Construction Starts On Student Housing Units In University Circle

CLEVELAND — Students living in the University Circle area will soon be able to find residence in a unique, five-story facility with acoustically isolated practice rooms on the main floor. The building will house students from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and other area schools.

The housing structure will be located at 1609 Hazel Drive, steps from CIM's main building in University Circle. The facility is scheduled to open in summer 2020.

The housing structure will feature 22 sound-isolated practice rooms, residence space for first- and second-year CIM undergraduates and rental units for upperclass and graduate students at CIM and other area colleges. The building will be owned, managed and leased out by NewBrook Partners.

“Blueprint:100, the strategic plan CIM adopted in 2017, recognized and prioritized the need to address CIM’s student housing future in a next-generation way,” said Paul Hogle, CIM, president and CEO. “This new project is the first purpose-built student housing in CIM’s 100-year history. By collaborating with NewBrook Partners, we are able to both provide an incredible space that will attract the world’s most talented classical music students to Cleveland and serve their needs and create a business model that allows the Institute to remain focused on raising the permanently endowed scholarships required to further lower CIM tuition.”

The units inside the building will be fully furnished, with in-suite bathrooms, Wi-Fi, laundry and full kitchens. Construction will focus on reducing sound transfer from suite to suite. There will also be exercise studios, lounges, a classroom and individually controlled heating and cooling.

Of the 22 acoustic-isolated rooms, 19 will be for individuals performances and three will be for chamber music-sized practice. Those rooms will be available around the clock.