Shaker Town Center Area Redevelopment

Click image above to view detail of site plan.

The Shaker Town Center redevelopment was one of the first projects to be implemented from the Strategic Investment Plan. This $60 million private/public redevelopment project includes:

• $38 million investment in the Avalon Station loft condominiums;
• $3 million of facade and other improvements to the shopping center and Heinen's;
• Construction of the new $5 million firehouse;
• $13 million in public improvements;
• Redevelopment of the south side of Chagrin Boulevard, opposite the shopping center.

Public Improvements

• Reconfiguration and narrowing of Chagrin Boulevard make it more pedestrian-friendly;
• Addition of angled, on-street parking on Chagrin;
• Construction of Winslow Court - a new road through Shaker Towne Centre connects Chagrin with Van Aken Boulevard;
• Utility work to upgrade sewers, electric and telephone lines;
• Streetscape work on Chagrin with extensive landscape plantings, decorative lighting, and public art;
• Streetscape work on Lee Road between Chagrin and City Hall.

Avalon Station

Construction on Avalon Station began in November 2005. The newest and largest residential development in Shaker Heights is located along Van Aken Boulevard and Winslow Court, adjacent to the shops at Shaker Towne Centre and conveniently located mid-way between the Lee Road and Avalon Road RTA stations.

Avalon Station will consist of three, four-story buildings with more than 160 loft condominiums and 17 townhomes. The first phase of the project includes up to 50 loft condos and a 90-car parking garage with a "green" landscaped roof. The buildings are constructed of high quality materials such as brick, stone and copper. The lofts vary in size from 950 to 2,000 square feet, with prices ranging from approximately $200,000 to $400,000. See how construction is progressing.

Two mixed-use buildings with retail space on the bottom floors and housing above will be constructed as part of the project. The developer for this project is Heartpoint Development; the architect is City Architecture.

Other Shaker Town Center Area Work

• Winslow Court

  • Utilities behind the shopping center were moved underground.

  • The northern part of Winslow Court was paved and will soon be open for traffic.

  • Landscape plantings and benches were installed in the center median park.

• Lee Road

  • Lee Road was repaved from the southern corporation line to the northern corporation line.

  • New streetscape was installed between City Hall and Chagrin Boulevard, similar to the new streetscape in front of Shaker Towne Centre.

  • The new median in front of City Hall and the Police/Court building was landscaped in Fall 2006.

  • On-street parking was added to the west side of the street in front of the Library and Community Building.

• Traffic Signalization Project

  • A new traffic signal system is being installed citywide.

  • New black metal mast arms were installed.

Streetscape Improvements

Some of the new streetscape features that have been placed along Chagrin Boulevard and Center Street include new trees, hanging flower baskets, decorative lights, metal banners, decorative crosswalks, benches, trash cans, bike racks, planters, and street furniture. 

The public artwork known as "The Gristmill" was installed along the north side of Chagrin Boulevard. Shaker Heights artist Steve Manka carved images based on the original Shaker settlement onto the face of each stone.

The City is working with Cleveland Public Art and local artist Gauri Torgalkar, to create permanent metal art banners. The designs being considered depict people at work and play. These banners will be installed on some of the light poles in the Shaker Town Center area soon, adding vibrant color to the street.

Facade Improvements

Facade renovations to the shopping center improve the visual appeal of the district and create a pedestrian-friendly sense of place. Changes include addition of decorative facade elements such as the dome above Blockbuster Video, new lighting, new signage and a new overall color scheme.

The architect for this project was Dorsky Hodgson and Partners. The owner is Edens and Avant.

South Side of Chagrin Boulevard

The south side of Chagrin consists of 11 individually owned one- and two-story commercial buildings with approximately 64,000 square feet of retail and office space. Over time, the City has purchased approximately 36,500 square feet of that space in seven of the buildings. 

The City is selling the buildings to a retail developer, Crescendo Properties. Crescendo plans to completely renovate  the buildings over the next 18 months, following historic renovation design standards. The renovation will include complete restoration of both the front and rear facades of the structures (see proposed renderings).  The completed project will create an even more lively and welcoming commercial district, aligning itself with the redevelopment of the Shaker Towne Centre shops and construction of the Avalon Station condominium buildings. The result will be a  diverse neighborhood with places to live, work and shop with easy access by foot, bicycle, car, bus and rail. Construction is expected to begin in October 2006.

Part of the redevelopment of the south side includes complete renovation of the rear municipal parking lot. These renovations include new paving, landscaping, lighting, burying power lines, creating outdoor dining areas, and relocating/consolidating dumpsters along the rear property line. 

The pedestrian stairway between the parking lot and Kenyon will be redesigned to provide a clear view both of the pocket park from the parking lot and from the park to the lot.