When Chris Ronayne arrived at
University Circle Inc. in December
2005 as its new president, he had a plan to utilize the area’s museums, institutions and other assets to develop a premier
urban district.
“I’ve always wondered why people know
areas like Back Bay in Boston or River
Walk in San Antonio better than they know
University Circle,” he says. “That’s got to
change. We have world-class assets like the
Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland
Museum of Art, as well as two premier hospitals.
“Part of what’s missing is destination
marketing. There’s no reason why a couple
in Pittsburgh wouldn’t want to drive to
(University Circle) for the weekend or for
people to fly out of Denver and spend the
weekend here.”
So Ronayne, formerly planning director
for the city of Cleveland, spearheaded
development of a long-range vision, addressed personnel and institution needs, and crafted a new unified marketing message.
“We have these great assets,
but they really needed to be
tied together to project something bigger from this region
to a wider audience beyond
our borders,” he says.
That broader vision, Ronayne says, is multifaceted:
“Cause the development of
10,000 jobs over the next 10
years, bring with that 1,000 new homes to
the immediate University Circle and surrounding neighborhoods, double our visitor draw from 1.4 million people [2.5 million, if you include patients at the hospitals] and double the number of school-children we’re bringing in that can use the
institutions as a way of informally learning through the centers of innovation that
are here.”
Ronayne has made strides toward his
goal. His rebranding campaign includes a new quarterly magazine and
an interactive Web site. He
played a primary role in preserving the financially threatened University Circle Police
Department, which for 50
years has kept the area a safe
place to visit.
And, he worked with
University Circle Inc. member
organizations to launch the
innovative Cleveland Cultural
Collaborative.
“Whether it’s purchasing of products,
sharing of IT, financial or HR resources,
it’s an opportunity for the 40 member
institutions here at University Circle to
share services, increase revenue and
lower operating costs,” Ronayne says.
“It’s a model for collaboration, as a co-op,
for a resource-restricted economy.”
HOW TO REACH: University Circle Inc., (216) 707-5029 or
www.universitycircle.org
