On Oct. 15, Case Western Reserve University held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly opened Wade Park Community Engagement Center located at 11310 Wade Park Ave. This restored historic home has been a part of Cleveland’s Magnolia-Wade Park neighborhood for 100 years, but it has now been renovated to facilitate community-facing programs and meetings with surrounding neighborhoods.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony included speeches from President Eric Kaler, including Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Councilman Kevin Conwell, Co-Chairs of the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) Trevelle Harp and Janice Eatman-Williams.
CWRU acquired the property in 2017 from developers with plans to tear down the facility. Glenville residents “fought them tooth and nail,” according to Eatman-Williams, who is also CWRU alumna and Cleveland resident. Thanks to the efforts of local community advocates, the house remained untouched until the current administration agreed to the idea of a community engagement center to bridge community and university interests.
Barbara Wilcher-Norton sat in many of the conversations regarding the fate of the building. She is the chairperson of Neighbor to Neighbor, a grassroots organization connecting Glenville residents to opportunities and events around the neighborhood. Having been a resident of Wade Park for more than 40 years, she mentioned that this center is a “final recognition of institutions listening to residents, of there being a mutual understanding [that] there can be progressive development without there being destruction to the community.” Several residents, both at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and in the Neighborhood Advisory Council 2023 Community Dinner, spoke to feeling like this is the first time they are being heard and seeing CWRU make efforts to engage with the community.
The Community Engagement Center has been open since its official Open House during the 2024 Glenville Heritage Festival. Residents were invited to tour the property, create artwork that will be displayed in the meeting rooms and meet with university staff. Many staff and administrators from the Office of Local Government and Community Relations have had their offices moved to this building, and so far several community meetings have already been held here.
Know Your Neighbors, a student organization focused on integrating CWRU students with neighborhoods surrounding campus, held two general body meetings in this space. These meetings are open to the community, and residents of Hessler Road and Wade Park have attended to hear more from students and bridge the gap between residents and student housing concerns. ZoŃ‘ Wagner, co-president of Know Your Neighbors, said, “One resident commented that this was the first time he had been invited to campus like this in the entire time he has lived in Cleveland. I’m really proud to be part of this student group that is committed to building connections while acknowledging and learning from the harmful actions of this university’s past.”
The university foresees the center as being a space for a variety of community meetings and partnerships. Julian Rogers, associate vice president of the Office of Local Government and Community Relations, said, “Whether it’s offering health screenings, youth programs, or small business workshops, the Wade Park Community Engagement Center will be a hub for growth and partnership, benefiting the entire community.”