The Campus District, the area on the eastern edge of Downtown Cleveland, is a neighborhood with a rich history. The area was first settled in the 1800’s by German immigrants who used the land for farming. Some 80 years would pass before the area was developed into a residential neighborhood as foundries and steel mills were built around it. Slovak and Italian immigrants arrived next, followed by Jewish immigrants from Poland and Russia. It was at this time that the first Anchor Institution of the Campus District was formed, St. Vincent Charity Hospital, Cleveland’s first permanent general hospital

At the turn of the 1900’s African-Americans joined the neighborhood moving from the south to Cleveland during the Great Migration. To accommodate the influx of new residents, single-family homes were subdivided. By 1920, the population had risen to 78,000 making it the most densely populated are in Cleveland. A decade later, it was Cleveland’s most destressed neighborhood. In 1937, local leaders created the nation’s first public housing development, Cedar Central Apartments

By the 1950’s the area was cleared for urban renewal. Construction of the Innerbelt began in 1954, cutting the neighborhood in half and destroying much of the remaining housing stock. However, the easy access created by the Innerbelt prompted local leaders to place institutions serving the metropolitan region within its boundaries. The foundation of the modern day Campus district was born.

The 1960’s continued to see radical change in the neighborhood. Cuyahoga Community College opened in 1964 and a new St. Vincent Charity Hospital was built. The following year Cleveland State University was founded and widescale construction occurred on Euclid Avenue.

The 1970’s and 1980’s continued to see rapid growth of Cleveland State, but also the demolition of buildings along Chester and Payne Avenue. It was at this time that many social service providers also started to locate within the district, including the Salvation Army. Soon the neighborhood became known as the Quadrangle.

The 1990’s continued the period of anchor construction with new buildings at Cleveland State University. Historic properties in the district also started receiving attention - starting with the renovation of the YMCA. This historic renovation continued into the 2000’s with the Tower Press Building, the first building to be renovated in the Superior Arts District with the new Live/Work Overlay Zoning District, established in 2001, to promote shared artist live/work activities in buildings formerly zoned as industrial. At this time the Men’s and Women’s Homeless Shelters relocated into the northern part of the neighborhood.

The completion of the the Euclid Avenue Corridor Project in 2008 gave the neighborhood a true ‘Main Street’ feel, and Cleveland State University reoriented the campus to be more pedestrian friendly. A few years later, the neighborhood changed its name to The Campus District to better convey our location to the region.