University Circle Breaks Ground on Courtyard by Marriott

Posted January 19, 2012 in Press Releases

University Circle Breaks Ground on Courtyard by Marriott
153 Room Hotel to Serve Region’s Fastest Growing Employment & Visitor Center

CLEVELAND (January 19, 2012) – As snow falls on University Circle, it is refreshing to see the contrast of new buildings, like the MOCA and Uptown developments, rise up and illuminate the winter sky. University Circle Inc. (UCI) will join University Hospitals, Snavely Group, and Concord Hospitality Enterprises to welcome yet another exciting project in the Circle and reprieve from our gray winter. A new 8 story, 153-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel will begin to take shape at what is now the growing epicenter of activity in University Circle. The hotel is expected to open in spring 2013.

“Thanks to a great University Circle, City, and County collaborative, this project will give our millions of visitors annually another quality hotel in University Circle’s world-class neighborhood,” said Chris Ronayne, president of UCI. “It’s a great example of how public/private partnerships can work in our city.”

The new Courtyard by Marriott – University Circle hotel is being built on Cornell Drive directly across from University Hospitals’ main campus and new Seidman Cancer Center, around the corner from the new Uptown and MOCA developments, and a short walk from the Circle’s great arts & cultural and educational institutions. University Hospitals is thrilled to provide a convenient and affordable lodging option for its patients and their families and friends.

“The new Courtyard by Marriott Hotel will be a pivotal component of the exciting growth currently underway in University Circle,” said Steven Standley, chief administrative officer at University Hospitals. “The hotel will be a great benefit to our patients and their families, visiting physicians and other travelers to this vibrant neighborhood.”

One of UCI’s 8 Strategic Investment Projects, the new hotel takes advantage of $15 million from New Markets Tax Credits that UCI sought and was awarded two years ago. The estimated cost of the hotel is approximately $27 million, and will provide approximately 135 construction jobs and 55 full-time equivalent jobs.

The County and City of Cleveland made needed investments to help UCI and its partners get the project done.

“The County is pleased to participate in the development of this hotel, which we are confident will make a significant economic impact to University Circle and the Greater Cleveland area,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald. “As home to nationally-renowned hospitals, cultural institutions and schools, it makes sense that this area should have hotel that can serve the many individuals who come to Cleveland for health care treatments or tourism.”

“It’s great to see yet another building go up in the city of Cleveland,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “The Courtyard by Marriott in University Circle and dozens of recent multi-million dollar investments around the city have made Cleveland one of the largest economic growth centers in the Midwest.”

UCI has been fortunate to work with a locally headquartered, but nationally renowned and experienced developer in the Snavely Group. Snavely has a long history of leading hotel projects across the country, and it brought Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the nation’s top-ranked hotel developers and operators, and Braun & Steidl Architects, a local planning and design firm with a portfolio of projects throughout the country and Canada, to help them create a top tier hotel.

“The Snavely Group is honored to be a part of the growth that University Circle is experiencing. The areas success is a testament to the stakeholders’ vision and commitment. We believe our addition of the Courtyard by Marriott will complement the community’s continued progress. The Snavely Group is proud to partner with UCI in achieving their vision,” said Peter L Snavely Sr., President of the Snavely Group.

The hotel will be LEED certified and is being built in the context that respects University Circle’s historic and modern architecture. The complex is an infill project built entirely on two surface parking lots owned by UCI and University Hospitals. Visitors will find a hotel with an urban design respectful of the density, walkable nature, and architectural heritage of University Circle. The hotel will offer valet and enclosed parking and first-rate amenities for its guests.

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About University Circle Inc. (UCI)
University Circle Inc. (UCI) is the development, service, and advocacy organization responsible for the growth of University Circle as a premier urban district and world class center of innovation in health care, education, and arts & culture. www.universitycircle.org