THE VISION ISSUE - City of Shaker Heights

Successfully navigating the intersection
of Van Aken Boulevard, Warrensville
Center Road, and Chagrin Boulevard
has been an unofficial rite of passage
for Shaker Heights residents for more
than 60 years.
Some avoid the six-legged intersection
at all costs and with good reason:
It takes the top spot in number of accidents
in the city and ranks 11th in
Cuyahoga County. But judging by
the number of vehicles that sputter
through the intersection each day – a
whopping 45,000 – it’s clear that most
have no choice but to pray for safe
passage (not to mention a green light)
when approaching one of the traffic
signals.
Get stuck at a red light and the wait
is three minutes. It’s long enough for
most drivers to have wondered at one
time or another: When is this intersection
going to change
Shaker Heights’ Economic Development
Director Tania Menesse has
a definitive answer. “You’ll start to see
shovels in the ground late 2013 or early
2014,” she says.
That’s when the Van Aken District
Redevelopment officially begins, and
when the intersection as residents have
known it for decades will take a turn
for the better. Just how much better
City Planning Director Joyce
Braverman has the short answer. “The
basic plan is to reconfigure the inter-
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Tom Zenty (opposite page), CEO of University
Hospitals and Shaker resident. UH
has more than 900 employees at its Management
Services Center in the Van Aken
District. PHOTO BY KEVIN G. REEVES.
“Shaker Heights has been really great to work
with, and we’ve had a positive experience at this
location.”
– Tom Zenty
SHAKER LIFE DECEMBER | JANUARY 2013 49