Gateway North set to open fall 2027

This story appears as part of a partnership between The Land and The Carroll News. The story was originally published by The Carroll News.

Gateway North is moving closer to becoming a new mixed-use space for John Carroll University students and the surrounding community, with student housing and retail businesses, including a 15,000-square-foot Trader Joe’s store, planned for the development.

The student living wing of the project is expected to open in fall 2027 and will provide approximately 350 beds. The housing will consist primarily of four-person units, along with eight three-bedroom units and only two double-occupancy units.

Lisa Brown Cornelius, Ph.D., assistant vice president of Student Experience and Campus Belonging and dean of Students, said the university has been focused on creating a living environment that meets students’ needs while also maintaining a strong emphasis on safety.

“We’re really excited about what this is going to provide for our students, having additional residential space that is connected to the university community, while also being part of a larger development, gives students another option for where they can live and build community,” Brown Cornelius said.

Safety and security will be divided between the commercial and residential portions of the development. JCU and University Heights Police Departments will be responsible for the businesses and commercial areas, while JCU Police will oversee the student residential units upstairs and the student lobby.

Assistant Vice President for Facility and Auxiliary Services Jeremiah Swetel said the university is continuing to work through the details of the development as construction and planning progress.

“Safety is something we have been thinking about throughout the planning process. We want students to feel comfortable in their living environment, having a clear structure for who is responsible for each portion of the building is an important part of that,” Swetel said.

The commercial portion of Gateway North is also expected to begin taking shape soon, with Trader Joe’s currently targeting an opening between mid-October and November of this year. The grocer makes up half of the retail space, utilizing 15,000 square feet, and the rest of the retail options are still up in the air, according to Swetel.

“The remainder of the retail, which is 15,000 square feet, is going to other retail. We have it broken up into smaller spaces,” he said. “We’re having a lot of discussion with a large format restaurant, which would be breakfast and brunch, a Pilates studio potentially, and other food concepts,” Swetel explained. These spaces would not be open as soon as Trader Joe’s, but would eventually offer more dining and recreational options for JCU students next school year.

The design of Gateway ensures that new business activity and student living will be separated in multiple ways, including parking. Swetel ensured that parking for customers will be separate from student parking spaces.

“There’s 186 parking spaces in the retail parking field and there’s approximately 302 or 303 in the student parking lot,” Swetel said. He also explained that the student lot will be gated and students with spots in the lot will need their student ID to access the parking lot. Residential spaces and the lobby will also be blocked by key card access to keep students safe.

Students and community members will have access to the space after its grand opening in fall 2027 and Gateway North will continue to put the finishing touches until this December.