Midtown Collaboration Center grand opening celebrates new opportunities in the Hough neighborhood
Community engagement is at the heart of the new Midtown Collaboration Center. Fittingly, the May 16 grand opening brought together hundreds of neighbors, partners, and state and city leaders for a community block party. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Case Western Reserve President Eric W. Kaler and School of Medicine Dean Stan Gerson gathered with community supporters, along with faculty, staff and students, to celebrate the new space, which will house the university’s population and community health programs.
Located at East 66th Street and Euclid Avenue in the Hough neighborhood, the center is the vision of the Cleveland Foundation and brings together education, arts and community organizations and local residents to share ideas and resources. The state-of-the-art building features flexible meeting spaces and locally owned food venues, including Black Frog Brewery and Pearl’s Kitchen.
The Midtown Collaboration Center also is home to Case Western Reserve’s Institute for Population and Community Health, an intentional move to bring educational and research efforts directly to the community.
As the umbrella for university programs focused on population and community health, the institute seeks to shape a healthy tomorrow for Clevelanders. The MidTown Collaboration Center’s emphasis on connection will enhance the institute’s mission to reduce barriers, improve health and wellness and prevent disease in our community with services and knowledge.
“Imagine the conversations and ideas that will come from bringing together different perspectives and experiences with a focus on population and community health and health maintenance,” said Gerson. “We are delighted to have this opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to serve and work with the community to advance health and research, collaborating with the Cleveland Foundation and partners in and near the Midtown Collaboration Center.”
Other School of Medicine initiatives based at the MidTown Collaboration Center include the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center’s community outreach initiatives, the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health, the Prevention Research Center for Health Neighborhoods, the Master of Public Health program, the Clinical Translational Science Collaborative’s outreach programs and the Medical Education pathways programs.
Other partners at the MidTown Collaboration Center include University Hospitals Diabetes Center, Cleveland Institute of Art, Jumpstart, Hyland, Assembly for the Arts, the Economic & Community Development Institute and Women’s Business Center, along with Pearl’s Kitchen and the Black Frog Brewery and Sixty6 music lab. Planners designed the spaces to connect people, and they hope the combination of the dedicated organizations and teams will lead to new collaborations and opportunities.