 30% savings. After that, people around here started taking energy efficiency more seriously.”

The biggest bang for the buck, he found, is in new lighting and behind the scenes stuff like motor upgrades. When Case redid its Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences building, for example, it replaced motors that use 100 kilowatt peak power with motors that can power down when not needed: As a result, they only draw 20k. They also tapped into the district chilled water service of the Medical Center Company (the power company on campus) instead of replacing MSASS’ condenser. Energy savings reached $138,000 last year, Matthews said.

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The Medical Center Company's steam plant in University Circle operates near houses, schools, and hospitals, causes asthma, heart disease, mercury contamination, and premature death, and lowers our property values.

The plant's operating permit is up for renewal, and citizens convinced the Environmental Protection Agency to hold this hearing to get public input.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

4:30pm - 6:30pm 

You, me, the EPA, and all our neighbors. 

DEMAND CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS THAT PROTECT OUR FAMILIES!!!

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Annual meeting of University Circle Inc. with keynote speaker James H. Gilmore, co-founder, Strategic Horizons LLP and author of Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want.

 $50 per person. Register here.

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The Urban Land Institute hosts a panel discussion, featuring Ari Maron (Partner, MRN Ltd.), Russell Berusch (Vice President, Commercial Development, Case Western Reserve University), Maribeth Feke (Director of Programming & Planning, RTA), Chris Ronayne (President, University Circle Inc.), and a representative of the Cleveland Clinic. The moderator is Ken McGovern of Planning & Development Services. Registration begins at 3:30 pm, and the panel runs from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm, followed by a reception.

The deadline to register is Tuesday, June 23, 2009. Registration is $40 for ULI Members, $30 for YLG & Students Members, and $30 for Public Sector Members. Non-members should add an additional $20 to the appropriate registration category. Registration includes “pre-paid” parking at Ford Road Garage between Euclid and Hessler Ct. and two beer/wine tickets.
Visit cleveland.uli.org for more information or to register.

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This fabulous, fun, FREE celebration features the Parade, presented by The Cleveland Museum of Art, and Circle Village, presented by University Circle Inc. The Parade, which begins at noon, incorporates the drama and artistry of colorful floats, puppets, costumes, dancers, and musicians. Circle Village invites visitors onto Wade Oval for an afternoon of activities, live music, and delectable food.

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The Hessler Street Fair is an annual community arts and music festival celebrating its 40th year on historic Hessler Street in Cleveland's University Circle. A family-friendly event, the fair showcases local artists, food, musicians, and poets. Attracting 10,000 visitors each year, it features a diverse mixture of musical styles and venues, and is a non-profit, volunteer-run weekend.

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Meeting of the University Circle Green Team, composed of representatives of many institutions in the Circle area.

For more information, contact UCI's Chris Bongorno.

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Recognizing that forty-nine percent of American meals—or about a half-billion per day— are produced in commercial kitchens, sustainable food service provider Bon Appétit Management Company isn’t leaving the responsibility up to individual consumers. The company’s 400 chefs, including Matt Auck at Case Western, are taking an active role in showing diners how small changes made by individual eaters can have a big impact on the health of the planet.

On Earth Day, April 22nd, the company’s second annual Low Carbon Diet Day, diners at all 400 Bon Appétit cafés in colleges, universities, corporations, and specialty venues will dine on dishes specially created to illustrate what low carbon eating tastes like. Cheeseburgers are out, because cows produce methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas. Expect instead creations like turkey burgers with molé sauce and roasted vegetable sandwiches livened up with vibrant herb pestos and flavorful bean spreads. At Case Western, diners will feast on Honey Glazed Sock Eye Salmon with Herb Mushroom Orzo Pasta.

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Want to know more about how to make University Circle a leading “green” district? The Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Women’s Committee of The Cleveland Orchestra, MOCA, and the Western Reserve Historical Society, invite you to a Circle Neighbors’ panel discussion on “What Does Green Mean to the Circle?”

The event takes place at 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in University Circle. A reception will start off the evening, with the panel discussion beginning at 5:30 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Representatives from several University Circle institutions will speak. Places being represented include the GreenCityBlueLake, Cleveland Museum of Natural History; the Cleveland Clinic; University Circle Inc.; the Cleveland Foundation; Case Western Reserve University; and Cleveland Botanical Garden. The panel will discuss ways University Circle can be known not only as a leading cultural district but also as a leading “green” district.

To RSVP to this event, please call Lauren Kelly at (216) 231-4600, ext. 3279, (216) 231- 1177, or E-mail lkelly@cmnh.org.