Cleveland State University || Campus Master Plan || Connections

Connections

Innerbelt reconfiguration with frontage roads and extension of E. 18th Street. (Ohio Department of Transportation, Burgess and Niple, URS).

Innerbelt Alternatives
The Ohio Department of Transportation is currently studying how the Innerbelt can be reconfigured to improve safety and traffic flow. CSU’s continued participation in the Innerbelt study is essential to ensure that the final outcome improves access to campus and supports the University’s development goals.

One alternative eliminates the ramps at Chester and Prospect Avenues and establishes a frontage road on either side of the Innerbelt. The frontage roads would extend from Superior to Chester Avenue with direct access to the freeway, then south of Chester to Carnegie Avenue as local streets. This alternative benefits CSU by re-establishing the city street grid at the eastern edge of campus. As such, the frontage roads need to be designed to look and function like city streets, bridging the gap between CSU and Midtown. The frontage roads will distribute traffic evenly through the campus rather than concentrating it at the two existing ramp intersections. The elimination of entry ramps will also free up land for potential University development.

Another aspect of the Innerbelt project is the potential to reinforce East 18th Street as a major north/south arterial, extending from the lakefront to Broadway Avenue. This is accomplished by straightening East 18th Street between Carnegie and Broadway Avenue, providing a clearer and more direct link between CSU and Cuyahoga Community College. Ramps on East 18th Street will provide the primary access point to I-77 for CSU.

Euclid Avenue with retail and University development concentrated near transit stops.

Euclid Corridor
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s Euclid Corridor Transportation Project will reconstruct the Euclid Avenue right-of-way through the CSU campus, with new sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping. Two transit stops are planned for the campus, one at East 19th Street and the other at East 24th Street. Concentrating University and private sector development at the transit stops will promote transit ridership and establish clear entry points to the campus for transit riders and pedestrians.

Chester Avenue
Because of its high traffic volume, Chester Avenue provides an important opportunity to reinforce the campus identity of Cleveland State. Signage, building entries, and landscaping should take into account views of the campus from Chester Avenue. The alignment of north-south streets through the campus shifts from the geometry of the street grid north of Chester Avenue. Extending view corridors into the campus will help to visually reconnect the campus with the surrounding City. Building entries and landscape features should terminate these axial views into campus from the north.

Retrofitting Rhodes Tower with a pedestrian-friendly entry would enhance the University’s Chester Avenue presence.

The width of Chester Avenue, the speed of traffic, and the raised median between East 22nd Street and the Innerbelt combine to create a formidable barrier between the campus core and the area immediately to the north. University athletic facilities and housing are planned for this northern area, making improved pedestrian linkages across Chester Avenue very important. Eliminating the raised median will enable Chester Avenue to be narrowed without reducing traffic capacity. Enhanced crosswalks across Chester Avenue will reinforce pedestrian connections to the north.

Entry Points
Finding key buildings and resources on campus poses a challenge for visitors. Many University buildings project an unfriendly presence, even to those familiar with the campus. Most of the original, 1960s-era buildings are oriented toward a raised internal platform that is all but invisible from the street. Buildings are connected by the InnerLink (a system of raised, enclosed walkways) but access points to the InnerLink are not readily identifiable, particularly from street level.

New illuminated pavilions identify access points to University buildings.

Providing highly visible, welcoming but controlled access points to the campus core will diminish the fortress-like appearance of CSU without compromising security. Entry pavilions, located at the street edge, will serve as neighborhood beacons, providing safe and convenient access to the InnerLink and to Rhodes Tower, the library, the main auditorium, and other campus destinations at the platform level.

Improving building entries is a priority. New buildings should be oriented toward Euclid Avenue, Chester Avenue, or one of the north-south spines and should have easily identifiable and accessible entries. Existing buildings, including Rhodes Tower, University Center, and the Cleveland Marshall College of Law, should be retrofitted with new entrances to improve curb appeal and provide clear access.

North-South Spines
Creating inviting routes through campus in the north-south direction will encourage the CSU population to interact with the surrounding city and will provide access to campus amenities for visitors and residents of adjacent neighborhoods.

The East 19th Street spine connects the Tower Press live/work development and the Plain Dealer building through campus to the Wolstein Center, the planned RTA Transit Center, and Playhouse Square. Along the way, the spine links University buildings, athletic facilities, and a series of green spaces.
The East 24th Street spine connects new residential development planned for the area around Euclid Avenue and East 24th Street, to the new recreation center and additional housing and athletic facilities proposed in the area north of Chester Avenue.