The Van Aken District Receives ICSC Global Awards North America Design & Development - Gold for Mixed Use Development
Shaker Heights’ newest walkable, mixed-use development honored by the International Council of Shopping Centers
The Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, Ohio is the recipient of the Gold award for Mixed Use by the International Council of Shopping Centers North America Global Design & Development and Retailer Awards.
The Van Aken District is the product of a long-term planning effort to transform the auto-oriented environment around the Cleveland RTA terminal to a pedestrian-centric, transit-oriented retail development. The development sits at the intersection of Chagrin Boulevard and Warrensville Center Road – previously a six-point intersection that was considered for decades to be one of the most dangerous in the region. With changes to the traffic configuration and lane reductions along the two corridors, the development replaces a 40s-era 100,000-square-foot strip shopping center with a vibrant, walkable ‘downtown’ for the Shaker Heights community.
The concept for the new Van Aken District development goes back to the early 20th Century vision for the City of Shaker Heights planned as a “Garden City” suburban oasis that could easily be reached by rail from bustling downtown Cleveland. The area’s natural features and vegetation were leveraged in planning the residential community with only necessary commercial amenities. The Van Aken District reflects this original concept with lush landscaping and tree lined boulevards throughout the district in a small scale, walkable neighborhood setting. The new development has also created a true ‘downtown’ for Shaker Heights where there was none before and attracts both local and regional shoppers to experience the unique center with a "best of local" retail strategy.
Congratulations to developer RMS Investment Corporation, community partners City of Shaker Heights and the Greater Cleveland RTA, and the entire design team, Bialosky Cleveland and Dimit Architects, on this exceptional recognition!
You can see all the award winning projects on ICSC’s website.
Photo credit: The Van Aken District
Photo credit: The Van Aken District
Photo credit: The Van Aken District
Photo credit: The Van Aken District
Photo credit: The Van Aken District