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If you end up spending little more than sleeping time in an apartment at Skyline On Stokes, you’re probably enjoying the lifestyle offered by University Circle’s latest residential property. And it’s not just because of where the new building is located. It’s also because the amenities inside the building are large, both in scale and in variety.
Outside is University Circle, Cleveland’s cultural heart of great museums, the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra, international restaurants and shopping, including a Meijer grocery store two blocks west. Inside is enough to fill an hour’s tour, which is was NEOtrans did to bring you this latest living addition to Cleveland.
Skyline On Stokes, 2132 Stokes Blvd., opened to the first tenants moving in on July 31. In the first week, the 261-unit development is about 10 percent occupied but more units are leased by people who haven’t moved in yet.
Leasing activity continue to be brisk, said Zachary Strippy, director of business development for Signet Real Estate of Akron which is managing the property. Financing for the $40 million project was completed by Finance Michigan which is also overseeing completion of the Skyline 776 tower downtown.
The project was originated by Brent Zimmerman Development LLC and Rust Belt Development of Cleveland plus ACRE of Atlanta and New York City. Geis Companies of Cleveland and Streetsboro designed and built Skyline On Stokes.
When you first walk into the seven-story building, the first thing a visitor might notice is the attention to detail in contemporary design. You are greeted by a staffed front desk, with the desk made of marble. The front desk is staffed Monday-Saturday.
The building is secured and equipped with technology by SmartRent, including smart locks on the building and individual apartments — both opened by either a code or an app scanned from your phone.
SmartRent also provided the in-suite thermostats and leak detectors in the kitchens and laundry closets where washers and driers are located in each unit. Yes, even the studio apartments have washers and driers. Many of the units have small, Juliet-style balconies.
Each resident gets a standard trash bin to take advantage of Skyline On Stokes’ valet trash service. Residents can place the trash bins in the hall outside their apartments and the bins are picked up every Sunday through Thursday from 7-9 pm. The garbage bins are returned by the valet by morning.
“I think the amenities are what sets us apart from our comps in University Circle,” said Jessica Miller, property manager for Skyline On Stokes. Originally called Stokes West, construction on the project took about two years.
The co-working space measures nearly 2,000 square feet, and has some privacy thanks to screening on the lower halves of interior windows. There are sofas, chairs for reclining or for sitting up at individual tables or a meeting table, plus power connections. WiFi is available throughout the building.
Around the perimeter of the co-working space are multiple conference rooms. They have screens which can be used for watching television, interactive video conferencing and presentations. The conference rooms can be reserved or if they are open, persons can use them as well, Miller said.
In addition to a mail and packages room off the lobby, there is a storefront space where snacks and beverages can be purchased and technology accessories for meetings, printings and presentations can be rented. A large, well-equipped fitness center is provided.
At the north end of the building on the first floor is a 1,510-square-foot gaming lounge with a pool table, ping-pong table, lounge seating with small games tables, plus a bar.
Outside, next to the game room, is an 8,900-square-foot ground-level amenity deck. It has grill stations, dining tables, a bar, sofas, fire pit, infrared patio heaters and a small putt-putt green.
Skyline On Stokes is a pet-friendly building, Miller said. There’s a dog washing station where residents can also wash their bicycles, since it is across from the bike storage room.
The dog wash room is decorated with ceramic tiles on the walls in case a dog decides it wants to dry off by itself. And if it doesn’t, it is well-ventilated to also dry the room. Of course, soggy dogs aren’t usually pleasantly aromatic.
Rents for the studios, one-bedroom apartments, first-floor loft units, and two-bedroom suites range from $2 to nearly $3 per square foot. At other new apartment buildings in University Circle, rents are often $3 per square foot or more.
Even the eight townhomes along Cedar Avenue are priced below $3 per square foot. The three-story homes offer a private two-car garage, a first-floor den, two bedrooms each with a bathroom plus a half-bath downstairs, and an open-floor kitchen-living room space. The townhomes range in size from 1,170-1,355 square feet.
There are 12 dedicated low-income-restricted units plus furnished apartments for people moving into University Circle with little more than a suitcase, Strippy said. He said the building is attracting interest from its target market.
The units are intended for students at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Art and Cleveland Institute of Music, all close by. Plus, medical residents and others at Cleveland Clinic or University Hospitals who work long hours may want an apartment nearby to crash between shifts.
On site are 127 parking spaces, with 105 of them being off-street, including nearly 20 spaces with electric vehicle charging stations. Additional parking spaces are available for lease in the Cleveland Clinic’s massive parking garage at Cedar Avenue and East 105th Street. A Red Line train station is two blocks east and a HealthLine bus rapid transit station is two blocks north.
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