Study for Devonshire Spine Plan

Old Brooklyn, Ohio

MetroHealth Systems partnered with Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation (OBCDC) to jumpstart a planning effort that would consider options for the hospital’s function within the community. Dubbed the “Devonshire Spine Plan”—a nod to the hospital’s spinal rehabilitation center—the study focused first on considerations for the presently auto-centric Devonshire Road and radiated outward, evaluating MetroHealth’s greater connection to the Old Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond.

Boulevard Studios was a key participant of the design team throughout the process. At project kickoff, BSLLC conducted a thorough walkthrough of the campus and surrounding public spaces, documenting streetscape conditions and identifying areas of untapped potential. Site photos, coupled with county GIS maps, property data, and resources provided by OBCDC, were mapped into a comprehensive photo inventory structured to help organize the team’s findings and provide a means of communication and cross collaboration.

Boulevard Studios created early sketches followed by detailed site plans which helped the client team and community stakeholders visualize what achievement of these planning goals might look like. And, when it was time to compile all the data, findings, goals, and initiatives into a document, the firm created a booklet that is informative and yet easy to read, just right for distribution to the very community that brought its ideas and concerns to the table in order to drive the study.