Later this month, the Cleveland City Council will consider approving funds for the demolition of the old 3rd District police station on Chester Avenue. It’ll be the next step towards developing University Circle, which will include demolishing the existing Martin Luther King Branch Library. For Ohio Public Radio, Brian Bull reports.
The University Circle City Center project includes about 700 apartments and 1,700 parking spaces. Chris Ronayne is President of University Circle Inc. He describes what he expects to see built on the site of the former 3rd District police station once it’s torn down.
“A high density mixed-use development that should have a very residential appeal to it,” begins Ronayne, “but mixed-use in nature with some retail and commercial spaces. And what’s proposed is a brand new, Martin Luther King Branch library for Euclid Avenue.”
Steve Rubin with Midwest Development Partners figures the construction of the new library will be finished within 12 to 18 months.
“It’s important to note that nothing will happen to the old library until the new library is completely built and moved into,” says Rubin. “And at that point and only at that point, will the original, older, library be transferred to us and at that point we will demolish it.”
Rubin says the new library will be built around the corner on Euclid Avenue, next to the American Cancer Society building. He estimates the project will cost nearly $225 million, including $1 million pending approval by the Cleveland City Council to demolish the Third District Police Station.
The Martin Luther King Branch library is slated to be demolished and $225 million in new construction is planned in University Circle.