The Avenue District’s East 12th Streetscape Project Gains Momentum
by admin ~ April 17th, 2009. Filed under: City Architecture, Cleveland, East 12th Streetscape.
E. 12 Streetscape Project underway
As the weather turns warmer, The Avenue District neighborhood streetscape on East 12th will begin to take shape. Designed by Paul Volpe and his firm, City Architecture, in collaboration with The City of Cleveland and Zaremba, Inc., East 12th Street is being redeveloped from Lakeside Avenue to Superior Avenue. The completion date is scheduled for this fall.
The Avenue District sits down with designer Paul Volpe to discuss construction updates and major milestones on the Streetscape Project.
To date, what has been completed on the project?
Volpe: At this point, the streetscape is under construction and is gaining momentum. The sidewalks on the east side of the street have been poured, street trees were planted and the new parking lane installed. On the west side, the new curb line, showing the greatly narrowed street, is installed and you can expect to see sidewalks installed this summer. The new median with planted trees is also installed and awaiting the final installation of landscape materials. Plus, the street south of St. Clair has been demolished and will be constructed this summer.
What should Avenue District residents expect to see in the coming months as far as construction on paved streets, planted medians and brick sidewalks?
The Avenue District E. 12th Streetscape
Volpe: The northbound side of the street will be paved with asphalt this summer as soon as the weather breaks. Such details as granite curbing, extended corner plazas and the patterned crosswalks have already been installed. The balance of the street will be constructed this fall. As soon as weather permits, landscaping will be installed along East 12th Street and in the median, extending from St. Clair to Lakeside avenues.
In addition, two public art elements are underway. The “area rugs” that line the street are scheduled for installation by May. Once these areas are completed, the hardscaping on the east side of the street will be near completion. Also, decorative metal fencing that will surround portions of the landscaped areas is currently under the design phase and should be installed this year.
As the sidewalk areas are completed, street furniture such as benches, waste receptacles, bicycle racks, and pedestrian light fixtures will be installed to create a pedestrian-friendly environment.
In the coming months, how will the streetscape construction affect traffic?
Volpe: As the project is under construction, traffic flow will be adjusted. Since construction of the road has focused on the east side of the street, only one lane of traffic is permitted during construction. As the project advances, that will remain true, but the traffic will simply flip over to the other side of the median. Traffic lights will remain in their current locations.
The E. 12th Streetscape is scheduled for completion this fall.
What are the construction project’s milestones and estimated timelines for each step of each phase?
Volpe: The completion of Phase 1 — the streetscape project that extends from Lakeside Avenue to Superior Avenue — is scheduled for this fall. As the project extends to the south, the Final Phase — the median between Superior and Chester avenues — is expected to be completed next summer.
The Avenue District Streetscape Project on East 12th will provide a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood that connects residents to the surrounding city districts, including the E. 4th Street neighborhood and PlayHouse Square. The flexible design details will provide a safe street that will evolve into a vibrant place as The Avenue District expands.