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Van Aken Redevelopment
Chronology of Change
The development of the first phase of the Van Aken District is complete, thanks to years of thoughtful planning and months of roadwork and infrastructure improvements. This page provides a glimpse of where we've been and what's coming next.
Learning more about the Van Aken District is easy:
- Visit the Van Aken District website to learn about the District, which officially opened in 2019.
- Wondering what's next for the District? Read about development opportunities (PDF) in the District.
- 2000: The City’s Strategic Investment Plan (PDF) recommends reconfiguring the Chagrin/Warrensville/Van Aken intersection and developing a mixed-used downtown.
- 2007: Public meetings gather input for a mixed-use district.
- 2008: The Warrensville/Van Aken Transit-Oriented Development Plan (PDF) outlines infrastructure and roadwork changes necessary for new development.
- 2010: City Council adopts the Intermodal Transit Center Program Plan (PDF).
- 2012: Funding in the amount of $18.5 million was achieved for the reconfiguration of the Warrensville/Van Aken intersection.
- 2013: RMS Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the City to make the first phase of the district redevelopment a reality.
- 2014: Publicly funded roadwork began.
- 2015: Roadwork nears completion; RMS announces its first tenants for the Van Aken District: Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Rising Star, and Shinola.
- 2016: The Connections Plan for the Van Aken District is completed. Demolition on Van Aken Center begins. Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer and ABA Insurance Services Inc. (ABAIS) sign on to the project.
- 2017: Demolition is followed by development, with funding provided by Cuyahoga County. View the informational video relating to this.
- 2018: Construction continues; the Farnsleigh Rd. streetscape (PDF) between Warrensville and Van Aken begins. Resident input from an October 2017 public workshop resulted in a Public Art Action Strategy (PDF) for the Van Aken District.
- 2019: The Van Aken District officially opens.
Additional Resources:
- Read The Van Aken District: A Model for First Suburb Revitalization (PDF), an article written by then City Economic Development Director Tania Menesse which appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Economic Development Journal
- View the Planning Commission's December 2015 Van Aken presentation (PDF).