A new community resource center being created by PNC Financial Services will better connect the Fairfax neighborhood's residents and small businesses to economic opportunities in Northeast Ohio. It will also celebrate the rich history and legacy of a neighborhood that was once home to Langston Hughes and houses Karamu Theatre.

PNC recently broke ground on PNC Fairfax Connection, a new facility that is being built on the site of a former dry cleaner at E. 83rd St. and Carnegie Avenue. The 6,400-square-foot facility was designed by Richard Fleischman and ESI Design. PNC officials hope to celebrate a grand opening here in the fall.

"Our CEO said, 'I want you to create something that redefines the relationship between a bank and a community,' so we did," says Paul Clark, PNC Regional Vice President. "Fairfax stood out because of the pride of the community, its proximity to University Circle and the Cleveland Clinic, and the strength of its leadership."

PNC Fairfax Connection will offer access to technology and training, resources to connect residents to jobs, and intergenerational, youth and early childhood programming. It will also help celebrate the cultural legacy of Fairfax.

As examples of possible outcomes, Clark cites a goal of increasing the number of local residents hired by major employers, helping small businesses to connect with each other and to large entities such as the Cleveland Clinic, and youth programs that help aspiring filmmakers to produce state-of-the-art movies.

The facility is being built on the site of the former Swift Dry Cleaner, and will remediate a dilapidated building and brownfield along Carnegie Ave. It is being created in partnership with the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation. Clark says the distinctive, glassy architecture will "set a high bar."

Source: Paul Clark
Writer: Lee Chilcote